Another Milestone

Well who thought going back to work could be so healthy for you. I'm back at school working with children. I have lost 3 pounds this week for a total of 30 pounds! Yeah! I have to admit that I was a little concerned about leaving the comfortable controlled environment of my home for the active and sometimes unpredictable one of school. First of all, everyone at work is so encouraging about my weight loss. They are a great bunch of people and fun to work with. Second, I make sure to have a good breakfast before I go (all the Live the Life breakfasts are tasty and healthy) and, third, I pack my lunch. Since I can't have gluten, I can rarely eat anything offered at school. I have access to plenty of water to drink so I'm set. I found I had plenty of energy for playground duty, rearranging books, furniture and hopping from classroom to classroom. And I seem to be more alert - no brain fog! What is a wonderful result of this lifestyle is I sleep so soundly and usually wake up BEFORE my alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m.! Now who could have predicted that? I also wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed! I'm now more conscientious about my appearance and take care in applying my make-up and styling my hair. I can remember some time back, hitting the snooze button repeatedly and just having time to brush my teeth, wash my face, run a comb through my hair and run to work without breakfast. Now my mornings are unrushed and I can enjoy my breakfast and visit with family before leaving at 7:14 a.m. It puts a great big smile on my morning and the rest of the day seems to follow in the same manner.

All in all, I feel like my life has turned around and I will just steadily lose weight until I reach the point where my caloric intake and burn even out. Then that will be my ideal weight. I don't believe God made anyone fat. He made us as we should be, and if we listen to our body and feed it only when it's hungry and stop when we are satisfied (not full), then our body will maintain a proper weight for maximum health. Not eating when I'm bored or depressed has been a huge change for me. I find I'm rarely bored or depressed and I think that's due to my energy level and proper rest. I also find I don't do "busy work" to keep my mind off of something. I deal with whatever the issue is as best I can, and if I can't deal with it, I leave it to God and trust Him. Let me tell you, your blood pressure will settle down and you'll be happier and healthier with that attitude.

Getting Going

Well, this ol' gal is giving blogging a go. I started this mainly to give me a place to post my musings about what's happening in my life and going gluten-free in my diet. What does that mean, you say? Well, I have a condition that necessitates me eliminating all gluten from my diet. Gluten is the elastic substance in wheat, rye, and barley, and is used extensively in food additives. Ever try to make cookies without wheat flour? Very interesting. Gluten is in tomato soup, taco seasoning mix, soy sauce, and, of course, pasta, just to name a few. Gluten is everywhere. It's the second most used additive in western food, sugar being the first. But since nearly one-tenth of Americans are now being diagnosed with gluten sensitivities, food manufacturers are getting on the band wagon and producing more gluten-free (GF) foods. Wal-Mart even has a GF food section! Now that's progress. I tried some GF brownies for the 4th of July. They were O.K. but no fireworks!! I made GF blueberry muffins this morning, and they were pretty good, if my family's tastebuds are to be trusted. I find that shopping takes so much longer because I have to read all the labels. There is only one brand of canned chicken I can buy at the market because all the others have some form of wheat in them. Modified food starch and MSG are my nemesis. Thank goodness for the new labeling laws the FDA enacted. I have found all kinds of products marked "Gluten-Free". I don't care what it is, I buy it. I'll learn to love whatever it is. Actually, this lifestyle forces you to eat fresher and rely less on prepared foods. I have lost weight, have more energy, sleep better, and just have a happier attitude. It's pretty neat. But there are days I wish I could just have a Big Mac! Instead, Darrell barbeques burgers and I make my own double decker. Anyway, my pantry is GF now and I can't grab a Pop Tart anytime I want, but instead I'll grab my special GF crackers, tortilla chips, or some GF cookies. So you see, not all vices have been taken away, just replaced with GF ones.