I am a work in progress...

I am a work in progress... in all aspects of my life - health, weight, happiness, hope.

I have been on Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live eating plan for not even two months and I have lost almost 40 pounds.  I truly feel that I have found the perfect way to eat for me. 

 I have had many scale victories, which is great, but perhaps the most exciting thing for me right now is the non-scale victories I have had.  Specifically and most importantly, my health is getting better.  While I don't want to admit my weight here yet, I do still have more than 100 pounds to lose (that's the not the health news :) but just an FYI).  For many years, I have been on the highest dose of an expensive blood pressure medicine that also contained the highest dose of a diuretic.  Well, several weeks ago, I was feeling dizzy a lot and nauseous for reasons I couldn't identify.  I went to the doctor, and he feels that my blood pressure meds were too high and it was making me dehydrated and my electolytes were all off.  So, he put me on a new medicine, HALF the dose and NO DIURETIC. While not super low, my blood pressure is 120/70, which is the lowest it has been in at least 10 years.  WOOHOO!!  So far, no more dizziness.  I go back to the doc on Wed to confirm that my blood pressure is still under control but I think it will be good!

Another great victory occured at my TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meeting a few weeks ago. This is a weekly weight loss support group and we meet every week and weigh in at the scales.  Well, I hit a number on the scale that I haven't seen in more than 15 years.  I'll give myself another WOOHOO for that!

I love this eating plan.  I am eating three big and delicious meals each day (no between meal snacks) that include wonderful fresh vegetables, luscious fruits, yummy beans, plenty of water and more!.      

I feel energized lately which is fantastic and has also been a long time coming.  Seriously for the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful!  Hopeful to lose the remaining weight, hopeful for today, and hopeful for what the future may hold.

In previous "diets" - and believe me, in my 45 years there have been too many to count - I have initially done well and if there was a setback, or whatever, I would give up and go back to my old eating patterns.  I have gained and lost so much weight over the years that I have lost count.  At times, just thinking about the amount of weight I need to lose has been overwhelming but no more.  I am taking one bite at a time, one decision at a time.  And this amazing Eat to Live plan is helping me.....I no longer have insatiable cravings, no longer have the desire to be obsessive compulsive with my food.  I am learning to feel at peace and at home in the body that I have right now at this very moment.  I am learning to cultivate kindness toward my body not only in the foods that I feed it, but in the thoughts that I have about it.

My next step in this journey to wellness is to start exercising.  Any movement is better than no movement! :)  I have osteoarthritis in both knees and currently use a forearm crutch.  As the weight comes off, I have less and less pain.  Although I know that cartilage won't grow back, my goal is to put off knee replacement for years and years and build up the strength in the muscles around my knees.  Actually my goal is to not have to use the crutches except for when I have flare-ups.  So...movement starts this week!

Now that I have rambled on, I will leave you with another gratuitous cat picture.  This is my sweet Marty sharing a joke with Baby Spike.  LOL.