Be Very Careful With Nutritional Guides

When I was a little girl of five or six years of age I can remember playing a little game with my dad every Sunday night on our drive home from church.  I would take a church bulletin and roll it up into a "horn" and whisper into his ear, "Dairy Queen, Dairy Queen, This is your conscience bothering you.  You want Dairy Queen and a Peanut Buster Parfait!"  Every Sunday night I would do my same little chant and like magic he would turn into the Dairy Queen on our way home from church.  As a child this was one of the highlights of my week, and as an adult it is a very fond memory that I have with my family.

Well, I had an interesting experience yesterday on our way home from the lake house and I believe it is worth sharing.  My son and daughter-in-law and our two grandchildren were following us home and we decided to mke a pit stop at the Dairy Queen.  Everyone had ideas of what delightful ice cream treat that they would eat, but I really had not decided one way or the other until we pulled into the parking lot. 
 
I had about 205 calories left out of my 1400 calorie daily allotment and I remembered that you could order a Sugar Free Dilly Bar for under 200 calories.  I asked the server at the counter if they had any Dilly Bars in the Sugar Free variety and she said she thought they did.  She walked to the cooler in the back and returned with a box of them.  I looked at the nutritional guide and saw one had 190 calories.  I thought to myself, "Okay that would put me right where I need to be, I will continue to make good food choices on my journey to a new me and order one."  But the next thing out of the server's mouth threw me a curve ball.  She said "Honey if you want the nutritional values of any item on our menu I have a brochure with all of that information in the office, let me go get it for you."  She returned a minute later with a nice brochure that had everything from grilled hamburgers, foot long chili dogs, onion rings, and french fries, but the items that I was most interested in were the dairy treats,.  I saw the ice cream cones, ice cream sundaes, milk shakes, blizzards and everything in between.  I thought to myself, "If I can find something on this list that is 200 or less I would rather order one of the fresh ice cream products."  And here is where the train came off the track.

I ran my finger down the list and found that a medium cone (un-dipped) was 199 calories.  Wow!  This was great!  I could get a substantial ice cream and the cone without going over my allocated calorie count!  My husband ordered a large hot fudge sundae, and my son and his family placed their orders.  It was only after I was about half way through devouring my treat that I picked up the nutritional guide again to check out other items.  It was there to my horror that I saw my mistake!  The first column that read 199 calories was actually 199 GRAMS !!!  The next column over read 330 calories!! Oh No Say It Ain't So!!!  But is was right there in black and white.  I had been duped into thinking that I could get an oh-so-delicious Medium Ice Cream Cone for less than 200 calories!! Boy was I aggravated with myself. 

It was on our drive home that I really stopped to think about my mistake.  Was it a mistake?  Was I the only person in the world who had innocently mistaken the "grams" for the "calories"?  In my heart of hearts I believe that this is a clever way for Dairy Queen and other restaurants to "HIDE" their nutritional values when being mandated to provide a nutritional guide to the public.   Check out the new legistation that passed in '2010 by President Obama.

Calorie Data to Be Posted at Most Chains

 By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

Published: March 23, 2010

Buried deep in the health care legislation that President Obama signed on Tuesday is a new requirement that will affect any American who walks into a McDonald’s, Starbucks or Burger King. Every big restaurant chain in the nation will now be required to put calorie information on their menus and drive-through signs

In other words, as soon as 2011 it will be impossible to chomp down on a Big Mac without knowing that it contains over 500 calories, more than a quarter of the Agriculture Department’s 2,000-calorie daily guideline.

The legislation also requires labels on food items in vending machines, meaning that anybody tempted by a king-size Snickers bar will know up front that it packs 440 calories.  The measure is intended to create a national policy modeled on a requirement that has already taken effect in New York City and was to go into effect in 2011 in places like California and Oregon. The new federal law requires restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets to disclose calorie counts on their food items and supply information on how many calories a healthy person should eat in a day.

To read the entire article please visit   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/business/24menu.html

So next time I have a  question about what the nutritional values are for the foods that I am eating, I will be more careful of the information provided to me, after all it is my journey to a new me that I am focused on not the "grams" for the foods that I am eating that interests me most. 
One of the safest ways to get your nutritional values and calorie counts is by using www.myfitnesspal.com during my journey to a new me I have found this tool to be both easy to use and very reliable too!  So for all of you out there on your own journey b very careful of the distracting signs and nutritional guides along the way.  They may just get you off in the wrong direction!

A Wedding In The Meadow - A Reception And BBQ In A Barn!

Today was a beautiful day for a wedding! We started our day with a trip to my favorite breakfast spot in North Georgia. We dined at Echo Truck Stop. 

 I know it sounds like a crazy place to dine but I like it! I ordered three eggs "hold two of the yokes please" sprinkle in about a tablespoon of shredded cheese and cook them in Pam cooking spray instead of oil with a biscuit for "dipping" in that yummy white gravy, a piece of homemade sausage and instead of hash browns, fried potatoes or a bowl of grits I ordered sliced tomatoes. Now that was a tasty healthy breakfast!

I think the pictures tell the story here. Everything was delicious and I made a "Happy Plate". Now back to the rest of my busy day. Back at the lake house I had much to do to prepare dinner for the crew of people who would be joining us for dinner after the wedding activities. I prepared my nearly world famous lasagna with Italian sausage. Yes, believe it or not I to can eat lasagna on my journey to a new me. Don't tell anyone but all the cheese used in this delicious meal were reduced fat (not no fat, but 1% milk fat) this would save on some of those calories and allow me to eat without the guilt!

We arrived at the wedding with about ten minutes to spare. We walked down behind the barn into a beautiful green meadow with an ampitheater of trees as the backdrop. We sat patiently listening to music and fanning ourselves with the sweetest homemade brown cardboard paper fan ever made, and the bridal party began to file in. When the bride started descending into the meadow the birds began to sing. I could barely hear them over the music being played over the speakers that were set up but they were there ready to put their seal of approval on the vows that were about to be shared. Other than a little technical difficulty with the sound not being loud enough at the beginning, everything seemed to go off without a hitch. The grooms father performed the ceremony and the groom's brother and the bride's sister sang a beautiful song "The Promise" that the groom had written for the occasion.

The bridal party stayed in the meadow to take their pictures and all the guests retreated to the barn for trays of meatballs and other finger foods. I did not partake in any of these items because I was way too busy catching up with so many friends that I had not seen in several years from our home church. It was great to see everyone and to share with them how I was losing the weight on my journey to a new me!  The wedding cake was beautiful with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla cake but I took everyone else's word for it knowing that I had a great dinner ahead of me.  I was able to say "no thank you to the cake".  I was proud of me!!!

When we arrived back at  the lakehouse we dined on the homemade lasagna, salad and garlic bread.  The meal was scrumptous and we had leftovers for another day. 

I am not sure why I was so nervous going into this holiday weekend about blowing it on my journey to a new me because I was in complete control of
all the meals, all the ingredients and my portion sizes.  I was in control of everything that I put into my mouth and had no temptation that caused me to stumble.

With  63.2 pounds down and 36.8 pounds to go to reach my 100 pounds in one year, fear is no longer going to have a place in my journey to a new me.  I am staying the course to finish this race!  In closing here are a few pictures from our great Memorial Day weekend!

Going the "Wrong Way" On My Journey To A New Me!

Okay let's admit it. We have all gone the "wrong way" down a one way road at least once in our life! And who is counting, but some of us have done it more than once! Well recently this happened to me while on My Journey To A New Me!

My "wrong way" was not while driving my vehicle but a "wrong way" on Mr. Scale. As I mentioned in one of my recent post (Remember the "Eating Chocolate cake post?) I wrote about enjoying a very satisfying meal and three bites of chocolate cake. Well I failed to mention some of the other "indulgences" that I enjoyed during the rest of the weekend. So now it is confess time for me. Let me give you the run down of what went down, or should I admit "up"?


The following morning I got up bright and early to prepare a Big Country Breakfast complete with biscuits, sausage, crispy bacon, sausage gravy, scrambled eggs with cheese, and eggs over medium for my husband and father. I sat down with everyone and did my best not to eat everything, but a small portion of what I wanted, which happened to be a little bit of everything!

Lunch time rolled around and we were so busy working, painting, and moving furniture around that we almost missed lunch! Good thing I had eaten a hearty breakfast. Right? Well hang on just a minute! We finally stopped for a late lunch and by 3:30 we were in the truck driving to one of my favorite eating places at Lake Hartwell, Gumlog Bar-B-que. We don't necessarily go there for the BBQ but for some of the other "fancy fix-in's". (That is country for fried catfish filets, fried catfish on the bone, fried perch, fried shrimp, BBQ pork, BBQ that is so tasty it melts in your mouth!).

So we are seated and about to order and instead of ordering the chicken which is probably the "healthiest" food choice, I hear myself telling the server " I would like to order a Large Catfish Filet Platter and an extra plate to share with my 21 year old niece". Ever have that "I can't believe I just said that moment?". Well that went through my mind about 100 times before our food came out.

We did split the meal and we both ended up with two fried catfish filets. The meal came with Cole slaw, French fries, and hushpuppies, and I gave her all of those items and I ordered a "naked baked potato". I enjoyed every bite but couldn't believe for the life of me why I had chosen the fried food after not having it for so long. But maybe that was the reason, maybe I had a craving for it that I needed to satisfy.

Later that evening, much later, say 8:30 my mom announces that she is going to crank up the grill for dinner and we dined on delicious hamburgers and hotdogs. I opted for two hotdogs and the only saving grace was that they were of the "lite beef" variety and the bun was a "lite option" also. No chips, just two dogs and the buns.

The next morning I felt "full" like I had just sat down and eaten a big meal. This was not a good sign! I thought about what to do and I had a Thomas Bagel thin and low fat cream cheese. Now that was better. That felt "normal". The rest of the weekend continued at a normal pace and Sunday evening we went home.

Monday morning I was greeted by Mr. Scale with a bit of bad news. Instead of seeing that glorious downward spiral that I had become accustomed to, the reading was plus 2!!!!!!!
Oh No! How can this be? I jumped off and got back on, and the confirmation of my earlier bad news was true. I had gained TWO pounds during the weekend. A bad feeling came over me, one of complete failure on My Journey To A New Me. A feeling of "See, the first time you ate something off your "plan" (chocolate cake) you gained!" and the next thoughts bombarded me like gunfire. "It doesn't sound like any thing you have been preaching for the past five months is true, just look at you, your going the wrong way!". And then the temptation was there to blow it off, just quit trying. Why continue trying? What is the use? Seems like the same thing that has always happened in the past was happening again!

But Wait a minute! I don't want to go back to the way I was. I don't want to slide into my old way of living (eating!). I was still thinking about all of this when I met my husband later that day for lunch. I told him what had happened and that I was very discouraged. And he came to my rescue! My knight in shining armor came to speak words of love and encouragement to me and over me, for he knows more than anyone that I don't want to fail on my journey to a new me!

He told me to never give up! To do what I knew was right. Don't stop doing it since I have made it this far. So with that little pep talk I made my mind up to keep doing what has worked for me for the past five and a half months and I can gladly say that in three days I had dropped those two pounds! I am in it for the long haul! I am determined and committed!
Five days later I had dropped down to 63.2 pounds lost!!! I couldn't be happier! I am only 11.8 pounds away from my July 4th goal of 75 pounds! Look out world I see some BIG Fireworks in my near future!

Making Big Plans For A Holiday Weekend

Well the first holiday of the summer is finally here! And with it comes big plans for fun and relaxation along with a wedding sprinkled in. My good friend from North Carolina is coming to join us at the lake and we will spend time swimming, boating and getting a glorious summer tan!

This year my holiday weekend will not be any different than all the others that I have enjoyed in the past. There will be cook-outs, hanging out with family and friends, playing cards and games, spending time on the water, cooking big meals and EATING? On My Journey To A New Me there is one thing that is going to happen and that is I am going to eat, and eat good! But during my journey to a new me I know the limit, I must not eat more than 1400 calories per day.

So how will I monitor what I am putting into my mouth over this holiday weekend? Very carefully! It is not always the easiest thing to do but www.myfitmesspal.com makes it more manageable because it can help me look up the calories and nutrition for everything that I eat.

Did I mention a wedding in my list of activities that I have going on this weekend? Well we are attending the wedding of a young man that we had in our youth group many years ago. He
is all grown up and starting out on the married life this Saturday. Congratulations Caleb! I know you are excited. Now how about the reception? What to do about all the food that is going to be present. And the temptations that abound! And let's not forget about the wedding cake! I am sure it wil be beautiful and delicious but I may have to take someone else's word for it on the taste part!

I am looking forward to this long anticipated three day weekend and I am anxious to see how well that I do on my journey to a new me! There is always something new and exciting around the corner! Happy Memorial Day Everyone! God Bless our troops who are fighting for our safety, security and freedom! We salute every veteran past and present!

Chocolate Cake On My Journey To A New Me? Yes !!!



Homemade Chocolate Cake with a creamy fluffy icing
with milk chocolate icing.  Check out this presentation!



Last weekend I had an opportunity to spend time with my husband, parents and my niece.  We enjoyed a nice dinner at our favorite Mennonite Restaurant in downtown Lavonia, Georgia.  In case you ever have a chance to dine there the name is:  211 Main Street Restaurant & Bakery.

Everything that comes out of their kitchen is homemade with a special touch of goodness.  We always call it the "Amish Restaurant" but even though the food tastes as good as any Amish food that you would eat in Pennsylvania's Amish Counties this is a family owned and operated Mennonite restaurant. 

They have a full menu of soups, salads, sanwiches and special dinner plates.  Everything is so delicious but what everyone waits anxiously for is the dessert trays!  Before they bring out your check they bring out the large silver serving tray full of 12 or 15 different pies and cheesecakes.
Lemon Merguine Pie, Chocolare Cream Pie, NY Cheesecake with strawberries, Pecan Prailine Pie, etc.  And if you can't decide on one of this tempting treats they announce that they have seve or eight different Six-Layer cakes to choose from.

After eating our wonderful meal the server came to the table and brought out the temptations of a lifetime!  Just the aroma of those pies and cheesecakes had me gaining some of my weight back!  When asked if I would like some dessert, I politely answered, "No Thank You", my husband and parents replied the same, but when they asked my niece she looked at the tray and said "What else do you have besides pies and cheesecakes?"  and the server took her over to a glass refrigerated case to view the special cakes that they had to offer.  My niece came back to the table and announced that she had selected the Six Layer Chocolate Cake with fluffy white filling between the layers and milk chocolate icing.

We told her that the cake would be huge and that she may need to ask for a "to-go" box for the left overs and she smiled.  We had all ordered a slice of cake before and knew how wonderful they were but that they were too much for one person at one sitting.

When the cake arrived we noticed that there were two forks on the plate along side the slice of cake.  The server asked if there would be anything else and we responded, "just the check, please", and it was during this exchange that we all looked at that cake.  It was calling my name, my husbands name, my mothers name and my dads name. 

What happened next will surprise some of you, but we all took turns eating that cake!  It was the moistest and lightest chocolate cake that I believe that I have ever put in my mouth.  I ate three bites of that cake including the icing, and I am proud to say that that was enough!  On My Journey To A New Me I am discovering that sometimes a few "bites" are all that are necessary to stop the craving for sweets and to get some real satisfaction out of something that I love. 

This is the first time in my life that I have been able to eat three bites of anything that I truly enjoy and then put the fork down!  Wow!  I am happy for me and how far that I have come on this journey.  The memory of that chocolate cake will be with me for a long time and because it was so good and memorable I believe that I can go for quite a while before having another taste.  IT was sweeter than I remember chocolate cake to be and maybe that is a good thing!  If your ever in the Lavonia, GA area take some time to dine at the 211 Main Street Restaurant & Bakery.
 And even if you have already eaten dinner, stop on by for a piece of pie or a slice of cake.  You'll be glad you did!

Now you see it, now you don't!
That was one great piece of cake!

I Guess I Like Being Blonde!



Me in my new Smaller Shorts & My New
Blonde Hair-Do,  Minus 61.2 lbs lost !!!

I am like every other female out there and I am constantly trying new things with my hair.  I have had just about every hair style and color that you can imagine. I do not know what my hair will look like when I finally complete My Journey To A New Me but I hope it is something spunky and sassy!  About fifteen years ago I wore my hair really short and spikey with lots of blonde highlights.  It has been every length in between and now I am in the "growing it out phase".
Maybe I will keep it shoulder length with some long layers.


I have been going to the same hairstylist for over two year now and she is great at coming up with new ideas for me to try. During my last appointment before I could get the words out of my mouth that I wanted to go "blonder" for the summer, she said "Hey, I think you should be blonder for the summer!". Well great minds must think alike because we both had the same idea.  And today I am sporting a much lighter shade of blonde than I have worn in several years.

Is the old saying "blondes have more fun"  true?  I don't know, but on My Journey To A New Me
I am ready to find out.  All I have to say is "look out brunettes of the world, there is a new blonde
in town!"



Losing 61.2 lbs is the best thing that I have done for me in
a really long time.  I am looking forward to acheiving my next
goal of 75 pounds, and to hitting my 100 pounds of weight loss
in one year.  Stay tuned for my next mile marker
on My Journey To A New Me!



Photos taken by my friends at work, Della Simon and Rhonda Puckett 5-24-2011

A Few More Pictures of My Garden



O'Stella Daylillies & Lamb's Ear 
(Both are perennials and come back every year!")

I had several people ask about my flower gardens after my recent post and I thought that I would post a few additional pictures and list the names of the flowers in the pictures.



Lamb's Ear (soft & silvery) This unusual perennial is aggressive
and tends to re-seed & spread, but it is easily managed and great for sharing
with others.  It contrasts nicely with other plants, and flowers.



Clematis Vines (There are 3 vines planted in purple & raspberry & magenta)
Varigated hostas, Blue buttons on far left not in bloom yet,  crepe myrtle tree
on background without blooms yet



Nikko Blue Hydrangea (I love this old fashioned "Snow Ball" shrub
Red Knock-Out Rose Bush (shown on right)  Hostas in foreground.

Aztec Lilly (yellow with red tips)  White Salvia,
and Lambs Ear (shown far right)

Gardening is not only a healthy activity for me but also a rewarding way to spend an early morning

or late evening.  I learned a long time ago that gardening in the heat of the day is not for the

 "faint of heart".  On My Journey To A New Me I am enjoying working in my flower gardens more

and more and I am able to take a little of the sunshine inside to brighten up my home.



Do You Really Know How Many Calories You "Drink"?

I don't know about you but I am not a wasteful person. I am not saying that I  don't waste some things but when it comes to counting my 1400 calories on My Journey To A Mew Me I am very careful not to "waste" a single calorie.


If  I am eating a baked potato I don't always use sour cream or butter,  but I do what I stated in an earlier blog post, I go topless! It is funny how you don't really know what something taste like until you try this.  I find that after eating about half of the potato I am satisfied and I just leave the rest on my plate or  sometimes take it in a to go box.  Which means it stays in my refrigerator until it is so old that I have to throw it away!


Well as I look around at work, restaurants, and other places I see many people "drinking" their calories. I have not had a glass of Sweet Iced Tea since I began on My Journey To A New Me, and for those of you who "know" me,  you know this is a challenge in itself!  My old philosophy was, "If it ain't sweet, it ain't iced tea". But those days are long gone. I still enjoy iced tea, but I use Splenda or Stevia to sweeten it now. (I tried aspartame "Equal" but it gave me a fierce headache!)


So just how many calories are in some of your favorite drinks? I thought you would never ask.
I am going to give a run down of drinks and if there  is a sugar free alternative I will also list that as well. A small disclaimer before I begin, I do not drink any alcoholic beverages, beer wine, or any other type of liquor, so you will not find any of these calorie counts included in this post, but the information is available online.

Coca Cola "Classic". 140 calories per 12 oz. Can

 






Diet Coke. 1 calorie per 12 oz. Can









Coke Zero 0 Calories per 12 oz. can






  

Sprite 150 calories per 12 oz. can



Mountain Dew 170 calories per 12 oz. can



G2 Gatorade 45 calories per 20 oz. bottle

 Any way back to my thoughts on "Drinking Your Calories". Did you know that a McDonalds large Sweet Iced Tea that only cost $1.00 has approximately 280 Calories! Yes! 280 calories! So, if I was indulging in this special treat every day, I would only have 1120 calories for real food! 


Pepsi 150 calories per 12 oz. can



Gatorade Orange 130 calories per 20 oz. bottle




POWERADE GRAPE
200 calories per 32 oz bottle

Wow!  Just looking up all of the calorie counts for these beverages made me think, "No wonder the American public is so overweight and out of shape!"   The average person probably consumes at least three of these beverages per day, if they are only having one drink with their meals which is very low.  (I know people who drink a 2-liter bottle of Coca Cola classic every day all by themselves!)

I don't know about you, but I believe that drinking my calories is not the "wisest" choice when I am deciding how I will spend my 1400 calories per day on My Journey To A New Me.  How many calories are you drinking on a daily basis?  Have you ever thought about it?

Gardening: A Workout That Is Worth It On My Journey To A New Me!

Every spring I anxiously look forward to all of the beautiful azalea bushes, bradford pear trees, cherry blossom trees, dogwood trees, red bud trees, hydrangea bushes, knock-out roses and other shrubs, but my real enjoyment comes from watching the plants that I hand selected and planted come back year after year.


We moved into our home over four years ago, and like most new homes the landscaping left a little to be desired. Which is to say the builder of the house spent all of the budget on the house and the inside decor and little or nothing for the outside lawn and landscaping.


We had a few traditional holly bushes some variegated yellow and green leaf bush, one crape Myrtle and a lot of pine straw. We moved into the house the second weekend of December so the outdoor beautification project would not begin until spring.


The first week of April I can remember planning out what I would do with this sparse landscape. I began by having someone dig up all of the shrubs and relocating them to other areas and to the side of my house. We purchased knock-out roses and we planted them on the front of our house in two different areas. Next we planted three azalea bushes that are considered "encore" azaleas because they bloom in the spring and fall. We planted three sky pencil shrubs but today only one has survived. The last bush we planted was a Nikko Blue Hydrangea, my absolute favorite. This flowering shrub will provide large blue flower "balls" of flowers all spring and summer. With the existing crape myrtle tree that the builder had planted before me moved in, the "big" stuff was done. Now on to the fun part.

I love almost all flowers but I believe the most "bang for your buck" comes from the perennial plant selection. These flowers, once planted come back year after year, and they usually increase in number, spread or multiple. We took a trip to Growers Outlet in Loganville to see what beautiful plants that they had to choose from. (This nursery is truly a "wholesale" nursery and it is open to the public. You will find no lower prices anywhere and you will never want to over-spend at Home Depot or Lowes again!)


We purchased, Calla Lilly, Yarrow, O'Stella Day Lily, Purple Salvia, White Salvia, Black-eyed Susan, Pink Cone Flower, Purple Cone Flower, six different Clematis Vines with different colors of flowers that bloom all summer. My son had recently purchased a house and did not want to take care of all the flowers ( Hostas in three different varieties, canna lilies, spider wort, and a few others). So I told him if he would dig them up from his back yard I would gladly give them a new home.


Every year I do a little bit more with my garden. This year I planted the following flowers; Indian Blanket, Shasta Daisy, Coreopsis, Pink Begonias, and I transplanted some of my large Elephant Ear plants and the "forever spreading" Lambs Ear. This is one of the most interesting flowers in my garden. It is silver in color and it is fuzzy and soft. small children especially like this plant because you can "pet" it.

Gardening, both of the flower variety and the vegetable gardening type is very hard work and could be considered a "work-out" with all the bending, stooping, digging, pulling (weeds) and planting. But there is no work-out more rewarding than to see the "fruit" of your labor. Here are just a few pictures of my work-out thus far this year. I dont know about you, but this is one work-out that I will gladly continue if it can bring me these types of results!

The "Color Analysis" Of My Journey To A New Me

Most of you will probably not remember a "fad" that I am going to speak about in my blog today but it was something that caught my attention in 1981 and something that I still think about today. I think you will find it very interesting as it applies to my journey to a new me!


Remember the days of Tupperware Parties and candle parties? Before you had Pampered Chef parties, and jewelry parties. During the early 1980's a new type of party was formed and it was lead by a "Color Analysis" Consultant. Someone who had no formal education about color or analysis, but a trained eye when it came to determining the best "colors" that a person should wear to bring out the best look in both appearance, complexion and style.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

  "Color analysis, also called skin tone color matching or color seasons, is the process of finding colors of clothing and makeup to match a person's complexion, eye color, and hair color. It is often used as an aid to wardrobe planning and style consulting."

  "Color analysis is the process of determining the colors that best suit an individual's natural coloring. There are several means of analysing personal coloring. The most well-known is "seasonal" color analysis, which places individual coloring into four general categories: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. "Winters" and "Summers" have cool coloring. Some clues that a person has cool coloring might include ash tones in the hair, grey-blue eyes and pinkish undertones to the skin. "Springs" and "Autumns" have warm coloring. Some signs of warm coloring are red or golden hair, golden brown eyes and golden undertones to the skin."

During the party our Color Analysis Consultant began by explaining that all the colors of the rainbow could be broken down Iinto four distinct seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. She instructed everyone to remove all of their jewelry and make-up. This in itself was a challenge for some who did not want to be without their face painted on.


She then called us up one at a time to sit in her "Color Analysis" chair to perform  our personal consultation. ( The chair was just an ordinary chair taken from my mom's kitchen table, but for this evening it had a place of special importance!)


When it was your turn to sit in the chair she would begin to talk to you about the "colors" that you currently like to wear and how you feel when you are wearing those colors. All the while she is draping solid color fabric across you chest in an attempt to cover up the clothing that you had worn to the party.


I remember very clearly this experience because the first color she placed on me was bright royal blue. I don't have blue eyes, but if I did it would have made them sparkle even "bluer".  This was a great color for me and when she asked me if I liked what I saw in the mirror I quickly responded "Yes"! She then pulled the pretty blue fabric from around me and flung the next color in her bag of tricks onto my chest like a Matador's cape. The new fabric was bright red. Not an orangey-red or a burgundy red but a cherry red or candied apple red. Wow! This was amazing! I felt great in this color too! How would I pick which one to wear?  But wait, there's more!!!  She announces that she wants to "confirm" her findings, and she proceeds to begin draping light pastels, muted colors, and other colors that I would never wear.  After this process she explains that I am a "strong Winter" and that this is the coloring that most women die for.  Mainly because the colors Black and White are part of the color palette.

So what does all this talk of color analysis have to do with My Journey To A New Me? Everything and nothing. Everything because when I began to reflect back over my last 30 years of my "adulthood" I realized that I had been unhappy about my outer appearance for a very long time and neglected to take a closer look to see what the real issues were. Does wearing certain color help me to become happy? Not necessarily but I do find that I feel better "about" myself when I wear particular colors. This color analysis deal has been going on for about thirty years and if you did a google search today you would find many websites dedicating to giving you just enough information to get you "hooked". But the catch is they want you to pay for the color swatch test. Well let me save you all a lot of time and money.

Well I say, "Wear what you like, wear the colors thar make you feel the best, and be the best you that you can be!". There is only one you and whether you know what color to wear or not does not make any difference in the long run. If you want to wear black and you arent a true "winter" I say go for it! Black makes Everyone feel thinner!

"Jumping" That 60 Pound Hurdle! Landing On 61.2 !!!

I have been anxiously looking around the bend for my next "mark" and Saturday morning Mr.Scale greeted me with a Hug and a Kiss.   In the form of not just 60 pounds lost but a little "extra".   I smiled as I looked down and saw 61.2 pounds lost. This brings me to within 13.8 pounds from my July 4th goal of 75 pounds. This got me to thinking about my weight loss goals. To try and lose 100 pounds in only One Year really was a tremendous goal to set for someone who never was successful at losing twenty pounds and keeping it off for any length of time.  

I believe there are 5 D's that are helping me to succeed on this Journey to a New Me!
They are Dream, Desire, Decide, Determine, and Do It! ( Ok, I know the last one is two words but I am writing this blog and I like it!).


Before setting out to do anything "Big" you must first have a dream!  Those words were made famous over forty year ago by a very special man, Martin Luther King Jr.  His speech titled: " I have a dream" is still remembered and quoted today.   Wikipedia has this to say about it.

I Have a Dream" is a 17 minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. The speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. Delivered to over 200,000 civil rights supporters,^[1] the speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century by a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.

Another famous "Dream" statement came from the movie, Field of Dreams, staring Kevin  Costner.  He dreamed of building a baseball field out in the middle of a corn field!


Both of the examples are great reminders of great things that started with Dreams. I have often dreamed of being healthy and at my goal weight. During my forty seven years of living I can remember dreams of how I would look and feel and the things that I was able to do and accomplish, but the dreams never happened. Because "Dreaming" is not enough.


Next comes Desire. This is a word with so many meanings but when I think about Desire I think two different types of Desire.  First I think of romance. I think about the beautiful young lady and the hot leading man tormented by their desire for one another.  Their desire to be together is so strong that no matter the cost they would give their lives for the desire that they feel for one another.  The other Desire is the  desire 
that a married couple has to start a family.  They try so hard to get pregnant with their  first child.  I know about this type of desire first hand, because my husband and I were this couple.  We tried to conceive a child for eleven years before finally adopting our two older children. 

The third "D" is Decide.  Only you can Decide that you are going to do something.  No one can decide for you.  Nothing can happen for you until you decide.  Life will not get any better until you decide.  To Decide is an "Action Word", it means to act, or to do something.  This was my third step on my journey to a new me.

The fourth step is Determine.  This word is different than the others because it is the word that has more than one meaning and both are applicable to my journey.  Wikipedia defines determine as:

1. To set the limits of.
2. To ascertain definitely; to figure out.

Once I had determined to start this journey it was up to me to set the limits.  With my doctor's help I determined to eat 1400 calories per day.  But the rest was up to me to figure it out, and I am determined to see this through


The final "D" is Do It !  It is time to do what Nike made famous, Just Do It !!!  No one can do it for me, only I have the power to make a difference in my life.  Every decision that I make from this point forward is an action in the right direction.  I chose to Do It!!!  I am worth it.


On the beginning of my journey to a new me  it was only a Dream that blossomed into Desire that caused me to Decide that I wanted to be transformed by my Determination and later I wanted to Do It!  So I guess the question is "What are you waiting on?"  Do you ever Dream of the day when you will be at your goal weight?  Do you lack the desire and passion to attempt to change?  Don't you want to make the Decision to make the right choice?  It is time to get determined and fix your mind around the truth that You  too can Do It too!


In closing please remember these words from God's Word, " I can do all this through him who gives me strength. "  Phillipians 4:13  NIV


My next hurdle is the 75 pound mark, and with only 13.8 pounds to lose between now and July 4th I can see it on the track before me.  Don't get left in the dust, Do It for yourself today!

I Don't Have To Take A Vacation From My Journey

I will be honest, losing weight is not the easiest thing that I have ever done, nor is it the fastest.  But what I can say is that it is a wonderful journey to a new me.  When my husband and I had been married for 20 years I announced to him that one day we would go to Hawaii.  He said he did not want to go to Hawaii but I told him that I really wanted to.  And during the next couple of years we discussed it some and decided that we would go for our 25 year wedding anniversary. 

We had already discussed and decided that we did not want to have a traditional renewing of our wedding vows complete with ceremony and the reception but that we would take our trip to Hawaii.  Well we have now been married 27 years and we still have not made the trip to Hawaii.  Why?  Well the answer is a little complicated.

You see my husband does not like to take vacations! I know that sounds weird but it is true! I remember the very first vacation that we ever took was a week at the beach at Jekyll Island, GA. We had only been married about six months at the time and the second day there he was ready to go home! He made lots of promises to do fun and exciting things once we got home and we did. Six Flags Over Georgia, Stone Mountain Park, and Lake Lanier Islands Beach ( they did not have a water park way back then!)

So I learned early on how it was going to be and I decided to set a trap! Yes, I said a trap! Our next vacation would be one that he could not make an early escape from. I announced that we were going on a cruise! For five glorious days we vacationed to Cancun, Cozumel, Mexico. I loved it and decided if this was the only way that I could get him to go on vacation and relax then I would start now planning our next trip.

Over the next twenty years we took 11 more cruises. We sailed the Eastern Carribesn, the western Carribesn, the southern Carribesn including Aruba, Grenada, St Lucia and Barbdos, and we did two Mexican Pennisula cruises. And in all the trips regardless of where we went it was the food and the Presention of the food that won our approval! When you are escorted to your table you are given an extensive menu with No Prices!,, when your waiter greets you he insists that he is there to serve you and you can order as much and as many food items from every category listed. By the time you have completed a minimum of a seven course meal they bring out coffee and dessert! Now that is a sight to behold!

Why  am I telling you about the previous vacations and cruise experiences that we have enjoyed over the years? Am I trying to advertise for the next cruise ship out of the port of Miami? No, I am just trying to paint a picture of how my first twenty years of vacationing looked like. I was going on that boat regardless of the ports of call to do one thing, Eat, Eat, and Eat some more. There is  food available on a cruise ship twenty four hours a day.  It is a lot like Waffle House in that regard.  When you are hungry there is Always something to eat!

Well this summer we have a totally different vacation experience planned. My husband and I are traveling to Colorado Springs, Colorado to start a Ten Day Adventure. We are renting a 4-Wheel drive SUV and we are going to drive and see and experience everything that we can in those ten days. We will spend time in central and western Colorado, Northern New Mexico (Santa Fe) and drive to the Four Corners National Monument, and then drive back up into Colorado.

We will see lots of sights and I will be sure to take hundreds of photos but one thing that I won't be taking a vacation "from" is My Journey To A New Me! I made a commitment to myself today that I will not forget to eat only 1400 calories per day.  Who knows,  maybe by the time  that I get back I will have lost even more weight!  Vacations don't have to be a "Detour" on my journey. I can enjoy myself, relax and have loads of fun without getting off the road on my journey.   If you are planning your vacation think about what you will see and do first, and put less emphasis on the "Whats for supper?"  Just remember, "You don't want to have to start all the way over on your journey, do you?"