" I Think I Can, I Think I Can!"

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude”

~Maya Angelou~

 It has been few months that I have not been here! ( I am sorry!) Life gets better and better as I lose the weight. I wanted to share with you all that few months ago I received a call from my Doctor informing me that 2 years ago when I began my weight loss journey my body mass was 78%. Can you believe that? That is crazy! And so sad! But he informed me that now my body mass is of 43 %!!! I was so happy to hear that and to know that each day I am getting closer to my goal and becoming healthier!. Honestly losing a lot of this weight has truly giving me my life back. Two years ago I had forgotten how it felt to be truly happy and to enjoy life. I was a slave to my own body.

At the end of July I flew to Vancouver, British Columbia and I did not need a seat belt extension (hooray for me!!) I was sooooo happy! I was able to enjoy my visit with my cousins since I have so much more energy. 

This past September my husband and I traveled to Edmonton Alberta and we visited the Edmonton mall, and amazing mall. This mall size is equivalent 48 city blocks with more than 800 stores it would take three 24 hours days to visit each one once. http://www.wem.ca/#/about-wem/facts Our first day there we walk with my husband for 8 hours only stopping for a break to have supper!!  Two years ago this was only a dream, now I made it a reality! We visited the mall for three days and we walked, and Walked and did some more walking.  I absolutely love shopping now.

I got a kiss from the Sea Lion!! Knowing that I was able to walk, for hours made me so happy!

 


 Last month my husband and I visited Calgary, Alberta. My body strength was tested to the limit. I learned in that trip that my body is capable of a lot, if I only believe that I can. Now in my life I feel like smiling more and I actually enjoy meeting people, something I never did enjoyed before when I was heavier. I would like to tell the whole world that hard work and determination pays off.

     

 This picture was taken at my favorite store. This day I had walked for about 6 hours.
 

My mission now is reaching out to those that have walked in my shoes, those that think there is no hope. I will like to show them that if I can lose almost 200 pounds so can they! I am looking forward to my next 100 pound loss.

I will like to invite all of you to join me in my facebook page that I started 2 months ago, to help anyone that is morbidly obese.

My page’s name is :
“FAT TALK. LOSING 300 POUNDS” all you have to do is click on “LIKE” and you will
 follow my journey closely.

I will leave you with thought. "I think I can, I think I can" Said the Engine that could!

Never give up!!! Almost 200 pound loss.

"2 YEARS= HAPPINESS"

" I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday"

It has been 2 years since I began my weight loss journey. When I look back I see a girl that was mentally, physically and spiritually broken. I had lost hope and faith in myself. I was dying!

Now after 2 years and losing 191 pounds I no longer feel a slave to my own body. This journey has not been easy but it has been so worth it. Not everything has been how I planned to be, and I have had some small setbacks; such gaining few pounds here and there but I also know that Rome was not built over night, and as long as I keep pushing forward and believing that I can do this, and never give up, that is all that matters and at the end of the day I answer to only Me “Marjorie” no one else!
Throughout this journey I have learn that each of us must take responsibility for our own bodies and stop blaming others for our own choices. I have also learn that each day, each breath I take is a gift that I should not take for granted  and that I will not have perfect weeks every week.
I have to take this time to thank all my blog readers for giving me strength and for believing that I will get to my goal. When all is set and done I will have lost 300 pounds!!!! I cannot wait for that dayJ
Through this journey I have met so many wonderful people that I would have never met if I would have not started this journey. Some have picked me up when I was having a bad day, some have just been there to listen and some have cheered me along my journey.  I must publicly thank my awesome husband who is my biggest fan, who celebrates with me no matter if I lose weight or not.



 I am the happiest I have ever been. I am finally getting my life back!

Let's work together and take control of our bodies. What are you going to do to fight and beat this obesity?

 Don't ever stop believing that you can not lose weight!

" The Truth But Nothing But The Truth"

“ Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth!”

On a few occasions I have heard comments like “ You have to be taking diet  pills there

is no way you can do this on your own!”. Another comment I have heard is that I went out of

the province and had Gastric Bypass surgery. These two comments are the furthest thing

from the truth! My weight loss has been driven by sheer determination and desire for a

healthier and happier life.

I personally do not believe in any type of weight loss surgery or diet products including

Pills or shakes.. I was taught that success comes through hard work and that is exactly what I have

done and continue to do. I still have a long ways to go but I know I will get there. I know and I am aware that there are people out there that will try to take me down or in other words will try to brake my spirit., But I say to those people... It will not work!!! Nothing and noone will stop me from getting my wings back. The harder they try the harder I will push myself forward!

 That was then ...this is now.. 191 pounds down.

Below are few reasons why I don’t believe in diet pills and having the gastric bypass surgery.

·            Incisions my become infected

·        Bleeding

·        Abdominal surgery may cause complications related to your heart and lungs

·        Hernias may result at incision site

·        There is a chance that sutures will be rejected

·        Adhesions may result in obstructed or blocked intestines

·        Leakage of fluid from the stomach or intestine through the staples Injury spleen.

·        The formation of ulcers in the stomach or small intestine

·        Sweating or heart palpitations due to low blood sugar.

·        Hair loss

·        Vitamin deficiency

·        Abdominal cramps shortly after eating certain types of foods.

• Insomnia
• High Blood pressure
• Heart palpitations
• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Blurred Vision
• Profuse sweating
• Vomiting
• Stomach pains.

 This journey has been tough and very challanging but I would not change it for the world.. It has been so worth it. And I will continue to move forward! I leave you with a question... What are you going to do today to make your body healthier?

Are we still friends?

" Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact"

Hello, my blog friends! Or are you still my friends, seeing as how I haven’t posted here forever… To say the last couple of months have been crazy would be an incredible underestimate. Here is a brief summary of our time apart:

 186 Pounds down. Victorian Bridal Tea Party.

* I am only 14 pounds away from my 200 pound loss.

*I turned 44 years old back in March., and I had every reason to celebrate. I had 3 different birthday celebrations!!!

*I have discovered that I love Kasper has much, as I loved Diego. When Diego passed away I never thought I could love a puppy again, but I am goo-goo over Kasper. And he keeps me on my toes.

* We welcomed into our family our great niece, Sofia. She absolutely beautiful.

*I can actually walk 3 miles and not feel like I am going to die!

* I stop using food for comfort and simply use it to fuel my body.

* I have discovered that exercise is a vital part of my daily life.

* I have now gone from size plus 6x to 1x or 2x!!!!

*I love shopping and buying things for myself, something I never did  when I was morbidly obese.

*My parents renewed their wedding vows. I was able to dance with my husband and feel beautiful something I had not done or felt for over 17 years!!!

 I can honestly say that even though I have long ways to go, every time that I lose 1 pound or even half a pound I feel better and better… I know with out a question, that I am definitely getting my wings back!

 Is my dream once I reach my 200-pound loss, to have all my family and friends where ever they may be to celebrate with me.  I would love to organize a walk and have everyone walking to celebrate a healthier future!  I will like to invite you to join me that day.

Who will join me?

"Chocolate= The Sinful Treat!"

“Remember the days when you let your child have some chocolate if he finished his cereal? Now, chocolate is one of the cereals.”
    

Chocolate is one thing that very few people can actually resist and those who do it too, know very well how hard it is to keep away from temptation. Did you know that 99 of women love chocolate, as it makes them feel loved and special?. It tastes great as it melts in your mouth.

Just walk away!

 I used to look so forward to Easter sales, when chocolate is sold for less than half of its price. And when ever I felt unhappy I would reach for my chocolate that usually  felt like it was calling my name!.  Now I have changed my way of thinking., I think of chocolate as a "LUXURY TREAT"... I have always said that who ever invented chocolate is a genius! You might think the same way I do, but with that being said  it's important to remember not to overindulge in chocolate. It does contain high amounts of saturated fats and sugars that can cause obesity .,and will not help us move forward in losing the extra weight we are carrying. You might be wondering if I eat chocolate?!. I have now in my freezer chocolate that was given to me a year an half ago!!!. My sister was in Europe, and brought me a chocolate bunny from the Liddell's  chocolate factory, and my parents brought me a bar of chocolate all the way from my beautiful city in Vina Del Mar, Chile. I look chocolate with a different perspective now, and I ask my self this question. Is this piece of chocolate going to help nature my body or destroy it?.. You can answer that question and if is nature, then you should  have one little square and if the answer is destroy my body then you just walk away!



 I have now lost 182 pounds!!!

I still love Easter, for the simple reason that makes children and adults a little happier,. specially when they eat their chocolates! You are probably wondering if I will have any chocolate this weekend?. Yes... I will have 2 little Hershey kisses and then walk away!.The greatest feeling that I have in me this Easter, is  knowing I am in control of my body!!!. I will leave you with a piece of inspiration:
" The most important weight loss muscle is your brain. Change your mind you will change your body"

"LET'S BEAT THIS OBESITY!!"









"Habits Will Make You or Brake You"

“Habit is either the best of servants, or the worst of masters.”

How many of us have bad habits?

I am sure most of you have been   wondering where I have been! I am trying to be more diligent and get in the habit to write more often in my blog, but I guess I have not been very successful at it.

I believe that our habits can makes or break us.  We can get in the habit to be happy, nature our bodies make healthier choices or we can get in the habit to  feel sorry for our selves and find excuses not to take care of our bodies.  So many of us have spent or will spend money on gym memberships, workout equipments, exercise DVD’s, diet books and weight loss programs. But I believe that we must create new habits or none of these investments will last and none will give us the results we want.

I know from my own experience that learning how to create good habits is the first step in any life-changing journey. I am the first one to admit that some habits come more naturally than others. One of the habits that I am working on is to make my exercise routine a priority in my life. I absolutely know with out a doubt that if I get in the habit of inviting my favourite trainer Bob Harper into my living room every single day and go to the walking track at least 3 times a week I would be  more successful on my weight loss journey.  I know that by creating this habit at the end of the day I will be the happiest since I will become stronger and healthier.

I know that a lot of my new habits have helped me to be the happiest at this moment in my life and no longer feel like I am chain to my own body!. I too like many of you need to work in creating better habits but I am thankful for the onces I have created, which I feel they have giving me my life back. I have no doubt that someday I will be able to say I did it and cross the finish line!

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I finally got my hands on Men's Fitness magazine. My trainer Bob Harper was on cover!

I absolutely love Bob Harper..He has helped me get my life back!

I want to share with you my readers something  my husband shared with me from one of his books called “ Success for Dummies” by  Zig Zinglar.

“ I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward and upward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Ninety percent of the things you do might just as well be turned over me, and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly. I am easily managed, show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do them automatically. I am the servant of all great people and, alas!  of all failures as well. I am not a machine, tough I work with all the precision of a machine, plus the intelligence of man. You can run me for profit or run me for ruin- it makes no difference to me. Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you. Who  am I? I am Habit.”

I believe that all of us are born to be the best we can be and make the best our of our lives. So lets all create new habits! Remember that good habits must be grabbed firmly and with strong commitment.

 “It’s not what you do once in a while, it’s what you do day in and day out that makes the difference”.

"The sweetest time of the year"

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon".

  Since July 31, 2010 I have lost 168 pounds !
Christmas is probably the sweetest time of the year. It is also sweet because it is a time when families get together and most people are in a “sweet mood.”  I can honestly say that I get in the “Sweet Mood” over this special time. So I have to be very careful in what I put in my body. I am aware how much I love sweets and Christmas dinners so, I always plan ahead.  I was reading an article in the Prevention magazine the other day and I learned that the average Christmas dinner contains over 1,400 calories! Ouch!! I call these kinds of foods “Sin foods” With wise choices we can still enjoy our Christmas dinners and stay healthy. Here are few tips for you that I do and follow when I prepare or eat my Christmas dinner. I love Turkey and if you don’t know turkey is low in fat and high in protein so feel free to have an extra slice or two, but don’t eat the skin or you’ll add more fat and calories to your day... Forget the mash potatoes with butter! Roast your potatoes using olive oil. Instead of cookies and tarts, a baked apple or fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt is a good option with the fruit giving you valuable fibre and vitamins for your body. I fill my dinner plate with a third of vegetables, carrots, peas, unbuttered Brussels sprouts etc. My gravy is done with vegetable stock instead of meat juices. I love chocolates but now I tell myself they are a luxury not something I can just eat because is Christmas.  I try to always use a smaller plate. Your mind will consider it a full plate regardless of its size. Remember, being active is just as important as healthy eating and a great way of burning off those extra calories.  My tips for this Christmas season are nature your body, portion control and keep focus. Remember my motto “You are the only one standing in your way”.
Merry Christmas to all my blog readers I look forward to a new year and continue in my weight loss journey. I invite you to join me.. we can beat this!
 WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER!!

Brutally Honest About Obesity.!

“Truth and Honesty is the oldest and most powerful of all of the human values.”

For a long time I wanted to be brutally honest about what obesity can and will do to your body. No body can tell me stories I have walk the path of obesity for so many years and I know the truth. I have never understood how obese and morbid obese people can say they are happy with their lives. They say they won’t change anything about their lives because the extra weight they are carrying is simply not an issue. I personally believe that when someone becomes obese we learn to live with and accept our obese bodies, but that does not mean we are happy with our selves.  As long as I live I will never believe that obesity will equal happiness!! How can anyone be happy when you have difficulty breathing and you wheeze when you walk or when you have difficulty putting your own socks and shoes, when you can’t bend, when you can not fit at a booth. When seat belts are too tight or won’t fit? How can any one be happy when they go shopping and nothing in the stores fits except huge shirts and sweats that look like tents? When you sweat every time you move?



The picture on the right I had lost 150 pounds  now I have lost 163.

There are so many medical conditions that arise when the body is obese; some of them are stretch marks, varicose veins, calluses, arthritis, sleep apnoea, asthma, the increased risk of heart attacks, depression, strokes, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Also due to the excess fat there are lumps that form on your body due to the fat that is blocking your pores. You get back pain, knee pain and lets not forget the way humanity treat us. We seem to loose a sense of belonging due to our weight. So when someone tells me they are happy being obese I what to shake them and tell them to stop lying to themselves! I often wonder what is their story. What caused them to overeat? What caused them to stop loving themselves? Obese people have to stop blaming underlying causes or their food choices. They need to stop eating when they are sad or feeling down on themselves. Who gets hurt? We all do. When we consume an excessive amount of calories, we do not help our situation in fact we cause undue stress on our own bodies and emotional well being. I am no longer blaming any one else for my obesity or for the food choices I make.  The day I was brutally honest with my self and took responsibility for my body, my life changed!. My journey started on July 31, 2010. I can honestly say I am getting my life back. For the first time I love myself and I am the happiest I have ever been. Now I ask myself how can I nurture my body and not destroy it. Everything that I have written about on this blog entry I have experienced, except for diabetes and a heart attack. I have often wondered how I did not suffer from those 2 diseases. I am still fighting this obesity and I still have a long ways to go to get to my weight loss goal but I am brutally honest with my self. I am proud to let all my readers know that as of today I have lost 163 pounds!!!
So my questions to you my readers are., Are you brutally honest about your weight? Or are you one of those people that is blaming every one else for your weight gain?..

"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"

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"Do Not Deprive Yourself of your Guilty Pleasures"

" Deprivation is one of the most fattering things you can have"



 Here I am about to enjoy a Chilean Pastry.


I just came back from a dream come true holiday. My husband and I drove all the way to Victoria, BC. A place I will never forget. The ocean and mountains were breath taking.
Even though I was on holidays I strived to continue to make wise choices. But with that being said I did not deprived myself of the things I like to eat. Keeping in mind always portion control. Depriving yourself or skipping meals could very well be sabotaging your best efforts at weight loss.  I have learn in my weight loss journey that you can not deprive yourself or let yourself get too hungry because it’s more likely you will just end up overindulging on the wrong foods. I always find myself wanting to eat foods that I deprive myself of.  While on my holiday, I enjoyed few Chilean treats which I had not had  in over one year, so when I had them I enjoyed them but I always used positive self talk rather than beating myself up about it. I would say to myself..." I need to walk the malls so I can burn the calories I just had!" and I did a lot of walking. There is one thing we should all remember that when you deprive yourself your body is going to go out of its way to put away extra food store in form of fat to save up and or recover itself from the last starvation. There is nothing wrong to  indulge your cravings from time to time; it may just help to prevent the dreaded Binge. I  now know that is all about  balance! .I have stop saying "I can not have that"... now I say..."I choose not to have that". Food is one of the basic pleasures of life. Cutting out some guilty pleasure does not mean depriving yourself of something you like. Treat yourself on occasion, but limit yourself to smaller servings. This will help you resist the urge to splurge.



Chilean Pleasures!!

 

 Are you depriving yourself ?

" Determination"

" It's the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles"

Never give up, no matter what!

Have you even wondered what is determination?.. I have learned in this past year that determination is the ability to continue to try to persist and to press on!. As of today I have lost 152.8 pounds and theresn't any secrets or a magical diet for me it has been simply... DETERMINATION. With determination along with it comes self discipline and knowing what to eat ,what not to eat and when to eat and how much we should eat. I believe that determination comes easy once you understand the principles behind healthy eating. It eventually becomes a lifestyle.

I am sure most of you have seen   Wile E. Coyote in pursuit of his goal that is to catch the Roadrunner... We can all be like Wile E. Coyote if we choose to. The Coyote has determination, persistence and patience. I have learned in this weight loss journey that  DETERMINATION, PERSISTENCE AND PATIENCE are key elements to lose weight.

Don't forget, we must have determination, persistence and patience

"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody"."

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