Loretta's Journey from 460 to 199… One Good Choice At A Time

FEB 2nd Boring Weigh In

2012-02-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Journal & Friends,

Ever have one of those days when you feel like you have nothing to say?

And if you did, you have the feeling you've said it all before?

That you are boring yourself and anyone else out there?

Yesterday was my regular monthly weigh in day... but I only got 2 hours sleep the night before. Blogging was the last thing I wanted to do!

Last month, Jan 1st: 327

This month, Feb 1st: 327

Yeah, it's annoying! I had a great month! Except for 4 days, all days were 1600 or less. And those 4 days weren't huge blowouts: 2000, 2600, 2125 and 2308. All on plan food. Yep, I keep a record. That way I can't fool myself. I guess those 4 days were enough to do me in. So this month... no exceptions, no excuses.

Onward we go. It doesn't matter how we feel, it's what we choose to DO that will count in the long run.

I'm committed to this journey, feeling it or not.

From Dr Phil's book: "No matter what happens, I"ll stay the course. If I do what is required, I will succeed."

My verse for today: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

My quote for today: "The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." --Michael Althsuler

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 899

JAN 31st Toon Tuesday On Fire!

2012-01-31T14:32:00.000-08:00

Hello there Journal & Friends,

The pain pills have kicked in, and hubby made it through the night without me murdering him in his sleep. Yeah, I was a tad bit grumpy yesterday. :-D

So on to the fun stuff! Last week I posted a free download of a WordBubble doodle (here, if you missed it)

and today I'm showing my finished doodle. If you'd like to share yours, I invite you to leave a link in the comments to where we can see it.

Here's how mine looked, nekkid of color:

My first pass with the blue family:

Making progress:

Almost done:

Finished, before final varnish (it's hard to photograph with the glare of varnish):

I hope you enjoyed playing around with yours... I liked what Mamajulianna called it... a stress buster. :-D

When I get my new video camera, I plan to do another one. That was fun!

As I discover who played along, I'll add them here, so it'll be easier to visit them and see all the variations:

For you artsy fartsy types, if you'd like more details on materials and method and all that, I invite you to visit my art blog by clicking on link under the pic below. I'll be posting all the deets there later tonight.

My art blog

From Dr Phil's book: "You can create an internal dialogue that is healthy, constructive, and joyful."

My verse for today: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power."

My quote for today: "If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing." --Marc Chagall

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 897

JAN 30th Weight Loss & The Dentist

2012-01-30T18:25:00.000-08:00

Hello Journal & Friends,

A weight loss journey is like going to the dentist...

...because sometimes it hurts. You don't wanna do it, but you NEED to do it.

...because sometimes it takes longer than you thought it should. But you hang in there, knowing it will soon be over.

...because it doesn't come cheap. But it's a price you pay, cuz the alternative is worse.

...because when the numbness goes, the pain comes. You remind yourself it's temporary, and you deal with it.

...because sometimes it's necessary to dig deep... to drill into your very core, your bone, in order to have a better outcome later.

...because sometimes you could kick yourself, knowing if you have taken care of issues sooner, you would be in better shape now.

...because no one can do it for you, or take your place. You have to face it, choose to deal with it, and go through the process.

...because you can't blame the dentist - or anyone else - for your problems.

...because after the numbness wears off and all you want to do is escape the pain, you can't. You take the pills, but sometimes nothing works. You learn to deal with it... it's a part of life everyone faces at times.

...because you catch yourself pouting "it's not fair"... why did I get stuck with these genetics? Why didn't someone teach me better, earlier? Boo hoo... life isn't fair. Get over it.

...because you know if you relax and roll with it, eventually you will be glad you did it. Right now, anyone within reach would get shredded... but eventually... some day... in time... you will smile and be happy it's over and done with. But for now... leave. me. alone.

Yep... you guessed right. I went to The Dentist today. Drilled into the bone on both lower jaws; inserted implants; sewed me back up to go home and heal for 3 months so I can come back to finish. "Might be a little sore..." Uh huh, ya think!?

Stick a sock in it!!

From Dr Phil's book: "Start behaving in ways that make you feel really good about yourself."

My verse for today: "Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer."

My quote for today: "If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them." --Phil Pastoret

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 896

JAN 24th Toon Tuesday, A Freebie & Playing With Fire

2012-01-24T01:16:00.000-08:00

Hi there Journal & Friends,

With the shiny new year of 2012, I am shifting some of my emphasis to what I want: my art, and to live my life to the fullest, becoming who I was meant to be, living with passion and purpose.

That's why I'm working, afterall, to lose weight and regain health. That's my WHY. I want to focus on that, on what I WANT, not focus on what I do NOT want. To look forward, not backward.

I was reminded recently that our brain can't tell the difference between a negative or a positive. For instance, think of a pink elephant.

Now... do NOT think of the pink elephant. I don't know about you, but every time I close my eyes and say "do NOT think of a pink elephant"... I DO! This silly example helps to remind me not to focus on "I don't want to be fat"...but rather... "I want to be healthy, strong and lighter".

So... on to focus on what I DO want. :-D

For my birthday, my sister Karen sent me a birthday card with this quote:

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." --Albert Schweitzer

Today for Toon Tuesday, I want to offer a VLOG showing--in speed drawing mode--my doodle of Word Bubble #1. It will be blank in the middle, and I offer the finished doodle below as a free download to anyone who would like to play along. You get to pick your own inspiring word to add to the center.

By the way, I kinda sorta goofed, and didn't leave a very large word bubble in the middle. Sorry 'bout dat. Next time I'll make the blank space bigger. :-}

Here's the finished blank for you to download. Be sure to click and enlarge, so you download the large file, not the thumbnail.

I'm going to dink around this coming week and color mine. You are welcome to do whatever you want to yours... color it, change it, glitter it, alter it, collage it, whatever. And next Tuesday it would so fun if you came back and gave a link to your blog to share your results, if you're comfortable doing so.

Only one rule: Have fun! Remember when we were kids and not worried about "being good"? So give yourself permission to just goof around and play, okay? :-D

Remember the above quote from my sister Karen? The inspiring word I added to my word bubble is FIRE!

This is a first for me, drawing with a camera watching. In INK! No pencil, no eraser. No plan, other than to leave a word bubble in the middle. New year... new adventures!

Speed Doodling - Word Bubble #1 by Retta

(For an easier to see larger version, just

go to my YouTube Page HERE)

For you busybees who don't have 6 min to watch (or maybe you're at work) that's okay, just swipe a copy of the doodle and play along anyway. :-)

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 890

JAN 19th Autopsy, Change & Upward Spiral of Success

2012-01-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon Journal & Friends,

So... howz it going? The new year, your new energy, the fresh start... all that?? I know just by having traveled around the sun a few times that by now a few folks might be disappointed that they goofed up a couple of times... or more.

I did, too. But see, it's different now. My perception of it is different now. I'm not stopping to wallow in it, or beat myself up, or do the old all-or-nothing thinking any longer. Oh sure, I had a nanosecond or two of exasperation with myself. But really, that was all. I did a quick behavioral autopsy on it, learned, and moved on.

And guess what? That feels good! In fact, I wanted to share something fascinating that I realized this week. I had an "oreo cookie" set of days. You know, the crummy day in the middle with two great days on either side. On that crummy day I ate 2600 calories... ack! Yes, it was on plan food. But the quantities were NOT on plan.

But in my behavioral autopsy, here's what I learned:

-I didn't get much sleep the night before the crummy day. I was tired. I ached. I didn't want to put forth the effort to focus my thoughts. I let them drift. And they drifted right into the kitchen!

-The two days on either side of the crummy day were fantastic days! I did get enough sleep... I did make the effort to direct my thinking intentionally, instead of drifting. And one of those days I was having a ball learning how to video myself drawing, to make a vlog with it. It was a blast! I learned how to add music and everything. And guess what? I forgot... gasp... to eat! Then, when I realized I was hungry, I was annoyed at having to stop and grab something.

Me! Not wanting to eat! That happened on both those good days, when I was so wrapped up in fun and fascinating projects, that I was NOT INTERESTED IN EATING.

Okay, so what's the takeaway for YOU in all this?

1. We CAN change. We really can. It may take awhile. It may take repeated falling down and getting up. You might have to experiment to see what works for YOU. But if you never quit, if you always keep going NO MATTER WHAT... you will make progress. You CAN change. I believe that with all my heart. I don't care what research insists. I don't care what your mama says. I don't care what "they" say. We CAN change.

2. Perception is key. I've always loved that little poem: Two men looked through prison bars; one saw mud and the other saw stars. I'm not bummed by my poor choices recently, because I can see my progress. I see that I'm learning. I see change, real change. In my sidebar I have a badge that says "Upward Spiral of Success". Just for fun, under it I'm tracking 100 days, and noting how many of them are On Plan days. Just because I have a goof-up day, I don't perceive this as going in circles. Because I'm learning and getting better, I see it as going UPward. Hence the name of the badge.

My plan is to post that new vlog next Tuesday for Toon Tuesday, and offer the pattern in black and white as a free download. If anyone is interested, they can join me in playing with it by coloring/changing/collaging it... whatever. Adding your own stuff to it. And then the following Tuesday we can post our results (if you want to) on our own blogs, linking to each other. I might be playing in this sandbox all alone, but that's okay... I had a blast doing that project, and was surprised and delighted to feel what it was like to be free from the obsession of food. To feel "normal". To feel like the Bully--that push to eat when not hungry--was banned from the playground. I want more of that! :-D

(Photo source with excellent essay by Dr Dave)

PS: Some of you participated in a survey recently about what kinds of topics you'd like Coach Dayne to talk about... just an update: It's still in the works! He's been sick, but will work on it when he's up to snuff again. I'll keep ya posted.

From Dr Phil's book: "Your thoughts powerfully program you."

My verse for today: "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever."

My quote for today: "Everything is hard before it is easy." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 885

Your Opinion Counts!

2012-01-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

LINK to find out how your Senators are planning to vote on Jan 24th.

Right now, the internet has freedom of speech.

Those in power don't like that.

They want to regulate it to their liking.

I don't want to give away my freedom.

Not even a tiny bit of it.

I called my Senator today.

Did you?

:-)

This is what your internet could look like
if these bills pass:
LINK

Really?! Not enough says you?
Want more info, says you?
Well, here's a video, says I!

Most important thing YOU can do?
Call. Your. Senators.

JAN 14th An Early Birthday Present

2012-01-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

Good morning Journal & Friends,

Got up earlier than usual this morning because Jim left for the morning shift at work. No sleeping in with a super charged mini-schnauzer around!

So... I peeked early at my blog, and discovered an early birthday present: someone I care about is back! She had disappeared a few months ago... and now she's ready to keep going on this journey to health.

I can't tell you how good that makes me feel, to read her comment that I actually had a little influence in helping her choose to come back to blogging.

But you know what? SHE chose, not me. SHE had the courage and determination, not me. SHE decided to get serious again, and focus her efforts and give it her best. She's finding her power and her voice again!

Ever since I started this blog, one thing I had in the back of my mind was: if I could only somehow help others do this thing SOONER than I did... to grab hold of their life, their potential, their future... and do it younger than I did....

And she is... Ruby is back!

If you have a free moment, would you kindly stop in and tell Ruby (here) what a good choice she is making?

From Dr Phil's book: "There are no victims, only volunteers. You must embrace the fact that you own your problems and take action to solve them."

My verse for today: "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call to him in truth."

My quote for today: "Every action and feeling is preceded by a thought." --James Allen

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 880

JAN 12th A Song & Baring My Heart

2012-01-12T12:12:00.001-08:00

Hi Journal & Friends,

When I was 20, I thought I had forever.

In a few days I'll be 61... and now I think differently. I want to have not wasted this gift called Life. I want to BE the person I was created to be, to live a DELIBERATE life, to live on purpose and with passion.

This Time theme tends to

show up in my art, too...

I know some of you don't watch videos... you skim in 30 seconds and are off to the next blog... I get it, really. So, just for you, I'm including some of the lyrics from the video below. :-)

I was struck by it... how much it expressed my longing to live a life that matters, that leaves the world a tiny better for having been in it.

I Was Here

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of timeKnow there was something that, and something that I left behindWhen I leave this world, I'll leave no regretsLeave something to remember, so they won't forget
I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would beI will leave my mark so everyone will knowI was here
I want to say I lived each day, until I dieAnd know that I meant something in, somebody's lifeThe hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leaveThat I made a difference, and this world will see
I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would beI will leave my mark so everyone will knowI was here
I just want them to knowThat I gave my all, did my bestBrought someone some happinessLeft this world a little better just because
I was here.......

Some have cattily said it's an arrogant song by Beyonce, like she thinks she's "all that". Well, I don't see it that way.

I see it as someone who wants to LIVE their life with purpose, with intention, not wasting it and wanting to give back. To love and to be loved. To live a DELIBERATE life.

That's the cry of my heart, too. I don't need the applause of the audience, or my name in lights, or pats on the back. I DO need to know, in my heart of hearts, that I did my best to live, love, and give.

On my darkest days, I admit I cry and have regrets and feel I missed the mark. But most days now, I feel like I am at least reaching out, aiming higher, and trying to make Time count for something... to be the person God created me to be... "that I gave my all, did my best, brought someone some happiness, left this world a little better just because I was here..."

From Dr Phil's book: "Be realistic about what you can control and what you can't."

My verse for today: "Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

My quote for today: "I will live this day to it's fullest. Time is the coin of my life, and I choose to spend it wisely." --Carl Sandburg, paraphrased

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 878

JAN 10th Butterflies & ReWriting the Dictionary

2012-01-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

Hello Journal & Friends,

I've been listening to a podcast over and over by Eric Thomas (ET the HipHopPreacher). This was the first video of 2012... he does this every Monday. Wow... I'm looking forward to Mondays! I converted it to audio only, so I could listen on my iPod. Gotta love technology. :-)

ET is a high energy motivational speaker, and I'm finding what he says to be a challenge. A challenge to my preconcieved mindset. A challenge to make this the year of DOING. A challenge to up my game, and take my efforts to the next level. He says to accept the challenge!

The challenge to change my thinking about emotional pain... to redefine my how I interpret it. To give it a positive definition, rather than to look at it as something to run away from... and in my case, my lifelong habit was to run away from pain and dive into the food for escape.

Snippets from the video:

ET says to redefine "pain"!

Change our mindset, how we think about emotional pain.

To see it as the doorway thru which you must go through to reach success.

That without struggle, there is no progress.

To remember that on the other side of pain is success.

All roads to success go through pain.

And there are no shortcuts to that success.

If you can outlast that discomfort, I guarantee you that on the other side of it is success.

Change how you see pain... I want you to welcome it.

How comfortable can you be with being uncomfortable.

Take your weakness and turn it into a strength, and you will take it to the next level.

Start doing things that you've never done before... start giving stuff a try.

You've got to embody excellence.

Every single day you wake up, you've got to give it all you've got!

Don't fool yourself into thinking this year will be better than last year if you're still making excuses.

You cannot cheat success. You've gotta work for it. You've gotta breathe it, you've gotta sleep it, you've gotta eat it. You've gotta put forth 120%!

For the butterfly to fly, it's gotta go through the cocoon process... there's no way around it.

Here's ET's YouTube video, I highly recommend it if you want a kick in the rear to supercharge your year! The power talk starts about 1:35 minutes in. Do yourself a favor, and invest about 11 minutes of your time now, that will affect the REST of your year! I Subscribed, so each Monday the new video lands in my inbox. My success won't "just happen". I must choose what I put into my mind!

Speaking of choosing... I chose the butterfly image for my new header at the top of this blog BEFORE I listened to this talk. This butterfly is from a series I painted that I called my Transformation Series. It's very meaningful to me... so now you know why this talk grabbed my attention. :-) I want 2012 to be my year to bust out of the cocoon and fly!

(can click to enlarge)

From Dr Phil's book: "When you are on the right track, there is an enormous energy that uplifts you."

My verse for today: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power."

My quote for today: "Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves." --James Allen

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 876

JAN 8th Day of Rest & Fav Photo... Baby Deer!

2012-01-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

Hello Journal & Friends,

Last June I told you about The Triplets, and posted photos HERE. A Mama deer had triplets right outside the hospital where Jim works in Ashland, Oregon.

There is a lot of dense shrubbery, trees and a water source, so she moved right in, obviously feeling safe. The admininstration immediately put out the word: protect her, and leave her alone. It was wonderful, and patients enjoyed getting glimpses of her and The Triplets outside their windows. Unfortunately, one little fawn didn't make it, so now they are The Twins.

The 2 babies grew, and Mama led them off into the nearby hills. Last seen, Jim said they looked strong and healthy. Yay!

Jim is excited that he was invited to submit some of his photography to be shown in the hospital gallery, and to also be used in the Patient Choice Gallery, where they get to pick which art hangs on the walls of their room during their stay. It's a program designed to make patients feel cared for body, spirit and soul. Nice, yes?

Here are The Twins, on gallery wrapped canvas. It makes me smile to see MyGuy feeling encouraged about his photography. To have a passion and pursue it... that's what we all need on this journey to better health.

I hope you like these cuties as much as I do (can click to enlarge).

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 874

JAN 6th Balance vs Focus or... Getting Rid of the MinkJunk!

2012-01-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Howdy Journal & Friends,

It finally dawned on me one mistake I made last year. I don't regret it, really. I mean, we try stuff and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

My mistake? Thinking it was MY TIME to find "balance".

I know, I know. Balance is a "good thing". I agree.

At the right time.

But for me, it was too soon. Or at least, for "my" definition of balance, and how that played out in my life.

FOCUS:

act of concentrating interest on something

center of interest or activity

pay particular attention to

revolve around

zoom in on

focal point

to zero in

pinpoint

essence

nucleus

concern

theme

heart

topic

gist

hub

I'm working on re-focusing... on letting go of the extra fluff that fritters away my time and energy and doesn't get me any closer towards my goals. If I keep diluting my energies, it will only drag this out longer than it needs to be!

I want to fill my mind with things that help keep me on point. That'll be different for each of us, according to our belief systems. But here are some quotes that I believe are true, and can apply to most of us:

"The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary." --Thomas Edison

"You'll never achieve extraordinary results by taking average measures." --Skwigg

"Commitment is doing what is necessary, interest is doing what is convenient." --John Assaraf

"Your life is entirely what you decide it is. The universe starts in your head and spreads out into the world. Change what happens in your head and the universe changes." --W Mitchell

"To succeed, you need to take that gut feeling in what you believe in and act on it with all your heart." --Christy Borgeld

"What I've found is that you can't make a half-hearted swipe at this and expect to be successful. You really need to throw yourself into what you're doing, commit to making big changes and do everything in your power to stick with them." --Jack Sh*t

"Some define obsession as negative. I say it's how you get things done." --Mark Twight

"Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." --Wayne Dyer

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." --Alexander Graham Bell

"My ability to concentrate and work toward that goal has been my greatest asset." --Jack Nicklaus

"I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half-heartedly because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results." --Michael Jordan

"Don't join an easy crowd, join a successful crowd where the expectations are high and the payoff is great." --Jim Rohn

If you read those quotes and instead of finding some that resonate with you, you start arguing with the fine points, then you want to be right more than you want to change. Eat the meat an' spit out the bones. :-D

Bottomline, our success on this weight loss/fitness/health journey isn't just going to "happen". If we don't make it a priority, if we don't MAKE time to invest in our thinking, our mindset, then we are being unrealistic. We are playing with it... dabbling at it. We are a-hoping an' a-wishing and waiting for that "miracle" to just happen, without being willing to pay the price.

The price? Time.

Time spent whatever is the best way for each of us, individually, to improve our mindset. To throw out the old crappy thinking patterns, and replace them ON PURPOSE with truth:

That we DO have a choice.

That we CAN make healthy changes.

That we are NOT victims.

Clean out the MindJunk

and sow healthy ThoughtSeeds!

Don't know where to start?? If you don't already have resources, here's some I really like:

Dayne Gingrich, at Coach Your Mind

Craig Sigl, Mental Toughness Trainer

And a new one I just recently found, thanks to Margene at Believing It's Possible is Half The Battle:

Tommy Newberry, author of The 4:8 Principle (which I bought and LOVE LOVE LOVE)

We've all heard it a million times: What you focus on will grow.

Focus on the "fact" that you are a "food addict", and that reality will gain power.

Focus on the "fact" that you have a choice to HEAL and be FREE from being a food addict, and guess what??

Yep, that reality gains power.

I'm speaking from personal experience. No, I have no double-blind studies to quote, or letters after my name. But smarter folks than I am teach this, and I've found it is TRUE!! I refuse to keep claiming that label of Food Addict any longer. No more cop-outs.

Oh, you say you're just being "honest", and you are not in denial?? Okay, fine. How's that working for you?? :-O

I won't argue with an individual about it, since we each have to find what works for US. But if it's NOT working for you to insist on wearing that label, then why not consider changing your mind?? Why not consider that every time you insist that you ARE still a food addict, you are giving away your power to a label, and making it your identity?

Why not at least say I USED to be a food addict, and am now busting free!! That's what I say, and now it's TRUE in my mind and life.

Try it.. what have you got to lose... except pounds. :-D

From Dr Phil's book: "Change your thinking to change your weight."

My verse for today: "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy."

My quote for today: "Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen." --Peter Marshall

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 872

JAN 3rd I'm Stubborn! Are You??

2012-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon Journal & Friends,

Okay... so here's what I was thinking the other day:

Stubbornness

can be a good thing

It all depends how you use it. Recently I was feeling Stubborn, so for the fun of it I put on the donkey earrings my sister made for me.

I am stubbornly believing that even though I'm not a young chick, I can still lose weight and get healthier.

I am stubbornly clinging to my opinion that it's the MENTAL ASPECT of this journey that will be the deal breaker. Too Busy to work on that? Ignore it at your own peril.

I am stubbornly determined to ignore the people that say I must be "realistic" about my goals to get out of a wheelchair. Not only do I want to ditch the wheelchair, I want to go on to someday ditch the walker and then the canes!

I am stubbornly protective of my way of eating, not giving in to societal pressures to "be polite". I don't DO sugar and flour. Period. If people don't like that, that's THEIR problem. I don't push it on others; they shouldn't push their junk on me. It's just what *I* need to do to reach my goals.

I am stubbornly rejecting pity, disrespect or being patronized. I've finally learned to respect myself, so why would I allow less than that from others? I am kind when possible, but I stand up for myself now when needed. No apologies.

I am stubbornly NOT running with the "easy crowd" any longer. You know, the forums that talk and whine and pat each other on the back for repeatedly doing the opposite of what they claim to want: to lose weight and get healthy. I'm NOT talking about learning and growing, finding our own key, the whole process we all must go through. I AM talking about the "but" people. Those that whine over and over and over and OVER about the same thing, and when offered suggestions, ideas or advice, always respond with "yes BUT". That might be a clue they aren't ready to change. I recognize it ... because I used to BE one of them. I don't wanna be that way any more... I want to learn and change.

I am stubbornly determined to succeed. To claim 2012 as MY YEAR. To make amazing, astounding, fantastic and COLLOSAL progress this year!

I am stubbornly going to be DEAF to the Naysayers and Eyebrow Raisers that think if you reach up for a huge goal you must be either stupid, arrogant, or setting yourself up for a huge, humbling and disappointing failure.

Why??

Why must excitement and determination be equated with cockiness?

Why are we afraid to declare our intentions of victory with certainty?

Why are we scared to stick our necks out, boldly and with passion?

I'll tell you why: because we are gauging our chances of success by our PAST failures.

I am stubbornly refusing to do that any longer. My past failures are no longer the yardstick by which I am measuring my future. I am breaking that sucker in half... SNAP!

Sure, I've made a lot of mistakes in my past efforts. But I've also done some stuff right. So I am drawing upon THOSE victories. I am building a New History from them. I've found a lot of things that DO work for me, and will use them as my tools. Successful things about exercise, nutrition, and the mental stuff. Those make up my NEW yardstick.

I am going to be STUBBORN in 2012

And that's a good thing

PS: If you missed my poll on Sunday, I'd love it if you did a quick skim of that post, HERE, and left a comment with your suggestion. I'm going to tally and submit them soon. Thanks!

From Dr Phil's book: "That's your priority. You must hold yourself to a higher standard now. You cannot be wishy washy."

My verse for today: "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."

My quote for today: "When we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves." --Viktor Frankl

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 869

JAN 1st New Year, New Weight & New Poll

2012-01-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Journal & Friends,

Yay... it's a brand new year, like a shiny new penny. I always like that... so full of possibilities.

And it's cool that my monthly weigh-in is on the first day of this new year, too. Drumroll.... 327, for a loss last month of 8 lbs. I was shooting for 10, but hey, I'll take it and do a happy dance to boot! :-D

I am so excited to tell you about an informal poll I'm taking. I want YOUR suggestions!!

For the last 2 years I've followed a blog that has taught me so much: Coach Your Mind, by Coach Dayne Gingrich. He was a professional athlete, and now teaches others how to have a winning mindset... what he calls The 1%. That's because most people will fall into the 99% category of drifting along, not knowing how, or not choosing to pay the price to achieve their highest potential (that's MY summary).

Well, I want to be one of the 1%.

I want to be teachable.

I want to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals.

And that's where YOU come in. Coach Dayne has made a most generous offer. He is shortly going to be doing a series of teachings, and his "regular" target audience is the athlete.

But he's offered to include one just for us, the weight loss community!

He asked what YOU would like to hear about, anything having to do with MINDSET. What you are interested in learning more about, what you struggle with, what you'd like to learn... such as conquering fears and doubts; how to get or stay motivated; how to use visualization to help you achieve your goals; believing in yourself; learning to focus, etc etc.

Edited to add: I got my facts scrambled, sorry. The 1% Academy is a separate project, and then he is offering to do a video just for us! This will be after the 1% Academy, on January 13th.

Think about it, and if you have an idea, please leave a comment and I'll make sure Coach Dayne gets our ideas. The 1% Academy is due to start January 9th, so we've got to get our suggestions in real soon. I'm looking forward to this, and I hope you will join me. Here's the trailer for the 1% Academy, click HERE.

I am totally convinced that our mindset, our attitude, our thinking, can make or break us on this journey to health. We need our mindset to be our ALLIE, not our enemy. It can be our greatest friend, or deadliest foe.

I get nice comments at times about how much weight I've lost so far. It's taken me a long time to get this far, but it's the first time in my life I've KEPT it off, instead of yo yo-ing. If you really want to do that, too, you'll need to do what I've had to do: work on your mindset. It takes time. You must be willing to invest TIME in yourself. Read, listen, learn. CHANGE YOUR THINKING. I'm being real blunt and honest here. It won't "just happen". You MUST carve out time in your busy schedule for this. You just must. I had to. I had to give up other stuff to do just that. But it was worth it to me.

I am determined to be among that 1% that has unleashed the power that is available to us all, that of having a powerful, positive and healthy mindset. Am I feeling enthusiastic about this?? You betcha! I hope you'll join me, and let me know in the comments what you'd like to hear about from Coach Dayne's video just for us. :-)

From Dr Phil's book: "Your thoughts powerfully program you."

My verse for today: "How priceless is your unfailing love."

My quote for today: "If you stubbornly demand and expect that weight loss and life should be easy, you will consistently fail at weight loss. Why? Life and weight loss are often not easy and there is nothing you can do to change that fact. Long-term weight loss is not for children or sissies. I wish it was but it is not. Get over it and get on with it." --Dr Matthew Anderson

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 867

DEC 31st And On We Continue!

2011-12-31T11:35:00.000-08:00

Hello there Journal & Friends,

I don't have any resolutions to share... I'm just continuing ON with my plan! It feels right and is working, so why fix what ain't broke?! :-D

On that note, here's my theme badge for this exciting, fresh, shiny New Year:

(can click pic for larger view)

Happy New Year to all my bloggyland friends, and I'll leave you with some interesting quotes I ran across recently, all from 1902 (!) by James Allen:

“The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart – this you will build your life by, this you will become.”

“You cannot travel within and stand still without.”

“. . . cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things.”

“Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.”

“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.”

“Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves.”

And so, to myself (and you) I say:

2012 is going to be

the best year yet!!

Enjoy the Journey & the New Year,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 866

DEC 28th I Stuck to my Plan & The Birthday Girl!

2011-12-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Journal & Friends,

Joey went with us on Christmas Eve to see the Christmas lights... what fun!

We made our "imitation blizzards" to take, and they turned out delicious. I didn't miss the Dairy Queen version in the least! And we knew what we were drinking was actually good for us, too. Well, "most" of it. Jim wanted a "butterfinger" flavor, like the one DQ makes. I came kinda close, but to get his requested flavor had to use some of his little Russel Stover butter crunch candies whizzed up in them. Oh well, it was still better than going off plan and hitting the local DQ! :-D

I went into the holidays with a plan, and stuck to it. I can't tell you how encouraging and energizing that feels. By the way, if anyone reading this did NOT stay on their plan, please don't wait til the new year. Start NOW. You'll feel that same encouragement and energy just from making the choice to make your health a priority. Or, as Anne at Carb Tripper calls it, your Fitness Goals. You've gotta see her latest VLOG, it's so good.

Anyway, grab ahold NOW, don't wait, you'll be glad you did. :-)

So... off we went to see the pretty lights. And Joey was sooo funny. She spends most days at home with me, so she is always jazzed when she gets to go on an adventure. This was her first Christmas... she will turn one year old on Dec 28th... oh, wait, that's today!

Happy Birthday Joey!

Here are a few of the pretty houses we saw (can click to enlarge).

First stop was at the

Elf Training Center:

Joey and Jim looking

at the lights:

Joey was excited by

people walking around...

lots of parents brought

their children and that

got Joey all jazzed. Not

that it takes much to get a

mini-schnauzer jazzed!

She caught me aiming the

camera at her:

Can you see what the

neighbor did for his

decorations?

The neighbors lights:

Next we were off to the

"fancy" neighborhood. Every

year they do a food drive,

since they get thousands

of drive by lookers.

It was a residential street, with lots of pedestrians. Joey was so excited by all the people walking around... and actually tried to sort of sing/howl when she heard the carolers... too funny!

And I want to thank all of you that left such great comments after my first VLOG attempt. You were soooo kind and encouraging! Why... I think I'll even do another one some time, ha ha ha!

From Dr Phil's book: "You must hold yourself to a higher standard now. You cannot be wishy washy."

My verse for today: Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble."

My quote for today: "Age is something that just doesn't matter, unless you're a cheese." --Billie Burke

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 863

DEC 26th I DID it!

2011-12-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Journal & Friends,

I know, I know. I said I was on a blogging mini-vacation. I am... but I didn't say anything about VLOGGING!

As a Christmas gift to myself, I spent all day Sunday learning how to do The Vlog Thing. It took me 13 hours to get it right and able to upload, but my stubbornness paid off, LOL!

So now I'm sharing the results with you! :-O

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta
=^..^=

Day 861

DEC 22nd We Are Loved & We Are Worth It

2011-12-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Hello Journal & Friends,

I'm enjoying the holidays this year... in a sort of gentle way. It feels peaceful and thankful.

Jim put up our white icicle lights this year, adding several large green wreaths with huge red bows. The house looks so festive and pretty! It always touches me when he does this... it's a lot of work. If he had his way, he wouldn't bother. But, he does it solely because he knows how much I love it. I don't take that for granted... it's a gift to me!

I started my sugarfree/glutenfree gingerbread men this morning... the dough is in the fridge "resting", and I'll finish them later today. They'll be my dessert contribution at a family Christmas Eve dinner.

I was trying to put my finger on why I'm feeling so peaceful this holiday season. Aside from staying away from crazy crowds of shoppers ;-) I think it's because I am feeling "worth it".

Choosing to make the extra effort to bake fun holiday stuff that is On Plan, because my health is worth it.

Choosing to tell the hostess of the dinner we'll be going to that I don't want to offend anyone, but will NOT be eating anything with sugar or flour, and offering to bring something... because I am respecting my own needs and putting my health first, above "politeness". And she was totally gracious!

Choosing to pass on things I used to abuse, like store bought egg nog (which is full of sugar and chemicals) because I would rather lose weight and get healthy than repeat past poor choices. And I do mean reeeaaally poor choices... we'd get a half gallon of the stuff and Jim was lucky if he got one serving. Guess who drank the rest?!! Now, I would rather take care of myself than go for that immediate gratification that comes back later to bite me in the you-know-where! It's just not worth it anymore. I found a recipe online for Almond Milk Eggnog from Carolyn Ketchum HERE that I'm going to try instead. And I'm more than fine with that choice... in fact, it makes me smile.

Choosing to continue to work on the mental aspect of this journey. I did my homework so have the majority of the nutritional stuff worked out, with a little fine tuning to do yet. But I am still 100% convinced that long-term success lies in the area of mental toughness. I have a spiritual foundation that gives me a solid footing. But after that, I know it's been my squirrelly thinking in the past that derailed me. So, I continue to focus on that aspect. More to come on that in a few days. :-)

My Christmas gift to myself: Choosing to believe I am worth it. I want to respect myself. To make loving choices that will help create my healthy future.

And in the long run, it also turns out to be a gift to those I care about, since I am better able to live, love and give if I'm healthy and strong.

Do I ever struggle? Of course. Just last night I started to go over my limit. I had to laugh when I remembered Chris's post about how to tell if you're really hungry... would you eat radishes or cabbage?? Uh... no! Not THAT hungry. Then stop. Do you want to lose the weight or eat that? Uh... I want to lose the weight. Then stop.

I'm going to join the trend in taking a Christmas mini-vacation from blogging.

So I hope all of you have a most WONDERFUL Christmas, or Hanukkah or other holy days you celebrate.

Me... I'm celebrating the birth of the Christ child who grew up to be the Savior. And it was all because of Love. So God's gift to me and to you at Christmas is Love.

See ya in a few days!

Enjoying the Journey during the Holidays,

Loretta

=^..^=

PS: Joey is doing great! The vet's office said to try to keep her calm so she won't tear out her stitches... then laughed and said "good luck with that" when they remembered she was a Mini-Schnauzer, LOL! Joey says Thank You for the well wishes.

DAY 857

DEC 19th Snip Snip Ouch Ouch!

2011-12-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon Journal & Friends,

Lessons from a Puppy #11

If It's Hard Now,

Keep Going...

Cuz It'll Get Better

Joey went in for surgery yesterday. She will forever be a Miss now, never a mommy. It was hard on her, since she is almost always with either me or her Hero, Jim. That was the hardest part, seeing her fear of being left with strangers. Poor baby.

Here she was, in the car right after picking her up to bring her home. I drove so Joey could cuddle with her Hero. She was a little groggy and subdued, but perked up the instant she saw Jim.

She spent the rest of the day being pampered, watching tv with Jim, and dozing in his lap.

Today she is a little better. She doesn't bark out loud yet, just "whispers". And is sleeping most of the day, or just sitting and watching. But she is improving, and totally will be back to a bundle of enthusiastic energy by the time her first birthday gets here on Dec 28th. :-)

This too shall pass...

And that's my lesson to remember the next time things get hard. And I know sooner or later they will, it's just the nature of the beast... that's life. But it's not permanent... it always gets better.

For now, I'm enjoying the holidays! :-D

From Dr Phil's book: "You talk to yourself more than everybody else in your life combined."

My verse for today: "See, I will not forget you... I have carved you on the palm of my hand."

My quote for today: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." --Neale Walsh

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 855

DEC 15th A Colorful Friday Favorites

2011-12-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hello Journal & Friends,

Since so many folks say they are looking to eat only "real food" and ditch the chemicals, I thought I'd share a little thing I ran across recently... bought it... tried it... and LIKED IT!!

It's natural food coloring made from vegetable colorants, called India Tree Natural Decorating Colors. Comes in the typical red, yellow and blue, in little squeeze bottles just like it's chemical cousins. The coloring agents are from red cabbage, beet, and turmeric. I used some in a frosting at Thanksgiving, and NO, it didn't affect the flavor at all. Just made it pretty and festive!

Examples of what you can get by mixing the 3 colors up:

I bought mine online from Cheftools.com for $22.39.

I know, I know, me too! $$$ ;-)

But, they last a long time. And they work well. The blue seems a little weaker than the red and yellow colors, but other that, I love them. One tiny more step towards a healthier kitchen, yes?

From Dr Phil's book: "What is true about you in your mind, you will live."

My verse for today: "The earth is filled with your love, O Lord."

My quote for today: "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." --Dr Seuss

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 851

DEC 11th If I Don't Get Tuff... I'm Gonna Die Fat??

2011-12-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hidy Ho Journal & Friends,

Ever read or hear something that you LOVE... and HATE at the same time?!!

You love the parts you agree with, and hate the parts you are convinced he got wrong? You find youself arguing with your iPod as you listen to the interview?

You'd love to "straighten this guy out" so his message could be improved, and that way he could help more folks. But he is convinced that those that are upset by his message are "just making excuses".

So... he has closed his OWN thinking off, to seeing a different perspective that might have validity, which could actually improve his message.

Sigh... I debated even writing about all this, since it's so frustrating. But I will. :-D

Because I decided, FOR ME, to be teachable and "eat the meat and spit out the bones." This guy has some good stuff. Really good stuff.

He does have good ideas, albeit presented in a blunt way. I don't think he's trying to be mean or mocking, like some internet bullies I've crossed swords with... no, to me his heart seems in the right place.

Enough vagueness. His name is Steve Siebold, and he makes his living as a motivational speaker. The core of all his messages have to do with MENTAL TOUGHNESS.

And this time, he wrote a book after he gained 40 pounds, then lost it. It's called

Die Fat or Get Tough:

101 Differences in Thinking

Between Fat People and Fit People.

Yeah, he likes to use shock value to "break through the walls of self-delusion". I suppose that works with some personality types. His main idea is to smack you in the face with the differences between how Fat People think versus how Fit People think. Unfortunately his blunt approach repulses as many people as it reaches. The poor guy has even had death threats!!!

Disclaimer: I have not read the book. Why?? Because after reading a ton of reviews on Amazon.com, reading excerpts at his website (you can get the first 5 chapters for free), and listening to several interviews with Steve, I get the gist of it. I get it. I really do. And agree 100% with the mental aspects of his message. My own summary of his book would be something like: You made the choices that broke it, and you have the power to fix it. It's time to grow up, and make healthy choices. You can DO this!

To me, that message is empowering, and I can get behind it. The part that drives me NUTSO in his approach is that he doesn't take into account that we were told by all the authorities for a LIFETIME that eating a certain way (low fat and lots of "healthy" whole grains and high carbs) was THE way to lose weight and get healthy. And now we are a fatter, sicker nation, with a raging diabetes epidemic. That's no excuse. It's the truth. Some of us tried for years, but it was like swimming upstream against a hard current... exhausting and not making much progress.

I was put on my first diet at age 10. That's FIFTY YEARS AGO!!!!! :-O I searched and searched for a sustainable "diet", and tried, literally, several dozen. It's not just a matter of being fat and lazy. Some of us really tried. But were working with the wrong information. Did we go through times of despair, and just give up for a time?? Did we choose to eat food to affect our emotions, to bring relief, escape, or a thousand other reasons?

Yes, we did. Or we wouldn't be fat.

Yes, *I* did, or I wouldn't be fat.

Do you have any idea how hard it is not to be sucked totally down the drain of hopelessness and self-loathing, after trying and failing that many times???

But to our credit, we didn't give up permanently. We tried to learn. We got up and went ON.

He seems to know nothing about metabolism or the science behind weight loss. The best book I've read on that lately is by Gary Taubes: Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It. It's not a rah rah motivational book. It's full of solid science and facts. I highly recommend it.

Do any of Steve's arguments apply?? Yes, of course. But I'm just saying, he's too simplistic, that's all. Anyway, back to the part of his message that I DO agree with, the mental stuff.

Basically, after all the legitimate factors are accounted for, we are left with: NOW WHAT?? What am I going to DO about it?

And I agree with him, that it takes mental toughness. (Now for all you Christians out there, cool your jets. :-) My Rock, my Strength comes from God. I'm talking here not about the spiritual foundation we all need... but about what we allow ourself to think about, which plays out in our actions. Now that we have THAT cleared up...)

Mental toughness

Hmmm... that's actually a term I've puzzled over for many years! Long before it became sort of popular now, and the topic du jour of todays motivational speakers.

So... I decided to be teachable. To not get offended. To not accept the parts he missed the mark on, and accept the parts where he hit the bullseye. He lost his weight in his late 30's, and is still learning. So in time, I'll bet his message is tempered with experience and wisdom.

In the mean time, here are some quotes I transcribed directly from an interview with Steve Siebold that I heard on HCL BlogTalkRadio, hosted by Audley Stephenson (no relation to moi).

Make a decision.
Make a decision you're going to do this... if you do the work, you'll see the results.
This is not complicated... make a decision and take responsibility.
If you're going to program yourself for success, you've got to do what successful people do.
Don't feel bad about yourself, don't beat yourself up. Just make a decision that you're going to solve it.
There's really no staying neutral. You're going to either have to solve it, or you're probably going to die fat.
Study how fit people think, they really think differently that fat people.
Study as many world class experts on health and fitness as you can.
Beginning today, invest 15 minutes a day studying an expert you respect.
When your beliefs start to change, your behavior starts to follow your beliefs.
Self-talk is very powerful.
This is not about being comfortable. This is about being successful. There's a difference!

You can go to Amazon.com and click on Look Inside, and read several pages for yourself. I'd be curious to read what others in our online wt loss community think about it. I mean, we are already working on it, or we wouldn't be here. So I have to wonder if our reaction would be different than someone who is NOT actively working on it. I kinda think it would sting!

So in summary:

I do NOT agree with him when he denies there are legitimate factors that affect our weight loss attempts.

I DO agree we can't be successful if we allow those factors to make us victims.

I DO agree we need to ask NOW WHAT? and get on with solving it.

I DO agree that how we think is absolutely crucial, and that's where I can learn from him.

To be fair, here's Steve's website, so he gets the last word.

;-)

From Dr Phil's book: "Change your thinking to change your weight."

My verse for today: "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."

My quote for today: "You must do the things you think you cannot do." --Eleanor Roosevelt

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 847

DEC 9th Planning a New Adventure

2011-12-09T19:04:00.001-08:00

Good Evening Journal & Friends,

Okay... nuff controversary. Time for some fun! Well, it's fun for me, anywhoo. ;-)

I mentioned recently that next year one of my goals was to pluck up my courage and open my very own Zazzle store. I no longer feel as though I have to get "skinny" before I step outside my comfort zone. :-)

Zazzle is an online shop that takes our own designs and puts them on stuff. Everything from prints, cards, posters, key chains and stickers, to personalized postage, t-shirts, buttons and coffee mugs. And tons more, too boring to list here.

Anyway, before I get involved, I'd like to make sure I really want my NAME associated with them. In other words, I want to check out the quality of their printing and merchandise. So, I bought some stuff.

And most of them turned out terrific!

I'll be honest in my review... I bought 5 things and:

3 were fabulous

1 was just okay

1 was a little disappointing

The actual merchandise seems very nice. For instance, the apron is not flimsy at all, but nice, bright white heavy poly/cotton fabric, neatly sewn. Same with the coffee mug: nice size and fabrication. My minor beef is just with how the images turned out on 2 items. And one of those might be because I didn't read close enough to know how big the final image was going to be... not sure about that one. Here's the deets:

We got two mousepads... here

is the one Jim chose, from one

of his waterfall photos. He likes the

quality and richness of the image.

Here is mine. I used one of my

designs, and stuck on text that

was meaningful to me. I think it

came out crisp and colorful; overall

I am very satisfied. The background

is a soft gray, and my mouse glides very

easily over the silky smooth surface.

Eek, I sound like an infomercial!

I love the sturdy white fabric of my apron,

but have to say that in person the image

is not as bright as I had expected.

Perfectionist?? Me?? Why, never. ;-)

My mug turned out bold and fabulous!!

I am drinking tea out of it this very minute.

The colors are strong and vibrant, and

I added my new Mantra:

I Can Do Hard Things

And last but not least... we got Joey

her very own t-shirt! We love how

she looks in it, and it's adorable. But,

this is the one I was most disappointed

in. The photo was sooo much smaller

than I expected. Good thing we have

her in person to look at, LOL!

We're starting to get frost and snow here

in Southern Oregon, so she can keep cozy

when she goes outside to Do Her Business.

Oh, and dig to China after the gopher that

decided to move into our backyard!

So far, I am leaning towards a thumbs UP on opening my own Zazzle store. It would be called Art by Retta, with a bunch of my designs available to put on shoes, hats, t-shirts, ipod cases, mugs, posters, office accessories, blah blah blah... all the stuff I've mentioned and more. I'll just do it in my spare time. (choke choke... if you only knew what a joke THAT was, LOL!)

But Jules at Big Girl Bombshell recently had a wonderful post on choices, time and our goals. So my Zazzle store will happen when I make it a priority. Period. Thanks for that nudge, Jules.

Anyone use Zazzle before? Would you recommend it? If I'm headin for a cliff, I'd rather know BEFORE I feel air blowing in my hair! Just doing my research before I decide. :-D

From Dr Phil's book: "Having specific carefully mapped out, vividly envisioned goals is an absolute requirement for success."

My verse for today: "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless."

My quote for today: "Age is something that just doesn't matter, unless you're a cheese." --Billie Burke

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 844

DEC 8th Irrelevant? Oh, REALLY??

2011-12-08T10:29:00.001-08:00

Hi Journal & Friends,

This is my rebuttal.

From an "over the hill" 60 year young person who will NOT go quietly off into the night. Who still has a thing or two to offer the world, and who is NOT over the hill yet. Who is not all used up and ready to warm a rocking chair on the porch.

What rattled my cage? What has me all spunkified??

The scheduled Super Bowl 2012 half-time show.

Nope, don't plan to watch it. Am bored by football. But heard all about it on the... what else... internet.

Quite the controversy, eh?

Here's the deal in a nutshell: Some folks are kibitzing over the fact that the half-time show headliner is an OLD LADY.... Madonna.

She is... gasp... 60. Never mind she is a living legend.

No, I've never been a fan. But I give credit where credit is due.

She's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She has sold more albums than ANY other female singer, EVER.

Yet, she's being called irrelevant, past her prime, over the hill, and even more vicious stuff I won't repeat here. Gimme a break!!

Want to do something daring and bold?? Outrageous and adventurous??

Then go to THIS LINK and listen to the advice of this lovely OLD LADY named Marilyn... an Elder who talks about grabbing life by the horns and choosing to be daring and bold and fearless!! It's less than 2 minutes of your life... and you will be glad you did. Trust me... I'm an old fart, too.

PS: For the REALLY daring, go to THIS LINK for a little parable as to why you don't mess with "old" folks! ;-)

Edited to clarify: I am NOT a Madonna fan. I don't like her raunchiness. I don't think she's a good role model for young ladies. I am simply acknowledging achievement.

For instance, I love the art of Caravaggio, a 15th century incredibly talented Italian baroque painter. Stunningly talented. I give him credit where credit is due. But... he was also arrogant, violent and even killed a man in a brawl. In my youth, I was a black and white thinker. I would have rejected his art due to his lifestyle. Now, I have learned to acknowledge the good parts, and understand the source of the other. It's not all-or-nothing now, that's all I'm trying to say. :-)

From Dr Phil's book: "Start behaving in ways that make you feel really good about yourself."

My verse for today: "Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stand firm in the heavens."

My Quote for today: "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think." --Socrates

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 843

DEC 7th Playing in the Kitchen, Yet Still On Plan

2011-12-07T11:53:00.001-08:00

Hi Journal & Friends,

I'm enjoying putting out the Christmas decorations and seeing the twinkling lights. And yesterday I experienced my very first time EVAH making chocolate candies in cute little molds. Sugar free, of course. You can stop reading here, if you don't want to see food pics... there are days when I don't wanna see any either, so I'll understand. ;-)

To be honest (well, why have a blog if I'm not going to be honest, right?) I don't understand people who have the "martyr mindset", who think that just because they are trying to go from fat to fit and eat all healthified, that they can't eat the really IMPORTANT foods in life... like chocolate! mwa ha ha ha ha.

Really, there isn't a holiday I can think of that most of the food can't be tweaked in some way, at least enough so that we can participate in traditions we cherish, and still stay on our chosen plans. Lest I forget, I put it in my own sidebar, where it can smack me on the forehead whenever needed: No Excuses! ;-)

Okay, so here's my first chocolate candy batch, still in the mold. That's the oh-so-cool Wilton chocolate melter in the background. I first heard about it from Lisa at Sugar-Free Low Carb Recipes blog. This was my first time trying it out, and I loved it.

And here they are, just pushed out of my nifty silicone mold. I like this mold cuz it has a variety of cute little shapes, and they are small enough to be a very moderate portion.

And finally, here they are all prettified on a plate. The light chunks are chopped macadamia nuts, and the peeking red bits in the center chocolates are freeze dried sugar free cherries that I got from NutsOnline, here. Mmmmmm...

I'm definitely not a trained cook, and MOST definitely a newbie at making my own chocolate. Most of them didn't have that pretty shiny finish. So, nope, not gonna share a recipe. I kind of tweaked a couple together, and while the taste was very nice, the texture wasn't silky smooth. Was sort of powdery or dry, or something. Gotta work on that. I was going for almost a milk chocolate, and these are most decidedly very dark chocolate!

Jim made his famous Eggnog Cheesecake (also sugar free) for the holidays, and I'm dinking around with little chocolates. And I'm still on plan!! Who'd a thunk it!

My next Tradition Tweak is to change our habit of getting a Dairy Queen blizzard when we drive around seeing the Christmas lights. I'm going to make our OWN healthy and sugar free blizzard in my handy dandy Vita Mix blender, and take them with us. A cold blizzard drink in the middle of winter... yeah, we're weird. And yes, we sing Christmas carols off key as we drive around and ooh and ahh at the lights.

Anyone doing any fun stuff for the holidays??

Ha ha ha... I just re-read this post, and it sounds like I am into kitchen gadgets. I suppose I am now! I have more gadgets and specialty pans now than I have room for! :-O

That's better than in years past, when I was into cruising through several fast food joints, and bringing some from each joint home to devour all by myself in secrecy. I'd stuff it in until I ached, and hated myself for doing so... then cried myself to sleep, as I vowed never to do it again... only to do it again, and again, and again. I'm SO grateful those days are a thing of the past!! (... ghosts of Christmas past... must have Dickens on the brain...)

So, I'll take innocent kitchen gadgets over that any day of the week! :-D

From Dr Phil's book: "You can't eat what's not there."

My verse for today: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

My quote for today: "Sometimes it is not good enough to do your best; you have to do what's required." --Winston Churchill

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

PS: Sorry for the messed up font sizes. Blogger is acting stupid today, and no matter what I did, it just won't work right. Oh well... in the grand scheme of things, it's no biggee.

DAY 842

DEC 4th Day of Rest & Fav Photos

2011-12-04T12:42:00.001-08:00

Hello Journal & Friends,

Pics of where the kitties lounge and sleep all day... but wait... look who invites herself to the party, all scruffy and in need of a combing!

I find myself often thinking about enthusiasm... and that if only I could bottle Joey's, I would be a billionaire. ;-)

Oh, then I remember a lot of that is choice. So, I try to copy her cheerful attitude. So how come she never runs out of steam like I do, LOL!!

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 839

DEC 1st Excited!

2011-12-01T10:52:00.001-08:00

Hi there Journal & Friends,

I am SO excited! They arrived yesterday...

My very own first time ever real genuine fancy schmancy designed-by-me and printed up pretty CHRISTMAS CARDS.

This is one of the art projects I've been dinking around with... I've said for years I wanted to do this, and I finally decided to just DO it! I made the design, then sent it to Zazzle to be printed. For the curious, the cost came out to $1.75 each before shipping. Yeah, not cheap as Christmas cards go... but it's something I've always wanted to do. It's also on my to-do list to set up my very own Zazzle store next year. Go me, LOL!

As my early Christmas gift to anyone reading this, I offer this large file image for your free download, if you'd like to dink around making your own cards (not at Zazzle with my image, they don't allow that). But if you have a printer and would like to write your own verse inside the card, go for it. When you print it, just set it up to print on the LOWER half of light duty photo paper, then fold it over. Or... whatever you invent.

First, click on this image to get the LARGE file, then save to your own computer. Be patient, it might take longer to load.

Have fun!

From Dr Phil's book: "Don't just wake up every morning and react to what happens... be proactive by setting goals and making plans for their attainment."

My verse for today: "You are my God, and I will give you thanks."

My quote for today: "Color in a picture is like enthusiasm in life." --Vincent Van Gogh

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 836