Back to a Healthy Me

It has been a very busy past two months and now that things have settled down, I need to continue to share my journey. At this point, I’ve been able to steadily maintain my weight between 125-129 lbs since December. This is great since I have not been following my healthy lifestyle like before I did in the late part of 2011.

I still have cut down and have stayed away (a majority of the time) from processed food, food containing gluten and wheat. I have allowed myself to indulge but in moderation. What I have not had a chance to do is work out. I tried to the other day and I had a really bad asthma attack, so I have to find out what is going on to get that under control.

Anyway, I will keep moving along on my journey and will try to share what I can.

I just finished organizing and throwing my company’s annual meeting and holiday party. Last year, during the meeting, we introduced ourselves and shared one “special” fact about yourself. Last year I shared that I bought P90x and haven’t used it in 2 years. Fast forward to this annual meeting…I shared that while I was on a project last year, I gained 25 lbs. Today, I’ve lost those pounds plus 10. I felt really great to share this wonderful feat. I stood on the scale and saw the number at 125!  I haven’t been this weight since I was 30 years old. 

Before our corporate event, one of our employees asked me how I lost all that weight and that I was an inspiration. That was very touching. So I’m going to continue to keep at my pace and share.

As we walked around the WTC Memorial last week, I remembered walking through that area 10 years ago in February 2001.  George and I had a romantic getaway in NYC to celebrate his new job and we were newlyweds. This was his first time in NYC and we had an amazing time. 

Anyway, George and I took the subway down to Battery Park and made our way to WTC. I remember looking up between those two buildings in awe. But the place was dark, grey and desolate. There was no life, no energy at that time.  Maybe because it was a Sunday. George had his architectural moment of taking photos and appreciating the buildings. Then we walked up and were on our way to the Empire State Building.  We went up and again, looked out from the observation deck and looked at the Towers.  The view was breathtaking and we were able to appreciate it better from that vantage point.

Fast forward to 9/11/01.  I received a call from my friend at 8:00 am and she tells me to turn on the TV.  I’m sitting there and I see the 2nd plane fly into the other tower.  My mouth fell and I was stunned. I was about 7 months pregnant and George was on an overseas business trip in Europe. I didn’t know if he was in the air or how I was going to get in touch with him. Our world turned upside down that day like it did for many others. I was worried about my aunts that lived in New York.  I was worried about the people there and worried about how my husband was going to get home safe.

Now fast forward to the day before Thanksgiving Day 2011.  I am back in NYC with George but now with both our sons Maximus and Nolan. We are walking around the WTC memorial in the same place George and I walked around 10 years earlier. Where there were two large towers, now stood two pools of cascading waterfalls and names of people I didn’t know, but people nonetheless that I felt sadness for then and now. It was a sobering experience, yet, what was once an area that felt desolate, dark and grey is now an area that was beautiful, green, full of people and full of life. 

As my sons and I touched the names of these people, I felt the warmness that I didn’t feel there before. How odd and how bittersweet this experience was.

Then I looked at my family…the loves of my life. This was the perfect vacation to be with them and to be thankful that although 2001 was a year of sadness and pain, it was also the year that George and I visited NYC together as newlyweds.  This was the city that our first born son Maximus was conceived and he was also born in December 2001, on his grandmother’s birthday.

So last week after spending a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with my family and my best friends, I am thankful that we can spend these moments together…and remember.

I stepped on the scale today and to my amazement (because I haven’t been following the diet religiously this week) I lost 3 more lbs!  I haven’t been this weight since I was 30.  I am 7 lbs to my goal weight.

I worked out five times this week and maybe that helped :).  Not too sure.  Although she is kind of scary, I’ve started the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout. After 3 days I started the workout #2. But it does get boring, so I have to see what I can do to mix it up. It does kick my ass, so I guess it’s doing its job. 

Sorry folks, you can.  If I can give up rice and bread; you can give up your bread.  I know this might sound harsh, but here’s the truth…

Whether you eat white bread or wheat bread…it is still processed. A majority of bread is treated with a variety of chemicals from the ground to production in over to “bleach” the flour and prevent it from sticking - such as:

insecticides fungicides benzoyl peroxide or chlorine dioxide (known to cause cancer) methyl bromide nitrogen trichloride alum ammonium carbonate nitrogen peroxide These hidden ingredients can cause:

• allergies that manifest as bloating, diarrhoea, eczema, asthma, headache or general malaise or lack of energy
• leaky gut syndrome
• growth of unfriendly toxin generating bacteria in the gut
• slowing of bowel transit time, so toxic substances are in contact with the bowel for longer

And don’t get me on gluten and yeast products (this will be for another day).

When I was younger, I didn’t read food labels.  Since having kids, I have started but more so in the past few months.  I don’t want to sound like I’m standing on a soap box, but I have seen the difference in my body in the past 3 months by giving up this food staple. My allergies are all but gone (except for my mild pet and environmental allergies) and my asthma is almost non-existent unless it’s connected to my pet/environmental allergies.  I use to use my inhaler on a daily basis and take allergy medicine daily.  Now, I use my inhaler once or twice a week and my allergy medicine once or twice a week.

I am no longer bloated and I have more energy than ever.  Anyway, stay away from this bad filler if you can.  Or at least in moderation. I am trying to ween my kids off of bread…but I have tried to get the bromide free, gluten free breads.  This is a work in process.  

I challenge you to give up bread.  Do it for a week.  A week will turn to two weeks and then a month…and you will see the difference.

The first week of my diet, my body’s goal was to train it to utilize my stored fat (much of it) for energy. Here is the breakdown of protein and calories:

• Very lean protein: 35 calories/oz
• Lean protein: 55 calories/oz
• Medium fat protein: 75 calories/oz
• Cottage cheese: 90 calories/half cup (2% milk fat)
• Plain (0% fat) Greek yogurt: 15 calories/oz

Very lean protein (1 oz):

• Ground turkey
• Chicken (white meat, no skin)
• Turkey (white meat, no skin)
• Cod or haddock
• Halibut, trout, flounder or grouper
• Egg whites (2)
• Deli meat (1 gram of fat or less)
• Smoked salmon
• Tuna
• Shellfish
• Eggbeaters
• Canadian bacon
• Tilapia

Lean protein (1 oz):

• Chicken (dark meat, no skin)
• Turkey (dark meat, no skin)
• Pork (lean chop, tenderloin)
• Lamb (roast, chop or leg)
• Veal (roast, lean chop)
• Deli meat (3 grams of fat or less)
• Beef (USDA Choice or Select, lean)
• Ground beef (90% lean)
• Salmon
• Herring (not creamed or smoked)
• Turkey bacon

Medium Fat (1 oz):

• Ground beef (75% lean)
• Short ribs
• Veal
• Corned beef
• Prime rib
• Ground turkey
• Egg (1)

This is taken from my first week menu of food as guidance from Medi Weightloss Clinic.

The 100 oz of water a day should include at least 16 oz of fluid that contains electrolytes, such as Smart Water, Powerade Zero, Vitamin Water Zero.  If you don’t get enough fluid during the day, and you don’t have enough fiber, it may lead to constipation.  So remember to drink your water and have your fiber (psyllium supplements).

You are probably going to think this diet is too restrictive the first week. I will tell you now, I wasn’t hungry, irritable or tired.

Daily Supplements:

• multi-vitamin 
• calcium 
• vitamin D3 with K 
• omega 3
• hoodia
• psyllium (fiber) 

Diet consists of:

• 600-1000 kcal of lean protein
• mustard, salt and pepper for taste
• 100 oz of water or diet soda or tea, which included vitamin water with electrolytes 
• No strenuous exercise for the first week

I had a food diary that helped me input the information. Remember this is for the first week only. You will be integrating veggies and fruit next week. Also, if you have a smart phone, download the Calorie Count app. That will help you determine how many calories you are eating. If you have a food scale too, that would be great.

It’s no secret. It was all about timing (and Living Social).  So I visited Medi-Weight Loss clinic in Naperville,  IL and it changed my life and view on eating. On August 23, 2011 I weighed 150 lbs. Early in 2011 I was tipping the scale at 160 lbs, but slowly lost the 10 lbs and probably most of it on our 3 week family European vacation. 

I won’t preach about Medi-Weight Loss clinic, but they actually do it the right way. I went through a full physical. I was very happy to find out a week later that my lab results were great and that, other than being overweight, I was in great health. No problems with my cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. 

I went in for weekly weigh-ins, support/counseling, and my energy B shots. Fast forward to today, I now weigh 130 lbs. 20 lbs!!!!  I never felt hungry, irritable or lethargic during this diet. Here’s the secret…I have lessen my intake on bad carbs (simple carbs), that includes rice, bread, potatoes, etc. But I am eating more veggies and fruit than I have ever had before. By not eating these simple carbs, my allergies are almost gone and my asthma is almost non-existent. So in the middle of this, I’ve discovered I was probably adversed to gluten, wheat products, etc. 

The first week on the diet was not as hard as I thought it would be. Yes, I had to eat less calories.  No carbs, only lean protein.  I didn’t have to give up on my diet Coke (yes, I know that’s bad, but I think that’s why I wasn’t irritable). After that first week, then I introduced fruits and veggies. And I have been following that ever since. Oh, don’t forget that I’m taking my supplements: daily multi-vitamin, D3, omega 3, calcium, flax/fiber, hoodia, B6, B12, etc. and 100 oz of water/day.

I’ve taken a little sabbatical from doing this religiously but I’ve actually maintained with no issues. I’ve had two cheat days (french fries) but I’ve been exercising on a daily basis now. I will be supplying information on the diet in the following posts so that anyone can do this on their own. I do recommend that you get a full physical and talk to your doctor before embarking on any type of diet. If you live near a Medi-weight loss clinic, I highly recommend you go. I can refer you and you can get 50% off your first consultation. 

Or, you can read the Duken Diet too. There are a lot of things in this book that mirror what I’ve been doing. Again, I believe that you have to do the right plan for your body and what’s right for you. This has worked for me and I look at food so differently now. I still enjoy it very much, but I understand portion control and what goes into your body and how it’ll affect you.

Well, I wrote in a Cliff note version in yesterday’s post how my past led me to my decision to become healthier. Everyday I would say to myself, today is the day I’m going to start. And then something would happen and I would push it off to the next day, and then the next day and so on.

I finally had it after our wonderful family vacation over the past summer. We had a whirlwind European trip and I felt so good when we got back home. Not only did we have an amazing time together but we ate delicious food and walked everywhere. We ate the freshest food, the freshest fruit and vegetables. We didn’t eat anything processed. When we got back home I lost a little over 5 lbs.  I don’t think I ate any less, but I ate better food and walked everywhere.

I didn’t want to revert back to my past habits. But I slowly started too and then I got an email from Living Social. It was a deal to join a weight loss clinic. This weight loss clinic was different from others that I researched in the past. It wasn’t pre-packaged food. I didn’t have to count points. 

I started on August 23, 2011 and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I started this journey over 10 years ago after my first son was born. I gained a lot of weight and stopped exercising. To make matters worse, I didn’t pay attention to my needs and concentrated on everyone else. I was lucky that I married an amazing man that didn’t care whether I was 110 lbs or I was 160 lbs. I was also lucky that my view of me changed for the better after I turned 30 years old. So, I didn’t give myself too much of a hard time when I did become frumpy. Looking back, I think it was easier to concentrate on other people because I was going through an emotional part of my life.

Before we take a glimpse of present day me, let me give you a little piece of my background. For my friends that have known me for decades, bear with me. I grew up in a typical strict Asian home where food was fried and rice was abundant. We were definitely not brought up as vegetarians.  You name it, we ate it. But, I was never an overweight child. I was born with a congenital heart defect and couldn’t participate in gym until I was in 3rd grade. I was a latch key kid. I was involved in many school extracurricular activities and sports. All of the activities I signed up myself and didn’t involve my parents being soccer parents. They were always working to provide for us. It’s nothing like it is today. I was lucky that I went to an elementary school that had these outlets. 

Fast forward to my teen years. Looking back, I was skinny. But I didn’t think I was. I think I weighed between 95 lbs to 110 lbs in my teen years.  Did I think I was skinny? Of course not? Did I have great self-esteem? Hmm…do most teenage girls have great self-esteem? Again, I was lucky. I had high metabolism. I was a cheerleader (okay for one year), played sports and joined a health club at 18. So, I stayed active throughout my teen years.

Fast forward to my 20s. Once again, looking back, I was skinny.  Sometimes too skinny. At one point I think I was a size 0 (not healthy). I worked out A LOT, had my share of a part-time eating disorder and partied A LOT. There was a picture I was once saw of me in my 20s and I looked like one of those bobble heads. Ironically, I thought I was FAT at that time. Crazy what the lack of one’s self-esteem does to oneself. 

Fast forward to my 30s. I met an amazing man, got married and then 6 months later got pregnant with my first child. But before that, I had a job that required me to travel 75% to 100% of my time. It was excited. Traveled the world. Got to see a lot of great places. But in the meantime, I gained weight. I was not at my ideal weight when I got married, but I didn’t care. The view of myself was positive and healthy. And I married someone that didn’t care whether I was a size 0 or a size 10. When I got pregnant, I ballooned to 175 lbs. Yes, 175 lbs.  I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that I got that heavy. After my son was born, thank goodness for breastfeeding. I lost 28 lbs in two weeks and then lost 40 lbs altogether within 6 months.  Did I exercise? No.  It was breastfeeding that was my savior.

Then my mother passed away in May of 2003. I felt lost, heartbroken and grieved for a long time. I turned to food and gained back 20 lbs.  My weight yo-yo’d for the next 3 years until I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd son.  Not that I did this on purpose, but I only gained 20 lbs during my second pregnancy. Then I lost a ton of weight after my son was born (I’m telling you ladies, breastfeeding is the bomb). Anyway, I didn’t capitalize on this again. I started gaining weight.  Then lost a bunch in 2009.  Then in 2010, I gained 25 lbs because I started traveling again for work. The stress of traveling and the guilt of being away from my family took its toll.  At the end of 2010, I was tipping the scale at 160 lbs again.

By the summer of 2011, I was down to 155 lbs. But I had to do something. I was feeling sluggish, tired and not very good about me. I decided that I was too young to feel this way.

Why have I given you my story up to the summer of 2011?  My journey didn’t just start a couple of months ago when I decided to be serious on becoming healthier. It started when I was a kid and the view I had of myself.  All has led me to where I am today and where I will be tomorrow. 

When I loss my weight, started looking at eating healthier and taking the right supplements to grow stronger physically and mentally, many of my friends asked me what my secret was. I’ve been reading a lot of books and doing a lot of research these past few months.  I’m continuing on educating myself better and hope that I can share these experiences with you.