Still Climbing

Hello Friends,
To all my supporters and friends I appreciate your prayers. During the past month I had the flu and a kidney infection that laid me up for a while. I have been well for a couple of weeks but I lost 9 pounds during this month which brings me to a total of 30 pounds in the past two years. Yaaaaaaaay!

Still Walking

It may not seem like much, but I was walking a little every day. Unfortunately shingles have slowed my progress.

Renewing my Mind

Still Climbing

Walking

Thank God, I was able to walk a half mile yesterday. 


Romans 12: 1-2


¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.


I am trying to follow this guideline and offer my reasonable service to God. 

Climbing in the Fall

Hello Friends, 
I walked a mile yesterday! I had to rest once or twice but there was no shortness of breath, nothing! I lost two pounds this week so I am back on track. God has blessed me in spite of myself. Keep praying for me. I need your help and support. 

Still Climbing in the Heat

Hello friends, 

I just wanted to update you on my progress. First, the heat in Texas and across the country is about to get the best of me. I do not function well in 100 degree weather. Will it never end? You will notice the new background on my blog that represents my innermost desire for rain, rain, rain to cool down the place. I am holding my own with my diet. God has blessed me and I have come through a terrible plateau that actually made me gain weight but I managed to hang in there and am back at the eleven pounds weight loss I announced last month. We have had sickness, death in the family, and other serious issues that interfered with my weight program but I overcame. PTL! Keep me in your prayers, friends and supporters. I am doing well and God and YOU are on my side!

Blessings!

Climbing Faster

My husband snapped this image early one morning as I strolled toward the sunrise on a beach in Freeport, Texas. I could not have known that this image would express so many different feelings about my life. I used it on my book cover,  Walk In The Light and have used it many times since it was taken last year. Now I am using it to give a visual expression of the change that has come into my life. I am literally walking away from my old life and a wonderful new beginning is just ahead of me. I have never been so excited in a very long time. Oh yes...I have lost eleven pounds in the past two and a half weeks...and counting! God is truly a miracle worker. I am running towards the future with my torch in my hand! God is great!

Climbing Higher

A little less than two weeks ago I shared my testimony with you about how God had delivered me from my food addiction. I realize that many of you may doubt. I understand that. I just wanted to update you on what is happening because it is truly marvelous. I have lost 8 pounds during the past 2 weeks and I am NOT on a strict one meal a day diet or anything like that. I am eating between 1200 and 1500 calories per day with a little slip up on the 4th! I have the knowledge to eat properly and with the help of God I am making better choices for my health. Oh...and this afternoon my glucose level was a smashing 109! Yes...God is truly amazing! I have not felt so good in a long time. Stay with me as my journey gets more interesting. I am continuing to add water and mean to make exercise a REGULAR part of my lifestyle. I am excited. TGBTG

Climbing With Purpose

Yes, that is me and my younger sister some time ago! I decided that it is time to look way back into the past when I really did have energy and willpower to control my life. I can honestly say that today is the third day of the rest of my life. It feels good to have made the decision and actually act on that decision in spite of the fact that Brother Neyland had to (figuratively) put a knife to my throat. God has a way of holding you accountable and I really need to be held accountable for controlling my lifestyle. My testimony is that God immediately took away my excessive, impulsive need to eat more than I need. I know that it is not clear sailing but I also know that my God is a deliverer and this is MY time to be delivered. I have backslid many, many times and now the time for change has arrived. Wish me well as I really start my climb. Keep me in your prayers.

Still Climbing

 No bread and water for me... just water ... I am gluten intolerant!

Prayer and a good lecture from the Man of God goes a long way toward building determination to create a new lifestyle. Lifestyle change is not easy and a lifetime of hating exercise cannot be changed over night. As I understand it, denying yourself plays a strong role in the process... duh! Oh...and a public flogging would be better than being reminded publicly that the Bible says to put a knife to your throat if you are a glutton! Now, I do not consider myself a glutton so obviously there is a breakdown in communication somewhere. I must be a glutton... really... WHAT A HORRIBLE THOUGHT! No... change is the order of the day! Pray for me!

Climbing Out of The Darkness

After a thorough review of my habits I realized that I really do not want to manage my weight or health TODAY. That is the real problem. I acquired the foolish idea that I can always work on it tomorrow. Actually, I would love to manage my weight if I did not actually have to exercise. I am not an outdoorsy type of person. I never was. As a child I always managed to injure myself when I became actively involved with other children. In the sixth grade the week before school started I foolishly decided to allow my sister to pump me on the back of her bicycle. That is what we called it back them. It means I was riding on the back of the bicycle. My brother was racing us and I got my foot caught between the wheels. It dug a hole in my foot where I have the scar even today. Rather put me off anything adventurous. This is only one of my misadventures. Even as a young woman who was tall and thin I spent more time flat down on my face than upright walking because I fell down all the time. I blamed it on weak ankles.  Anyway you get the idea...I am not and never will be an active person.

However, if I want to maintain a healthy lifestyle something has to change. I read an article written by another weight challenged person with a unique perspective. She made the point that one would never even think about not brushing your teeth in the morning...combing your hair...washing your face, and so on. Yet it is so easy to indulge yourself with that double portion of food, or sit on the sofa in front of the television, or even read a book while lying on the couch. This struck a chord within me as I realized that I must make drastic and immediate lifestyle changes or suffer the consequences. I really...REALLY... do not want to suffer the consequences. God has kept my body functioning in spite of my disobedience and I am truly grateful for it! TODAY I change. No more talking, wishing, hoping.

 Oh, yes... this morning I got out of bed early, snuck up on the scales, braced myself for the shock, and walked across the street to the school track and walked for twenty minutes. It is not much but it is a start. I mean to do this every day from now on. Life is too short to live in the future. TODAY IS MINE.
Thanks to everyone for listening to my unique story.

Psalms 118: 24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Climb Day 78 Free Fall

In spite of the water drinking and push ups I can't seem to get it under control. What is wrong with me? I feel like I am looking up through a dark hole when I think about my weight and health. I am not particularly depressed about my life as a whole but my weight management is dragging me down. I am in free fall. Things will be better tomorrow. How to make a clean start? I am not getting ahead.

Climb Day 67 Water and Exercise

Water is my new best friend! In spite of the gag reflex ( hahahahaha) I continue to force the stuff down my throat! I am impressed that I no longer have the horrible caffeine headache I suffered at first because I naturally limited my caffeine intake. Oh, and I am exercising, too! I am quite proud of myself. I am doing modified pushups using the kitchen counter. I am sooo... sore! I am doing thirty pushups every day and hope to increase to fifty by next week. I am also walking  more. I walked twenty minutes in a department store today. It was huge! I know that is not supposed to count but I walked fast from one end of the store to the other for twenty minutes and that should count for something.  As you see I am trying to milk every bit of my exercise for your  compassion! LOL Anyway I am pleased with my work. I am beginning to lose pounds and will see inches come off soon.  Thanks to everyone for your support. I am changing my habits so I will begin seeing weight loss soon!

Climb Day 58: Water, Water, Water

I am drinking a lot more water. This is a good thing. As the temp rises out side I keep drinking more water. The inside of my body has never been so clean! Again! This is a good thing. I am ahead of the game.

Climb Day 53 Reflection

I am reflecting on my climb so far and although I have not lost many pounds I find that I am doing things differently. I am drinking more water, and very conscious of everything I am eating. I have cut my sugar intake by half. By that I mean that every other day is sugar free. That is a good change. If sugary treats did not wander into my home there would be less flops... oh well!

I am exercising a little more and am thoughtful about the foods I eat. There are still failures but not so many as before. Thanks everyone for your support!

Climb Day 48 Almost Sugar Free

This one I resisted but it was Easter at Glenda Marshall's home. Well... two days with sugar out of six is not bad for a beginner. I managed to stay sugar free for two-thirds of the week so I am ahead. I am continuing to boycott sugar as long as I can. It is bound to make a difference in my life as I move forward. It was the mini chocolate donuts that wandered into the house without my permission that brought me down! Today I am sugar free and that is something!

Climb Day 44: Still Sugar Free

I may dream of chocolate but I am still sugar free!  Yesterday was ok without sugar, today is not as easy but is half over and I am still sugar free! My mind is made up and I am fighting one battle at a time and this week is the battle for control over sugar in my life.  No More Sugar! No More Sugar... at least until I have it under control! 

This picture is of the groom's cake at the wedding of my son and daughter-in-law  Derek and Janice Mireles who were married in... well I can't remember but I think it was 2006. Help me out here kids!

Climb Day 43: Starting Over

I have been thinking a lot about this climb and have reached some conclusions. My approach has been wrong. Obviously, I will never be able to do this on my own. If I could do it by myself I would have made changes years ago. I went to the Bible for my source and I found the answer.
Luke 9: 23
²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. NKJV

I have been self indulgent for a long time but today I begin a new way of living. I know I cannot make big changes so this week there will be no more sugar for me. No treats, no cookies, gluten free or not, no candy, nada. I know it will take a few days to get the craving out of my system, but I start today.  One day at a time.

It feels good to make this decision and God is with me.

Climb Day 41: Me

Sometimes you wonder why you cannot get your act together. It is normal to be a little depressed at times and I know that. I do not have the answers to my dilemma.  God is my refuge and my portion.

Climb Day 35

 

You are looking at my nemesis. I cannot do without bread and it is not easy getting my hands on a slice of gluten free bread. I am still trying to climb out of this hole I dug for myself but it is not easy. I fell on my face today in a big way. Yes...there I admit it.