Back in the Saddle!

Back in the Saddle

Wow. I’ve really fallen off the wagon following my last surgery. It seemed as though many things took a back seat when dealing with my eyes. While I am still being treated, and recovering in that long process, I am much better. The biggest issue is severely dry eyes, which make doing some of the things I love the most, very difficult. One of those things is writing, and another is photography. I am hopeful my eye condition will continue to improve, but it is a sobering reminder of just how much our eyesight can be taken for granted. 

All of that said, I am happy, and proud to report that my progress on WW (Formerly Weight Watchers) has continued during my absence from my blog! I am down to 266.4 lbs., which is 33.6 lbs. down from my peak weight, and 29.5 lbs. down since I started WW. So, I am loving the progress, even in the slow times. 

As I mentioned before, trauma, even in the form of surgery, can affect our body’s response to weight loss. In my case, you can see where it hits a plateau, and then there was a bump up during Thanksgiving! Yep! I ate the foods I wanted in moderation, and only gained a pound, and then got right back on my normal eating routine with WW. 

That’s how it works! Eating healthy is the new normal. It doesn’t keep me from eating the things I’ve grown to love, like homemade dressing, sweet potato casserole, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, etc., it simply means that I don’t make such meals a daily habit! Body changes will take place, and it’s response to diet will adapt and change as well. So, a “plateau” is not the end of the world, or a reason to bail out of the program, because the “program” works! The proof is in my blood work, and medical check up.

With my blood work improving so much, I tend to look to that long-term benefit as motivation, and incentive! Thinking in those terms makes it easy to get back into my routine, and follow healthy, mindful attentiveness to what I eat and drink. My blood pressure down, and in fact, the best its been in years! My blood sugar is actually in the normal range, whereas before it was in the Type 2 Diabetic range! It’s NORMAL now! That is a HUGE WIN! 

So many other things are normal, and that is exciting to me. And even though the markers for my autoimmune disorder are still evident, and inflammation is still a battle, I feel better. Those will never go away, so I can not be discouraged about it. 

That part of my particular journey is difficult to explain, but those of you with some form of autoimmune disorder can relate to my saying that while I still live with daily pain, I feel better in my mind, and my energy has improved significantly. So, I’m certain that I am on the right road. I’ve already fought that mind battle of accepting that there is no cure for Crohn’s, and I don’t fight it anymore. There is no going to the doctor, and coming back with a pill that makes me better. Adapting to my “new normal” is a way of life, and I fight the daily issues as they arise. Like I said, that’s life! That is my “normal”. However, WW is helping me to have WINS in the areas that I can control, and that makes me happy. 

Also, there have been big changes to the WW program including the branding. The app, and the program itself have advanced, and improved. It is now designed to be a total wellness plan for anyone, and not just for people who want to lose weight. My results are a great example of why this is so. It, quite simply, works! 

I’m still learning the program, actually. There are more areas of support, and education that I haven’t taken full advantage of since joining. I just got started with the basic information, and honestly, that works! However, as I learn more about the app, and how the program works, I am finding more incentives and motivation, and I can never have too much of that!

I’m also finding that the “Connect” portion of the app is much more positive than Facebook as a whole. Everyone on there is supportive. Everyone understands the journey at some stage or other. We are either just starting, or on our way to becoming a lifetime member, and the posts are positive, enlightening, and encouraging. It just makes me feel good to spend a little time reading, and responding there. 

As far as my daily routine? It is becoming just that. Learning the things that I can, and should eat, and planning ahead for meals is becoming habit. Logging the points is easy, and very necessary to the success of the program. Sometimes, I get tired of it, because it is another reason to look at my phone. But I remind myself that this is worth it. Log the points. It helps to keep you to ALWAYS know where you stand, relative to your upswings, or downswings, and if there is anything that may be out of the ordinary. The folks at WW know what they are doing! Stay on the points, and I will hit my goal! This isn’t a fad diet, or difficult to understand from a dietary standpoint. It really is just that simple. It really isn’t difficult to follow the program, and “easy” is a language that even I can speak fluently. So, I’ll be staying the course.

~Smyly 

#Oprah

#WW
#WellnessWins