Changes....

Nothing really prepares one for moving from one decade to another. Each seems profound as it brings new adventures and challenges. I hit the big 6-0 this year, wow! That feels HUGE!

I am taking some time to be introspective, traveling a slower and quieter road, and am filled with gratitude for all of life's blessings. It feels like I'm sitting at the crossroads at sixty, taking stock of accomplishments and goals met, but wondering, what is next.....what plans does God have in store for me? I am taking three deep breaths, letting go, and saying a big "YES" to the universe.

Louisiana

My husband and I recently had to make a trip down to Louisiana. While there, I took time to enjoy some of my favorite activities there; soaking in the cyprus and oak trees covered with spanish moss, looking for alligators and watching the seagulls and egrets at Avery Island, watching some Mardi Gras Parades, and eating shrimp. At least it was boiled!

Life Continued...

So today is Day 65 on my new eating plan. I have lost 38 pounds as of this morning. Not too shabby! I have accomplished it through lowering my calorie intake through the HMR meal replacement meals and their shakes and puddings. I add fresh fruit, vegetables and seasonings. Here are some of the things that I use to get me through the days.

1) Today I am going to try to make mircowave popcorn in a lunch sack, using Pam and seasonings such as the powdered butter and cheese seasonings which are practically no calories.

2) Another trick I use is to cut up zuchini and yellow squash into strips, spray with Pam, and season with zero calorie Caesar Dressing, Butter Spray, Cajun Seasoning, and during the last five minutes I sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese. I bake them on a Pam sprayed cookie sheet at 375 degrees for at least 45 minutes. They do not actually get crispy, but they are very good.

3) Take a can of diced tomatoes with onions and peppers in it, add 1/3 of a package of Knorr's dry vegetable soup, and put into blender. Blend until smooth. Then put in a bowl and microwave about three minutes. Take out, add 1 Tbsp of low fat sour cream, and stir in until smooth. Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. This is very good!

4) When I want something sweet, I make some sugar free chocolate pudding and top with sugar free Cool Whip. Your taste buds will eventually get used to it. If you really want to get decadent, add a sliced banana and pretend you are having a Sundae! lol

5) I add strawberries and sugar free cheesecake pudding to my vanilla diet shakes.

6) Adding about a tbsp. of sugar free lemon jello to a vanilla shake is almost as yummy as Lemon Meringue Pie. Like I said, almost. ;)

7) I bake an artichoke in the microwave in a covered bowl for about 6 to 8 minutes. I make a little dip for it using butter spray combined with Caesar Zero Calorie Spray Salad Dressing. This is very good!

8) Last but not least, I bake a sweet potato in the microwave for about 8 minutes. Then I heat up some turkey chili and pour on top of the split and mashed sweet potato. This sounds weird, but trust me, it is pretty good, and very filling.

Please add your favorite tip. I need all the variety I can get. It is a struggle, but the results are so worth it. I'm in this for the long hall.

Here's to a Healthy You and Me!

Images. Our Bodies. Looking in the mirror. One of the hard things about trying to lose weight is that it takes time. Not instant, like so many things these days. Want a mocha, drive through. Want to connect with an old friend? Instant. Change your hair color or style...almost instant. But weight loss takes time. And the daily look in the mirror doesn't always reflect what one's actions are doing. So, today is Jan. 27th, and I've lost 29 pounds since Dec. 17th. That is a good thing, and I am proud of myself for doing it. But I have a long, long way to go, and it doesn't always show in the mirror the way I'd like. My goal is to lose at least a total of 70 pounds by April, and 110 pounds by the end of July. Then I will be able to have my first knee replacement surgery, and have my second surgery in October. That is quite a lofty goal, but the payback will be priceless. The joy of taking my soon to be born grandson for walks, playing on the floor with him, dancing with my husband, walking along the beach, and shopping with my friends, to name a few. Right now, I am taking one step at a time, on this eating plan to lose weight. I feel the support of my friends, family, and the heavens, and am grateful. One baby step at a time, it's sometimes frustrating, but I'm getting my ducks in a row. One day I'll be able to walk in freedom and joy!

2009-What a Year!

2009 was a very busy year in the beginning. My To-Do List was unending. Then life slowed me

down, and I was forced to start taking care of myself, instead of focusing on my environment. But it was fun, and I enjoyed the ride. This year, though, will be spent improving my health and ability to enjoy life. So much for drudgery.....let the good times roll!

The struggle for weight loss and health issues plagued me in the fall, but I finally realized it was time to let go of some struggles and start tackling others. Here are some pics of our place.

Time flies

Here are some before pictures of our projects.
It has been a busy past few months, but I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated my blog! Goodness, where does my time go? I'm still searching ways to transform and improve my life, and one of them needs to be time management.

We've accomplished quite bit on the home front so far this year. We removed wall paper and painted four rooms of our house, and hired painters to do two additional rooms. We had tile flooring installed, added a new dishwasher and deck furniture, and had the front yard landscaped. We re-did our office and made it into a multi-functional office/craft room/sitting room. My DH sealed the deck and pool deck. It has been a busy time, but I feel really good about how our place looks and all that has been accomplished. I will post after pictures in a few days.

Still on the list, but not in the immediate future, are painting the rest of the house, painting the outside trim, having two dead trees removed, having a new roof installed within the next two years, and cleaning and reorganizing the garage. These will have to wait as I am spending the next six months concentrating on improving my health and creating art. There must be balance. Among the things I have learned about myself lately is that I can only really focus on one thing at a time, and do justice to it. I am also reconciling myself to working within my energy levels. That is a biggie for me.

Our TIPS group meets this Saturday, and I want to be completely honest with myself and the group and set some new goals. It is time for reckoning on the ones I've let slide. My biggest obstacle on accomplishing my dreams is my limitations due to my being overweight. So in order to move on, to get over this hump, to transform and reinvent my life, I have to face this head on, and do something about it. It really is now or never. There is so much I want to do, and I am not going to let this one thing hold me back from the life I can and should have, for myself and for others. It's all there, just waiting for me to take action. I want to encourage all of my Transformation in Progress Sisters to examine what is blocking them from realizing their goals. Face it, and make a plan of action to climb that mountain and get on the other side, the side where your dreams can become reality, and you can soar!

Ebb and Flow

Do you ever wake up and think, hey what happened?  When you think you've got all your ducks in a row, and you take a look around and all you see if an array of unfinished projects?  Well, that has been my state of mind these past few weeks.  Lots of things started, and a few finished.  One thing after another beckons and tempts me with the promise of a beautiful completed project.  But I have too many irons in the fire.  Let this be a lesson to me.....one baby step at a time.  At present, I have a garage sale in a little over a week, and the garage needs to be cleaned out, the items sorted and priced, and tables collected.  At the same time, I have a craft room filled with bookcases, desks, and assorted stuff needing to be put in its right place....painted, etc.  Concurrently, I am painting the kitchen ceiling, having tile installed in all non-carpeted areas of the house, getting mold out of the master bath, getting furniture put together for the deck, moaning about the wrong color of stain that DH put on the deck last weekend, and wondering when I'm going to get around to finishing the tree trimming.  Of course, the house begs for its normal cleaning, hungry mouths wonder when we're going to have a delicious meal around here, and my knees continue to hurt.  I think the only cure for this malady is to take a grateful look around, be thankful that I have projects to do, and even though it takes me longer than I would like, am able to do most of them.  And most of all, to remember to keep on....keep on striving to build the environment and life my heart longs for.....