A Big Week

I have been feeling better and better and have finally came to a decision. I have been wearing the same size jeans for over a year, and am now going to go and get a new pair in a new SIZE! Yes, it will be a size smaller, thank you. Since I usually just look at my tags and buy the same size time after time, this really is a milestone for me. Its not that I don't shop, no, I do, it's just like I have my measurements memorized, and I don't try anything different. But ow, whoa baby, this will be awesome! I guess you have to understand me a bit. Being the same size for so long gets you into a routine. I think this lifestyle change Mary and I have made is also refreshing us mentally as well. I notice little things, like when we go out to eat, water is asked for instead of soda, dessert is passed on, often even at home. To tell the truth, she does better than me in the will power department, and I'm very proud of how she has been going along. Maybe it's because I feel I have a shorter distance to go, but I seem to be more prone to "accessorizing" my meals. Ok, cheat. But still, I have lost weight, I have been able to change my belt notches, and I don't get as out of breath as I had been lately. When I watched the Shaklee video for our training, the doctor mentioned little changes can make a big difference. I believe it because I see it, in Mary and myself. We have now been talking about making some bigger changes, so I guess that means from little changes to medium changes, after all, let's not get too wild here, right? I think I will post a pic of my new jeans this week, of course, I still have to go shopping for them!

Take a Hike!

What are we to do with this gorgeous weather? Take a hike!!! :-)

The sun is shining and the breeze is blowing kisses through the warm spring air. The birds lend their song to the pleasant orchestra of a world coming to life. I would say it was thawing out, but it never seemed to freeze this winter. Don't get me wrong, I feel no pity for the neglected shovel leaning against the back of my house. Nope, I am thoroughly enjoying the mild weather and wish to take full advantage of it!

That being said, what WILL I do with this gift? Well, I am trying to be productive and cross many things things off the "To-Do" list today. I'd love to surprise my husband with a clean slate when he arrives home. As daunting a task as that may be, I am positive that I will get much further than if I hadn't tried at all.

TO DO LIST:

- Breakfast meal shake & vitamins

- Early morning ministry

- Clean the house

- DRINK WATER

- Make sure Gary's done with his home schoolwork for the day

- Study the Pro Presenter 4 tutorials for my Office Rep job at Kauffman Chiropractic

(BEFORE the sales meeting tonight)

- Attend the online sign language class so I don't fall behind on that

- DRINK WATER

- Cement details for my niece's visit over Spring Break

- Get an itinerary of activities together for that week (any ideas for two teen girls?)

- Lunch (Greek yogurt and my son heated up some leftover Chinese)

- DRINK WATER

- Zumba 2 on the Wii (30 minutes)

- Get dinner prepped (and anything frozen, get out to thaw)

(I AM open to any suggestions/ideas for tasty yet healthy dinner options)

- Take a hike! (To Kauffman Chiropractic for the sales meeting, a 3.5 mile trek)

- DRINK WATER

- Family Bible Study

I am determined to lose this weight! I still have not gained or lost since my last post, so maybe the water and exercise will help. My journey to a World of Wellness will be traveled weekly, not weakly! - Mary

"No G-News is Good G-news," - Gary Gnu

Good Evening! I can't believe it's been 9 days since our last blog! Well, don't worry... as Gary Gnu said, "No G-news is GOOD G-news!" Although I haven't lost any weight since last time, I haven't gained any either!!!

We've been busy, and more so than usual. My van blew a head gasket and it's been repaired... TWICE! My husband went back to work after being laid off all winter. And I've started another job (not a NEW job, as if I stopped any/all others, but I've added another to my list which includes mystery shopper, daycare provider, World of Wellness enthusiast, Shaklee independent distributor, Bible instructor, mom of a home schooled teen, etc., etc., etc.).

Well, honestly, we've cheated a little as things "spring" to life and our calendar gets packed. The congregation pot luck family night was last weekend and I couldn't risk offending someone by NOT tasting each dish my friends so lovingly prepared. LOL.

Martin and I have been remaining active, we've been drinking our meal shakes for breakfast, and he's been taking a lunch to work instead of grabbing an artery clogging lunch somewhere. Eating healthy HAS proved a little difficult since we've been increasing our efforts as Kauffman Chiropractic's Office Representatives. I've decided that we need to plan ahead and pack a healthy meal when we know we'll be busy during mealtime. That's my bad and I'm determined to not trip over that obstacle again.

So, the plan for this week is drink more water, eat healthy meals which include fresh fruit and vegetables, and don't SKIP any meals! I also need to schedule time to exercise because trying to fit it in when I can isn't working. I DO have three Zumba belts for use with my Zumba 2 on the Wii... hint, hint, hint. Any takers? :-)

Take care my friends, and don't let one week make you weak! I continue my fight to achieve what I deserve... what everyone deserves... a world a wellness!!!

PS: I just received my latest Shaklee newsletter in the mail. I'm going to dive into it tonight and tomorrow... and I'll share some juicy tid bits soon.

Amazing! I have been at it a little more than a week, and already I see big differences! I have switched to the Shaklee meal shake for the last week or so, drank more water and cut down (not cut out!) my soft drinks and snacks. I have lost almost four pounds in this week, 3.9 to be exact. That is great! Yes, I just patted myself on the back, after all, now that I lost all that weight I can reach around, lol. I have managed to increase my exercising, and now try to spend a little longer on it as well as increasing the days I do it with Mary. It really is great to see it coming off. I mean, I was pushing the last buckle on my belt a month ago, got back to my second notch a few weeks back, and yesterday I was in my third notch, and it was comfortable! If I can make it a little further, I think I will treat myself to a new pair of jeans. So, earlier I mentioned cutting back on my soft drinks. I had to phrase it that way, because I don't know where in the country you are reading from today. It may be pop, or soda, or Coke even! Yes, when I was in Tennessee for a few years, people always were asking if I wanted a Coke. I said yes, because I like Coke, then I would be shocked by them asking what kind of Coke I wanted, Sprite, Root Beer, Pepsi, Orange, etc. It was funny when I would go into the restaurants with my friends and they would all stare at me when I started laughing when asked that question. They would give me looks, wondering what I found so funny. Eventually, they just chalked it up to a "Yank thang" and went on with what they were doing. So, that is why I chose Soft Drinks. Long story? Yeah, but you read it, didn't you?

Happy Hump Day/Wednesday - The highest hurdle till the weekend

Okay, I never got the whole "hump" day thing. I have always enjoyed Wednesdays because that means there are only two days till Friday. I mean, only rainy days and Mondays get me down... right? (Grin).

So, I'm down a pound since last week. I do realize that we can fluctuate a pound or two every day, but I'm happy. A pound may not seem like a lot, but if you hold a brick of butter in your hand you realize a pound is quite a bit! I know, ever the optimist, but something's got to keep me going. Wednesday isn't the daunting hurdle that intimidates me... it's failing this battle to lose weight and be healthy. That's just plain scary! So, just as the weekend is the "gold" at the end of the rainbow, achieving my WORLD OF WELLNESS is the lost treasure I'm determined to find and unearth. I have my map with the big red "X" marking the spot. Now, I just need to follow the path, overcome the strategically placed obstacles and booby traps, and view anyone that would hinder my success as a potential pirate that would steal my booty... unwittingly or not!

I feel good about this past week. We've kept up the meal shakes for breakfast, we've been trying to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and our dinner portions have been modest (i.e. no overflowing plate, and seconds are frowned upon). When I couldn't resist snacking, I made sure to only grab a few rice crackers or another bottle of water. I'm pretty proud of the many temptations I've resisted. And by the way, if you love someone... don't offer them candy bars or Starbucks when they're trying to lose weight. It's not nice. Just sayin'.

Oh, and just because something is "fat free" doesn't make it calorie free! So, if someone who is trying to lose weight indulges in calories (fat free or not), then said "someone" should be forced to walk the plank and burn as many calories on the Wii or in Zumba dance that have been ingested... IMHO. (Shrug) Of course, I'm not naming names. That wouldn't be nice... would it? (Coy grin, innocent giggle).

Well, since I was workin' out with my gal pal at 6:30 AM, breaking a sweat and trying to talk like it was no big thing despite my body screaming for sanity, I felt extremely accomplished by an early hour today. I was then in service doing business territory with my family and the day rewarded me with sunshine and a nice spring "breeze"(if that's what you want to call the gale force gusts blowing garbage cans over and scattering trash everywhere). My husband is a pillar of support and I enjoy his company on this journey. He works out with me, encourages me, and loves me. What else could a gal want? He's my amazing Marty and I love him right back! I hope I encourage and support him as he needs. He certainly deserves it... and I certainly don't deserve him!!!!

I have to smile as I sit for a moment reflecting on my day thus far and contemplating what remains of my schedule. I enjoy watching the trees "dance" outside, and as I close my eyes I hear and imagine the wind singing a breezy ballad. Yes, they are celebrating my victories with me one pound at a time. I will win this war one battle at a time, and one week shall not make me weak!!!

Today, we had a great time. We started off healthy, and kept it up. Its easy to make small changes that can have a big impact. Just ordering sandwiches without mayo, for example, can add up to a lot of saved calories. So finally the busy day is over, all is accomplished, and now you get a chance to listen to me write. Wait, did I just say that? Ok, you know what I mean. This evening, I had to go out of town to get my car from the mechanics shop. I was supposed to go yesterday, but they actually had both of my cars at the same time, and I had to pick one up yesterday and the other one today. This was a funny week, because no one in my family had a vehicle. My son, daughter and step son all had car problems this week. Hopefully theirs will be settled soon, but since they all live in different states, we can't really help, just sympathize with each others plight, and of course, try to top each others broken down car stories. My sons story wins the prize, his car won't accelerate past 30 mph, and he needs to take a highway to work, plus he is a lead-footed driver, so it's ironic on top of everything, lol.

Another day, dreary of sky, wet and windy. Fortunately the weather doesn't determine our moods, so we had a pretty good day. A lot of errands to do and now done. It started off kilter, and we got a late start, but we had our good shake, this time with banana, and I'm glad I upped it a little bit today, we didn't get too lunch until late and I really needed it. By then, I was ready to eat a horse, but since they are hard to find, I had to wait. We had caught up our lateness by then and it was a good time to take a break. Sometimes, I feel overbooked, but there is really nothing like the feeling you get from sitting down at the end of the day knowing you finished things, worked hard, and accomplished goals. That is enough to make it worth doing again tomorrow.

Success!

After all my promises, I finally did it! I started exercising again with Mary and it was well worth it to me. I had been delaying again and figured another day would be blown by being to "busy". At lunch, Mary had moved our coffee table out of the way and was ready for me to start. When we started the Wii up to do our vitals and then I had another surprise waiting for me- it had been 39 days since my last attempt! I felt that it had not been that long, but I was so wrong. We got our stats, we danced to the Zumba 2 and felt so good that we finally got our act together. Mary has helped me so much, helping by getting the Shaklee Meal shakes together, as well as chopping up fruits and vegetables for our snacks, and making sure we have healthy food to eat. That actually is my problem. I will have a candy bar, cookies or something to munch on. It's like I'm grazing all day long, but I have cut that out now. I think that is going to be the hardest for me. I remember something Dave Ramsey used to say, "You live like no one else, so later, you can live like no one else." I am thinking that this might be appropriate, because I want to be healthy, but I have to put forth the effort. I am itching to go back to my snacks. And the couch. No! Stop that! Ok, that's better. Till next time!