Mandy

Tracking for Success and a Personal Emotional Story

Okay, it’s time to get real for a bit and share with you some true pieces of me.

I have been on a diet since I was 12 years old, maybe younger, but that is the first age I remember starting to come up with ideas for how to chart my food intake. In the last 37 years, I have spent almost every day on some type of diet, food plan, or at least trying to lose weight.

Reflecting on this the last few days, I realized that my whole life has been consumed at least in part by dieting, tracking, and inventing new ways to lose weight.

I had this magical thinking that the reason I couldn’t lose weight was because I had not found the right tracking tool that would help me stay on track. If I found a really cool way to keep track of my food, I would not stray off my path.

This will truly show my age, but around age 12, I used my typewriter to type out pages of food exchanges for me to put in a notebook and keep track of. Truthfully it was very creative. Sometimes I think of that girl that I was at 12 and feel deep sadness for her. I want to hug her and tell her it’s okay, she will be alright, and it will get better.

She was really not that overweight, however society and classmates let her know she was not the right size. She spent hours trying to find ways to lose weight and tried everything. Exchange diets, severely restricted calorie diets, and then later moved on to weight watchers, and of course gastric bypass at age 45. While the bypass is still incredibly successful and this girl has no regrets, my mind goes back to my 12-year-old self some days.

Sure, I’ve matured and I’m stronger, more confident, and I don’t give much credit to those that would want to shame me or judge me for my appearance. I have had a successful career and a wonderful family. I have problems just like everyone else and it’s not picture perfect, but I’m very grateful for the life I have. I’m also grateful that we move forward in working together to create acceptance for all people.

The gastric bypass I had in 2019 is really a tool and is not a cure. I woke up out of surgery from my gastric bypass, laying in my hospital bed, in pain, nauseated, and so thirsty, but yet I was thinking of Rice Krispie treats. Our minds are a powerful thing and that is where the true change must begin.

Cognitive and behavioral therapy has been key to some of my success and for many people is absolutely necessary. Many are successful on weight loss journeys, however for a lot of people, it takes that therapy to recognize the behaviors that need to change to truly be successful.

Please know that in no way am I cured from overeating or not having my mind do what’s it has always done. The difference between my 12-year-old self and now 49-year-old self is knowing myself much better. I no longer mentally abuse myself when I venture down a path that leads to a darker forest. I now have tools to get myself back on the path that I want to be on and that feels right to me.

One of the ways that helps me be successful is tracking all of my food. Once in a Weight Watcher’s class, the leader said track all BLT’s. (Bites, licks, and tastes). It all counts and it all matters. Some days this is harder for me than others to track every little thing. Believe me when I say that it’s tempting to count something less than what it is and believe me when I say I’ve done this.

My sister and I still laugh about this. I had permission to remain on Weight Watcher’s during my pregnancy in 2006. We went to Disneyland and that’s when they had the super, amazing, McDonald’s fry stand. Some of you know what I’m talking about and are possibly smiling at the memory yourself. Those literally were the best fries in the entire world, even better than the ones you got at McDonald’s. It was like some type of magic that made them so crisp, hot, and fresh. I ate so many of those on our trip. I actually ate quite well on that trip and never counted a single point that was accurate. I often wrote down 5 points for those fries. Those of you on WW know this was a big lie in my tracker.

So, step one in tracking is honesty because that’s the only way to see patterns and see where to give yourself lots of credit for positive changes and make adjustments where you need it.

I know it’s successful because last year I stopped tracking after over 400 days of tracking straight through and losing almost 100 pounds. I stopped tracking and then about 12 pounds found it’s way back on my body. I was shocked when I started tracking again how much I was eating. For those that have had weight loss surgery, we do have times where we cannot eat for various reasons, physically, so tracking also helps the opposite in knowing the days I might need to get more protein in to feel better.

That said, tracking is meant to help me stay on track, but also causes me extreme anxiety at times. I still fall in the pitfall once in a while of worrying and stressing over every little calorie. As I shared with you today, I have spent countless hours focused on tracking tools and that leads to some of my emotional trauma. Yet, I recognize the importance of it to staying successful. My current tracking is calories, with a focus on protein after my weight loss surgery.

I still fall asleep every night to counting my calories in my head again and reviewing my eating day. It sometimes consumes me and I have to go back to the tools I learned in my therapy sessions about how to move past this. For me, I need to track to know what I’m eating and keep the weight steady or losing slowly and at the same time, need to control my thoughts so it does not consume me.

Stress, worrying, guilt, mentally abusing yourself will not help. I encourage you all who have struggled with some of these things to talk to your healthcare professional. Once in a while I have to take a break from tracking for a day or two just to give myself a deep breath.

I am a food addict and it’s something I live with even after weight loss surgery. I agree recovery is a beautiful thing and I’m so grateful I chose that path. However, it does not mean it’s easy for me.

My keys to success right now are tracking, weighing a few times a week, and when my mind wants to take over and try to get me down, I fight it hard.

I choose to take a walk, work on a project, write, or spend time with family, anything to pull myself out of that place that causes me so much discomfort and pain. I also have some wonderful supports in my life and of those supports, some wonderful, strong women in my family. We have great times, laughing and joking, but also can share our true hurts, fears, stress, and truly support one another. They are amazing women!

I encourage you to find really good support systems and people. I also belong to a few Facebook support groups. My support groups are amazing and full of positive people. If you are finding the support groups you belong to, less than positive, work towards finding more positive groups.

Here is a link to an article from Harvard Health about why tracking leads to success and has some great tips and tricks for tracking. One of these I recognize after I read this is tracking in the moment. Sometimes I wait until the end of the day and by that time my brain is long gone and I’m not being accurate.

Why keep a food diary? – Harvard Health

Thanks for taking time to read this article. I wish you all the best on your own personal journeys.

Until next time,

Mandy

Top 14 Things to Set You Up for a Successful Journey

Several months ago, someone in my personal life went through weight loss surgery. I agreed to be an emotional support person throughout the process because this is key to success. About a month before surgery, I texted a list of the top things I think it takes to be successful in this process. I have kept this, modified it, and shared it with many others.

It’s really a gift when you have been through your own weight loss journey to be an emotional support to someone else going through their own journey.

If you do not plan to have weight loss surgery, stay with me and I assure you many items on this list will apply to you as well.

This list is also something I refer to when I need to re-set. It’s long, but I think you will find it helpful.

Clean room/house before surgery or starting a weight loss program: I love a clean house. With that said, I work full time, live with a spouse, and teenager, and my house is never as clean as I would like. I settle for most things organized and back in a tidy, somewhat organized space. Cleaning out cupboards, purchasing foods you need, and getting rid of foods you don’t need or won’t use is helpful. This process is like setting a new tone for success at the beginning of a journey, re-setting, or getting ready for weight loss surgery. Before surgery I also recommend cleaning your personal space and planning ahead for what you might need close by. For weight loss surgery, most are up and walking around, so not as much of a need to organize your room. I have had other surgeries (foot surgery) and injuries that having everything close by was more helpful because I was not able to be up walking around for a few days to a few weeks.

On a side note, my teenager has me figured out! His room is a constant source of frustration for this mom. I tend to just close his door so I don’t have to look at it. I usually make him clean it at least once a month. That said, when I’m really upset with him, I go in and clean his room. I think he uses this to his advantage now.

2. Keep water, protein shakes, and broth close by: After surgery sipping water, broth, and protein shakes are very important. It’s important to say hydrated and nourished. Each weight loss clinic might differ on the amount of liquids and the stages, so be sure to check in. If you are starting a weight loss journey, keep on hand those items that might be lower calories, points, or considered free items. This will help when you really want something, but don’t have the budget for it in your day. I wish I liked tea because most of my friends tell me this is great to sip on. I often used broth to ease my way. This is something I could do better on now as well.

3. Walk several times per day: After surgery, walking is absolute key to physical recovery and emotional well-being. It helps reduce gas, pain, and prevents blood clots. Starting a weight loss journey, walking or some type of other physical activity is proven to help you stay committed, feel better emotionally/physically, and studies show this is a key to long term weight loss success.

4. Keep all post op appointments: Assuring you are staying on the right track is extremely important as well as getting support to be successful. This also helps with accountability and long-term success of your programs. Don’t stop going because you feel you’ve got it down. For any weight loss journey, a trusted healthcare and/or behavioral health specialist can answer questions and provide guidance/support. Most people I know are overweight struggle with food addiction for various reasons and some of this is trauma related. A willingness to address this with a healthcare professional is important to understanding how you got where you are and how to get where you hope to go.

5. Food journal/weight log: Journaling is key to success for pre-surgical, post-surgical, and any weight loss program. I’ve had to learn to be honest and am committed to this because it only hurts me in the long run if I’m not. Follow your healthcare guidance about how often to weigh and how to journal.

6. Fully commit for six months: My surgeon told me to fully commit to following every guideline for six months after surgery and this had data showing more success with weight loss surgery. Really good advice for any weight loss as studies show long term success as more time passes with your new habits.

7. Not a quick fix: Remember surgery and any weight loss journey is not a quick fix. Surgery is a tool to aid in weight loss. It takes commitment and work. Some people make assumptions that surgery is the easy way, however I can assure you it’s not easy. No weight loss program is. Perseverance is important.

8. Take vitamins/get labs: I had the RNY procedure which leads to vitamin deficiencies. Your healthcare professional will recommend vitamins and labs to assure you are not deficient.

9. Reach out to your support team often: Medical/healthcare/behavioral health questions should be asked when you have them. Having a trusted team is key to all of this. For your emotional support teams in your personal life, it’s important to trust they are there to listen and re-assure you through the process of any weight loss journey.

10. Weight loss support groups: This was a requirement for me to have surgery. I belong to two of them plus a third accountability group. These are on Facebook for me and are monitored closely so that all comments are helpful and positive. If your group is not helpful and positive, consider finding a new one.

11. Celebrate Non-Scale Victories (NSV’s): These are as important if not more important than your scale. I love seeing these on my support groups. Common celebrations are airplane seatbelts that buckle easier, clothes that fit better, a run/hike/physical activity you are more successful at. Lots of them and I would encourage you to focus on this daily.

12. Find hobbies: It’s important to have nonfood focused activities/leisure in your life. I have games I play on my tablet, puzzles, subscription to audio books, etc.

13. Mindful of statements from others: Your weight loss program/clinic might recommend some books to you. I read one that is a little outdated now, however was a guide for how to handle all things surgery, but also comments from others. Most of the people I told were extremely positive, however some were not. I had people ask why not do it on my own, they asked if I was sick, asked if I knew the long-term impacts. Another person told me their loved one had surgery and it was a terrible outcome. Learn to handle those comments for any weight loss journey so you are prepared for how you will respond to them and also to yourself.

14. Physical Activity/Exercise: Be committed to physical activity lifelong. Find something you enjoy. I am limited in mobility due to my Charcot food disability. I’ve had times where I’m more limited than others. Right now, one of my NSV’s is that both of my feet are in a great place to allow me to walk up to 2 miles a few times per week. Other days I walk shorter distances with my pup. I also love swimming and right now I’m allowed as much as I want.

Please consider leaving me a comment and if you see something not on my list that you find helpful, post it to me on Facebook or here.

Until next time,

Mandy

Weight Loss Surgery 101

If you are thinking about pursuing weight loss surgery or know someone who is going through the process, this article is for you.

The journey to weight loss surgery is a process. It is designed this way not only to prepare you for the surgery itself, but to prepare you for the journey after surgery.

Weight loss surgery is not a decision most people make lightly. In fact, I am part of two support groups and we discuss our journeys together. It seems those on my support groups gave this journey a lot of thought and are committed to being successful.

Weight loss clinics are set up to help people be successful on their new path. Not every weight loss clinic will approach the process exactly the same, however the overall process seems to be similar.

The first step really is to think about why you want weight loss surgery. I decided to go through a gastric bypass and started my process in late 2018. I had been overweight since age 5 and then in my late teens transitioned to the beginning of metabolic syndrome. My weight was mostly centered in my stomach, then diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Unfortunately, I had years where my diabetes was not in good control and I developed neuropathy, Charcot foot, and have had wounds very difficult to heal. I had a son in 2006 and suffered from severe pre-eclampsia. I felt out of control with my body, my eating, and was terrified my son was going to grow up without me. Weight loss surgery was my lifeline and once I made the decision, I was ready to start my new path towards better health. I could always lose weight, but could never keep it off.

Weight loss surgery is not for everyone. Keep in mind that if you or someone you know is going through this and made the decision, they are likely feeling like it’s their lifeline too. It might not be the choice you make for yourself and that’s okay, but try to understand why someone else in your life might.

My first step was doing research from reputable resources about the pros and cons of weight loss surgery. I literally made a list for myself using these articles as a guide.

Next, I looked up providers in my insurance network and reached out to my insurance company to find out where to start. This was a great first step because when I went through this, we only had a few choices in the area I live in. One was mostly out of pocket because it was a non-covered provider. My covered provider was out of state. My insurance company was able to give me their criteria for weight loss surgery approval. Throughout the process, I kept notes and referred back to them often.

After that, I connected online to the weight loss clinic my insurance told me about. Of course, this was all pre-COVID and the new patient conferences were all in person. Some of them now are virtual and some are videos to watch. This is still the first step before getting scheduled in most of the clinics I am aware of.

This is important because it tells you more about expectations, types of surgery, pros and cons, benefits and risks. I was so fortunate to have family support in this process. My sister and/or husband went to many appointments with me. Other support came from other family members cheering me on and checking in with me. They were all part of my journey.

Once you have decided to attend the weight loss surgery clinic seminar, the next piece is really about taking what you know and spending time thinking about how you want this to look for you.

Things to consider:

What is the financial cost of the journey/process and how will you manage this? Consider more than just the medical costs, but what the supplements will cost. I also had to account for travel and fuel since mine was out of State. I am fortunate to have very good insurance, out of pocket was about $1000. The cost of my surgery paid for itself the first few months in medication savings, doctor co-pays for my chronic illnesses, and in food savings. Part of your plan might be asking the clinics about financial support, any type of other benefits programs, and a payment plan that can be managed.
Who will your support network be? Not everyone in your life will support or understand your decision. You will need to be okay with this. The counseling portion of your weight loss journey can help you prepare for this and plan how to handle it. If you have a good support person that will go a long way, however if you do not, ask about a support group. Support groups are encouraged and sometimes an expectation anyway, however, might be even more vital for connections.
Be a good advocate for yourself. The process from start to surgery can vary from six months to nine months or longer in some cases. This will help you be successful later, but can be like jumping through hoops at different stages. My goodness, the most challenging part for me was the sleep studies and having to get a CPAP machine. I almost gave up several times. That part drove me absolutely crazy. I remember the way my dog looked at me on my first night. I have a picture, but am definitely not posting that!
What your plan is for sharing with others? I am not much of a private person. I probably overshare with people. Again, some will cheer you on when they find out and others will not. In my next article I will share some of the things people said to me. I learned to take them in stride. More people were supportive than not.
Plan to carve out time for this journey. I know our lives are extremely busy, but this is a process that will take time and energy.

Thank you for reading today. Here are a few links to articles that talk about weight loss surgery. Remember if you are considering this to seek guidance from the experts. My goal in sharing really is to let readers know they are not alone and what they might expect. There are real risks to surgery that each person needs to understand for themselves. Please feel free to post a question or comment if you have one.

Bariatric surgery – Mayo Clinic

Bariatric Surgery | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Until next time,

Mandy

Tips for Weight Loss Success

Hi everyone. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to commit to writing again. Like many of you this has been a busy season for me and my family. As I’ve shared, being a healthcare manager during COVID has been rewarding, but also stressful. During 2022, my work role kept me hopping. At the end of 2022, the company I work for re-structured, and I moved to a lateral position, however managing two clinics. I’m finally settling into my new role and with that came time to evaluate my goals. I was also fortunate enough to take a road trip with family this month to California. The picture above is from beautiful Monterey Bay. Taking time away was so much fun and gave me time to think.

I decided I want to keep trying to blog, for my own health journey and to help others who are on their own journey. When I created this blog, it was to share my journey after gastric bypass.

It’s been almost four years since my gastric bypass. I have maintained a net weight loss of about 90 pounds from my heaviest weight and 80 pounds since surgery. I hit a 95-pound weight loss a few years ago. Since that time, I gained about 25 pounds back. In September of 2022, I made the decision to renew my commitment to my weight loss journey and since then have lost 10 pounds. At the moment, I am sort of in a very slow trend down and I am okay with this.

One of the things I have learned in the last four years is that you really need to be ready to commit to losing weight or getting healthier. I’ve shared in the past that my goal was weight loss due to my health. I have really turned my health around and although I live with some chronic conditions, they are much improved. I have not regretted my weight loss decision at all.

Weight loss or getting healthier takes time, energy, and motivation. Being honest, I go between different levels of motivation. Moments where I’m in high gear and giving it my all and some days are less motivated. On the days I am less motivated and don’t have the greatest of days, I’m ready to do better the next day or even the next meal. It’s not all or nothing for me anymore. Surgery and my new lifestyle changed that thinking for me.

If you are ready to lose weight or get healthier, these are some tips I have for success:

Write down your primary motivation for the change
Consider what you need to be successful and the support system you will need or want available
Offer your support to others in similar situations as this helps with accountability and motivation
Plan and dialogue with yourself how you will handle moments that seem to interfere with motivation or your progress
Engage with a healthcare professional such as primary care provider, nurse, or dietitian
Consider also counseling or a behavioral health specialist
Write down and plan for some non-food rewards for your victories big and small
Start your goals with ones that are achievable and plan in increments

Here is a good article from the Mayo Health clinic about planning for weight loss success:

Weight loss: 6 strategies for success – Mayo Clinic

Feel free to leave me a comment or post a question. I am going to work on being more consistent in my writing over the next several months. Best wishes to all of you no matter what journey you are on.

Until next time,

Mandy

Game Changer: Distracted Eating Can Be A Good Thing.

Mindful eating experts might agree in order to enjoy food and slow down, you should not eat and watch TV, read a book, or be distracted in any way. This often leads to eating beyond full. I did google it again and it looks like expert bloggers and food experts still agree on this.

I am no expert so we will start with that. I do however, disagree with this philosophy. When possible, I do like to eat with my family. My husband and I have a fifteen-year-old son, so any family table time is essential since our time is limited. Since he has returned to school full time and now in the summer he is gearing up for Football, I don’t want to miss those precious moments.

When they are not available or want to watch a sports game, I enjoy a meal by myself. I start with a very small portion on my pretty little plates. After bariatric surgery we are asked to maintain food portions to one cup or less. Depending on the food I do about ¾ to full and sometimes a little more depending on my hunger level.

This morning, we still had a cool breeze and I cannot pass up a chance to sit outside. I bought new windchimes yesterday and hung them on my covered patio. Chimes dancing softly in the wind, the breeze with the whispers of the wind, and my homemade waffle with whip cream. I have a tablet loaded with three games I enjoy playing. One of my new ones is frustrating at times, but oh so fun. One of those cook the food and serve the customers before they get angry and leave. I start with a small bite of food, start my challenge, requiring my full attention. Then another small bite and another challenge. You can still enjoy each bite of food in between. The time it takes to complete the challenge before taking another bite allows my food to settle.

Give it a try and see if you fill up faster when you eat more slowly and more mindful of those bites. Reading has always been a favorite when I’m eating too. You should see some of the stains in my favorite books. I know die hard book fans will gasp at that because even turning an ear on the page is sort of taboo. That said, popcorn and a good paperback are hard to turn down. Truthfully, I have migrated to the use of digital for most of my media these days to keep our small home tidy.

I admit before I took this picture this morning, I cleaned my tablet, because of a butter smudge. I heard a radio jockey say this morning he lost eighteen pounds and felt better although finds eating really is entertaining. I agree and that is why my favorite games and eating go hand in hand. It’s relaxing and enjoyable to me. Reading is a little harder for me, but can be done if you put down your fork or spoon after each bite and read a few pages before another bite.

Find what works for you because you know yourself the best. If you find eating while reading or playing games is too distracting, forego it. I cannot say enough that I’m not an expert. I hold a registered nursing license, but do not give medical advise here. I share what has worked for me as I continue my journey after bariatric surgery.

I re-joined WW a month ago and I’m still struggling to stay on point (pun intended). What I have done on WW this last month is decrease my sweets, increase protein, and lose about 4 of the pounds I put on. My body seems to want to gain weight even while eating the same as when I was losing it. My guess is right now my age and my hormone levels. I always hope to share what I’ve learned in the chance it helps others. Perfect is not the goal here.

Oh, and one last piece of advice is some of these games allow in app purchasing which can lead to another problem. Therefore, I set limits for myself and have a few games loaded for when one is re-charging lives rather than spending money to get them instantly. Let’s just say this used to be an issue that I worked out and am feeling good about now.

May you all be well.

Mandy

Warning: Detour Ahead

I’m sitting here trying to think of a catchy first line for my new blog article. Then I figured I would start with telling you all how busy things have continued to be. A time or two I have thought about putting this to rest for a while. Then, I realize that life will almost always be busy. Telling others about my journey has been good for me and I hope will help someone else along the way. I’m also guessing many of you find yourselves in that same category, so offering what I’ve learned hopefully will inspire you too.

I am relieved life is getting a little back to normal as we once knew it before COVID. In my work as a nurse manager, I have seen a lot of positive steps in the right direction. As healthcare continues to learn new ways of doing things, this has continued to keep me on my toes.

My newest personal journey has been getting to know myself all over again. Right after Thanksgiving, my daily calories starting trending up. I shared in the past when this occurred I would focus on trending back down over the course of a few days until I was back on track. What I noticed this time is a harder time trending back down and forcing myself to eat more than what my stomach felt comfortable with.

My surgery was a tool and definitely not a quick fix. People with bariatric surgery can still gain weight. Our brains are still wired just as they were before surgery. My smaller stomach wants to stop me from overeating, but my brain conspires against me. I will state surgery did help my food brain understand that I can do this. My brain remembers what I went through before surgery and after and this journey won’t easily be erased. That is my saving grace.

My weight trended from about 164 to 174 between Thanksgiving and June. I saw 163 for about five minutes, literally. Putting my numbers on paper might make you think I only focus on those. My weight number is important to me because I worked hard to lose almost 100 pounds in order to save my life. In that sense, the numbers do mean something. I will not let those numbers define who I am, where I’ve been, and where I can still go. What it does mean is that I need to re-focus. It’s a small bend in the journey, does not mean I’ve completely derailed, just a momentary pause. Like the title of my article, it is a detour from my plan. It’s life, I’m human, and this is going to happen.

Gaining weight made me feel poorly at times in terms of a disappointment in myself, feeling sluggish again, and stuck in my old habits. I could not get myself to keep trending those calories down more than day or two before they were right back up again. In June, I decided to go back on WW. I consulted with a close family member who lost a lot of weight on WW. I have done WW in the past and at one time lost over 45 pounds. I know it can be successful. Combined with my tool of surgery, I’m setting out to re-focus, lose those 10 pounds I gained, work on my activity level, and re-energize.

I started on WW a few weeks ago and I have to admit getting started again has been a struggle. I am determined to start heading in the right direction again and will not give up. This does not mean I won’t have desserts, gain a pound or two now and then, not do the activity level I should, or not track every single day. What I can focus on is taking more steps in the right direction than in the opposite direction. It’s not about perfection. It’s about recalling those tools I learned before and after surgery.

Next time I will post an update, share some new foods I have tried, and any other tricks and tips. So far in the last few weeks, I am back down three pounds, and feeling better about this goal. This is perfect timing also as my stomach has been really reacting to not having the protein and good food it needs.

Until then, wishing you all well on your own journey no matter what your goal.

Mandy

Hitting the Reset Button

I snapped this selfie while we were picking our 2020 Christmas Tree. Our tree this year was hand picked and less than perfect, but it is absolutely beautiful with the ornaments and lights. I will upload a photo of the tree to my 70 pounds and counting Facebook page. I am trying to keep as positive as I can and have lots of Holiday spirit!

As a child of the 80’s, I was so excited when my sister and I got our first Atari. It was Christmas morning in 1980 something when we unwrapped that marvelous gift.

One of my favorite systems was Nintendo and playing Mario Brothers. I loved to play each level perfectly, hitting every brick, jumping over every enemy, stomping on enemies, and jumping as high as I could at the end to hit the top of the flag pole. If I did not get a perfect score, I found myself at times hitting the reset button. Then, I could start over fresh and get another chance to play the perfect game.

The reason I thought about this recently is how many people have been telling me they want to start fresh, start over, and go back to a time when they felt better about their eating habits and exercise. It made me think about that reset button. The reset button can be a fabulous gift when you need it. Each of us has to find our own reset button and perhaps something that will help us find that reset button.

The one difference though in my video game analogy and real life is that to be successful at healthy eating and exercise, you should move away from the idea that it will be perfect. Please hear me when I say I spent years trying to be perfect on my diet. I would spend hours planning which program I was going to use and putting together diet and exercise sheets. If I made a mistake like eating too much during the day, I felt like I had to start over, had to be perfect and hit that reset button every time.

Now I understand we all need a reset button for the times we’ve gotten away from where we want to be. 2020 has been a very stressful year for many people. This has been true for many people around me. People have shared they stopped going to the gym, they find themselves snacking all day, the stress is getting to them. Again, I understand that eating right and getting exercise may not be something people can focus on right now. Other pressing priorities may need to be the focus for now. Hold onto the thought if you want to eat healthier and exercise or simply try my suggestion of starting slow.

So, where is that reset button? When I need to find my reset button, I take a moment to write down some thoughts or goals. Start slow and ease into the idea of starting over. Remember, you do not need to hit the reset button every time your choice is not perfect. My suggestion after years of working on my healthy eating habits is to pick one thing you want to focus on and stick with that first. Trying to be perfect will cause more stress and frustration. Perhaps try eating out less as a first step or start walking a few days a week. Once you have achieved that goal, you can add another goal in.

I am not writing as much right now because my job is keeping me busy. One of my goals is to write more over the next year. I do plan to write the second article on planning your own storyboard. I will also write a follow up story to finding the reset button and giving some ideas from my support group on how they find their reset button.

As always, remember to talk to your own healthcare provider to assure the goals you pick for yourself are realistic. You can also consider asking your healthcare provider for ideas on how to start with an easier step to move forward.

As a side note, I do still love playing Mario and especially a game called Mario Party. I still get a little frustrated when it doesn’t go my way, but I don’t hit the reset button anymore. I let the game play out, even when I am not winning the game or doing as well as I wanted.

Until next time, take care and stay well.

Mandy

What’s your story? Part 1

I purchased a large corkboard bulletin board for my project and I’m ready to get started. I got this idea from one of my weight loss support groups and I decided to give it a try.

The person that posted this to my support group uses index cards to write her goals down and then pins them to her board. She keeps it in a visible location as an inspiration. I wished I had this idea years ago. It makes sense that putting your thoughts, inspirations, goals, or anything else you are interested in onto one bulletin board would make it easy for your mind to make connections.

This one I purchased came from Amazon and included a few push pins. I did have some struggles hanging it. I used some command strip hooks and after hanging it, it promptly fell off. So, I decided to use some command strips instead and this time I got it. I decided to let it sit empty for a few days so I could start thinking about what I want to see on it.

Now that it has been hanging for a few days, I’ve got some ideas. My goal for my storyboard is to show where I’ve been, how far I’ve come, and where I’m going. I want to hang quotes that inspire me, pictures of places I want to travel, new foods I want to try, and anything else that inspires me. This is my story.

One idea to start with is a handout from my dietician that has foods high in protein. I always need to get my protein intake up. I also decided to put my next goal weight in the middle of the board so I can keep that in mind. It does not need to be weight related goals either. It can be non-scale victories and goals, exercise goals, other personal goals, ideas, or simply inspirations. A non-scale goal for me is always to maintain my lower blood sugar levels. Another goal is to increase my exercise/activity even with my limited foot mobility.

You know yourself the best and know what you want for your future. This is a very personal journey and the reason you choose to go on it, is your story to write. So, that leaves the question, what is your story?

Wishing you all the best while you begin to find your inspiration and goals. I am going to get started and will be back soon to show you what I’ve been working on. As always comments and questions are very welcome.

Best wishes,

Mandy

Travel the World without leaving home

Creating a family friendly and educational board game

One of my projects during this time has been to create a board game. My inspiration was the game of Monopoly. My family loves this game and we took to playing it several weekends in a row. I decided it would be fun to create a travel boardgame similar to Monopoly.

I started with pencil and paper and drew an outline of a boardgame on it. I used the paper then to brainstorm and came up with all kinds of ideas. At first it was going to be Hotels around the world and then I changed it to Countries, Cities, and Continents in the world. Every continent is represented in some form or another. It is very much a traveling real estate game. The game changed over several weeks as I continued to brainstorm.

At first my teenage son, Samuel thought it was so silly of me. When the package arrived from Amazon though he got very excited and started seeing the vision I had. He helped me create cards for the game too and helped with the stickers. I was overjoyed when he started getting excited with me.

I bought a large blank game board that folds into a small rectangle for storage. It came with its own box for nice keeping when we are not playing. I purchase some blank poker size game cards, some calligraphy pens, stickers, and pawns. Instead of writing on all of the cards, I got some labels so I could use the computer to make nice labels for the backs of the cards.

The board is definitely not symmetrical. I think I started out that way and then decided my idea of a perfect looking board was going out the window. This made it even more fun though. The stickers I bought were so much fun. Travel stickers from around the world. I went through them and started laying them on the board first where I wanted my countries to go. Then I drew my lines with a sharpie to indicate spaces. I created a whole new set of properties in the middle of the board game. One of the spaces is an Island retreat space and if you land on it, you go to the middle of the board. The Airport is the space that gives you money when you pass through it. The travel card spaces allow you to draw a card. I spent hours researching facts about countries, cities, cultures, and anything else I could find.

Another fun idea that came out of this was using poker chips instead of money. It was a tiny bit more expensive, however the primary reason is we live in a very windy area. We have a river literally a few stone throw away and this gives us a very cool breeze in the summer. It’s built in air conditioning so I do not complain. I like to sit outside though with my family to play board games in the summer. The poker chips will not blow away in the wind. We also decided to use the poker chips for our shares.

The first time we played we did have a few bumps and so I went back and fixed a few property items and created a new space on the board game. My family really liked it though and we learned a lot. We have facts about cultural dances, foods, and customs. We have silly cards about the most haunted places in the World and little facts that most people don’t know. For example, the least populated place in the World, but it is also a research area. I even have a space on the board game to buy the North Pole and the Moon!

This project really brought me a lot of joy. I had not used all of my creative skills in a long time and that was so fun. Picking out the stickers to match our cards like India, Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, New York and so many other places. We put the travel stickers on the board to indicate spaces and then put matching stickers on the property cards. I did find out the calligraphy pens do not work on the type of game board we purchased. The permanent sharpies did work though and this is what I used to label the board and draw the outline. We use two dice to roll for play and then I added some spaces to roll a single dice to land on extra spaces.

Really you could create any type of game. The board and cards were inexpensive. You could use anything around the house too like paints, stickers, rocks, or other board game pieces you no longer use. Paper money can be made without purchasing by drawing on paper and cutting them out.

It’s a great stress reliever, you learn something new, and if you have a family they can get involved too. One extra benefit I got from the three weeks I worked on this was reduced stress which in turn helped me not focus on my food intake. I’ve maintained my 95-pound loss although the last few weeks I had been thinking about food more and more. This project really took my mind off of it. I hope you will share your ideas with me too.

Next time I am writing a piece on motivation and inspiration. One of my support groups has a member who made herself a story board/motivation board. I am totally loving this idea and want to share it with you.

Until next time, wishing you all the best,

Mandy

Celebrating Small Victories

Hello everyone. First, I would like to say I intended to write much more than I have over the last several months. I started out strong and then fizzled out a bit. I have not lost my passion for my journey or for inspiring others. I was struggling a bit with everything going on around me and staying busy with work during this pandemic. I am back now and hoping to have some new and refreshing articles with ideas to share.

The focus of my article today is celebrating the small victories. I’m sure many of you have known people in your personal lives impacted by the pandemic and other world events. Taking the time to focus on the things that are going well and celebrating gratitude will help us stay positive. I do know we must take time to reflect on world events and everything going on because it is a serious time in history. My article is not meant to take away from that seriousness, only to focus on the positive things or ways we can give back. I am writing today about my small victories.

Over the last few months I have been watching my garden grow. We picked beans from it already and spinach. My tomato plant has completely taken over the garden and is almost ready for harvesting. I used spinach from the garden this last week to make a potato and egg pancake and I used it in Lasagna. It turns out I found I’m the only one in my house that likes spinach. It has been so tasty though. I checked my cucumbers this morning and they are getting nice and big. For my first garden, I am very happy.

I had my follow up with my surgeon as I passed my one year surgiversary! I have maintained a weight loss of about 95 pounds total since March. No weight loss for me the last several months although I am thrilled to be maintaining. The one area I could use some improvement in is getting more exercise. Swimming was my main exercise because of my Charcot foot and I’ve had to stop because the pools are closed. My foot doctor though did say my foot is quite stable and cleared me to be on it a bit more. I’m still finding most of my steps get used at work and that’s okay too. The main victory from my surgery was my diabetes is under control and I feel strong and healthy.

Another small victory is my nightly small walk with Penny, my five pound Yorkie. She counts on and gets so excited when I say “walk”. As soon as we leave the patio door, she turns around and bites the leash to show her excitement. Walking her is a chore in itself because small dogs of her breed want to be in control and she decides the path we take. I usually put in my ear buds, listen to my book on tape or my music. I focus on taking deep breaths, listening and feeling the wind, and this helps me center and calm my thoughts and emotions. This has been a big plus in helping her sleep better which also helps me sleep better.

I had the idea to create a world travel game about three weeks ago and I finished it last weekend. It is very similar to other real estate games, but with our own twist. I will write more about it in my next article because I think it deserves more than a paragraph. It was a fun project that took our minds off of a lot and really helped us learn about other cultures and countries.

Over the last week we have been out as a family going to the Zoo and a small amusement park near us. We followed all of the guidelines like reserving tickets ahead of time, wearing masks, hand washing, social distancing, etc. It was nice though to be outdoors and get some exercise while enjoying everything. A black bear at the Zoo really made me laugh. He was picking up lettuce with his paw and throwing it in a box and then he swiped it up out of the box and threw it back on the ground. It was a cool morning so all of the animals were quite playful.

We have been fortunate to keep both of us working during this time so we’ve put aside the money we saved from not going anywhere and plan to have a vacation next summer. This small victory has given us something to hope for. I will say many of my co-workers and others I know have been doing lots of camping and hiking. This might be a great way to re-center, have some fun and relax, while getting some physical activity. My family tries hard to focus on world events when we need to put thought and energy into it and then also finding a space to stop focusing on it when we need to as well. We still have our struggles too although we find trying to stay positive and focus on gratitude has helped.

We live in a farming community and it’s harvest time so enjoying sitting out on my porch or looking at the fields on my small walks is such a blessing. This weekend I’m going to pull out my old cookbook to see if I can find some interesting recipes for harvest time. I know for sure I’m looking forward to apple crisp made with pink apples from my apple tree. I’m super lucky because my neighbor makes us apple pies when we give her apples. She will be the first one getting them this year!

It’s been hard not to see my family very often. When I do see them we sit outside and social distance. I’m beginning to dislike that word, but so far it has kept us safe. When I do get to see them I am grateful and we spend time just catching up. My family does live close so this is also a fortunate thing. Some of my co-workers though have told me they are using Zoom or similar apps to connect. One co-worker told me about a board game she and her family played on a Zoom call. That is very creative and what a way to make use of our technology.

At work, once a year we have a food drive and this is a great way to give back. We’ve also been donating money to a children’s network to feed children. I’ve read so many inspiring articles about people helping each other during this time.

Lastly, another small victory has been working remote one to two days a week. I am still needed at work because I’m a nurse manager, however working remote a few days a week has been really nice. I save money on gas, it saves the environment, traffic is better, and on those days I make a nice dinner in between meetings. It also helps me be connected to Sam, my fourteen year old son during the day. He still plays video games most of the day, but at least I can say hello. He and I carve out time each evening to watch one or two episodes of a show we pick out together. On weekends, we try and watch a family movie too.

I hope you will consider sharing some small victories in your life. Take care and wishing you all the best.

Mandy