Skippin' the Treats on Day 110!

I am seriously not ready yet to let the weekend go!!  But alas, no choice but to soldier on!

Went to church this morning and then spent a good part of the day in front of the computer getting a jump on some of the deadlines for this coming week.

We did take time to go out and have a day-after-my-birthday lunch.  We went to Applebee's because they have a great "Under 550 Calories" menu.  I had the Asiago Peppercorn Steak, with baby potatoes and steamed veggies.  It was only 390 delicious calories. I also enjoyed their Skinny Bee Margarita for 100 calories.  So delicious!

For the heck of it, when we got home I looked up what Bill had for lunch because we were curious.  He had Provolone Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccine, and the Maple Blondie for dessert. It came in at a surprising and whopping 2,500+ calories! The portions weren't even that big...he was able to finish his meal when he usually takes home leftovers. Wow!!

I ended the day at 1,375 calories and mucho water. I'm thinking I'll just switch my weigh-in day to Thursday since vacation altered my schedule.  Doesn't really matter on which day I weigh...just want it to be once a week.

Wishing you all peace, joy, and good choices this coming week.  Good night and God bless...

Today's My Birthday!! (Day 109)

Today was a lovely day! We made headway with unpacking and laundry, and then we hit the grocery store.

And then we went to Sabrina and Jim's house to hang with the kids and celebrate my birthday! We had a great time visiting and telling stories about our vacation. And instead of cake, we had sugar-free jello and cool whip for dessert in my honor! ;-)  Thanks, Jim!  The only dark cloud on the day was that Sierra and Matt couldn't make it. (Missed you guys!)

I'm usually not a birthday-celebrating kind of girl, but I was happy to celebrate this one because it's the healthiest I've been in such a very long time.  And next year will be even better when I'm at the right weight for me.  This is really good stuff!!

Did well today...1,100 calories and 64 oz. of water.  Did a little walking when we went shopping, but that's about it for exercise.  That's fine with me because I'm still feeling pretty exhausted.

So I'm gonna hit the sack and look forward to a great Sunday.  Hope you make it a good one, as well!

Good night and God bless...

Bill & Karyn's Excellent Adventure! (Day 108)

We're finally home from our really fantastic vacation!  Fantastic, and at times, unexpected!

So we started our trip on Saturday the 16th. What I didn't mention (because Bill didn't want our family to worry) is that the day before we left he burned the top of his feet with scalding hot cooking oil at his morning job.  One foot was not too bad, but the other had a pretty serious 2nd degree burn that we had to treat and bandage twice a day the whole time we were gone.  He wore flip-flops the whole time, and while the burn itself is doing much better, the whole foot is still pretty swollen. We'll be having it checked out again on Saturday to make sure it's healing properly.  He was a real trooper, though, and didn't let this stop him from having fun!

In my last few posts, I detailed the first part of the vacation and some of the beautiful sights we were blessed to experience.  Next came Las Vegas and Stephan's wedding.  So Vegas is a pretty unique and interesting place! ;-)  There's so much joy and revelry there, and yet also so much sadness and desperation.  I think we're both glad that we got to experience this place once in our lives, even though it was really not our bag.

But on Sunday was the wedding and it was fantastic!  Stephan and Lisa got married at a beautiful spot called The Grove that was about a half hour north of the strip.  We had the best time and we're so very happy that we were able to be a part of their special day!

On Monday, we were supposed to fly home and get back to our jobs on Tuesday.  So...didn't quite work out that way!  We were flying stand-by because we get a great deal through Bill's job at FedEx, and it was a piece of cake leaving Chicago.  Come to find out, though, you don't ever want to fly stand-by leaving Las Vegas. (Wish someone would have told us that BEFORE we made the arrangements!)  They totally overbook all the flights out of there to Chicago...it's a mystery to me why they do that!  We spent the whole day at the airport and the loud speaker was constantly looking for volunteers to give up their flights for a travel voucher w/food and hotel if they would agree to leave later. Anyway, we spent all of Monday at the airport.  It looked possible that we might get on the 11:55 PM flight, but we learned early evening that it was canceled because of weather in Chicago.

So we shuttled to a nearby hotel for the night, and were determined to get out on Tuesday. But when we got up we learned that all the flights to Chicago were canceled because of the wind storm of the century! We also learned that because of the mess this would create, stand-by passengers might not get out of there until Thursday or Friday.  So at 7:30 AM on Tuesday we decided to rent a car and drive home.  Thus the unexpected part of the trip!

We drove until 10:30 Tuesday night, experiencing the gorgeous landscape of southern Utah and an early snow and treacherous ice storm while driving through Vail, Colorado. We stopped at a hotel, collapsed until 3:30 AM and hit the road again, driving through the plains of Nebraska, Iowa, and into Illinois.  We dropped off the rental at Chicago's Midway airport at 8:00 Wednesday night and were both able to get back to our jobs yesterday. (One fun thing about this unexpected road trip was that we grabbed breakfast in a town called North Platte in Nebraska. Turns out that Bill lived there for a couple years as a child, so that was fun!)

I would have posted this last night, but we had one more trip to make, reconnecting with our luggage. Seems our suitcase decided to make the trip to Chicago's O'Hare airport without us on Monday, so we had to drive there last night to get it. Mission accomplished!

Anyway, we're both pretty exhausted!  The really good news is that I WAS able to get into those jeans that I couldn't fit into when I packed them.  And I actually lost 5 lbs. while on vacation!  Considering the fact that we spent the last 5 days at the wedding, at the airport, or in the car, I'm pretty thrilled with that! (In the end, we logged over 3,200 miles on the rental cars so that's alot of sedentary time!)  Bill told me last night that he found my 5 lbs. plus 3 more!  As soon as he gets back to his FedEx groove, he'll lose those 8 lbs. in no time, though truth be told, I wouldn't mind if he kept them!!

So it's back to routine and I'm really looking forward to it! I feel like I'll never catch up with all your blogs, but I'll give it a shot over the next several days. I'm serious when I say that you were all on my mind...I was hoping and praying that things were going well for all my friends!  If you feel like commenting here, I would love it if you'd include a couple of sentences about how you're doing to help me catch up!

Lots to do today at work so I'm up and at 'em early! Here are a few more pictures, and I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!!

Good morning and God bless...

The happy couple!

Parents of the Groom (my sister!!)

Rocky Mountain High!

Can you say "majesty?"

Amen!

Bearizona!! (Day 99)

Well, we've settled in for the night at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.  We will be here until we fly home on Monday morning.  My nephew Stephan and his fiancee Lisa will tie the knot on Sunday.  We're looking forward to a great wedding and some awesome time spent with family and friends!

We just realized today that we've put 1,300 miles on the rental car!! That's a whole lot of God's country that we've had the pleasure to experience and enjoy.  In fact, we were so taken with the scenery that we missed our turn-off in Kingsman, AZ where we were supposed to head north back to Vegas.  Instead, we couldn't stop laughing when we passed the "Welcome to California" sign!  We ended up in the middle of the Mojave Desert with under half a tank of gas.  So to be more accurate, I was laughing...Bill didn't start laughing until we found a gas station! ;-)

We also took in a really cool drive-thru wildlife park called "Bearizona!"  Very fun and got up close and personal with some gorgeous creatures.

It's hard to believe in light of the mileage we're putting on the car, but we have really been doing tons of walking.  And I only had 750 calories today.  Sheesh!!  I'm gonna go have a plum as soon as I post this!

Here are a few photos from Bearizona.  Should have some up from Vegas in a day or so.

Even though we are having a fantastic time, I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you.  I'm serious when I say that you have all been in my heart and in my prayers!

God bless...

Bearizona!!

Some kind of cool sheep!

Baby Bear...I think it might be Boo-Boo!

Bill and his new friend!

My friend, too!

Who wouldn't want dinner here??

The Painted Desert & Grand Canyon! (Day 97)

I can't even tell you how awesome this vacation is!  Can't believe how fast it's going by!

Day 4 found us at The Petrified Forest National Park, which contains the amazing Painted Desert.  We ended the day at sunset at the Grand Canyon.  We have some awesome pictures from the digital camera, but I think the best pictures will be the works of art that Bill has been taking with the 35mm.  Can't wait to get them developed.

Did a better job drinking water today. I was seriously starting to feel dehydrated.  1,045 calories, and mega, mega steps! I brought a pair of jeans with me that I couldn't quite fit into when we left Chicago.  I'm feeling pretty confident that I'll be able to wear them this Saturday.  We'll see!!

Here are a few pictures from The Painted Desert and The Grand Canyon...enjoy!!

The Painted Desert

The Petrified Forest

The Painted Desert

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon at sunset

Almost Heaven... (Day 95 & 96)

We have been having the BEST time!!

I haven't been taking the time to blog, but that hasn't meant that I haven't been walking the walk. Lots and lots of exercise walking around God's country, though I haven't had nearly enough water.  But food has been no problem at all.  If anything, I've not been eating enough.  Saturday was 720 calories, Sunday was 710, and today was 1,060.

We went to the Grand Canyon yesterday, and we're going back tomorrow.  I'll post pictures tomorrow night...we figured out some things with our camera and I know tomorrow's pictures will be better.  I can't even begin to describe how we felt standing at the rim of the Canyon. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried, and I feel emotional even thinking about it.  It's the most majestic and divine thing I've ever experienced.  If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this sight, I really recommend that you put a trip to Arizona on your bucket list.

I've been missing the other blogs I read, and I hope to catch up.  And I really hope things are going well for all of you. For me, I'm just so glad to learn that it is completely possible to manage discipline and good choices in the midst of life away from my normal routine.

Here are a few pictures so far...enjoy!!

Amazing view from the airplane!

Rainbow after a sudden downpour.

Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona

That's my guy!!  He got some amazing shots with the 35mm!

Majesty in the distance

Majesty in the distance Part 2

We're Leaving on a Jet Plane... (Day 94)

Well, it's been a really great day.  I didn't quite get everything I needed to get done at work, so I'll be typing on the plane.  And we're still not done packing!! You can totally tell that we're not exactly seasoned travelers!

Our son, Justin, is picking us up at 6:30 in the morning to take us to the airport.  So I'm going to keep this short, finish up the packing, and try and get some sleep.

I'll try and post some pictures of the beautiful Grand Canyon and the Vegas lights!  Maybe I'll take a page from anne h. and try and come up with some clever captions.  No one can do that like anne, but I might give it a go!

1,045 calories, quite a bit of walking, but I totally slacked off on the water today...too preoccupied with other things!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend...I wish you joy, love, and oodles of good choices! ;-)

God bless...

Forks & NSVs (Day 93)

Truckin' along on day 93.  1,075 calories, with a whole bunch of w & w [water & walking] ;-)

So I had an interesting NSV today. I sat down at the dining room table this morning and realized that I was eating with a regular fork.  It wasn't a plastic fork.  And come to think of it, I've been using a regular fork with my meals for at least a few weeks now.

So you might be thinking, "what has that got to do with anything, and why is it an NSV?"  Well, I'm glad you asked.

I always buy plastic forks because it's just easier.  They're relatively cheap and you can grab one, eat your meal, and then throw it in the trash. No yucky, dried food to have to wash off the forks.

So it was interesting for me to realize I wasn't using the plastic forks anymore.

It's just another one of those areas of my life that are just automatically improving because of the good choices I'm making for my health. I've developed really good habits in my food choices and in exercise. And almost as a chain reaction, I am watching much less mindless television.  I do much less procrastinating, and tackle tasks when I see that they need to be done. I'm spending much more time in conversation with God, and much more time cleaning and grooming and reading and writing.

For me, using all those plastic forks was just me being rather lazy. But without even making a conscious decision, I'm using stainless steel forks...I rinse them off when I'm done, and put them immediately in the dishwasher.

These new, good habits are a direct result of this weight-loss journey...thus the classification of non-scale victory!

And the best part is that I'm no longer contributing unnecessary garbage to some landfill somewhere!

Tomorrow, TGIF...and then VACATION!!!

Hope you have a fantastic Friday!!

Weigh-In Wednesday... (Day 92)

Since I was out of town on Monday, I had to weigh-in today.  I've lost 3 lbs. since my last weigh-in...a total of 43 lbs. to date.

7 more lbs. to 50...that's a big milestone...it's actually hard to believe. 

The way I've been living and eating doesn't really feel like something I'm doing anymore.  It simply feels like the way I'm being.  I just went through my day today and lived life. Eating has become like brushing my teeth. I don't give it much thought...it's just something I do. I don't think anymore about getting up and walking. I just do it.  The same with food.  I don't think much about it. I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and maybe some popcorn or string cheese for a snack. Making good choices is becoming as routine as going to the drive-thru used to be.

It's all good stuff!

So I'm counting down to vacation and I'm starting to get really excited. Still have packing to do, and quite a bit of work to get done before end of day on Friday. I also want to look up more restaurants to add to my Excel spreadsheet so I'll feel more prepared. Even though I said I don't have to give this stuff much thought anymore, I think vacation is definitely going to be an exception to that. I want to have many options at hand so that our meals don't become a burden. We both really need this time to get away, relax, and enjoy each other. I can't wait!

Cheryl gave me some good advice today.  She suggested that I not rush through trying to catch up with the study we're doing. I think she's right.  I may not be able to get back into the study until we get on the plane on Saturday and that might have to be OK.  Even though I haven't been doing the formal study, I've never felt closer to God than I do now.

1,175 calories today, and lots of walking and water.

It really is all good stuff!

Hope it's been a good one for you, too, and that tomorrow brings more of the same!

Good night and God bless...

I Feel Like Dorothy... (Day 91)

There's no place like home!  ;-)

I had a great time the last few days sharing and collaborating with other communications professionals. We have now launched a great network of support that will make all of our jobs easier moving forward, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity.

The last few days have given me quite a boost in confidence related to my ability to make good choices in the face of uncertainty. I had fruit for breakfast at the hotel this morning, and lunch was baked potatoes, chicken fingers, breadsticks, and some kind of gorgeous cream pie. I had one baked potato with chives, and a nutri-grain cereal bar off the snack table.  I arrived home around 5:00 and had a low sodium turkey sandwich, string cheese, and some popcorn. I've finished up the day at 1,100 calories.

Shane asked me if one of my motivations for sticking so strictly to my plan is the fact that I would have to admit any slip-ups here on my blog.  To be honest, when I started this little trip, I was nervous about whether I'd be able to manage, and was actually preparing myself for the confession that I felt would be coming.  I was going to be in a room with a bunch of strangers, and I didn't want to ask for special treatment.  And I had no idea what food would be served.

But something happened early the first morning that made everything so much easier.  When we got started, our facilitator, Kem, asked each of us to answer a couple of questions so that we could begin to get to know one another.  The first question was related to how we got our current job, and how long we'd been serving in that position. But the second question was to tell everyone something about ourselves that others might now know.

That question gave me the perfect opportunity to talk about the last three months and my commitment to lose weight and improve my health. From then on, it was simple to manage.  And Kem helped to make it easy when we went to Gino's East by remembering and encouraging me to order whatever I wanted.

Anyway, I'm glad to be home and I can't wait for Bill to get here!  The next few days are going to be very busy getting things under control at work and getting ready to leave for Las Vegas on Saturday.  And I'm so far behind on my book study...Amy and Cheryl, I'll try and catch up to you ladies as fast as I can!

I also want to catch up on the other blogs I read so that's also on my to-do list.  Before I say good night, though, I do want to thank GP at Mind Over Fatter for giving me a Versatile Blogger award. I'm supposed to tell you seven things about myself, and nominate 15 other blogs...I'll try and pass this along tomorrow!  ;-)  Here's my top seven:

1. I love to write in HTML code.
2. I'm an Alfred Hitchcock freak!
3. Scrabble is my favorite board game.
4. I'm actually enjoying drinking water.
5. I plan to write a fiction novel some day.
6. Visiting Ireland and Israel is on my bucket list.
7. I'm not as concerned about approval as I used to be.

Good night, friends...hope you all have a fantastic Wednesday!!

Ending the Day with Plan Intact... (Day 90)

It's 11:00 here in Indiana and I just got back to my hotel room.  It's been a long, but very rewarding day.  Learned a lot from other communications professionals, and I look forward to learning more tomorrow.

Breakfast at the hotel was no problem...fresh fruit and an english muffin.  For lunch, they served mexican food and a nice salad.  I had some salad and some grilled chicken and beef, with onions and green peppers.  I skipped the tortillas, sour cream, and cheese...I'm sure I had no more than 250 calories.

For dinner, we went to Gino's East.  Chicago-style pizza?!?!  Are you kidding me??? Not just that...but appetizers, too!!  Beautiful brushetta and mozzarella cheese sticks.  3 large deep dish pizzas...spinach, meat lovers, and pepperoni for 13 people.

No...actually for 12 people because I ordered a small salad and a grilled chicken breast. The conversation was fantastic, and I enjoyed my dinner very much.  As I passed the plates of food to the people next to me, I couldn't help but think about how far I've come.  Someday I'll be able to enjoy a nice slice of Chicago-style pizza.  (If you've never had the pleasure, it's pretty close to being a slice of heaven!)  But for now, the number on the scale and the way I feel when I walk up a flight of stairs is much more satisfying than that pizza could ever be.

I really miss keeping up with the many blogs that I follow.  Right now, sleep seems to be the better idea so I won't nod off when I drive home tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to catching up with all of you when I get back to Chicagoland.

For now, though, good night and God bless...

There's More Than Corn in Indiana (Day 89)

Blogging from beautiful Granger, Indiana.  It was a gorgeous and uneventful drive and I enjoyed it very much.

My room at the Hyatt is fantastic...a large flat-screen TV and my fridge is now stocked with water and fruit, so I feel somewhat more prepared to handle the next couple days.

Tomorrow will be the first Monday since I started that I won't be able to weigh-in. I'll weigh-in when I can and it will be fine.

1,110 calories today, water, and I just went out and walked around the local shopping mall, so I feel really good about the day.  I'm going to take Shane and Amy's advice and do some toning exercises before bed, and when I get up in the morning to help stay on track.

Looking forward to a great week filled with new friends and good choices.

Good night and God bless...

Out of My Comfort Zone...(Day 88)

A quick post after a long and busy day. 

Stuck to the plan like glue...a really good day.  We got all the running around done that we wanted to do.  I still have to finish packing for my Indiana trip, and Bill's packing now for Vegas because he won't have much more opportunity to get it done during the week.  We just figured out that we'll need to make a trip to the mall in the morning for a couple things for Bill.  All his jeans are pretty beat up, and he needs a new dress shirt and tie for the wedding.  I think his ties are all about 100 years old! At least they look that way! ;-)

And in case I don't mention it enough, this is one special guy I'm married to.  The last thing he did before we came home from our errands and church was to top off the gas tank in my car.  Then when we got home, he checked the oil, topped off all the fluids, and put a bunch of spare stuff in the trunk in case I have any problems on the road during my two hour drive to Granger.  He pretty much thinks of everything, and I'm so grateful.

Hopefully the good habits I've developed over the last three months will help me navigate the next three days, as they will be completely out of my routine comfort zone. I'll try to rely on the basics...calorie counting as best I can, water, and whatever exercise I can get in.

And hopefully I'll be able to blog each night.  I think the hotel I'm staying at has wifi, so that will help.

Hope you've all been having a good weekend!

Good night and God bless...

Good Will Here I Come! (Day 87)

Much better day today, I'm happy to report.

Crazy time coming up though! We'll be seriously busy tomorrow. Bill's going to get a flu and pneumonia shot, then the dry cleaners, groceries, nursing home, laundry, and church. Then I'll have to find time to pack...I'll be leaving for Granger, Indiana around 2:00 Sunday afternoon. And I definitely want to find time to kick back and connect with my best friend before I leave. I'm going to miss him!

So I had some serious fun this evening trying on some smaller clothes from the back of my closet and packing up a bunch of stuff for Good Will. I have two huge bags filled so far! We're dropping them off tomorrow...don't want that stuff around any more cuz I will never need them again! ;-)

1,165 calories today and I'm still drinking water. I'll probably be sorry about that around 2:00. Walking today was super good...I totally picked up the pace everywhere I went. It's getting easier and easier by the minute.

I need to finish up today's study and go turn on the porch light for Bill. Before I go, I want to give a shout out to a couple of my blogging friends. If you don't follow Anne H. at Carb Tripper, you're really missing out. Anne is a breath of fresh air and one of the most creative people I've come across. And my buddy Shane at Losing it For the Family is as encouraging and as positive as his blog title. For you praying folk, Shane's taking the LSAT tomorrow and it would be cool if we could all pray for peace and calm as he rocks this important test.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend filled with joy, adventure, and good choices. Good night and God bless!

I Need a Plan! (Day 86)

Kind of a stressful day today. Stayed on plan, though. 1,200 calories with alot of water. A fair amount of walking, but probably no bike tonight.

I'm starting to get a bit worried about all that I've got coming up in the next few weeks. A work conference in Indiana from this Sunday through Tuesday. And then Bill and I leave on Saturday for a 10 day trip to Las Vegas / Grand Canyon. Then I'll be back at work for a day, and the next day I have jury duty!

For someone who takes a lot of comfort in routine, the next few weeks are going to be anything but. I'm not too worried about staying within my calorie limit. But all that restaurant food is going to be so high in sodium, and I know I won't be able to drink as much water because I doubt there will be a bathroom around every corner.

I'm going to try and figure out some kind of plan to deal with all this. For now, I just feel tired and ready to sack out. Here's hoping for a happy Friday!

Good night and God bless...

I Love Sleep!! (Day 85)

I'm going to have to start setting the alarm clock for the morning. Today was the third time in the last week or so that I actually slept until almost 7:00 AM. I'm generally thrilled if I can make it past 4!! I can't begin to express how good that feels.

I had some things that I needed to take care of at work first thing, so I started out the day in a rather rushed fashion. I decided that I could either make breakfast or lunch, but didn't want to take the time to do both. So I figured I'd make lunch and then stop at McDonald's on my way in to get an Egg McMuffin for 300 calories. I haven't done that in weeks because those little babies have nearly 900mg of sodium. So I didn't feel very good about that choice.

Instead, I ended up just making two sandwiches (low sodium oven roasted turkey breast on a whole wheat english muffin with a slice of swiss cheese). I also grabbed two plums, two bottles of water, and then scooted out the door.

I ate one of the sandwiches and one of the plums in the car on the way to work. A rather unconventional breakfast, but at only 290 calories, I felt really good about my choice. By the end of the day, I had lots of water and 1,105 satisfying calories.

I've been toying with the idea of doing a liquids-only fast one day per week as part of the 8-week Bible study that I'm doing with a couple blogging friends. I was going to try that today, but with the crazy start to my day I completely forgot about my plan. Since I've been hanging out around 1,100 calories a day lately, I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not.

Anyway, the plan for the rest of the evening is to finish today's study, and go upstairs to see if I can find something to wear to my nephew's wedding. And I also need to figure out how to set the alarm clock! ;-)

Wishing you all a happy tomorrow...good night and God bless...

Yep...More Good Stuff! (Day 84)

Today has been a really great day.  They have all been great lately.  Even when they're busy and crazy and stressful and hectic, they're still great.  I feel so much healthier, both mentally and physically, and better able to handle anything that comes my way. 

1,150 calories...water...walking...CHECK!

After work today, I had a really nice trip to Wal-mart.  I really, really dislike shopping so I'm surprised I had such a good time.  I parked far away from the door and walked all around the store.  I literally haven't shopped like that in a very long time!  Usually it's in and out...no browsing whatsoever.  Today I browsed and enjoyed every minute of it.  I even bought a pair of jeans in a size that I haven't seen in forever!

So basically, I ♥ my life!!  There's always something good to find and appreciate if we look hard enough...I hope you found your something good today!

Before I say good night, here's a little something from today's reading that struck me. God bless y'all!

There's got to be much more to life
than just this flesh and bones.

But when a man devotes himself through groans
and strivings just to meet his fleshly needs
and never listens to his soul or heeds
those deep longings,

Then it matters not if he's a wise man or a fool.

T. M. Moore

Completely Immersed... (Day 83)

I feel completely immersed in this new life, and I like it. I like it very much.

I was thinking today about deprivation.  In the past with my many, many diet attempts, I remember always feeling sorry for myself and very deprived. 

I couldn't eat the things that I wanted. If I was to stick to my diet and lose weight, I couldn't have the burgers or french fries or ice cream or donuts or candy or...well, you know what I mean. The list goes on and on of all the things I couldn't have.

Deprived.  I felt very, very deprived.

And so after a very short time, I would just give up and go back to indulging myself with anything I desired. I wasn't feeling deprived any longer...I was just gaining more and more weight and becoming more unhealthy by the minute.

I'm beginning to realize how messed up that thinking was.

Messed up but with a twist.  Because the truth is, it was the times that I was being the most indulgent that I was really the most deprived.

I was deprived of fruits and vegetables and whole grains and chicken and seafood and water and...well, you know what I mean.  The list goes on and on of all the healthy things I wasn't eating because I was mostly eating junk.

I'm not feeling deprived these days. For nearly 3 months, I've been choosing healthy food in reasonable portions and I'm feeling so much healthier than I have felt in many, many years. I've developed a taste for healthy foods.

Some day I may add some of those old indulgences back into my diet. I don't know, though. I've been reading too many lists of ingredients lately. There's a lot of crap in the stuff I used to eat!

None of this is easy...it took me 20 years to get here. I'm just glad I finally got here, and that I got here before it was too late.

1,210 calories today and I'm going to work up a sweat on the bike in a little while.  I'm happy to say that I lost 4.5 lbs. last week...40 lbs. to date!

One of the reasons I'm where I am at this point is because of the support system that this blogging world provides. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart...you're in my thoughts and prayers everyday.

Good night and God bless...

A Lovely Day... (Day 82)

Such a very lovely, lazy, romantic day!

We decided to see a matinee this morning, and chose "The Social Network."  It's an excellent movie, not only detailing the the surprising history of Facebook, but it's also a story of unrequited love. We both "liked" it alot. (That's a very lame FB joke in case you missed it!)

Then we went to iHop for lunch.  We both actually felt like breakfast, and I ordered the Simple & Fit Omelet with swiss cheese, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes, with a side of fresh fruit.  330 delicious calories. 

After lunch, it was back to the house to relax. We watched the last Indycar race of the season and both did some internet research...Bill on his netbook and me on my laptop.  We really need to get busy planning our vacation and we made a little bit of headway, but neither one of us is feeling the urgency just yet. Paid more attention to the race than the task at hand. We're going to have to kick it in gear soon!

No problem navigating the dietary jungle...1,055 very satisfying calories. Did a great job staying hydrated...another bottle of water and my eyeballs will be floating. Some moderate walking while we were out...nothing to write home about but it still counts as moving.

I'm starting an 8-week Bible study tomorrow with a couple of my blogging friends called, "Woman of Moderation." Looking forward to it! Tomorrow is also weigh-day.  Should be a happy number. ;-)

Wishing you all a week filled with happy times, good choices, and self-control.  Let's get it done!

Good night and God bless...

Whew! (Day 81)

We have literally been running all day.  Played with Nora and grocery shopping this morning, and then church-related stuff for the whole rest of the day.

We just rolled in and are pretty much exhausted.

It's been a good and fulfilling day.  1,200 calories and tons of exercise with all our errands and volunteer projects.

Hoping for a good night's sleep to top it all off.  Tomorrow Bill suggested that we go on a date, so I'm looking forward to lunch and a movie.  And then we plan to just relax for the rest of the day.  Sounds heavenly!

Hope it's been a good one for you all!

Good night and God bless...

Fantasy Becomes Reality (Day 80)

Where the heck did September go??  I can't believe how fast this year is flying by! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then we'll be ringing in 2011!

I believe that 2011 will go down in my memory banks as one of my favorite years ever.  Some of my favorites include the year Bill and I got married, the year each of our children and grandchildren were born, and the year Bill and I started again.  There have been weddings, and funerals, and anniversaries...times of celebration and times of remembrance. 

2011 will rank right up there, because it will be the year that I win the battle of the bulge. Not maybe, not I hope, but I will.

I have this fantasy. It involves me in a drop-dead gorgeous red dress, dancing with my prince charming to "Lady in Red." Mark my words.  Next Christmas, fantasy becomes reality. And I'll have the pictures to prove it.

1,010 calories today.  There was alot of up and down the stairs at work today getting ready for the weekend.  Took the stairs down, and yes, I took the stairs up.  It's getting easier every day.  

The weekend looks to be busy and full. It's starting out fantastic because we're having a sleepover with our favorite little princess.  Nora is an adorable one-year-old chatterbox genius! This kid is so smart!  Her favorite things in the world are books.  She spent an hour tonight bringing me books and holding up her arms until I picked her up and read them to her.  When I'd finish, she'd turn back to the first page and shove the book at me again.  I probably read the same 3 or 4 books a couple dozen times before bedtime.

She's asleep now, so Bill will have to wait until the morning to enjoy the pleasure of her company.

I'm going to go pick up her toys and turn on the porch light for my guy.  Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

God bless...