Less Candy

Hello, again.  It's been a while and so many good things and bad things have happened. But God uses them all to bring good out of all of it.
Of all the years I tried to lose weight thru diet and exercise, I never considered going vegan! I'm not really sure what vegan is--there are many different designations for vegetarians!  But, I have found that eating (or juicing) fruits and veggies works for me.  I'm not really giving up on meat or dairy--in fact, I had a banana split on the Fourth of July. My plan is to eat only fruit and vegetables when I am at home. When I go out, I may or may not have meat, dairy, dessert, etc. I am amazed at how easy it has been for me to get back to the veggies after a day or two of 'regular' eating.
I am also amazed at how good veggies taste without the dip or the frying. And I'm re-discovering my love of cooking. Inventing ways to use fruits and veggies together has been fun.
This is more than salads and soups. I'm roasting squash and eggplant and peppers, then blending up a sauce or pesto to add to them. Not every dish is a success, but none of them have been so bad I had to throw it out!
The proof is on the scale!  I've lost 10 pounds since May 8th and my Body Mass Index has decreased. I plan to have my cholesterol checked again soon. I'm hoping to be able to reduce my medication.
So--less medication and less Candy!  It has worked for 2 months. Here's hoping I can keep it up.

Anyone out there?

Here I am again. Where are you?  It occurred to me recently that I sometimes go weeks without talking to anyone besides my hubby (and he doesn't talk much). So I'm gonna try to reach out and touch someone thru blogging---again!
Several things on my mind these days and it seems when I knit (yea, I've been knitting lately--all my daughter's fault) I think and then desire to have some feed back on my thoughts. Did I tell you my husband doesn't talk much?  So tell me what you think of what I think--please.
 Knitting--it's fun, but I want a craft that doesn't require weeks to complete.  Even on my 'masterpiece' paintings, I'm only willing to put in 6 to 8 hours. BTW, you can see some of them on my website candyforyoureyes.com
Exercise--walking and/or running hurt my knee these days. The doc says it's arthritis, but I'm thinking there is a tendon or cartilage issue because of the location of the pain. So I haven't been doing any "exercise", however I have been working and active lately as hubby and I are renovating a cabin by the lake.  Does painting, hauling, cleaning, digging, etc count as exercise?
Dieting--I KNOW my problem is sweets and fried foods.  I KNOW I should take sugar and animal fat out of my diet. Of course, I use the excuse of not having a real kitchen (we are living in our motor coach) to buy fast food. Yada..yada..you have heard it all before. I just need to put into practice what I KNOW! That reminds me of the verse that says "Be ye DOERS of the word and not hearers only." It is not enough to KNOW--we have to DO!
Make-up--my skin has the appearance of a desert landscape these days.  Someone told me that the blood pressure meds I'm taking will do that. :( I've never been one to wear lots of make-up--I sweat it away within minutes anyway. I want to be able to use cosmetics to make this 62-yer-old face look better. As I've never been 62 before, I have no idea where to start. And when you go to the cosmetics counter, you find lovely, 20-somethings who know how to apply false eyelashes and beauty spots. I need a 70-something former model who knows how to make me look good for my age!
Are you tired of reading my complaints?  Sorry--I'm going back to knitting now.  :)  Watch for pictures of my finished object.

Where am I headed?

Two steps forward and....aaahhhhh!  I'm going in the wrong direction!  After 3 weeks of no sweets and no sugar in my drinks (coffee, tea and water only), the only thing I have lost is my mind.  :(  Actually, I have gained a pound.  Not sure how that happened.  I have been eating a smaller breakfast (cereal or egg whites), having a lite lunch and salad for supper.  I confess to eating calorie dense foods (that sounds better than fatty-foods) on Sundays, but I would guess that for the last few weeks I have cut my calorie intake by almost half.
And I have been getting some form of exercise in 5-6 days a week. In the last blog, I mentioned exercising 60 minutes a day.   Well, I'm not there yet. Maybe this will be the week!
I plan to continue to weigh myself everyday, but I'm not going to focus on that.  I'm afraid that if I do, I'll give up. SO--I'm going to  plan to continue eating for nutrition and to continue exercising and trust that good will come from it!
Here's hoping for great results for each of you.

Time to Play!

While watching the SuperBowl (yea, Eli!), I kept seeing the Play 60 commercial, which promotes an hour of play each day for kids.  And I decided that I, too, need to play 60!  The 20 -30 minutes of walking I might get 3 or 4 days a week is just not enough, especially for the amount of calories I take in.
Yes, I am trying to reduce the portion sizes and the types of food I eat so that I don't consume more calories than I need, but I also need to increase how much I move. Here are 3 reasons I need to move more:
1--Movement is good for my physical health--keeps the blood flowing, the bowels moving, and the muscles strong.
2--Movement is good for my mental health--keeps the blues away and the brain active.
3--Movement is good for...   ...
Okay, so there are 2 reasons!  See!?!--without movement, my brain isn't active enough to come up with 3 reasons!
Anyway, today, I ate correctly: things my body needs for fuel and the correct amounts. Today was good. Tomorrow may be a little more challenging because of our Ladies' Bible Study/Supper. Those old Baptist women sure can cook!
My plan is to journal my eating and exercise on this blog. My prayer is that it helps me and encourages you.
See you next week!

I'm baaack! (said with tonal inflections)

It's been a while, I know. But here I go again...
The scale said I lost a pound!  Yea!  But within the hour, I put off my workout, ate a bagel and started feeling defeated!  :(  What's wrong with me??!  In Romans 7:15, Paul said, "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."  I'm with you, brother. Whatever makes me feel bad about myself is not something I should do--but I don't feel bad until it's too late to take it back!
It was just a bagel and cream cheese!  How I wish I could throw it up--but I hear that doesn't really help in the long run---besides, that would involve moving!
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is all over TV and other media these days. I never thought of myself as obsessive, but lately I'm beginning to see the compulsive side of me. And IT AIN'T PRETTY!  Today, I feel compulsed (is that a word?) to do nothing! So, I think I will sit down and wait for the feeling to subside!   aahhh (sigh)!

...(long pause)...

Well, that didn't work!  Does it count if I blog about it?  ---  No, I'm still not really moving.
I am without excuse.  There is no reason, no explanation as to why I am not walking, vacuuming, doing laundry...something...to get my heart rate up.

...(long pause)...

Well, pittle---I think I'll go take a nap!

Beginning again---again!

NO COMMITMENT! That has been my biggest problem in the past 4 months.  Today, I begin again. Had we been counting, I bet my number of 'beginnings' is greater than yours!  Seems I'm a winner at failing!  Now if I can only become a winner at losing...weight, that is.
This is not about appearance. This is not about what the doctors say I must do. This is about getting up off the couch without struggling. This is about being able to pick up my grandkids, bags of groceries, and boxes of Christmas ornaments. This is about being strong enough to do the things I love to do...paint, cook, decorate, take pictures, etc.
While I am growing older (you are, too, by the way), I don't need to grow frail. My muscles will never be what they were when I was in my 20s. In fact, according to a leading researcher at the Mayo Clinic, muscle mass, muscle strength and endurance begin to decline in our 30s and there is a rapid decline in our 60s. http://discoverysedge.mayo.edu/wasting_disease/index.cfm
But, rather than sliding down that muscle decline hill, I am going to grab hold of and try to maintain as much muscle as possible. I want to be able to move under my own power for as long as possible. Strong muscles will help me to do that.
AND, I plan to eat whatever will help me lose fat and strengthen muscles.
I don't know if my determination--my commitment--will last a week or a month or if it will fizzle this afternoon, but I'm going to try again anyway. Making a commitment to be a better me doesn't cost anything. Not making that commitment could cost me my health.

after 2 1/2 months

It seems my journey has been 'round and 'round the traffic circle! BTW, if I find the guy who invented those things, I would take some marbles and horseradish and a stapler and...nevermind. That's for another blog.

So, my journey is not leading me anywhere, but to self-recrimination. Good today--lose a pound! Bad today--gain 2! I see a pattern here! What I don't see is a pattern in my everyday. When I get up early, I tend to spend time with the Lord, time on the computer, time with coffee and then get moving. But, I don't always get up early. And on those days, I'm discombobulated all day! So, I think some structure and routine are necessary.

I have also noticed that I eat less and more healthful foods when I plan my meals and stick to the plan. What I have been missing on this journey, it seems, is a map. You see, I thought I could follow my nose. After all, I have been there (fit) before--I should know the way. My biggest problem is that I like to take side trips--to the bakery, to the chocolate shop, etc! I'm traveling this weight-loss road the same way we are traveling the open road--a few days here, a month over there... I keep looking for the place to get off the traffic circle so I can get on the straight and narrow! Wait a second--this isn't a traffic circle---it's a cul-de-sac! Help!