Weigh In and Measure In

Okay, so it has been almost 2 weeks since my first post. I am still on track. I am eating a sugar free, wheat free, almost vegetarian diet. This means I have reduced my meat intake to chicken (free range only) and fish (wild caught only). I eat chicken or fish once per week and remain vegetarian throughout the week. I have also eliminated cheeses and some fruits from my diet since I am also using a Candida diet to eliminate an overgrowth of yeast from my body. I have been studying the effects of acid on the body mainly from sugar, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol and all evidence points to inflammation which leads to disease like heart disease and cancer. A refreshing and well researched video is available on You Tube called "Acid Alkaline Balance" by Barbara O'Neil. Barbara is an Australian Nutritionist who backs her diet with scientific evidence.

To date I have lost 20 pounds and my measurements on my waist are 38" and hips are 50" from the previous 42" and 53". If you do not know this already, weight that piles up in the stomach area is unhealthy weight. People who have large amounts of fat in their mid section suffer more frequently from heart disease and cancer than people who have a thin mid section.  If you would like to watch an inspiring story about how diet can influence the body, I recommend a lively documentary called "The Beautiful Truth". The story follows a young Alaskan boy on his journey to find out more about the Gerson Therapy and talks to cancer survivors. The documentary is available on Netflix or visit The Gerson Institute online.

First Blog...Why I am doing this?

Why am I doing this, easy question to answer. Last July, I was diagnosed with melanoma and had two moles removed. One off my upper left thigh, that was the largest, and one from my upper right forearm. I had a lymph node removed from my left groin area and it was biopsied for 5 strains of cancer. The results came back negative. I did not have any other form of cancer floating around in my body. I am cancer free. I thank God daily for this fact.

Me. Fat and unhealthy on a recent vacation to Key West.

When faced with facts that make you realize your mortality, you quickly realize how short life is. I decided to change all my bad habits that were adding to a shorter life expectancy for me. The first being to quit smoking. Easier said than done. I have been a pack a day smoker since I was 20 years old. I am over 40 now. I never really wanted to quit. I liked smoking. I take that back, I adored smoking! I liked it with my coffee in the morning and with a cocktail at night. I liked to chain smoke as I drove to work. Quitting would be no easy task and it wasn't. I wanted to quit smoking before I attempted any other improvements to my health because I felt that as a smoker I could not lead a healthy lifestyle even if I were to eat right and exercise daily. Plus, I knew that quitting smoking was going to take all of my energy and focus. I would not be able to focus on exercise and a healthy diet while giving up cigarettes. 

It has taken me 10 months to quit smoking. Yes, 10! I quit approximately 6 times over those 10 months and no attempt lasted more than a week. As of this writing, I am 15 days without a cigarette and feel confident enough to move on to diet and exercise. I am positive that my battle with cigarettes has come to an end. Now on to the diet. After I turned 40, weight began to creep on and I cringed. After I was diagnosed with cancer and had melanomas removed, my life became sedentary and I put on more weight. I cringed more but did nothing about it, until now. 

At this first writing, I weigh 234 pounds. My arms measures 14" around, my upper thigh is 26", my waist equals 42" (gasp) and my hips are 53" (sigh). I weigh what I weighed when I was pregnant with my daughter and I am disgusted. I am considered obese. At 5'11" I should weigh about 165 pounds. I am large boned so this is an ideal and healthy weight for me. I have been thinner. I weighed 148 pounds before I got pregnant with my daughter but 165 is my goal and here are some more goals.

• I will eat low fat and low carb foods daily
• I will consume no more than 1500 calories per day while I am dieting until I reach my goal weight
• I will consume at least 7 "raw" foods daily
• I will exercise daily with a focus on yoga
• I will continue to be smoke free
• I will add muscle building routines to my exercise routine

Today is my first day. I have eaten low fat and raw foods to meet my goal. I exercised to "Hip Hop Abs" for a half hour and did yoga for a half hour today.

"Corey can do it!"