Ready!

I was preparing my baby's healthy lunch while he sat in his little seat watching me. While my back was turned he grabbed the last (really big) piece of apple pie from the dish and started eating it like a sandwich. It was so cute, I let him go for it. There have been so many yummy treats around this month. I wish it was as cute when I shove pie in my face. Somehow it just isn't. Enjoy it now, baby.

There is a Special K commercial on TV now that I love. It shows a really ugly cookie with one bite out of it on a plate next to a cup of tea. Someone throws the cookie in the fire and the voice says something like, "When you're ready, you'll know". I love that ad. Their diet is totally stupid, though, so don't do it. Cold cereal all day? Do you know how hungry you would be? That's just dumb and unhealthy. It's still a funny ad though. The next time you see it, pretend it's an ad for my program.

You're feeling ready to throw your cookies on the fire, aren't you? If you see one more treat, you'll gag. Great! Go through your kitchen (house?) and toss the junk. This isn't wasting. Do you know what's wasting? Putting it in your body and hurting your health. If things are unopened you could donate them. Just don't keep junk around.

It's not too late to call me. If you want 2010 to be the year you become permanently hot and healthy, give me a call. I want this for you, and you can do it. I made my goal last year, and after this baby is born I'll do it again. This is the easiest, fastest, healthiest way to lose weight that I have ever found, and I'm not alone. Last night I was in a meeting with a prominent doctor and a gym owner who are now health coaches for the same program.

A message to my clients who are starting this week: Good luck! I am SO excited for you. You are going to lose weight every single day. Don't forget to drink lots of water, and we will definitely be in touch. Let's get healthy. And hot.

News!

Well, my last post was so dumb that I deleted it. This is a big deal because I leave dumb posts up all the time. Sure it was up for a week, but it had to go. I have been freaking out because I am gaining so much weight with my pregnancy. I hate being so hungry, but like my sister pointed out, I'M PREGNANT! I always gain way more than I should with my babies. I just thought things would be different this time. They actually aren't. I've actually gained exactly as much with this baby as I did with my other two sons. Bummer! At least I started at a healthy weight.

I also swell more than most people. The good news is that my shoes and wedding ring still fit. When I was weighed at the doctor last month, I almost cried. My doctor swears I didn't set a record, but I think she just didn't want me to start crying. I asked if they were going to take my picture for their wall of shame, but she denied having such a thing. ECK, whatever.

More good news: this is a really healthy pregnancy. I am not cramping or spotting like I did with other pregnancies, and I have been cleared to exercise. Nothing fancy, but I can start going for walks and such. Today we walked about a mile and I felt great. Not just fine, GREAT! It was the first time I have done more than vacuum my house in about three months. The weather was sprinkly and about 50 degrees. We took the kids and the dog on the trail outside our house and I just kept saying, "I feel so healthy!" to my husband. I need to be grateful for this unexpected blessing that is my pregnancy, and less worried about the weight. After all, I do know how to get it off!

AND! The biggest news of all. It's a boy! I had a hard time picturing myself as the mother of three little boys at first. I think I was really expecting this baby to be a girl. It took me a few hours to get used to the idea, but I am so excited. Sons always love their moms. It's fun to be the queen of my castle and the princess, too. When I need to get my prissy fix on, I can always go shopping for my nieces. It's going to be so rowdy around here, though. Boys are loud, especially my boys. Famously so.

Have a great Christmas. You only have a few more days to call me if you want to start my program on January first. So far I have a handful of friends who are going for it. If your planning on making weight loss your New Year's resolution, let me help you and you won't have to do it again next year.

Are you who you want to be?

I'm thinking, "I wonder if this time I'll lose the baby weight?"

My mom had a saying, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be who you've always been". A version of this idea has been attributed to everyone from Anthony Robbins to Dr. Seuss. I have no idea where my mom picked it up, but I remember her saying it in High School. At the time, it wasn't really a warning, more like a guarantee. I was pretty type-A back then, and for the most part my hard work was rewarded. I took my health and fitness very seriously and was always healthy and fit. Life was easy.

The first time I took the phrase as a warning was when I became engaged. At the time I was horrible with my money. In college I ran up huge credit card bills even though I didn't have a job. If I had to choose between eating and buying a coat that I had been visiting in the store all season which was finally on sale, it was the coat every time. Of course, if I got hungry enough, I could always sell plasma. Somehow my parents found out I was doing that and they flipped out, but they didn't bail me out. I didn't ask them to, either, by the way.

I was totally at ease with my reputation as a spend-thrift until the reality of being married set in. The last thing I wanted to do was put Dan and myself in any position to need help from my parents. Overnight I became captain budget. Something just clicked, and I changed. After being married for a year we were even able to buy a tiny house. My mom said my dad was a little disappointed that we hadn't gone to him for help. The success I felt by our accomplishment made all of our sacrifices seem so small.

Since my first son was born, I had faced the reality that once again, I didn't like who I had become and it was time for another change. My identity as a fit and healthy young woman had been lost to a reality of obesity and disease. For years I wondered if the rewards of good health would be worth all that I would give up. Food had become my friend, and just like running up credit cards I had no way of paying, I had made a habit of overindulging to cope with the stresses in my life.

Looking back, there were two HUGE points that I didn't believe, but which are absolutely true.

First: I wasn't giving up that much. My system was so out of whack that yes, I was tremendously hungry physically, not just emotionally. I had no idea that there was a program out there that would give me the power to control and then illiminate the constant hunger that was driving my life. The realization that there was a solution to what I expected to be a lifetime struggle is why I became a health coach. I know that there are many many people in this predicament. I know that they think that they are less disciplined and weaker than thin people. I am on a missions to give those people back the control that will replace the cravings.

Second: I could have my college body back! OK, granted it's a little bit different, but in some ways it's actually better. All that running I was doing gave me a bulky lower body that always bothered me. This time around I trained more strategically and things shaped up better than I had expected. I think if I had really believed that I would fit into a four and a six and look great, I might have had the motivation to make changes sooner. If you really can't imagine yourself at your dream weight, then borrow my vision. When I ask new clients what their weight-loss goal is, they say something like, "I would really like to lose X pounds" then I say, "How much would you like to lose if I had a magic wand?" After a pause they usually confess that they would like to lose about twice the original number. I did that. I told my health coach that I wanted to weigh 160, but in my heart I would die to weigh 130.

I write these posts for me. To keep myself on track and accountable. I am so glad that I can help others, but honestly, I will be on the weight-loss/maintenance journey for the rest of my life. I now understand why alcoholics who haven't had a drink in thirty years say that they are alcoholic. Tomorrow I will explain what this all has to do with me now. Today I will just ask myself, "Do I want to be what I've always been, because if I do, I can just keep doing what I've always done". I know what I want my answer to be. I just need to find the vision to create my reality.

Hoosier Sushi

When I was living in Indiana, my best Hoosier buddy, Maleaha, brought these to an office party. They look so wrong, but they taste SO right! It's just a little dill pickle spread with lite cream cheese and wrapped in ham. As far as appetizers go, it could be worse. There were 36 little sushis on this tray, and here are the stats for the entire tray:

300 Calories
7 Carbs
15 Grams of fat

That's fewer than half a gram of fat, one fourth of a carb and 10 calories each. I accidentally bought honey ham, but you could shop around and buy a leaner ham or even fat free cream cheese.

There's good news for my clients. You can eat these! You can actually have about a dozen. The cream cheese counts as a fat, the pickles count as a snack and the ham counts as one gram of your daily protein. So, give these little babies a try. I know they look kind of fear-factor, but they are tasty and fun to bring to a party. They are also inexpensive and you can mingle with something (other than raw veggies) on your plate, guilt-free! Make these, I dare you.

Meet Powell.

This is our dog, another great Danielle Anthony pic. His name is Powell. Have you heard that you should never make a big decision within six months of a tragedy? I totally agree with that... NOW! We found this guy and drove six hours to pick him up the week we lost the twins. We might not get to bring home our babies, but no one's going to stop us from bringing home a bird dog! Some logic. Grief messes with your head.

We had been researching breeds for a long time, and to our credit, I still think that theoretically, a pudelpointer is the best breed for our family. Because I have asthma we have to choose a hypoalergenic breed, so our choices are limited. My husband likes him because he is from a sub-class called versatile hunting dog. Basically he can point, retrieve and track, whatever that means. Powell is so sweet, but he's rude. He stinks and runs away. He licks the baby's face, chews up toys and eats off the counters. Best of all! He's taken a fancy to pooping in the garage. That was the last straw. I hit my limit, and called my husband telling him how much I hate "his" dog, and insisting we get rid of him. Dan called my bluff, and found Powell a new home.

Oops. Suddenly I felt really guilty. My parents always gave our pets away about the time we were starting to love them. We're all still pretty bitter about Paco. Paco was a horrible husky that my dad brought home from the ski slopes as a puppy. He was an outside dog, but my mom still couldn't endure his reign of terror. He was always running off, chewing through lawn furniture and digging up her flower beds. When I told my little brother that we have to get rid of Powell, he said, "You can't. I am still so mad that mom gave away Paco. I used to make her drive me down the street where his new family lived so I could catch a glimpse of him."

Ergggg. Mother's guilt. Thanks, Levi. So, I told Dan we could keep the dog, but the plot thickens. To make a long story short, I ended up agreeing to take MORE responsibility for the beast. And wouldn't you know it, he got sick yesterday, so I took him to the vet, and I am giving him his meds and have taken over his new (complicated) feeding schedule. I am a saint. A SAINT! Well, not so saintly that I will allow Powell to sleep on my big-boy's bed. That campaing has been ongoing for about six months, and if it weren't for the shedding and the smell I might consider it. My son insists that he doesn't get nightmares if the dog sleeps on his bed. Am I being manipulated, or should I just give up and allow it?

Rumor has it that having a pet actually improves your health. I'm not sure how chasing a dog around my neighborhood in my slippers in twenty degree weather while the baby is screaming in his crib alone in the house actually reduces my stress. I think they should say, "having an obedient pet reduces stress". Powell does have some redeeming qualities, even beyond his really cute face. For one thing, I feel much safer walking or jogging on the trails by my house with my big loyal dog at my side. I also feel much safer when Dan is gone knowing that my four legged security system is on the prowl. So, I blew it. The dog was as good as gone, and I invited him back in! Saint Jacqui. Protector of rude, stinky dogs.

Greetings from the 150's.

I weigh the exact same in these two pictures. The picture on the left was taken in July. I had lost 80 lbs and was feeling HOT! The picture on the right ( by Danielle Anthony) was taken just over a week ago. So, why is it that these days when I get ready I feel so sloppy? Not only is the scale the same, but I have the best excuse ever! Here's the other weird thing. The pants on the left are an eight and the pants on the right are a six. I can't button them up anymore, but they sort of fit last week!

It's funny. You just feel SO GOOD about yourself when you are in control and you can feel your health improving. It truly isn't about the scale, but about how you're treating your body. Because I have high-risk pregnancies, I can't exercise at all, and I REALLY miss it. I got a new stroller today, and I wish I could go strolling. That's really saying something, because it's only about twenty degrees outside.

Do you want to know a secret? The less you weigh, the faster your sizes go down when you're losing. I'll put it this way. It took me about 20 pounds to go from a 16 to a 14, then another 15 or twenty to fit into a twelve. Then, by the time I went shopping in July for my size ten pants, I was already in an eight. Before I knew it, I was in a six. A SIX! For the first time since college. Now when my teeny friends ask me for help losing five pounds, I get it. When you're small five pounds can mean the difference between a two and a four (Boo hoo, right?)

I am just passing this observation on for those of you who have a lot to lose. Don't get discouraged if you stay in the same clothes longer than you expected. Keep it up, and you will see amazing results. Exponentially amazing results. ALSO. Don't expect people to compliment your weight loss. Weight is a totally taboo topic. I was at a birthday party this weekend with a client who has very rapidly lost forty pounds this fall. Saturday was the first time I had seen her since she started the program, and I hugged and congratulated her. Then the ice was broken and all of the other guests started in, "What have you been doing?" "You look fantastic, I just didn't want to say anything". Her results are absolutely remarkable, but people worry that if they tell you you look great now, it's like saying you were fat before. We're really courteous these days.

I went to K-Mart today because the maternity pants I ordered on the internet are way too big still. I couldn't find anything. I even considered the elastic-waist jeans that great-grandmas wear, but I think I will just belt the maternity pants for a couple of weeks. By that time they should fit just right!

The War at Home

It's so important for children to start the day with protein and fiber. Vitamins and minerals don't hurt, either, but it's not worth it if they're getting them from sugary cereals. I have blogged before about the great pancake controversy. I'm not sure of pancakes are a necessary part of childhood. They are the worst idea! Especially when we cover them with high-fructose corn syrup, which I'll admit, I love. Real maple syrup just isn't the same.

When I was in Utah my cousin made the BEST pancakes I have ever had. She used a mix, it's available at Smith's in Utah, and it has 16 different grains. The batter didn't look very good (sorry, Tiff) but they turned out light, flakey and so rich with all the warm grain flavors. She even put blueberries in them. Topped with Adam's peanut butter and drizzled them with honey, they were amazing. They even contained fiber and protein. Not exactly the comfort-food idea of a pancake like the ones I grew up with, but better. I couldn't track down the mix before I left Utah, but my brother is going to buy it for me for Christmas.

Most good fathers have a signature pancake recipe. My dad diced fresh apples into whole-wheat Krust-eez mix. Sort of nutritious. They could have been worse. Like my husbands recipe, for instance. He recently decided that no pancake is complete without a big handful of butterscotch chips. Dan thinks the fact that the baby will eat two large pancakes is evidence of their deliciousness. Seriously, it looks like child-abuse to me. At least he doesn't put syrup on the baby's pancakes. He and my other son put butter and syrup on theirs. Dan made me try them, and it was just way too much. I love waffle cones and s'mores, so it's not like I don't appreciate a good sugar-rush now and then. These babies are just ridiculous, though.

Have a great Sunday. It's so cute to see Dan in the kitchen spoiling my sons. It's what the weekend's all about, and I don't think once a month will cause type two diabetes anytime soon. I cook for the boys the other six days of the week, after all.