NEW YEAR.... NEW PLAN - Weigh In

165/ 166/135

Great way to start out the year! Actually, that isn't bad. two days ago I weighed 163! Not sure what I did differently, but we shall see. 

My overall goal is to lose ten pounds this year and keep it off. Maintaining is important. However, I've recently had a health scare that brought things into perspective. While I always thought I was eating right, in retrospect I realize I kept a lot from myself.

While I can't be completely forthcoming with you all, I am living in a totally transparent state with myself. I'm being honest about what I eat, what I drink and more importantly what I leave out.

Twelve days ago, with the realization I had to make some changes, I went back to a low carb/ high protein way of life. That's the key.. WAY OF LIFE.  I've done this round before but never stuck with the plan. Now it's not a diet as the way I have to eat if I want to live long enough to see my granddaughters become amazing young women like their mom. 

In the past twelve days I haven't had a single soda. I have still taken my sips large enough to take my vitamins but that is it. No more frozen cokes, mini sodas, etc. Possibly not even as a treat down the road... a LONG way down the road.

What going back to low carb/ high protein has forced me to do is take a serious look at my vegetable intake. I'm now eating vegetables every day... usually 2-3 times a day. I've sucked up the denture issue and begun eating salads. Through trial and error I've learned I can't chew spring mix but I can ice berg or romaine if I cut them up small. 

I'm eating fruits, both canned and fresh but in moderation. While they are good for me, they are high in sugar. So I'll add 3-4 slices of peaches to my bowl of oatmeal. I still have a problem eating fruit with cottage cheese so yeah, pretty much with the oatmeal. I'll also incorporate fruit to my protein pancakes as soon as I find the recipe. They're great with Apple Butter, too. I make my own but will have to watch the portion on those. 

Oh yeah... and the fluffy coffee recipe... 

No longer am I putting 1/3 C of mix to a cup of coffee. Now, I'm only adding 1 T. 1 TABLESPOON with a splash of milk. While it's not my super duper fluffy, I am still able to enjoy my mocha/ caramel coffee.

When it comes to health, some things are just worth the sacrifice and small in comparison to the larger picture.

Did you make New Year resolutions regarding your health? I'd love to hear what you're doing. Let's talk... we can talk and...

Enjoy the Journey!

TOGETHER!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I can't believe we are saying 2019! I have great plans to get back to be more productive and on time this year and I hope you'll come along for the journey.

I had planned to start the blog posts tomorrow but Bob is still home and he is trying to get some medical appointments taken care of before he goes back out. Those trips require near full days with travel/ appointment/ lunch. Ugh. One even has required an overnight to the big city.  That means I'm not getting the creating done ahead of a writing retreat I have the 3-6.  So my plan now is to spend the week following the retreat to get posts scheduled on the blog beginning Monday January 14th.

My one GOAL for 2019 is to drop 10 pounds. That's all I'm asking. I'm stepping in to the new year with a fresh plan. 

What are you looking forward to in 2019?

Whatever your plan, 

Enjoy the Journey

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

May your day be blessed with Family, Friends, Food and Precious Memories.

WEIGH IN 9-17-18

175/167/135

Hanging in. Considering the stress I've been under the past two weeks getting my new book ready to release, I'm surprised there wasn't a gain. Based on the circumstances, I wouldn't have been too upset. 

The book, An Ozarks Christmas, is uploaded to Kindle and KOPD. I just need to get someone to go through the proof copy then I can set the pre-order and release dates. 

There is so  much to do before the book releases but I'm not stressing - too much. I'm speaking at the Ozark Creative Writers Conference October 12th on Social Media - Choosing Your Top 3. I can't begin to cover everything in a 35 min. workshop + 10 min of Q & A so I'm creating a companion workbook. Thankfully, I am printing/ binding that one myself so I can work pretty much up to the last minute.

My only hiccup is that we have family coming in. Bob's youngest brother/ wife will be here on the 28th. His mom and her husband will be here on the 29th. Dean and Rhonda will leave October 1 - so only a 4-day visit. Rhonda and I are great friends as well as co-workers. She is one of my recruits in Stampin' UP! so we want to be able to craft that weekend.

Mom and Dick will leave on the 7th. So they'll be here an entire week while I'm trying to finish the workbook. I don't want to be cramming those the night before I leave for conference. That would make for a REALLLLY long day the following when I have a three and a half hour drive plus getting settled and an afternoon conference session. Then I'll need to be all bright eyed and bushy tailed for my session on Friday. the 12th. 

So.. not a lot of stress, just needing to break everything down and make things manageable. My sugar has been up as a result so I need to really work on that this week. 

But everything is part of the Journey. What ever path you choose, make the most of everything along the way, but most of all...

Enjoy the Journey!

WEIGH IN 9-3-18

175/166/135

Hangin' in at the 166 this week. I'm okay with that when I look back to the weight a year ago..

I'm only down three pounds in that year but at my heaviest between then and now, I weighed 172 in October.

But at my lowest I was 161 in January of this year.  

In looking back, I also noticed I've been at 166 before - that spot being a hump I could not get past. Let's see if I can push past 166 this time around. 

Bob is on the boat so I'm on my schedule, eating what I want when I want. Lots of leftovers in small portions, meats/ fruits/ seafood. I need to work on the vegetable thing. Just those are something I don't eat well with my dentures and when I don't have to go anywhere, those seldom go in. Will see what I can come up with this week. 

I did eat at Ryan's Buffet yesterday. They do a good steamed broccoli. Done just to tenderness, still retaining color and very flavorful. 

I hope you're enjoying your Labor Day weekend. Treat yourself. It's okay! Don't beat yourself up about eating foods you think you shouldn't. Remember my keyword:  

MODERATION

Enjoy the journey!

WEIGH IN 8-27-18

175/ 166/ 135

Thursday morning when Bob and I did our weigh in, I was 167... had been the entire month he was home. This morning I was pleased to see a pound gone already. Now if I could just lose at least one more per week the entire time he's gone, I'd be looking at 162!  That would be just short of amazing.

The scale is reflecting that I'm back on my eating schedule. No full course meals. Mostly proteins. I want to add in more fish. (those raw jumbo shrimp in the freezer are calling my name!) But I'm thinking mackerel patties. I haven't had those in ages. Bob doesn't care for them. He's not big on fish in general. So maybe after I get past the spaghetti tomorrow, that will be next on the menu.

I've also been lax in taking my vitamins so I plan to re-integrate those tomorrow. Still too hot to do  much outside so probably not a lot of steps in my future after tomorrow. I did get in 11,000 steps last Wednesday. Can you tell I did laundry that day? LOL

So here's to a fresh, full week, alone to do my own thing and see if I can drop another pound.

What's on your plate for this week? Whatever you have planned, Enjoy the Journey!

WEIGH IN 8-13-18

175/167/135

Apologies for not getting in here on Monday. After being gone all last week on a research/ revisions trip I was not only tired Monday but had a week's worth of housework to catch up on. 

I'm up a pound, but considering I ate out for eight days, I'm not complaining. I did more sitting at the computer than getting any walking in, though I did log steps walking from the Inn of the Ozarks up to the Crescent Hotel and back. Boy, am I out of shape!  

I ate lots of protein for lunch/ dinner meals. Muffins and fruit cups made up most of my breakfasts. I really miss salads but I just don't enjoy them with my dentures. 

I know it seems like there is a lot I can't eat comfortably anymore but I think I've discovered the issue. I have a ridge of jaw bone that rises from the rest of the jaw line.. almost like having a peak on a flat plane. The uneveness may be preventing the bottom plate to seat properly. For now I'll deal. But I'm pretty sure I'll be paying my dentist a visit in the future to see if we can remedy the issue. 

I'll try to be on time next week.

In the mean time, if you'd like to see pictures of my research trip in beautiful Eureka Springs Arkansas, they are in THIS post on my author blog.