buttercup

I don’t count my calories.
 

I don’t log my food intake.

I don’t go over the deep end if the scale doesn’t move or shows a small gain.

I don’t go beyond what my body can handle for exercise.

I don’t OBSESS!

It’s an amazing feeling.  It’s like freedom to me.  I’ve been at this game long enough now that I know what proper portions are, I know what is good nutrition and what is not, and I know that weight can and will fluctuate as much as 2-3 pounds on a daily basis.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I bought Dr. Marc’s OMG plan.  I do believe his plan gave me the last bit of information I need to be able to NOT do those things mentioned above any longer.  I’ve been following his guidelines for going on 5 days now.  I’ve not once been hungry or felt deprived.  I’ve stayed full.  I’ve even eaten MORE, I’ve lost 3 more pounds, and my energy has soared even higher. 

OMG!  lol

Things I AM Doing

I’m loving life.

I’m living in the moment.

I’m eating on smaller plates.

I’m not having any artificial sweetners any longer.

I’m not using salt any longer.

I’m not eating meats and pasta in the same meal any longer.

I’m not eating meats and beans in the same meal any longer.

I’m replacing a lot of my meats with beans/legumes.

I’m weighing on a daily basis.

I’m planning my meals (this is KEY for me in weight loss and/or maintenance).

I’m trying new spices and new recipes.

I’m exercising without injuring my already problem knee, shoulder, and joints.

I’ve not been on BuddySlim much at all lately.  I can’t put a finger on why.  I do know that when I’m here, my work does not get the kind of attention it needs.  That’s a big part of it.  Everytime I got a mail or a comment to a blog, etc. I was getting notification through my work e-mail and then logging onto buddyslim just to read.  It was really adding up to a lot of time at work being here on this site, and since my time at work is direct billed to our clients, I just can’t do that.  I finally got internet at home, but it is dial up and so slowwwwwwwww, and after working on a computer all day, I just don’t want to get on one when I get home.  I hope my buddies will understand as I distance myself from this place a little.  My close buddies have my e-mail address, so pleeeeeeeeeeez don’t ever hesitate to contact me if you need some support, a shoulder, a laugh, or someone to talk to.  If you don’t have my e-mail and want to stay in closer touch with me, just let me know and I’ll give it to ya.  Debbi, I will be mailing my e-mail address to you whether you want it or not missy. Jo, that goes for you too buddy.  I’m just a pushy friend that way. HA!

Hugggggggggggggggggggs EveryBUDDY,

Shan

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.  “Pooh!” he whispered.  “Yes, Piglet?”  “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw.  “I just wanted to be sure of you.” (A.A. Milne)

Party time.  Weekend’s here.  YAY!  Looking forward to some time away from this office and all the deadlines and phone calls. 

Now I HAVE to blog how excited I am.  Jenn wrote a blog not too long ago that got my curiosity up and started me on a hunt for some answers.  What I ended up doing was going to Dr. Marc’s website and ordering his OMG package.  I got it downloaded, printed, and bound in a booklet for easy reference.  Had time to skim over it yesterday a little.  I have to say… I AM EXCITED TO BE GOING DOWN THIS ROAD!  So many answers to so many questions I had, a new path of learning, and just the motivation I need to pump me up like I was at the starting line ready to bust through the gates again.  Some of the info I already knew, but there is a wealth of information that I did not know and … well… I’M JUST EXCITTTTTTTTTTEDDDDD!!! 

Lots coming up in my future.  Camping trip next weekend at Lake O’ The Pines… then weekend after will be a trip to Pittsburg to see my very first cyberfriend I ever made.  Tom and I will be tilling up a garden spot for her.  Will also be attending a baby shower that weekend with her and her adopted daughter, the girl that we built the room for last fall.  Remember?  Her baby is due in April.  It’s going to be a boy.  She loves camoflauge, so I get to shop for baby camo, and you guys know how I love to shop!  Of course, Tom will be doing most of the work on the garden since my tendonitis seems to want to set up camp for awhile in my elbow.  It’s better, but I can’t push it unless I want to be right where I was on Monday.  No thank you.  I’m ready for this thing to heal, and heal as quickly as it can.  Good nutrition ought to help that right along. :)  Getting outside and walking has been great and a nice break from dvd exercising.  Buds are popping out everywhere.  Daffodils are already nodding their pretty yellow heads.  The tulip trees are busting out, with the pear trees right on their tails. 

Colton tried out for track yesterday at school.  Will find out today whether he made the team or not. *crosses fingers*  Since I was heavy into track when I was in school, I know what a confidence booster this can be for him, as well as teaching him self-discipline, desire, perserverance, and the benefits of exercise.

All my buddies… my peeps… my friends… have a FANTABULOUS weekend.  Remember to smile and love and find the joy and blessing in every single situation.  It’s there if you just seek it out.

Jo, my heart is with you lady.  Kama, still smiling about your daughter. 

Huggggggggggggggggs,
Shan
Nature gives you the face you have at twenty.  Life shapes the face you have at thirty.  But at fifty you get the face you deserve.
~Coco Chanel~ 

I love being middle age.  I love the fact that my mind tells me that I can do things and my body tells me “wait a minute there chickie”.  I love the fact that if I don’t conscientiously THINK before I DO then pain is the price I pay.  Of course, all that being said with a note of good humored sarcasm, tendonitis IS very painful and only TIME is going to fix it.  Another lovely lesson in patience.  They call it tennis elbow.  Never played tennis in my life so I find this hilarious.  At least through the frustrations my humor is intact.  I now have a pretty brace on my left arm, my daily pill box is now loaded with 1800 mg of ibuprofen, and ice is nearby for swelling.  Don’t even think about turning the palm facing up, cause that ain’t gonna happen for awhile.  I did this doing something that I do on a regular basis… outside work.   Cleaning up my little greenhouse where it tends to get used for a storage shed in the winter months.  Hauling/shoveling/spreading pea gravel on the earthen floor, moving propane tanks out of my way, organizing and taking inventory.  Some people call this work.  I call it FUN.  Doing this yearly chore gets me revved up for spring, anticipating the burst of buds on the trees and the pop of new growth out of the ground, the joys of planting seeds and watching them pop their tender sprouts in the seed trays, the smell of the garden soil, the dirt under my fingernails, the planning and research for a better crop of flowers than the one produced the year before.  As my pansies riot against the still winter months, and the tight buds wait patiently to spring forth on the Bradford pears when the time is just right, somehow still knowing it’s cold, I realize that God in all His glory knows just what He’s doing and when He wants it done.  He knows how the seasons bring us all hope for new and better, for re-growth, for the blossoming of our own souls. 

So the tendonitis is a setback.  I accept it… move on… not sit down.  My legs still work and with some hopefully pretty days ahead, will take advantage on lunchbreaks for get some walking in.  What better time to walk that trail anyway?  Birds flitting around preparing spring nests… seeing which flowers bloom first and which one hold their own for warmer climate… Yes, the exercise dvds can be utilized, but the arm movements are out for now, and since that’s what gets my heart rate on up there, I prefer to turn to the walking.  Maybe that was God’s little push to get me outside and taking in His glory during the transition from winter to spring. 

Weigh in results (6 weeks in).  ½ pound loss.  I’ll take it.  After Valentine’s weekend, which happens to be my son’s birthday, we celebrated, ate what we wanted, enjoyed.  I was actually looking for a small gain and was mentally prepared for it, so to see any loss at all was nice.  I have 6 more weeks of this contest to go.  It’s been a good motivator for me, and fun as well.  I don’t expect to win, but I do expect to be healthier by the end of it.

I’ll be back later to comment on some blogs.  Need to give Jo a pat on the back, need to pick Jennifer’s brain, need to give an extra huggggggg to Jane for doing so well, and need to HIGH FIVE Elizabeth for a first rate giterdonethisaintagame blog, need to see what that energetic nonstop Nancy has been up to, need to check on my cybernephew, need to see what motivating writings Yani has blessed us with, plus so many others, too many to name.  You’re all so special to me.  But for now, work calls my name, and unless one of my buddies wants to offer to pay my bills, I have to answer that call.

I know I haven’t been here much to support my buddies.  For that, I’m truly sorry.  A couple things have happened on the home front that has caused me to step back from this site.   I can’t find the joy in getting on here right now.  Until these personal things are worked through, and I can find my joy again, my visits here will be sporadic.  Please know that you’re all in my heart and I’m still rooting for you all.  This is a mental game as much as a physical one.  Both aspects of this journey must be faced on a daily basis ONE DAY AT A TIME.  It’s for life and health, not for a number.  We can’t just reach our number goal and quit.  We must keep going every single day or we lose. 

Not so scary if we take it ONE DAY AT A FLIPPEN TIME. 

Hugggggggggggggggggggggs,
Shan
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. 
~Lao Tzu~

Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience. 
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

I find myself swamped at work again, but a quick update.  Steve, brother in law, is doing well, but he’s not out of the hospital yet.  They are keeping check on a vein that runs from side of ankle up the leg.  If it gets infected, the leg is being amputated mid-shin.  Husband is home, and I am glad of that.  Although the trip to be with his brother was important, I sure missed him, even his little irritable ways that can really get under my skin. LOL  The fish fry over the weekend was a good one.  Lots of peeps and family and fun, and I did go overboard on the eating… even desserts. *sigh*  Not any damage on the scale (so far) but going on with my exercising, eating healthy, staying away from the sugar, and doin my THANG!  The desserts Saturday was the first I’ve had in a month.  What I found out was… yes, it made me crave sugar again Sunday.  But what was truly weird was, I was so tired from Saturday and not eating right that everything sweet I went for Sunday… I would take a bite, and it wouldn’t appeal to me at all… not the chocolate turtle cheesecake, not the cookie dough ice cream, and not the red velvet cake.  I would fix a dessert plate, fully intending to eat it, sit down, take a bite, and give it to someone else cause it tasted “too” sweet or not satisfying.  Know what it was that finally did the trick?  A big ol glass of ice water and a half hour nap.  Monday it was back to routine and I already feel so much better from good foods and plenty of water and plenty of exercising.  I would imagine THIS weekend when we take Colt to Dallas to Dave n Busters for his 13th birthday, I’m going to have a pretty easy time of making good choices.  I just don’t want that sluggish, run down, non-energized feeling that I got from just ONE day of letting it go.  This is progress for me and my sugar addiction. 

Let’s keep tapping into our minds and paying attention to our emotions and WORKIN the knowledge path peeps.  You never know when some lightbulb of understanding yourself a little bit better is going to hit.  But I can promise you that if you do absolutely nothing to grow and learn, then the lightbulbs in your life are going to NEVER be turned on.  We deserve that, don’t we?  We deserve some light in our life and we owe it to ourselves and God to be the best that we can be.

Hugggggggggggggggggggggggggs,
Shan

Give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections.  You can keep your sterile truth for yourself.  ~Vilfredo Pareto

for the overwhelming response to my blog yesterday.  Meant the world to me.  I spoke with Steve on the phone last night.  He was very very sick and not keeping any food down, but his emotional state was MUCH better.  I think Tom being there helped tremendously.  The surgery went okay.  He only lost one toe, and the docs were very surprised that they didn’t have to remove more.  Said it was like his foot started healing overnight.  No doubt in my mind that prayers in full faith had something to do with that.  Bless you all. 

 I managed to stay away from that cake yesterday.  I did go home from work and just kinds crawled under the covers and didn’t deal with the world.  I probably needed it.  My emotions are much better today.  I’m way behind on reading blogs, and doubt I will be able to catch up with all my buddies, but please know that you are all in my heart and I’m rooting for you to stay focused and determined.

Remember peeps, it’s not about “dieting”.  It’s about living a healthier life.  You do that, the weight loss is just an added benefit. 

HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGS,
Shan
Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.  ~English Proverb

Tom is on his way to New Mexico.  Left yesterday at 2:30 and should be arriving within the hour.  He called me this morning and said they will be operating on his brother (Steve) again today.  Definately removing 2 toes, and maybe more depending on how bad it is when they get in there.  I find myself very emotional today.  My faith is strong, but I hurt because Steve is hurting and he’s losing HIS faith.  It makes my heart physically ache if that makes any sense.  I want to be there sooooooo badly.  But one of us has to stay and carry on with life in my household.  Still have that fish fry Saturday to get through.  25 peeps at my house and no man to fry the fish.  I told dad last night I would be slappin an apron on him and putting him to work.  lol  Have to get my son packed and ready for church trip to Texarkana.  Have to pick up husbands workoad at work… client’s to contact, meetings to attend, projects have to keep going.  Lots to do, but really can’t muster up the energy today to even think straight. 

I don’t often ask for prayers.  I figure if people want to pray for something, they will just do it without prompting.  But today, I’m going to reach out and ask my buddies to pray for my brother in law Steve.  Prayers to revive his faith and let go of his wish to just go ahead and die.  He needs his faith NOW more than ever.  Why is it so easy to have faith when everything is going hunky dory, but when it get’s bad, the tendency to get on a self pity pot and “why me God” and “I just want to give up” and “i can’t do this anymore” becomes so strong?  I just want to shake people and shout at them “THAT’S when you RELY on your faith more than ever! IT’S HOW YOU SURVIVE IT!”

Somehow I’m going to stay away from that homemade cake in the kitchen at work today.  Somehow…

Faith can move mountains, but don’t be surprised if God hands you a shovel.  ~Author Unknown~

Be like the bird that, passing on her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings.  ~Victor Hugo~

I’ve got so much I want to say.  It’s like a head rush… all the thoughts swirling.  I was listening to my new set of Joyce Meyers cds on the way to work this morning.  Little disappointed that it wasn’t HER voice talking, but that of her daughter’s reading Joyce’s words.  Message is the same though, no matter who’s voice I’m hearing.  This set of cds is about 100 ways to simplify our lives.  Some pretty cool stuff I’ve heard so far.  Today, I’m going to concentrate on living in the moment, making every minute count, not think about what I’m GOING to be doing after I finish this, but actually staying in the task at hand, giving it my best effort, joy, and every little piece of me.  It’s the only way to glorify God in our daily mundane tasks.  He instructs us to do this in the Bible. 

I’ve got spin class scheduled for tonight. Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!  Nuff said.

Tried a new salad last night.  Chopped lettuce, chopped sweet onion, chopped celery, red kidney beans drained and rinsed.  Mixed with Miracle Whip.  Toasted a piece of whole grain bread to go with it.  It was so lovely that I’ve prepared some more for lunch today.  I realized that lately I’ve been replacing my meats more and more with beans and legumes.  Healthier, lower in fat, just as high in protein, and it comes from God’s green earth.  Used to be a day that I would have to have meat AND beans in a meal.  Talk about doubling your calories.  Although beans are high in calories, they are very filling.  A half cup does the trick for one meal. 

I have found a great cereal at the health food store.  Ezekiel 4:9 cereal.  Right off, the name of the cereal appealed to my spiritual side and I picked it up to read the ingredients.  NO sugar!  Zero. Zip. Nada.  Yeah baby!  Ezekiel 4:9 in the Bible says “But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt, put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself;…”  So I’m all for it, but I’m thinking this stuff is going to taste like cardboard like so many other high fiber cereals I’ve tried.  So I get my bowl out of the cabinet, measure my 1/2 cup out, which is 190 calories (wow) and pour it in the bowl.  Gosh!  That sure does not look like much.  No way am I going to get full on that small amount.  I measure out 1/2 cup of milk.  I throw in 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries.  I ate it.  It was tasty and the blueberries gave me that sweetness that I love.  I actually got full!  What a treat.  It’s going to be a staple in my house from now on.  Not only is it good for a meal, but I can sprinkle it on cottage cheese, yogurt, whenever I want a little crunch.

Weekend is going to be a challenge on the eating front.  Fish fry at my house with lots of guests.  Looking SO forward to it, but must plan a healthier avenue for me without making it complicated.  Yes, there will be beer drinking.  Haven’t had any in a month.  I can pretty much plan for the calories, and even save about 500 calories drinking a different beer than what I normally drink on occasions such as this.  I have red fish in the freezer.  Prolly will bake that, and steer clear of the fried foods.  I have some black olives, pickled okra, cherry peppers that I can pretty up my plate with.  That would take the place of the french fries.  I can whip up a nice garden salad with ease instead of dipping into the cole slaw.  Okay!  Plan in place!  Easyyyyyy Peasyyyyyyy.

Thinking about Jo this morning.  Like her, I’m struggling with my hard headed hormonal about to turn 13 year old who hates school, doing schoolwork, and would rather play than take care of responsibilities first.  There have been reprimands lately, privilages taken away, some crying, and some coming to terms and finally some communication opening up.  We are coming to the downhill side of it… for now.  Pretty sure this won’t be the last episode.  Being a parent is HARD.  Worth every single struggle though.  No better joy I can think of than raising my son.

My husband’s brother is in a bad way.  He has diabetes.  His “good” foot was operated on yesterday.  they removed dead flesh from the top and bottom of the foot.  Today we find out whether or not it will be amputated.  He was pretty drugged up on the phone last night, but he is giving up and contemplating his death.  Not sure whether it was the drugs talking or what.  But I do know that he needs his brother there, right now.  I spoke to my husband about taking the time off work and going to be with him.  I was not really surprised, but pretty disappointed and angered when he began to measure how this would affect his workload.  I don’t know about anyone else, but there will NEVER come a day that I think my work is more important than being there for my family.  He said he would think about making the trip, but there would be nothing he could do… his brother would just be laying there in the hospital and him sitting there.  Maybe there’s nothing he can do physically, but by God in Heaven above, he could BE there for moral support and to encourage and help his brother through this.  Last words I said to my husband last night “Don’t you dare let work become a priority over your brother”.  I felt like slapping that ego of his straight through the window.

How can I be in such a good mood and so joyful when something like this is going on in my family?  One word answer.  Faith.  It’s stronger than it’s ever been in my life, and by having more faith, God is working through me and providing me with the grace I need to help those around me, and to help myself.  This brings peace in my soul, happiness in my life, joy in my heart on a continuous basis… no matter what circumstances surround me.  I’m learning that LACK of faith robs me of God’s grace and the power to overcome obstacles, sorrows, trials, and tough times.  Okay, sermon over… for today. lol   Some day, when I get the courage (I’m working on it), I’m going to write my testimony.  It’s something I’ve been pulled in my heart more and more to do. 

Boy, this is a long blog.  If you read it, hope you get something out of it.  It sure helped me to get all those swirling thoughts in order and now I can concentrate on my work today. 

Huggggggggggggggggggs everyBUDDY!
Shan
If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you’re going to be cockeyed today.
~ Anonymous~

I’m sitting here, and my first inclination is to get depressed.  But I won’t.  We were suppose to weigh in yesterday morning, but that didn’t happen as we had a new internet server installed at the office and it was chaos, so they postponed weigh-in until this morning.  I went ahead and weighed yesterday… showed a 2.5 pound loss.  It wasn’t official though.  This morning, it only showed a 1.5 pound loss.  Huh?  *frown*  Okay, okay, OKAYYYY, I’m the first one to tell people that your weight can fluctuate on a daily basis as much as 4 pounds.  See?  That’s what I get for weighing in yesterday…. obsessing over that scale.  All it got me was disappointment this morning.  Lesson learned. 

I could sit here and tell myself “two flippen weeks and only 1.5 pounds to show for it”.

Or I could say “two beautiful weeks and healthy eating and movement and I’m down 1.5 pounds!” 

I’ll take the second mindset thank you very much.   I look at the past month since I started this contest.  I’ve lost a total of 8.5 pounds.  That 2 pounds a week, which is at the top of my goal range.  I’ve got more energy.  I feel great.  My clothes fit looser, and I’m starting to wear some clothes that I haven’t worn since I gained back 10 pounds from reaching goal last time.  I KNOW I’m putting on some muscle.  All good stuff, so I’m a happy camper.

I read something in a novel last night…. “The wheels have to be turning if your going to get somewhere”.  Really struck me.  It’s true for so many areas of my life.  If I want to see changes in my life that I desire - spiritually, mentally, physically - then I’m going to have to move those wheels, take risks, face fears, etc. to get where I want to be.  It won’t happen if I keep doing nothing.  I can’t grow spiritually if I don’t read God’s word and learn His truth and practice applying it in my life.  I can’t grow mentally if I don’t seek out knowledge from various sources, you guys being one of those sources.  Every time I log on here and read, I pick up pointers and tips and learning something new.  I can’t grow physically healthier if I don’t apply the knowledge I’ve gained and practice self control in my food choices and do what God designed my body to do, which is MOVE. 

You peeps ready to rumble today?  Got your spirit up?  Got that ‘TUDE on straight?  Ready to jump on that mojo wagon?

Let’s GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Huggggggggggggggs EveryBUDDY,
Shan
“If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don’t, you have achieved half your failure.” — David Ambrose

it was to never EVER give up.  Try try again.  Do it over.  Keep going.  Get mad.  Get happy in the same shoes you get mad in.  If something is not working, re-think my approach.  Try again.  Seek answers to problems.  Dig deep.  Always keep learning.

Since I’ve been a member on this site, I’ve reached goal.  I’ve gotten greedy.  I’ve wanted perfection instead of reality.  It was my downfall.  Pushing myself beyond my limits, causing injury, which put me at a dead standstill, and then found it hard to get back to what I knew to do.  That lasted months.  I gained back weight because of it.  I did not stay down.  I learned from it.  Not bragging, just plain facts.  Now I’m going for goal again.  This time, I’m doing it smarter… because I learned from my daddy.  The man I butted heads with for years.  Go figure.

WARNING - don’t read any further if you don’t want a harsh dose of the facts.

You get out of this life what you put into it.  Period.  Choices.  What’s important?  How BAD do you want it?  Why?  I’m mean WHY?  Changes.  HARD changes.  A little blood, sweat and tears for your dreams…

You want to be thinner?  You want to FEEL better?  You want more self-esteem?  You want a better life?

Welp, it sure ain’t gonna be handed to you on a silver platter by some little angel that flits down from heaven while you sit on your duff shoveling bon bons in your mouth in front of the tv, and it ain’t gonna happen by being sedentary because there’s always a fresh start “tomorrow”. 

You want it, you have to GO AFTER IT, cause nobody else is gonna do it for you.  I don’t care how many flippen times you fall on your ass, if you want it bad enough, you WILL get back up,  learn from the experience, and go for it again.  This trait is distilled in ALL OF US when we were born.  If it weren’t, we would have never learned how to walk as babies.

If you greatly desire something, have the guts to stake everything on obtaining it.
~Brendan Francis~

There is a great deal of difference between the eager man who wants to read a book, and the tired man who wants a book to read.
~G.K. Chesterton~