I did it again. I worked all through the night. I was so caught up in writing that I did not realize just how fast the time was flying by....until my daughter's alarm clock went off. Scared me half to death! 5a.m. came fast and yuppers! I'm gonna pay for staying up all night again. I'm not always the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to managing my fibro. I do know better. I just get really tired of fibro interfering in my life. It isn't going to let me stubborn myself to death much longer. I will have to pay the fibro fairy dearly for staying up all night again. If I'm lucky, when she pays me a visit this morning, I can catch her, strangle her and bury her in the backyard and we'll all be better off! :) A girl can dream.
I have gotten quite a few emails from people wanting to know how I lost the weight and reversed heart disease. I will tell you what I did but only if you first understand that each body is different and what works for one person does not necessarily work for everyone.
After the stents were put in, I had a lot of chest pain for over a year (they forgot to tell me that would happen) so I took my exercise program slow. I started with walking. We live in the country so I would take my dogs for a 30 minute walk. I started with three times a week for a month and then added a day each week after that until I was up to 7 days a week. I did not start off with brisk walking either. Just a stroll until I felt comfortable stepping up the pace.
I bought a pedometer and started setting a step count. I began with 2,000 steps. Seriously, that sounds like a lot but you would be amazed at how fast you reach that goal just cleaning your house and running your errands. I added steps at 500 step increments until I was up to 10,000 steps a day. That final number was my cardiologist's suggestion. 10,000 steps equals five miles. I just starting walking to our church and back. Viola'! 5 miles. If I can't walk outside, I have a Tony Little Gazelle in my den and get my steps in that way.
The more I exercise, the less I hurt, that is, unless I exercise until I hurt and then the fibro fairy pays me a visit and exercise is reduced to gentle stretching. Stretching! I highly recommend it! Stopping to gently stretch through out the day not only keeps your muscles limber, it keeps your arteries flexible. You want your arteries to stay flexible. Hardened arteries collect plaque. Plaque builds until it ruptures and cuts off the blood flow to your heart. 50% of first time heart attacks end in death. Stretching is our friend!
Exercise combined with a healthy eating plan is what helped me to drop the fifty-five pounds that I did not want. I never have counted calories or invested in one of the many weight loss guru's plans. I don't doubt that they help many people but I am a researcher so that is where I turned. I learned the difference between good fats and bad fats. I found out how much of each we are supposed to ingest everyday and I took the bad fat number and cut it in half. If the Saturated fats are more than 5 grams per serving, I won't eat it. If it has Trans fat, I don't even bother to buy it. That is extreme for some people but I had just had a heart attack and I don't intend to have another so I have stuck with severely restricting bad fats. You would be surprised at what is really in your food. Learn to read labels.
I cut sugar out all together and moved to Stevia. Cutting out sugar gave me a headache for two days but now I can not eat sweets without getting sick all most right away. My body does not want the sugar. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar so I use less, it can be used in baking just the same as sugar and your body does not react to it the way it does to sugar. No blood sugar spikes and no high triglycerides.
I also drink a dose of Metamucil everyday. My Cardiologist (and my research after he told me this) said that the pills are not as effective as the powder. The powder doesn't taste good but, down it real quick and it's done and over with. Metamucil helps in several ways. Not only does it help to sweep away plaque that has settled in your arteries, it helps you to feel full for several hours so that you avoid mindless snacking. It also keeps your bowels healthy and regular. Just make sure to drink plenty of water through out the day to help it move through your system.
I also cut way back on red meat and now make sure that we eat much more fish and chicken. I bake or broil the meat 90% of the time rather than fry it. Fruit, veggies and whole grains make up the majority of my diet now and if I want a snack, I either grab a handful of almonds or I make a smoothie with Greek non-fat yogurt, coconut milk and whatever fruit I am in the mood for.
The real key is this....never tell yourself that you can not have something if you really, really want it! When I deny myself that something that I really want, I find that I want it even more and if I berate myself for indulging, I just end up feeling guilty. When you feel guilty, you start to believe that you have failed when you didn't! If I want a piece of chocolate once a month, then I have a piece of chocolate. I no longer want the whole chocolate bar because my body can not handle the sugar but a bite or two satisfies that craving.
Becoming healthy is about more than reaching a goal weight. It is a life style change and a change in your relationship with food. Eating healthy does not have to be a bland diet full of restrictions and hunger pangs. There are plenty of websites with super healthy recipes that my whole family loves. It also doesn't have to be expensive. Many times eating a healthy meal at home is more cost effective than running out for fast food.
Like I said before, the way that I did it may not work for everyone. I never counted calories and I did not join a weight loss program but if you feel that you need the support of a program, go for it! There are plenty of support groups on facebook and twitter where you will be able to connect with those who are walking down the same road and are very supportive of one another.
It all comes down to what you want. You are the only person who can take the first step to becoming a healthier, more energetic person. I think you will find that once you have taken the first step, there will be plenty of people who are willing to help guide you. I wish you a healthy, happy life!
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