Back to Basics

I've totally been a slacker this summer.

Well, maybe not totally (after all, I HAVE taken up jogging!), but as far as being intentional about how and what I eat...? Yeah, I've been a slacker.

Fortunately, that hasn't translated to a weight gain, but I really haven't lost much this summer either.

I need to get back to doing what I know works...

Fasting.

It's interesting ~ I've faithfully walked at least 4 times a week for the last six years and lost weight a few times, but still gained it back. But once I started fasting, I didn't even HAVE to walk to lose weight.

So now that I've started jogging at least three times a week, if I'd get back into the habit of fasting two or three days a week again, I should manage to lose some weight again, right?

Ah, but that's the kicker, idn' it? Gettin' back into the habit. Starting to blaze that trail, carve that groove, all over again. After a summer of allowing the chaos of holidays, husbands being out of work, kids being out of school, and swimming lessons derail me.

I need to get back to the basics:

• no desserts* ~ which, unfortunately, I've suddenly gotten into the habit of making all the time!! (until this summer, I pretty much only made dessert when we had company)
• no evening snacking* ~ which has become rather commonplace around here again; and...
• fasting at least two days a week (with emphasis on relationship with God, not just skipping meals).

I've been doing the opposite of all three of these this summer and really, if it wasn't for the jogging, I'd probably have gained some hard-lost weight back already because of it. So, as my girls slowly gear themselves up to return to school, I'm preparing myself to get back to the basics, back to the tried-and-true strategies that worked for me earlier this year.

Because my youngest daughter will now be in kindergarten two or three full days each week ("even" days of a 6-day school cycle), those will be my fasting days. Before, I was doing 3 days a week, now it'll be 5 every two weeks, but I appreciate the fact that I won't be drawing their attention to missed meals. I like that I'll be able to hide the fasting from them for now. They're too young to develop a preoccupation with eating and weight, and besides, that really isn't what fasting is supposed to be about.

I'm looking forward to actually being able to focus more on spending time with God and His Word without constant distraction. It's tricky to focus on God while fasting with kids underfoot; it's very easy to forget the point of it all is to dig into the Bread of Life. I haven't prayed about staying away from the temptation that lurks behind my kitchen cupboard doors for a long time. Actually, since taking up jogging, my prayer life has suffered ~ I used to pray for a good portion of my two-mile walk. Now those two miles are spent counting hydro poles or trying to motivate myself to run to the next one.

So that's my plan for fall. Generally following those three basic steps...

...and making a serious bid for those
last 15 pounds!

* by NO snacking and NO desserts, I don't mean NEVER EVER, but I do mean that I don't want it to be a customary or daily occurence. I'm not seeking to cut those things out completely, but this nasty habit of snacking EVERY STINKIN' NIGHT in front of the TV has got to stop!!!!

Walk the Talk Tuesday

Tuesday

Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk, 1 mug homemade mocha, 1 slice toast w/margarine & saskatoon jam, 1 c. skim milk

two miles: 25 min

(jog 1/2-mile, walk 1/4-mile, jog 1/2, walk 1/4, jog 1/2)

Afternoon snack: two handfuls snacking crackers
Supper: 1 serving Beefy Jalapeno Corn Bake w/salsa & fat-free sour cream, 1 serving cooked rice (in chicken broth), lots of fresh, raw zucchini and cucumber slices, 3 large chunks watermelon, 2 c. iced tea

Wednesday
Brunch: 3 small cinnamon biscuits, 2 c. skim milk, coffee w/skim milk
Supper: 1 grilled pork chop, 2 servings Herbed Mashed Potatoes, 1 large serving tossed salad (lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, a few crumbled taco chips and dressing made w/Miracle Whip and Sundried Tomato & Oregano dressing), fresh cucumber and zucchini slices, 2 c. iced tea, small scoop ice cream w/homemade chocolate sauce, decaf coffee w/skim milk

VERY Late-night snack: 1/2 a bag of lite microwave popcorn, WAY too many snacking crackers, 1/2 c. iced tea

Thursday
Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk
Lunch: 1 serving Zucchini casserole, more coffee! Fresh cucumbers

Afternoon: another cucumber, mug of unsweetened green tea

Supper: leftovers from last night ~ 1 pork chop, 1 medium serving mashed potatoes, 2 cucumbers, 1 c. iced tea, 2 pieces leftover Gingerbread cake (it's finally gone!!), 1 c. skim milk

two miles: 25 min

(jogged 3/8 mile and walked 1/8 mile four times ~ definitely tougher than Tuesday, even though total walking and jogging distances were the same)

Evening snack: one Banana Chip Muffin, 1 c. skim milk

Friday

Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk, 1 c. skim milk, 1 small piece of toast w/margarine

two miles: 25 min

(jogged 3/8 mile and walked 1/8 mile four times)

Snack: two small cucumbers, one large piece watermelon

Supper: 3/4 c. "Mud" Soup, 6 garlic breadsticks, 1 c. iced tea

Saturday

Late morning: coffee w/skim milk, 2 fried eggs, 1 slice toast w/margarine & honey

Lunch: 1/2 c. Mud Soup, 1 breadstick

Went back up to the same lake we got rained out at last weekend ~ this time for church camp. Decided to have at least ONE over-nighter at the lake this year!! Since most people just come Sunday for the day, we didn't bother bringing our camper; just moved into a cabin for the one night.

Supper: 2 pizza filling "pie irons", 1 c. iced tea

very brisk walk: 45 min

Sunday
Breakfast: 1 Banana Chip Muffin, coffee w/whitener, 1 slice cheese
Lunch: 1/2 bun w/chili, raw carrots & cucumbers w/dip, lots of grapes & honeydew w/fruit dip, 2 chocolate chip cookies, 1 square of some other dessert-y thing, 2 c. peach juice

another very brisk walk: 45 min

Supper: 2 platefuls of various salads, cold cuts, and fruit, 2 c. peach juice, a couple desserts

Got home from the lake around 9 pm. It was an incredible weekend. Really hard to believe we were at the same camp at the same lake as we were last weekend ~ VERY different weather!! (thank goodness!!)

Evening snack: 1 can Coke, 1 Banana Chip muffin, way too many snacking crackers

Monday

Beakfast: coffee w/skim milk, 1 Banana Chip Muffin
Afternoon: finished off 1/2-serving each of rice and Jalapeno Corn Bake that someone else left over at lunch

two miles: 25 min

(same routine as Friday)

Supper: 1/4 c. chili, 2 pizza buns (leftovers from church camp), lots of fresh cucumbers, 2 c. iced tea, 2 pieces Puffed Wheat Cake, 1 c. skim milk

Total exercise time: 3 hours & 10 minutes!!
(moderate to difficult exercise;

avg: 27 mins/day)

Today is...

Today is my birthday ~ thirty-seven years young,
But as spry as a teen and even more fun.

Today is my birthday ~ I have lots of grey hair
But hey, I'm not balding, so I don't really care!

Today is my birthday ~ I hope you can bake...
Fat and calories don't count, so bring on the cake!

I believe I've taken up jogging.

Having done it now a minimum of 4 times a week for the last three weeks and being at the point where I'm jogging 3/4 of whatever distance I'm exercising for, I think I can safely say it out loud. It's anyone's guess how long I'll keep it up, though.

But at least the vultures and ravens have finally given up hope that I'll pass out.

I didn't really want to start running. All my life, I've loathed running with a passion that burns like a thousand suns.

Back in the days when periodic running was required for phys ed class, I was a sprinter. Did fairly well until about the high school level, too. The 100m sprint and 60m hurdles were always my specialty. Distance running? Not so much. Heck, I couldn't even do 200m.

Two months ago, I wanted to get in a three mile walk in 45 minutes and I discovered I had to run 3 hydro pole-lengths per mile to make it happen. I almost died.

A week or so later, I tried again, slowing my pace considerably and I discovered something else: there's a distinct difference between running and jogging. (At least when I do them!!) When I run, my front leg is lifting high and pounding the road, driving me, pushing hard. My quads are screaming.

When I jog, my front leg merely straightens beneath ~ and only very slightly in front of ~ me. It's almost more my arms than anything else that propel me forward. There is WAY less work for the quad muscles. I was surprised how much easier jogging was than running, and even more surprised that I'd never really known there was a difference. (My husband laughs at me and tells me I overthink things way too much. He might be right, but hey, it's made a big difference in my success here!!)

So I started pushing myself to go "just one hydro pole further" each time, or at least each week. I've jogged half-mile lengths at the longest, but have toned it back a little now in favour of getting a better interval workout. Instead of jogging three half-mile distances with a quarter-mile walk in between each one, I've switched to four 3/8-mile distances, each followed by only a 1/8-mile walk (that's just two hydro poles). I actually find this pattern more difficult; likely because I get less of a walking break between jogs.

But I do it. At least four times a week. And it's gotten to the point where I can't seem to go for a walk without it. Just today, when it felt like the vultures might actually have good cause to circle overhead, I told myself, "Tammi, you don't need to run that last 3/8-mile stretch if you don't want to. You never set out to prove anything to anyone; you never made this an actual goal, so it's not like you're failing." My after-market insoles have suddenly decided to rub my arches raw in the last couple of outings and I could tell I wasn't far off from broken skin. I was hurtin'.

But I knew it would hurt my pride more to have to admit I hadn't been able to do it when I had managed the same pattern the day before. So I allowed one extra hydro pole in my last walking break and then jogged the last 3/8-mile stretch. Nasty in-step blisters and all.

Because I'm a jogger now, dang it.

Well, that might be pushin' it. Let's just say I've taken up jogging.

Walk the Talk Tuesday

Tuesday

two miles: 25 min

(walking and jogging alternately in 1/2-mile increments)

Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk, 1 c. orange juice, 1 homemade Egg McMuffin

some serious trampolining: 15 min

Afternoon: small serving Parmesan Zucchini Soup, 2 large marshmallows, several bites of peach (as I was making pie!)
Supper: 1 moderate serving ground venison and rice casserole, large serving Caesar salad (made w/homemade dressing, bought croutons, and fresh Romaine lettuce from a friend's garden)
Evening snack: two pieces Gingerbread cake w/brown sugar frosting, LARGE serving Tostitos Hint of Lime chips. (now the bag is empty, so they won't be tempting me anymore), large glass of iced tea

Wednesday
Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk

two miles: 20 minutes

(Still jogging and walking @ 1/2-mile intervals, but pickin' up the pace!)

Lunch: (went out to Pizza Place with some wonderful women from church) had a Chicken Ranch Pita sandwich thingy, fries, and a tall glass of iced tea

Lawn mowing: 80 minutes

Supper: small serving venison/rice casserole, 2 servings raw zucchini slices w/a bit of Ranch dressing, 1/2 c. iced tea, 1 slice peach pie (1/6 of an 8" pie) w/whipping cream, 1 c. skim milk
Evening: coffee w/skim milk

Thursday

two miles: 25 mins

(walking/jogging @ 1/2-mile intervals)

Breakfast: 1 small bread crust toasted w/margarine, 1 c. orange juice, coffee w/skim milk
Lunch: 1 c. leftover Zucchini Parmesan soup, 1 wrap sandwich w/a slice of ham, one tortilla, a HUGE leaf of Romaine, slice of tomato and a drizzle of Ranch dressing
Supper: 1 serving Zucchini Casserole (made w/bacon), 1 slice toast w/margarine & honey, 1 c. orange juice, decaf coffee w/skim milk, 1 slice peach pie w/whipping cream

Friday

Breakfast: repeat of last night's supper ~ only with "real" coffee and without the pie!
Lunch: handful of huge, red globe grapes, 2 hard candies

Supper: way too much leftover pork roast w/barbecue sauce, roasted fresh potatoes, large serving fresh green beans, 2 c. iced tea, 1 c. milk, 1 piece Gingerbread cake

two miles: 20 minutes

(jog 5/8 mile, walk 3/8 mile, jog 5/8 mile, walk 1/4 mile, jog 1/4 mile)

Evening snack: two large tortillas w/melted cheddar dipped in salsa & sour cream

Saturday

Breakfast: 1 slice toast w/margarine & honey, coffee w/skim milk

Went up to the lake for my dad's family's annual summer gathering.

Lunch: 1 serving taco salad, 3 slices watermelon, 1 c. iced tea

brisk walk: 45 min

(In the rain. With no rain jacket or umbrella.)

Supper: 4 short lengths of farmer sausage, small serving mashed potatoes w/margarine & sour cream, large helping coleslaw, 2 c. iced tea

Came home again. The camp is only 45 minutes away from where we live and because of the weather, we'd decided to drive back and forth rather than bring our camper. I'm glad we did because on Sunday morning when we got up, the temp here on the yard was 11C/52F. Up at the lake it will have been a few degrees cooler yet!

Sunday
Breakfast: 1 slice toast w/margarine, coffee w/skim milk

Back out to the lake for another day spent in the camp's dining hall with 50 other people because it was too wet to do anything outside. The Bible camp we rented for the gathering is only about 45 minutes away from our house and I don't know what the final tally was there, but here on our yard, our rain guage showed almost FOUR inches.

Lunch: small serving spaghetti & meatsauce, 3 thick slices of garlic toast, 2 large servings Caesar salad, 2 c. iced tea
Supper: 3 open-face sandwiches (egg salad, chicken salad, and ham) w/pickles, cucumber slices, 2 c. iced tea, 2 pieces of dessert (various dainties were served)

White-knuckled it home along some VERY soft and mucky gravel roads! YIKES.

Monday

Brunch: coffee w/skim milk, 2 fried eggs, 1 fried pork chop, 1 slice of toast w/margarine & honey, 1 c. skim milk
Supper: 1 A&W Teen Burger, 1 serving onion rings, 1 large Root Beer

Evening snack: 1 piece leftover Gingerbread cake, 1 mug unsweetened Peppermint tea

Total exercise time: 3 hours & 50 minutes!!
(avg: 33 minutes/day of mostly moderate to hard exercise)

Ugh.

Okay, liquids and fasting days SUCK. Had THREE of those day last week.

Three of "those" days, I mean.

Three days where I was supposed to be restricting myself to liquids for the first two meals of the day. Ha.

This was my first week attempting to follow the eating plan I was on when I began this blog (see sidebar for details). For the last six weeks, I've been coasting ~ allowing myself to not play by the rules. Being content with maintaining.

So now I know I can easily maintain a weight of 160-165, which, when you consider for many years I've been maintaining 185-190, is pretty good. But I'd prefer knowing I could maintain 145-150. So I decided to start playing by the rules again.

Except playing by the rules when you've allowed a six-week free-for-all is HARD.

On Monday, the first "liquids" day back into the swing of things, I did well until the evening. And then I binged like nobody's business.

On Wednesday, the second "liquids" day of the week, I consumed nothing but liquids...

...until lunch. When I ate out with a wonderful bunch of women from my church.

I should've then stuck to liquids for supper, but because The Bushman was home and I actually had to cook, it didn't happen. But at least I didn't eat anything after supper.

Today was supposed to be a fasting day. Notice how I said, "was supposed to be."

Not only did I eat brunch this morning and supper this evening, but I also just polished off two large tortillas with melted cheddar rolled up and dipped in salsa and sour cream.

Ugh. I hate re-learning the rules.

Gettin' ma GROOVE back on!

I struggled this week with getting back into the habit of following the Woman of Moderation/Lord's Table recommended eating plan (see my sidebar for more details). It's really only been about a month since I quit strictly following it, but it's amazing how tough it is to go a day without solid food for breakfast and lunch again!!

So I went back over my old posts and dug this one out to hopefully encourage myself ~ and now I'm sharing it with you!

Many, many moons ago, I used the phrase, "start carving my groove" and it seemed to strike a chord with several people. It got me thinking about how water works when it gets dammed up or when there's suddenly water where there didn't used to be and it needs to get somewhere, like during spring thaw up in the hills around our place.

Each weekend, we drive up into the hills to the little town where our church is and each spring, it amazes me how many new rivulets make their way down to the road. No path has been previously cut for them necessarily, they have to blaze their own trail ~ carve their own groove ~ in order to get anywhere.

Similarly, developing self-discipline ~ carving a new groove ~ requires effort. It requires time and perseverance. The gulley at the end of our road that gets a little wider and a little deeper every year (after having swallowed the road that used to be there) didn't just suddenly come into being. It's only been after years of spring run-off carving its path down to the river that the ravine has become what it is.

So this week, I've tried to view things a little differently. As a rivulet planning to one day rival the Amazon. One has to start somewhere, right?

I've started with this: leaving the computer off in the mornings until I've read my Bible, had some quiet time (this WAS a habit and then I got lazy), exercised, and done at least half the things on my to-do list for the day. And NO snacking in the evenings! None of these have been done to perfection yet, but at least I'm heading in the right direction!

My GOAL really isn't to lose weight; my goal is to live with purpose the life I think God would want me to. This includes being a good steward of the human vessel He's entrusted me with. I have NOT done well in this area for basically all of my adult life, but I realized several months ago that my focus has always been wrong. My focus has been ME and how I want to look all hot and sexy and have people express their unbelief that I'm a 30-something mom of two and how I'd tell everyone of my great determination, all the while primping and preening and strutting my stuff. I've always known my focus needed to rather be on HIM, but somehow never realized that it wasn't.

And so I've started carving my groove towards honouring Him in everything, my body and health included. None of the things I mentioned have been done every single day, but I've begun the process of change.

My groove is still small and rather insignificant yet; not terribly impressive. But my potential is torrential.

(haha, how was THAT for cheesey??!!)

Walk the Talk Tuesday

Finally I can get back on track with this! Being computer-free for 11 days out of the last 2-1/2 weeks made it impossible for me to track what I ate.

Or at least, that's my excuse. But come on, you enjoyed the break from this drudgery, too!!

Tuesday

two miles: 25 min

(in the interest of implementing some 'interval training,' I'm walking and jogging alternately in 1/4-mile increments.)

Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk
Lunch: small serving Mexican meatloaf w/salsa rice

leisurely 2-mile bike ride w/the girls: 30 minutes

Supper: 1 serving Tuna Casserole (this recipe includes no cheese or chips), 1 serving cooked green beans, 1 c. skim milk, 1 piece Chunky Pecan Pie Bars
Evening snack: 1 large cereal bowl piled high with Tostitos Hint of Lime chips w/fresh, homemade salsa

Wednesday
Breakfast: 2 pancakes w/margarine & syrup, 1 c. skim milk, coffee w/skim milk
Lunch: 1 slice fresh-from-the-breadmaker Sour Cream & Chive bread (oh. my. goodness.) w/margarine and 1 c. skim milk

push-mowing the lawn: 50 minutes

Supper: 1 serving thrown-together pasta carbonara (using fat-free evaporated milk instead of whipping cream!), 2 servings chopped zucchini & tomato salad w/Sundried Tomato & Oregano dressing, handful fresh green beans from the garden
Evening snack: 2 pieces fresh Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Cream Frosting, 1 c. skim milk

Thursday
Breakfast: 1 large serving of Shreddies w/skim milk & brown sugar, coffee w/skim milk
Lunch: medium serving of leftovers from last night ~ the pasta carbonara and the zucchini/tomato salad

walk/jog with the girls: 20 minutes

Afternoon snack: 1 HUGE peach cut up, drizzled w/honey-lemon sauce and sprinkled with coconut

Supper: TWO servings poutine-ish, lazy salisbury steak*

Friday

Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk, 1 slice toast w/margarine and homemade saskatoon jam, 1 c. skim milk
Lunch: 1 bowl Parmesan Zucchini Soup, 1 slice Sour Cream & Chive Bread, 1 piece Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Cream Frosting.

Supper: 1 Sloppy Joe bun-wich w/a slice of processed cheese, large serving cucumber salad, 1 c. iced tea

Saturday

Late morning: 1 bun w/peanut butter & honey, 1 c. skim milk, coffee w/skim milk

Lunch: small helping leftover tuna casserole (from Tuesday), 1 toasted slice of Sour Cream & Chive bread w/margarine

two miles: 30 mins

(walked and jogged alternately 1/2-mile intervals)

Supper: 1 small grilled pork chop, 1 medium baked potato w/fat-free sour cream, 1 large serving cooked green beans, 1 large fresh, garden carrot, 1 c. iced tea, 1 c. skim milk, 1 slice chocolate cream pie w/whipping cream (1/6 of an 8-1/2" pie).

Sunday
Breakfast: 1 slice toast w/margarine & homemade saskatoon jam, 1 c. skim milk, coffee w/skim milk
Lunch: 3/4 c. Parmesan Zucchini Soup, 1 slice cheese toast, 1 c. iced tea

two miles: 25 minutes

(jogged a combined total of 1-1/4 miles in two 1/2-mile, and one 1/4-mile interval)

Afternoon: one 1/2-bun w/a slice of processed cheese
Supper: two open-face pizza buns, 1 c. iced tea, 1 slice leftover chocolate cream pie, 1 c. skim milk

Monday

Breakfast: coffee w/skim milk

trampoline fun w/the girls: 20 minutes

(fun, but definitely exercise!)

Lunch: 1 c. Fruitopia Strawberry-Passionfruit juice

Afternoon: another cup of Fruitopia juice, 2 large handfuls fresh green beans from the garden
Supper: 1 large serving pasta carbonara stuff (leftover from Wednesday supper), 1 large serving Caesar salad (fresh romaine lettuce from a friend's garden, homemade Caesar dressing, croutons, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese), 1 c. skim milk, 1 piece Gingerbread Cake

2-1/2 mile bike ride with the girls: 20 minutes

(WHEW.)

Evening snack (AKA "classic liquids day evening meltdown"): 1/4 bag of low-fat microwave popcorn, 2 bowls of Tostitos Hint of Lime chips w/salsa, 1 can coke, 1 large bowl Honey Shreddies w/skim milk.

Blaaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhhhhh.

---

Total exercise time: 3 hour & 40 minutes!!
(mostly moderate to hard exercise;

avg: 32 mins/day)

What kind of woman are you?

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape.
A woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything.
A woman of strength shows courage in the midst of fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her.
A woman of strength gives her best to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future.
A woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks surefootedly.
A woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face.
A woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey.
A woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

- author unknown
(found on The Simple Life at Home ages ago!)

Hmmmm, I wonder what woman I am? Sometimes, I think, neither.

I'm a very weak woman when it comes to self-discipline. I'll do well for a while, but slipping back into the old habits is so much easier than developing PERMANENT self-control!

Paul tells us in the Bible that God says to us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9) This verse always sounds to me like I'm helping God practise His power by being a weak, undisciplined person! I know that's not necessary. God's power has been perfect from the beginning of time!! So what does this mean for me this week, exactly?

I know I'm forgiven when I give in to temptation and have a second piece of dessert or helping of mashed potatoes, but this week I want to concentrate on how God's perfect power can be demonstrated through my lifestyle and decisions. Through my developing ability to restrain myself and a desire to be active.

And to talk to God about it. I'm guilty of believing God doesn't care about my weight, that there are so many more important issues for Him to concern Himself with. And in reality, there are. But there is no such thing as a trivial prayer. This week, I will concentrate on praying for myself and developing my strength in Him.

What's your goal for this week?

Perseverance

In my last post (which feels like forever ago, thanks to various computer issues!), I talked about being an encourager, and today I want to talk about perseverance.

Something I don't really have.

(Haha, which makes me the expert then, right?!)

Did you know perseverance means MORE than just hanging on?

Simply hanging on ~ which is more closely defined as endurance ~ is often little more than a fear of letting go or falling. True perseverance is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.

Perseverance is the supreme effort of refusing to believe we might fail.

How many of you have thought about perseverance that way? (Okay, don't tell me -- I'd hate to find out I'm the only one who hasn't!!) I never once thought that perseverance could mean more than just "keepin' on keepin' on." I have certainly never refused to believe I might fail. Heck, I PLAN for failure! Just like a pre-nup agreement, there are always several "but if, then that" loop-holes when I'm setting goals for myself in the weight loss/healthy living department. How awful and faithless to prepare oneself for the worst even before committing to the best!!

I need to make a concentrated, conscientious effort to switch from just hanging on (read: maintaining) to persevering.

For the last several weeks, I've gotten lazy. I've been content to just hang on. I've gotten out of the habit of following the eating plan on my sidebar and as a result, my weight hasn't changed much during that time. Partly, it's because my husband has been out of work for the last three weeks and providing three meals a day for him makes fasting, juice days, and half days so much harder, but mostly it's my own apathy. I just haven't cared enough to persevere through the change in my usual routine.

Until today. Today is the day I start caring again. Today is always the best day to start making changes for the better!!

I've got five weeks until school starts again and I'd really like to hit 155 by then ~ a goal of 6.6 lbs. I've got two weekends at the lake (a weekend family gathering and church camp), and another trip to the city in between, so it won't be easy, but if I choose to persevere rather than simply endure, I should manage just fine.

How about you? Are you persevering or just hanging on?