~*~ Week 7 ~*~

Week 7!  The journey to weight loss is not an easy path.  There is not a magic pill you can take to help you lose weight.  Well, it appeared there USED to be but then they found out that phen fen did damage to your heart!  Many people opt for weight loss surgery to help them in the quest to optimal weight.  And many don't find that an answer!  Believe me, I was OH SO close to opting for this surgery.   It certainly was not a option that I took lightly.  A lot of thought, prayer and research went into it.  Finally I decided that I had to do this without surgery!  I want to lose weight but I don't want to compromise the body that I have left!  The past 7 weeks have not been without struggles.  I have had some stress in my life.  And stress is often a calling to find something comforting to eat!  Comforting? Hmmmm... only in my head!  lol  Have to develop habits of health!  Some days I open up the refrigerator and there is some goodie just looking out at me and my temptation is to eat it!  Not hungry just see something good and it beckons me!  HABITS OF HEALTH!  My eating does NOT have to control me!  I have to control it!   Last night I dreamed that I went off my diet and ate things that I shouldn't have.  I was relieved when I woke up and found out it was just a dream!  I don't need to derail my own success!  So getting on the scales this week, I am very happy to announce that I my total loss to date is 36.2 lbs!  Thank you, Lord!   I have a long road in front of me, but that is ok!  I have the tools and the support to be successful!    I am changing my habits and my mindset and looking forward to each day and new week! :)    My hubby has not been following the exact same plan but I am cooking "cleaner" and healthier and he is reaping the benefits also.  He is down 14 lbs since his last diabetes check up in April and his blood levels and cholestrol levels are FANTASTIC!  I am really happy for him.  He really does not have much weight to lose but he is supportive to me. :)  Love you, babe! 

~*~ The journey on ~*~

I am happy to announce that I am 32.8 lbs lighter as of Saturday morning's weigh in. :) 

From Dr. A's Habits of Health:

Secrets to Success

1. Eat one PCMR, portion controlled meal replacements, every three hours. Don’t skip meals even if you’re not hungry.  It’s absolutely critical to fuel as scheduled- in fact, your weight loss may be slower if you don’t.
2. Get some extra rest. You may feel a little tired during the first three days as your body switches on its fat-burning mechanism and gears up to use its stores of fat.
3. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
4. Eat Slowly.
5. Stay busy and avoid sights and smells that remind you of food, especially during the first few days. Soon enough, your own energy stores will kick in and you’ll feel more in control.
6. Use your support system. If you have a coach, call them.
7. Limit caffeine to no more than three servings a day. You may find that your body is more sensitive to the effects of caffeine, making this a great time to cut back on your daily consumption.
8. Avoid alcohol. It causes dehydration, throws you out of the fat-burning state you’ve worked so hard to achieve, and It’s a powerful appetite stimulant.
9. If you slip up, just get right back on track. But remember, it will take about two to three days after a slip-up to get back into a fat-burning state.
10. Keep a journal. This is a great way to monitor your progress and help you focus.
11. Avoid exercise for the first three weeks. Or, if you do choose to exercise reduce your usual amount by half. No huffing, puffing, or sweating.

~*~ Saturday and 5 weeks into my journey ~*~

Any day you get on the scale and the numbers go down is a good day! Today I have donated somewhere 29 lbs! :) I am loving this and I am preparing myself by learning new habits of healthy eating! I am feeling a bit more energetic and look forward to the day my arthritic knees get the message that they are carrying less weight! hahaha...

~*~ CHOICES ~*~

Life is about choices.  Every day nearly every moment we make choices that affect our life.  Many choices we make are mindless, or automatic.  We don't put a lot of thought into them  My journey to optimal health is a choice.  It has become a very conscientious choice.  Walking thru the grocery store there are temptations all around.... Even something so silly as Oreo cookies!  Something that maybe I would not give much of thought to before but today I looked at that package and thought "OH... that would taste good!"  Time for the good angel and the devil on the shoulder!  lol   No one would know... if you had just one.. you know all those things we try to talk ourselves into... You will be happy to know that the right choice was made and I walked past without lingering, stopping or putting them in my cart.  :)  

I started my journey 30 days ago.  Today I am 21 lbs lighter.  It is good. It is working and this is where I need to be and want to be to achieve my goal.  The weight loss portion of this journey is only step one.  I am thankful for the Habits that I am learning and practicing to live my goal!   

"Optimal health isn't a destination, but a state of being that you achieve -- a change in orientation whereby you create a new state of being that revolves around making the daily choices that support health."  Dr A's Habits of Health

Old fashioned Family Fourth of July!

Every Day is a New Day!

We are finally having some beautiful summer weather in the Pacific Northwest! YAY!!! When you take a look at Mt. Rainier, you KNOW there is a God!

I am happy to journal that I am down a total of 21 lbs. :) I am beginning to feel it in my clothes. And I think I see it in my face. And how did I fair on the 4th? Fantastic! I didn't have any problems! I didn't want to call attention to the fact that I am on a diet. That was very important to me. And fortunately with all the kids around, that seemed to be a distraction enough for everyone! I took a turn up to bat, and let my granddaughter be my base runner. My son was a goof pitching me the ball but I finally hit it! haha! I am finding this easy to stay on at work also. Just excited as I make my journey to optimal health. I hope that soon my knees will realize the weight loss and feel better too! lol

Do you want to know what Weigh In said today???

I am very happy this day.  The scales say another 5 lbs down!  I just sigh a silent sigh of relief and thank God!!!  It has been a difficult week, personally with a job situation, but I was able to deal with that and stay on track with my weight loss journey.  I have to say there were a couple of evenings where the desire for a snack reared it's ugly head!  But I just grabbed my water and actually went to bed at just a tad earlier time those 2 nights and was completely satisfied!   Sometimes, I look out to the future and think... OH... I don't want to do this for a year (or longer if need be!) but then I think of the end results and the desire to stay at a healthy weight and be able to do some of the things I love doing and it gives me encouragement to stay on this journey!   :)

Thump Thud Thump Thud

I just have to share this devotion from Max Lucado.  This truly spoke to me.  I have been put into a difficult with my new job.  I am replacing someone who has been let go but they asked to stay and train me.  She is not a happy woman.  And I do feel for her and I am trying to be so careful to be sensitive to her. But you know what I have learned?  She is just not a happy person anyway you look at it.  And that negative energy and disposition makes the work place full of negative energy and a disposition that is very short of being kind and sweet.  Have you ever worked with someone who looks for the "wrong" in others? The one who does not listen to what you are saying but turns it around to make it as if YOU are not the one listening?  Asked a question of someone answers in an exasperated way letting all know within hearing distance that she is annoyed with the question?  Well, that is how this woman is.  And it has frustrated me.  I have been without a job for over 2 years. This job is nearly a rocks throw from my home.  Do I believe that this job is an answer to prayer and where the Lord wants me to be at the moment?  Yes, I do.  Is it an ideal job?  Sadly, no it is not.  It is a THUD for me.   There are many less than ideal situations about this job that I won't get into here.  And I have been second guessing myself.....This devotion made me sit up and take light of the attitude that I had regarding my situation.    God has me here for a purpose.  It is my responsibility to listen to the thump and the thud and to make sense of it in my life.  How I respond is crucial.  I need to keep a positive prospective.  I need to be a ray of sunshine in an office situation that is dark and a bit dreary.   I rejoice in this new job!  I rejoice that God is testing me in dealing with others.  I rejoice that there are going to be some very obvious challenges in this work.  I rejoice in the lessons I will be learning from my shortcomings.  I rejoice in the positive influence that I can be with those around me.  I pray that I will listen to God and be His shining light here.  I pray that when I make a mistake that I can admit it and move on and learn from it.  I thank God and sing praises to Him for placing me right where He wants me to be!  I am thankful that He continues to work on this old vessel. May I please Him.

Thump-Thud, Thump-Thud

When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it “sings,” it’s ready. If it “thuds,” it’s placed back in the oven.

The character of a person is also checked by thumping. Been thumped lately?

Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Those are thumps. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren’t big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams. Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor. Even as I write this, I’m being thumped. Because of interruptions, it has taken me almost two hours to write these two paragraphs. Thump. Thump. Thump.

How do I respond? Do I sing? Or do I thud?

Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (Luke 6:45). There’s nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.

If you have a tendency to thud more than you sing, take heart.

The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to day living.

There is hope for us “thudders”:

1. Begin by thanking God for thumps. I don’t mean a half-hearted thank-you. I mean a rejoicing, jumping-for-joy thank-you from the bottom of your heart (James 1:2). Chances are that God is doing the thumping. And he’s doing it for your own good. So every thump is a reminder that God is molding you (Heb. 12:5–8).

2. Learn from each thump. Face up to the fact that you are not “thump-proof.” You are going to be tested from now on. You might as well learn from the thumps—you can’t avoid them. Look upon each inconvenience as an opportunity to develop patience and persistence. Each thump will help you or hurt you, depending on how you use it.

3. Be aware of “thump-slump” times. Know your pressure periods. For me Mondays are infamous for causing thump-slumps. Fridays can be just as bad. For all of us, there are times during the week when we can anticipate an unusual amount of thumping. The best way to handle thump-slump times? Head on. Bolster yourself with extra prayer, and don’t give up.Shaped by God

Remember, no thump is disastrous. All thumps work for good if we are loving and obeying God.

From Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil)

Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002) Max Lucado

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