What Happened?

Well, I know what happened. I just ate how I wanted to instead of how I should have. It was sickening. I had lousy stuff, too. It wasn't worth it. Why did I do it? Why did I have a fairly easy time doing this for three months and now I want to eat everything in the house?

This morning I ate appropriately. The end is in sight. I can actually imagine being at goal. I can't give up this late in the game. I think maybe I need a shorter term goal or an event to shoot for because this is much easier in smaller chunks than just determining to stay diet-faithful for the rest of the year.

My 24th wedding anniversary is exactly one month from today. That can be my first 'chunk'. My 49th birthday is about 1.5 months after that. That can be my second challenge. After that I'll come up with something else. These little things really do help me. It's just a mind thing but it helps.

I need to rely on the Lord to help me get past these tough parts, the plateaus, and sometimes just the discouragement when I look at folks that can eat three times what I do and never gain an ounce.

Well, I have to get going. I was up early this morning and got a lot done, but we're starting our schoolday late because our other student is late this morning.

Have a good day, within your point system!

Karen

Have I Completely Lost My Marbles?

I picked up a book we've had sitting around the house for a while now. It's the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. When my husband was reading it about three years ago, it didn't pique my interest but I started thinking.......Why NOT?

Actually, there are way too many reasons why I shouldn't consider running a marathon. Training takes time. I hate to run. I'm not all that fond of exercise. I can't imagine running when it's cold or rainy. I've never run more than one tenth of a mile at any time in my nearly half-century of life.

I guess the better question to ask is WHY? I need to get in good shape. It would provide some accountability once I tell everyone I'm doing this. It would give me the opportunity to accomplish something I never dreamed I could actually achieve (and still have my doubts). It would help to whittle off those last 20 pounds while I'm doing the prelimary training in advance of the real training. It would provide long stretches of time with not a whole lot to distract me from praying or memorizing the Word. (I used to memorize while walking on the treadmill)

Right now it's kind of the "manana marathon" as in "tomorrow I'll start training." Just like the dieting, though, once I open my mouth about it and start blogging about it, I think I might actually do it.

The Detroit Free Press Marathon is October 21st, 2008. I have a book with lists of marathons all over the country and when they are held. If anyone else is interested, we can train 'together' via blogworld and run in our separate marathons all over the country. Maybe this is a little bit crazy but there are a few projects in my life that I want to get started on and completing a 26.2 mile race might just give me the dose of confidence I need to tackle other feats or dreams that I thought were out of my reach.

There is no time like the present. I'm going to get my sneakers on.



**************UPDATE****************

I just got back. I covered two miles.....almost all walking ....but threw a few short runs in there! At least I got started!

Correction: The Detroit Marathon is October 19, 2008.

Joining Jen's 40 day Challenge

Jen at http://jensmakeover.blogspot.com is just completing 40 days of breaking the habit of eating chips. She has been successful and is about to change another habit for the next 40 days. I plan on doing the same. I don't know what hers will be yet, but I've decided that mine will be a dual-sided challenge for those 40 days. The first will be a commitment to 30 minutes(minimum) of exercise per day, whether at home or the Y. I will not come in on my weight target by Christmastime if I don't add consistent exercise.

The next part of my self-challenge is not fat-related. It is something that causes me as much shame as my weight. I have trouble keeping my housework under control. I am not naturally one of those extremely organized people so I have had to struggle against this my whole life. I am not lazy, just scattered, busy, and needing to put my 'system' to work for me. I have had some success in this area with some real analyzing and work, but, like with the weight, it's time to conquer it completely. So, I have refined my plan to 'keep it together'. I will post my 'messie's manifesto' tomorrow as a way to make myself accountable via this blog.

On a positive note, I was just enjoying the fact that I have gotten rid of the equivalent of 4 three-pound cans of crisco from my carcass! That is pretty exciting. Kind of gross to think that a month and a half ago all that fat was hanging on me. Good riddance! I'm going to a wedding on Sunday and I'm very thankful I don't have to carry all that lard on my bones. Very unbecoming.

Four cans down, ten to go.

Another Important Tip

I know a lot of my overeating has taken place simply because I'm not paying attention. Eating is a great thing....a gift from God. We should take pleasure in eating and be thankful for what we eat. So I think we need to give eating it's own time. In other words....don't combine eating with other things like watching a video or teaching your kids or driving....or blogging! When you've combined eating with another activity, once you've finished eating you barely remember having the meal, snack, or whatever it is. Pick a place in your house to eat (hmmm...how about the kitchen table) and then only eat there. When you're eating, enjoy the flavor of the food, enjoy the activity itself, and enjoy those who are eating with you. Then move on. If you're used to eating while watching tv....you will eat more than you intend. If you eat while blogging, you'll down a pile of food before you've even conciously registered that you're consuming something. Condition yourself to confine eating to your kitchen table or wherever your designated spot is. If you are a homeschooling mom that teaches at your kitchen table, try to have the school stuff off the table when you eat. Eat breakfast there before the books get set up, clear the books to have lunch. Don't make stuffing your face a part of your teaching routine. Been there, done that, gained a lot of weight!

Remember.....I Corinthians 6:12"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.

Not an OCCASION to give in to TEMPTATION!

Today begins the festival that our town has every year called Milford Memories. It's a nice craft show, fair, sidewalk sale, food, music, and fun outing and it lasts three days. We are close enough that we just walk from home every year.

In order to avoid the temptation that awaits there (can you say 'elephant ears', 'cinnamon almonds', and 'Italian sausage and peppers'?) , I'll have to be diligent by eating before we go. Taking along a few bagged snacks so that I have something to eat while my 5-yr-old eats the treats should do the trick.

I'm well past a week now and haven't eaten one thing that I didn't document and every mouthful was within my daily and weekly point allowance. I will stay on track until Christmas eve. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Truer words have not been spoken in the diet realm. Maybe I'll have it carved into a sign over my fridge and pantry.

P.S. I've already divested myself of a whole can of Crisco. How about you?

G'day Mate

Day is done. I made it through Outback with no damage. I didn't touch the Ominous Onion of Obesity. I ordered only what I planned, ate a WW candy while they were all eating dessert and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I even passed up the half a bowl of ice cream with hot fudge that my daughter left on the table. Food going to waste is tough for me to pass up, but if I look at it as though it will be going to my WAIST if I eat it, I can leave it alone!
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things....
12.....I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


I, unlike the apostle Paul, haven't come to the point where I am completely content in every situation, but with the grace of God I'm learning. When I overeat, I'm not being content with the amount of food it takes to keep my body healthy. I want to enjoy the delicious food He provides with joy and thanksgiving.

What the Challenge is All About

In my other blog, I put out a bit of a challenge to myself, but I'm hoping to get a few others to tag along. While doing Weight Watchers a couple years ago, I noticed that when you lost a few pounds, they'd congratulate you with things like, "Be proud---you lost the equivalent of four sticks of butter" or a gallon of milk or something like that. Well, I can't think of a fat that is much grosser than Crisco (okay, well maybe whale blubber but it doesn't come in premeasured cans)so I'm using that as my weight-loss yardstick.

If I lose weight too quickly on a very restrictive diet (Atkins, low-carb, etc) I just pile the pounds back on with all their cellulite-packed little friends. Weight Watchers worked nicely for me before. I haven't gained the majority of my weight back that I had lost, I just need to finish the job once and for all. What I need to lose is 14 cans of Crisco (they're 3 pounds each) If we all lose two pounds per week between now and Christmas, we can be down 42 pounds by Christmas. Merry Christmas to us!

The rules are only these. Lose weight safely...no starving yourself or taking ridiculous pills. Always tell yourself the truth about what you've eaten. Use any reasonable plan that works for you. Be nice to everyone else on the blog:-)

I will report every day on how I did with my eating. I'm looking for others who want to check in frequently to report on how they're doing. We can keep each other going. Will you help me on this? How many cans of Crisco do YOU need to lose?