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                                                      I Live Total Wellness Each Day with Patience and Kindness
                                                                     CONSTANCY-CONFIDENCE-COMMITMENT


I feel good this morning.  The days seem to be going by very fast, that's why it's very important to LIVE and follow My Physical Wellness Plan, before I know it another week has passed and it is important to have done what is right, I can't get time back, so I got to DO all that I need to DO as planned!

The last few days I have been eating well below my 1500 calories and I feel good and satisfied. I wonder if it is psychological (knowing that if I choose I can eat more) or if I am satisfied because my stomach has shrunk and I don't need as much food, either way, all I know is that I feel good and I am satisfied. I didn't ride my cycle yesterday, didn't feel like it AND I don't feel guilty. I know the focus is all about my eating. I stretch, which is very important for me to keep my range of motion and general mobility. I will resume my cycling tomorrow; I cut it from 30 minutes to 20 minutes because I am not exercising to lose weight, I'm exercising for the other health and mental benefits. I am so pleased at my progress...it is getting to the time when I have to buy new clothes. I will take my measurements with all my under-garments on because frankly, I have no idea what sizes I wear now. I'll do that around July 1. I'm feeling good, calm, relaxed, and satisfied; I am focusing on the positive things in Life and focused on Living Right NOW, being Happy right NOW. It's all about doing My Best RIGHT NOW, enjoying myself and being content Right NOW! Thank-you GOD and thank-you for Blessing me with Dani who explained that concept to me, she really broke it down! I have been reading Philippians 4:8, but when she broke down Happiness to me, everything clicked. Happiness is a choice, and I choose Happiness; I choose to applaud my accomplishments small and large, I choose to applaud anything that is good/right/excellent of myself or anyone else, and I applaud for RIGHT NOW, NOT looking back comparing anything. It's My Right Nows that are Important! I  lost 1 1/2 lbs. this week - I am Happy about that and I focus on that; I am satisfied with my eating - I am Happy and I focus on that; I have a Great Partner - I am Happy about that and I focus on that; I feel a cool breeze on a hot day - that makes me Happy and I focus on that.   GOD IS GREATEST!!!!!!!

I GET A DO OVER (I am Bless To Have Added at LEAST 30 Years to My LIFE GOD WILLING) because of My Surgery, EVEN More By Changing My Eating, Alcohol Drinking and Activity Level) and I SHALL Make The Absolute Best of IT! I WON’T Go Back, I SHALL Move FORWARD with the ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, MOTIVATION, COURAGE and FEARLESSNESS of My Younger Years. MY EPIFFANY: Every Mid-Aged Person always want to GO Back to Their Young Days BUT take what they know NOW Back to that Young Person. They think that would make them a Better, more successful person in their Middle Age, NOOO! Whether you had a Good, GREAT or Lousy Youth, NEVER GO BACK; It IS What It IS! Go FORWARD, Because if YOU know you want a “DO-OVER” then that Means you recognize you Need a CHANGE, but You MUST be READY to Make The CHANGES! The GREAT thing about a DO-Over is that the BEST thing about our Younger Days that we all so desperately want are NOT just for the YOUNG; ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, MOTIVATION, COURAGE and FEARLESSNESS are for EVERYONE!   Taking My Present Knowledge, Wisdom and Experience BACK to My Young Years for a Do-Over IS A Mistake! To do so would make that Young-Energetic-FEARLESS Person a Calculating-Careful Middle Aged Person who might never experience or DO anything because that person would be watching every step and projecting the danger of the calculations. The BEST Do-Over is to RECOVER the ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, MOTIVATION, COURAGE and FEARLESSNESS of My Younger Years and utilize what I Know and My Spirituality. I SHALL Do It…If it’s hard, I’ll DO IT Hard and SUCCEED, I won’t Calculate every Step, I’ll Take BIG Leaps and Let GOD take Care of the Details (Making SURE I’m on GOD’S SIDE!). The GOAL is to Remake this Middle Aged Person into HER BEST SELF-FULL of LIFE, Youthfulness, Energy and Courage(VITALITY and VITAL); NOT to GO Back and Turn a VITAL YOUTH into a Middle Aged Drudge. YES, My DO-OVER SHALL be My BEST VITAL SELF!

I'm Blessed and I appreciate it! I rather be Blessed than have good luck, skills, knowledge or experience. After all, when GOD is for you (ME) - WHO can be against you (ME)...Nothing or No One! I have been Blessed with a second chance to Live WELL and I am making the very most of it, every day.

My Colon Surgery went very well and I came home after 4 days; but WOW...I attracted a major infection and was readmitted, that thing kept Me in the hospital 15 days. Thank GOD all is well now! As I reflect, I am glad that I did not get the WLS. I understand now that all I needed was to be motivated about My Health, a bottom line. I guess whatever will motivate us most is what GOD will often use to get us where we need to be...believe Me, this surgery has Me beyond motivated! I have lost over 70 lbs. since surgery and still losing; it feels great, I'm eating right, following South Beach and eating for otimum Health...meaning I am done with red meat, limited sweets-the surgery changed my taste buds. I hate anything too sweet and can't take anything with high fructose corn syrup in it; I can't even eat ketchup, it tastes nasty. I drink lots of water, in fact I crave it; I don't drink any type of sodas or soft drinks (can't tolerate the sweetness of sweetners either). I eat a lot of fruit and veggies, quality carbs and fats; I stretch but no exercise routine so to speak...I always knew that the key to wt. loss and maintenence is what one eats. Later, after I lose some more, I plan to take Palates and begin water aerobics. It is sooo simple to Live Healthy, I am amazed sometimes that My core had to be shaken to get Me where I need to be. YES, I am truly Blessed and NOW I am discovering for the first time what is truly Important to Me>>>and LIVING IT! GOD IS GREATEST!!!!!!!

Cause I'm ROLLIN' and Getting Better all the Time! I feel great! Like Ben Franklin, MY later years WILL Be My BEST...and My early years weren't bad!!!

I have decided to give-up or severely reduce My intake of artificial sweeteners. They reduce calories but they are in no way good for us. I had to face the facts once I did more research. It is strange that I was willing to accept and use artificial sweetners when I was going to have WLS, but now that I have a colon problem, I am re-evaluating EVERYTHING about food and beverages; how it is cooked and when I eat/drink it. It is amazing how I don't even desire or need all of those drinks with aspertame or sucrolose. I may give Truvia or Stevia a try but I won't force it. I have chosen to use a little natural sugar, NOW and THEN, and that is working well for Me...I add a little to My tea or coffee and I am OK. I LIKE drinking just water with meals and during the day...and hey, if I want a cup of pure fruit juice, I just drink it and add it to My nutritional intake for the day.

I am still doing SB Plan, Phase 2, and I am limiting My total caloric intake to 1000 calories per day, fiber of no less than 20 gr. per day and no less than 50 gr. of protein. With these numbers, My protein and fiber sources come from similar sources, ie, Beans/Legumes, whole grains, lean meats(turkey, fish, beef max once every 2 weeks), green leafy veggies, reduced fat and lactose free cheeses...  It's amazes Me how well I am eating and how SATISFIED I am, with NO Cravings. I mentioned to D the other day how proud I am of Me. I AM doing this...of course, I have the proper Motivation>>>FOR LIFE! I have dropped another 7 lbs. and that makes Me happy. I am Living My Dream...I am Living Total Wellness, and it is not difficult. I am motivated to LIVE Well, I choose to be Healthy, Slim, Energetic and Youthful. Whether one has WLS or does it on their own, the key is all about MOTIVATION. GOD Values Me, and I Value Me, so I am motivated to LIVE and beyond that I am Motivated to Live Well, I have chosen that I will pursue and have a HIGH Quality of Life. My old Lifstyle is dead! I am Living My "New" Lifestyle, NOW it's all about Sustainability and Maintainability!!!

Weight and Exercise Goals
*Short Term Goals: (1) Eat 1000 calories per day and maintain Nutritional Values until I revaluate 6/1/10; (2) Weigh every 2 weeks; (3) Lose at Least 3.9 lbs. every 2 weeks; (4) Stretch Every Day and Cycle/Walk - 3/4 Times Per Week.
*My Mid-Term Weight Goal: By June 1, 2010 weigh at least 100 lbs. less than I did June 1, 2009.

ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!!

Today I had My follow-up (Second Opinion) for the diagnosis of Hemicolectomy. I am Blessed to be in a City with one of the Best Cancer Institutes in the Country (Roswell Park). I met with My Doctor there and she was wonderful, even drew diagrams to explain the situation. Th diagnosis is the same but they still don't know what to call the polyp except pre-cancerous...and believe Me that is OK! She recommends the Hemicolectomy with a 99% chance that it won't come back. The GREAT thing was that I was offered surgical options that I was not before. I can Now have this done Laproscopically, and the SUPER thing is that the new Doctor suggests that My Weight Loss Surgeon perform the surgery. She said that My WL Surgeon is one of the Best Surgeons in the Country for GastroIntestional Surgery, that he has an expertise with the Laproscopic Procedure and that she often collaborates with him relative to overweight patients!!! ALL I could do was Thank GOD!!!!!!! She scheduled a consultation for Me with him for next week.

I am soooo Blessed and I am soooo Thankful to GOD!!!

Today while I was at the Cancer Institute, the Registration Person that I got was an African American Woman about 52-55 years old. Of course we struck up a conversation and I was telling her how Thankful I am that I had a colonoscopy; also told her that Black people need to be screened at an earlier age than the norm. She went on to tell Me how she had a colonoscopy set up but canceled it because she couldn't take drinking the liquid. She even said she lied to her Brother who has insisted that she have one. I told her that this is a true life-saver and that she does not want to get something that she could so easily avoid. I laid on her My best selling points and I hope it got through. SOOOO many of these diseases are preventable or curable if  We catch them early...It's all about the Screening. Taking the time to take care of ourselves, to LOVE Ourselves!

Aside from not having Insurance, what is it in OUR Culture that make US not get our Medical Check-ups/Screenings. I wonder if it is that we really do not Value Ourselves. The Woman I spoke of (above) works, has good insurance coverage but yet her position was "I don't want to know; I'll just go to Glory."(Yea, after suffering a Horrific/Miserable Death-I said to Myself) WHAT IS THAT? It has to be considered Black on Black Crime (of Oneself)...maybe even Self Hate! I realize that it is a Blessing that I have Insurance and can get the help I need...for this, too, I am Grateful. But I remember the time I didn't have Insurance, I sought out free clinics and sometimes paid out of pocket for check-ups, especially when something didn't feel right. Now that I am getting older, I realize that screenings MUST be done like clock-work. I Value-Myself, I Value Others, now I know why people like Katey Curric "preach" about colon and postate screenings; or others have a different cause...this stuff is so manageable when caught early, and one's quality of life soars because knowledge WILL make You/ME change, IF we Value Ourselves. Life and Death is still in the Hands of GOD. But Quality of Life is Up to Us (each Individual), what do WE choose on either side of the OR...healthy or illness; obese or slim; informed or ignorant; right or wrong; kindness or hate-filled; forgiveness or retribution; joy or pain; gratitude or ingratitude; happiness or wretchedness...Choose You This Day! Each Day that the LORD Gives is Beautiful and is Ours to CHOOSE whether OR not to SEE that Beauty!  ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WELL! I have a Surgery Date, but it is not for the RNY, it is for a Right Hemicolectomy (of the Ascending Colon). I am thankful to GOD that I went through the WLS testing process, if not I may have had colon cancer in a year or so and would have been looking at aggressive colon cancer. I am soooo thankful and Blessed! 

Of course, this surgery negates the RNY surgery but when it comes right down to it this may be a better deal. When you are told that you have aggressive pre-cancerous polyps and a part of your colon needs to be removed to assure that you won't get colon cancer, your whole perspective about a lot of things change....MOST of all about FOOD and Beverages! I knew when I walked out of the Surgeons office that I would not have WLS, I made the decision before My WL Surgeon and ColoRectol Surgeon even talked. The RNY is not possible with colon surgery but the Lapband is...but I told My WL Surgeon I won't need WL surgery. I am MORE than motivated on My own to DO what I needed to Do years ago...NOW My weight loss Tool is MY LIFE!

As I walked out of the Colon Surgeon's office after he gave Me his diagnosis and prognosis, only ONE thing was on My mind...What Do I Need To Fight This Thing?! When I got to My car, I prayed (thanking GOD for bringing Me to this place and for the healing to come); I also sought HIS Guidance...(Of course HE answered Me several days later in the usual way HE works with Me.) HIS Response to Me was, in a year from your colon surgery, I want you BACK in Atlanta, I sent You there for a reason and it is NOT Complete! THAT told Me Everything I need to know! Also, I didn't educate You for nothing, DUE Diligence...I knew what that meant>>>Research, Second Opinion, List of Questions for Colon Surgeon, best place for follow-up care and rehabilitation, on top of it now!

YES, LIVING IS Motivation for changing Lifestyle! Earlier I said that the colectomy may be a better deal than WLS...I said that because there is no rerouting of the intestines, nor the problems that can accompany WLS but recouperation is very similar (Clear Liquids 4-7 Days in Hospital, 2-3 weeks Liquids, then 2-3 weeks Mushy Stage...and of course a Major change in eating and exercise habits (which I have already begun!) Yes, we are all motivated in some way to achieve what we need to, well, I guess GOD in HIS wisdom has seen fit to direct Me to a different WELLNESS Plan using a different Tool...Either way, I Am UP for the TEST. When I asked My Colon Surgeon how I should feel, he said lucky, very lucky...I said to Myself, No, I'm BLESSED, VERY BLESSED!

I want to LIVE, I want to be Healthy, I want to Be Slim...AND I SHALL. I LIVE TOTAL WELLNESS Each Day>>>One Step Forward At A Time!  ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I'm moving right along in My changing Lifestyle. It is causing Me to rethink everything, especially around eating. It is amazing to Me how we as a Nation have been herded into habits that are Destructive to us for the sake of Industry, in particular the Food Industry. Yes, many people have jobs there but they will still have jobs if we were not given these LIES to live by relative to food and what's good for us or even what to eat and when!

Other Cultures (particularly those that are more slim) eat so differently from Americans, especially the amount of meat they consume for protein and particularly what they eat for breakfast. My recent bout with colon polyps have caused Me to investigate what other Cultures eat and what they eat for breakfast that may suit Me. I have also learned that fried meats and meats cooked at high temps form carcinogens on the meat and their juice run off (pan gravy/juices). I heard something about this quit a while back but I didn't care, I was FINE, so I ate all the fried/grilled burgers/beef, chicken, fish...I wanted to. NOW, I'm concerned about anything that may harm My Colon or cause cancer. My idea of LOVING ME has Changed...Loving Me no longer means indulging Myself with everything I want; LOVING ME now means DOING what is GOOD for Me...relative to Food, Drinks, Exercise, Career, Personal Relationships, Emotional and Mental Balance. My HEALTH is My WEALTH and that is MORE than being Slim, but being slim is a part of being Healthy and Living Well! I am learning RESTRAINT around food, and it is becoming ok, and leaves Me with a good feeling to say, "I don't eat that..."

I really like eating breakfast since being on the SB Eating Plan; I realize that breakfast is very important for Me to balance My eating throughout the day...I just don't feel hungry or I feel satisfied when I eat in the morning. It is necessary to have Protein for breakfast but I have found out that unless I'm going to run a marathon, I don't need the high carbs...not even the good high carbs in oatmeal or whole grain breads; also I have decided that I don't want the fruit sugar in the morning that comes from Fruit (I can save that for lunch or a later snack as a pick-Me-up). So, I have decided to marry good protein with veggies in the morning (for Breakfast)...we/as a Culture have been bull shitted about what a good breakfast should be...WHY, to push the needs of the Food Industry. Pork Butt (Bacon), Oranges (Orange Juice), Wheat...are the main stay of the Commodities Market; so much so that the "Futures" trade is based on them. That means that it is IMPERATIVE that our Culture be sold on the notion of bacon/sausage, orange juice, toast, pancakes, biscuits, cold cereals...for Breakfast, to hell whether this stuff is good for us or not!

I CAN reteach Myself how and what to eat: Starting with Breakfast, I will no longer eat any high carb. My energy will come from Protein only supplemented by vegetables. "Eggface" has some great recipes that I can adapt for My purposes, and I already know other things I like to eat for Breakfast...Example of My Recipes:

Cabbage Soup 

·         Lean Ground Turkey 16 – 20 oz

·         ½ Medium Cabbage (shredded as desired) MAY ALSO USE KALE

·         1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes 15-16 oz

·         1 Medium Onion

·         1 Bell Pepper

·         Minced Garlic to taste

·         Chicken Broth 16-32 oz as desired

Eggaface Recipe Adapted  Beef & Zucchini Casserole:

*1/2 lb. LEAN Ground Beef (or Turkey)
*1 Maui Onion, sliced
*3-4 Green Onions, diced
*4 small Zucchini (I used a combo of yellow & green), sliced
*3 cloves Garlic, minced>>>or less if desired
*1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce (jarred or refrigerated fresh pasta section)
*1/2 teaspoon Oregano
*1/2 to 1 cup of Beef Broth
*a few twists of Black Pepper
*3 slices Provolone Cheese
*Olive Oil for sautéing

Boil ground beef or turkey. Drain any fats. Remove from pan. Set aside. Sauté onions till golden. Remove from pan. Add zucchini and sauté till golden and fork tender. Add back onions and beef. Add garlic, sauces, seasonings and Alfredo Sauce. Mix to combine. Place in Pyrex bowl and place in oven with cheese on top; bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.
ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!!

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