Okay my friends,
Here are today's results:
The Dr's scales said I didn't loose weight but I did loose 3 inches!!
My scales however showed a 1 pound loss.
So the running total is 9 1/2 pounds and 8 inches in 3 weeks
Oh well.... It's all good in the hood
Happy Weekend

Hey friends,

Thanks for all your posts, I've added your suggestions to my list and hope to try a few in the coming days.
We're excited to welcome Kelsey (our future daughter-in-law) in our home this weekend.
She arrived around 1:00 this morning after driving from Maryland and I can hardly wait to give her a hug.

We're going to an awesome fabric store about 1 hour from here to search out the materials
to make her veil.
Not only is Kelsey a godly young woman she is "wicked smart" (as my son says) and loves to stick to her budget. She is doing an amazing job planning their big day without breaking the bank.

I'll be going in for the latest weight and measurement assessment this morning and I'll post the results later on.
So far the results are 9 1/2 pounds and 5 inches lost after 2 weeks.
I'm confident those numbers will be much less this week, but in my book any loss is a victory!

Okay sweet friends, I'm off to begin the day and ready myself for a training session with the Amazing Annihilating Anthony. Last week he had me doing "The Bear", I wonder what other animals he'll have in store for me today?

Yesterday was a day... and that's all I'm going to mention.
When I arrived home I felt like Kate from "John and Kate plus eight" when she states
"Today could very well be the day I lose my mind."

Angry clients, broken computer systems and enough phone calls to give a girl cauliflower ear. Sorry, I did mention that I wasn't going to mention any details about my day didn't I?
Oops, my bad!

Any way why is this important and why bother even mentioning it?

Days like yesterday may give me reason to question my sanity but far more important are the reasons it gives me to be grateful.

Yes, my little family has it's quirks and kinks and we struggle with many of the same things most families do yet even in the midst of the messiness of life there are reasons to throw up my hands toward heaven and PRAISE the Lord for the family He has woven together for me.

Days like yesterday serve as a reminder that I do indeed have MUCH to be grateful for and I should tell my family members just how much I love them and am grateful to be walking through this life together with them.

What about you friends, are you experiencing days full of chaos, confusion and clamour?
What do you do to keep your sanity and civil tongue in place?

A bubble bath at the end of the day?
Perhaps you're more of a cup or tea or a bowl of ice cream and cookie kind of gal.

Do share your favorite way to relax, restore and release the stresses this life can and does bring.

I can't wait to try some of your suggestions

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Good Morning Friends,

Hope all is well and warm with you today. As I get ready for work I wanted to stop by with a brief post to update you on my latest "Heart Whispers".

If you read my last post you will know the Lord has been walking and talking my through some things these last few weeks.
While I'm not ready to share everything with you I will share one insight....

The Lord demands complete obedience from his children (doesn't every parent?).
Partial obedience is not obedience.
Delayed obedience is not obedience.
Disgruntled obedience is not obedience.

2 Chronicles 31:21 (NIV)
In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

Psalm 119:31 (NIV)
I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame.

What are your thoughts on the subject of obedience and what verses confirm your thoughts?

Heart Whispers

Hey Friends,

As I get ready for the day ahead I wanted to say good morning to all my sweet bloggy friends.
I've been quiet these last few days as the Lord and I are walking through a few things together.
I'm taking notes on what He has been whispering to my heart and hoping to learn a few lessons along the way.

Surely I can't be the only one in training; what are you walking through and what lessons are you learning as the Lord whispers to your heart?

Let it Snow

Hey friends,

We woke up this morning to our first real snow in five years. No laughing or snickering from my sweet northern friends. This is the south!
For those of you who are home today here's a recipe from my friend Kim Vail's blog.http://ksvail.blogspot.com/

Peanut Blossoms:
1/2 cup crisco shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tblsp. milk
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bag peanut butter chips
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Mix ingredients together and roll dough into balls.
Roll in white sugar and place on baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

These sound yummy!
Let me know how you like them.

Frozen Beaches

Hey friends,
Our trip to the beach was restful, relaxing and very cold. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!
Tom and I were able to squeeze in a three mile walk Thursday afternoon shortly after unpacking the car. It was sunny and the temps were in the high 40's.

However, the artic air decended upon us during the night and we woke up to freezing temps.
While I usually welcome cold weather (isn't it a menopausal woman's dream?) this was colder than cold, even the birds who normally remain on the beach and in the surf were no where to be found Friday morning as we tried to walk before breakfast.

Again I say a teeth chattering Brrrrrrrrrrrr!


We gave up and came home a day early.

Oh well... at least I'll begin the week rested and my house in order.

For those of you wondering our the new eating routine faired while we were in the land of fried seafood, hush puppies and everything that doesn't move, I cannot tell a lie, I did eat 2 fried oysters and 2 hush puppies; other than that I think I managed to stay on program.
The next assessment is this Friday after a training session with "Anthony the Annihilator". Whew! I'm tired just thinking about that.

The First Assessement

Hey there friends,

Well... I made it to my first assessment with the Naturopathic Physician today.
After 4 1/2 days on the new and improved eating plan we have shed 5 pounds and 5 inches.
Miracles of miracles and Hallelujah!!!
Only 15-20 pounds to go.


Who knew keeping your blood sugar levels in balance could make such a HUGE (no pun intended) difference.

The last time I shed 5 pounds and 5 inches in less than a week I was 12 years old and I was throwing my guts up with the flu. TMI Sorry! :-(

I know it's only water weight and I'm not complaining mind you, it's been so long since I've lost anything (other than my sanity or my keys) I'm grateful for ANY weight loss and ANY shrinkage.

Tom and I are off tomorrow morning for a few days to reconnect.
I'll keep you posted on the balancing act.
Happy Days my friends

LOL

Hey friends,
Someone sent this to me and boy does it fit with our latest conversations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygWO30gdpK4


Wednesday is weight and measure day. I'll update up after I see the Doc.

Enjoy and LOL

Laughter burns calories and is medicine for the soul.

Gaining Balance

Hey friends,
Thanks so much for all of your words of encouragement through my whining and moaning over this elusive thing of balancing weight and fitness.

I did see a homeopathic physician late last week and after more than an hour of consultation and conversation she has suggested a specific eating plan that should keep my blood sugar levels even and balanced thus allowing my body to shed the extra pounds that keep hanging (literally) around.

It's not really that different from what I have already been doing, just a little tweaking of my normal eating routine. I'm hopeful I will be able to achieve the desired results of balancing wieght loss and fitness without too much more whining or moaning.
I'll keep you posted.

Ready to Scream!!!!!!!!

Okay, so here's the deal... I've been diligent to keep my commitment working out and eating right.
Yes mam, for six long months I've been huffing and puffing, bending and lifting, running and crunching, sweating and stinking.

I gave up eating sugar and refined flour two years ago.
I didn't even think to lick the melted chocolate covering the 150 home-made chocolate covered cherries, sample the 200 pieces of baklava I baked or the 100 butter mints we made over the Christmas holiday.

I was voted client of the month in December after doing 110 men's push -ups; yet the junk in my trunk and the fat on my belly are still hanging around.
My inner thighs still talk to one another as I walk, "Excuse me." "Pardon me."
What is a girl to do? I'm ready to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are four and a half months before Josh and Kelsy walk down the aisle and again I must say I am ready to scream!!!!!!!

What's the deal and what else is a 52 year old menopausal woman to do to shed a few pounds and a few inches? Please don't think my goals and expectations are unrealistic.
I only want to shrink 1-2 sizes at the most. Hey, at this point I'd be thrilled and would stop my incessant whining if I could shrink just one size one size before ordering a dress (which has to be ordered by February 1 in order to be here in time for the wedding).

I think I'm to the point of not so quiet desperation and ready to run through the streets with my hair on fire.
I'm in need of some consolation friends; this cheerleader for life is in need of some cheering up herself. Can you spare a moment to encourage this encourager?

I think I'm ready to eat dirt if it would help.

Say it Isn't So!!!!!

As much as I hate to admit it I live a somewhat cluttered life in a somewhat cluttered world.

Have mercy and say it isn't so!!!!

How could this be? It must be a genetic abnormally.

This truth became oh so very clear while we were taking down the Christmas decorations and storing them in our storage room. There I was knee deep in boxes of stuff and no place to store them. Again I say Have mercy and ask how this could have happened?

Now don't think I'm such a pack rat that I would qualify for the show Clean House "Messiest House in the nation".

Tom is the organized, administrative type so my clutter is contained in this one storage room (and a few closets and my dresser drawers and one kitchen junk drawer and my purse).

Oh my, I guess I really do qualify as a pack rat. Oh the shame of it all!!

So... I've spent the better part of this last week taking one room a day and organizing that room.

Too bad I had to return to work this week, I was on such a roll.

It's been a walk down memory lane as well as an embarrassing task.

I had no idea I owned so many white t-shirts or purses.

Well, as wonderful as the memories are I've decided to part with most things and I've already taken one SUV load to the Good Will.

Happy shopping friends.

The task is daunting and overwhelming to say the least, but I'm committed to reducing the clutter in my home, my life and hopefully my mind (de-cluttering my purse is going to be a process).

I'll keep you posted on my progress. In the meantime here's the new and de-cluttered storage room. Look! You can even see the floor!

I didn't know that floor was gray concrete. HA!!