"Don't Make Pomises You Cannot Keep"

We have all heard this phrase, "Don't make promises that you cannot keep". I have made this simple statement to myself while on my journey to a new me. My promise to myself most recently was that while I am on vacation that I would not abandon my journey to a new me.

 From the very start of Our vacation I began to make good food choices. We found tbhe nearest WalMart and purchased 24 bottles of water, Gatorade G2 sports drink (the low calorie 8 ounce serving is only 30 calories) apples, peaches, bananas, strawberries and white seedless grapes, and to help kill the munchies that I knew would come, I selected Pringles Light Fat Free Crisps (70 calories per 15 crisps) and Baked Cheetos (only 130 calories per one ounce serving, approximately 35 pieces). I am usually satisfied with half the serving and it tastes like I am "cheating" when I really am being very good. 


If you are unfamiliar with Colorado and the Rocky Mountains then you probably are not aware of the altitude and the lack of air up here. We live in the Atlanta Georgia area and the elevation is around 1000 feet. In Colorado the lowest elevation that we have visited is around 6800-7000 feet. When seeing all the sights we have been hitting 12,000 to 14,000 feet and this can make for a few health issues. Dehydration being the number one and nausea, light headedness, and headache follow closely behind. I have not experienced the ill effects as much as my husband. Because he already has issues with his inner ear and has experienced dehydration in the past he is more sensitive to the environment and altitude conditions.  This has caused us to take it a little slower than we normally would.

Kevin & Kathy at the Garden of the gods
Visitor Center   Colorado Springs, CO

Kathy on the 14 story platform
overlooking the Seven Falls

Our first day out we saw Seven Falls which is an amazing series of waterfalls (7 total) and the Garden of the gods, both in Colorado Springs. The next day we headed south to see the Royal Gorge and bridge. It was a beautiful sight to behold and we had a little bit of a scare as well.

Cable Car at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park
Canon City, CO

The first thing that we did when we arrived was take the cable car across the massive gorge. We waited as the cable car made it's way back to our side of the gorge and we boarded along with 32 other passengers. It is an open air ride and it is "standing room only" (if you get claustrophobic I do not recommend this ride). We were making our journey across the gorge and had gotten about 80% to the other side when something went terribly wrong!


Without any warning the cable car became unsettled and it took a strong jolt and began rocking drastically on the cable. At least twenty of the people fell forward landing on the few of us that were crushed against the far side. The cable car conductor tried to gain his composure and found the microphone and asked if everyone was okay. Are you kidding me? Are we okay? This crazy cable car that we are on is rocking worse than a small boat in the middle of the Atlantic ocean in a tsunami and you want to know if we are okay? Look around dude, over 3/4 of your passengers are sprawled all across each other on the floor of the cable car, and you want to know if everyone is okay?


We did not know until the entire experience was over that this was the first time that this had ever happened at the park on this ride. After several horrible minutes the crazy rocking stopped and we were able to help the fallen ones to their feet. We then traveled the short distance to the other side of the gorge and we exited. We decided not to tempt fate twice and we took the long hike back to the original side of the gorge that we started on. And I am very happy to say that I was able to do it! I surprised myself! It was an awesome feeling to be fit enough to make the hike and trip across that massive gorge via the bridge that so many drive across. On my journey to a new me I know that if I had not made a promise to myself and kept it that I would not have been able to do what I did. Stay tuned for more experiences from our summer vacation and my journey to a new me!

This is the Royal Gorge Bridge and we walked across this to the
safety of the other side after our scary experience on the
cable car

The Royal Gorge with the
Arkansas River seen far below

Caution: Road Block Ahead - Detour Required

Today is a day that I have looked forward to for many months. Today we are "Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again!" well that is not entirely true, we do know when we are returning back home. We have an 11 Day Adventure planned out west. Something that we have wanted to do since we had our adventures out west in '2008.

The ride to the airport was easy and light on traffic. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to get through security and have an early dinner before boarding our plane. We had many choices on the concourse that we were departing from so we selected  T.G.I. Fridays. The place was packed with our fine military men and women either coming home from Afganistan or returning.

After dinner we found seats in the terminal and waited anxiously for the Delta members at the boarding gate to announce that they were now boarding our flight to Colorado Springs, CO.  To help pass the time, Kevin began speaking to one of the military servicemen and I wrote my last blog post.

The loudspeaker came on and the announcement that we had been waiting for did not come. Instead this is what we heard. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. I am sorry to inform you that the flight that was supposed to depart at 7:15 pm will not be able to leave on time as we are experiencing extreme weather conditions, thunder storms and lightning. Once it is determined that it is safe to board the aircraft and take-off we will make our next announcement. Please feel free to tour the concourse, visit the gift shops or find yourself something to eat. This delay may take a while."

Well the delay that she referred to was more than that. It was over two hours before we were able to board and then we sat on the airplane on the tarmac waiting for all the other planes who had been trying to land for the past two hours to do so. When we finally got that Boeing 737 up in the air it was past 10:30 and by the time we made the 2 hour and 50 minute flight into the Colorado Springs airport it was almost 1:30 am Georgia time! We were tired to say the least.

This was a Road Block if ever I had seen one, and the detour of our time was a costly one because we were exhausted most of the next day. We took it easy and enjoyed a few sights in the immediate area. On my journey to a new me I have accepted that some times you will hit a road block or must take a detour but I refuse to abandon my journey altogether! Just like we eventually made it to our destination, I know that the same is true for me on this journey to a new me. It may not always be the smoothest path and straightest road, but as long as I keep moving in the right direction I know that I will make it.

I will post more about my journey to a new me while I am on vacation. Who knows, you might get a great idea for your next vacation. Stay tuned.

Read The Label - It's Important

Have you noticed in recent years that there are more low fat, no fat, low carb, no carb, low calorie and reduced calories foods made available than ever before? It is not just your supermarkets where you can find them either. I have even seen such food choices at quick markets and convenience stores. It was on a recent trip to one of the convenience stores while pumping gas in my vehicle that I saw something that I considered an oxy-moron of sorts.

Could there be such a thing as low-fat chocolate milk that could be good for you? After reading the nutritional guide I found that there were 158 calories per 8 ounce serving. But upon further checking I saw the servings per container were 2-1/2. So at first glance you may think "Wow, I could really enjoy some tasty low-fat chocolate milk and it would only cost me 158 of my 1400 calories." But as I discovered that would have been a very costly mistake. (Remember my nutritional guide mis-read at Dairy Queen over the Memorial Day weekend?) This chocolate drink would have been a full 395 of wasted calories! Why do I say "wasted"? Let me explain.

I have learned on my journey to a new me that when you choose a four hundred calorie drink, you are getting very little nutritional value to help sustain you for the long haul. Although milk and milk products are important, you need to weigh how much that chocolate low fat milk drink is costing you in the scheme of things. There is a lot more sugar in that low fat chocolate drink than you may realize. Now don't get me wrong, you do need dairy in your daily food intake or diet (but oh how I hate to use that word!) I average 10% or less of my daily food intake on dairy products. So with my current calories set at 1400 per day that yields 140 calories for milk or milk products. I try to get this in skim milk, 2% milk, or yogurt. But don't be fooled just because yogurt "sounds" healthy, does not make it so.

Have you looked at your grocery store recently for yogurt? There are as many types of yogurt as there are ice cream, but let's not go there right now. In the yogurt corner you have regular fully loaded with sugar, granola, sprinkles, fruit, and other toppings that you can add before eating. Then you will find low fat, no fat, low sugar, reduced sugar, no sugar, whipped, Greek and the list goes on and on. And to make moms feel like they are giving their children a "healthy" snack they even offer Trix with yogurt!

I just want to say to the world, "Please Read The Label! Make a more informed choice! Think of all the other things you could be eating for the same calorie value." Please don't misunderstand, I do like yogurt and I eat yogurt, on occasion. The problem for me is that in order to eat it and enjoy it I have to be able to buy the lite and low fat sweetened with Splenda because I am unable to eat products with aspartame without getting a serious headache. While researching calorie counts I found one that sounded really good for you. "Yoplait Light Fat Free blueberry, strawberry or peach has 170 calories. How many of you thought this sounded like a winner as well? (Wow, so much for Having that "diet" sound in the title.)

So I just want to challenge everyone who is on this journey to a new me with me. Please take a minute to read the label. Make sure you KNOW how many calories you are eating, and Always double check the number of servings per container.

p.s.
My mom always tells me that you must drink milk or consume milk products and for them to be considered "healthy" milk calories it must provide at least 25% of your daily allowance. This rule of thumb comes from her many years as a life time member of Weight Watchers. I don't know how true this is but it sounded like another piece of the equation so I wanted to include it.

"Wishing & Hoping" Is Simply Not Enough!

 

Wishing and hoping is not only an old expression but it is also the lyrics to a oldies song. I remember watching a movie with Julia Roberts called "My Best Friend's Wedding" and this was one of the songs used in this movie. The premise of the movie was that the two main characters, Julianne (Julie Roberts)  and her best friend in college, Michael (Dermot Mulroney) would marry each other if neither of them had wed by the time they turned 28 years old.  Everything looked like they were going to live happlier ever after until four days before the 28th birthday arrived and Julianne receives a telephone call that would change everything.

If you have seen the movie you know that it was a hit in 1997 and is still a popular romantic comedy that is enjoyed today. The movie is both a comedy and a musical of sorts with the main cast actually singing during some of the scenes. They even have Cameron Diaz singig bad karaoke for one of the scenes. (In my opinion, that was karaoke at is worst.)


So why am I reflecting on a movie that came out over 14 years ago and what does it have to do with my journey to a new me?  Actually, it was the song, "Wishing and Hoping"  that I had heard on a drive home from work while listening to one of the oldies satellite radio stations that I listen to.  It made me think about myself and others who are overweight and have always been in the wishing and hoping catergory. 

I for one was always "wishing" that I was of normal weight.  That I had better metabolism.  I "wished"  that when I attempted to lose weight that I could lose it and keep it off.  I "wished"  that I could shop at mall stores and not large womens plus size clothing stores.  But not only was I  "wishing"  but I was  "hoping" at the same time..  I would "hope"  that I could stick to the diet that I was on at the time, but never really committed but  "hoping"  for drastic results.  Then "hoping" for a healthy body weight but not willing to make the investment to get it

I remember while watching the movie, My Best Friend's Wedding, and  wishing and hoping that somehow Julia Roberts would end up with her man, but in the end Cameron Diaz won out.  So that shows me that all the "wishing and hoping " in the world will not change anything, but what you "DO" can change everything. 

If  "wishing and hoping" is all that you ever do, then "wishing and hoping" is all that you will ever get.  You have to do more than make a "wish".  I had to put a fire in my wishful thinking.  I had to replace hopelessness with hopefulness.    If you are still  "wishing and hoping" for a perfect time to make a change for the better, I say the time for "wishing and hoping" is over.  It is time to make all of your "wishing and hoping"  come true.  How you may ask?  By setting your mind to it and putting forth your best effort every day!  Throw away those words "Wishing and Hoping" and replace them with words that emower you to make the change for yourself today!

Children Can Say The Funniest Things



My grandaughter, Leah, and one of their
new Miniature Schnauzer puppies, Brody

 I think it is true, children do say the funniest things.  My 2-1/2 year old grandaughter is no exception to this statement.  She is very fun loving and quick witted.  She is like a sponge in that everything that you do she wants to do, and like a parrot in that everything that you say she is going to repeat.

While having dinner with my son and his wife and children they told us a funny story of her riding in the backseat of their car on the way to the store.  And someone pulled out in front of them and from the backseat they heard her say:  "This is ridiculous!"  They started laughing because what two year old would know that word much less say it at an appropriate time, but she did.

This made me think of all the times that she and her brother, now 4 years old, have repeated something that they had heard the adults say.  Some times the words out of their mouth are not really what we would want them to say, sometimes it is funny and sometimes it is just plain honest.

Before beginning my journey to a new me I often thought about what my relationship would be with my grandchildren.  Would I be the grandmother that they loved and cherished and wanted to come to my house?  Would we bake cookies together during the holidays?  Would they help me plant flowers?  Did my future include fun activities like roller skating, playing chase, or hide and go seek?  It is nice to know that the further along that I go on my journey to a new me, the more clearly that I can see me in a more active role in their lives.  I do not have to be the grandmother who is too big to have fun with them, like I was with my own children.  I want to enjoy them now, not wait until I reach my goal.  The first few years of their lives I was a sit down kind of Nana, but I see a much more active relationship developing in our near future!  Boy do I love my grandchildren and now that I am on this journey to a new me I can have many more years with them in better health.

Leah & CJ hanging out after dinner at
Vinny's New York Style Pizza

Tonight while checking my emails and catching up on other webpages and news reports I saw a very interesting article on Yahoo Healthy Living  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 with simple ways to ways to cut 500 calories

Simple Ways to Cut 500 Calories

You probably already know the math: You have to cut 3,500 calories to drop one pound. To lose a healthy pound a week, that’s 500 calories a day! But you don’t have to deprive yourself or add an hour to your exercise routine to reach your weight loss goals. Here are 24 no-sweat tips for torching calories anytime, any place.
At Breakfast
Make a trade. Swap your bagel for an English muffin to slash 220 calories, a glass of whole milk for skim to save 70 calories, and a three-egg omelet for one egg and two egg whites, or pork sausage for turkey sausage to cut about 125 calories each.

Measure portions. “It’s so easy to eat a whole cup of cereal rather than a half-cup serving,” says Susan Kleiner, RD, PhD, co-author of The Good Mood Diet and The Power Food Nutrition Plan. “Simply measuring out one serving can save you up to 200 calories.” Keep in mind that a cup of granola can have up to 600 calories, while a cup of high-fiber cereal has only about 120.

At Lunch

Move on your lunch hour. “A brisk 15-minute walk burns about 100 calories, and it gives you less time to eat,” says Marjorie Nolan, RD, CND, CPT and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Walk during your lunch for five days and burn 500 extra calories. Or try wearing a pedometer to measure out 10,000 steps a day, or about 5 miles—you’ll automatically burn 500 calories without even hitting the gym.

Order wisely. Use hummus or mustard instead of mayo, and a roll for sliced bread on your sandwich, and cut about 200 calories. Opt for a salad instead of fries to save another 300 calories for a total of 500 saved

Chew your food. An easy way to slash calories is to slow down when you eat. Women who chewed at least 20 times before swallowing ate up to 70 calories less at mealtime, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Since it takes 20 to 30 minutes for your body to register that you are full, researchers believe eating more slowly allows you to get to the point where you feel satiated on fewer calories than if you’re shoveling it in.
At Dinner

Downsize your plates. Rather than depriving yourself of food to drop pounds, simply use smaller plates. “People eat as much as is on their dish rather than the amount that their body actually needs,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now! “If you shrink the size of your dishes by a quarter, such as going from a 12-inch plate to a 9-inch plate, you’ll cut 500 calories without feeling deprived.” The research backs it up: People serving themselves ice cream in larger bowls ate 31 percent more than their counterparts eating from smaller bowls—and both groups reported feeling full, according to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

Wait to have seconds. Once you’ve downsized to smaller plates, Dr. Teitelbaum recommends giving yourself permission to eat as much as you want, but waiting 20 to 30 minutes to have a second helping. “You almost never go back because you’ve given your body time to register that you’re feeling full, so you easily save hundreds of calories.” Even if you do opt for seconds, you’re likely to get a smaller helping because hunger hormones won’t be driving your appetite.

Slim your sides. Instead of dipping chips in fat-packed sour cream, try serving baked tortilla chips or whole wheat pita wedges with low-fat refried beans and chunky salsa. It’s a tasty way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies and cut 109 calories. Or trade a side of traditional potato salad for sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions tossed with fat-free Italian dressing to cut 258 calories.

Eating Desserts

Make over your sweets. You won’t miss belt-busting peach cobbler or banana splits if you have other good-for-you options to choose from. Save up to 400 calories by making grilled fruit kebabs: Slice one peach and one small banana into quarters, thread four pieces fruit each onto two skewers, and brush with one tbsp honey each. Grill each side for about 4 minutes, or until flesh is tender but still firm. Sprinkle on cinnamon. Or, if you want to have your cake, cut a thin slice of pound cake, layer on berries and top with light whipped cream for a decadent-tasting dessert for less than 150 calories.

Other Tips

Skip the oil. Replace oil with applesauce when baking to slim down. “Two tablespoons of oil is about 200 calories, while 4 tablespoons of applesauce is only 40—you have to double the applesauce to oil ratio in recipes,” says Marjorie Nolan, RD, CND, CPT and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Make the switch and save 160 calories without sacrificing flavor, and top your treat with a dollop of light whipped cream instead of premium vanilla ice cream to save another 220 calories.
Dining Out

Leave something on your plate. Restaurant dishes are up to 250 percent larger than a normal portion size, so simply leaving a quarter of the meal on your plate can save up to 500 calories. Leaving a few bites of any potato or noodle dish cuts up to 100 calories alone because they almost always have added butter, oils or other fats, says Susan Kleiner, RD, PhD, co-author of The Good Mood Diet. And skip the extras, such as the bread basket, to keep from breaking your calorie bank. Or, if you’re at a Mexican restaurant, forgo the tortilla chips—they can equal more calories than your entire meal.

Know before you go. Before you head to a chain restaurant, check out the nutrition information on its web site – diners who saw nutrition information before selecting their meals ate an average of 52 fewer calories, according to the American Journal of Public Health. Moreover, you’ll be able to make smarter meal choices. Instead of having Chili’s Steak and Portobello Fajitas for 1130 calories, you can choose Chili’s Classic Chicken Fajitas for just 360 calories—a savings of almost 800!
At the Office
Take a stand. “You can burn up to an extra 500 calories a day without doing a lot of activity simply by standing rather than sitting,” says John Timmerman, a certified personal trainer at Trillium Fitness in Syracuse, New York. “It can make the difference between burning 120 calories an hour versus 60 calories.” If you can’t get away from your desk, try standing to make a phone call or read a report. Even shutting your office door to squeeze in 5 minutes of pushups or jumping jacks can burn another 50 calories.

Have a ball. “Trading your desk chair for a stability ball helps you burn extra calories because you’re forced to use your core muscles to stay stable,” says Marjorie Nolan, RD, CND, CPT and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “You could burn up to 350 extra calories over an eight-hour workday while helping to tone your stomach and boost circulation.”

Drink up. It’s no secret that swapping water for soda can save you hundreds of calories—about 300 a day if you drink two cans. But drinking 20 to 60 ounces of water daily might also help boost your metabolism so you burn even more calories, says Greta Blackburn, founder of FitCamps and co-author of the new book, The Immortality Edge. “If you’re not getting enough water, your kidneys turn to your liver for help, which takes away from your fat-burning ability and slows metabolism.” To make water more appealing, try adding sliced cucumbers, or low-calorie flavor packets that offer fizz and a shot of vitamins, such as the new orange-flavored eBoost.

Don’t eat and watch. “People who snack in front of the television consume an average of 288 extra calories a day because they’re eating mindlessly,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. If you want to snack, turn off the TV, serve yourself on a dish, and really pay attention to what you’re putting in your mouth to slash calories.

Try commercial cardio. “Doing some kind of cardio, such as jumping rope or jogging in place, burns about 10 calories a minute,” says says Marjorie Nolan, RD, CND, CPT and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “If you watch an hour of TV a night and add cardio moves during the 10 commercial breaks that typically air, you could blast up to 300 extra calories without missing your favorite shows.” Adding “commercial cardio” and nixing mindless snacking cuts more than 500 calories.
On a Saturday

Sleep in. “Studies show people who get less than 6 hours of sleep eat up to 300 calories more during the day because a lack of sleep triggers the production of the hunger hormone, grehlin,” says Marjorie Nolan, RD, CND, CPT and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Each extra hour of sleep could save you 100 calories. So don’t set your alarm on Saturday, and if you snooze, you lose.

Clean house. Spend 2 hours getting organized by cleaning your garage or vacuuming and dusting the house to slash about 408 calories. Wear extra layers and switch the hands you use to sweat even more.

Get foot loose. Go out with your friend and move to some live music, or just blast your favorite tunes and dance around your house. Rocking out like this for an hour torches 445 calories—and you’ll be having fun so it won’t feel like exercise.

Go for a ride. Biking is great impact-free cardio—plus you have to engage your core muscles to stay balanced. One hour of biking at an easy pace blasts 272 calories—pedal just twice a week, and that’s more than 6 pounds dropped in a year.

Run some errands. Spend an afternoon food shopping and unloading groceries to burn close to 500 calories. Cook dinner to burn 136 more.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/simple-ways-to-cut-500-calories-2498607/

If you have been thinking about beginning your own journey why not try a few of the ideas and tips in this article.  You may be surprised by the end result and not feel deprived in the process.  I know you can do it.  So what is stopping you?

Talk Is Cheap, And I mean Real Cheap!

Have you ever done something so many times that when you attempt to do it a different way or seems foreign to you? This has happened to me many times in my life. On my journey to a new me I have seen a lightbulb come on that has helped to illuminate the darkness of my past eating habits and thoughts toward food. 


There are huge differences in the choices that I am making today compared to six short months ago. Six months does not seem like that much time compared to a lifetime of overating and living with the consequences of those bad habits. I was living in denial regarding my attempts to lose weight. I talked the talk all the time. I was forever telling my husband and family that I was "Doing something about my weight". Yes the truth be told, "I was doing something about it, I was adding to the weight on my body daily." I became a true "Life long member as a Weight Watcher, not because I had met my weight loss goal but because I was a consistent watcher, I was watching my weight go up, up, up!


So in a world where talk is cheap, I decided to put my money where my mouth was so to speak!
Instead of just "Talking the Talk" I began to "Walk the Walk" to better eating habits, better health and a happier life!


On my journey to a new me I find it easier to make good food choices, and now I am really trying to focus on my activities and exercise. I believe that this is a key element that I must add to my daily routine in order to see the results that I am looking for. So let's be real and start talking the talk and walking the walk that we are capable of, yes I said capable of! The only person who can't do it for themselves is the one who choses "Not" to do it for themselves. Remember "Talk is cheap, and I mean Really Cheap!"

Where Did That 70 Pounds Go?

Kevin & I at the Waffle House.    I can comfortably sit
in the small booth because I have lost 70 pounds !!
picture taken 6-19-2011

Well I will be honest, I try real hard to not get on Mr. Scale every day. Why? Because I know after losing weight for a while that I am not going to see a change every day. Also, your body can fluctuate a pound or few ounces every day. On my journey to a new me I try to use the scale as a tool and not as the "end all be all" of my existence because I know if I am doing the right things that the weight will go away!

Well Sunday morning while getting ready for church I took the challenge and hopped on Mr. Scale to see what he would have to say and the news was better than I had hoped for! He was happy to report a 70 pound weight loss since I began my journey to a new me on December 11,2010. My goodness this was fantastic news and I am happy to say that I can tell that I have lost 70 pounds.

So this made me wonder, where did that 70 pounds go? Did one of my family or friends find it? I will probably never know the answer to that question, but all I know is that this is something that I have lost that I never want to find again. You will not see me posting
signs that read: "Lost: 70 pounds. REWARD to anyone who helps me to find this missing weight"
I know that may sound funny but now that it is gone I never want to see or feel the weight again. Without those 70 pounds hanging around my hips, thighs, and belly, I feel lighter and more able to move and breath and have a life. So here's a cheer for 70 pounds lost. This is a big boost towards helping me to get to my 75 pounds weight loss goal by July 4th. Hey that's only two weeks from today, does anyone think I can do it? I believe I can.

Mind Over Matter, And Food Too!

I believe everyone has heard the expression "You need to put mind over matter!" Any time my children would hurt themselves or scrape their knees when they fell down from riding a bike or running in a parking lot, my husband would say those words to keep them from crying. I don't know why but it always seemed to work.

I can remember my husband telling me the story about he and my son Will going out to a job site to paint window splashes on the front of a store window. They were having to climb up and down ladders to reach the high areas. My son had sat his really sharp scraper with a four inch razor blade on the top step of his ladder. When he reached to pull the ladder towards him the scraper blade descended down on him and sliced the front of his leg open, his shin to be exact. This was the last thing my husband needed at his clients place of business. So he began to repeat the phrase "Will, you need to put mind over matter!" They went to the emergency room and he had to have stitches to close up his filleted leg, but he learned a valuable lesson that day. Not only should he never sit a sharp scraper with a four inch long razor blade on a ladder that he is trying to move, but he also learned to put mind over matter.

On my journey to a new me I am learning to put mind over matter every day. In the past I would not be finished eating one meal and I would already be thinking about my next meal or snack or food to munch on. Learning to put mind over matter was one of the harder things that I have had to learn to do.

One of the first things that I did when I began my journey to as new me was to look at food differently. Thinking about the words that my doctor had said to me on my first doctor visit way back on December 11, 2010 he said, "You need to concentrate on eating only 1400 calories per day, and remember, your body does not know the difference between a carrot stick and a piece of carrot cake. All your body knows is how many calories you have eaten". So with this information I thought about the foods I was going to eat and what the "costs" or calories would be.

Next, I determined to re-think my portion size. There are many ways to do this. You can eat a half portion of a favorite food item and take the other half home as leftovers, and you can eat on a smaller plate. Instead of a ten inch plate, use a eight inch plate. This will give your smaller portion size the look that you are still eating a lot of food.

The third trick to gain "mind over matter" was listening to my body for clues as to when I was really hungry, and also for the clues to say I was full or that I had eaten enough. So what if I had planned to eat four ounces of beef or chicken and half way through I decided that I was full. There is no harm in not finishing everything on your plate, regardless of what your mother told you growing up. Many people today are over weight because they were taught to "Make A Smiley Face" and clean their plate! Well I for one wish that I had never been taught this golden rule and that I had made less Smiley Face Plates growing up.

And finally, another great way to put some mind over matter is to eat slower and really learn to taste your food. When you remove all the heavy salad dressing from your salad you can really taste the freshness of the vegetables. The same goes for baked potatoes. It was only after I ate one plain baked potato with "salt and pepper only" that I realized what the potato even tasted like. Without the fattening butter, sour cream, shredded cheese and bacon bits, I was able to savor the hot moist potato and found that half of a potato was really all that I wanted. Do you have any idea how many calories I save by eating my baked potato plain? More than you could guess. The butter alone has 100 calories per one tablespoon. Sour cream has 62 calories per two tablespoons, Kraft shredded cheese 110 calories per quarter cup serving and the bacon bits have 25 calories for one tablespoon. So my calories before adding the calories for the potato were hitting around 297! That is three hundred calories for toppings alone! The medium potato has 161 calories so you then have 458 calories for this loaded baked potato. I guess it would be okay if that was all that I was eating. But I always ate meat, other side dishes and bread. So who knows, my calories for that one meal alone could have topped 2,000.

Why am I re-living my past and thinking about all my bad eating habits? I believe it is healthy to look at my past, my present and my future. By using "mind over matter" I have been able to think about what I am doing, what I am eating, and why I am eating. There is not a day that goes by that I don't hear the voice of my doctor saying, "Your body does not know the difference between a carrot stick and a piece of carrot cake." And this tells me that if I wanted a piece of carrot cake I could have it as long as I counted the "cost", the calorie cost that is. So what is stopping you from putting mind over matter in your eating habits? Take a minute to Re-think how you think about food. Believe me, once you do you will be so glad that you did. After all it is only "mind over matter" any way!

"A Born Salesperson From The Start"

For as long as I can remember my mom and dad have told people that "Kathy can sell ice to an Eskimo".  As a child that never made sense to me, but as I grew into an adult I realized that there was a lot of truth to this statement.  My ability to sell began many years ago. 

When I think about my childhood memories I can remember being a go-getter. My sister and I were both involved with Brownies, and later Girl Scouts. Every year we would have our annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale.  Every Girl Scout was required to sell a certain number of boxes of the cookies. Just as they do now, you were required to sell cookies by placing orders with friends and relatives in advance. The cookies would arrive three or four weeks later and then you would distribute, deliver and collect the money. Well it never seemed to fail that my sister would get home from school before me and she would go through the neighborhood knocking on doors and trying to sell cookies ( or I should say place orders for cookies)

                      

 By the time my bus had dropped me off at our house, she would have knocked on every door at least once. Now the truth be told she wouldn't show me her order sheet and it would detour me from going through the neighborhood myself because I didn't want someone to say "I've already been asked and bought from someone else." So when my parents would get home and they asked her how many boxes she had sold and she said "None!". My mouth dropped open in in amazement! I couldnt believe what I was hearing! I said, "What? You got home before me, knocked on everyone's door, offered the Girl Scout Cookies, and you didn't even sell ONE BOX?" Are you kidding? She would put her head down and mumble "No one was home and the people who were said they didn't want any!". Well this was all I needed to hear.

Without further ado, I grabbed my sales order log with color pictures of those oh-so-delicious Girl Scout Delights and I was out the door before it got dark. I hopped on my three-speed bike and pedaled to the first house. When the lady of the house opened the door I greeted her with my biggest smile ever, and with my best child like charm I asked her if she liked cookies. She said "Why yes I do, why do you ask?". And I jumped at the opportunity by saying, " I am selling Girl Scout cookies for my troop how many boxes would you like?". She looked at my sales order form with the pictures of all the choices and she ordered three boxes and asked me who she should write the check to? This gave me a great idea, I decided that I would sell them and get the money and that would make the delivery in three weeks that much easier!


For the next forty five minutes I rode that bike up and down the streets of our neighborhood and the neighborhoods surrounding ours. When I got home I had not only my order form but my sisters order form full of excited customers who could almost taste those cookies today as I described each one individually.  


You are probably wondering how I was able to do this and my sister could not. I believe the answer lies in my ability to sell myself.  To do this I had to believe in myself and the product that I was selling.  I love to set goals for myself and I put everything I have into hitting those goals.  A challenge is just an opportunity for me to step up to the plate and do my best with what God has blessed me with to achieve great things.  On my journey to a new me I have learned that there is nothing that I can't do once I set my mind to it.  I believe in myself and want to continue on until I hit my next goal of 75 pounds.  There are so many benefits that come with the the weight loss and I have sold myself on the idea that I can be healthy and fit.   

Leader or Follower - Which One Are You?

When I was a child we played a game called "Follow The Leader". To play this game you had to have one person to be the leader and one or more people to follow them around. You could take turns being the leader and follower but you couldn't do both at the same time. Have you ever heard the expression "You need to lead or follow, or get out of the way!" I am a person who has always liked to be the leader, whether playing this simple children's game or in life.

I like to read and I have read many books of leadership. John Maxwell made a statement in one of his many books on leadership and it went something like this: "If your the leader and you turn around and no one is following you, then your just out for a walk." Wow! What an insightful statement. I had never looked at it this way until I read it but I believe this to be true.

Many people want to lead. If given the choice between leading and following I believe more people would want to lead. So my question is, "Why don't they?". What is it that causes people to fall into the pattern of following rather than leading? Is it due to laziness? Not necessarily. Is it because of low self-esteem? Possibly. Could it be a lack of desire to be in charge? Or maybe it is because they do not want to be the "responsible party" if the thing or people they are leading is a failure.

Fear of failure is probably the number one reason why more people do not step out of their comfort zone and lead and on my journey to a new me I feel like I have been given an awesome opportunity to lead by example. Now that is an old adage that you don't hear to often any more. Leading by example has been around for centuries and some of the most successful leaders led this way.

My husband and I lead small groups at our church and one of the classes that we teach is a class on leadership. The class is to help develop leaders in the church but the principles could be applied in any situation. The class meets 7 times and you learn everything from your personality type, your leadership style, your spiritual gifts ( the special gifts that God himself gave you to be effective in life) and TEAM ministry and how to lead others. You are probably wondering what is the name of this class, what is the title of the workbook used to learn all these leadership skills. Well the answer is: Jesus on Leadership. Jesus was the ultimate leader and example of what a leader should be and do. His entire ministry and leadership was based on the understanding that to be a good leader you must first be a servant. He was the ultimate example of Servant Leadership and he is the example that I follow daily.

I live my life to serve the Lord, my family, my friends, and even my customers. I do all that I do for his glory. His leadership style is my goal. On my journey to a new me I am excited to learn and discover how to lead more as a servant leader. I have so many people now taking this journey with me. Some of you offer words of encouragement to help cheer me on and others of you have begun your own journey to a new you! That is exciting news to hear about and I am happy to encourage and support you right back! Let me know about your accomplishments, your struggles and when you fail. We can do this together! So, are you are leader or a follower? Look behind you. Do you see anyone following behind you, or are you just out for a long walk?

"Sweating To The Oldies"

Okay it is confession time again and I have something to tell. I love oldies music! I know that I have now aged and become "my parents" but actually I have always enjoyed listening to music from the 60's and 70's. There is just something fun and uplifting about the music and lyrics. If you gave me a choice between music of today and music from 30 or 40 years ago there is no doubt that I would choose the old stuff. I don't drink alcohol beverages but oldies music is like a good wine, it just gets better with time!

I can remember back in the early 80's a video workout series that came out with Richard Simmons, "Sweating to the Oldies". Now let's be honest here, how many of you actually bought one of the VHS videos? I will admit it. I purchased not just one but a entire series along with the weight loss journal and weight loss plan, Movin' & Groovin' or something like that.
Just like with anything new I could not wait to open the package and see what Richard had to say to me. Everything that was promised on the info commercial was there. All I had to do was pop that VHS tape in my parents VCR player and begin to watch the transformation begin.

Well the results were slow at best. Instead of "Sweating to the Oldies" or "Movin' & Groovin' I found myself watching the other out of shape, extremely overweight people on the video with bad hair and make-up and let's not forget their bad clothes and their lackluster attempts to do the aerobic moves tht Richard Simmons himself was demonstrating.

It is pretty funny to me now that I even bought the program much less tried it. When you purchase things on TV they always say 100% satisfaction guarantee. Well I should have known after one viewing that this $39.95. Plus shipping and handling was not an investment that I should have made for myself.

Looking over the years I have made my share of bloopers and blunders trying to lose weight and become healthy. My journey to a new me is the first and only time that I have been able to lose weight effectively and consistently while not trying the latest "Get Skinny Scheme" on the market, and I have actually stuck with it which is a testament to the fact that eating 1400 calories a day works for me! I am very proud of my accomplishments so far. I am down 66 pounds and have been taking time out of every day to walk on a treadmill or workout on the elliptical. If I can do it so can you! Whether it's contemporary christian music , country music, dance, rock, rap, or oldies music, put something in your iPod that you can "Move & Groove" to and let's get going! What do you have to lose except some weight?

Stay In Control: "Pack A Snack"

Have you ever wondered who invented the "snack"?  What is it about this five letter word that gets everyone so excited? What is so funny is that it is not just people who get excited about this word but pets as well. When I visit my parents at their home, it never fails that the word "snack" comes up. They are not offering me a snack, but they are talking about their dog, a full grown miniature schnauzer, "Roxie". They rescued her from a back yard breeder over six years ago and she has been a delightful addition to their family.

Roxie knows how to beg in style!

Now back to the story about snacks. When you say this word at their house you better be prepared to meet her at the food pantry door where her "snacks" are. You can just begin to say "Roxie you want a sn...." and not even finish the word snack and she is sitting so pretty begging for her delicious treat. I told my mom she needed to spell the word or try changing it to treat but I think she and my dad like the reaction they get from their "furry daughter" when they say... snack.


Well just thinking about snacks has me wondering, how important are snacks? Who should eat snacks? When should you eat snacks? And what should you eat as a snack? You probably think that since I am on my journey to a new me that I would only eat "healthy" snacks but this is not necessarily the case.


First of all, I am not that big of a snack eater. I know to look at me now and before I started my journey to a new me you would probably argue with me about this point but I can honestly say I was getting the majority of my daily calories before my journey began and now when I sat down to eat my there meals a day.



Professional Snackers in Training
Right now they are learning how to use
those puppy-dog eyes to beg
(L-R, Harley & Alllie)



I am not saying that snacks in any form are bad. In fact snacks are good for you. Recent studies state that you should eat at least two "healthy" snacks a day. Why healthy? Why two? The research is not conclusive but one reason that they all agree upon is that by eating two snacks, one between breakfast and lunch and the other between lunch and dinner is because it keeps you satisfied and keeps your metabolism going. When do you think is the number one preferred time for snacking? In the evening, of course! Notice that they did not include after dinner snacks, late night snacks, or midnight snacksas the most appropriate time to snack.   Why? Because your body will not burn off those calories during the night while you are sleeping. So what does your body do with all the ice cream, chips, pretzels, cookies, cake, pie, candy, popcorn and other snacks that we indulge in after dinner every night? It stores it for another day! Well I don't know about you but I am not on a mission for my body to "store" anything! I am working as hard as I can to get this excess weight off and keep it off.


So now we know the best times to snack but what should we be snacking on? Fruit is a great choice. If you are anything like me around 10 or 11 am every day my sweet tooth starts begging to be fed. During the summer I like to pack a sweet peach, cup of cubed watermelon or cantaloupe, a crisp Fuji Apple, Bartlett Pear, Strawberries or fresh pineapple slices.  I find that by eating fruit during mid-morning by lunch time I am not starving and it does not take as much to satisfy me making it easier for me to stay at 1400 calories per day on my journey to a new mw!

Mid-afternoon comes and I am not always hungry, but if I am I reach for more fruit, or  a 100 calorie snack pack of cookies or  microwave popcorn that is also 94% fat free.  This helps curb my desire for salty snacks.  We have vending machines in our breakroom at work but they are full of high calorie snacks that leave you on a sugar high after you eat them.

By dinner time in the evening I am able to finish off my 1400 calories for the day and if I am still within 120 calories of my daily goal I some times eat a Weight Watchers ice cream.  This gives me a little special treat without over-indulging.

So think about it?  How often are you snacking?  And what are you snacking on?  Is your body able to burn the calories from your snacks as fuel or is it so late in the evening when you eat your snacks that your body has to store those extra calories for another day?

Next time you reach for those Lay's potato chips, remember their catchy advertising slogan, "Nobody can eat just one!"  I would say that in most cases I would agree.  Would you?