So as of this morning I've lost another pound for a total of 4 pounds lost in the last week and a half.  I know that doesn't sound like a whole considering I have 100+ total to lose.  But in the grand scheme of things it's a beginning.....it's getting somewhere and we all have to start somewhere.  

One of my fitness goals is to be getting 45 minutes of cardio in a day.  Well, that's not really happening at the moment.  After having been sick earlier this year and late last year I have some amount of difficulty getting up to the 45 minutes (breathing issues).   I started out at 15 minutes, then 20 and am now up to 25 minutes so I'm getting there. 

I'm also learning to make wiser choices in my food selections......I love vegetables but usually when I cook them they are loaded down with butter so I've had to learn (or more like just discipline myself) to cook with a little olive oil instead and not cooking them to death.  Cut out the fried foods and eating more lean meat (mostly chicken breast and salmon and shrimp).  And attempting to avoid the foods that just aren't good for me.  It's not easy every day to avoid the breads, pastas, sweets, etc.  And occasionally I do have a little taste of something so sweet and delicious.    

I've been taking my supplements and going to the gym every day so my energy level has certainly increased.  I have a gym partner that pushes me to do more than what I "think" I can do.....we help each other really.  We're not really competitive with each other but rather more encouraging and supportive.  And I'm thankful to have her around to help on this quest.

But mostly, I'm thankful that I have a Heavenly Father that listens to my pleas for help.  My day starts out with prayers requesting His help in making right choices in my food and daily activities.....requesting strength to avoid and resist the foods that are bad for me.....I ask Him every day for the little bit of encouragement that I need to stay on track and not get discouraged.

Matthew 21:22 says "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."  I believe that God has plans for my life (His word tells me so).  I believe that God cares about my health and desires for me to not be sick (His word tells me so) and being overweight and unhealthy is the same as being sick.  His word also tells me that my body is His temple.  So I believe that my requests for making wise choices and getting my body (His temple) back into good health and condition is in line with His will for me.  Therefore, I know that what I am asking from Him in prayer when I pray for these things I will receive them....I have been receiving and will continue to receive. 

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13 NLT
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom:  and with all thy getting get understanding.  Proverbs 4:7 KJV

Ugh!!!!  When you really get in a mindset that you need and want to lose weight and live healthier one of the first things you are told is to cut out WHITE carbs. Do you really know what that means??????  It means NO white bread, NO potatoes, NO pasta, NO white rice, and the list just goes on.  One of my favorite breads is a Rosemary bread they make at Lowe's Foods.  Mmmmm.  So hard to resist that.  And I absolutely LOVE baked goods (as is evident by the amount of weight I need to lose LOL).  It is not easy avoiding these types of foods.  When we owned a desert cafe I would tell people my growing waist was just "quality control".  It had been a joke for many years.  But the truth is, it is no joke.  And it's time to get it under control.

We do, at some point, have to start making wise choices in the foods that we consume.  As hard as it may be, we must do it in order to keep our temple healthy.  So what am I doing to make wise choices about the food I'm eating?  Well, I'm going for bright and colorful!!!  And I'm combining that with the proper supplements and Herbalife meal replacement shakes twice a day.  That pretty much takes the guesswork out of the food selection process.  But through this I am learning to choose better snacks, better foods for my main meal, etc.  And it helps that my oldest son is not only in culinary school but he's also a fitness and health fanatic.  He watches everything I cook......and lets me know when I'm using something I shouldn't be using to create the most delicious meals (I'm talking about butter and creams and white flour.  LOL).  But having him there holding me accountable for the choices that I am making in regards to the foods I eat really does help.  I'm reading labels now, cooking with far less butter, using whole grain products rather than the enriched white flour products, lightly steaming my veggies rather than cooking them to death, adding more of a variety of veggies to my diet, eating more chicken and less beef and pork.  It's all simple things that I already knew needed to be done but now I have ACCOUNTABILITY with God, my son and family.  And the best part is that the whole family is getting the benefit of MY lifestyle change.  How awesome is that????

But don't think all these choices are easy for me to make.  Absolutely the opposite.  I do have to ask the Lord every single day to give me the wisdom and the strength to make the correct choices in my daily habits such as eating and exercise.  I'm only on week 1 of the exercise routine and it's been a little bit of a struggle.  It's so easy to just say "I'm sore today and don't feel like going to the gym".  It's also easy to say "oh, just ONE little brownie won't hurt"  or "oh, just ONE cookie won't hurt" or "I worked out today.....I deserve a reward of a bowl of creamy delicious mashed potatoes".  So my morning prayers include asking for His help in keeping me on track with the wise decisions regarding the foods that I eat and the activities that I participate in.

Pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.  Philippians 4:6 NCV

I completely forgot about my xanga site.  Been on facebook and been super busy with life.  Opened a nail salon in September 2010 and it's just been very busy since then.