Here We Go Again, Again.

Buckle up Baby, It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Good news & bad news.

Good news - Went to the OBGYN this past week. Don't have to do that again for 2 years. (In case you are wondering, that's the good news.)  I have to have a mammogram done, but she doesn't think that the small lump I found is anything to be alarmed about.

Bad news - I stepped on the scale. I didn't want to, but they force you to. Something about getting your vitals... yada-yada-yada. I didn't want to know the number. I can feel how tight my clothes are. I didn't want concrete evidence that I had gained all my weight back.

Yet there it was, in my face, plain as day. All 272 pounds.

So once again I need to get back on the wagon, kick the sugar to the curb, kiss coffee good-bye. I don't even like coffee. its the creamer and the caffeine that I love. I wish that I loved myself as much as I do the sugar and caffeine. Pray for me please. 

Any takers? I may slap back when hangry.. just sayin. 

Time to start planning and prepping. Have a blessed day! 

Weight Loss Accountability Jar

Weight Loss Accountability Jar 

One of these days...

I will stop emptying this jar and starting over.
This jar will have 100 glass cubes in it. Each cube representing one pound, a hard battle fought.

Will I ever win this battle?

Quitting is too easy, starting over is too hard.

Will today be that day? Tomorrow?

One of these days I will prevail. Until then, I keep starting over.

Adios Ice Cream, It's Been Nice Knowing You...

I have been through quite a bit since my last post. Even though I have been over weight for some time, I was always pretty healthy. My BP was good, and my bloodwork always came back normal. Maybe my cholesterol needed some work, but overall I was good. Until I wasn't.

February 2017, I went to the dentist. They always take my BP. It was a tad bit elevated but nothing to be that concerned over. March, I went to the OBGYN and it was even higher. I chalked it up to the stress of going to the Gynecologist. It still wasn't super high.

And then there was April. I decided that I wanted to donate blood. I answered all the questions and they took my BP. It was high. 150/102 high. For someone who is usually 117/78 that alarmed me. We got my BP down a little and they tried to stick me. I have always been an easy stick. Not this time. Something was up. But what?

May came along and I woke up with the worst migraine I had ever had. I took my BP and it was 16?/?? I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was HIGH. That scared me. I called my MD and set up an appointment for a physical. He ran blood work, an EKG, and a UA. He diagnosed me with Hypothyroidism and put me on synthroid. A month went by and I still felt like garbage so I decided to look up hypothyroidism online. I had some of the symptoms, but not all. I also had some Hyperthyroid symptoms, but not all. Something I read mentioned that if you have symptoms of both, you probably have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder that affects your thyroid. Basically, your immune system thinks that your thyroid in an invader and attacks it. Could that be my problem?

I decided to go to my friend Veronica's Wellness Doctor. More tests (the same tests) plus my hormones were tested along with food allergies. Dr. Davis diagnosed me with Hashimoto's, lactose and gluten intolerance, Adrenal fatigue, and hormone issues. I was a hot mess. It was a much more comprehensive diagnosis than my regular doctor provided. She took the time and explained everything. I had long suspected that I was lactose and gluten intolerant. She put me on Natural T4/T3 thyroid meds, supplements and the dreaded yeast free diet. It's basically meat and veggies, no starches, fruit, sugar, dairy, or anything fun. Bye cheese. Adios ice cream. See ya later bread. It's been nice knowing you.

Six weeks in, I lost 25 pounds. I felt better, had more energy, and my skin (rosacea) was better. I continued on and lost another 15 pounds. Then, vacation happened. Throw in Halloween, Christmas, Easter candy, my mother's 80th birthday party...etc. and I've fallen back on some bad habits (darn sweet tooth) and packed about 8 pounds back on. It's okay though, I can and will lose it again.

Please listen when your body is telling you something is wrong. If your doctor will not find out the root cause of your illness, find one who will. Do not just treat the symptoms, you will never find relief. I can lose the weight. I can change my diet. Unfortunately for me, Hashimoto's is here to stay.  That doesn't mean I have to suffer with the symptoms.

Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Blessings, 

Leslie

Humpty Dumpty & Negative Self Talk

I always start back dieting with good intentions. Then something happens and I hit the proverbial wall. I feel a little bit like Humpty Dumpty. Broken into a million pieces. Difference is I don't have the kings horse's and all the king's men to put me back together again.

I stepped on the scale yesterday. Almost everything that I had lost, I found. All but 4 pounds. I walked away from the scale calling my self a loser, a failure, stupid, gluttonous. FATSO. I can't even lose weight right. Big dummy. An on and on it went.  

I got to work, got busy and tried to put the disaster from the scale out of my mind. I was still upset with myself and had to take a break. A potty break. As I was sitting on the throne, I had a little conversation with God. Dear Jesus, I need your help. I can't do this alone. Please give me the desire, strength, courage, and wisdom to shed this weight. Not only the pounds, but the weight of my negative attitude and self talk. The hymn Fill My Cup, Lord started playing in my mind.

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up Lord

Come and Quench this thirsting of my soul

Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more

Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

I felt immediate peace. I'm claiming Your promise Jesus. Please fill my cup with your blessings. Quench my thirsty soul with your love and knowledge of you. Feed me from your word Lord. Fill me up and make me whole.

I know that God loves me and will help me with this. He will never leave me to deal with this on my own. I will stumble again, but God will give me the strength to get back up and start all over again.

I do need to change my weigh (pun intended) of thinking and He can and will help me. Loving myself isn't going to happen over night and neither is losing all this weight. Good thing He loves me enough for the both of us.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I may not have all of the King's Horse's and All of the King's men to put me together again. I have someone better. I have the KING!

Blessings.

Leslie

Accountability & Isagenix

My friend Kasey had been on the program for a month or two and had tremendous luck with weight loss and decided to share her journey with me. After hemming and hawing for a few weeks I jumped in with both feet. September 17, 2015 marked the start of my journey.

September 11, 2015 Shirt Size 3X, Neck 18 inches

275 pounds, 434.5 inches total

Very, very unhappy. Definitely not healthy.

Jan 30, 2016 2X shirt. Down 27 lbs. and 32 inches YEAH ME!!!

I did great for about 6 months on the program. I had lost around 30 pounds and 35 inches. Then vacation happened. I fell off of the wagon (yet again), and have had a hard time getting back on track. One would think that I would learn my lesson. My addiction to sugar has gotten out of hand. I did my weigh and measure today and... well, lets just say its not pretty.

13.9 POUNDS & 19 INCHES

I have gained back 13.9 pounds and added 19 inches back onto my already large frame. Those pounds and inches represent my bad decisions. Time that I can't get back. Time that I could have used to lose additional weight. I could be so much closer to my goal of 110 pounds lost.

WHY? WHY? WHHYYY???

NO MORE.

NO. MORE.

The following pics were taken today. I am posting all of this for accountability and with the hope that I can help or inspire someone else out there. Please excuse the dirty hair and lack of make-up.

OCTOBER 30, 2016 RESET PICTURES

258.7 pounds

*417.25 inches

Stuck between a 2X and a 3X

38.2 BMI

40% Fat

Disappointed in myself.

Final Thought.. Winner's never quit. Quitter's never win. I'm not a quitter. I may be a slow learner, but I AM NOT A QUITTER!

*Measurements taken were neck, chest, diaphragm, upper arms, waist, fullest part of my abdomen and derriere, upper thighs, calf muscles, and upper knees.

ALGEBRA

I originally posted this on my other blog titled I am a Work in Progress, but now I can't figure out how to get back into that one to post to it... I really need some IT skills.. lol


Algebra

Mom: "Algebra? Why did you buy an Algebra book?"

Good question Mom.

My Reply: "TV sucks and is turning my mind to mush. I want to challenge myself and see if I can still do it. I want to. I really want to." And I do!

After being out of school for a lot of years, I decided that I wanted to tackle the subject that gave me major anxiety in High School. I went to an ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) school where thankfully I was able to work at my own pace. It took me 2 years to get through one year of HS Algebra. I'm pretty sure I would have failed algebra if I had gone to public. It's not that I'm stupid, It just never made sense to me why they would mix numbers up with letters and expect me to find out what X was? And why would they force me to learn it when I was pretty sure I would never use it in my adult life. I put up a HUGE mental road block. I didn't care and I didn't want to learn.

Thankfully, I had a wonderful and patient teacher in HS. I will never know how she was so patient with me. Anything that I remember about algebra is all thanks to her. Algebra was a lot easier when I was in college because I had a good foundation in HS. Thank you Mrs. Melrose!

So here I am at 43 years old doing Algebra, still wondering why they had to place numbers and letters together and will I ever use it when I grow up. I also don't remember fractions being such a pain in my backside. So much to learn again.

But it's all good. I'm looking at it as a puzzle. A very slow puzzle, but one I want to complete. One I choose to complete and that makes all the difference to me.

New Year...

Happy New Year Everyone.

January 1st started a new year and a new resolve to lose weight. I have topped the scale now at 271. I feel horrible. No energy, muscle pain, generally feel like a slug. Mom looked at my feet which have a bunch of freckles on them. She had someone tell her that that is a sign of neuropathy. GREAT. That's all I need. My mom has the same issue with her feet and I have a cousin with neuropathy in his feet... so it's a great possibility.

I don't do resolutions. I think those are a waste of time. They are usually broken by the 3rd of January. I have failed every time I have set resolutions. "I'm gonna work out everyday, I'm going to give up pop, I'm going to eat nothing but veggies and protein"... yada yada yada... all usually broken as quickly as they are made.

My cousin Mindy has been telling me about Plexus products and how they are made of natural ingredients and have helped her lose weight. She went from a size 9 to a 2 and loves them. So end of December I decided to join the Plexus team and to use & sell the products. Mom & I started using them on the 1st. Mom and I took our measurements and weight and I will be tracking them. So far, she has lost 5 lbs. I haven't lost weight, but I have definitely lost inches. I am craving less sugar (I've only had two pops in the last 10 days!!) I'm excited to see where this journey takes me.

I will be posting before, during, and after pictures. If you are interested in checking out Plexus for yourself, check out www.lesliezimmerman.myplexusproducts.com. Let's lick this obesity problem together!

Blessings,
Leslie

I'm Really Good...

At gaining weight. I'm actually kind of a pro. In fact, I'm so good at it, I'm the heaviest I've ever been. Don't look to me for answers on losing weight. I can't help you there. You want to gain? I'm your girl. All 271 pounds of me.

Yesterday was Christmas. Turkey dinner (delish... thank you to my cousin Danielle for dinner) topped off with lots of fudge and pumpkin pie. After dinner we went out to my other cousins, John and Christine. They got me this really pretty red blouse. The collar has black beading on it. Very pretty. I pulled it out of the bag and it was a 3X. "Oh my... I don't think it'll fit. If it doesn't, I'll take it back and trade it in for a 2X." Got home, tried it on.. guess what...

...the 3X fit.

A little too well.

 

This is no longer a matter of wanting to lose weight. I have to. My health is at risk. Please pray for me that I have the courage to do this.

  

(Notes to self)...

Red Shirt 3X

Gray Pants 20W (Did I mention that they're floods?!)

Weight 271

Measurements - too depressing to think about. Will have Mom take those later.

The date on the camera is incorrect.. it's actually 12/26/13.

Merry Christmas Everyone... May God richly bless you with health and love. And let us not forget the reason for the season. Jesus. He loves you so much, that He came to this world to be an example to us. To teach us.. to die for us. He paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may have the ultimate reward. Eternal life with Him.

Blessings and a piece of oohy goooey fudge,
Leslie :)

Update 1/12/14... We did our measurements. Chest, hips, thighs, arms, and waist... total measurements were 218.50. **sigh**

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that time of year again. The holiday season is upon us. Turkey (or ham if you prefer) and all of the fixings. Time spent with family. Shopping for Christmas presents. STRESSFUL! But before all of the shopping, and football, and the meal you spend all day preparing, it is a day of thanksgiving. A time to be thankful.

This year I am thankful for my mother. Thankful for all of her love, guidance, and the time that I get to spend with her. Thank you MOM! I may be a brat sometimes, but I value our time together. Hope you feel better soon.

I am thankful for my sisters (my brothers too) but mostly for my sisters. Candi, Shannon, and Bonnie. I love you all. I appreciate everything you have done for me! You all mean the world to me. XOXO

I am thankful for my nieces and nephews and all the greats. You all have brought a lot of joy to my life. Friendship too. I love and miss you all and our time together. My angel girl Aryn gets a special mention because she has a super special place in my heart. Aunt Leslie loves you Angel Girl!

I am thankful for my church families. Livingston (MI) and Huntsville (TX). Livingston, you all made it possible for me to open up and be comfortable with you and to allow you into my life. Trust does not come easy for me. I will cherish the friendships I made there. I have the picture you all made me at my going away dinner hanging on my bedroom wall and the box of mementos sits on my desk. Huntsville, even though we are small in number, we are BIG in love and caring. Y'all ROCK and I am thankful for you too. Especially my buddy Stephnie! Love you girlie!

I am thankful for my cousins. Wynn, You were my first friend (well... next to Sheila) but you and I got to torment each other more often. John and Christine, I appreciate you too! Thank you so much for helping me and mom out when needed. You guys have hearts of gold.

I'm also thankful for my friends (new and old). Sheila, Beth & Heather, I miss you guys! Wish Michigan wasn't so far away!

I'm thankful and truly blessed beyond measure. God has been so good to me. I hope that you all have a blessed and happy holiday season and that you get to spend it with the ones that mean the most to you.

Leslie

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

I got this delicious recipe off of Facebook. I do not like cooked cabbage, but this was so yummy, I just had to share. I hope you like it as much as me and my Mom did.

 

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

In a VERY large skillet, using Medium heat add the olive oil, ground beef, onion, garlic and dried spices. Once the beef is browned, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and cabbage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer until cabbage is thoroughly cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients	Calories
Ground Beef  - 93% Lean, 7% Fat, 16 oz.	949
Oil Olive, 1 tablespoon	119
Onion 1 cup	68
Minced Garlic  tbsp.	4
Oregano, dried, 1 tsp., ground	6
Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon	0
Tomato Sauce 15 oz. (425g), 1 container (1 4/5 cups ea.)	140
Tomatoes - Diced, 2 containers (1 4/5 cups ea.)	210

Total:	1,496
Per Serving:	374