Stretched!

Practicing before hitting the streets...

  This was a new experience for me!

 It "stretched" me in many ways - some of which I listed HERE.

Besides the fun experience, we toured neighborhoods

with Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes.  The landscaping beauty

in these old, established yards was amazing.

Trying this "new thing" was invigorating and a confidence-booster.

I'm SO thankful for my health and a rebirth of energy

since I've been practicing the discipline of Fast-5 eating!

Trending

"Giving in eventually leads to giving up. (With temptation, addiction, parenting kids, 

and many other areas)" ~Rick Warren

I'm really glad I did NOT give in the past few weeks.  The scale seemed like it would never budge.  I just kept on keeping on!  This morning, I was down a pound or two.  I have an old scale, so it's a little difficult to be 100% accurate.  I just go for the general trend...and I'm trending in the right direction.

A Walk in the Park

A walk this evening was a calm way to end the day.

 

 The pace was moderate.

 I REALLY need to invest in a good pair of walking shoes.

 I took my shoes off, walked barefoot,

and ended up with blisters on the bottom of my feet.

  It was worth it though!

The wildflowers and grasses were beautiful...

 And my blood pressure was 116/77 when I returned home!

The combination of the Fast-5 eating schedule,

weight loss, and exercise have resulted in normal blood pressure readings

for the first time in a LONG time for me!

I'm thankful.

Me Yesterday

Me, yesterday.
Dressed and ready to go to our
no-longer-Red-Hat-Club dinner.
It was at a Chinese buffet.
I ate what I wanted - not as much as I might have
six months ago.
I topped it off with two small scoops of ice cream.
I'm currently at the weight goal I set for the end of August.
At this rate, I'll definitely be at my goal weight
by the end of September (or sooner).
I've gotta work on my smile.
I'm really much happier than I appear,
but too busy concentrating on running to pose
within 10 seconds of setting my cell phone camera up!  
It's NOT easy!

Pleasures Abound!

I like the Fast-5 plan for how it makes a way for me to participate in occasions such as THIS.  By  varying the time my "window" opens now and then and still observing the five hour boundary, I don't have to miss out on the pleasure of food and company!  There were so many tasty and healthy foods at our last Home Connection....

The Governor

Honestly, I know NOTHING about engines.  I HAVE heard of a "governor" related to an engine though.  I looked it up thinking it might help me describe why the Fast-5 approach to eating has been and IS so successful for me.  Wikipedia says that a governor (or speed limiter) is a device used to measure and regulate the speed of a machine.

 Bingo! 

That is the PERFECT description of how the five hour "window" of eating works for me.

When it's "open", I eat.

Usually a meal and then later a snack of fruit or peanut butter wrap

or something ELSE that I've made or saved to enjoy when I am hungry.

My appetite is regulated by this.  

I don't get anxious or spend exorbitant amount of time and emotional energy

worrying about what to eat. 

I've been consistent in this pattern since February 6.

My State of mind and body have a good Governor!

This Old Truck

"Beat Up a Little But Still Going Strong"

Sometimes I feel like this old truck!

I can kind of identify with the words in black along the side of the truck bed.

But really, since I've been Fast-5-ing, I can tell a difference in this old body.

I take the stairs much more easily,

tire less,

and have seen tangible improvement in my blood pressure numbers.

(The truck was in the PARADE that passed by our front porch this morning

for our local Harlan Days celebration.)

A fun time was had by all!

July Goal Met & Moving On

I achieved my July weight target

and have recorded my goal for August.

There really IS power, love and self-control available for the asking!

(2 Timothy 1:7)

As an added bonus, I'm enjoying some of my lowest blood pressure readings in years....

and I'm fitting into some clothes
I haven't been able to wear
for a l-o-n-g time!

Here Today; Gone Tomorrow

 I found this WONDERFUL vintage book at a thrift store yesterday.

 

Its oversized pages included precious stories and TEN full-sized illustrations!

 

It has already been claimed by a friend who couldn't resist its charms.

"Here today.  Gone tomorrow," as they say.

So it is with pounds.  Oh, not QUITE that simple,

but when I look back on my journey since February 6,

these words DO apply...

With three to five more pounds to lose in August,

I'll be ready for "maintenance" before I know it.

I'm Trying to Change That

 

I'm trying to change that!

Well, the first three words, anyway.

(I couldn't resist copying this when it appeared on my facebook wall.)

Finally!

That "one pound" moved and took another one with it!

This morning I left the 150's behind.

Wonder if it was due to the 2 small pieces of apple pie I ate yesterday?
(Probably not.)
But that's the beauty of the Fast-5 plan.
Nothing technically off limits.
It works for me.

Miscellany

•  I need to walk today (or tomorrow) to meet last Monday's goal.
• I will probably fall one fish meal "short" of last Monday's goal.
• I am usually inspired by the "Motivation to Live Well" feature in my sidebar.  
• I frequently cringe over the spelling errors in "Motivation to Live Well" - for instance today:  "Attitude fuels every step that we take, choose your's wiseley each day."
• Our scale isn't 100% accurate, but I'm pretty sure I've dropped at least 1/2 of that 1 pound that was bugging me.  By morning, I think I'll see it ALL gone.
• It stormed severely yesterday.  I spent awhile picking up the smaller branches and trash scattered around our yard.   We are blessed to have electricity and a roof over our heads.  So many sustained serious damage. 

EXCITING UPDATE!

After an exhausting hour of raking up debris in the heat of the afternoon,

I showered and stepped on the scale.  Guess what!  The pound was GONE!

So Far...So Good

Here's the scoop about the Action Plan I formulated Monday...
1.  I had my first fish meal today - Salmon at Sandra D's in Auburn, IN!
2.  I've walked 2 mornings.  One to go.  (I will probably exceed THIS goal.)
3.  I've continued the Fast-5 plan faithfully.

It's a big boost psychologically to meet and surpass goals, don't you think?

Action

"Action is the foundational key to all success.”
-Pablo Picasso 

Here's my ACTION PLAN for this week:

1.  Continue to observe the 5-hour-window for eating.

2.  Three meals incorporating fish (1 salmon)

3.  Walk 30 minutes 3 days

I did NOT "release" that pound that I referred to in my previous post.

I'm hoping for that to happen before the end of the month.

One Pound...

...that's all I need to "release" (as some people phrase it)
by this Sunday morning.