Don't Put Off Today...

Hello.... here I am!!! Posting again finally!!! I actually got on here to post earlier, and when I opened up my blog I found that it had been hijacked AGAIN by Little Ms. Michelle. Soooooo, I immediately had to turn around and go hijack her blog (which was the first time for me!). So fun. But now, back to business, the business of writing my own blog!

I do have to say that I have been doing okay, Michelle said I had been doing so good and had given her a pair of my jeans that I had undergrown. But, in fact, I am up three pounds from what I had gotten down to. So, that is not so good. But I am still hanging in there and keeping on, but have to be honest with you in the fact that I have gone up a little.

I have felt like things have just been so out of control lately. My job is almost gone, but I had taken some extra work over a couple of weeks, and compiling that with all of the other stuff I have already going on, I have been feeling really overwhelmed. I have always been the type of person who will avoid dealing with something if it can be put off. The Queen of Procrastination, I suppose. Whether it was dealing with my weight, which has taken me years to finally begin really dealing with, or with my finances, or with things being organized, or just whatever - even putting off the dishes from supper to deal with the next day when I would have a fresh start the next day if I would just take the time to do them right away. Craziness this is to most people, but this is the way my life has been for a long time.

Well, a couple of weeks ago I lost my keys in a parking lot after church and thought I knew where they were, but it turned out they were not there. I returned to the town and to the parking lot where I assumed they had been lost, and no one had turned them in, and they were nowhere to be found. I was panicking pretty good over it, not because of my house keys or car keys (we live in a different town after all), but I was upset because the church keys were on the ring and it was just right down the road from where I lost my keys. Not only were the church keys on the ring, but the name of the church was on the keychain next to those keys. So, I thought somebody could just get into our church without really "breaking and entering" because I had not been responsible with my things. I know people lose their keys every day, but this is just such a common occurrence for me it is ridiculous. Michelle was very sympathetic and said she would help me look for them, even going to the next town with me, but she was very truthful with me (and it was a hard truth) as we drove over there. She told me that she thought that my chaotic way of life was coming to a head for me because God was trying to work some things out of me. She said that all she kept hearing when she had been praying was "Revelation and Transformation", and she thought that was key for me. She knew that I had the revelation of how I needed to change things, but was not allowing God to transform me. I received this, and was ready to move on. I told Michelle that my library card was on my keys and that maybe someone would turn them in to the library (in a different town), and the very next day I called the library to tell them that I had lost the keys with my card on them. I went to Wal-Mart to make duplicates of my keys, and while I was leaving with my new keys I received a call from the library letting me know that someone had indeed turned my keys in to them. I now know exactly which pocket of my purse my keys are to be in at all times, and when they are not in my purse they are clipped onto my person with a heart-shaped clip purchased at Fred's Dollar Store for about $1.00. So I allowed transformation in that area of my life, but there was more to come.

The next thing is more on a personal note and I will not give the details, but suffice it to say that Michelle was repeating many of the same words to me because the same situation was applying as in the previous couple of weeks. I was stuck in an old pattern of behavior/bad habit that had proven time and again to be destructive for me. This time she told me something, and she said she wanted me to hear it not from her, but to really receive it from God...she told me that if I did not get past this stuff and allow God to transform me, then I would not be able to get to the next level with him and would remain stagnant. So, once again, I am being transformed. It is not easy, but even though it can be difficult it is amazing to me how God has been giving me creative ideas and giving me strength to become what He is wanting me to be.

It was so funny that when I went to pray this morning as I was making the bed, I was struck with the thought of how I consistently talk to God and never give Him time to talk back. I know it is not God's will for my life to be full of chaos, and if I will listen He will show me exactly how to get my life where it needs to be for Him, and to get me on the right track to being what He would have me to be.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, no matter how badly you may want to put something off, no matter how badly you may not want to face something, that won't make it go away.

Not getting the scale out will not make you weigh less...
Not cleaning the closet out will not make it organize itself...
Not opening up that dreaded bill will not keep it from going to collections...
Not spending time with God will not get you close to Him...

So, rather than sweeping everything under the rug like you would usually do (or like I would usually do actually!), deal with the things that need to be dealt with. Ignoring things just causes you to get behind and overwhelmed, to be stressed and unproductive, and many times - just unpleasant to be around. Pray each day for God to show you how you can do your very best in all that you do, and how to deal with the things you face each day in the best way possible. He is faithful, just give it to Him.

That is what I'm having to do.

Thank you, Michelle and Misty, for all of your prayers and support, and for always telling me the truth even when it is hard for you to say and you know it will be hard for me to hear. You have all the marks of true friends.

Yoo-Hoooooooooo

Hey Aprille!!! Just wondering if you are ever gonna post again?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?

Hey everyone in Aprille's blogdom. I just wanted you all to know that she is doing GREAT! I see her just about every day and she has just been really busy. She is doing so good that she has been able to pass down a pair of her jeans to me that had gotten too big for her!! I am not far behind her but it was great getting new clothes!! Thanks Aprille!

Love ya!
Michelle

A New Day, A New Me...

Well, this is my second post for today, and I had said that I was going to go easy on the salt today. So, my intentions were good and the day ended up good, but I was at the beauty shop this morning - ALL MORNING! - and here is what happened...

No breakfast before going to the shop, no coffee since 3:20 or so this morning. Oh, and lots of water. So by the time I got out of the beauty shop around 1:00, I guess (my appointment was at 9:00), I was starving!!! Don't get me wrong though, they cut my hair and my daughter's, and colored mine, and I am so, SO happy with it! I ended up having a diet Coke while at the shop, not all of it, my daughter drank most of it for me, but sodium there. No biggie, right? When I went to pick up my son at Michelle's house, Noelle and I were both ravenous. Michelle had food for Noelle for lunch, and offered me some. I ate a delicious Tyson chicken tender - it was sooooo good, it could have come from O'Charley's as far as I was concerned! Then I had some creamy chicken enchiladas - little different from traditional, as you use salsa instead of enchilada sauce, and she used Velveeta instead of cheddar, and it was DELISH! I had two of those. I also had a really, really tiny bit of coke - my son finished that! After coming home I had some raw carrots, much better and closer to my plan for the day! I also had a cup of coffee and some more water. Could not get enough water today, it was so good. For supper I had a baked tilapia filet with no-salt lemon pepper seasoning, Yummy! For a side I had steamed veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I did add a postage stamp size bit of regular salted butter. It was all so good. Now it is nearly 9:00 pm and I just had a cup of Suisse Mocha from GFIC, and it was the perfect end to the day. All in all, I think it was a good day. I told Michelle as I ate the chicken tender at 1:00 that that was my breakfast, and then the enchiladas were my lunch - I just ate them together. It worked!

I am posting a pic of my new hairdo, I feel like a new woman with it. Also, check out Michelle's Walking My Way to Health blog to see her new do, very nice! We had two good days of "pampering" for us!

Pass ON the salt please...

SALT should be a four-letter word! I feel so absolutely BLOATED right now, and do you want to know why? I am so glad that you do because I am about to tell you. BECAUSE OF MY SODIUM INTAKE! UUUUGGHH!

First, let me say that I am not a big "salter." Unlike my husband, I don't get a plate of food and salt it as soon as I see it, especially before I even taste it (except for eggs - I like to season them!). Here at our house we switched from salt to No Salt a long time ago. No Salt is nothing but potassium - 600 mg per serving. It takes a little bit more to get the taste you're looking for, but hey - it's potassium. So, we think we are doing so well because of using this.

...............well, maybe not so good. Yesterday I ate really well. I was at my friend's house watching her kids and was getting desperate for some food, so I had a few bites of snack food that were not exactly health food. But, it was only a few bites. The rest of my day consisted of the following... I ate popcorn (DO NOT BUY POP SECRET POPCORN - IT IS LOADED WITH TRANS FAT!!!), and of course, I seasoned it - extra salt there. It's not a "salt" that I'm putting on there, but it has salt in it. It's actually a seasoning for Mexican food - and is outstanding on popcorn. Anyway, I had half of a whole wheat bread sandwich with one slice of ham - loaded with sodium...I had a bowl of homemade vegetable soup - LOADED with sodium...I had a tuna fillet with teriyaki sauce on the side which was (you guessed it) loaded with sodium.

So, this is how my day went. I thought I was doing okay, but maybe not so much. I am typing this at 3:02 am (taking a break from my work), and my fingers feel puffy, my whole body feels fit to bust!

My plan for today is to allow some of this sodium to get out of me, some of this extra water weight I'm carrying right now. I will be skipping the popcorn today. For those of you who have been following for a while you know that I could eat spaghetti EVERY DAY!!! It is whole wheat spaghetti with sauce containing no meat, but do you know what dirty little secret spaghetti sauce is hiding - LOADS OF SODIUM!!! UUUUUGGGHHH!!! So, no spaghetti for me today. I am going to the store to get some frozen veggies, as they are not loaded with salt, and most of the canned ones are. I have already had about 16 oz of water so far and a cup of coffee. I know that sounds backwards if you're trying to get rid of water weight, but when your body is in surplus of water, it knows it can get rid of some. If you deprive yourself of water, your body retains it. So, I hope to feel much better by the end of this day, much less puffy.

As you go to fix supper or as you go to the store to get your groceries, be conscious of the fact that you may get what looks like healthy food, but it may be loaded with sodium. Not only is sodium good at making you retain water, but it is also good at causing your blood pressure to go up. Don't just grab something off of the shelf because it looks like a healthy option, be sure and check out the ingredients and nutritional info. There are so many alternatives out there now of foods that say "unsalted" or "reduced sodium", etc. So next time you sit down to eat, instead of saying "pass the salt please", say "I think I will pass on the salt, thanks!"

A fun day in the snow...

We got the very, VERY RARE snow here finally! It started yesterday evening, and we got enought to play in and make a snowman with! We didn't make a very tall snowman, but it still took a while, and I think it came out looking really cute! It was such a fun time, and the kids were SOOOOO excited about it all! It was just really great to have a time for our whole family to get out and get to do something together. We got to last weekend too with our kite-flying day.

Be sure and get out and spend time with your family. It makes you feel so wonderful to get that bonding time and to make wonderful memories that you can remember for the rest of your life!

Some new pictures...

Okay, this is my second post for today, the first one is what I said, this one is just for pictures!!! FUN! My children are just so BEAUTIFUL!!! I love them so much!

Strength to keep going...

I just want to start today's post by being very honest with you about how I'm feeling right now...


I WANT SOMETHING SWEET TO EAT!!!!!!!!

Ahhh, now I feel much better. Thanks for letting me get that off of my chest. I have not had breakfast yet this morning and it is already 9:30, but that is not the only reason I am craving something sweet. I have been wanting something since yesterday. I think in a little while I am going to have some SF/FF pudding (sugar-free/fat-free). YUM! But first, I need some coffee, and I may completely feel differently after that!

The past few days I have eaten really good. I'm not listing the entire menu because I have not restarted my journal yet. I will restart it today. My Microsoft Word program on my computer expired, so I don't have access to my old journal anymore, but I am starting a new one on Microsoft Works now. But I have had popcorn each day, which is a staple for me, and lots of water (with SF flavoring!), I have eaten tuna two out of the last three days, one day I had a hamburger steak with cheese (YUM!) - I was really feeling the need for some iron that day, I have had some eggs, whole wheat pita (pocket) bread, and some whole wheat spaghetti. And, of course, I have had peanut butter. I'm not sure at this point that I would even know how to go through a day without peanut butter. I LOVE IT!

Anyway, the eating is going well, but I have not been working out, so I have not been seeing any progress now, just staying where I'm at for now. I will absolutely be starting the workout back up though, I really don't think I can expect to see any more progress until I do.

I just want to say at this point that if you're trying to get healthy, KEEP GOING!!! It does not matter how you have been eating or what kind of exercise you have or have not been doing. What matters is today, and then tomorrow, and then the next day. It would be easy when we messed up to keep going backwards, to keep eating candy, to keep overlooking that exercise video ( as I have been doing :0( ), but why stop now? The decisions we have made yesterday and in the past weeks and months are gone, they are done, and you can't go back. What is important is making the right choices today for your future. It's easy to say "this day of binging will not really cost me in the long run, as long as I do better tomorrow", but the question is will we be able to stop when tomorrow comes.

Make the best choices, the best decisions, that you can NOW. Each meal, each day, each hour, each minute, is one small step closer to a healthier and happier you! And when you feel like you're not strong enough, ask Jesus for strength to resist temptation. It may seem like too small a thing to ask Him to help you with, but He absolutely cares about all of the little things, and He wants to help us to be the best He made us to be!

Let's go back to the past.........

Hey everyone. Michelle comin to ya once again! Aprille has no idea I am posting so, Aprille I PROMISE I will not post again without your permission. Well, not unless I have something good to tell! LOL



Now to my post. I wanted to share some pictures of me and Aprille from the year of 1994 or 1995 I'm not really sure the exact year. Maybe when Aprille checks in she can correct me on the year. Anywho, Aprille and I had gone to St. Louis to visit my mom for the weekend and gone to Six Flags and a Cardinals game. It was my first trip like this without family and we had a BLAST!



So these pictures are pre-marriage and pre-baby for both of us. I don't think we will ever get this small again but hey we sure can try!!! Just wanted you to see some REAL before pictures of both of us. We really thought we were cute too! ha,ha,ha



So my words of wisdom for today are:

If you have given your password out to a friend, CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD!!!!!!

Us at Six Flags.

Us just being cute!

Us at the Cardinals game.

Kite-flying day! 3-2-08

Jordan is flying his kite in the pic to the left, Noelle is in the pic above, standing by watching and posing while he is busy, and the pic at the very top is of Jordan and Noelle playing on the swingset after we were done with the kites, only one of which worked well! It was a fun time though!

More pics from photo shoot day

Hey everyone, this is Aprille's friend Michelle coming to ya! Her computer has been messing up and she has had a hard time fixing her blog so she gave me free reign to post!!! He,he,he! Very brave Aprille. I had threatened that if she didn't hurry up and blog something that I would get her password and tell everyone she had gained 50 pounds and that is why she isn't blogging! What a GREAT friend I am. ;^)

But that is so not true. For those of you who don't get the privelage to see her regularly she is doing great on her weight loss and is shrinking right in front of our eyes!!! Great job Aprille!!

Michelle's update:

Oh and I wanted to say that since my stomach virus that Aprille told you about, I have lost another pound so that is 11 pounds lost for me! YAY

So here are some pictures of Aprille and her kids and me and my little girl Amber. Hope you all enjoy following her weight loss, and now that I have her password maybe I will just start posting my updates on here as well (see above) LOL

So my words of wisdom for today are:

NEVER give your password out to someone who you can't trust. You never know what they will say! Until next time........ HE,HE,HE

More pics...

My sweethearts and me on Feb. 20, 2008, the day that Michelle and I were photographing our progress. Check out her blog too, the link is listed here as "Michelle's Tidbits". She has lost ten pounds, possibly more now thanks to a bout of the stomach virus! YUCK! Congratulations, Michelle!

Oh, and this is my second post for today. Scroll down for the first one...

Here I Am!!!

HELLO!!!! I have been off of here for such a long time! So here is a picture of my progress. In the pic I'm wearing the same clothes I wore in my "before" pic,

but now I actually have.......

(are you ready for this???)...............

A WAISTLINE!!!


So anyway, things got a little crazy with me working on my computer again. So, I had to switch to my boss' computer for a while, and it was really hard trying to do much of anything on the internet with it because I would get cut off a lot, etc. So, finally I am back on my computer and hopefully will be able to use it for the remainder of the time that I am doing this job!

Things are going well. But I do have to be honest and tell you have really, really been struggling with my cravings. Between Valentine's Day and my daughter's birthday, it's been quite scary! I have been craving sweets like nobody's business! And now, every time I go to the store there is this whole BIG EASTER section of junk, junk, and more junk - the junkiest of the junk being Reese's anything - and believe me, they have everything - Reese's hearts, Reese's trees, Reese's eggs (how is a person supposed to escape this type of temptation???), and then there is the CADBURY EGG. Let me just say that the Cadbury Egg should be banned, should be deported, and quite possibly should be the 11th commandment. THOU SHALT NOT EAT THE CADBURY EGG!!! Because there is seriously nothing, and I mean nothing, good about the gooey confection (good for you, that is). It is one of my major pitfalls this time of year. And that is my confession for the day.

And as my friend, Michelle, would say, "My words of wisdom for today are..."

STAY AWAY FROM THE EASTER CANDY SECTION!

LOL! Okay, so really allow yourself one egg, maybe one egg from Reese's and one from Cadbury, but force yourself to stay away from the other stuff...

So, as a result of feeling so tempted all the time, I am placing myself on another fast. I have got to absolutely get this JUNK out of my system. But, not just for the sake of my physical, I'm feeling the need spiritually. I have never fasted so much in my life as I have since I have been at this church, but what a difference it makes. I was thinking on my way home how I was needing to go on one. It is really a spiritual bodybuilder.

So, starting Monday morning I will be starting on a new fast, with dual purpose, and I would challenge anyone to do it with me. Maybe you would even choose this season to completely let Easter come and go without the candy...it's not about that anyway. It's about Jesus. Our focus is all wrong on all of the holidays these days. Let's teach our kids that Christmas is about Jesus, not presents and Santa Claus, and that Easter is about his Resurrection, not a bunny bringing colored eggs. Those other things are fun, but really tend to take away from the real reason we even have these holidays, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed everything for us to have abundant life, healthy life, the best life we could ever dream of.