Diet Week 3: Now We're Getting Somewhere!

At the end of week 2, I received the frozen portion of my Nutrisystem order for the month. I didn't realize I was getting a free week of Turbo10 along with it. The Turbo Takeoff kit includes a week of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with a week of chocolate Nutricrush shakes and Turboshakes. This was supposed to be a kickstart for my first week of dieting.

I am incredibly glad that I didn't start out my weight loss plan with Turbo10, because I would have been a lunatic. I was already in sugar, carb, and calorie withdrawal on the regular plan's 1,500 calories a day. Having two weeks to prepare for this new twist, was very helpful, as I was already feeling adjusted to the plan. It's not something I "had" to do, but I felt better physically and mentally to give it a try.

The idea of Turbo10 is to help you lose up to 10 pounds in your first month. Ideally, a 1-2 pound per week goal is a healthy goal, but having a little extra push in the right direction appealed to me. After week 2, I was already down 5.5 pounds. I started Turbo10 on Sunday. I had breakfast, shake for snack, lunch, shake for snack, and dinner. I also added in vegetables and of course tons and tons of water. 

I made it through the first 3 days on an average of 900 calories a day. It certainly wouldn't be sustainable or healthy in the long term, but through the hunger, I remained determined. It became a bit of a personal quest for me to continue. Maybe the hunger was affecting my sense of reasoning, however, I carried on. 

By Wednesday, I was unhinged. Thank goodness for a dear friend at work who I shared this with. She's working a challenging diet program and could feel my pain. I was so cranky and I had a nagging headache that Tylenol couldn't remedy. As I've mentioned in prior blogs, support is the biggest change for me in my quest to be healthy again. Having someone to reach out to, helped me through the day. 

I realized later in the evening what had actually caused the headache and it wasn't Turbo10.  I took a relaxing salt bath the night before and tossed in about 2 cups of epsom salt. I overdid it, as I had done once before with a Himalayan salt bath. I don't know if it was the detoxing effect from the salt or dehydration, but after I guzzled more water, I felt better.

On Thursday I worked the Turbo10 plan through lunch. My family was taking me to dinner for a pre-birthday celebration, so I put the plan on hold for the evening. I had a salad, and a yummy panko-battered stuffed chicken, homestyle mashed potatoes, and asparagus. I only ate about half of what was on the plate. And I didn't take the rest home either. I am getting used to what "just enough" feels like, and I didn't want to overdue it just because it was there. Feeling better is overriding the yummy factor, and I'm grateful for that. I also don't want to work so hard all week at dieting, only to ruin it on a huge meal.

Friday was my birthday, but I stuck to the plan all day, even through dinner. But then there was cake... I had a small piece, and that was enough. The cravings have subsided so much. As long as I don't get back into the snacking routine, my body doesn't crave it. 

Saturday I went out to breakfast with family and again didn't overeat. I shared some of my struggle and again received wonderful ideas, support, and encouragement. There really isn't anything we need to go through alone. I ordered the healthiest breakfast available and ate a small portion of the plate, similar to what I have been eating for breakfast on the plan. I drank black coffee and water since they have zero calories. For the rest of the day, I stuck to the plan.

Sunday hubby and I went out for breakfast at Denny's and I ordered the Fit Slam breakfast. It was the lowest calorie breakfast on the menu but it was still around 390 calories. That's double what I've been eating. It had egg whites, spinach, tomatoes, a fruit cup, turkey bacon, and an English muffin. I ate it all! Oh well, it really was good! We spent the day in a beautiful town about an hour and a half from our home. We had lunch out and I ordered the veggie burger. There was no burger too it, as it was just vegetables on a bun. I ate just the veggies and the bottom of the bun, plus a few homemade potato chips. I drank unsweetened iced tea, another zero calorie beverage.

So with only three days of being completely devoted to Turbo10, I wasn't sure what my weigh-in would look like on Monday. But I knew overall I did really well. Even eating out, I kept my diet in mind and didn't go overboard.

Drumroll please...I lost 4.5 pounds! Wow! That was quite a bit to lose in a week! I don't have any plans to ever do that again, but it did give me a boost. I am down 10 pounds in 3 weeks! I can't imagine what would have happened had I followed it perfectly for the whole week. But honestly, it was a bit much. I think it gave me a lift psychologically, but the regular plan itself is working, and I know I will get to my goal just by following it.

I can get a bit obsessive, I can obsessively overeat, and I can also obsessively focus on my diet. I am striving for balance. Writing, posting on social media, and talking to friends and family is what is keeping me balanced. I want this to be a healthy, lasting change. I would like to lose 10 pounds a month, but as long as the numbers on the scale are heading down, and I'm feeling well, I'll be happy.

I am also celebrating each 10 pound milestone with a non-food treat. Being overweight, I really stopped pampering myself. I didn't feel well or look well, and I just wanted to hide. I can already feel my personality coming back, and I know it will get better and better. So my plan is for every 10 pounds, I'm putting $30 away in savings. I am also celebrating in this way:

10 Pounds = mani/Pedi
20 Pounds = new walking/workout shoes
30 Pounds = double-piercing my ears (the 2nd closed up a long time ago)
40 Pounds = hair cut/color (a good salon visit hasn't happened in ages)
50 Pounds = facial (it's been years)
60 Pounds = massage (haven't gone because of my weight)
70 Pounds = new boots
80 Pounds = new makeup/makeover
90 Pounds = spa day
100 Pounds = shopping spree! I'm taking all the savings I put away for each 10 pounds, and going shopping!

I'm not sure if I will go for the ultimate 100 pound weight loss, it really depends on how I look and feel. I will be healthy with less of a weight loss than that. I will see when to stop as I continue to go through this. And if I do lose that much, I won't be underweight, I will be within normal guidelines for my height. Time will tell!

Thank you all for listening and supporting. I'm here for you too!

In Gratitude & Love,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com

Diet Week 2: The Edge Is Off

The second week was smoother than the first, and I'm happy to say I've lost five and a half pounds so far! It's an inspiring start for me, because I was really worried I wouldn't be able to lose weight. I had been trying on my own for quite awhile and every time I stepped on the scale it was higher. It has been wonderful to see it go down again!

I am already feeling better with increased energy, clearer thinking, and diminished food cravings. I am not as hungry as I used to be, even though I'm consuming less. My face and belly feels less puffy from letting go of sugary snacks and fast food. I've had couple of anxious and cranky moments, but meditation has helped me get back  on track. 

I am also keeping up with my weight loss gratitude journal. As I've mentioned before, gratitude has been essential to everything that I have manifested in my life. This journal acknowledges all of the moments that are supporting my weight loss goal, including support from friends, helpful books and articles coming my way, divine support, and all of the positive changes I'm noticing. As with anything, the more you put your attention on something, the more you draw it towards you. I focus on what I want in my life now, not what I don't want.The changes in my life have been dramatic because of my attitude of gratitude.

I have started adding exercise into my weight loss plan, and went for a mile walk outdoors last week. I will continue to add in strength training, yoga, and more bit by bit. I'm not putting any pressure on myself, I don't want this to be stressful, I want it to be a healthy life change. Through meditation and prayer I am very tuned in to what my body is saying to me. I'm just listening to it and following it through. This isn't a race for me to get to the end, although I'm pretty excited about the results! I am enjoying the journey and am very happy I am finally taking good care of myself.

I am in a really great mindset for this. I can see myself thin again, I can feel it. I have a knowing that I can and will do this. It's unshakeable. That feeling is what had been missing on all of my other dieting attempts. 

On Week 3 I'm trying something different. When I received my Nutrisystem frozen meals, they included a free week of Turbo10, it was something I was supposed to follow for my first week. It's supposed to kickstart the weight loss plan to help lose up to 10 pounds in the first month. But I don't see any reason why I can't do it now! Well see what happens!

In Gratitude & Love,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com

Things Are Getting Hairy!

Well, they are getting hairy in a good way. As we last left off on the continuing saga of "Where'd My Hair Go?" I had visited the dermatologist and was given some instructions to get back on track. It included Biotin, Viviscal, a multivitamin, Nioxin shampoo and conditioner, washing my hair only twice a week (still a yikes for me!), not using hair dye (I'm 50 shades of gray now), eating protein three times a day, and taking an hour of alone time every day.

So, how is it going? Quite well so far! In the beginning I was still feeling very stressed over my hair. But I guess that is to be expected for someone who was stressed out enough for it to fall out. I knew I needed to calm down, not just for the hair recovery, but for my life and family. I know what I'm putting out there is being picked up by everyone around me, and I certainly don't want to do that to my family, myself or anyone else around me. My whole venture into the spiritual realm was to be peaceful, calm and happy. With all I know about self-care, I should look like Rapunzel. So, it was time to start putting everything I know into practice. Serious practice. Not so serious that it's stressful, but a real commitment to it.

I was keeping a gratitude journal, but I certainly wasn't writing in it daily. I think when you want to become grateful (or anything for that matter), that you need to practice it. So I started writing more. And as it had done in the past, the more I wrote, the more things to be grateful for came into view. I also added a synchronicity section to my journal. I have been noticing more signs, more things that I am thinking about that appear. So to increase my awareness of it, I am noting it. Awhile back, I put together a list of "I am's." All of the things that I want to attract into my life and want to be: kindness, peace, love, abundance, etc. I am now adding 'I am's" to my journal as well.  All of these are on a positive level, and that is what I want to focus on. I am letting go of the things I feared that were dragging me down. 

I have known from the beginning that this was a gift. I was getting signs that I wasn't taking care of myself and was worrying too much. I pushed them away. That's another reason why I'm keeping an awareness of the synchronicities in writing. I don't want to ignore the signs that are always there. I want to develop them even more and honor what I'm being told. 

Here's a list of some of the things I've been doing during my "me time:"

• Warm baths with epsom salt. I light some candles, bring some chamomile tea and an inspiring book. It's so peaceful. I read, pray, meditate and relax.
• Pampering: I paint my nails, do a face mask, and sometimes just take a short nap.
• Meditation: I have meditation CDs, apps and there a tons of Youtube videos too. I meditate every morning and at night, and during some of my special alone time, I meditate some more!
• Getting crafty: I make jewelry, color, draw and write. I used to draw all the time, but in the past 10 years or more, I just haven't. That's a long time to let go of my creative side. 
• Yoga: I have DVD's for stress relief and for beginners, so I've given it a go and I like it!
• Exercise: crunches, leg exercises, dumbbells, exercise ball and waist twists with a pvc bar.

My hair feels better. My eyebrows and eyelashes started coming back in first. They must be quicker to grow. I really wish I took a picture of what my eyelashes looked at during their worst, but it was very similar to this look:

My eyebrows are growing out in an interesting fashion. Some of them are growing straight out. They are kind of in every direction. My leg hair are still growing in strange patches. My mustache, however is growing in phenomenally. Life does have a sense of humor! My fingernails have never looked better.The hair on my head feels better. It is still falling out more than normal, but it just feels stronger and healthier. It hasn't been a long time, not even two months since I started taking care of myself. Normally it takes about three months for any real results. I am happy with how things are going though. I know I'm on the right path.

There is so much I've learned from this. I know now that honoring my creative gifts is nurturing my soul and honoring our creator. So is treating my body well by feeding it healthy foods, exercising, getting enough rest and taking time to myself. I am a better mom, wife and human being by taking care of myself. It's not selfish, it is giving everyone best version of myself.

My intention for sharing my story wasn't for me. I wanted to share for anyone else that might be going through the same. But you know what happens when you give, it comes back. I am grateful to my husband for being so loving (as always) and even taking me to hug a tree (it's really good to do, I highly recommend it!). I am grateful to my boys for understanding without question or concern for themselves, my daily time alone. I am so grateful for everyone who took the time to read about my journey. I am grateful to the ones who reached out with love and advice. I'm grateful to those who shared their stories about stressful things they were going through. It makes things less lonely when you can speak your truth and not keep it inside. I am grateful for the unexpected kindness I received in the mail, it filled me with such joy (and always will!). I am grateful to God, Jesus, the archangels, angels, spirit guides, divine masters and my guardian angel for your constant loving presence. 

Thank you to everyone. We are not alone and we are all loved. The more we reach out and share, the more we will see it. 

In Gratitude and Love,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com

And the doctor says...

Thank you to so many of you for reaching out after my last blog. It was wonderful to know I had so much support, and I am grateful to everyone for sharing your similar stories. There is so much comfort in knowing we're not alone, and I am extremely grateful for this unexpected blessing!

As we last left my hair falling saga, I was to visit the dermatologist next. Hormones and thyroid issues were ruled out as causing the excessive hair loss. It took almost 3 months to get in to her office, but it was worth the wait (except for the piles of hair on the floor).

It is so wonderful to meet a new doctor and feel immediately at ease. She carefully listened to my issue, medical history and examined my hair. She asked if I had been under stress, just like my primary care physician had first asked. She was surprised that I was losing hair on my entire body. She said that the hair on my head was thinning, but it wasn't falling out in patches. She looked at my legs and said the hair that was growing, wasn't normal hair. Actually it's the same way my arms look now. I look like a turkey (my description, not hers). Do you know what I mean? When you prep your turkey you can see these thin hair sprouts popping out? That's me right now. I have turkey legs (and arms).

After worrying, and worrying about why my hair was falling out, I found out that the cause was...worry. Oh the irony! Yes, stress had most likely caused this. 

She felt that my hair loss wasn't permanent. And giant exhale...phew. Next she told me what I needed to do. And she kept repeating the mantra "And you will do this, right?" It was very sweet, as it was the voice of concern and caring. I was grateful for it.

So here are my instructions. And of course, keep in mind I'm letting you know my specific treatment. I'm not on any other medication or have any other health issues. So if you are experiencing hair loss, of course see your doctor first and get to the "root" of it. There are many health issues that can cause it. Here we go:

• Use Nioxin cleanser and leave-in scalp treatment. (I'm using the rinse-out conditioner too without her instruction). They come in different numbers based on untreated, treated hair and other types. I'm using #4 for chemically treated/thinning hair. Only wash my hair twice a week (Omg, I usually wash my hair every day or else an oil well sprouts atop my head. This is not going to be pretty.).
• No hair dye, hair dryer or heat products on my head. I have to treat it like baby hair.
• Take Viviscal Extra Strength Nutrient Tablets twice a day.
• Take Biotin 5,000 mcq once a day. There's many brands out there.
• Take a multivitamin once a day. Here's my choice.
• Eat a palm-sized serving of meat protein 3 times a day. "You'll do this, right?
   I nodded yes. And I'm not allowed to diet (Permission not to diet, things are looking up!).
• Take 1 hour to myself every day. And a very serious "You'll do this, right?" I told her yes, absolutely. No phone, no distractions, and a"do not disturb" sign on the door if I need it. I am supposed to do things that will relax me: meditate, yoga, bath, etc.

I am scheduled to go back to see my dermatologist in 3 months. She said my hair won't be the same, but it should grow back. This is an amazing lesson for me on the mind/body connection and how important it is to take care of every aspect of ourselves. I feel grateful that this only affected my hair, and I didn't have a stroke or something worse. So I am on the road to calmness, with instructions in hand and a new appreciation for caring for the house that holds my soul.

My next blog will be about the ways I'm learning to relax! Thank you for coming along this journey with me.

In Gratitude,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com