Time to Simplify

I'm so overwhelmed lately. My own fault, of course, but that doesn't make it any easier to handle. However, the night class that I signed up for will be over the week before Thanksgiving, I've asked to be released from some church obligations, and when all of that comes through, I'll be feeling much better about my time available for my family and for myself, personally. Right now, I'm not getting enough sleep, I have a lot of homework, and some personal issues at home have me feeling anxious.

Then there's the (dang) food. Can I possibly insult my bodily systems any more? (Well, yes, I guess... but I don't do alcohol, cigarettes, or other addictive vices such as these anymore. it's all about the (dang) food... )

I've only worked out about 3 times in the past 2 weeks. Pathetic! So far, I haven't gained back anything... I guess I *am* actually watching what I eat, sort of ... but that won't last long if I don't get back on track soon.

My daughter and I went to Sacramento recently to visit my sister and her family. It was the occasion of one of my nephews' birthday - Jared, who is actually deceased - and so part of the visit was rather somber. But I so enjoyed visiting with them! Even her oldest son Ted was there, living there, and her oldest daughter Rachel came out from college for the weekend. Wish my son JR could have come with us, but he's in some hard times right now and couldn't leave work.

I'm really looking forward to getting off this wacky schedule and getting back into the routine to get healthier. And to have more time with my family, and to keep my house in order. Honestly, my living room is a disaster area that the dogs have decided belongs to them. Gotta get that taken care of! Rotten dogs...

I'm just so tired.

This is the part where....

... fortitude and endurance keep me going. The "rush" of excitement at the prospect of becoming FABULOUS has tempered somewhat. Now comes the work. We are still making progress - 246.4 today (down 6.6 lbs.), and a full inch off of my BUTT - but it's slow progress. Changing one's life is not an easy task. However, I'm still walking at least 3 days per week, I'm still trying to make better choices and largely succeeding at that.

I think I've mentioned before that it's the quiet determination of a life change that will be the deciding factor here. Prayer. Support of friends and family. Knowledge - reading about nutrition and proper food preparation techniques, reading about others' successes, watching videos of successful efforts, etc., really help.

(Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Larry Winget, I'm not selling his stuff, nor do I make any money by referencing his material here. I just enjoy his style of "personal development.:)

Reading about how to change has been a great source of inspiration for me. In Larry Winget's book, "Shut up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life," he says something like - "No one ever ate anything by accident."

Well, duh. That was the most obvious statement! But that never occurred to me before. Everything that goes in my mouth was put there by me. No one forced me. That chocolate didn't just jump in there by itself. I opened my mouth, bent my elbow, and I ate every bite of every thing that ever passed my lips. I've been such a schmuck ~ thinking that it wasn't my fault that I'm 100 pounds overweight. "Um.. low thyroid problem, yeah that's it! No, no! It was my divorce that caused me to gain weight! No, WAIT! STRESS!! That's what happened! I couldn't HELP MYSELF!" ...

Those days are over. I'm overweight because I ate too much. Period. And now that I'm solidly aware of that fact, I can take action of my own accord and stop it. I can change it. I can turn it around. With the help of God, family, and friends, I can once again be FABULOUS. If I can quit smoking in that manner, I can certainly beat FLAB.

Did I mention I was once fabulous? Perhaps I'll post a PRE-FLAB picture to show you just how fab I was. Then, every time I visit my Blog, I'll see how things used to be. I'm not sure I can be quite that fabulous again, but I can certainly strive to get there... or at least really, really close. :) After all, I was younger then. It would be a great motivator, though, to see on a regular basis just how fabulous it's possible for me to be.