I have lost a Matthew

For a few weeks I have been working towards the goal of taking this picture.

When I found out how much my sweet friend Matthew weighed I couldn't believe I was so close to losing a whole Matthew. Where was I storing a whole Matthew's worth of weight on my body? I know my body has changed but really a whole 10 year old (maybe 11, sorry Matthew if I got your age wrong)? Well Saturday September 18th (4 months and 1 week after starting this adventure) I weighed in and found out I had lost a whole Matthew plus one pound. :) EXCITING!!!

I love reaching goals and seeing results. It doesn't have to be a goal of weight loss to make me happy but this one is. Results make all the hard work worth it. I have to say I LOVE getting healthy. Daily choices are not always fun or easy but boy when I am seeing results it makes it all absolutely worth it.

At this point I am down 4 pant sizes, 1 shoe size, and 2 ring sizes. Awesome to be able to choose clothes for what they look like now not because they are the only thing in the store that fits.

Thank you my smiley friend Matthew for being such a sport about having your picture taken with me and thank you to his Mommy and so many others of you that support me and root me on to my many goals. I so appreciate all your kindness.

May God bless you, my friends, on your journey!

A whole lotta energy

I have noticed this week how much energy life really takes and how much extra energy I have to give now that I am not lugging around so much excess weight. I still have a long way to go but I am feeling pretty good.

Wow we went to the State Fair yesterday and we walked all over. I chased my hubby and kids on the fair tram while taking pictures and pushing a stroller and it was the kids who got fussy at the end not me. I wasn't constantly looking for a place to sit because my feet were tired and sore. I enjoyed the day without discomfort and grouchiness.

This getting healthy journey really is making life a lot more pleasant! I have to say the smell of the hand dipped corndogs was like a sirens song but I resisted. I didn't even have an ice cream cone when everyone else in my family had one. I just enjoyed my bar I had brought from home and my water and felt GREAT! So glad to have to extra energy and higher spirits that comes with it.


I did take a long bath when I got home though ;)
God Bless You on your journey!

60 things

I have given a lot of thought to what makes us healthy as I have adventured through this journey so far. Some things are so simply and others are more complex. I thought maybe I would list 60 things I have done to get healthy when I reached 60 pounds lost. Now I am a half pound away from 65 pounds lost and I think a list of 60 healthy things is a good list to make but I want to make a list of 60 things to make us all healthy not just me. I would love your imput. Below is a start to my list.

60 things that make us healthy.
JESUS goes to the top of the list. He is my constant. Without him nothing on this list matters.
1. Love
2. Forgiveness
3. Companionship
4. Exercise
5. Fresh Food
6. Plenty of water
7. Laughter
8. Scripture
9. Affection
10. Charity
11. Kindness
12. Sacrifice
13. Hard work
14. Praise
15. quiet
16. Children
17. Sunshine
18. Friendship
19. Activity
20. Music
21. Sleep
22. Contentment
23. Perserverence
24. Encouragement
25. Faith
26. Playing in the dirt
27. Forward Momentum
28. Pursuit of dreams
29. long soak in the bathtub
30. aromatherapy
31. Balance
32. acceptance of self
33. Fresh Air
34. Solitude
35. less refined sugar
36. celebration
37. rewards for goals met
38. annual doctors visits
39. GRATITUDE!
40. Purpose
41. imagination
42. Patience (not my strong suit)
43. prayer
44. wise council
45. Family
46. Dinner at the table
47. Completing projects
48. Hobbies
49. memories
50. boundaries
51. Art/Creativity
52....
I love getting healthy and realizing that my life is more fulfilled because I am not slothful anymore. Please help me complete this list. Share your ideas.

May God Bless you on your journey!

Loose fitting pants and inner voices

Hello My Friends,

Yesterday was a day full of ups and downs......with my pants that is. I am nearing the 60 pound mark and I wore a pair of pants that just did not want to stay up. My funny kiddo, Jacob, went grocery shopping with me and thought it was so funny when I said my pants were falling off. "Oh mom my pants fell off once too" he said. Well mine didn't actually fall off but boy they were loose and I spent the day hiking them up. That is one hardship I didn't mind having.

On a little more serious note my inner voices have not always been nice to me this weekend. I went to a VERY important wedding this weekend, my ringbearer, a young man I dearly love was marrying his sweetheart. Beautiful day, Beautiful couple, ....and yikes beautiful cake. Here is my get healthy delimna. I love cake. They had a beautiful wedding cake at the reception. Infact there were 5 different flavors, 5 different layers, and mmmmmm did it look delicious. I was good and only had 2 small bites of Jason's dessert but the rest of the evening and part of Sunday I have battled with my thoughts. One voice saying "You should have had a piece. You are missing out. It won't hurt. You deserve it." Another voice saying "What did you do? 2 bites of cake...dum di dum dum!" And yet another voice saying "You did the right thing. You are fine with just 2 bites and move on satisfied. Yikes- I hate it when I have so many conflicting thoughts and feelings about food. This getting healthy thing isn't easy especially inside my head. :) It amazes me when I try to do a good thing, how the devil can get in my head and get me all mixed up. I am thankful for the quiet voiceof reassurance I know comes from the Lord and the louder voice I find in my very encouraging husband. Jason listens so patiently as I try to sort out the voices and my choices. Somedays the negitive voices win and other days I can find peace even with all the crazy thoughts. Yesterday my loose fitting pants only confirmed the quiet voices, I did the right thing, and I am satified!

Thank you Lord!

God Bless You on your journey!

Love wins

As my friend Aleta pulled away from Glendoveer this morning I noticed her sticker on the back window of her car "Love wins" and started to think about how blessed I am with friendships. The Lord gave me a "no one is a stranger" attitude, passed down from my Graw (grandma) and Mom so I have had no problem striking up conversations with people and new friendships blossom from there. I have long term friendships and short term friendship and I got to thinking about how blessed I am to see my friends out grow our friendship sometimes and move on. I remember as a teen being so threatened sometimes when I would feel a friend pulling away to be closer friends with someone else. As an adult I can appreciate more that the Lord gives us friendships to make life easier and those friendships are not always going to last our whole life through. They may be friends that I have made at my kids school, at church, camp, work, etc. Some do last the test of time but some fade and move on. I realized in thinking about it much during my second lap around Glendoveer how blessed I am to have experienced all types. I love my friends new and old. I treasure each laugh, tear, and each milestone we've experienced together but I also thank God that I have seen some of my closest friends grow into close friendships with others who will bless that stage in their lives more than I could. I don't know if my rambling makes since today, but it has been a heavy and amazing morning thinking about all the friendships (new and old) of my life. My life is so full because of them. LOVE WINS!

God Bless You on your journey!

Pancakes

Today I finally tried the Medifast Gluten Free Pancake mix. I don't know if any of you are on Medifast that read this blog but if you are and haven't tried the pancakes yet, I would say give it a try. They are okay. I the plain ones that I cooked, could use a little cinnoman or pumpkin pie spice. They were a little bland but I put some sugar free syrup on mine and they were fine.
It will be nice to have a breakfast choice that looks somewhat like what my family is having. I have to say though they are not light and fluffy like Krusteaz mix pancakes but I am sure they are healthier.
One word of advise- Don't add too much water and don't over mix. I had to throw the first packet I mixed up away because I didn't properly follow the directions.
Hope this helps.

God Bless You on your journey!

#1 Summer Get Healthy goal accomplished

Yesterday evening I accomplished the one goal I have had since I started this Get Healthy journey.

My family and I hiked all the way to the top of Multnomah Falls!!!

I have to give you some history. For several years, once a Summer, while I am off doing something for church or shopping or just hanging out at home alone, Jason would take the kids on a Father-Child date and hike to the top of Multnomah Falls. The kids loved it. It was an annual tradition for them. I wasn't excluded for the hike I just couldn't join them because I couldn't even walk to the middle bridge. I was huffing and puffing usually just getting myself to the bottom view point. It was quite sad!

So when I started Take Shape for Life. I told Jason my #1 goal is to be able to hike to the top of Multnomah Falls with my family by the end of Summer.

It was a tough climb!! We started late in the evening when the weather had cooled down a bit. Jason packed lots of water in a backpack for all of us. He said I zipped along but that is not true I was awfully slow but determined. He said we could stop at the bridge but I wanted to go on. I didn't realize just what I was getting myself into. I hadn't been to the top since I was 20 or so.

At Multnomah Falls they have markers at every switchback. 1 of 11, 2 of 11, 3 of 11, and at 4 of 11 I cried. I didn't want to give up but I didn't think I could make it. I continued on with Jasons gentle encouragement and slowly we made it all the way to the top. One wonderful woman told us as we passed her on her way down that once you got to switchback 9 it was downhill. I really needed to hear that. Praise the Lord for that switchback. We made it all the way!!! It was dark when we reached the top viewpoint, the lights were on down below and we had the platform all to ourselves. What a GREAT moment!!! We took lots of pictures and then headed back down. Jason came prepared with a flashlight so we had no problem with the trail being dark. I even called my parents from the top, they have been such a great source of encouragement for me. I wanted them to share in my accomplishment. They were both excited.

What a night!!! I am so thankful I was able to make it to the top with family. It is exciting for me to show the kids how much Mommy is changing. Emma was an expert guide holding the flashlight and Jacob was my companion keeping me safe, holding my hand. I remember somewhere along the way down he asked if when I get healthy could we have a piece of Chocolate cake. I have to laugh at how a 9 year old boys mind works. I said sure maybe for one of our birthdays. Getting healthy doesn't mean giving up special things it means making them a special treat not an everyday indulgence.

I have a long way to go still but I am so happy about this accomplishment. Now I have got to think of a new #1 goal. I don't think I will ever forget this one though. How amazing, I thought as I stood at the Top last night. How Amazing!!!

May God Bless You on your journey!