Thirty Pound Challenge Update!

So in one of my recent blog posts I talked about how I needed to make a lifestyle change regarding my health. It seemed that every Monday morning I hear of someone falling prey to preventable diseases. Then, as I studied mental health for my sisters’ class, every suggestion to help deal with grief, anxiety, depression, burnout etc, recommended exercise. I recognized the need to incorporate daily exercise into my routine, as well as a balanced diet if I am to live a happy and healthy life. So, once I turned 30, I promised to make these changes. I promised to exercise more, and eat properly. I figured that once I made these changes, that I would naturally start losing weight…so I issued myself a “30 pound challenge.” The idea is not that I actively try to lose weight, but that I actively try to change my lifestyle to one of health and wellness, knowing that the weight will fall off. 

 I have started working out 4 days a week at the Y. My goal is to take it up to 5 days a week. The last 2 weeks I was able to work out for 5 days. Tuesdays seems to be my “day off” as I work from home on Tuesdays and find it very hard to motivate myself…Today I am also at home, and I am struggling to motivate myself to leave home, drive 20 minutes just to go to the gym. But I must…Not because I need to lose 30 pounds but because I want to have a healthy heart, and body. I want to be able to by 60, and disease free. I want to be 80, and still live independently…And I believe that if we take care of the temple God has given us, then He will in turn bless us with good health if it is His will. 

But with all that said, having a desire to do something and actually doing it are two different things! I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I had to talk to myself, force myself, push myself and even failed…It is so hard to make the right choices…But this one thing I do know...The more right choices you make, the easier it is to make those choices again and again. I can now say that I exercise at least 4 days a week, every week. I have NEVER done that before. My diet includes more fruits, and I am mindful of the junk I put in my body…Like the fried chicken wings I had yesterday…I knew that it was not good for me, AND I was mindful of that. I didn’t just eat it without thinking…I know the more I can start to think about food and have the right conversations with myself, I will get there…The fried chicken wings was my “freebie.” I think when trying to eat healthy you have to allow yourself to have some freebies about once a week…where you can eat what you want (within limits) guilt free. By doing so, you won’t have to succumb to cravings every time you have one…I can tell you, once you TRY to start eating healthy, its like every unhealthy food starts calling your name! 

So, to help myself along, I started a sugar fast. On June 16 I refrained from eating ALL of my favorite desserts, sweets etc. OMG! OK, so this was the very first time I consciously withheld myself from certain foods. And what I realized is that I eat A LOT of sugar. Seriously, the first day, all kinds of sweets started whispering my name…They were saying, Kaara…we love you…EAT ME! Let me tell you, that day alone I had to resist my favorite dessert – brownies and ice-cream. The next days some glorious, scrumptious donuts presented themselves to me…along with some chocolate cake, and chocolate chip cookies! What’s crazy about this is that I did not have to go out of my way to get these things. They all threw themselves at me for FREE! On Saturdays, more cookies make themselves available…On top of all of that I had to challenge myself to say NO, to the 5 pounds of Hersey’s chocolate sitting in my fridge, along with my sweet preserved mangos from Trinidad! I wanted to teach myself self-control. I wanted to teach myself that I can say NO to sugar. And I wanted to learn how much sugar I actually consumed. 

Had I not been on this sugar fast, I would not have realized how much sweets I eat on a daily basis! In Trinidad, dessert is not sold with every meal. As a matter of fact, I grew up where cake and ice-cream was for birthdays and special occasions…Not to be eaten each day or each week. BUT, once I came to the great USA and was introduced to this new culture of eating desserts after every meal, I quickly assimilated! I was more than happy to go along for that ride. But diabetes is real, and we cannot allow our present day culture to govern bad health. 

Well, by the second week of my sugar fast, saying NO was a breeze. I enjoyed explaining to folks why I was doing it…and acknowledging that diabetes runs in my family, and my sugar came back high, and therefore I need to do better…so I am! I said I was going to end my sugar fast June 30…I brought home two huge pieces of cake from work yesterday and I am contemplating if I should have a piece. This time I am not tempted, I am not craving it, and I can say no…I feel a sense of accomplishment! And that is where I wanted to me…To eat in moderation and enjoy as part of the day you give yourself the “freebies.”

Another positive – I had my first nutrition class with the nutritionist! I will update you on that later so I can provide more helpful details. I did learn however, that an apple is considered a carbohydrate, and that you should count how many carbs are on your plate. This has provided me with some new tools to work with and a new set of lens to view health and nutrition. I am excited to implement it! I will write about it later.

In the meantime, I also wanted to share that since I started this new journey I have lost 7-10 pounds! AND I can run ALMOST a mile without stopping!!!! 

Cheers to good health and long life!