Been There, Done That

Been there, done that!  How many times do we hear or say that?  I have said it when I've visited a place or done something new and it doesn't really matter to me if I go there or do that again. 

But today's post is about the infamous weight loss scenario!  When I lost weight this past winter, I said "I am not going to gain weight and get up to ### weight again!  Been there, done that."  Well, guess what? I am not at that ### weight yet, but pretty darn close!  I can look back and see some of the good habits I learned last winter, I slowly forgot them and went back to old habits.  Good habits like weighing myself every day; drinking lots of water; eating fresh fruits and vegetables; and slowly eating my food.  I'm old enough that a person would think I had learned my lessons by now.

So, I am back to a weight loss plan.  It's not as hard as the first time last winter... err, I should say the umpteenth time I have been on a weight loss plan.  :)  I can do this because I have been there, done that! 

Unique

This shrub was planted shortly after we built our house.  It's one of three shrub/tree varieties that are still alive in our yard.  Don't get me wrong, you can almost stick a broomstick in the ground here and it will grow.  But over the past five years, other plants have died (two killing frosts) or have overtaken the area there were planted and we replaced them. 

Blue is my favorite color so it's not surprising that I would pick this shrub to plant.  I feel that my life and experiences have been unique in many ways and these flowers struck me as being unique too!  They remind me of hearts or teardrops or even angel wings. 

Have a blessed day!



Old and Independent

Recently, I have read a few magazine articles about age.... more specifically what age we feel and act. 

If I were to awake suddenly and be confronted by the question, "What age are you?"  I think I would say 47.  When I calculate what year that was, I find myself back in 1998-1999.  The year I decided it was time (after 12 years in Georgia) to move back to Wisconsin to live closer to my family.  It was an exciting time, selling stuff at our yard sale, finding land on a Wisconsin lake, selling our house in Georgia on the first day and drawing up house plans!

It felt like new beginnings AGAIN!  Those who know me are not surprised by that comment.  I have moved and changed states, homes and jobs "more times than some people change underwear."  Of course I wouldn't want to be around those smelly people, but then again, maybe I would!  Would you believe that a dream of mine is to just be a bum?  A traveling one that is! 

I have a comrade-in-arms in this dream, my husband.  He says he wants to be a "beach bum."  However, I am leaning more towards being a mountain bum.  I wonder what a person calls them?  Sasquatch?  Actually I think my husband does not want to be a bum at all, he is concerned about my retiring and not having the nice paycheck I bring home every other week. 

At my age, a person would think that I am set for life and just cruising into old age.  Wrong?  I feel trapped in my job, I count the days and weeks until I am fully vested in the employer matching funds in my 403B.  Maybe hubby is not the only one concerned about not having my paycheck. 

Restlessness is overwhelming sometimes!  To feel confined means that I don't feel independent.  I feel like I have no control over my life, yet my life is good.  Crap!  I just feel frustrated. 

Pedicure -----> Pain-a-cure

Almost every lose weight plan has the rewards category.  You know, get a goal and when you lose that weight you reward yourself with something non-food.  One of the many suggestions is a pedicure.  Ahhh!  Having someone else massage your feet and primp your toes, all for $25 (including tip).  Pretty cheap pleasures, right?

Well for most people, but not me. I HATE pedicures, it hurts!   I bet 99% of my readers (all two of you) will wonder what in the world I'm writing about.  I have a wide foot and my big toes are BIG toes.  This seems to create a syndrome called in-grown toenails.  Since the price of pedicures seems relatively cheap in my area, I have treated myself more often here in Texas, about every 4-5 weeks. 

I should say I have an operation done on my feet every 4-5 weeks.  The pedicure person (don't know what they call them, maybe pedophiles) just think they have-to remove every bit of cuticle and they dig and dig and dig around my toes.  They seem to get special please when they can grab one end and pull out about an inch worth of my cuticles.  I wince, I whine, I whimper.  I say (I should say shout) "OUCH" and "Stop."  All to no avail.  The last time I walked out of the salon. 

So, I went to another salon.  Let's try this again!  I explained to the pedicurist that I had just walked out of one salon due to pain.  I asked him, I "know you won't do that to me, will you?"  He did.

That was about six weeks ago and I know I'm really in need for another pedicure.  I lamenting about my situation at work yesterday and one co-worker said she saw a TV report about how unsanitary are the pedicure bins.  I can only imagine.  She said you got a massage bin and does her own pedicures.

Good idea!  Today, I found a Dr. Scholl's massage bin for $19.99 and I just gave myself the most relaxing pedicure.  That purchase already paid for itself.  Now it's time to do my cover-my-gray hair routine, that's not painful at all. 

Tortoise and the Hare

Remember the old tortoise and the hare story?  I wonder if they still read that in schools.  Regarding my weight loss story, I have been the hare.... rapid weight loss and now I'm in the tortoise phase.  But I keep telling myself "slow and steady wins the race."  Over the past month, I'm averaging about 1-2 pounds loss each week.  For me that is just fine.  At least I am not doing my typical behavior of celebrating a great weight loss by eating the pounds right back up the scale! 

One thing that is in the hare phase is how fast this month is going by, it is already the 28th of January.  Another old phrase is "time flies when you're having fun."  I guess I'm having fun!  My calendar is not filled with activities, but enough to keep life interesting.  Life is good.

Joy to the World!

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!  I realize the Christmas season is "over," but why?  Why not celebrate Christ's birth in our lives every day of the year?  With joy! 

Yesterday we were at a spirit-filled and entertaining show given by Frank Runyeon. He used to be on soap operas of the day and night (i.e. One Life to Live, Falcon Crest, etc).  He talked about the Sermon on the Mount and then went into the messages that we get everyday from the media and society.  For children, it's BUY.  For women it's WEIGHT and looking good.  For men, it's WIN. 

His point was that we think we can find JOY in these, but it doesn't happen.  At least not permanently.  He spoke of his well-to-do son that went to Dominican Republic and seeing children that did not have much material goods, but were so filled with joy.  It reminded both Paul and I have this scene in St. Maarten.


As we were driving the streets of St. Maarten, I saw this house with the two girls playing in the parking lot next door.  I am attracted to colorful houses and doors, but this scene enticed me because the two girls had the same bright colored outfits as their home. 

We stopped, and as I got our of the car with my camera, they saw me and waved at me with these beautiful smiles.  It made me feel as if they knew me.  This was the first picture I took.  They came closer and I took a couple more photos.  The youngest girl has the words "cutie pie" on her shirt and they both were cutie pies!





 
Their home was located on the edge of an industrial area of Phillipsburg, a place that most Americans would consider undesirable for a home.  Yet they walked their dog and played in the rutted parking lot next door and greeted people with huge smiles.  You could tell they knew joy! 
 
The speaker yesterday spoke about our new year and our resolutions.  How many of our resolutions involved giving kindness and love to others?  I have to admit and my blog attests to this that my resolution is all about me and my eating habits, etc.  Thank God, I have time (i.e. I'm still alive) and I can add so worthy resolutions to my new year!
 
I resolve to seek and find ways to give thanks, love, and joy to another person each day.  Thanks for reading my blog, there may only be a couple of you, but your comments are valued.  And knowing you are out there makes me more accountable for my actions.
 

Tug-of-war

This week I had to wrap my head around the fact that I can not eat like I used to and maintain any weight loss.  It's been a psychological tug-of-war between fact and fiction.  I don't know if my "it's not fair" falls into the fact or fiction category, but that phrase has come to the forefront of my mind several times this week. 

I have made some wise choices on food this week and some not so wise choices.  I am starting to recognize both, even knowing that I what type of choice I was making.  So, I guess that is progress.  The scale shows it too, I only lost one-half pound this week.  But I am maintaining a 26+ pound weight loss since November 14, 2 months ago.  I am at my lowest weight in about four years and I have a few more pounds to lose for my lowest weight in many, many years!  :) 

Four years ago, I think I accomplished most of my weight loss by walking (i.e. exercising).  Once I stopped the daily walking, the pounds came back and increased my weight to levels I had never seen in my life.  This time I am concentrating more on my food and eating habits.  Exercising is great and I plan to start again.  However, I fully realize that I may not always have the opportunity to exercise due to unforeseen injury or illness that hinders any exercise.  Therefore, I plan to be able to eat food for sustenance and I need to develop good habits on the foods I choose and eat.

I have read tons of articles on weight loss and food.  I know that knowledge is a great tool.  Maybe I should have written that I am having a tug-of-war between knowledge and psyche.  May the best "man" win!  I am hoping that knowledge wins!

WWW

If any of my sisters see this title, they will think I'm going to write about our annual sisters weekend dubbed WWW = Wild Women's Weekend!   However, I am going to write about Water, Weigh and Wisdom and possibly throw a fourth W in there for Write. 

Every magazine you pick up today has at least one headline article about losing weight and/or exercise.  I have read many of them of course and have learned a few tips (WISDOM) from them. These tips I have put into practice in the past couple of months. 

WATER - drink plenty of it!  Not much else a person can say.  It fills you up and it has no calories.  It also helps with a body's metabolism.

WEIGH - yourself every day!  This is difficult some days when I know that I may have splurged the day before.  But, it is so important to know what that "splurge" has done with your weight.  There are days when I don't want to get on the scale, but I force myself to do so.  It really helps keep me in tune to what my body is doing.  Weigh your food too.  Again, I thought I knew how much 4 ounces was, but I didn't.  A fine calibrated food scale is important.  I took my body weight scale on vacation with me so that I could see how I was doing.  Of course my scale batteries ran dead about 10 days into my vacation & I told everyone that "I threw it overboard."  But upon return home, the scale with fresh batteries became a staple in my life

WISDOM - learn and put into practice what you've learned!  Beside the two tips above, I have learned to make better choices on the foods I eat.  I have learned that berries are great.  I have put into practice the habit of having a salad with the dressing on the side.  I dip my fork into the dressing and then spear my vegetables.  I was pleasantly surprised by how little dressing I used, yet I tasted the dressing in most every bite. 

I have learned to review the menu while eating out and requesting the meat that normally comes with french fries, coleslaw, etc to come with a side salad (with dressing on the side) instead!  There is no sense in tempting myself by having those fat-laden carbs to sit on my platter in front of me. 

I have learned that alcohol is truly a lot of empty calories.  I know that if I have a drink with a meal or after, I will see that on the scale the next day.  So I limit myself to two or three drinks a week. 

Another W is WRITE - write down the foods you're eating. A person often (maybe I should say "usually") is unaware of how much they are really eating until they write it down.  Write down your feelings about your food plan, your weight and your emotions.  Write down your weight each and every day.  It helps to see the progress or the maintenance you have accomplished.

Well, that's about all the wisdom I have to share today.  All I can say is that it makes a world of difference to me in following these WWW tips. 

Changing times

I am listening to a CD of Christian songs song by a quartet of singers from my home area - NW Wisconsin.  What a beautiful blend of voices and what a tribute to God! 

I am amazed of what has transpired in 35 years.  Thirty-five years ago, one of the singers was a young mother with a son who has ADD or ADHD.  That son was in my class as I did my internship teaching before I graduated with a bachelor degree in education.  That son gave me so much grief that I almost decided to never teach again.  I remember that Parent-Teacher conferences were coming up and I hoped that the parents of this young man would come so I could tell them how horrible their son was!   I expected to see a red-neck woman, unkempt and herself a no-good woman.  I had heard that the father was a tough guy, that not many could tolerate his attitude.  I waited with expectation that at least the mother would show up.  I did not, at that time, know too many mothers that did not attend their child's conference.  They never showed up, I was disappointed and life went on.

Flash forward 33 years and I see the student's name on my sister's facebook and decide to "friend" him.  I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I was surprised when he accepted my request. 

Flash forward another year and a woman alone sits next to my husband (I was at a Christian conference that weekend) in church.  He noticed her name and home address on the church sign-in sheet.  After a few minutes of discussing where we came from and where she lived (in the summer), my husband asked her, "Are you related to XXX (name of student)?"  Her response was, "How do you know him?  I'm his mother." 

Imagine my surprise when hubby relayed this event and discussion to me.  I was not sure that I wanted to meet this woman, but then again, why not?  So one of the following Sundays I met her, what a pleasant and humorous lady.  I was pleasantly surprised!  Pleasant is the best word to describe our friendship and the following times we have spent together. 

Now, I rejoice with her in being part of this talented quartet of a small church in rural Wisconsin.  God does judge, but probably not as harshly as we judge ourselves and other people.  Holding grudges does not hurt anyone but ourselves. 

Word of the Year

After I wrote yesterday's blog, I was reading in Guideposts magazine that Debbie Macomber, author, chooses a word of the year (her book, One Perfect Word).  She will "choose one word to focus on and live by.  These words have comforted me, challenged me and brought me closer to God.  They have changed me.  I've used them in my prayers, written about them in my journals, discussed them with my friends.  I've seen how they've shaped my spiritual path.  Sometimes I even trip over them." 

Some of the words she has chosen are hunger, trust, prayer and hope.  I immediately thought of the word support, maybe because it was fresh in my mind after writing my blog.  Support can be a thing and it can be an action.  It can be given and be taken.  It can be used in my personal life, my spiritual life and my work life.  It's multi-faceted and holds so much potential. 

Anyone out there interested in joining my challenge to select a work-of-the-year?

Last Year, New Year

My sister asked on facebook what was the personal greatest accomplishment in 2011.  My first instinct was to respond that I lost 23#, all in a matter of the last few weeks of the year.  Then I thought about the fact that my cholesterol and glucose are now in the normal range.  Or the fact that after getting a daily dose of anti-depressant, I now feel "normal."  These are all items of bragging rights.  But I think that my greatest accomplishment was coming to the realization that I was a fat, unhealthy, crabby old woman who was stressed about anything and everything.  And I came to the realization that I did not want to be that way any longer. 

The fact that I started to make some changes in my life, even at 60 years of age, was my greatest accomplishment.  There's a phrase that says "you can teach an old dog new tricks."  I would add to that, "it just takes longer." 

I will admit that I have always been a complainer, "It's not fair."  Guess what, life is not fair.  Life is not for the faint-hearted.  Life is tough.  Only by the grace of God have I lived this long with some of the habits and choices I have made in my life.  I often see the glass as half-empty and long for a different life. 

Is it fair that I have seen the beautiful turquoise waters of the Caribbean four times as many times as others in the world?  Is it fair that I have set foot in 47 of 50 states when others never have the opportunity to leave their home state?  Is it fair that I have a faithful and loving husband for 23 years when others might have theirs for only 23 months or never?  Is it fair that with my long-time unhealthy habits and obesity that I have never suffered from a heart attack or stroke?  No, life is not fair.   

The word "fair" means pretty, pure, just, and equitable.  That last description, equitable, sums up my philosophy of what I want life to be (i.e. balanced).  I started this blog with the goal of having balance in my life.  I wanted balance in my life in the aspects of physical, emotional and spiritual.  It did not happen!  Yes, it did get better for a while and then I spiralled out of control and out of balance again.  And I responded again with my age-old adage of "It's not fair!"

An equitable life is even-keeled, no rocking or rolling of the ship.  In many respects that is desirable and calming.  But when a ship is calm and even-keeled, it's often not moving, not getting anywhere.  The winds must fill the sails and move the ship along.  Often the ship at full-sail is leaning to one side and it's moving.  A person has to adjust to the leaning ship in order to not fall down.  They have to grab onto the nearest object to steady themselves.  If a person tries to walk alone on a moving ship, they will find themselves flailing and failing to remain upright.

Grabbing onto something offers the support a person needs to get from one point to another on the ship as its moving along. In life, as well as a sailing ship, the key thing to remember is "support."  It is a foolish person on the ship that tries to walk around a moving ship without grabbing onto a railing or two.  So, why do I not realize that I'm being foolish in trying to walk alone, without support?

Fair seas will have us staying in one place. If I am staying in one place, calm and cool, I am stagnant. The winds of life have to be blowing, sometimes buffeting us to move us along.  Life is not about continuous balance and calmness.  It is about rocking and rolling, moving us from one destination to another.  Hang on, life is going to take me for a ride! 

My new years resolution is to view life as a glass full instead of half empty.  Exhilaration and excitement comes from the roller coaster experiences of life, not the sitting on the sidelines type of life.