Tag Archives: Sugar-free

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Getting Down to Dis-ness (Business toward a Disney Trip)

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Day 211 in my challenges to get ready to meet Mickey in October. (7 months and 6 days to go)

Today’s plan was to take care of a lot of little things that needed seeing to, and to gauge my energy level to get through the day.

Here’s the list:

  1. Make a delicious. nutritious breakfast–I made another batch of Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal.  It is sugar-free decadence.  And I have enough left over for 2 breakfasts this week.  I fry a leftover patty in just a bit of coconut oil.  So good!
  2. Finish paying our last two bills for this pay period–I wrote out a check for one and brought it to the post office to mail, and I arranged to pay the other online.
  3. Take a shower and clean up–I showered, washed and treated my hair, brushed and even water-piced my teeth.  (I don’t use my water-pic nearly enough.)
  4. Go and visited my sister/pal Joan–we had a lovely visit.  (Prayers for her, please.  She is having knee replacement surgery on Tuesday.)  A visit with Joan is always so good for my heart and soul!
  5. Pick up groceries–I went to my new favorite store, Heinen’s, and picked up some necessary items for tonight’s dinner, and for the week’s menu, and for cleaning the house.

I got everything finished by 5:00 pm, and am now in my favorite chair with my feet up sipping a Decaf Skinny Hazelnut Latte from Starbuck’s.  I had plenty of energy to get through my day.  I’m glad to be back home and chilling, but I am so-o-o grateful to have the va-va-voom to move around more and get a few things done.

Life is good, my friends, and God is even good-er!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Happy birthday, to dear Eliza!!  She is our daughter-in-law extraordinaire!  Such a beautiful person inside and out, and I am in awe of the way she loves our precious son.  Love you, Girl!

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Motivated to Move for Mickey

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Day 209 in my motion to meet Mickey (7 months and 8 days to go)

Today my plan was to be a bit more active at work.  So I:

  1. Set up Damascus Road (our contemporary band.)
  2. Printed, cut and assembled the weekly church bulletins.
  3. Moved a very heavy box from a cabinet in my office to my co-worker Chris’s office.  (I am woman; hear me roar!)
  4. Removed a heavy box of outdated offering envelopes from that same cabinet and put them all in recycling.  (Think Rocky Theme)
  5. Made every effort to make as many trips as possible around inside the building to rack up some extra steps.

I feel good about the movement, but my right knee is barking a little.  🙂

Also tonight we will dine out after our Damascus Road rehearsal.  I plan to order a steak salad.  The combination of the warm, tender steak and the crisp greens will make my week.  It’s the little things, my Peeps.  Stay warm; I do believe Spring will eventually come.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Props to my niece and Godchild Merr.  Happy birthday, Sweet Girl!  Love you so much.  xxoo

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Waiting…

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Day 208 in my waiting to see Mickey in October (7 months and 9 days to go)

Today my plan is to write this blog, make the best possible food choices, and move around as much as I can.

Happy birthday, Dear Emi.  Happy birthday to you.  May the Lord bless and keep you another year through!

Thirty-three years ago today my daughter Emi was born.  She is beautiful inside and out, of that there can be no doubt!  She was born with a ruddy complexion and a full head of flyaway black hair.  Mike (my husband) took one look and said, “Hm, must be from the postman’s side of the family.”  My roommate at the hospital had a visitor come in.  She said, “Oh, your baby is adorable.  And there is the cutest little Eskimo baby in the nursery, too.  Who does that belong to?” My roommate sheepishly looked at me, and I said, “That would be my daughter.”  🙂

I remember waiting for Emi to be born.  Waiting and waiting and waiting.  Then, in God’s perfect timing, she arrived.

It makes me think about waiting in general.  Right now I’m waiting for Spring.  I’m waiting to go to the Magic Kingdom and hug Mickey.  I’m waiting to lose more weight to take some of the pressure off of my joints so I can move even more.  Waiting…waiting…waiting.

But, the thing is, in God’s perfect timing and if it be His will, these things will indeed come to pass.  Spring really will come, with flowers blooming and birds singing again.  I will Fastpass+ my way to Mickey and a hug in October.  (And in my head the bird’s will be singing again.)  And I will lose more weight and take some of the pressure off of my achy joints.  (Then I will be singing.)

In God’s perfect timing, these things will happen if I just believe and accept His timing.  Slow progress still equals progress–with Spring, with my Mickey-meet-up, with my weight.  To God be the glory.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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My New Mantra

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207 in striving to be a healthier me when I meet up with Mickey (7 months and 10 days to go)

Today I have adopted a new mantra:

Eat like you love yourself.

Move like you love yourself.

Speak like you love yourself.

Act like you love yourself.

My nephew Kirk posted in on Facebook, but it’s from Pinterest.  (from hplyrikz.com)

Up until now I have not lived my life this way.  But now I am convinced that I have to learn to love myself, so I can better love those around me.  If I eat, move, speak and act like I love myself, then perhaps I’ll can put my self-destructive ways behind me for good.

  1. Eat like you love yourself–Healthy, nutritious foods that fuel my body.  Bye-bye sugar and salty treats.  Hello veggies, lean proteins and other complex carbs.
  2. Move like you love yourself–Move my body through space everyday.  And get involved in strength training of some sort.  Bye-bye couch potato.  Hello walking, Tai Chi and weights.
  3. Speak like you love yourself–This one will take some time.  Bye-bye all negative self talk.  (I’ve been so good at this.)  Hello positive self talk.  No more I can’t.  I am an Ameri-CAN!
  4. Act like you love yourself–this one moves into other areas of my life: spiritual, mental, financial.  I will move toward loving myself in all these areas of my life.  This will take much contemplation and planning.

That’s enough to chew on today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Active Duty

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Day 206 in my efforts to move more before I meet Mickey

Today I dug in hard physically at work.  There were tables and chairs in the narthex (narthex=the entry area of the church) that needed to be taken down and moved.  So after our staff meeting I went down and bulled around tables and chairs with two other women.  (It was a pleasure to work with you today, Debbie and Melodi!)  Then I went back to the office and put away 10 reams of paper from a box, so I could take the empty box back into the narthex and fill it with some of the fabric kits that were assembled yesterday.  (Fabric Kits contain fabric and thread that is sent to third world countries.)

Plus I made sure to walk around as much as possible today.  And I have to get up and get out of the house again tonight after dinner to go back to the church for a committee meeting.

It’s one of the days…rush, rush, rush.  but it’s nice to have the energy to do it!

Meet you at the 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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Loving the Luscious Choices

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Day 204 in nibbling my way to a healthier me for when I meet up with Mickey

Today’s plan is to plot out my menu for the week.  Six dinners  for the week, because we’re eating out on Thursday after Damascus Road rehearsal.  Then I’ll make my grocery list with those meals in mind.

For breakfast this morning, I went back to try a recipe I’ve wanted to try for a while. I found it on the tinterweb, but I can’t find from whom.  If you find it, then let me know so I can credit the right source.  🙂  See below:

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal:

  1. 1 cup of whole oats (not instant)
  2. 1 cup of coconut milk
  3. 1/3 c. of pure canned pumpkin (no sugar added)
  4. 1/2 tsp. stevia powder  (about a packet and a half)
  5. a pinch of vanilla powder
  6. a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice OR 1/8 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients and stir well.  Heat to boiling while stirring.  Simmer at lowest setting for 15 minutes, stirring often.  Enjoy!

It was sugar-free and decadently delicious!  I lamented about missing all things pumpkin during the holidays.  I have been enjoying pumpkin flavored coffee thanks to the kids, who found sugar-free pumpkin syrup .  But today I got to eat a scrumptious pumpkin treat, and it’s guilt-free!  Ya-hoo!!!

Now that I’m limiting my sugar and salt intake, I’ve found that I am appreciating the REAL taste of foods.  The crunchy goodness of raw cauliflower, the natural sweetness of an apple or clementine, the satisfying taste of unsalted nuts and seeds.  It’s taken me a long time, but  I am leaving the allure of sugar and highly salted food behind me.  Thanks be to God!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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I Like My Choices

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Day 201 in my miles toward Mickey

“You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world…but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.”

― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

This quote really spoke to me today.  This whole journey that I’m on is so-o-o-o narcissistic.  It makes me focus IN every day.  What’s my plan today?  How am I feeling today?  What am I realizing today?  Me…me…me.

I love taking better care of myself.  I love having a focus and goals.  But sometimes, even I gag at my self-importance.  It’s naval staring.  I’m basically staring at my own naval everyday.  Blech!

This quote spoke to me today because, there is pain in life.  Physical pain, emotional pain, mental pain.  Lots of pain.  But like the quote, I like my choices.  I do not regret loving one person that I’ve lost.  I love my folks, and now they’re gone.  It hurt so much to lose them, but love is worth it.  The same with friends that I’ve lost.  I loved them with all of my heart, and it tore me apart to lose them.  BUT LOVE IS WORTH IT.

I know this is a ramble today, but I guess my thought for today is: along with this continuing self-centered journey, I want to take the time to love.  I want to take to time to care.  I want to take the time to experience life, love, pain, survival, redemption, etc…  I like my choices.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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200 Days and a Milestone

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Day 200 in my journey to Mickey

I’ve been on this quest for 200 days now.  Wow!  My plan for today was to weigh in and see where I am.  I have now lost 40.8 pounds.  I am so happy to reach the big 4-0 mark.  Now to regroup and look back at what is working and what is not.

Things are amping up at work, so my posts may be brief for a bit.  Thanks for hanging in there with me, dear readers.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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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!