Organizing My Spaces

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Lesley Looper

I’m still on Weight Watchers, and continue to enjoy improved health, even though I’ve hit a plateau in my weight loss. Weight Watchers’ Weekly Techniques have been helpful in helping me remember the big picture, and that weight health (and health, in general) isn’t just about the number on the scale.

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A couple of weeks ago, the Weekly Technique was about making our spaces more of an asset for our health and weight loss journey. A lot of the discussion in the virtual workshops I attended was about the food we have on hand, as well as the food prep and cooking tools we keep handy. I’m pretty much okay in the food/prep/cooking arena, but it reminded me that I have work to do in other areas of my home and work cubicle to make things more organized and peaceful, which helps my mindset. I recalled an old saying from my elementary school Girl Scout days about leaving a space (especially a campground) better than you found it, so I’m trying to practice that daily, both at work and at home. Slow but sure progress!

A link to the WW Weekly Technique is here.

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Self-Care: Acupuncture

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Lesley Looper
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I had another acupuncture appointment this morning, and I really enjoyed it! I’ve had several acupuncture sessions this year, and feel like they help my body, as well as my mind. I really like the acupuncturist–she listens well and offers positive feedback, in addition to the needles, heat lamps, oils, and soothing music. I was skeptical before my first appointment, but decided to give it a try, and am soi glad I did.

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Different Clothes Sizes

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Lesley Looper
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It dawned on me this morning that I’m wearing different sizes of clothes. I’ve gone down TWO sizes in tops, but I’m still wearing the same size pants! I’ve bought smaller pants, but they aren’t a good fit YET. Doggone it, my lower belly and bottom fat are holding on a little more stubbornly. I’ll get there, it’ll just take more time. I’ve bought a few new tops, but I still have a good bit of weight to lose, so I don’t want to invest a lot in a big new wardrobe yet.

I’m definitely looking forward to shopping in normal clothing stores!

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Rewarding Yourself

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Lesley Looper

Last week I hit a big weight loss milestone, so I decided to search my Amazon Wishlist for a reward! Rewarding myself with non-food things is a new habit I’m forming, and to be honest, it doesn’t usually take much. So I ordered some Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in the Salted Caramel “flavor.” It arrived yesterday, and I love it! I love a good lip balm, and Burt’s Bees products often fit the bill!

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I’m Back

Posted on October 8, 2023 by Lesley Looper

So, I’m back on a weight loss journey, and having mostly success! I’ve decided to start writing about it again.

I’m following WW (WeightWatchers) again, and weigh daily on my home scale. The scale goes down and up, sometimes it stays the same. I’ve adopted the phrase, “Data, not drama!” Most days that helps me get through the data that the scale (a Renpho) shows me. and I do love the historical data. I track my food on both the WW app and Lose It.

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I’m Back!

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Lesley Looper

Well, I forgot I had this blog once the Covid-19 pandemic hit,and I forgot about my health for a little while too! Since my highest weight, hit it February 2021, I’ve been fighting my way back (with a few breaks here and there),

A big piece of news is that I’m following Weight Watchers, now known as WW, again. I’ve been working hard on it since January 4 of this year, with solid success! I really enjoy the Virtual Workshops, although my area still has in-person meetings. I have a 171-day streak if tracking my food on the WW app, and I’ve gotten some form of exercise almost daily.

Stay tuned!

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Online Class on Food and Health

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Lesley Looper

agriculture basket beets bokeh

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Last week I signed up for a class on Coursera that I’m motivated to finish! It’s a five-week class called “Stanford Introduction to Food and Health,” put on my Stanford University. There’s a series of related videos to watch each week, followed by a quiz.

Last week, “Week 1” of the class, I watched the videos in pretty quick fashion. I knew a fair amount of the information already, but it was a good refresher. I took the quiz and passed, missing one question.

I’ve started watching the “Week 2” videos, but decided to see how I’d do on the quiz. I passed again, missing two of seven this time. So, there’s more I should learn. Back to this week’s videos.

If I continue to like the format, I’d like to take more health-related courses on Coursera. Stay tumed!

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Working with a Nutritionist

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Lesley Looper

So, today I had an appointment with a nutritionist who works at my doctor’s primary care practice. While the nutritionist at Duke Diet & Fitness would be happy to continue to work with me, I decided to get more invested (vested?) in my primary care practice, in hopes that the staff can collaborate about my care, if need be.

So, the nutritionist and I chatted a bit this morning, and she gave me some good suggestions for the non-cook that is me.The next couple of weekends, I’ll be busy with out-of-town things (including a graveside service for my mother’s ashes), so I’m not sure how much cooking I’ll get done soon. We’ll see. While eating is a soothing activity for me, cooking is not!

Meanwhile, my weight is still going down, but I’m beginning to hit the stage where I miss my old comfort foods. The timing of this nutritionist appointment was perfect.

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Good News

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Lesley Looper

doctor_&_patient_23I saw my endocrinology PA (physician’s assistant) today, and she was very pleased with my progress! My average blood glucose reading using my new monitor was 129! She okayed decreasing my insulin shots from 40 units twice a day to 30 units twice a day, with the goal of lowering the dosage more over time.

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Paying Attention to Food

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Lesley Looper

One of the big things I learned about last week at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center is food.

woman measuring her waist

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What do we put in our mouths? Some people pay attention to this, but I haven’t been doing a very good job of that. Of course, there’s mindless eating–watching in front of the television, the computer screen, or with your smart phone open to something or another. Even when I wan’t sharing screen time with my food, I wasn’t really aware of calories and nutrients. Well, that’s not a big deal for people who don’t have health issues. I do, though, between my size and my Type 2 Diabetes. So I’ve been needing to pay attention, but I haven’t been.

Last week at Duke Diet and Fitness Center, I selected my meals for the week, and stayed within a calorie range with meal selections that were nutritious, as well as portion-controlled. It helped a lot to have that modeling.

This week, I’ve been back at work and in my [pretty] normal routine, and trying to pay more attention! I’m using the MyFitnessPal website and iPhone app to track my food, something I was very bad at (i.e. totally inconsistent) before. It’s helped me stay (mostly) under my 1400-calorie daily goal.

Yes, I’ve felt hungry sometimes, but I’ve been able to work through those hunger pangs. So far, I haven’t raided the office candy bowl. I check my blood sugars often using my iPhone, the correct app, and a sensor on the back of my arm. That’s been especially motivating, and helps me hop up and walk around if I’ve been sitting at my desk too long.

Yes, I’ve lost weight, but am not ready to post any numbers yet. Stay tuned!

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