Project 23 a Journey Back to Myself

Happy Father's Day to all you dad's out there....dad's to human kids and furbabies....and all father figures. If you step up to the plate and take on the responsibility of another living creature and nurture it and care for it you're a Dad....no matching DNA required. I've been working hard today staying on track. For all my West Coast readers, Costa Vida is very healthy eating friendly and will either substitute or leave out ingredients if you wish for healthier eating. I turned a 670 calorie salad into a 360 one just for leaving off rice and subbing regular pinto's for refried. I could have done one better and left off the dressing... I'll know next time. It was a great salad, good lunch portion for a small salad and it tasted fantastic. That's the deal guys.... good food doesn't have to taste all 'greeny' and like cardboard.... it can taste fresh, zesty, awesome.... it just takes a little know how that the 'bad chain restaurants'...

Assignment #1 What is in your 'tool' box.... What are the tools you are using now to lose weight? Your blender for smoothies and juices? Exercise bands for stretching, a yoga mat? A bicycle. Tennis shoes. A blog or journal...a Bible or spiritual guide book.? With what tools you have, how do you use them now? Are they collecting dust or are you bringing them out and using them again? My blogger for one thing. Keeps me accountable to myself. As I read over the entries I can see where I've slipped and how far I've come. I need some new shoes, I need a juicer.

I know it's been a while since I posted. Since February I have been dealing with a lot of family drama, my own food addictions, and being sick again. Yes, derailed again. But you can't keep me down for long and once again I was at it in March with some new tools like My Fitness Pal, some new goals in walking and exercising EVERY DAY, and cutting my carbs in half. I've already been six months free of artificial sweeteners, and my body is loving that. I have lost 16 lbs since March. I started out at 211 and now I'm down to 195.... I haven't been under 200 in over six years. My key to that. Walking. Walking every day. Soon I am going to be integrating Yoga and strength training into my regimen. All baby steps. My body tends to take four steps backward if I push it too much, so I'm taking everything step by step. Nutrition wise I still need to get in a more plant based diet and work on cutting out the refined sugar carbs. As for eating whole foods, that has been...

Like with any addiction, you can't do it on your own or without help. I'm back in the food wagon again, along with the mind and body as well. All part of my life and David's life as well, we're doing this together. I'm excited, not just about the losing of weight for vanity purposes (I'm not going to lie), but for the new life of feeling good physically and spiritually. When I saw myself in the commercial I was filmed in I cried... that was not me. I'm ready... what have I got to lose except maybe 70 lbs.

Watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead 2, and looking at how far I've come. To be honest, not very far, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on my goals...2015 is a year of 20 ' s for me. The big one being 20 years of sobriety. Over the past year I have come to the realization of my addiction to 'comfort food' and processed food. I've also dealt with a lot of health issues, from diabetes to malignant hypertension. I also live with bipolar  and PTSD and the meds I HAVE to take in order to live. A lot of us out there started on New Years resolutions on the first, today I start again on a LIFE CHANGE! When I got sober I knew it wasn't just to placate the powers that be, I wanted to change my life... almost 20 years later I'm still sober, but due to the other factors in my life, I have replaced one addiction with another... alcohol for food. So today is the first day, and with my last glass of chocolate milk I start. I'm not going to put numbers out...