Miles To Go

in the heat of flame

2012-05-16T10:00:22Z

I know what it’s like to feel the heat of life’s circumstances. I know how it feels to seem powerless to overcome them. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and defeated.

Recently I've also been taking a look in the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel. We know the story as the "fiery furnace". I've also felt as though I've been walking through a few flames of my own. I've found consolation from the story. However difficult it is to understand, God uses our struggles and difficult situations which were meant for our demise, to free us from that which has held us captive. He never promises that we will not encounter trouble, but He shows up in the midst of the flames.

The story tells us that the three men that were thrown into flames were accompanied by a fourth. Not only were they unharmed, but the chains that bound them were released in the process.

I was reminded of a study of Daniel that I did several years ago—a Beth Moore Bible Study on Daniel. She encourages us also through our firey trials that we are to remember: When we are delivered from the fire, it builds our faith. When we are delivered through the fire, our faith is refined, and when we are delivered by the fire, our faith is perfected.

The next time you feel the flames of trouble, you can remember with me: He gives us the faith and strength to walk through it, and stands guard to see that we come out unbound and without harm—and amazingly better for having gone through it. I can say that even though these last few weeks have been tough, they have also brought me through a significant time of spiritual graditude, intimacy, and growth.

in a famine?

2012-05-02T10:00:57Z

I've been reading the Old Testament book of Ruth. It is a love story that depicts the love between God and His people. Two of the main characters are Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi.

The story tells us that Naomi and her family left their home in Jerusalem and travel to the country of Moab because they there was a famine in the land.

They may have planned to go for just a short time, but they end up staying much longer than expected.

While in the land of Moab, Naomi suffers the loss of her husband and her two sons. During the process she comes to understand some things that make a significant impact on her life.

After suffering these tremendous losses, she returns to Jerusalem. It is interesting to me that she now makes the statement that she left Jerusalem "full" but returns "empty." Naomi's perspective has changed as she starts to realize that there may be other hungers besides physical hunger. Naomi sees herself as bitter, empty, and afflicted, but she soon she finds that those labels aren't fitting her new life. Things in her life begin to change when she makes a choice to change her mind—she begins to see things in a whole new light. She learns what it takes to "fill" those empty places in her life and finds it necessary to adopt a new identity.

What does that have to do with weight loss?

I had to make a few mindset changes before, during, and after my weight-loss experience. I began to realize I had a few famines of my own. These famines had moved me into a foreign land that seemed to take things from me more eagerly than the promises they made to fulfill. I found I often try to fill my emotional and spiritual hungers with physical food. During my weight-loss journey, I had to change my mind about food and how I wanted it to serve me. I had to find out why I ate and find the right kind of "food" to feed my emotional and spiritual hungers.

After losing weight, I found that I the labels I had placed on myself didn't fit my new life anymore. I had to adopt a new identity of the new me and rid my self of the old one. These were some of the changes in mindset that helped me change my life and paved the way from those early days of pre-surgery and into long-term weight-loss surgery success.

Are you in a famine? Do you need to find the right kind of "food" to fill those empty places? Do you need a new identity? I share my story in my upcoming book (which is making tremendous progress towards completion)—stay turned for more on how you can move from famine to plenty.

Yes, you can. You have many more miles to go!

unruly numbers

2012-05-01T10:00:21Z

The experts tell us...experts are the people who understand the body better than you and I,...well, I hope there is someone who understands it...anyway, they tell us that our bodies always put self preservation first.

If this is true, then when we cut our portion sizes, our bodies begin to slow down the rate at which we burn fuel and start to reserve energy.

They tell us that our body will do anything and everything in its power not let us die from starvation.

So maybe we need to find a way to communicate to our body that it's not starving and that it's ok to let go of a few more pounds...or we could try option number two...scream at the scales. Or option number three get depressed, and have a pity party...I'm good at throwing parties!

The bottom line is, the only plateau I like is the one that comes after I have lost all the weight I want to lose, not before. Plateaus can send us down an emotional roller coaster...and just like the real roller coaster, they can be quite frightening.

All of us at one time or another experience weight loss plateaus. Some last longer than others. Our bodies need time to readjust, reshift, and adapt to the loss of fat.

Here are a few tips I've found to help our body "break through" the plateau and start losing again..so I'm game, what about you?

1. Strength Training If you are not doing this as part of your program or lifestyle, then it's time to start. Working your muscles will help to strengthen bone tissue, increase lean mass, and ultimately boost metabolic rate.

2. Change Your Exercise Routine So you go walking a lot? Then try jogging, or swimming, or cycling -- anything that will change the way your body is working. If you are doing low intensity cardio work, then try some high intensity exercise. You could increase your length of activity also. Ahhhh...excuse me, "sitting" is not an exercise! The other day I went to the park and got on the swing....does that count? It becomes harder to lose the smaller we get, so we must increase activity and exercise.

3. Getting in extra protein is a great idea for speeding up weight loss. Eating protein, for example, increases your metabolism by up to 30 percent and fiber around 15 percent. Meals can have the potential to boost your metabolic rate up to two hours after you eat. So eating small meals increases calorie burn. Especially small frequent meals. When exercising, it helps to balance proteins and carbohydrates for recovery. (Also see the entry: "your metabolism at work" by searching the sidebar.)

Yes we can...we have many more miles to go!

back on track bariatric nutrition support group opportunity

2012-05-01T10:00:16Z

Are you a post-op bariatric patient struggling to stay on track with your weight loss, weight maintenance, or nutrition goals?

You are invited to join a 4 week nutrition education & support group that will be led by

Chaundra Evans RD, LDN.

Coming Again this Summer / August 6-27

**Limited Space Available, First Come First Serve**

Call (910) 790-9500 in advance to reserve your spot

Four 90 Minute Evening Classes
6:00 - 7:30pm @ Chrysalis Center
Cost of Program: $150 in advance or $40 per class

Agenda for Each Meeting:

Aug 6, 2012: Back to Basics – What Should I Be Eating?
Aug 13, 2012: Mindful Eating – How Should I Be Eating?
Aug 20, 2012: Meal Planning, Shopping, Supplements
Aug 27, 2012: Exercise Goal Setting & Relapse Prevention

c'est la vie

2012-04-25T11:00:35Z

C'est la vie. Pronounced (Say lah veee), it means "this is life," in French. And that is just what I've been celebrating these days. Life.

I just celebrated my six-year anniversary from bariatric surgery, which is certainly something worth celebrating. But this week our entire family and friends celebrated another miracle of life. We joined our son, Brent and his wife, Amanda, as they welcomed the newest member of our family into the world—Genevieve. Her daddy calls her "little Vie" for short.

Six years ago when I made the decision to have bariatric surgery, it was because I wanted my life back. I was struggling with declining health, low self-esteem, and depression. My weight was robbing me of not only my health but life in general. Among one of the things I wanted was the energy to run and play with my future grandchildren. I also realized babies need laps on which to snuggle and I needed one of those, too.

Now, little Genevieve is helping me realize one of my dreams: enjoying health and life. Celebrating the promise that life goes on—and I'm going with it.

Weight-loss surgery can give those who need it a second chance to celebrate life and health. You can join me in celebrating life, as well.

Welcome to life!

Happy Birthday, Genevieve, "little Vie."

(to view more photos of Genevieve, see my personal facebook page, (Julia Holloman), or you can click on the link under stocial media at the top of the page, on the left and follow it to my personal page)

carbs count

2012-04-19T10:00:46Z

In his book, A Lighter Look....at a Heavy Subject, weight-loss surgeon, Dr. Terry Simpson says, no matter which procedure you have, "No weight loss surgery will inhibit the absorption of carbohydrates and sugar. If you do not limit the amount of carbs you eat, you will lose the effect of surgery."

The more sugar and carbs you eat the longer it will take to lose weight and the harder it will be to keep weight off. A good "rule of thumb" is to eat about 15 to 20 grams of carbs per meal.

Your best choices for carbs are whole unprocessed foods that are high in fiber (which digest more slowly)—beans, sweet potatoes, whole grains, and low sugar fruits and most vegetables.

Eat right! Food is good! ....and you have many more meals to go!

it's still sugar

2012-04-13T10:00:31Z

It was Juliet that said to Romeo, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

OK. What about sugar? By any other name it's still... sugar!

Do you recognize sugar when you see it listed on a product label?

If it says sugar, sounds sweet, or rhymes with “gross” it’s sugar!

Here's a list...I'm sure there are more!

amazake (fermented rice or grain sugar, closely related to sake)
barley malt
beet sugar
brown sugar
buttered syrup
cane-juice crystals
cane sugar
confectioner's sugar
caramel
carob powder
carob syrup
corn syrup
corn syrup solids
date sugar
demerara sugar
dextran
dextrose
diatase
diastatic malt
ethyl maltol
fructose
fruit juice
fruit juice concentrate
galactose
glucose
glucose solids
golden sugar
golden syrup
grape sugar
grape juice concentrate.
granulated sugar
high-fructose corn syrup
honey
invert sugar
lactose (milk sugar)
malt
malt syrup
maltdextrin
maltodextrin
maltose
mannitol
maple syrup
molasses
Muscovado, Barbados or raw sugar
Panocha or Panela (cane or raw sugar)
powdered sugar
raw sugar
refiner's syrup
rice syrup
sorbitol
sorghum syrup
sucrose
sugar
Treacle (a generic word in Britain for any syrup made in the process of refining sugar cane)
turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
yellow sugar

read all about it

2012-04-09T10:01:03Z

You'll want to stay tuned to "Miles to go blog" for upcoming post on a new arrival...I've been busy not only writing blogs but I've been writing a book. The manuscript is finished and at this very moment, it is being edited for it's debut. I am working with an editor to make sure everything is in the correct order for your reading enjoyment.

You're going to love it and I'm so excited to be unveiling it very soon. So stay tuned and be the first to get your copy of the full story behind my personal journey to weight loss surgery success.

celebrating 6 years

2012-04-08T10:00:25Z

This Easter season

I'm celebrating six years post-op

RNY weight-loss surgery.

April 17, 2006—April 17, 2012

food, family, and holidays

2012-04-06T10:00:26Z

Easter is fast approaching...a time of food and family—a dynamic combination. For most it's a positive dynamic, but for those of us who have suffered with obesity, these two may hold a negative one. Obesity has led many of us to develop a different attitude toward holidays and family events that center around food. We might even start to develop a sense of dread or panic as these holiday approach.

One thing I have come to realize is that the holiday events won't change—they faithfully come and go each year. And avoiding social and family events is not the answer, so what is the answer?

I have found that what I needed was to change the way I viewed these events. I needed a change of mind.

As I look back over our Thanksgiving photos this year, I realized that our holiday was not just about food. Yes, we spent a lot of time preparing, cooking, and eating, but my focus has changed to center on the relationships and the memories we build in the process. We also spent our day building memories: talking, sharing, watching movies, and visiting with friends and family.

When all is said and done, it's the memories and the relationships that stand out—these are the things that are left well after the food is gone.

One of the photos in our family album says it best. It was taken by Millie, my daughter, who is a professional photographer. She has a very creative eye. One of the things that she captured was a photo of my cookbook. This particular cookbook has most surely been consulted at most every meal I've cooked and invited to every holiday event since it appeared on my shelf in 1991. This church cookbook holds the tried and true recipes of my friends and spiritual family. Most every page is dotted with a few splatters of each and every food I've made over the years. The pages are well worn and cover is no longer in tact.

It has also become a home for other recipes along the way. One day I'm going to make a new cookbook of all my favorite recipes, but until then, (and even after) this one will always hold a special place in my heart, as well as in my kitchen. I have over 200 cookbooks in my kitchen collection, so why is this one my favorite?

This cookbook was the first one published by the ladies at Faith and Victory church. It's not just a book of food recipes. It represents relationships. It holds the names and memories of each friend whom I shared my life with for over 13 years. Each page hold memories of relationships that are relived and continually renewed with the turn of every page.

Just like that cookbook, holidays and food events don't just have to hold us captive to our past of obesity, slavery to food addictions, poor self-image, or failed relationships. We can change our mindset. Changing our mindset can set us free to experience the best life has to offer—one of the most precious of all gifts—relationships, friends, and family.

Instead of focusing on food, we can turn our focus to making memories and building positive relationships with others as well as ourselves. We can't change the holidays, but we can change ourselves. We can change our relationships with others. We can change our relationship with food. We can change our mind. Changing our mind will change our life. Yes, you can. You have many more miles to go!