Tag Archives: Magic Kingdom

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Flying Away and Back

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Day 205 in my plans to work toward being healthier when I meet Mickey in October (7 months and 12 days to go)

Hmmm…what shall I do today to get me ready to meet up with my pal Mickey in October?  I know!  I’ll book our flights from Chicago to Orlando and back!  Yahoo!!!!!!!!!  We’re booked.  With every milestone date that rolls around I get more and more excited.

  1. I booked our Grand Villa at Old Key West…excited!
  2. I booked our flights…excited!!
  3. When I book our tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party…excited!!!
  4. When I get to book our meals at 180 days, plus 10 days out…excited!!!!
  5. When I get to book our Fastpass+ choices, 60 days out…excited!!!!!

And more good news, once this winter is finally in the rearview mirror, I don’t have to face another winter until I’ve been to Walt Disney World.  🙂  🙂  🙂  🙂  🙂  That fact is five “smiley-face” worthy.  When we get to Old Key West, I am gonna get me an umbrella drink and sit by the pool, and then I’m gonna take dip.  And that first night it’s always dinner at Olivia’s, the onsite restaurant.  I can just feel my self exhaling now.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Working the Plan

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Day 202 in my quest to meet up with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom in October

Today’s plan: 1) work on turning from my former isolationist ways AND 2) be a bit more physically active.

  1. I am attempting to embrace this huge task that I have taken on: being the director of our women’s retreat.  As I’ve said before, my former behavior pattern was to fly under the radar, not take on any extra tasks, isolate myself so I could indulge in overeating in private.  So today I put in some time diving in to the planning of the retreat.  I put up the registration poster and forms at church, and I spent time familiarizing myself with the music for the retreat.  Also I contacted some folks about getting involved as session leaders.  As I spend some time with the retreat materials, I am very excited about the potential for the day.
  2. I set up the band at church today.  We have a Damascus Road rehearsal this evening, so I got things ready to go.  Music, microphones, stands, piano and chairs in place.  AND I made sure to make many little trips around the church today delivering things in person, to get more steps in.

So that’s it for today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Shout outs to Brother Gary and Wayne-o, who are both recovering from recent surgery.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.  Love yas!

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Just Another Manic Monday

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Day 199 in my quest to eat healthier on my way to meet Mickey  (7 months and 20 days to go)

I am still emotionally exhausted from yesterday’s post, plus from hearing Aziz Abu Sarah speak.  And it was may first day back at work today after 10 glorious days off.  So I am pooped, wiped, tired, weary.  So my plan for today was a basic one: make a simple, healthy dinner for Mike and I.  Mission accomplished: we had baked salmon with a little sweet potato and lots of fresh veggies.  My only garnish was a bit of oil-free garlic hummus.  Then for a real treat, we had a couple of pickled asparagus each.  We are full, sated, content and feeling very blessed.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Survival of the Less Than Fittest?

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Day 195 in my fight to stay alive to meet up with Mickey

Survival of the fittest.  It’s a reality in the wild, right?  Those in the best shape survive; those less fit are devoured or meet their demise in some fashion.  As an aging, obese woman, with some health issues, I come down on the losing side of the battle.  I’m NOT the fittest.  So my plan for today is to survive.  We are in the throes of the coldest February 19 in recorded history here in the Chicago area.  Our high temperature today is expected to be 4 degrees, our overnight low was 8 degrees below zero.  Both of those figures are record breaking for February 19th in this area.  Wind chills brought it into the 20’s below last night.  That’s why my plan for today is to survive to fight to become a healthier me another day.

I can just hear my Yooper friends and family saying, “Cry me a river.  It’s in the 40’s below here.”  And they’re right.  I know it’s worse north of here.  I know it’s even colder than that in Canada.  But I’m still shivering, and I won’t stop until the temps start to climb.  (BTW: shivering is exercise, right?)

So am I dreaming about Walt Disney World today?  You betcha!  Even though it’s only in the 50’s there, it still sounds like paradise to me.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Tasks and Chilling

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Day 192 in my ambling toward the Magic Kingdom to meet up with Mickey (7 months and 27 days to go)

There is nothing quite as delightful as sleeping in on a Monday morning of vacation.  I had that pleasure this morning.

Today’s plan is to take care of business and to thoroughly enjoy NOT going out into the cold day.

Shower…check.  Breakfast…check.  Write bills for the month…check.  Relax and watch a Disney movie with  a sugar-free pumpkin flavored coffee…check.  (I watched Bears on one of the movie channels.  So  good!)  What a blissful day!  Still to come: get our 2014 taxes together, do some laundry, and prepare a delicious, nutritious dinner for my man and me.  Oh, yeah, and one more cup of piping-hot coffee in front of the TV with my feet up.  (Take that , sore toe!)

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Walking the Walk

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Day 188 in my walk towards my main mouse Mickey  (8 months and 1 day to go!)

If you been following my blog lately, then you know what a tough time I’ve had walking.  My toe is definitely on the mend, but it is happening slowly.  My plan for today was to research a reasonable walking plan, so I can get started again.  I am on vacation next week, (Woo Hoo!) which I think is a great time to get started.  I can go to the Lake Bluff Health and Fitness Club, or I can just walk out my front door and take a brisk walk.

My thanks go to the Mayo Clinic again for this do-able plan:

Week     Walking Schedule (time, # of days a week)      Weekly Total

1                15 minutes, 2 days                                                         30 minutes

2                15 minutes, 3 days                                                         45 minutes

3                20 minutes, 3 days                                                         60 minutes

4                 25 minutes, 3 days                                                        75 minutes

5 & 6        30 minutes, 3 days                                                        90 minutes

7 & 8        30 minutes, 4 days                                                      120 minutes

9 & 10     30 minutes, 5 days                                                      150 minutes

Looks pretty good, right?  So on Monday I will begin.  Although I may take my toe on a brief pre-walk this weekend to see how it does.

Wish me luck, my peeps.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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February Payday

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Day 187 in my journey to meet up with Mickey

Six months ago I began this pilgrimage to better health so I can enjoy our Walt Disney World vacation in October of this year.  (8 months and 2 days to go!)  Today was once again payday; it was time to step on the scale.  I am only weighing myself once a month, because although I do want to lose weight, I mostly want to live a healthier lifestyle period.  Things have slowed way down this month.  I chalk it up to:

  1. winter (I’ve been told that from Stone-Age times we are programmed to hold on to our fat in the winter months, which means I’m hoping for more progress in spring/summer/autumn months)
  2. 59 years of age
  3. my body adjusting to a completely different lifestyle
  4. my difficulty walking because of my sore toe

Even with all of that working against me, I lost another pound this month.  (I took a pound of butter out of the refrigerator to see what that feels like, and frankly, I’m glad this month’s pound is gone.)  So now I’m down 38 pounds.  I’ll take it.  I do feel a lot better than I did 6 months ago.  Even if I am making SLOW progress, it’s still progress, right?

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

 

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Investigating Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet

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Day 185 in my researching my way to a healthier me for meeting Mickey in the Magic Kingdom (8 months and 4 days to go!)

My plan for today was to start reading Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet.  (OK, nobody panic.  I am not diabetic; however, I am pre-diabetic, so the time for action is NOW.)  The book was delivered to my work place yesterday.  I began reading it as I ate my lunch.  I made it through two chapters while I ate.  In my Day 182 blog, I listed the 5 habits this diet wants you to add:

  1. Eat a healthy breakfast.
  2. Eat vegetables and fruits.
  3. Eat whole grains.
  4. Eat healthy fats.
  5. Move!  30 minutes or more every day.

It sounds so sensible.  And what I like about it, so far, is that it doesn’t claim to be a quick fix.  It promises to be a lifestyle change, a way to live the rest of your life in a healthier manner.

I dig it because I want to be well on my way to a healthier me when I shake Mickey’s hand at the Magic Kingdom in October.  Maybe he’ll even give me a hug!  Gosh, I LOVE Walt Disney World!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I do not have unrealistic expectations.  I just want to be moving in a direction that I can be happy about when I get to Florida.  Then after the trip, I’ll pick another goal and continue this journey.  AND more about this diet to come.  🙂

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Making a Menu of Meals

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Day 184 in my planning for my meeting with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom in October (8 months and 5 days to go!)

Today my plan is to write out my menu for the week and prepare my shopping list.  I’m going to do it a little differently this time.  In order to add more steps into my daily routine, I am going to organize my list by days and stop off every day after work to pick up the ingredients for that evening’s meal.

I found a cookbook on my shelf with quick and easy meals for diabetics.  I am pre-diabetic, but I am trying to avoid full blown diabetes so I will pick some recipes from this cookbook this week.

That’s the plan, man.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Accepting the Challenges

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Day 183 in my challenges as I try to change before meeting Mickey in October (8 months and 6 days to go)

I have made a habit out of hiding behind my weight.  I would participate in some activities; however, I would, in general, try to avoid leadership positions.  But I am taking a huge first step to turn that around.  I have volunteered to lead our Women’s Retreat at church in April.  I have two distinct feelings about this.  (1) I am excited at the thought of experiencing this retreat with our ladies.  It’s called Cafe Chocolat.  It will be a study on the extravagant grace of God.  AND (2) I am absolutely terrified at the prospect of “the buck stopping here.”  I am asking women to pay $35 for fellowship, worship, Bible study and lunch.  This will inevitable drive me to my knees in prayer.  “Help, me, Jesus!

My plan for today was to get a complete overview of the retreat by re-reading all the materials.  And then to start formulating plans to implement the retreat.  So I did.  It took me approximately four hours to get through it all.  I came away (1) excited and (2) overwhelmed.  but mostly excited.  This will be a wonderful retreat if the women will embrace it, AND we get chocolate.  Just a little, but enough to feel a bit pampered.  (And I hope to find good sugar-free chocolate for those of us who are avoiding the white stuff.)

So here’s to the new me: the person who welcomes the challenges that God sends my way and even thanks Him for those challenges.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!