12 weeks!

Twelve weeks into this journey.  Wow- 12 weeks seems long but at the same time SO short!  I have lost 37lbs so far! I can hardly believe that is possible.  I have been so very impressed with this program and I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about losing the weight and attempting to start fresh with a renewed mindset about food.

I still struggle as everyone will because food is delicious, but you just have to make the best decision each time and get moving!  I am not the worlds best example for exercise but I do try to stay moving each day and exercise numerous times a week.  I think that it will be very crucial to keeping this weight off in the end.  Plus, the secret is I always feel better after I do it too! 

I am due for my 12 week blood test next week and we will see the proof in numbers of how much my health has improved in 12 weeks.  :) I will update soon!  But, so far -37 lbs equals less anxiety, less heart medicine, better sleep, renewed energy, happier Brittany, and minus 2 dress sizes and almost 3!!!

The voice in your head is a liar.

Firstly, I am a blogging slacker.  I love it and I find it so beautiful to be able to type what I feel and what I have accomplished and how I have done it.  I even got an email from the company that owns the product I am using to lose this weight saying they ran across my blog ( HOW COOL!) and I told myself right then...YOU UPDATE YOUR BLOG RIGHT NOW YOUNG LADY!  So, a couple days later here goes!

This is my 7th week using New Direction products through a program at Mercy Hospital here in town.  In the past 6 weeks I have lost 24 lbs.  24 lbs!!!! This is still so surreal to me!  A little over a month and now I have lost what always seemed to be an impossible amount of weight months ago.  I just wish I had started sooner!  

The New Direction team here in Northwest Arkansas rocks.  My Dr. the dietitian and all the people that come in and weigh in each week are so wonderful!  I look forward to seeing these folks and weighing in each week.  There is something to be said about accountability to other people for certain.  I also want to be strong and give the other people in the program tips and watch their transformations as much as I want to see mine!  

If you have had a chance to read my health story you would have found scary health details that really explain WHY I am doing this.  This is not a vanity issue as I love all people from the inside out and felt beautiful even the way I was before I started this journey, however it wasn't healthy for me to weigh that much.  My body was revolting.  So, after 24 lbs loss I have been able to reduce my blood pressure medication by half ( 200 mg a day to 100 mg).  I have also started having a cycle again. <--HUGE PLUS considering my husband and I want to have children sometime in the next year or two.  Who knows what other improvements are coming!  I have 58 more lbs to go to my first goal weight. I may decide to lose 10 to 20 more when I get to my first goal weight, but I will cross that bridge when I get there.  

So how do I do it..live on soups, puddings, and shakes?  It's easy because you have to figure out what works for you. I splurge with pickles, olives, and sugar free snow cones A LOT!  Don't get me wrong I love the shakes and I make my soup into the biscuits but I love me snow cones and I am looking forward to another one in a about an hr :).  I am now so excited about my progress and forward movement that I no longer care about the Pizza I want to eat or the massive Banana Split that is calling my name.  I know that I already have a renewed mindset about food and the where its place is in my life.  It will not be a controlling force and I will not give in to things when I can choose healthier options.  As my dr. told me this week..."I've had a lot of cakes in my life...they are never THAT good".  I have to agree and feel that a lot of things we litter our bodies with fall into that category.  Here is to you and here is to me living a better lifestyle!!! 

XOXO and send me well wishes!

Britt

Howdy Friends!  This past week was a whirlwind of excitement as I started a new job and continued on this diet program!  My husband and I are also working really hard on our rental property that we own and that has been my workout for the week.  Speaking of my husband I want to give a big shoutout to him because he rocks, he's a hard worker, and such a big supporter of me!  ((Awe)). Okay back to me...

 I had a successful week again on New Directions and lost another 3 pounds!  That makes for a -12lb loss in two weeks!! *Dances around like the white girl I am* 

I love that I have lost -12lbs in two weeks, however I wanted more!  But, so is life , right !?  Want want want!  I am extremely inspired and happy on this diet .  As crazy as it seems I am full, I am not doing without, and HELLOOOO there is a light at the end of this tunnel and the quicker I lose it the quicker I get there!  I believe I should hit my goal weight somewhere between September and November.  Cha Ching Ba Da Bing, as fast as time goes that will be here tomorrow or more like 5-7 months from now :). 

As good as it here in dietland, there are food demons lurking all around me trying to come into my little safe place and destroy my KETOSIS , but I am not breaking down. I survived grocery shopping for my husband and a breakfast filled with everything from muffins, donut holes, to fruit this week.  I did however, skip a Birthday celebration at work because I am not ready to be around cake or cupcakes.  BECAUSE I LOOVE CAKE AND CUPCAKES!!!  There is this place in town called Kirbys Cupcakes and holy moly could I sit down and lap up two of their Vanilla Vanilla cupcakes...but I'm not going to because what I want right now is not worth giving up what I really want!! 


Have a fabulous week friends and send me well wishes and I'll update ya next week on the next loss! :)

Like a Boss

First things first.  I could never ever do this without with all of the support I have coming from everywhere around me. So shoutout and ((Hugs)) to all of you!! You guys are amazing.

Next, I feel like I accomplished something last week that seemed almost impossible.  But now I'm ready, I see my future, I see success within the next few months and I am ready.

I lost 9lbs last week!!!!!!!!  I can't believe it.  I know I will probably never see those numbers on a weekly weight loss again, but I am proud of those 9.  Those nine pounds gone have officially set me on fire for this program.  Please continue to pray for me as I need lots of support.  I have several hurdles in front of me that I WILL conquer, but your support is what will make it all the easier.

Here is how I feel...and how I am going to lose this weight on this program.

7 Days In - Weigh in Tomorrow....I truly am losing it!

Hello friends.

I don't know if you have had a week like I have but...it's been CRAZY in my world and in my head. 

It has now been one week since I have had a "real what you would call meal".  I remember that last meal like it was the last pizza ever cooked on this earth.  It was super cheesy with delicious crust and I carefully dipped it in ranch and washed it down with 2 TALL beers. Now approximately in pizza alone I ate 1,320 calories and 75 carbs that night.  Gross amount of calories.  But unfortunately, pizza is my most favorite thing in the world and I will spend the rest of my life figuring out a way to enjoy pizza in moderation while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight!  I look forward to my next slice of pizza ...a few months from now :).

Other than spending time remembering my last meal I have conquered so many things this week.  I have had victory after victory and of course some moments in absolute torment as I prayed and shed a few tears.  These tears are not tears of true misery but just little bits of courage and energy seeping out as I felt "different" - "weird" -"unhealthy"- and hungry <--not in quotes. I am not any of those things and this diet is medically supervised to IMPROVE my health not destroy it or my mental health.  It is just so emotional at first because I feel disconnected and I am pretty emotional anyway.

Now to talk about my victories: I succeeded in having my shakes, puddings, and soups this week successfully!  I am really fond of the mocha shake, chicken soup, chocolate shake and pudding, and the Apricot Pineapple shake!  I even made two batches of chicken muffin thingys that you can make with the soup mix <--pretty good once I made a few adjustments to the recipe.  Don't worry Casey if you are reading this I only added in 2 tbs of salsa that fit into the carb allotment  :).  ( Casey is the dietitian on this program and she is AMAZING)

Next huge victory--- I am in KETOSIS and I mean pee on a stick make it turn purple ketosis! Woo WOO...and for all who are unaware ketosis means my body is not longer using glucose for energy and is now burning my storage of fat to fuel my body!  Woohoo..I could probably fly to the moon on this fuel ;). Ketosis also means that I am not near as hungry as I once was and I am feeling a bit more normal in my energy levels.  The dr. says it may take a few weeks to your body to get used to this diet, so this is just a huge step in the right direction.  I still am having mood swings though so please pray for me , my friends, and my wonderful supportive husband!




I also had a team luncheon with my new team.  It was at Shogun and it was difficult to say the least- but I was able to adjust my diet that day and enjoy a seaweed salad and a bowl of miso soup along with my lunchtime shake.  I skipped my mid afternoon shake that day to make up for the calories in the soup/salad.  It was worth it for a change in pace, but things like this are used just to keep social abnormalities to a slow roar.  However, that doesn't mean that I didn't want to jump into the fried rice and swim in it along with the steak and chicken being cooked in front of my eyes.  However, I did not have to go into a carb coma that afternoon so that was a plus!! 

So tomorrow is the big day - the big weigh in..what did one week of liquid of do for me.. Stay Tuned and send me prayers, light, and lots of love!!!!

Hello Friends.  It's the number one blog slacker here!  I am back!

Since the time I began a weight loss journey in January I have never lost track of my goals or slacked outside of blogging ( I mean not more than 1 week at a time 2-3 times :/) ! I had a great result from the last program I was using but unfortunately I just needed to take a radical action in order to really save myself -if you will.  My diseases aren't terminal but they would be if I don't get them under control. I am currently on about 6 pills a day.  You may look at me on the outside and think yeah she is overweight but to the point of problems--NO.  Well, on the inside my body is screaming for help and all the blood tests prove it.

So here I am.  What is this radical thing I speak of ?  Well it's a VLCD or very low calorie diet.  I will be consuming around 800 calories a day on an all liquid medically supervised fast. Now it's time to insert the crazy face that you are making now and doubts in your mind of how this will never work for me..and leave those thoughts right here.  Send me well wishes vs. negativity please!

I did not go into this program without researching everything about this diet. I am a researcher/hypochondriac about medical things and I firmly believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives.   I will be required to attend classes numerous times a week to learn about food, healthy habits, and how to lead a healthy life from here forward.  I will also be monitored weekly by a physician and registered dietitian and will get blood tests monthly. 

If you want to know more check out: http://www.robard.com/Programs/New-Direction/

If you want to see local success stories check out: https://www.facebook.com/NewDirectionsPhysicianWeightLoss

Okay, now back to me and where I am at currently on this program. 

Today is day 3 of no solid food.  The last meal I had was pizza and beer(Thursday Night)  and it was amazing, but it's not going to taste near as good as healthy will feel!!  I have a mixture of flavor options to chose from on this program .  So far I am really enjoying the Mocha, Apricot Pineapple, Chocolate ,and the Chicken Soup mix. I am currently HATING the lemon pudding :(. I am so happy they have a soup plus great tasting sweet things because I love savory things plus sweet things..Okay I like food dadgummit! 

I have felt pretty decent the past couple of days considering what I thought I would feel like. I am also not using any appetite suppressants or anything.  Today I actually feel really good ( so far) so i am hoping my body has switched into Ketosis.  This would be a really fast switch for someone but it is possible. I am going to by some ketone test sticks later today and we'll see. I am going to get to weigh in the first time next Friday which will be my end of week one.  Wish me luck--xoxo to you all!

Keystone Habits

Hi Everyone,

I hope you each have had a fabulous weekend.  Around the Jones household it has been a pretty relaxing and fun weekend.  We attended a super fun surprise party for a good friend and it was a blast!  I have now survived yet another weekend of my life change.  Guess what, it's gotten so much easier!  I even managed to exercise both Saturday and Sunday, and I didn't even whine as I did it .  I looked forward to it.  SCARY!!!!

Alright, so why is this getting easier?  Is it because my habits are being formed because it has almost been 21 days and that's how long it takes to start a habit?  Is it because this time I REALLY have decided to make the change? Is it because I started to do one thing to change my life and then added other healthy things into the mix?   I don't know, but I think it has a lot to do with all of the above, and things way out of my control.

In my book this week it talked about how we all have trigger habits or Keystone Habits .  Keystone habits according to Duhigg are singular habits but once we do them they transform other areas of our lives as well. 

Examples of some KeyStone Habits :

1. Waking up at an earlier time 
2. Making your bed
3. Flossing
4. Taking Vitamins
5. Going to Bed Early

So how do these Keystone habits work?  Are you saying if I wake up earlier I am automatically going to eat right and exercise daily?  If so ..let me go grab an alarm clock and let's get going!!  I don't think it's that easy, but maybe! It all depends on what that Keystone habit is for you .  This keystone habit would be one that enables you and encourages you to make better decisions in other areas of your life just by doing one thing.

For the person that starts a habit of waking up earlier they have time to eat a nutritious breakfast vs. grabbing a poptart, exercise, and get to work on time.  So that one habit allowed them more time in the mornings which they now fill with things that normally took the back burner because they were rushed. So, since they have time for these things take a look at what the benefit is and how the chain reaction starts.  

Start getting to work on time and their work starts improving.  Work starts improving, promotions come!

Start eating right at breakfast they decide to make healthier decisions throughout the rest of the day.  Health starts to improve, have Less sick days, better nutrition, better health, and longer life.

Start exercising in the morning and they feel more energized throughout the day, are in a better mood,  and even sleep better at night. 

and..maybe because they woke up early they also made their bed which made them keep their room cleaner,  and had time to floss which gave them healthier and better teeth??  The list could just continue on how ONE singular habit could morph into so much more all because this person decided to start getting up earlier.  

So, what are some of your keystone habits that you have in your life?  Or what is that one change you could make that may just transform the rest of your life?  

XOXO

Britt

Two Weeks In !

Hiya Friends!

I can hardly believe that it has been two weeks since I started all this!  Things have gone good so far this past week on the diet front, but my health this weekend/beginning of the week was c r a p p y!  I ran a fever, was completely achy, and had a sore throat.  I am feeling much better , but my husband and I have been passing this back and forth for a few weeks, so I hope it doesn't come back!!  I think that Walmart needs to close the offices for one day and disinfect everything.  :)

This week I am proud to announce I lost a little over 3lbs!  So that makes for an 8lb loss in two weeks.  I can't ask for anything better!  I was a little disappointed it wasn't as big as last weeks lost.  However, I didn't get to exercise as much as I planned because of being ill.  Excuses and disappointed aside 3 lbs is awesome and I know as long as there is steady reductions each week I am doing great!  As the cartoon above depicts it took a long time to put these pounds on and they are not going to come off overnight.  I am an impatient individual so right now the road looks long , but I have a feeling the trip is going to be so worth it. I hope that each of you will continue to join me for the ride and keep cheering me on!  I know a lot of you are working on "life changes" of your own so here is wishing each of you the best of luck!!

I also plan on doing another blog post this week/weekend that is a little more deep but I wanted to give you guys an update today at least! 


Here is me with my 3 marbles removed from lbs to lose vase and being placed in my lbs lost!

XOXO
Brittany

1 week of Success and Learning my cue's!

Hi everyone!  

I am proud to announce that I have completed the first week of my life change!  It was a really wonderful week . I am so glad that it's over, because it had some tough challenges but I feel great and am even more excited about my journey ahead. I am also happy to announce that I lost 5lbs this week!  I want to make consistent weight loss progress and I could not be any happier with this result.  

Something I always struggle with is starting out on cloud 9 with a new initiative then slowly decreasing back to my old habits when the new wears off.  I don't know if I have ever truly stayed true to a change 100% in the first week.  But, I did it this week!!  I used to start a routine and feel so good about it that I would place a meeting on my calendar a month later to remind myself of my feelings .  This meeting would say " ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING THROUGH? YOU FELT SO GOOD!"  REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT WHEN YOU WERE DOING _____?"  I would then delete this and of course never tell anyone about.  I would feel ashamed and for a minute or two I would say to myself...YEP I felt good, I am going to restart.  But, then that took effort and I wouldn't follow through.

When I started this initiative a week ago I decided I wanted to read something that would relate to my journey and help.  I didn't want it to be weight loss related but more about the overall change in behavior. The book I chose was  "The Power of Habit"  by Charles Duhigg.  I thought that this book would help with weight, work, and personal growth.  This book talks about the science of habits and successful ways to implement new habits or change old ones. I am encouraged by reading this book and I am only in chapter 3!  I have learned so much and I am currently working on understanding the habit loop .  The habit loop is CUE --The Routine--The Reward.  So that has me thinking a lot of about what are my cue's, routine, and my rewards?

Here is what I have identified so far and ways I am adjusting :).

Cue:  Wake Up
Routine:  Make a coffee add cream and sugar
Reward:  Sweet Caffeine Loaded Treat

Changing: one thing !  removing cream/sugar and drinking black.  Cue/Routine/Reward stays the same

Cue:  Finish Dinner
Routine:  Think about dessert or immediately Grab Dessert Item normally cookie, brownie, ice cream, something full of empty calories
Reward:  Sweet treat to relax and wind down 

Changing: one thing!  Removing empty calories and replacing with a healthy fruit option that I enjoy!

“It is facile to imply that smoking, alcoholism, overeating, or other ingrained patters can be upended without real effort. Genuine change requires work and self-understanding of the cravings driving behaviours.”  - Charles Duhigg

So I encourage each of you to think about your many habit loops and what you would want to change if you could .  I think you will find that you can identify something that you could make a change to and follow through with.  This change will enable you to make a change that still provides satisfaction for your habit loop but that is healthier for your mind, body , or soul.  


The picture below is me holding my 5 rocks that I got to take out of one vase of pounds to lose and put into my LB's Lost Vase!  Hey Another Habit Loop!! 

Thank you for reading and for all the wonderful kind words of encouragement!!! XOXO

    

Where is Richard Simmons when I need him?

Today is Day 3 of my new health focus and so far ...excellent!  The main thing I have seen in 3 days is that I am making healthier choices and really proud of myself.

Food:  I am following a particular program that allows for specific and measured items for two meals a day ( shakes, meal bars, snack bars) and one healthy rounded meal of my choice.  I have been having dinner as my meal so I can enjoy cooking and spending time with my husband and not get out of our normal nighttime routine.  I succeeded at two different things in the past couple of days that I was worried about.  #1 Boredom at home by myself and #2 The Weekend!   I mean what better time to grab something with no nutritional benefit than when you are bored..well when I got snacky this time I grabbed for healthy alternatives like steamed broccoli, hot tea, or fruit. I was also used to having McDonald's for breakfast every Saturday or Pancakes at home. I have also switched my coffee to black which is probably my guiltiest pleasure that I am missing the most..but I'm okay and I like black coffee so it's probably for the best , and I can look forward to special times when I will have a "foo foo coffee" :).  I don't have a problem with drinking water and drink way more than half my body weight daily *pats myself on the back* :) . I kind of wish that I had a soda habit to kick so I could instantly lose 20 lbs..but I don't so I guess I'll just focus on what I can cut out/change for the better. 

Exercise:  My goal is to exercise no matter what at least 5 days a week.  This workout is a be a very rounded "circuit" training with a little bit of cardio and weight training all combined.  My personal trainer is my husband who has all the patience in the world for perfection.  He has also been doing this circuit routine for over 2 months now with a lot of success.  I do however believe that if Richard Simmons could come to my house everyday in his fancy outfits and crazy hair I would be more excited about exercise :).  Plus, I would have Richard teaching me Gangnam style these days.  

"Number one, like yourself. Number two, you have to eat healthy. And number three, you've got to squeeze your buns. That's my formula." -Richard Simmons

I don't have a butt so squeezing my buns isn't going to get me anywhere but you get the point..he was a funny, crazy , and nice motivator.  I guess I will buy Nathan some fun outfits and a headband to meet in the middle. 
Mind:  One other piece of the health is my mind which is ever so crazy :).  I am reading a book called "The Power of Habit" and am going to start over and finish my daily devotional titled " The Women's Devotional Guide".  I hope that these things can start to help me understand how the human brain works and how to build lasting habits and then learn , reflect, and spend time daily with the Lord.   Of course these are where I am starting, but I would love to partake in hot yoga at least once a week because it is something I absolutely enjoy. 

I feel good so far and am looking forward to a renewed body and wind.  I think the first 3 days should have been the hardest and considering one was a weekend day I am happy with what I have accomplished so far. 3 days may not seem like much but habits are formed in days and everyone has to start somewhere.  Plus I have all of you reading this to hold me accountable so stay on me !!

Brittany's Health Story (since 2005)

"I'm losing it."

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.-Thomas Edison

Background of me:

Brittany Jones.26.Northwest Arkansas.Married.Sinner saved by the Grace of Jesus.Lover of People and Coexisting in this crazy world with all of you. Extroverted. Animal Obsessed.Big Hearted.Family and Friend Centered.Corporate Walmartian.

In order to follow what I plan to post about I think you should have a background of my health issues and what I am trying to overcome.  I want to post blogs about dieting.My day to day life. Rants. Raves. and pretty much anything I want.  But...first read the below if you want to understand all my health junk!

Background of Health issues that is spawing this blog and change of life:

I started to gain some weight in 2005 after graduating High School and while attending my first year at the U of A.  I paid little to no attention to this weight gain and really shrugged it off due to the stress of work and school.  In the year of 2006 and after I had gained over 50 lbs my family really started to question me and worry, which in turn caused a stir inside of me that said..maybe something more is wrong.  I scheduled an appointment with a dr. to do some testing .  Since that day I have been poked, prodded, biopsied, sent to Mayo Clinic, put on this diet, put on that diet, shot in the butt, tested for this and paid out more dr. bills than what should be allowed...and now here we are 2013 6 years later. 

Here is a listing and description of everything that I have going on. ( conditions in bullets)

• Hashimotos Thyroiditis:  A chronic thyroiditis  is swelling (inflammation) of the thyroid gland that often results in reduced thyroid function or complete loss of thyroid function. ( hypothyroidism)

I like to explain the above experience and condition in morbid terms.  Like: Hashimoto the monster that jumped in my body and attacked my thyroid that caused me to have bear claw scratch stretch marks on my stomach and since he jumped in my body that's why I gained all the weight...see seems more logical. Also since Hashimoto jumped in my body and attacked my thyroid they had to remove it in 2007.  Yep, complete thyroidectomy which I have come to know is very rare.  This surgery took a about 2 hours longer than what was expected because there was a significant goiter on my thyroid that was wrapping around my esophagus and they said "they had to chisel it out like concrete".  I just love the sound of that. 

• Sinus Tacchychardia that causes episodes of Supraventricul Tacchycardia

This is a heart condition that originates from faulty electrical connections in the heart .  I come from a family with heart disease running on both sides so this was really no suprise that something heart related would show up in one of the grandkids.  How lucky am I?!  I take medications two times a day to keep my heart in rhythm.   I have definitely had some super scary chest pains, heart palpitations, and episodes where my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.  But, other than this issue I have a healthy heart muscle and my dr's have said it poses little to no risk for me.   This does not mean that I am out of the dark or that my anxiety over a heart problem subsides.  It is on my mind every minute of everyday and I know very quickly when something isn't right with my heart because I pay such close attention to it.

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ( PCOS ) mixed with something called Metabolic Syndrome

PCOS is a super scary and unfortunate hormonal disorder that is very common with a lot of women . 

"PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common hormonal disorder in women that with interferes with the growth and release of eggs from the ovaries, or ovulation. It is the most common cause of infertility among women. PCOS occurs when a woman's body overproduces sex hormones, called androgens. The hormone imbalance prevents fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries from breaking open and releasing mature eggs. The fluid-filled sacs bunch together, causing many tiny cysts. Symptoms of PCOS include missed periods, abnormal facial and body hair growth, acne, and weight gain. PCOS may run in families. Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about PCOS, what the symptoms are, how to treat it, and much more." ( http://women.webmd.com/pcos-directory)

Yeah it sucks and I have not had a normal monthly cycle since 2005...so if you think trying to start a family or be healthy without this monthly friend.  Think again.  It is truly a blessing and a curse at the same time.

• Anxiety and Panic Disorder

I know that this may seem like a joke because my life is beautifully blessed and I should have nothing to be anxious over.  However, I struggle almost daily with what feels like the weight of the world on my chest that makes me think something bad could/ might/ would happen at any moment in time.  I live in a state of the strangest fears.  I pray each day for courage and triumph over these issues and I take medications to help with daily symptoms and have meds to cope with panic attacks when they occur. I know my triggers and I try to navigate around them the best I can.

Of all the items I struggle with if I could remove one from my life right now this one would be it.  I want anxiety, panic, and fear removed!! 

• Stomach Issues ( GERD , Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroparesis)

I have had more colonoscopys than most elderly people and I can tell you every flavor of that nasty MoviPrep out there.  If you love Gatorade and Salt this drink is for you.  I also have had the pleasure of wearing those sexy paper shorts with the butt flap that opens up so many times that I often wish I owned the patent on it.   Anywho, I take prilosec like it's candy because if it I don't my esophagus and chest will feel like someone is slowly pouring lava down it (GERD and Hiatal Hernia).  I have a weird thing that is currently wrong with my stomach( Gastroparesis) and that is that anything with high naturally occuring fiber or is just extremely dense in form  ( veggies, fruit, nuts) WILL make me throw up.  Yep.  You read that right.  My stomach does not contract correctly so it will push those items right back up.  Sometimes this all feels like a BAD PRACTICAL JOKE!!! 

• Elevated Liver Enzymes and Hyperlipidemia

Because of the weight I have gained ( 90+lbs)  I have elevated liver enzymes and high cholesterol and triglycerides. Due to these elevated liver enzymes I have had the absolute pleasure <--extreme sarcasm of having TWO liver biopsies where they literally penetrated into my liver with a long rod and took 2 bites of it to test it for random things.  I wasn't out for this procedure, I was supposed to be comfortable..well there is no comfort being awake when something penetrates your skin-muscle-and stabs an organ and then bites it.  sheesh, I can hardly sit here and think about it. 


Whew,  I am super tired of writing this and I am certain you can only imagine you are too.  Now, I need your prayers and I need and want a change so much for my mind, body, and spirit. 

Do you know what all the dr.'s say will change these issues ?  WEIGHT LOSS.  I am not going to go under the knife and get a procedure ( not to say I haven't thought of it) but I am going to make a dramatic lifestyle change and stick to it this time.  This blog is going to walk you through that and I hope you will join in by encouraging me and being my friend and providing guidance.  I will probably post some pictures that will be very humbling for me.  But, I want to share my story and help others and succeed more than anything. 

Thanks for reading my "health" story.  I say it that way because I am not letting it define me and in no way shape or form am I not super blessed and happy to be me or alive and dealing with each and everything I have going on.  This is not terminal and I am going to overcome!! 


XOXO


Brittany