Thankful--Not Just FULL!

As the "feast day" approaches, I've fortified our food supply with many fresh fruits and vegetables.  For breakfast his morning I cut up fresh oranges (particularly tasty), bananas, and fresh pineapple.  I really like this combination.

I can't credit any one person for this reminder, but it's a good one, I think!

"Don't forget to be THANKful--not just FULL."

Act As If

I read this "Act As If" post and decided if I can do this for the next 30 days, I will have accomplished a MAJOR goal.

You can see that I've "jumped the gun" a bit as far as Christmas decorating goes.  While my husband was still on vacation, I had him pulling boxes out of the attic.  I have put up a couple of small trees, but won't DeCK tHeM OuT until after Thanksgiving.

By Christmas, I hope to be able to fit into a few of the clothes that I carelessly outgrew over the past few months.  I will accomplish this by Acting As If.

If you're challenged by some unwanted pounds, I think you'll be encouraged by this great post!

Traveling Mercies

We made a 529 mile journey, leaving immediately after church yesterday.  I packed food--pineapple, black grapes, bananas, carrot strips, some whole wheat wraps, peanut butter, raisins, and some Chex snack mix. 

It helped me empty the refrigerator, saved $$ potentially spent on restaurant meals, and helped us get to our destination earlier.

There will be time for restaurant eating later.

I spent the morning at 3 thrift stores located right downtown AND across from this tempting sign.
Since I still had 37 minutes in the parking meter, I crossed the street and purchased 1/2 pounds of chocolates.  It was hard to decide which ones to pick, but I tried to limit my selections to those healthy dark chocolate ones!

The chocolates are made on the premises and you can order on-line.  I highly recommend them! Did I mention that in a second room, all they had were truffles?

Looking Ahead

Clearly, October is gone and November is well into itself!  After a busy week with two grandsons, I have minutes now to regroup and reflect.  Yesterday I surprised myself by commenting on someone's facebook post with these sentences.  (I'm not sure WHO I was "channeling", but I like the sound of it!)

Every DAY is a new beginning with me. Some days I absolutely ROCK! Other days, I couldn't tell you what I accomplished. But every day I try to "love on" SOMEone, create or appreciate some beauty, learn something new, laugh out loud, do something good for my body, and bring a smile to God's "face"

Looking ahead, I see that our schedule over the next week and a half will involve travel and eating out. I  I will return to these statements (which I've copied into my date book) to bring some focus and shape and sanity to my the next few days.

Before October Ends...

You know it's bad when I resort to posting silhouettes--silhouettes reflected in a mirror that's slanted just right--and THOSE posted with a hope that no one clicks on the picture to enlarge it in order to see details!

Facing the reality reflected in the mirror, I did my food shopping. Apples, a pineapple, some black grapes (yummy!), and a bunch of broccoli were some of my purchases. 

I KNOW I need to get serious about cutting the sugar out of my diet again.  It has slowly crept back in (yesterday in the form of a a small piece of homemade coconut cream pie).  I also made an unwise choice or two in restaurants the past couple of week (onion rings & something else I've already forgotten). 

I'm thankful for the healthy alternatives available in my grocery store.
I'm thankful for mirrors and cameras that confront me with my reality.
I'm thankful for an inward desire to change.
I'm thankful for Power to change.

Before October ends, I'm going to have ONE good day of healthy eating and 30 minutes of walking!

That would be TODAY!

Distracted, Disorganized, but Determined

I've lost some ground, but I've not given up! 

I've been distracted and disorganized, but 

my determination is at a high level this morning.

The 3 Bite Rule

Sigh...........The Hostess of the Humble Bungalow mentions the 3 BITE RULE in this post.   I THINK I'm going to practice that for a few days and see what happens.  SOMEthing has to give!  (I just ate a piece of leftover taco pizza for breakfast, so I'm starting right NOW.)

Determination/Satisfaction

"You have to wake up with DETERMINATION if you want to go to bed with SATISFACTION!"

(Heard on Dave Ramsey's radio show today.)

 I'm WORKING at it!

Seize THIS Day!

I may not look too thrilled about it, but I AM wearing jeans that don't have an elastic waistband!  And I DID do 30 minutes of exercise this morning!  And I DID avoid major sweets, bread and pasta yesterday! 

A quote from my morning devotional said this:  "When God says 'today', He doesn't mean 'tomorrow'."  I blogged a little more about that HERE. 

Hope you're making the most of YOUR opportunities and seizing the minutes of THIS day to be all God envisions for you.

Intentional!

Today is my first INTENTIONAL day of 30 minutes INTENTIONAL exercise after a long period of an UNINTENTIONAL lapse!

If only I had the upper arm strength of our granddaughter!  Sigh.

The Thrill of Victory. The Agony of Defeat.

Keeps me busy just snapping pictures!

"What is it about victory that breeds complacency and then failure???"  Those were Jess's words to me yesterday in her comment.  If we could figure out the answer to that, we'd all be LOSERS (or actually WINNERS at the weight loss/management game)!

That cycle was certainly the story of Israel in their Old Testament history, wasn't it!  Hmmmmm.  I need to study that again.

Tackling MY game at the four levels from yesterday:

• I'm weighing in but not telling!  I'll record it in my journal.
• Still wearing an elastic waistband because nothing else fits.  
• Will exercise MORE than 30 minutes with the grands here.
• Will have watermelon instead of sweets and only  one piece of pizza (lunch) and no other breads or pasta.

Joined the family at age 7 months!

THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND FRIENDSHIP! 

WE CAN DO THIS!  AND NO BETTER TIME TO START THAN TODAY!   

Face the Facts

Unfortunately, I've NOT been maintaining the healthy habits that brought me to a healthy weight last year.  I've wasted a good summer.  (Well, a HOT summer, anyway!)

Today when it came time to dress, I admitted the fact that there is very little in my closet that fits.  I got rid of larger clothes in January, thinking that would be incentive to keep the weight off.

Here for me to face are the facts:

• I was irregular in 30 minutes of daily exercise--then quit altogether.
• I have been careless - make that EXCESSIVE - in the amount of sweets and breads I've been eating.
• I quit weighing everyday.
• I started wearing elastic waistbands!

I'm sure there are more facts to face, but for now these are the ones I need to reverse.  I will be posting more regularly here again in expectation that it will help me be more thoughtful about my actions.

Iodized or Non-Iodized?

After 40 years of adult life, you'd think I'd remember which kind of salt I should use!  Today I stood in front of the two types and reached for the iodized.  It was about $.20 less than the non-iodized.  When I got home, I googled the subject and found out some VERY interesting facts!

Iodized salt is any salt that has been fortified with the essential trace mineral-- iodine. Iodine as well as sodium (salt), can be found in most plants including fruits and vegetables. But the amounts you are able to obtain from plants may not always be enough especially if they have been grown in poor soil. Therefore, iodized salt can help to maintain a healthy balance of iodine in the body.  The benefits of using iodized salt are numerous, as the whole body depends on these two minerals in order to function properly:

Improved Thyroid Function

Our bodies needs iodine for the thyroid to produce a couple of essential hormones called thyroxine and triodothyronine. These hormones help to regulate the metabolism and the growth and development of the body.

**Improved Brain Function**

Iodized salt can improve the functions of the brain, such as memory, concentration and the ability to learn. An iodine deficiency can lower the IQ by as much as 15 points.

Healthy Pregnancies

Iodized salt in moderation can help to prevent miscarriages and stillbirths. It can also help to avoid cretinism, which can affect the physical and mental growth of the baby while it is in the womb or shortly after it is born. Cretinism may affect the speech and hearing as well as other bodily movements.

**Fights Depression**

Depression and feelings of anxiety and frustration may be the result of an iodine deficiency. Iodized salt can help to ensure that you are getting enough iodine to prevent these emotional feelings from occurring.

**Weight Control**

Iodine is important for regulating the metabolism. When it is too high, you may not be able to gain a healthy weight, and if it is too low, you may gain weight, or be unable to lose it. Additionally, iodized salt can increase your energy levels so that you will exercise more.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Iodized salt can prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying in the intestines and can help you to prevent many symptoms of IBS, such as headaches, fatigue and constipation.

**Improved Appearance**

It can help to cure dry and flaky skin, and improve the growth of your hair and nails. It also plays a role in developing and maintaining healthy teeth.

**Removes Toxins**

Iodized salt can help to remove harmful metals such as lead and mercury as well as other harmful toxins from your body. This can help to restore a healthy pH level in your body.

**Fights Cancer**

Studies have shown that an iodine deficiency may contribute to certain types of cancersuch as breast, ovary, lung and prostate cancers.

**Heart Health**

Iodized salt can help to create hormones which regulate the heart rate and blood pressure. It can also help the body to burn extra fat deposits that contribute to heart disease.

We only need about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of iodized salt daily, as 1/2 tsp. contains as many as 200 micrograms of iodine. The recommended daily dosage for the average adult is 150 micrograms. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consume between 175 to 200 micrograms daily. Most processed foods contain salt, but usually this salt is not iodized. So you need to take the necessary steps to ensure that you are getting enough from iodized salt or from other foods.

**I assume this information is basically accurate.  The items I marked are of particular interest to me!   

Who knew?

Scared Straight

A couple of days ago, I overheard a conversation in our local public library.  Apparently one of the individuals had two tumors in her brain. The two people she was talking with encouraged her to google "baking soda" and consider this alternative treatment for cancer. 

I don't have cancer.  But I came home and googled it.  One of many, many articles that appeared was THIS one.  I am NOT recommending this treatment, but was intrigued by the article and wonder if there is a nugget of truth in it.

It was a long article and claims to be quoting something from "John Hopkins Hospital".   I'm going to do further research on what was supposedly contained in that newsletter because most of the information seemed consistent with everything else I know about healthy habits.

It was enough to "Scare me Straight" (does anyone remember that phrase and method of confronting destructive behavior?)!!!

By the way, there are many sites that have great suggestions for putting Baking Soda to use in your home.  Here's one of them with 75 of 'em!

"Life Was Meant to Be Lived..."

"I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on.  Life was meant to be lived.  Curiosity must be kept alive.  One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life."  

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Personally, I've found that healthy physical habits are inseparable from healthy emotional, mental and spiritual practices. 

I've also learned (many times over) that it takes longer to MAKE new habits than to BREAK old habits! 

Life WAS meant to be lived!  And while the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, Jesus came that I may have life, and have it to the full!  (John 10:10)