Sunday, January 26, 2014

Cucumber sandwich - what a treat!

My life saving journey continued. For about 12 months now, my wife and I have eaten a very well rounded diet with lots of fruits and veggies in an effort to become more healthy, and to lose a few pounds. On January 14th we walked into the gym for the first time in a long time determined to slim down, and become even more healthy.

In mid 2012 I decided to give up my Mountain Dew addiction for good. It was extremely difficult, but I can say proudly now that I have not taken a single sip of the stuff since I put down the bottle. The sad thing is, most people who drink a soft drink daily, whether it be Mountain Dew, Coke, Pepsi, or Dr Pepper, lots of people have an addiction without knowing about it. Some know they have an addiction, but they can't kick it, or won't.

I hopped on the scale in 2012 and said no more. The scale stared back at me with a number that I simply would not accept as my weight. We went through and systematically threw out everything in our fridge, cupboards, storage, anywhere that we stored food. Anything that was not 100% whole, fresh product got tossed. I didn't want to be a victim anymore. I was taking control of my life.

What do we eat? Fruit and veggie shakes. 24oz per meal, pure fruits and veggies of course we get our proteins from other sources, but for breakfast and lunch, our main course is a delicious shake/smoothie. For about a year, we have been drinking these smoothies religiously, and each have lost some weight, but nothing significant. Until we started going to the gym.


We are both determined to get the weight off, and keep it off for good. This is not a "crash diet" or something that I can see myself "burning out" on.

I never thought that I would love going to the gym so much. I feel invigorated. When I wake up in the morning, I want to go to the gym. I love the feeling that I get when I leave there. I have been working with a trainer so that I get pushed farther than I might push myself, but also to help
keep me from pushing myself too far. I have lost 6.7lbs so far, and I am loving it. I can't see it just yet, but I can feel it. I can feel my muscles tightening, I can feel myself standing taller. I can see my skin getting clearer, and my energy levels increasing. I am able to lift more weight, run farther, and faster than I was even two weeks ago. The other day, someone posted a cucumber sandwich on Facebook, where you use a cucumber cut in half the long way instead of bread. It looked so good that I had to try it, I loved it so much that I went out and got a bunch of cucumbers to make more.

Both of my parents' fathers died of cirrhosis of the liver at an early age. Neither had ever had a drink. There seemed to be no cause. My father was recently diagnosed with the same ailment. I am determined to stick around for my little boys. Each day when I wake up, I know that everything I do today will be for them. As I am sitting there on a machine at the gym struggling through my last two reps, I remember why I am doing this. Why am I putting my body through this burn? Through this pain? I am doing it for the greater good, to be healthy, to minimize my risk of dying from disease.

I have had people look at me and laugh at me when I tell them that I am drinking fruit and veggie shakes for breakfast and lunch. I have been told that I am crazy. I am not dieting, this is for permanent change. Too many of us live to eat. It is time for me to eat to live.

Now that we have added in exercise 6 days a week, I feel much better overall. Today was my 1 day off this week, and I feel guilty for not going. I can't wait to walk through those doors tomorrow.

I appreciate all of you who read my blogs. I will do my best to write more.

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