Day the 25th And it's a Weigh-In Day

Reader, I did it.

I weighed in today and sure enough, the ol' weight was down to about 238. That's what I expected because I ate some pizza (not much so don't get excited) at a friend's last night. And it was good pizza. Plus some lovely avocados with a drizzle of Italian dressing. Yummy, yummy.

I'm making one last change to the Weigh-In Days...they are going to be on Thursdays every other week. So...instead of the next one being December 17, 2010, it will be December 16, 2010. This works better for a variety of reasons.

But the excitement is that I am losing weight. And I feel good--I have energy and don't feel as if I am in a stupor at the end of a day of work. This is a great thing.

And now...she shares some personal stuff...

I try not to hide this--and I also try not to make everything about this--but if I haven't mentioned it before, I am mildly bipolar. Enough to make my life painful at times without medication. Since I have been on the good eating, excellent health and weight loss journey here on Independently Weltha, my bipolar symptoms have calmed down considerably. It's so nice to have the medication work without anything in its way. I feel good and I feel stable--I also have more emotional energy, and this is a great thing. I don't feel irritable or frenzied. Just good. The Canadians are using and testing some herbal products that they feel may redefine mental illness as a function of lack of micro-nutrients. I just know that when I eat well, I feel like the real me, and I don't have symptoms all over the place. If you struggle with depression or bipolarity...well, it's just a thought.

Today is coleslaw day at work, and boy, did I get a big ol' thing of coleslaw and also of raw spinach leaves. I read recently (again...) that eating potassium-rich foods helps the body discard excessive water and bloating. That sounded like a winner, and then I read that of course, some of the top potassium-rich foods are bananas, broccoli, and spinach. And guess what? I found that I like those spinach leaves raw. They are good. GOOD, I tell you. They really are.

And other "today" at work is that I am listening to Christmas music on my headphones. I grew up with Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Arthur Fiedler Orchestra, thanks to my parents. My dad was a traditional--if not particularly (or at all) religious--man, and once Advent got going, we listened to the Christmas records on our Magnavox stereo. And Dad was insistent that the records be the Christmas carols and not "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" or "I'm Gettin' Nothin' for Christmas." Thanks to my father, I know all the words to all the verses. By memory. And today, I am listening to those same carols, sung by the same people, that I grew up on. My parents are both dead, and instead of this being painful, it's a way to recapture the magical, wonderful Christmases of my childhood. In LOLSpeak...I haz a happy...

Last night, I spent time with a friend who is going through some difficult moments. That's the "why" behind the pizza...I hadn't eaten, my friend hadn't eaten, and there was an excellent organic pizza in the freezer, and the next thing you know...we had pizza and avocado salad. So good...and you know what? So what if I held a little extra weight because of it? Big deal--I got to be with my friend in the time of need. It will be my turn on the other end of that deal at some point.

This really is a journey--and it's not just about what food I decide to eat or how many reps with a weight or how many laps I complete.

And I like that.

All right...WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR CHRISTMAS THAT YOU ENJOY AND THAT ISN'T STRESS-INDUCING AND EXHAUSTION-MAKING?

Please comment--I need to know you're out there--friends and wanderers alike! Or even click one of the buttons at the bottom of this post!

Independently--with love,

Weltha