Self-talk

If you have tried every diet on the planet, every exercise
program from the latest fitness guru and repeatedly failed to achieve
your weight loss goals you probably need a “check up from the neck
up.”
Successful weight loss doesn’t just happen. It took more than a
few days to reach the point where you are at right now. Give yourself
a break and expect it to take awhile before you see measurable
results. Take a leap of faith and follow some basic principles.
Begin with your “self talk.” This is the conversation that runs
through your brain continuously. What kind of conversation do you
have with your self talk? What type of negative self talk has kept you
from reaching your goals in the past?

Falling in love again- my new love

I've fallen in love- very unexpectedly. At my age, it's unusual to have this happen, especially so suddenly.

(Sighs, swoons, smiles and hugs self)


But, things crept up and I made some lifestyle changes
and now, I have fallen in love






- with RAW PAPAYA!!!!!

HA-HA! I am sitting here laughing, imagining all the people who are reading this and freaking out thinking that Jim and I had split up. HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!

Yes, I bought a 5 pound raw papaya at Publix earlier this week, and it has fed me for three days. I got the idea from seeing Joanna Lumley on a British TV show similar to "Survivor" except she was on an island alone. She is a vegetarian, and after several days of rice cooked in veggie bouillon, she dug up a wild Yam and found wild Papaya growing in the island. it really looked lush when she cut it open, and I remember her saying "That's the best food in the world" when she took a bite! It really ranks up there as at least one of the best. Also satisfies my sweet tooth, and contains papain, which is a natural digestive enzyme.

Noticing no chest pains and very few headaches this week. Not even my "Normal" headache of the day. BIG change from when I was eating mostly Bertolli frozen pasta dishes. I still cook them for Jim, and have a tiny tea saucer with a bit, so I don't feel deprived. I'm about 75-80 % raw foods.

I got paid today, so I will be back for more papaya later today. YUM-O!

Raw food diet- starting week two

So, I am still feeling pretty well. Got my Chocoloate flavored protein powder from the Raw Reform store. I was looking forward to mixing it up with ice and cold water and making something like milkshakes. UGH!!!! It was so bitter. It is made from raw Brazil nuts, raw hemp seeds (heh-heh) , raw cacao, raw maca powder, and a few other wonderfully healthy foods. A spoon full of honey went a long way to making it something palatable.

Blood pressure feels like it's down- keep forgetting to have a reading taken. Headaches are not as severe and no chest pains so far this week- very minimal chest pains last week. Compared to a month ago, this is a miraculous improvement, especially done by diet only and no surgery or prescription drugs.

Raw Food Diet- day seven

So, it's day seven. My daughter came for a surprise visit today! Cooked for Jim and Becca, who came down from Gainesville, and wasn't tempted to eat what they did. Had mostly raw fruits and veggies- whole box of grape tomatoes and a banana today, and some sushi. Sushi is partially cooked, and I do notice the difference after eating it- blood pressure goes up a bit, usually comes down when I drink a bunch of water. it would be best to go 100 percent raw, but my body isn't ready for it on a long term basis- so, I am sticking with 70-80 percent raw for right now. Still haven't eaten bread for a week, no milk products except for a teaspoonful of Jim's Pumpkin eggnog (so I could taste it and not feel deprived). Noticing that I can take a TASTE of something and then leave it alone without eating or drinking the whole thing. That's different!
Watched part of another Angela Stokes video over the weekend. It made a good point-quoted from the Essenes that "if you eat life you get life, and if you eat death, you get death".

Raw Food Diet- day six

Had some sushi last night, as a dinner treat. Not entirely raw- the veggies and seaweed roll inside were raw but the rice and crabmeat filling were cooked. Felt a little sleepy after I ate it- maybe the carbs from the rice.
Body is still detoxing- had that funny metallic taste in my mouth when I went to sleep.Little bit of nausea in the afternoon that prevented me from donating blood. Probably just as well- the giveaway was a free buffet at Homer's, and I don't know how I would have reacted when confronted with the dessert cart, the home-baked breads, etc. Jim told me when he got home that there wouldn't have been much there that I could have eaten on a raw food diet anyway-salad, some peaches, and that was about it.

Ordered some goodies from The Raw Reform Food Store- some chocolate-flavored power made from all kinds of raw food sources (plant, not diary). Figured it would help me with my chocolate cravings. Also ordered raw pistachios (my favorite nut) and pepitas with a Mojito flavoring-YUM-O!

Interview With Angela Stokes

Raw Food Diet- day five

It is SO nice not to have my heart thumping like it is going to jump out of my chest when I go to bed. I'm going to check my blood pressure today, but I know it is down. For the first time since I started this, I had a little bit of ice cream craving, but it was mouth hunger, and I stayed the course.

Think I will not post every single day. The transition went smoothly.

Ordered some goodies from The Raw Reform food store- some chocolate-flavored power made from all kinds of raw food sources (plant, not diary). Figured it would help me with my chocolate cravings. Also ordered raw pistachios (my favorite nut) and pepitas with a Mojito flavoring-YUM-O!

Just can't believe how peaceful and kind I feel.

Raw Food Diet- day four

OK, so it's day four. I've modified things to result in an 80% raw food diet. This is the way the woman who inspired me did it when she started out. Probably better, because yesterday was another day of body detox. REALLY glad I work from home!

One thing I have been reading about is how a raw food diet helps to "raise your vibrations". This fits in with all of the Secret/Law of Attraction works I have been reading and studying. For the last two years, I've been trying to program my mind with better thoughts through psycho-cybernetics, and the old Law of Attraction texts by Wattles and Atkinson, upon which "the Secret" is based. I've noticed that the more raw food I eat, the kinder and more at peace I feel. Those of you who know me from the business world are very familiar with my competitive Type-A personality and my not taking "No" for an answer when I get a sales prospect on the phone. It's almost like a new personality for me-more relaxed and happy and accepting. But it's on a much higher spiritual level than my college stoner/partier personality that my OLD friends remember from 30 years ago. My head is clear, and it's a real inner peace, not a chemically-induced one.

I did have a (cooked) salmon salad on raw greens with raw string beans from Panera Bread yesterday, with an apple as my side dish. Yum-O!! I noticed after I ate the salad that I felt sleepy and took an afternoon nap- thinking there was sugar in the dressing. Had a tiny headache and a little nausea in the evening, but much less than the day before.

Raw food diet- Day three

Well, it's Day Three. Had to take a BC powder yesterday, as the "platter of discomfort" resting on the top of my head became a "manhole cover of pain" as the day wore on.

I've noticed that I am moving around more easily. I didn't have to brace myself against the car door and seat and push my self out of the car last night- I stepped out normally. Also, my exercise routine is easier- I was able to do 50 jumping jacks in the pool in one set- usually, it is 20 to 30, and three to four sets to make 100.

I laid off the carrots yesterday and didn't have the funny metallic taste or the nausea. Maybe I ate too much of a good thing. Got some bananas last night, which contain potassium - good for the heart! Also, the chest pains have pretty much disappeared- a huge improvement over two- three weeks ago, when I thought I was going to the hospital.

So, I'm off to find raw sunflower seeds in Sebring. I'm missing New Port Richey-talked to Jim about moving back there last night before we went to sleep, but with the way the real estate market is now, we are pretty much stuck here until we win some lottery money.

Raw Food Diet- day two

Well, it's day two. I have read that my body will go through a detox and cleansing for the first week or so of doing this, and that is what is happening today. I'm glad that I work from home.

I woke up with a mild headache this morning- nothing like the grinding migraines that I get from my neck injury. Just feels like a platter of discomfort (can't really call it pain after what I have been through) is resting on top of my head.

Noticed that when I went to bed last night, I felt better- more alert, lighter. I haven't felt hungry enough to eat yet today, but will probably dive into the celery after I finish this blog posting. I did notice a funny metallic taste in my mouth, kind of like a bitter carrot. Woke up in the middle of the night with some nausea, which subsided. Maybe I will lay off the carrots today and eat the apples and celery instead. Also noticed that I moved around more easily and I didn't have as much stiffness in my joints as before I started this.

So, we will do this thing one day at a time.

Saving my Life

I am going to try a raw food diet. It is the only thing I know to do to try and save my life. The last two weeks I have been plagued with chest pains, including a couple I thought were going to be the "widower-makers". I felt the numbness in my left arm once, and the funny feeling in the left side at the back of my skull, meaning that I was having a mini-stroke.

This is a clear warning that if I am going to have very much of a future at all, I need to change my ways. I need to lose a lot of weight. I can't do low-carb any more, as I have griping muscle spasms after only five days- pity, because I lost 60 pounds on low-carb a few years ago, and was never hungry. I no longer smoke pot- it's been two years now- so, that helps with my breathing. But when I was up in NJ for Shane's wedding, it was a challenge to get around in the airport and pick up my baggage, and then getting up and down the stairs more than once or twice a day to get to the room I was staying in got to be a real chore. I dress well for an overweight woman, but I would look a lot better if there were less of me.

However, vanity isn't the main motivation here. I don't want to end up like my mother, who was only four years older than I am now when she had her first major heart attack. I've already dealt with the results of a "mild" stroke. It took me two years to recover, and I am still not the same and will never be the same.

I'm trying to avoid open heart surgery. I have had friends and "frenemies" who have had bypass surgery. One woman who was my age died a few years later because the stents we not put in correctly and they leaked. She left behind a grieving partner and two young children. My kids are adults, but I think they still want me around. I know that my husband does.

So, today for our main meal, I cooked Bertolli Shrimp and Pasta. It will be my last cooked meal until the Thanksgiving Holiday. I am going 100 percent raw foods, in an effort to save my life, bring down my blood pressure, get rid of about 90 pounds, stop wheezing and snoring when I sleep (according to Jim), and hopefully keep my heart from giving up and going on strike. I will do this the same way that I gave up smoking pot after 31 years of heavy use- one day at a time.

Here's a good web site, if anyone wants to know more:
Raw Foods Diet made EZ

As I listen to the wonderful voice of Paul Potts, I know that I literally have One Chance to get this right before my excesses kill me.

Weight Loss Surgery: Preventing the Health Risks

If you have been watching your weight go up and you are worried about the rising pounds, you may be wondering whether weight loss surgery really works. Is it possible to prevent future weight gain by putting yourself on a well-known weight loss surgical operation?



Today, weight loss surgeries are gradually gaining recognition when it comes to losing weight. Many health experts contend that people who are excessively overweight or has slower metabolism would normally require some surgical operations.



Surgery at Present



The greatest progress in the care of the surgical patient has taken place since the beginning of the present century. An increasing knowledge of disease and disorder as a result of research has permitted the development of many diagnostic aids. Some of these depend upon roentgenograms, laboratory procedures such as chemical, bacteriologic, and pathologic determinations, as well as monitoring devices and computer aids.



Hence, the result is that the diagnosis of disease and disorder is made with more exactness and certainty than was possible from the simple clinical examinations of previous days.



That is why people who wish to undergo weight loss surgery should no longer be afraid of the procedure because high clinical standards are now being implemented in every surgical operation.



The Concept of Weight Loss Surgery



Health experts contend that weight loss surgery is a major surgery. One of the most common reasons why people would like to lose weight is to enhance their physical attributes. However, it should not be the underlying motivation that they should undergo the process of weight loss surgery.



What people do not know is that weight loss surgery is especially generated to help obese people live longer, healthier, and better.



That is why it is important for an individual to meticulously analyze his or her situation, do some research about the process, and analyze if weight loss surgery is the ultimate choice for his or her physiological condition.



Moreover, it is important to gather further information about weight loss surgery by consulting an experienced and knowledgeable bariatric surgeon or even just an expert family physician who knows the ins and outs of weight loss surgery.



In addition, the patient should also consult the other health experts such as the psychiatrist and dietician with regards to some psychological advices on long-term goals after the operation.



Generally, patients who have undergone weight loss surgery are said to be successful if they were able to lose 50% or more of their extra body weight and will be able to maintain that condition for the next five years or so. However, the results of the operation may still vary depending on the clinical information of the patient and the skills of the bariatric surgeon.



Normally, the patient will be able to lose at least 30% to a maximum of 50% during the first six months after surgery; and within the year after the operation, the patient has the potential of losing weight up to a maximum of 77%.



Best of all, people who were able to loss weight through surgical operations can actually maintain a continuous weight loss of up to 50% to 60% in the next 10 to 14 years after surgery.



Factors to Consider



As with the other weight loss management programs, there are many factors to consider before the patient should decide to undergo weight loss surgery.



Consequently, the actual weight that will be lost is reliant on the weight before surgery, surgical procedure, patient s age, capability to exercise, total health condition of the patient, dogged determination to maintain the necessary follow-up nurture, and the enthusiasm to succeed with the help of their family, friends, and their colleagues.



If you have just put on a few extra pounds and want to avoid gaining more, these weight loss surgeries for better health may seem convincing. But, in addition to being convinced, you may also have to take some action to ensure that your weight does not creep upward.



Therefore, it can be concluded that losing weight is not just a question of deciding to be strong-willed and determined or upbeat and positive. Lifestyle changes are where it is at for long-term success with your weight especially after weight loss surgery.

Raw Food Weight Loss

Footage from the BBC News of Angela Stokes' remarkable weight loss transformation on raw foods. She lost around 160lbs (11.5 stone) with a raw lifestyle and shares this powerful message of healing with the world through her website.

Obesity a Problem in HIV Population

By ALICIA CHANG – 1 day ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Early in the AIDS epidemic, people infected with the virus often lost a dangerous amount of weight, at times looking gaunt and ghostly. Today, they are facing the opposite problem. Many who have HIV, but not full-blown AIDS, are struggling with obesity, which has overtaken "wasting syndrome" as the top concern.

AIDS researchers and advocacy groups say the waistlines of HIV patients are growing right along with the girths of uninfected Americans as the disease shifts from a death sentence to a chronic condition.

Exact numbers are hard to pin down. But new research suggests that nearly two-thirds of the HIV population may be overweight or obese, mirroring the U.S. population.

Doctors say there's a growing need to screen people with the AIDS virus for obesity, which raises the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol problems.

"We used to worry that they would lose weight and become wasted," said Dr. Nancy Crum-Cianflone of TriService AIDS Clinical Consortium in San Diego. "Maybe we should redirect our concerns to making sure they are maintaining a healthy, normal weight."

About a million people in the United States are living with HIV or AIDS, federal statistics show. At the height of the epidemic, many had wasting syndrome, the uncontrollable loss of 10 percent of body weight along with other symptoms like fever or diarrhea.

A turning point in the AIDS crisis came with advances in modern medicine. Powerful drugs that keep the virus at bay also boost the body's immune system. The result is that more HIV patients are living longer than their counterparts two decades ago, and may be prone to poor eating habits and lack of exercise.

Some experts offer psychological explanations. Since the hallmark of HIV has been weight loss, some patients may be piling on the pounds to avoid looking abnormally thin.

"It's very clear now that HIV is no longer a wasting disease in America," said Dr. John T. Brooks, an epidemiologist in AIDs prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brooks did not participate in the study.

Crum-Cianflone became interested in the problem after noticing her patients were steadily getting fat and decided to study how common obesity was in the HIV population.

She and her colleagues pored through medical records of 663 patients with HIV at Navy hospitals in San Diego and Bethesda, Md. Researchers analyzed medication records, duration of HIV infection and whether patients had a history of diabetes or high blood pressure.

Sixty-three percent in the study were overweight or obese. Only 3 percent were underweight and none were considered to be "wasted." Among those with full-blown AIDS, about 30 percent were overweight or obese.

The numbers are particularly striking because most of those studied were in the military (some were military spouses) and tend to be in better shape than the rest of the population. Previous research had suggested about 40 percent of HIV patients are overweight.

Researchers did not find a connection between the AIDS drugs and excess weight. When patients gained weight, they tended to put on an average of 13 pounds over a decade. Those who became infected younger, those who had the virus for a longer time, or those who had high blood pressure were more likely to get fat.

Results were to be presented Thursday at an infectious disease meeting in San Diego.

"These folks are in more ways than not becoming like everyone else. If they're overeating, they're going to get fat," said Dr. Michael Saag, director of the AIDS Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who had no role in the study.

"It would be very sad to survive HIV and die of something else that was preventable," said Brooks of the CDC.

At AIDS Project Los Angeles, pudgy HIV patients outnumber the very thin.

"Many of our clients don't even know what wasting is. They never knew that look," said Janelle L'Heureux, a nutritionist with the AIDS service group.

The problem is more evident in those who are poor, because they more often eat junk food and don't have money to join a gym. To help obese HIV patients, the group offers classes on how to read nutrition labels and cook healthy meals.

Jack Gebhardt, 56, of Los Angeles, said he started packing on the pounds after he quit smoking shortly before he was diagnosed with HIV 12 years ago. After working out three times a week, Gebhardt, who is 5-feet-8, went from 217 to 172 pounds.

A diabetic who is on disability, Gebhardt currently cannot afford a gym membership and has seen his weight creep back up to 182.

"I'd still like to lose a lot more weight," he said.