Checking In Page Intro

A recent google search for "take stock definition" turned up the following:

take stock

phrase of stock
1. review or make an overall assessment of a particular situation, typically as a prelude to  making a decision.

"he needed a period of peace and quiet in order to take stock of his life"

Synonyms: review, assess, appraise, evaluate;

Informal size up

I firmly believe it is vitally important to the eventual success of any endeavor to be completely honest about where you are when you start. I spent far too many years in a state of virtual life paralysis because I wasn't able to acknowledge the truth of where I was in my life or what I truly thought about any number of life topics. I can't speak to the motivations of anyone else, but for me, it was this inability to accept where and who I was (*cough* denial *cough*) that put me in a state of merely "marking time" with my life.

1.13.18 - 148.5 lbs.

It took me a lot of mental and emotional processing to realize that acceptance of my current state is not tantamount to solidifying it's permanence. There are certainly those who happily claim "this is just the way I am", but I'm pretty confident this practice has proven, and continues to prove, the exact opposite in my life. For example:

Saying "I'm not judgmental" -because I don't want to be (or perceived to be) judgmental- when, upon careful examination, the truth of my thoughts shows that I am... won't help me to change. But admitting that I am, however unintentional or undesired, guilty of making judgments about others will help me be aware of these thoughts from nascency and on guard against allowing such criticisms to fully develop.

 

Acknowledge where you are and if it isn't where you want to be... do something about it.

 

This is the mentality I'm using to direct the changes in my life. It is probably the biggest driver for starting (and restarting) this blog, too. I want to be taking stock of my physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial wellness on a regular basis... examining what each of these mean to me at that given point in time and whether the path I'm on is leading me closer to the desired outcome.

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Thank you so very much for taking the time to stop by my blog! I sincerely hope that you got at least some small measure of food for thought in whatever you read.

Please know that I welcome any words of encouragement, confidence and solidarity you might have, as well as any comments with your questions, your disagreement, your challenging of my heart and mind to consider different perspectives, understand novel beliefs, and dispel ignorance wherever possible.

My only asks are that you are constructive in any criticism, considerate of everyone's right to their own opinion (no matter how mind-boggling their reasoning might seem to you) and courteous in your interactions with myself and any other commenters on this blog.

Intolerance for another's views, abusive language, or descent into personal attacks of any nature will result in comment removal.  

Physical H&W Page Intro

This page will follow posts relating to the pursuit of physical health and wellness both internal and external. Exercise, dietary patterns versus "diets", healthy recipes, supplements, discussions regarding surgery, natural remedies... all are just the tip of the idea iceberg. I would love to know which of these (or anything else!) you'd be interested in talking about.


As I will be hours away from completing my first Whole January when this post drops, I'm leaning toward a discussion on Whole30, what my experiences have been, and what plans I have for transitioning smoothly into life after the 30 days.

Till then, I'd love to share some of the quotes that resonated with me this afternoon regarding taking care of one's body as well as one of the most iconic art representations of strong women in the past...

"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable."

-Socrates 469-399 BC

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."

-Jim Rohn

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."

-Buddha

"Our thinking absolutely affects the physical body."
-Cheryl Richardson

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Thank you so very much for taking the time to stop by my blog! I sincerely hope that you got at least some small measure of food for thought in whatever you read.

Please know that I welcome any words of encouragement, confidence and solidarity you might have, as well as any comments with your questions, your disagreement, your challenging of my heart and mind to consider different perspectives, understand novel beliefs, and dispel ignorance wherever possible.

My only asks are that you are constructive in any criticism, considerate of everyone's right to their own opinion (no matter how mind-boggling their reasoning might seem to you) and courteous in your interactions with myself and any other commenters on this blog.

Intolerance for another's views, abusive language, or descent into personal attacks of any nature will result in comment removal.  

3rd time's the charm?

Do you ever stop to think about how time gets away from you? Am I the only one who has grand plans to do... whatever amazingly brilliant thing I've decided will grace my life with greater meaning... but somehow never seems to see it come to fruition?

It's a little disheartening to realize that it's been around two and a half years since the decision to recharge this blog stalled out after one pitiful stutter of a post. You might wonder why I would even consider another go after posting such a sad blogging history to my credit thus far. What would be so different this time around? Well, for the last, I like to think a few things would be different and I'm sure if these posts move along like I hope, all will eventually be revealed.

As for the why, the here and now is a perfect opportunity... both to revisit my original purpose and examine my current motivations for pursuing this path yet again. Why do I feel a calling to come back to this virtual place, to this one tiny little blog that will, for most, never be raised to their awareness out of the obscurity provided by the mere existence of so many millions more?

I went back and looked at my very first post and found it interesting to read that my reasoning back then was so similar to the ideas I haven't been able to shake for the last week. Maybe you aren't surprised when I say that but, truthfully, I am. Perhaps it's because I've always had an atrocious memory and didn't expect that I would have been on a similar thought train over 6 years ago when I honestly feel so different in many significant ways today. Regardless, here's a head to head comparison...

Then
To help others and, in so doing, to help myself through discussions around:
1. food – What’s good, what’s bad, what’s hot, what’s fad
2. fitness
3. faith – to grow faith, to dispel misconceptions, clarify misunderstandings, and to encourage one another.
4. femininity – avoiding the pitfall of being my own worst enemy by talking about expectations, both realistic and unrealistic, from faith, family, community, society, and anyone or anything else that makes a comment on what we as women should or shouldn’t do or be.

VS

Now
To continually learn about and define what the following mean to me:
1. Physical health and wellness
2. Mental health and wellness
3. Emotional health and wellness
4. Spiritual health and wellness
5. Financial health and wellness
To use this blog as a forum of exploration while weaving through every post, and any conversations that they might inspire, a desire to evaluate, question, and reshape my understanding and beliefs as I see the need. Despite a recent accusation to the contrary from a complete stranger (my interaction with whom I fully anticipate being source material for an upcoming post), I am absolutely aware of how many things I don't know, or don't have experience of, or have limited perspective on.

Too often in the world around us we are inundated by the prevalence of a "you either agree with me or you're the enemy" attitude. It is amazing to me how threatened people become by someone who fails to see the "right" of their way of thinking. If my faith, convictions, opinions, or understanding of things is upset by anyone who doesn't share the same... the problem lies with me.

My plan is to give at least a quick post on each realm page in the near future.. two of which are already written!

I hope that you will come along on this pursuit of health and wellness with me and that along the way we can inspire each other to grow in compassion, generosity of spirit, and respect for all.
Best to you always,
Erika

 

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Thank you so very much for taking the time to stop by my blog! I sincerely hope that you got at least some small measure of food for thought in whatever you read.

Please know that I welcome any words of encouragement, confidence and solidarity you might have, as well as any comments with your questions, your disagreement, your challenging of my heart and mind to consider different perspectives, understand novel beliefs, and dispel ignorance wherever possible.

My only asks are that you are constructive in any criticism, considerate of everyone's right to their own opinion (no matter how mind-boggling their reasoning might seem to you) and courteous in your interactions with myself and any other commenters on this blog.

Intolerance for another's views, abusive language, or descent into personal attacks of any nature will result in comment removal.  

Getting back to it.

4 years and 21 days. Okay, so we can agree that it's been a while. Hopefully, you won't hold it against me forever.
What excuse to offer for such a lengthy abandonment of this poor blog? Well...

I got a job, joined Weight Watchers (not the first time), was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, quit that job and moved 3500 miles to the opposite side of the country, ate terribly and gained some weight while having no insurance, got another job, gained some more weight, met up with an amazing and inspiring doctor, got motivated to lose some weight and get my blood sugars under control, joined Weight Watchers again, lost some weight again, started walking nightly, got plantar fasciitis, stopped walking, got burned out on obsessive food micromanagement, talked to my doctor about bariatric surgery, went to a seminar, an initial consultation, 4 nutrition sessions with a dietitian, a psychiatric evaluation, an upper GI with contrast scan, an upper endoscopy, an abdominal ultrasound, gave about a quart of blood for various blood tests (that might be a slight exaggeration), got insurance approval, set a surgery date, ate a bit like a pork pie that last month, spent a day and a half in the hospital for surgery, progressed from liquid intake to full solids over about 4-5 weeks, started eating more fruits and vegetables with healthy meats, began visiting the local farmer's market, and joined the Y.

A few other things may have happened along the way but this is the main gist. Basically, life. I would imagine many of you can relate.

You may be wondering, then, why pick back up now? That would be thanks to a very loving and supportive friend who both encouraged and challenged me to begin writing again. She is a very talented writer in her own right, and someone who I hope will be lending her very different and unique perspective with you from time to time as well.

I've started a list of things I would like to share over the coming months but also hope that you will ask any questions you might have. Thank you for your interest and my best to you until we meet again.

Erika

“This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.”
― Taylor Swift

update on the sleep schedule shift...

          So it's been a few days... actually coming up on a week... since I set my first goal of being in bed by 10pm, and so far, I've been doing pretty good! The first 2 days were more like 10:30 and 10:45, but since then I've been hitting closer to 10:15. I'd say that's progress, people! I'm not quite making the actual 10pm with any consistency, but considering where I started (2-3am or later) I'm pretty pleased :)
          I have to say  that this change has not come without its minor trials, though. There is definitely an adjustment period to this kind of drastic shift. A couple of nights I woke up after 4-5 hours and had a time trying to fall asleep again. Also, getting my brain to relax when I lay down has been an issue. More than once it's taken me well over an hour to finally slow my thought processes down enough to fall asleep. I was tempted to blog a time or two (as for the most part it has been post ideas running around up there),  but seeing as how I am using this as a means of accountability in my goals, it seemed rather counter-productive. I put a notebook and pen next to my bed to write my ideas in, as well as the inevitable to do list items that generally accompany them. Putting them in writing has actually helped a little, I am not spending a long time working through, or rather trying to not work through, each idea.
     
Anyway, we are at that time again, so I will bid you a lovely night and pleasant dreams...
Erika

getting down to the goal setting business...

So, I said that one of the ways I was going to use this blog was to explore (and whether explicitly stated or not) to track my progress on the road to better health. Well, part of that journey involves the act of goal setting. Following in that vein, may I proudly introduce you to goal number one:

*to be in bed every night no later than 10:00pm.*

A curfew! What? Craziness, right? I mean I am a fully grown adult, after all. If I want to stay up until 3 o'clock in the morning, that's my prerogative. Well, so is eating an entire box of macaroni and cheese, but it won't help me on my weight-losing, life-changing journey any more than my ridiculously skewed sleep schedule.

So this is a big one for me, and your prayers and encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Maybe tomorrow I will disseminate some of the scientific info on sleep and health, but as it is 10pm, I am already falling short of the mark on night number one...

sweet dreams,
Erika

temptations arise...

         Pretty much any good southern girl can tell you that a holiday occurring between the months of May and September is a great excuse for a cookout or picnic. Fried chicken, bar-b-cue, hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, ribs, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, corn-on-the-cob, chips, pies, cookies and ice cream, in any number of tasty, belly-busting combinations, are likely to be the fare on many a table in the hospitality-heavy states.    

        So what's a good dietitian, albeit recovering food addict, to do in the face of such monumental opportunity to regress? Well, this one is going to hang onto two small commitments with the potential to make all the difference between this and too many years of ugliness in the past. These simple promises? 

1. To not go hungry.

and...

2. To pile on the produce. 

        

         Hoarding calories early in the day, by either skipping meals or eating much too little, won't help me say no to big portions or extra helpings at the feast, and only increase the likelihood of over-indulgence.  And bulking up a hamburger with plenty of lettuce, tomato, and onion will make it more filling without adding lots of calories. Choosing a little more cucumber and tomato salad over that huge scoop of potato salad, or a nice big slice of watermelon instead of a slice of pie, will help me make the most nutrition of my calories, as well.

   
         Change may not happen overnight, but it can happen any night (or day.) If you need to adjust your eating habits, focus on making one small step in the right direction today, even if it's something as seemingly insignificant as replacing a handful of chips with an apple.

         I wish you all a very blessed and Happy Memorial Day!!! Enjoy your fellowship with family and friends while remembering the sacrifice of those whose lives bought our freedom.

Erika

                                      "They are dead; but they live in each Patriot's breast,
                                      And their names are engraven on honor's bright crest."                                                                                                                                     -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

entrée into a brand new virtual world…

         I’m finally starting the blog that has been a persistent, if not necessarily constant, idea in my mind for the last many months. As this is my first foray into the blogging world, I’ve been contemplating the best place to start my story and hopefully spark a mutually satisfying conversation with those of you who come to read it. Where to begin this momentous step out into the collective psyche and potential criticism of the world at large? Well, though certainly far from earth-shattering in concept, the point that I keep coming back to is simply this: why? Why write a blog? Why send my sometimes hyper-sensitive, sometimes deeply personal and private, sometimes shame-inducing thoughts out into a realm of public inspection?

         It’s simple, really. I want to help people. I want to help others and, in so doing, to help myself as well.

         I’ve thought about the areas that I’d like to ruminate on, and thus far they stand at these four basic categories:

1. food – what can I say, we dietitians love to dish about the nosh. What’s good, what’s bad, what’s hot, what’s fad… I hope to throw a lot of information out there in a user-friendly and easily digestible manner, to share (and hopefully receive) healthy and interestingly delicious recipes, and to clear up some of the rampant nutrition misinformation that seems to circulate so successfully these days. (My title, after all, is inspired by the epidemic of obesity in both my family, myself included, and our country, and the desire to facilitate change in my life and others’ lives in the pursuit of health.)

2. fitness – a subject that I am keen to further explore. I can see this being one of the areas in which I gain a lot from conversing with others.

3. faith – it’s the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I think sharing faith helps to grow faith, to dispel misconceptions, clarify misunderstandings, and to encourage one another.

4. femininity – avoiding the pitfall of being my own worst enemy by talking about expectations, both realistic and unrealistic, from faith, family, community, society, and anyone or anything else that makes a comment on what we should or shouldn’t do or be.

         I would love to know what any of you think about any of the things I’ve just lobbed out there. Drop me a line if you have a chance, and have a blessed week!

Erika