Biggest loser and motivation

Yesterday was one of those days when I really struggled to do everything I was supposed to do.My body was craving bad foods, my muscles were complaining that they did not want to even shower, let alone exercise, and my son was feeling the same. Those days come to us all it seems, and how we handle them makes the difference between keeping on and throwing in the towel. I finally convinced myself to get on the bike for just a minute, and then kept telling myself I could do just a minute more. It worked- I got in 20 minutes and then said okay, it is enough. Meanwhile my son was watching me and decided to drop and do push ups , sit ups ans various strength training exercises in sympathy. When we finished I gave him a high five and told him we wrestled the seven headed beast of inertia, and he laughed. I did not go off program with my intake, but I sure wanted to ! For some reason , nothing felt filling or satisfying. I wanted to eat a chocolate covered yak !

I made Barbeque lentils and rice for dinner with a salad- simple, cheap and filling. It has become one of the favorites in the house.

Barbaque lentils- serves 3
1 cup lentils
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
Place in a pan with a lid, bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes. Then add
1 chopped onion
3/4 pound cooked ham or sauaage or 3 strips cooked crumbled bacon( I used turkey ham)
1/2 cup katsup
2 T Brown sugar
1 T mustard
1 T molasses

mix well and transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours- serve over rice, barley, bulgar, couscous or quinoa.

We watched The Biggest Loser , and it broke my heart. The two younger guys on the show who are so heavy remind me so much of my own son, and it reinforces all the reasons why we began this journey. Perhaps it is because I am a mom, my own condition does not frighten me as much as my son's does. I have been overweight since I was 18 months old, and only spent 8 months at something resembling a normal weight. I weighed 200 pounds the day I started first grade, and oddly enough I got down to 200 pounds the day I conceived my son. I know all too well the physical and emotional pain that comes with obesity, as well as the health problems. However, in a weird way I have just accepted that it is my life and that there is a lot more important things on the inside of me, and have had numerous life experiences that affirm that. But to watch my son repeat the same life is very upsetting. To know the health risks he faced was terrifying. He began at 425 pounds by our best estimations, and now is 355 and going down. One day soon he will be a normal weight , and I will shout from the rooftops ! And then perhaps I will figure out how to live in my new skin, which is being created as I walk this journey with him.

Watching the show, it suddenly dawned on me why I was so tired and hungry all day. There is an interesting side affect when you lose weight as a couple.You have more energy and feel better about yourself. Then,the person whom you have sat with for so long paying bills, dealing with family drama, wrestling holiday plans with and all that makes up life together is still the same inside but starts to resemble on the outside that wonderful person who made your heart stop and whom you would move heaven and earth just to be with for an hour. All the experience and comfort rolled into a shiny new model of sorts. What was good about then is now back but better and refined with experience and wisdom. Truth be told, the affects of that burn off a whole other set of activity points that few people seem to count in their daily logs . And many times, it can leave you feeling pretty lethargic the next day it it robs you of sleep for too long. Sore and tired, but what a way to go !