I just love the closeness of spring that March brings. I grew up on a ranch and we always calved in March. Seeing the new little calves born lifted my spirits as the snow started dissapearing and the streams defrosted. I like the change of seasons, but the winter ice and snow make everyday a lot harder so I'm always glad to see it go. Of course this year I have my daughter's wedding in June - so that makes March even more fun!!
Got through the trials of the pond and we're working on some changes in the business so I'm past the emotions of dealing w/those two issues - yea!!
The eating is going well and I am enjoying feeling lighter and my clothes fitting better. I'm also tickled that I'll go into March at 165 and can realistically expect to be out of my 60's as we head into April. WAY COOL!!!!
I know some of you are on WW and some JC but it would be fun to hear what others are doing. I started out counting calories using the ep food log. It takes a little effort to set up your favorite foods but I found it served me well. In addition to that, as often as possible I only eat when I'm truly hungry (like when I get a growl). After comparing the calories to the portion sizes and understanding how little I could really eat then I stopped logging calories. I like it because I don't have to spend a lot of time preapring menus, etc. I am very forturnate in that my hubby doesn't want anything around the house that isn't good for us and my kids are grown so I can keep the house purged of temptations. The other day I tried to find something to eat to take the edge off my anxiety and there was nothing around! That saved me from having to re-coup a gain. I have been WAY BETTER at getting my water intake in (that was always hard for me) but Lipton's green tea to go has been a big help. My favorite is the citrus.
This is the weekend I get all our personal books done (bills paid, checkbooks balanced, etc.) so I better get off ep and get into Quickbooks.
Hope all of you have a SUPER weekend!! Let's look forward to Monday without any food regrets!!!
Need to jot down a couple things because getting it on paper helps tone down my emotional responses and also helps me to set the correct priorities as I process difficult events. I have a tendency to blow something out of proportion or act too quickly trying to get a problem solved. Problems take time to resolve, so I need patience. Writting it down gives me something to do while I wait and that helps.
Our business that has always served us well, is under a 'China' crunch. We have lost 3 customer's to China and this is cutting into our business by the tune of 120K per year (about 20%). That means bills & bank loans get paid late, we have to press our customers for a/r and we have to lay off two employees and do their work ourselves (DH and I). I've come to enjoy having a gal helping me so to let her go and do it all myself requires a little griefing and a lot more hours - ugh!! It means less time for my parents and adult children and I was really enjoying having a little more time to spend with them BUT I know one thing is for sure - God is trustworthy and I can do the work knowing He knows what's best for me (more than what I think is best for me). I just have to adjust my mental attitude and be thankful. I have a natural tendency towards martyrdom (because of some things I went through in childhood). God, I'm sure wants me to experiance the freedom from that attitude and so it' up to me to let it go. We have a tendency to hang on to those things like crutches - "Well, if I don't feel like a martyr, then what do I feel?" If I feel like a martyr then I don't have to do anything about it; I don't have to be responsible because it's someone else's fault. But I've matured spiritually enough to know that's faulty wiring and to let God do some re-wiring. Responsibility and self-control are good things (fruits of the spirit). I can be responsible for my attitude or changing my circumstances if need be. And I have a trustworthy God to lead me like the Good Sheperd He is.
Besides this business thing, our indoor pond sprang a leak last night, (we bought a building a couple years ago that used to be owned by Montana Ponds and Streams so there's an indoor pond with huge gold fish and many, many chiclids), and the ordeal of draining it & dealing w/the fish is difficult. We've decided to forgo fixing it and will eventually turn the space into an office (if and when we can afford it). We found a local aquarium store that can take the fish so at least we don't have to destroy them. That's a good thing!
Please pray for me as we process the next best move for the business. I'll let my helper know tomorrow that she doesn't have a job in March and DH will let our resaw guy know. I hate that part of making hard decisions. Dissapointing other people hurts me. Please pray for me that God stays my comfort (not food). Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Yippee!! I lost another lb. It looks like Feb and March will be used to get me past the 160's. And even though that's not big impressive numbers it's progress that will get me there. It's just a wonderful feeling to have my clothes loosening at the waist and not feeling like I'm going to be cut in half - haha. I'm obviously an apple shape - like a big melon sitting on toothpicks!! Maybe I can get that down to a grapefruit, then an orange and who knows,if my waist ever re-appears I could even get out of the fruits and into the numbers (like #8)
Wow!! We got an absolutely fabulous view of the lunar eclipse last night. The sky was clear and the moon was full. I just love the night sky and our awsome God who put it there for our pleasure. (I live in MT with almost no city lights so the stars can take your breathe away). Maybe I should have studied astronomy. haha
Doing good with the food intake but missed a couple workouts this week because I got home too late from wedding shopping (my daughter in June). I'll get a good one in this afternoon. (I usually workout around 3:30 after work) Today is donut day at the shop so I've got to go to the bakery this morning, do a little shipping for the biz and then to mom & dad's to help with them. Mom wants to clean the bathrooms today and do a little laundry. I struggle with food at mom's sometimes because it's hard to not eat when I'm with my folks but because of lent, she doesn't have any sweets in the house so PTL, it won't be hard today - yea!!
I most always have a Kashi bar for breakfast, oatmeal w/dried fruit for lunch, and some meat with vegtables at night. Sometimes I add sugar free, fat free pudding or a small bowl of popcorn before bed (tonight we'll have cod, salad and spinich for supper). That'll work!!!
God is so good! Thank you, thank you for your prayers! The Bunko hostess served a variety of hors d'oeuvres (instead of a big meal) and a very light dessert. So even after taking one of several, my plate was only 1/3 full and the dessert was angel food cake w/fruit. My weaknesses are bar-b-que & chips which are usually plentiful at Bunko - and she had none!! YIPEE!! I know there will be times when God asks me to restrain my worldly desires in the midst of temptation but Praise Him, it wasn't last night. He set some limits for me with what was provided. I'm just so thankful.
Bunko is a dice game (very, very simple) played as an excuse to get together once a month with your friends. Our little group (of 12) chooses to have the hostess provide a meal. There's usually a good deal of alcohol involved (but I'm very fortunate in that doesn't happen to be one of my temptations) and our rules are diets are off!! So if you're hosting you usually fix a spread to feed 12 lumberjacks - haha!!! You win prizes if you come in 1st, 2nd, last or roll a bunko (5 of a kind). It's ridiculously simple so it affords you lots of time to talk and laugh.
Again, sisters - thanks for holding me up in prayer. My sucess is your glory!
Today was a great start to another week - only booboo was a handful of nuts around 4 pm. I have bunko tonight and our host serves a meal so I've got to really watch my portions there. They always serve great goodies so I'm going to pray, pray, pray. And I'm using you girls as my accountability partners and let you know what I ate in tomorrow morning's blog. If you get this before 8 pm mtn. time please give me a prayer. Thanks
Yesterday (as every Thursday) is donut day at the shop and I buy the donuts for the guys. I was so pleased because I didn't even want one. YEA !!!!!!!!!! I'm just thrilled that I felt what it is like to not be tempted by a donut!!! I really thank the Lord for giving me a glimpse of the future - set free from the pull of junk food. As I looked at the donuts and muffins I knew how sickening sweet they tasted and they actually repulsed me. Isn't that COOL??!! Believe me - that's new for me - haha
After the early morning donut purchase, I went to my folk's (they are both in thier 80's) and I helped them do some shopping, cleaning and moved some furniture around in the living room. I usually work part of the weekends on the production schedule board w/my husband (we run our business together) so I like taking Thursdays off. It is such a blessing to be the child who lives close to help my folks. They think I'm helping them but God knows it's really the other way around. My sisters and brother all live in different states - WA, FL and CA - and they give great emotional support and help out whenever they are here. Got home late though and didn't get my workout in. I'll give it an extra punch today!!!
My experience with food this weekend reminded me of an eye doctor and his which is better - this or this - questions. Friday my husband (Steve) and I had pizza (Papa Murphy's delite) and I bought a new style delight and tried it but ate too many pieces since Steve didn't like it. So I laid there feeling too full for half the night. I compared that to the nights I've gone to sleep feeling a little gaunt instead. I admit, my inner 2 yr old was fussing and wanted to eat, but I denied her and logged in a wt loss the next morning. So - too full or too empty? - both are uncomfortable but one leads to guilt and trying to make-up for the mistake and the other leads to exhilaration and thankfulness. No Comparison!!
I'd like to know if any of you stop eating like 3 hours before bed? And if you do, do you feel gaunt, too?
Took a small detour and didn't have time to sit here and write or log my wt. or exercise or log my food. Have been busier than a one armed fan dancer w/my daughter's wedding plans but wow has that been fun. And a blessing that we can recover the years we lost to drugs. Talk about skinny she got down to the 80's now that was scarry! But today is a new day and an opportunity to get back w/it. I haven't stepped on the scale - yikes! Scared it might reflect my lact of attention to this wt. loss plan of mine. Today is bible, work, helping my folks, exercise and phone calls. And because I'm up early and have already spent an hour on my pc I'm going to get to my quiet time and my day. See you all later -
Had a great day yesterday w/my daughter meeting w/the wedding cake gals (she wants an Alice in Wonderland cake) and w/the tux people. Her fiance came w/us and it was good to see them interact together and make choices. They were sweet holding hands and posing for tux photos. And if you only knew how far they've come - wowzer!!! It was a blessing for me to see them like this. W/out going into detail my daughter has been clean now for almost 2 years. So when I say it's a blessing to see her like this I really mean - IT'S A BLESSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
My weight is slowing creeping down - still going in the right direction - yea!! Looks like I'll log in a 6 lb. loss for January. I'd really like it if I didn't have to spend 2 months in the 160's so to accomplish that I'm going to get my calories down to 1000 from 11 to 1200 and add more muscle building exercises so I can raise my metabolism. I'm tempted to try alli but I'm not sure that's the healthies way to go and what happens after I go off those pills - yeah :( a bigg old wt. gain no doubt. So I guess I just talked myself out of that idea. If any of you have ideas on ways to quicken a wt loss I'd sure like to hear them. Thanks!!
so that makes March even more fun!!
then I stopped logging calories. I like it because I don't have to spend a lot of time preapring menus, etc. I am very forturnate in that my hubby doesn't want anything around the house that isn't good for us and my kids are grown so I can keep the house purged of temptations. The other day I tried to find something to eat to take the edge off my anxiety and there was nothing around! That saved me from having to re-coup a gain. I have been WAY BETTER at getting my water intake in (that was always hard for me) but Lipton's green tea to go has been a big help. My favorite is the citrus.