A New Year, A New Start

 It is already day ten into the new year, and I am still trying to figure out what I need from Twenty Twelve.

I know that I want to continue to write my blog, even though I abandoned it back in July. I had to back away from it to realize that I enjoy writing, but I also didn't feel authentic writing about diet issues when I was struggling  so hard day to day, and failing miserably.

Before  moving to Alabama in 2009, I had to have three very complicated neck surgeries, and without going into all of the gory details, I lived more than nine months in a hard neck brace, and lost three years of my life. We then made the move 1200 miles from all of our family and friends, and for the first time in many years I did not have the focus of a job or a social life, and  I fell down the rabbit hole into depression. It didn't help that I had to deal some uninformed people saying  I was a failure, useless, and lazy. These people had too much influence over my daily thoughts and feelings, and before I knew it, I was believing them.

With the support of a loving husband, and a wonderful physician, I am feeling hopeful again, but I still am dealing with the extra pounds I had before, and those I added while I was in a darker place. While I am going to get back on the diet wagon, I don't plan to make this blog all about weight loss, because I don't have all of the answers, I am just a work in progress.

One thing I plan to pursue this year is a culinary career, and while I am still figuring out what direction to go with that, I will leave you with link to a video of something that happened to me in 2011, that gave me back some confidence in myself again.

http://www2.wkrg.com/lifestyles/thanksgiving-family-favorites-recipe/2011/nov/18/family-favorites-dressing-winner-ar-2724090/

Kirstie and Maks Take a Great Fall

I was watching Dancing with the Stars tonight and the unthinkable happened, Kirstie and Maks fell! I could not believe my eyes, but they got right back up and performed beautifully.

After watching it back about 8 times, Maks clearly had an issue with his hip and it gave out and they went down. He was in pain during the rest of the performance, but they both continued on like the professionals they are. Later in the evening, after the show, Kirstie wrote on her Twitter  @MaksimC.,,I salute you...U r a gladiator...A champion...I'm honored to be your partner. Maks responded with  "To all of the fans...I'm sorry! It will never happen again and I will never 'fail'! To @kirstiealley you were ..FLAWLESS! In more ways than one!"  Awe, so sweet!

The problem is, there are people out there that are going to blame this on her weight. They were just waiting for this to happen and it did. I know she is still a big girl, and I am not naive to the fact that her weight could have contributed to the fall, but Maks is a professional dancer, they had practiced this move many times before, and he survived. It was an accident on live television and I fear Kirstie is going to get persecuted for it.

I am probably more sensitive than most people about this subject, because I was teased and ridiculed all of my life due to my weight issues. Kirstie put herself out there and did this show for people like me, to show the public that big girls can dance and look good doing it. You have bullies like George Lopez, trying to destroy all of the good that Kirstie was achieving on the show by comparing her to a pig, but thank God that backfired on him. I just hope this unfortunate fall did not open the door for other bullies to have a reason to ridicule her, just for trying to better herself and lose weight and have fun doing it.

Kirstie really does get the last laugh however, because she is the one who gets to dance with a hot guy like Maks every week. She even got a kiss and that ain't too shabby.

Change One Bad Habit a Week

Changing habits are difficult, believe me I know. I don't adapt to change well, even though in the last 10 years I have remarried, changed jobs three times, moved 6 times, lost my Mother, married off a daughter, closed my business and moved all the way across the country for my husband's new job. Whew, that made me tired, I may have to take a nap.
Getting back to change; losing weight is all about change, because let's face it, if you keep doing what you are doing, your weight is going to keep changing, in the wrong direction. The thing is, change does not happen overnight, it takes a lot of work and determination and it is exhausting, sometimes even depressing. Change means moving out of your comfort zone, getting rid of toxic thoughts and sometimes toxic people, you know who you are. So I have a plan to help myself move into this change more easily and with success. I am going to post one goal a week, for example the first week will be moving more. This could be taking 20 more steps than you did yesterday, parking further away from the store, walking the dog around the block, or if so inclined, going to the gym. (I won't be going to the gym quite yet, but that is my issue). For one week that will be my goal and then the next week I will add another goal, such as drinking more water, and I will add that to the first goal and so on. I am taking the change slow and easy because I know I can't do it all overnight and I want these to be lifelong changes and not something I will do for six months, and then go back to my bad habits, just to gain all the weight back again.
Every Monday I will post a new goal, and feel free to come along for the Change Challenge. I can use all of the support and company I can get! Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.

P.S. My before picture will be posted this weekend. Engineer Man, aka my Husband, has been working late this week and he is my photographer.

Thursday Night Ramblings

I spent the day doing research by reading weight loss forums, weight loss blogs and let me tell you it is mind blowing how much information and support is out there. The key is deciding what is worth your time and what is really just crap. One bit of information I found was on this blog www.266-twosixtysix.blogspot.com  The lady that writes the blog has lost over 100 lbs. and she made a list of tips that I think make sense and are easy to remember.

H.E.A.L.T.H.Y. L.I.V.E.S.!

Have sustainability.
Enjoy what you are doing.
Avoid deprivation.
Learn to accept your imperfections.
Think about the mental and emotional aspects.
Halt complacency.
Yield to daily activity.

Look ahead.
Inspire commitment.
Validate passing on food.
Eat cleaner.
Stay true to yourself

So tomorrow I will start day thinking "Healthy Lives" and on we go

Welcome to Get Thin with Lynn

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. I felt I needed a place to document my weight loss journey and make myself accountable, so what better way than a blog.

I know many people have weight loss stories, if you are like me, you have probably tried every diet out there with limited success. I was even going to have gastric bypass surgery three years ago, but I chickened out after I went through all of the classes, because the list of possible complications scared me. The problem is, diets don't work, because it is very difficult to change your eating habits. We start out well and eat what we are suppose to, but then real life sneaks in and we revert back to our old habits, at least I do. Then we/I gain it back and then some.

I am trying a new way of approaching my weight issues, it is called Xyngular. I have been using these products for 2 months, and that was during the holidays and traveling, but I still managed to lose 10 lbs. For someone like me, that is amazing! Everyone knows in order to lose weight you have to expend more calories than you take in and I am not a person that feels comfortable going to a gym to work out at this weight, so I am using this product to jump start my weight loss. I am also going to be 52 years old very shortly and it is a heck of a lot harder to lose weight the older you get.

The plan I am following consists of taking Xyng capsules twice a day, having a smoothie for lunch using Lean, and taking Accelerate capsules twice a day. I also sprinkle all of my food with Cheat. I drink 6 8oz glasses of water daily and I don't eat after 7 p.m. I have never felt hungry and I have been craving more fruits and vegetables. I also drink something called Global Blend, also from Xyngular that is full of fruits and anti-oxidants that protect me from all of those free radicals floating around out there. I also use a website www.calorieking.com for a quick reference of calories in the food I eat. If you want to learn more about these products you can check them out at www.xyngular.com/lynnmackie

I am going to post a picture of myself, as soon as my husband comes home from work and takes one for me. Speaking of my husband, he was sneaking my Xyng tablets so I had to order him his own supply and he has lost 12 lbs.

This is really an exciting time for me, because I am going to be the "Thin Lynn" I have always wanted to be! You are never to old to re-define yourself.