Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Getting Thinner...Not An Easy Task!


No, getting thinner is not an easy task. When I was younger I did not have even an extra ounce..... having five babies? A breeze for me. I could gain 65 pounds and before they were a month old I would have my slim figure back. I was lucky if I weighed 100 pounds. And today? Ha! Mother Nature took her revenge and I have to admit, that through the years I helped her as watching children leave home and the pace slow down, food became a comfort. I was always busy, but it was a different busy and I missed the kids so much.....

Then several years ago I got dizzy while shopping in Michaels....we had recently moved to Yuma, AZ. and did not have a doctor. I found one that would see me and when my blood pressure was taken it was over 200....Scared? You bet! The doctor said I needed to loose fifty pounds and I needed to exercise. Yuma has the best walking park I have ever found.....it is by Kofa High School and is up hill and down dale! We waited for the sun to go down and then we ( dear hubs and me and sometimes the grands )walked and walked.

We did this every day and the weight slowly came off, but the BP stayed a problem and during all this I found I had diabetes, too. My fault! My fault for not staying active and eating wrong and certainly by not getting the exercise all our bodies crave. I had a warning in my life...my Dad. The whole family was shocked when it was discovered that he was diabetic. No one else as far back as one could remember had this....

Why am I telling all this? Well....I think this dear country of ours is in a lot of trouble in a lot of ways and too much weight and unhealthy habits is certainly one of them. I have read more than one article that has stated that with the overweight children of today, when they are of an age to enter our military, a large percentage could not be accepted because of their weight. They would not be fit to perform. I found that shocking. Not just to be able to defend this country, but to live! I think it is a very sad situation and I put much of the blame on lazy and to some point, uninformed parents as to what the future will hold for these youngsters!

All of this was brought to mind while we were at Lowe's last night waiting for a storm to pass and with my recent wake up call with the EKG because I really had slacked off.....I saw a magazine that took my eye. Not because I am diabetic, but because the cover looked good enough to eat!!! :) I showed it to my hubby and he mentioned it would be a good thing if everyone ate like this... (BTW..I am not on any meds and keep my sugar where it is supposed to be by watching what I eat. I eat everything from a piece of Lemon Pie to a cheeseburger, but I do use portion control and I balance what I eat through the day and I exercise. ) So, back to the magazine...I purchased it after looking through the recipes....It is a Better Homes And Gardens publication and it was $9.99. A hefty price, but well worth it as I needed some new inspiration in the kitchen and I wanted it to be healthy inspiration....

I have not had real sugar in my kitchen for years.....there is no need for it. My personal choice after trying all on the market, is Splenda. It is wonderful for baking. Just taste my chocolate chip cookies and then ask the hubby and the grands what they think of them....they can't keep out of them. And fudge? No one can tell the difference!

And, lots and I means lots, of fresh vegetables and fruits and now is the time to really enjoy them....I know the heavenly NW cherries are winding down, but like blue berries, their dark meat is so beneficial....


Fresh from the garden...yuuuuuum!

Michigan Peaches....the tastiest of all!!!

I did not mean for this to be so long... :( but it greatly saddens me when we are walking down on the boardwalk by the water, or at the mall or anyplace, and see more morbidly obese children and grownups than I do healthy slim ones....Since I have gotten myself back on track, I feel so much better. I have much more energy and I feel happier, too. And, I can't say there is anything I miss eating!

From time to time I will put a recipe on from the above book....this post got a bit too long to do it this time!
Talk soon and cheers to living healthy for us all! It will make a better America!
Jil

8 comments:

Linda Carole Bloom said...

Ooooo, don't look at my tea party recipes, then! But wait, you could make them with Splenda - and the Peach Champagne Soup has fresh peaches!
Seriously, as a nurse, I know you are right on about the increase in morbidity with obesity. My solution was a lapband - I lost over 100 lbs. But it brought my overeating to a screeching halt - a big lifestyle change, and not for everyone, but 4 years later, I'm still keeping my weight under control. Good Luck! Love, Linda

KatyDidStitches said...

Great post, Jil! This is a subject that really gets me going.

Have you seen the documentary, "FatHead?" A real eye-opener...and available on NetFlix. Although we must each take responsibility for our own fitness (or lack of it)...I learned that it's not ENTIRELY our fault. We have been grossly mislead by Big Food, Big Pharma, the USDA, our government and the scientific community. The low-fat-high-carb diet we've all been told would save us is actually doing us harm. This movie exposes those lies in a very entertaining way. In the last few months, I have totally changed the way I eat...I feel much better for it...and I'm eating foods that I love. Yippeee!!!

Kathy

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Thanks for the tip on cooking with splenda. I am trying to lose and eat healthier too. I started in February of this year. My doctor told me I was pre diabetic and really overweight. So, I've lost 42 pounds since Feb.22 and I'm now eating healthier and using portion control.
I think I'll pick up a copy of that magazine.

Good luck with your new healthy lifestyle.

hugs
Sissie

A Rose Without A Thorn said...

Hi Jil, What an excellent blog and I have to totally agree with you. You know I have begun juicing and I am really enjoying the fresh fruits in the morning. Now that said I nearly threw up with the Kale, celery and carrot mix. I gagged it down but boy it was hard, imagine an equally green face.

I myself am taking things in hand but it is really tough. Still I am going keep on trying.

It will be great to see some of your recipes, enjoy, your friend, Maureen.

Julia said...

Jil, Thank goodness I popped by your blog today...You have given me the inspiration to get my self healthy and lose some weight....something I keep putting off for far too long, I have a sweet tooth, so it's going to have to be Splenda for me too!
Julia ♥

Anonymous said...

Great post!! You told it like it is.....we see so many obese children and adults in our area, too.....and it makes me wonder if they ever THINK about what health problems they are creating for themselves...lack of exercise is another problem...too much TV and computer games on hand for today's youth. They need to get outside and run and play!!!
Adults are just as guilty.....!!
Thanks for the tip on Splenda..my hubby is a diabetic, so I, like you, have not used real sugar for a long time. I use Splenda to cook with and no one knows the difference!! LOL
Good luck with your new life-style
I know you have inspired ME today!
Francy

Anonymous said...

Hello there, I agree with watching Fathead and also, have you seen The Blood Sugar 101 site? She is a researcher and has a great portion of her website http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/
(also available in book form, which I got from local library) about how it really is not your fault. I was sceptical of that until I read what she shares, which is quite well researched. I am prediabetic and my uncle has diabetes but does not control it well. Also, Dr. Bernstein has great resources. Blessings to you and greater health.

Unknown said...

Hadn't thought of SPlenda. Great idea. Congrats on your weight loss efforts, Jil! i am atrying to eat a wee bit healthier to loose a bit of what I gained back ...

Yup! This nation needs a democatratic diet ... lmty ... & a wee bit of republican diet, too.

Don't forget to come comment for Charlie every day on my blog, my friend.

TTFN ~
Have a great day.
Hugs,
Marydon