More to Come

Shrink Yourself talks about powerlessness and the real reasons behind eating to control emotions. This site has some real advice for people who feel like they are out of control.

Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I'm working on The Secret and have had some surprising results. Essentially, I'm rewriting my life. And having some success. As this project goes on, I will keep you up-to-date with my progress. I'm thinking of starting another blog that details my experiences. What I don't want to do right now is lead anyone to believe that I have this thing down pat. I'm still working on it. And it's going to take time. I do feel more in control. And I know that I can only control myself--other people are responsible for their actions or inactions as the case may be. But my life is good. More to come.

I've been on vacation this week. I'm pretending that I'm retired. And retirement will be great. More to come.

Finding Personal Power Inside

10 Things Not to Say to Someone Who's Trying to Lose Weight really hits home. Weight loss support is great—if it's the right kind.

I'm still on my journey to not only lose weight, but become a better, richer, happier person, too. It's all in how you think about it. I've found a lot of resources Steve Pavlina.com discusses how to change your mind on his blog: Personal Development for Smart People.  Manifesting Abundance: Understanding the Law of Attraction provides more explanations about how to change your mind to change your life. There are so many resources out there, it's worth doing a little web surfing.

None of these ideas are new. They've been around for millennia. They were all brought back to us through The Secret. And, for me, it's working. The power of positive thinking isn't just the title of a self-help book. Anyway, give it a shot. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I've decided that I am the only source of power for myself. I can achieve my goals. I can lose weight, get rich, or anything else I want. I am rising above the darkness, emptiness, and despair. I have fully realized that I am the only person who can lose weight for me. I will no longer use stressful events as an excuse to eat whatever I want. I have power over the food—not the other way around. Join me in this quest to a better life. I think you'll find that it's easier than you think.

The Power is Mine

Shrink Yourself offers some tips about regaining personal power. The site says that once we realize we are not powerless over food, we can learn to make good decisions. And I can say for sure, that's true. I've been working on myself, and I've learned it's my choice. I am not powerless over a cupcake.

Last night I had another dream in which I was in control. In the dream, someone I know accused me of taking something which I didn't take. She had this little fishing rod, and she said that since I was the last person to touch it, and she had lost it, I should pay for it. I refused. I took her to the truck she had been loading things into and showed her that the fishing rod was still it in it. Then I said, "Now I think you owe me something." She said nothing. I said, "That's what I thought." But I was in control.

If you really want to lose weight, you have to realize you are the only one who has the power to do it. I have found that The Secret also helps people find their power. This way of thinking has brought me to a new place.

I am still doing the Belly Fat Cure. You can also follow Jorge on Facebook.

My Dreams Reveal I'm Finding My Way

Last night I dreamed I was standing in the middle of some thick, weeded, overgrowth in a field. I was standing up on a stage—above the weeds. I could see some of my friends were standing several hundred yards away from me. I had no idea how I was going to get to where they were. I walked down off of the stage and, lo' and behold, there was a path that lead me all of the way out of the field—not part of the way, but all of the way. I walked into the light. I was surprised that it had been so easy. And I was ecstatic that I finally did it. That makes two dreams now where I can find my way out of a seemingly impossible situation.

I Have the Power
I have been practicing the methods in The Secret. I think that positive thinking has power—more power than I ever thought possible. What it is doing for me is giving me the power—not food or anything else I've been using to hold me back. And this time, I'm using a different approach. I'm not using desperation—I'm being open to possibilities. I'm thinking in positive terms about everything in my life—not just overeating. I'm also making the power mine and not giving my power away.

Because I've been thinking in these terms, I have been able to stay focused on losing weight. I've been able to stay focused on changing my life. Life has challenges. It's how you approach these challenges that makes them difficult or easy to overcome. Change your mind to change your choices. Then that apple pie doesn't have the importance I once gave it. It's just apple pie.

Sugar Goes Bye-Bye
I am still following the Belly Fat Cure plan. I believe that getting sugar out of my diet has also been one of the things that's lead me to this new place. I feel better, more energetic. And I feel like I can. That's it. Just that I can.

Ant Traps and Rabbit Feathers

I finally got my blog back to its original look, but it took some finesse. I made the post about my mess before I fixed my mess. Anyway, if there's a lesson to be learned it's that messes can be fixed.

Caleb and the Ant Trap
Over the weekend, my husky mix decided that it would be a good idea to eat some ant poison. I had no idea that a dog would eat ant bait, but apparently they will and actually like it. The vet told me that the fine makers of ant poison make it taste sweet, or sometimes they make it taste like peanut butter. Well, my little Caleb thought he had something. And I panicked.

I chased him around the yard trying to get it from him. I finally got him inside the house. I remembered my friend who works for a vet said to give them a bunch of bread to eat. I did that and called the vet. I was shaking all over. I couldn't think. And Caleb seemed no worse for the wear.

To my relief, the vet said that most of the ant bait traps have very little poison—at least not enough to kill a dog. Caleb weighs about 60 pounds so it would take a lot to kill him. She said the most it would do would be to make him a little sick.

Well, his belly full of bread seemed to alleviate any nausea. And he's fine. You'd never know he decided that eating ant poison would be a good idea. I, on the other hand, am still quite nauseated.

Rabbit Feathers
After Caleb's little episode, I had to go to a birthday party for my little nephew. He's four now. A little girl at the party came up to me with her little hands filled with feathers and said, "Look. I found some rabbit feathers." I said, "You found rabbit feathers?" My brother started laughing at her, and she got embarrassed and walked away. Poor little thing. And with a big find like rabbit feathers.

No Pigging Out
By the way, at the party I ate berries, a little potato salad, and half of a hamburger—no bun. The hamburger was too greasy to enjoy. Life is better if you don't think about where you're going to get your next meal 24/7.

I Made a Mess

I was messing around with my blog and messed it up.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It's a beautiful morning in Morgantown. I love getting up early in the summer—before it gets too hot. That's the best time of day. And this morning is one of those kinds of mornings that everything feels perfect—a good morning to garden.

The Belly Fat Cure continues to work for me. I think my middle is getting smaller—at least it feels like it is. I take that back. I know it is. I'm beginning to feel more energetic, too. I wish I had known that sugar was the key. I guess I always did know, but was in denial. If I gave up sugar, I'd have to give up pie. Well, as it turns out, that wasn't so bad. While I still think of pie for time to time, I know I can go without it.

I wish I could get myself into exercising again—even if I could keep up the walking. I have no idea why I can't get moving. I know I need to, but I have a block about it.

I'm going to make potato salad for my little nephews birthday party tomorrow. Little does everyone know, I'm using olive oil mayonnaise. I used that the last time I made potato salad for a family get together, and no one knew the difference. (Evil laughter.) My little nephew will be four—such a cute age.

Yesterday when I was talking about the Mod Squad, it reminded me that had a huge stack of Mod Squadbubble gum cards when I was a kid. I have no idea what happened to them. I suppose they'd be worth something to a collector—unfortunately I didn't think that far ahead when I was 10. My only thoughts were that I was part of the team—solving crimes and arresting criminals.

The Secret Life of Kathy

Staying with the theme of my earlier post, I wanted to add a resource for people who believe they have problems with emotional eating. Shrink Yourself is a website that explains emotional eating and gives people some tools to deal with their addiction.

I know I'm an emotional eater. I've been exploring why I eat to fill the void. I have many memories of being this little carefree kid. I think it was after I started going to school that things really went to hell. Shy and backward, I had problems relating to the other kids. I grew up on a farm, and there weren't any other kids nearby. So my brother, my sisters, and I spent time with each other or living in some fantasy world--kind of the Secret Life of Walter Mitty living. Then when we had to interact with other people, we didn't know how. No social skills.

So I was living in a fantasy world--and I come from an alcoholic home. My mother was an emotional eater, too. She had her addiction, and my father had his. It was cake versus whiskey. Many days, months, and years went by where emotions were on edge and comforted with the addiction of choice. I'm really glad that I didn't become an alcoholic.

In my fantasy world, I often pretended that I was a member of the Mod Squad--the 1960s version not the later one. Anyway, I would've been too old for that one. Or maybe not. But I digress--I would take long walks through the woods that surrounded our farm and pretend I was on a secret mission. I was always part of the action.

I will continue this story soon.

What Are You Really Hungry For?

The diet is still going well—and I will once again plug the diet the Belly Fat Cure. I feel lighter. What I like about this diet is that I can eat things I like. I'm giving up sugar, not food.


I was watching Oprah yesterday. She had a guest who discussed why people use food to control their lives. According to Oprah's website "Geneen Roth's book Women, Food, and God has the advice you need to stop dieting and become more aware of what you're eating and how you're eating." And Oprah says she will never diet again. These are the seven guidelines of the book—but Roth warns that unless you're willing to do the soul searching that goes along with them, they're useless—

• Eat when you are hungry.
  
• Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car.
  
• Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations or music.
  
• Eat what your body wants.
  
• Eat until you are satisfied.
  
• Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
  
• Eat with enjoyment, gusto and pleasure.

I have not purchased this book—not yet anyway. I'm still working on figuring out The Secret. 

Lady Gaga Look Out

JBS, This is for you.

It's Rainy Day in Morgantown

Well, here it is Wednesday, May 12, 2010. It's my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday to her. I won't say how old she is. If she wants to tell, that's up to her.

I'm still doing well on the Belly Fat Cure. I feel better. Now I can recognize how crappy I felt while I was still on sugar. Several people left comments about how much better they felt after getting off of sugar—and how much more energetic they were. It's true people. Get off of sugar before it kills you.

It's been really rainy here for a couple of days now. Not the kind of weather you want to go out in. So it hasn't been good for walking. I do try to play with the doggies though. But they're both so big, it's hard to play with them indoors.

Not much else is happening.

Sticking with the Plan

I'm doing well on the no-sugar diet. I still have not weighed myself. I just really don't want this to be about how much I weigh. I want it to be about health. I don't want Type-2 diabetes—I saw what it did to my mother. So I'm sticking with the Belly Fat Cure. I wish I could get my brother to pay more attention to the amount of sugar he eats. I worry for him. No matter how you try to justify it, sugar isn't part of a sensible diet.

I've been toying with changing the name of my blog—actually I've thought about it for a while now. I tried a couple of different titles that just didn't click with me. My problem with the current name is that if you Google Fatty Kathy, you come up with some, oh, let's just call them colorful sites. I would prefer it if people found me on a list of weight loss sites. So, I may change the name.

I'm currently having a love affair with blackberries. They are so good, and they are good for you. They contain lots of fiber, vitamin A and C, and even some E. Plus some other stuff. Anyway, They're Great!


P.S. I will from here onward be plugging the Belly Fat Cure. I think this is an excellent plan that's actually doable. The book has menus and recipes—and simple explanations for why it works. 

Belly Fat, Gardening, and Walking

Eliminating sugar is becoming much easier. In fact, I'm at a place where I don't really want it anymore. And I feel like if I did eat some, it would make me sick. I think I'm through detox. I feel lighter because I've lost a lot of water weight. The Belly Fat Cure discusses how too much sugar can lead to inflammation and too much water weight. I do believe it is a good diet.

I'm still doing a lot of thinking about my behavior toward food. But I have finally figured out that if I don't eat something right on the spot, I'm not going to starve. I will live without it. However, I can still get into long discussions about the flavor of ice cream I like best. (I have a friend who will have these talks with me. She obviously needs help, too. It's OK. She knows it.)

As for exercise, I been pretty lax. I did weed the flower garden in my front yard last night. And that took about an hour. But it wasn't really that strenuous. I need to weed the flower garden in the backyard. It's bigger. But it's still not the strenuous. I will walk today, however.