Progress for February

I have worked hard this month. My goals were to eat healthy, find some time every day for some sort of activity, get out and be with people, and try to stay on budget.

Eating healthy:

By shopping at Costco and getting frozen vegetables, stocking up on healthy meats and transitioning to buying as much organic foods as possible; I was finally able to kick-start my weight loss again. I starting at 278 and got down to 270 and hung out there a pound up or down for awhile. I have finally gotten down to 263. That is wonderful progress for me.

Years ago I had a basic formula for how my meals were laid out. For Breakfast I have a protein, a carbohydrate and a fruit or two. For lunch I would have a fruit, one or two vegetables, and a protein. For dinner I would have two to three servings of vegetables, a protein and a small amount of carbohydrate. I would fill in with snacks of nuts, rice cakes with peanut butter, or some fruit. I have worked hard this month to get back to that way of eating and it is working.

Activity:

My daughters are helping me in this respect. Beside doing my chores around the house and walking the dog further than before, my kids are keeping me on my toes. Every day we have dance-a-thons. We turn on music and dance and dance. My oldest tries different gymnastic or ballet moves and I help her and show her.

I am also adding a few planks here and there throughout my day. I wish I could do squats, but they are forbidden with my knee the way it is. I do knee and leg lifts in the kitchen while I am cooking. The girls think I am nuts, but heck, it gets some activity there.

Organics and Natural Living

The more research I do, the more I realize that I need to eat organic. My family needs to eat organic. I cannot wait until the day that I have my own plot of land where I can grow my own vegetables and fruit. Have a bunch of chickens, a cow and a pig or two. Until then, I am at the mercy of my grocery store.

Each month I switching over from traditional to organic on a few items. By doing it a few at a time, I can ease into it financially. This month I bought organic flour. I love to make my own pizza's, so this will make me feel like they are a little bit better for us.

I have also stopped taking pretty much all over the counter medications. No more anti-histamines, acid reducers, pain relievers. I am still taking over the counter vitamins as I am extremely deficient, but I am on the search for some that are more natural based. I am doing research to see if the one's provided by doTERRA, will give me what I need.

In the end, I am feeling a lot better. I am not in such a fog as I used to be. I am losing weight. My PCOS is more under control than it ever has been before. Eating better, exercising and using my essential oils have gone a long way to improving my life.

Until next time....

How to stop a panic attack.

I am stepping way out of my comfort zone tonight. I used to love hosting parties. But as my world of panic attacks closed in on me, I stopped doing stuff. I stopped going out. I stopped wanting to talk to people on the phone. I felt like I needed to create a big bubble around myself, so that no triggers were around me.

That is not a way to live. We need people. We are social creatures.

This morning I felt a major panic attack coming on. I am so nervous for this class tonight. I am more than prepared. I am confident in the subject matter. It is just my insecurities in myself and my panic attack triggers kicking in.

As my chest tightened, I felt dizzy. I wanted to curl back up under the covers and cancel everything. I wanted to call my husband and have him come home to watch our daughter. I just couldn't handle it right now.

Nope, that wouldn't work. I have people counting on me.

I walked into the bathroom, where I keep my oils. I put a few drops of Balance and a few drops of Citrus Bliss in my hands. I rubbed them together, cupped them around my nose and mouth and inhaled deeply. I rubbed my hands on my neck and chest. I inhaled the aroma from my hands again.

Ok, I feel a little better.

I took the dog out for his morning walk. I practiced awareness breathing. Inhale 5 counts, hold 4 counts, exhale 5 counts. Inhale, hold, exhale. Ok. Its a little better. Cupped my hands around my nose and mouth and inhaled deeply.

When I got in I felt like the panic attack was about 75% gone. Time for some brief meditation and more awareness breathing. I find that if I get on all fours and do cat/cows it helps. Inhale on cat, exhale on cow. Inhale on cat, Exhale on cow. I repeated this five times.

Phew...almost normal. Still a little anxious. Finish with a prayer. "God, I release these anxieties to your shoulders. I know that you are there for me and I am not alone."

Sigh. Much better.