A Full Plate

Wednesdays are busy days around here. I get up, put my AirPods in, and start getting ready for the day. I listen to the BLE accountability call while getting ready to head out the door. As soon as I’m ready, I drive to our local farmer’s market.

There, I buy all the vegetables.

I drive across the street to the grocery store to get a few odds and ends that I can’t get at the farmer’s market–avocados, milk, and some fruit.

I get home right at 9:00. That’s breakfast time for me. I eat my bright breakfast that is already prepared. All I have to do is warm up my barley, and it’s ready to eat.

I usually have a few Marco Polos to listen to, work on my Bible study, and then maybe a chore or two before my Mastermind Group meets. I meet with three other women in other parts of the country that are on the same journey and suffer from the same affliction that I do.

By now it’s lunch time. Again, my meal is prepped ahead of time, and it’s ready within a few minutes. Jimmy (our dog) has learned to like his vegetables. I will often give him a little nibble of a carrot or a piece of broccoli, always saying its name out loud before I give it to him in hopes that he will learn the names. I’ll check to see if the BLE weekly vlog has been released yet and listen if it has.

Now it’s back to the kitchen where I’ll prep the vegetables I bought this morning. Today I used my spiralizer on the zucchini and yellow squash I bought and put it in a bowl for later. Then I used it on cucumbers and onions and cut up some tomatoes to make a salad. I added some vinegar and let it marinade until tomorrow.

This evening I’ll go on a run with my running group. Josh, the restaurant owner, will make my salad to my specifications as he does each week. I’ll ask him to fix me “my regular salad” with every vegetable he has in the kitchen, reminding him to leave off the onion. I’ll have a delicious, bright salad ready for me after my run.

I’ll stay and have dinner with my running friends. I’ll be told time and again how yummy my food looks. Running is our one common denominator. Just like in BLE, I’ve grown to love these people. Just like BLE, we’ve been through thick and thin together–literally. Just like BLE, we love and support each other and huddle around anyone that needs extra support–like when one of our members was diagnosed with cancer.

When I go to leave, Josh will ask me how my run was and what my plans are for the weekend. I will have to pause and think, “What are we doing this weekend?”

By the time I get home, I’ll be tired and ready for bed as I should be. After three bright meals and some exercise, I’ll sleep well. I will be replenished and ready for another day thanks to all the nutritious food I ate the day before. It matters. It really does.

Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox served with hatred. Proverbs 15:17

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Landing the Plane

I have had so many nsv’s recently. I know we call these non-scale victories, but they could not have happened without the weight loss and the nutrition I receive by following the fabulous plan.

I went Thursday and was fitted for new running shoes. I haven’t actually been fitted since before I started BLE.

*I no longer need a wide shoe!

*I no longer need to wear the shoe that has the most support you can find.

*I’m trying my new shoes without orthotics to see if I still need them.

I am now training for a half marathon–one more thing I could not have done without following the plan, finding my bright-size body, and reaping the benefits of the nutritious food that I eat every day. Now that I’m landing the plane, I’ve learned to switch my focus to the NSV’s instead of the weight loss, and they just keep coming!

Dwelling on Excellence

Good day, friends. My, it has been a while. Not only that, we are living in a very different world than the last time I wrote. Life certainly has changed for me, and I’m sure it has for you too.

It seemed like the decade was getting off to a great start when we got punched in the gut. First there were recommended precautions, then there were declarations made by the governor and local authorities. Many people started working from home before businesses were required to shut their doors. Finally, businesses were required to shut their doors regardless of the preparations they had made. Only “essential” businesses were allowed to stay open. That begs the question,

What is an “essential” business, anyway?

If I’m a business owner and I rely on the income from my business to buy groceries and pay the rent, then in my eyes, my business is essential. If I work for an employer and my income is essential for me to be able to put gas in my car and pay the electric bill, then that business is essential. If I rely on a business for life-sustaining goods such as food and water, then that business is essential. In my eyes, there are very few businesses that are not essential.

Does that mean that I have to frequent any of those businesses? Absolutely not. I can choose to take the precautions I believe necessary in order to avoid contact with others. In these days of DoorDash and instacart, you can stay holed up in your home for weeks on end if you really found it necessary.

That said, what have I been doing with myself?

At first, I was spending hours online trying to find the things we needed. I tried to order as many groceries as I could online so that all we had to do was pick them up. As you’ve probably heard, reserving a pick up time was easier said than done. I’d wait for my order to see what I did and didn’t get, and then go to another store to try to get the things we didn’t get. It’s been interesting.

Then there was the whole thing of ordering the non-grocery items that we needed. The disadvantage of ordering some things online is the fact that there are too many choices! Trying to find what you need at the best cost (with or without shipping) can suck time and life right out of you. So far, we’ve been able to make it work.

What is the one good thing that’s come out of this? I’ve been able to concentrate on my running. Not only has the weather been great, but I now have absolutely no conflicts! No 4-H meetings, no church meetings, not even a family get together!

• 

  First signs of spring

• 

  An old friend . . . The Flyover

• 

  Lovely and excellent

• 

  Worthy of praise

• 

  Physical distance running

These are a few of my favorite things!

I’m going to stop here before this post gets too lengthy. I will do a more in-depth update in a future post. I do hope that you find yourself healthy and doing well. I know these are trying times for all of us.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

Happy New Decade!

Happy New Year! Can you believe it is here? The start of a new year . . . the start of a new decade! Have you thought about it? Where were you (physically, spiritually, emotionally) in 2010? How has your life changed?

Physically, I weighed more than 100 pounds than I do today. I truly did not realize how big I was. I could not walk from the front door of my house to the street/mailbox without huffing and puffing. My oldest graduated from high school in the summer and moved to Florida in the fall. My dad passed away in June. My husband had his third joint replacement surgery in less than a year. It was definitely a year of ups and downs. It felt like the downs outweighed the ups in 2010.

Sometime after that, I decided that it was time for me to pay attention to myself and what I needed instead of devoting all of my time and energy to others. My two older children were out of high school, married, and on their own. My youngest was not school age yet, so I had the time and energy to focus on what I needed.

I started by walking. I didn’t really focus on my diet. I tried to eat “healthier,” but my focus was getting exercise. After all, we hear all of the time that to lose weight you need to eat less and move more. Eventually I tried some group exercise classes at my local community center. The best thing I got from that was a personal trainer that convinced me that I could do anything I wanted.

A friend at church introduced me to juicing. This was a big influence in changing the way I ate. Not only did juicing itself help stop the cravings, it also acted as a stepping stone to adopting healthier food choices. I decided to cut out as much highly processed food as possible. This put an end to most junk food and foods containing flour and sugar. Adopting the Bright Line Eating lifestyle was just another step from where I already was.

Most people over estimate what can be achieved in a year and under estimate what can be done in a decade.

Neil Martin

Convinced that I could accomplish anything, I signed up for a Couch to 5K program. After watching me run my first 5K, my oldest daughter started running with me and came up with the crazy idea for us to run a 5K a month. This has kept me running all year long and has led to meeting new people and some wonderful friendships.

Now, as we go into a new year and a new decade, I’m thinking about not only how my life might be different in a year, but also how my life might be different in a decade. Ten years ago if you told me I’d be starting off 2020 with a run with my running buddies, I’d tell you that you were crazy–and so were they! Today, I can’t wait to get out there!

That said, I’m excited to see what the next year and the next decade have in store! In the next decade, my youngest will be an adult. I have grandchildren that will be teenagers. Perhaps there will be more grandchildren! Will I still be running? Will I still be writing this blog? I can’t imagine how technology will change between now and then. What are your expectations for the next decade?

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Problem Solved

It certainly has been an interesting Fall. It seemed like we started by going straight from Summer to Winter. We had measurable snow on October 30th! It is very unusual for us to have snow in them on the month of October.

As I mentioned in last week’s post, I was looking into fitness center memberships. The weather had caused us to cancel three of our running sessions already. It looked as if it was going to be a long, cold winter; and I didn’t have a Plan B when I was not able to go outside. Of course, weather is not always the reason for not going out.

I was having a difficult time jumping into the gym membership for one simple reason: it requires a year-long commitment. I really only need one during the winter months, so paying for something year-round was not what I needed and seemed like a waste of money. Our community center does have a 20-swipe pass that you can buy, and that is what I was leaning toward. Then came an unexpected surprise. I got a treadmill!

The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind until a “neighbor” on Nextdoor was offering one up. I was not able to get to it right away, so I thought for sure that it would be gone before I got there. However, to my surprise, I was able to snatch this one up.

I find this ironic since I gave my last treadmill away since I wasn’t using it. Once I started running and had a gym membership, I didn’t see the reason to keep it. Also, it was not made for running, so all I could do was walk on it.

This treadmill was made for running and even has pre-programmed workouts built into it. I decided to give the first workout a try yesterday. I was expecting it to be a “walk in the park” so to speak since it was the first one on the list. It was quite a bit more than I was expecting, but it was ok. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a treadmill, so it’s going to take some getting used to.

I really was torn on how to resolve this problem. I’m so excited that it has been taken care of. Not only that, Fabienne seems to be enjoying it as well.

In other news, I went to a planning meeting this last week for my 35th high school class reunion. I can’t believe it’s been that long! About 10 people attended the meeting. It was nice to see people that I hadn’t seen for quite a while. I did attend our last reunion, but it was hard to talk to everyone. Afterwards, I talked with The Boy Nextdoor and he mentioned that the “clicks” have finally gone away.

Photo by George Huffman on Unsplash

And, how are we planning to start our reunion day? With a 5K! I swear it was not my idea! The lady heading up the planning committee came to the meeting with that idea already in her head. Naturally, that’s something I’m interested in and want to help with, so I’ve jumped on that wagon. I’m designing t-shirts and finisher’s medals as we speak!

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:25

Breakfast; an Early, Smelly Winter; and a Kitchen Safe

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I am sorry for not getting a post out last week. I have noticed for many, many years that October and April are traditionally our busiest months of the year. Even though last Wednesday was technically November, it seemed like the busyness of the previous month had accumulated and I was drowning.

I have managed to try one recipe out of the Official Bright Line Eating Cookbook. This one has gotten a lot of attention on social media. It’s called Banana Rice Bake. It’s intended as a breakfast meal, and consists of banana, rice, and egg. It had a custard-like consistency and tasted delicious. I also had it right out of the oven, so it was nice and warm. Even though this was a delicious meal, I probably won’t have it very often. Most days, I eat a simple breakfast that I can have ready in a few minutes. This breakfast required me to mash a banana and mix several ingredients together before baking it in the oven. It’s about 30 minutes total by the time you count prep work, baking, and then clean up. Still, this would be nice to have on occasion as something different if you have some bananas or rice that needs to be eaten.

Banana Rice Bake

I went through the cookbook a few days ago and marked recipes that I would like to try, so I will be slowly trying new recipes.

It seems like winter has come early again this year, and it has already been a struggle to keep running. Two weeks ago, still in October, we ran in the snow! What was mother nature thinking? Last week it was warmer, but the winds were blowing fiercely. As we ran along a sidewalk that backed up to a neighborhood with lots of barking dogs, I could smell what I thought was something the barking dogs had left behind. I didn’t learn until the next day that the cold front had passed through so quickly that it brought barnyard odors from hundreds of miles away!

💩💩💩 ALERT! https://t.co/HNOvNL8S5J

— Fox 4 Weather KC (@fox4wx) November 7, 2019

It really was that bad!

I’ve had three planned runs in the last month that have been canceled due to weather. This has caused me to look into fitness club memberships in the area. I am finding that I am not good at exercising at home. When I’m at home, there’s always something else to do.

The last few weeks have been a struggle. I have been hungry for some reason and wanting to snack. (I’m still on daylight savings time!) I had a jar of cashews that it was too simple for me to put my hand into and have a few for a snack. I also have a hard time resisting the NMF that is brought to me almost on a daily basis. I have a hard time of putting it in my mouth before I even realize what I’ve done.

So, I bought a kitchen safe! If you haven’t heard of this product, it’s a box with a locking lid on top. It does not have a combination or key. It has a dial, and you select how long you want it locked up. Turn the dial, tap, and you have five seconds to change your mind. Once it locks the only way to open the safe is to break it!

My jar of cashews now lives in the safe. If I feel the urge to dip into them, I can instead quickly lock them up. Any NMF that is brought to me, goes in the safe. This gives me time to come up with a plan of what to do with it once the safe opens. If I think I need to delay longer, I can extend the time on the safe. I have put it to good use, and I am happy that I purchased it. I see it having lots of uses in the future.

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

Becoming the Best Me

I had this photo pop up on Facebook this week from three years ago. It was a “memory” that it wanted me to share on my page. I didn’t share it, and I usually don’t because I get tired of seeing everyone else’s “memories” from years ago.

This photo that I took three years ago was a great reminder. My daughter and I ran a 5K race that took place on a farm that had a pumpkin patch. Their pumpkins were sold by the pound, so they had a wheelbarrow with 100 pounds of pumpkins in it to give you an idea of what 100 pounds of pumpkins looked like.

After just losing 100 pounds, I had to have a photo with it. It was a great example, a reminder of how far I’d come, and a reminder of where I’d been.

This is what me with 100 less pounds looks like!

What no one tells you is that losing weight is as much mental as it is physical. The obvious things come to mind such as changing your habits and dealing with the cravings and your saboteur. But no one tells you about your mental image of yourself.

No one tells you that if your body changes quickly, it may take a while for your brain to catch up. If you lose weight rapidly, your mind still has the image of the heavier you. This is why you might put on clothing that is way too big without realizing that you are now a smaller size.

I think anyone that is trying to lose weight also has an image in their mind of what they will look like at their goal weight. As I got closer to my goal weight, I realized that my body wasn’t going to look anything like I had hoped. Yes, it was smaller, but it was also becoming wrinkly and flabby. It was to be expected, but it was still disheartening.

Three years ago, this put the brakes on my weight loss journey. I still had 50 pounds to go to my goal weight, and the thought of what was to come was not something my brain was ready to handle. So, I let it simmer. And simmer. And simmer. Until the pot was dry.

My weight slowly crept up. Over the course of about 18 months, I gained about 40 pounds. About 11 months ago, I decided that I had had enough. There was no way I was going back to where I was when this all started. My mind had finally caught up with my body. The added weight was making everything so much harder, and I was now okay with how my body was probably going to look once I reached my goal weight.

Me + 100 pounds

So, here I am, back to where I was three years ago, and I’m ok with that. For the first time in a long time, I’m ok with where I am and where I’m going. Bright Line Eating has been great for quieting my mind. For the first time, I can see clearly where I’m going, and I’m ok with that. It’s not originally what I had envisioned, but it’s the best I can be!

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which [comes] through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philipians 1:9-11

A Bit of a Rant

As I mentioned in my last post, the last few days of my vacation did not go as planned.  I ended up eating off plan and not eating well–including NMF.

I don’t know why, but it only takes one second to go off plan.  But once you do, it is a long struggle to get your act back together and to stay on plan.  I know Susan Pierce Thompson refers to it as “rezooming.”  However, rezooming is a process.

Right now I am very upset with myself, so this might sound a bit like a rant.  I had a great BLE day.  I got up this morning and the morning and breakfast went as planned.  I knew lunch was going to be away from home today, so it was packed and ready to go the night before.  The afternoon and lunch went as planned.

I stopped by the grocery store on the way home as planned.  I was pleased to find that brussel sprouts and asparagus were on sale and was looking forward to roasting them tomorrow.

I was hoping to run when I got home, but it was cold and rainy.  I really wanted to do something since I hadn’t been able to run much in the last week, so I did some exercises at home.  Afterwards I had my BLE dinner.  It was delicious, but for some reason it didn’t seem like it filled me up like it usually does.

Late in the evening my husband announced that he was going to a nearby fast-food restaurant and asked if I wanted anything.  I politely said, “No.”  My daughter, however, put in her order.

It wasn’t long before my husband returned with a ton of NMF.  He had gotten everything to go.  Including NMF that he had bought for me.

Here is why I am frustrated:  When presented with this type of situation, I have a problem not taking and not eating the NMF.  It’s like I feel obligated or that I am being rude if I don’t.  I cannot imagine where this feeling comes from.  The only thing I can think of is that I remember visiting my grandparents’ house as a child.  My grandmother always had lots of NMF ready for us when we arrived.  She was constantly asking us if we wanted something.  It was like she was trying to be hospitable and a good host.  And as a good guest, we were to eat the fruits of her labor.

But now I feel like I am living in a very unhealthy situation.  I am living with addicts that don’t even want to admit that sugar and flour addiction is a real thing, let alone to the fact that they are addicted.  All they’re worried about is that the food that goes into their mouth tastes good; and, in their mind, it doesn’t taste good unless it’s loaded with sugar.

And that has created another problem.  Since I’m no longer cooking with sugar and flour, they’re not very excited about what I’m making.  I’m having a very difficult time trying to figure out how to incorporate BLE into our family meals.  Breakfast and lunch aren’t any big deal, the difficulty comes with dinner.  I’m eating a big salad every night, but I don’t dare serve that to the rest of the family.  Most nights I’m making my big salad for me and cooking something else for everyone else.

I’ve asked for suggestions in a couple of Facebook groups that I’m in but haven’t really gotten any help.  Some days I want to give up.  Some days I want to tell everyone else in the house to grow up.

So, where am I going with all this? I’m not sure. I don’t want to be a complainer, but I don’t have a real solution at this time. A few days have passed, so I’m not quite as frustrated as I was when I started this post. I’m not finding any real help from anyone else which makes me feel quite alone, but surely there are other people out there in a similar situation.

That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

Celebrating 300 Days of Bright Line Eating

Saturday marked 300 days of Bright Line Eating! It sure doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. It seems more like 30 days. I think that goes to show for the ease of the program. It’s not torturous, I’m almost never hungry, and it’s easy to follow.

The last 100 days have encompassed the summer, which is one of the times that I find most difficult to stay on track. There are always plenty of outings to go to that usually include snacks and treats. It hasn’t been perfect, but I’ve done well this summer.

Fabienne’s fall artwork.

I’ve found a simple lunch that is easy to pack and take along with me just about anywhere. Whether it’s a lunch or dinner outing, I take this with me just for simplicity. If I take it along for a dinner outing, then I swap my dinner and lunch. It’s been referred to by others as my “healthy food.” I have some friends that probably think that I eat the same thing every day for every meal. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So, how did I celebrate the 300 day milestone? First I went for a 4-mile run with a friend. The last leg of our run was in a neighborhood that was having a neighborhood garage sale, so we stopped and looked at a few garage sales. I couldn’t buy anything because I didn’t want to carry it two miles back to our start/end point. But, I did have a PR running up the hill next to the cemetery!

After that we visited the farmers’ market. I took my BLE breakfast muffins with me and ate them as we strolled around the market. There were not as many vendors as usual, but I was able to find the cutest gourd; a squash; and some tomatoes and cucumbers to go along with my onions I had at home. They made a nice salad which have been my lunch vegetable so far this week.

My cute, little gourd that I found at the farmers’ market. This is his “best” side.

I was fortunate enough to spend a quiet evening at home and to hit the hay a bit early. All in all, day number 300 went well. I look forward to the next 300 days of Bright Line Eating!

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

I’m Still a Winner

I mentioned in an earlier post, that the Couch to 5K program that I looked forward to helping coach this summer was canceled due to a lack of participants. Our coach who leads the program offered to go ahead and meet with the rest of us that were going to help with the program during the summer.

After a discussion, we all decided we wanted to be better at what we already do. So, he helped us come up with a training schedule. Monday nights we did hills or speed on a rotating schedule. Wednesday nights was distance. Thursday nights was a slow run. Saturday mornings we met again.

We were fortunate enough to have great weather this summer. None of our runs were canceled due to the weather. We had a few where a storm was chasing us, but we always made it back before getting dumped on. We had lots of warm days, but only a few were extremely hot. Overall, it’s been a nice summer.

All of us signed up for the 5K that was to be the culmination of our efforts. After working all summer, this would be the big finale. It was a date to mark on the calendar with our goal or goals in mind.

Race day came and we were all ready and excited even though it was all familiar to us. We had been meeting on Saturday mornings, so getting up to go to a race on a Saturday morning did not seem out of the norm. Also, this was a race we were familiar with. It had been the finale for the Couch to 5K program the last few years, so we were all familiar with the route. For some, this race had been their first 5K.

Cool, crisp, fall weather would’ve been nice but that is not what we had. It was the coolest day of the week, and 65 degrees at race time but humid. It was a clear, sunny day so the race promised to be a warm one.

The gun went off and the runners leapt ahead. We gave it our best and our all. I checked my Garmin occasionally for my pace. What a surprise! I was always under what I expected and what I had hoped for.

The last part of the race is on a long straight away. I could see the finish line from a half a mile away. It seemed so far. It seemed like I would never get close–that I was never going to cross the finish line. Finally, I got close enough that I could see the clock. I looked at it and said, “What?” out loud. I had never seen numbers like that before! We all did well, and we knew it.

Later that afternoon, I was able to check Strava and see what it had to say about my run. I love Strava because it keeps track of everything for you and lets you know when your pace is improving. Strava gave me five achievements that morning–four PRs and one second best. Garmin clocked the race as 3.09 miles, so it did not count it as a 5K. If it had, it would had also recorded my fastest 5K that morning.

I am still the slowest and worst runner on the planet. I still have the biggest margin of improvement. However, that margin is just a little bit smaller now. It would not have happened without the work I did all summer. I also owe part of my success to the weight I’ve lost with Bright Line Eating and how it has made me feel better than ever. I didn’t receive a first place medal or even place in my age group, but I’m still a winner.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but [only] one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

I Corinthians 9:24