My first week on my new journey to living better - K

Hi, there, Kathleen here.   I am on a journey to Living Better.   I have traveled many unsuccessful  variations of this Living Better journey in my 50+ years.  I've always turned back when I hit the snags and snarls that littered my path.  It has been a vicious cycle.

This time feels different.  This time I finally feel ready.  I am armed with a machete, a bush hogger, and other manner of snag and snarl clearing devices!  I know there will be times when I fall off the path as I try to clear the recalcitrant debris.  No successful journey is without pitfalls.  They are rarely straight paths - from here to there - with no deviation.

As I set out on this successful journey, I will face the hurdles, the brambles, the briars, the pot holes, snarls and snags and I will defeat them.  They might slow me down, but they will not stop me!

Officially, my journey began on July 26, 2013. That Friday morning, I stepped on my scale and saw that scary number - 250.6 - and said NO MORE!

I began right then to do the right stuff.  I have known about the 'right stuff' for years.  After all, I am a professional dieter: Weight Watchers - multiple times, various versions; Atkins; eDiets; calorie counting; my own versions cobbled together from these and other sources.  Knowing and doing are two very different things.

Enter Friday morning, the great scale shock day... and I'm off.

I decided I needed a few tools of success.  I made a 1/2 gallon of vitamin water (thinly slice 1/2 cucumber and 1 lemon, place in pitcher and fill with water; steep for 4-6 hours).  I made an extra large serving of green juice (kale, spinach, 1/2 cucumber, a few baby carrots, 1 lemon, 1 apple, 1 stalk celery). Then I prepped all the vegetables and fruits in the fridge to be ready to juice each morning with minimal daily prep.  I planned dinners based on my freezer and pantry contents.  I planned heart healthy breakfasts.  Prepped salad ingredients for lunches. 
I kept up my Friday momentum all week -

• I ate healthier meals - did not eat out at all.  
• I juiced daily.  
• I drank water, vitamin water or herbal tea with minimal sweetener. 
• I exercised in the pool 3 days.
• I shopped for fresh fruits and vegetables.  Prepped them for easy eating.
• I completely eliminated soda. (A big deal for me - I easily drank 2 to 3 2-liter bottles of Caffeine Free Diet Coke!  -- I've had None this week, not even a sip of Mom's soda.   Added bonus?  I save money in my food budget! 

The Results

After one week, I am less hungry each day and lost 6.6 lbs!  An excellent start to the healthy part of this journey.

There are several elements to this Living Better journey: Physical, Financial, Spiritual, Intellectual.

• Physical:  My health, including losing 80 lbs and reducing or eliminating blood pressure medications
• Financial: Money management/debt reduction/retirement goals (this journey began in mid-2010)
• Spiritual:  Finding myself, my spiritual side, my purpose and living in it as I lose one third of my body (also a continuing journey, wanting to pick up speed on this one, make it more intentional)
• Intellectual:  keeping my mind active and engaged. Expanding my knowledge through reading, researching , exploring.  (also an ongoing journey, one that needs more intention)

And the journey continues.  Hop aboard!