Fit Friday

Friday is my "official" weigh in day.  I struggle on the weekends like I am sure many do and I know several people who make Monday their weigh in day in an attempt to help them do better on the weekends.  As long as I continue to steadily lose weight I plan to stick to a Friday weigh in.  If I need to change things down the road then I will revisit the idea.

So, this week I managed to eke by and maintain my weight from last week's weigh in.  I did not lose but I did not show a gain - still at 31.2 lbs lost overall.  Considering I was up over 3 lbs a few days ago, I am VERY pleased with the results.  However, due to my slacker mentality of late, I am still 2.1 pounds from reaching my goal in the Diet Bet challenge I did this month.  I will do my official weigh in for THAT tomorrow morning.  I will admit, I am doing something I have NEVER believed in when it comes to losing weight the healthy way.......eating VERY little today.  I really want to try and reach the goal so I can win back my entry fee at least.  It is not something I want to ever do again because I am a believer in losing weight for the long term through healthy eating & exercise.  Period.  Not judging anyone who uses other methods to lose weight - it just isn't for me.  I can also guarantee you, if I am able to pull the rabbit out of the hat and lose the 2.1 lbs by tomorrow, I will certainly gain it right back by the end of Sunday.  I promise.

This was a very stress-filled week.  It was my PMS week and emotionally I was a mess.  My poor brother was a little concerned about me a few days here at the office.  Yesterday the dreaded PMS headache hit and I can still feel it slightly today - nearly 24 hours later.  Basically I have allowed my emotions to rule me this week and that means very little exercise & not eating the greatest.  I do feel better this morning where all that is concerned so hoping I am on the downhill side of it.

I belong to 2 fitness communities on Facebook:

The Fit Community - I love the challenges they post (despite not really being in a place where I can do them just yet), the testimonials showing before & after photos, and the great motivational quotes!  It is a busy site and the downside is I have posted a few inquiries and never really get much response to them.  Still, I love all the other aspects of the place enough to make them part of my regular browsing experience every day.  Here are a few examples of what they post:
 
A great quote posted this morning & I can attest to the truth that morning exercise makes for a much better day!!  Still, I need this quote painted on the ceiling in my bedroom so it is what I see when the alarm goes off every morning :)

A 30-day Squat Challenge - my thighs burn just looking at this challenge!

I love seeing transformations!!!

And, this is will always be a favorite of mine!!!

I am also a member of another group (by invite only) called Project Me.  It was started by my friend, Tricia, who I met back in January of this year.  She was one of my Biggest Loser 2013 teammates and her and I began our journey's at close to the same weight.  She has lost over 80 lbs and still losing!  She is a workout maniac!  And, she is a great inspiration to me.  This community is currently made up of 31 members and we post our ups & downs and cheer each other on everyday!

Here is a transformation photo of Tricia - she is rockin' it!!!  So proud of her accomplishments!

I don't know about you but just writing this blog post has keyed me up with some great motivation.  I hope it has somehow inspired you as well.  I would love to hear about your journey to health if you have one to share.

Stay Strong,

Are We There Yet?

Why are weeks that are shorter because of a holiday SO much more stressful?  All I know is it is Wednesday.  It was a VERY trying Wednesday.

Thankful to be home at last and for getting a 30 minute, two mile walk done.  Gotta love exercise for helping to lower the effects of stress!  Here are a few more things that help lower my blood pressure....

Ahhhhh, okay, I am sufficiently relaxed and ready to call this Wednesday a wrap!  So, tell me, what kinds of things help you to unwind after a long day?  Do share.

Be Blessed (not stressed)

Random Tips on Tuesday

I don't know about you but I can be the occasional Pinterest addict.  I love clicking on the "Everything" tab and just perusing the latest quotes, recipes & tips/tricks.

The following are some of my favorite ideas I would love to try.  **They were taken from this article by Peggy Wang on BuzzFeed & there are LOTS more so go check it out!**

Magnetic spice tins for the side of your refrigerator:

Fridge/Freezer storage:

Taking advantage of vertical space - I really love this concept!

Use Command Hooks to hang jewelry on backside of a door - brilliant!

Never lose your tweezers in the dreaded make-up drawer again just by using a little magnet!

Over-The-Door shelf in bathroom - not sure I have enough space to do this but I really like the idea enough to post.

Extra storage on inside of cabinet doors

And, probably my FAVE........organize the junk drawer with Altoid tins (must get my friend Sheila to start saving the tins for me)

Can you see why I love Pinterest so much??  It is THE greatest thing since sliced bread.  I say that like I ever lived in a time before sliced bread ;)

I took Molly over to Mom & Dad's and I sat outside with Mom for awhile.  It was a bit warm but there was a decent breeze now & then that made it tolerable.  I took advantage of the sunshine to snap some photos of their beautiful yard.  And, of course, had to share a Maggie shot, too!

There is a bowl of water that sits not far from this barrel fountain but Maggie chooses to drink from here:

These purple Petunia's are so deliciously fragrant!

The sun going down in the west behind the American flag.  The Hibiscus on the left was in full bloom the other day but today nothing.  However, the Honeysuckle on the right gets bigger & more smelly-good each time I see it.

Blessings,

Memorial Day & Summer Kick-Off

My church did an amazing job of honoring the memories of those who sacrificed for this country!  It was a breathtaking sight to see a line of American flags across the entire front of the church.  Each flag represents a hero.  To the men and women (and their families) who gave ALL for the freedoms I often take for granted......THANK YOU - YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!!

Photo taken by Diana Camren

Photo from church Facebook page

The Single's group at my church always hosts a Summer Kick-Off BBQ on this weekend.  You know us Baptists love a chance to eat!!!  We were graced with a gorgeous day.  Everyone trickled in and worked on preparing their side dishes as my friend and I went outside to grill the burgers & hot dogs.  While outside relaxing on the deck we were haunted by a giant yellow jacket whom I not-so-lovingly named "BeelzeBee".  Despite the menacing bee buzzing around we managed to get the meat grilled without too much charring!  

It was all so delicious.  I enjoyed 1 burger w/o the bun.  Some Chinese Ramen Noodle salad (delish!), small portion of baked beans, 2 helpings of Caprese salad and 2 servings of dessert.  Dessert sent me over the edge of being full but it was seriously good.  Not sure how it will all play out by week's end when I come to the close of my current Diet Bet challenge but I am not going to fret over it.  I had worked out 30 minutes that morning & I worked out 45 minutes this morning.  Whatever will be, will be.

The storytelling & laughter that went along with it was probably the best part of the day next to the eats.  It was an all around fabulous Sunday!

My first ever trifle assembly and was it ever yummy!  I wanted to go with the red, white & blue theme but forgot I used all my blueberries up when I prepared my smoothie bags on Saturday :(

Gene being his goofy self.  We had a LOT of potato salad but my theory is, you can never have too much potato salad.  Just isn't possible.

We were winding down for the afternoon - sorry for the major lighting blow-outs.  Only so much you can do with a smartphone camera.

Looking forward to soaking the fresh breezes blowing in through the windows on my last day before the work week begins again tomorrow.  I cannot believe how fast 4 days has flown by.

Here I Go!

It has been a LONG time since I have blogged.  I have known for some time now that I needed to start a new blog because of my posts on Facebook.  In between the whining about one thing or another I have been passionately posting status updates about my weight loss journey.  They can get quite lengthy at times.  What can I say?  I am a wordy-gurdy!  Bless the hearts of so many of my friends for commenting on those short novels.

At long last I sat down this morning and created a new blog where I can post about all parts of my life journey and yes, that includes the road I am on each and every day....the road to becoming healthier spiritually, emotionally & physically.

This post will be short because I have spent a few hours typing the page you see just under my photograph above entitled "Journey To Health".  My hope is to try and inspire others on their own journey and since I am starting this blog nearly SIX months into my travels, I have covered a lot of ground already.  I wanted people to have the chance to read about where it all started for me & how I reached this very day of May 25, 2013 already becoming a physically healthier me due to losing 31 pounds to date.

I will wrap up with this mouth-watering photograph showcasing the ingredients to make a Caprese Salad for a BBQ I am going to tomorrow!