Week 21, Day 1

Dang, no weight loss this week. No gain, but no loss. I'm guessing it's mostly because Adam slept in the living room and that's where my exercise equipment is. With him being sick all week, I stayed pretty quiet so he could rest. He goes back to work tomorrow, though, so it's back on the bike for me. I'm only asking for a couple of pounds a week, so surely I can start making progress again and have a better report next week!

Tonight's Biggest Loser show was great. Not because of the show so much -- I always enjoy it because I see these people who look just like me, struggling and striving and working hard to lose and I know I can too. But tonight was great because Kristin Steede, a contestant from a past season of Biggest Loser, hosted a chat session on her website during the show. What fun! There weren't a bunch of us who showed up, so it wasn't hard to keep up with everyone, and it was just a real nice bunch of people. What a great way to spend an evening!

I'm working hard on the stress level since I know stress can contribute in a bad way to weight issues. I chatted briefly today with a cardiology nurse, and she says the procedure Dad will have in a few weeks in considered fairly routine with very few complications, very near a miracle procedure in the world of cardiology. She's a straight-shooter who I trust to tell me the truth, so I feel much better about it all. Plus, I think this past Sunday I finally found the church I've spent a few years looking for. You know that feeling you get when something is just "right"? Well, I got that when I went to this place. Some churches have just left me feeling blah. The one I tried a couple Sundays ago made me cry sad tears when I left. This past Sunday I left the new church feeling encouraged. Vast difference. I'm looking forward to going back.

Adam and I went grocery shopping last night. I'm so glad that more and more stores are carrying organic produce. It's usually only a small section, but at least it's still way more than what there used to be even a couple of years ago. Shopping takes so much less time when you only shop the outer rim! Dairy, meat, and produce. Nothing from the center aisles but bottled water, cereal, bread, a jar of salsa, and frozen veggies. Easy peasy!

This afternoon we went to a movie. Nothing special with that except two things: 1) I didn't park in the handicapped parking spots (I seldom do anymore -- only if the air is so cold that it will trigger an asthma episode), and 2) I didn't have to stop mid-way from our car to our movie seats to rest and catch my breath -- in fact, I wasn't even close to being out of breath when we got in. Waaay different than a few months ago! In fact, I had stopped going to this particular theater because it was getting to be just too difficult for me to get in to the seats from the car. Not anymore! And no going back to the way things were before. I LIKE being able to get around like "normal" people!

So how was your week?

Today's Tip:
The most recent newsletter from the Amen Clinic (experts on brain health) talks about whether or not obesity is an addiction. In the newsletter they say:

Certain foods can produce the same effect. In The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, Dr. David Kessler, a former FDA commissioner, writes that the high-fat, high-sugar combos found in many mouthwatering snacks light up the brain’s dopamine pathway similar to the way drugs and alcohol do. He suggests that some people can actually get hooked on chocolate chip cookies the way other people get addicted to cocaine.

With this in mind, it becomes even more important for each of us to learn what drives us to overeat. Did we simply develop some bad habits? Or is it something more complicated like an addiction? It's worth exploring and understanding. After all, our health and future depends on it!

Check out the book here>> The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite