Two Pertinent P's

Planning and Prioritizing

I don't know how many times I have fallen victim to my own lack of planning. Not to mention the horrific repercussions of out-of-whack priorities. And I'm not just talking about the world of weight loss! These two P's can make or break you.

Here are some things that I can (and should) always do to plan and prepare for success:

1. Plan an entire week's worth of meals before that week begins.

2. Make a grocery list from those menus and stock the house with healthy foods for the week.

3. Consider upcoming restaurant visits, parties, etc. and write down what I plan to eat. (visit restaurant websites for menus/nutritional info. if applicable)

4. Line up childcare ahead of time when needed for exercise.

5. Wash, chop, divide all produce, etc. immediately when I get home for store.

6. Prepare several meals at once and freeze or refrigerate for later in week.

7. Keep healthy snacks in purse & always in the pantry, "just in case.
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8. Make sure all "danger foods are locked up, out of sight, or gone from the house and workplace.

9. Set goals and lists steps to take toward reaching those goals.

10. PRAY!


Salad is my go-to meal for busy afternoon lunches or low-key dinners. Having all the components chopped and ready to go is so helpful! I make little bags of turkey, cheese, black beans, tomatoes, etc. and keep them all together in the fridge. When it's salad time all I have to do is fix my plate! If you have access to a fridge at work this would be a great way to do lunch everyday! No lunch-packing!


Always wash and portion out fruits and veggies before putting away in the fridge.


This week I made some homemade HV Ranch dressing with olive oil mayo and skim milk. It was great and it was nice to have on hand if I didn't have time to make a vinaigrette (which is healthier).

In addition, setting new priorities is important. I say "new " priorities because in order to change an old lifestyle, the priorities of your "old" lifestyle are most likely going to need to change, drastically. You know--"If you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got!" kind of thing...

For example, one of the most important parts of my day has become my morning quiet time. It is a time for me to get focused on my priorities (what i need to accomplish) for that day, study God's Word, pray and just get mentally prepared for the challenges that are ahead. I play relaxing music, sip my coffee and find my happy place ;) I have gotten to the point that if I miss it in the morning, something just feels off and usually my day is not that great. It is a relatively new PRIORITY in my life. I have to take steps to make sure it happens every single day.

Making this a #1 priority has had an impact on other parts of my life (and even members of my family) in a great way. In order to have this time, I have to wake up at least an hour before anyone else in the house. In order for this to happen, I have to get to sleep at a decent hour. In order for this to happen I have to get the kids' in bed at an even MORE decent hour. I have to have my little quiet time area (in the bathroom, ha!) ready the night before. I find that coffee makes this time even more *special* so I try to have the coffee pot all ready to go the night before also. You can see the domino effect a shift in priorites can have. This is a good thing.

When I began to purposely prepare for this time, it became so much easier. Now it's a very doable way to make my day go smoothly. I just use this as an example to encourage you to take whatever steps are necessary to do the things that help you avoid temptations and keep you going in the right direction all day. I encourage you to think of what your priorities are and how they may need to change. Even though it may not seem natural, try to honor what you realize needs to change.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

I love this verse! God is so very faithful to provide a way out when we are faced with temptation. He has helped me out of sticky situations more times than I can count. However, I think it's important for us to remember that sometimes the "way out" is using the tools of planning and prioritizing to avoid temptation all together. We shouldn't always find ourselves knocking on temptation's door just because we think God will answer.

All the planning and prioritizing in the world won't amount to a hill of beans unless we follow-through. What are you doing to help set yourself up for success? Have your priorities changed? Do they need to?

Fashion Photos, Size 10!

Before I unload the fashion frenzy on ya'll, I feel like I should make a small disclaimer. I'm afraid someone might just be stopping by for the first time and not know what my weight loss journey has been all about. So hear this:

If you try to lose weight only to fit into smaller clothes, you will not be successful. At least not in the long run. That is not a big enough reason to sustain weight loss. There is MUCH more to it. I know some people may not agree with me or maybe you just haven't thought about it yet. All I know is that I tried to lose weight for about 20 years with a smaller size being my sole motivation. It never worked. Ever.

BUT! (I'm not a totally Debbie-Downer)

When you do figure out the key to losing weight and keeping it off you will most likely start losing weight. And keeping it off. Rewards are a great thing at this point. For me: rewards = shopping.

So, on Wednesday I landed myself into the 160s. REWARD BABY! It has been a long time coming! It just so happened to be my birthday on Wednesday, as well. So on Thursday I went shopping...boutiquing, actually! In celebration of my life, and specifically life more abundantly. (John 10:10)

It was a big deal because we went to one of those little shops where they have so many unique pieces but usually don't have a size bigger that Large and even the "Large" is more like a "Medium". I have NEVER purchased clothing from a place like this. But way down deep, these are the kind of clothes I have always dreamed of wearing.

I shopped. And I shopped. And I shopped! It was fun...because stuff fit me. Definitely one of my favorite "Things I Can Do Now" experiences to date.

So here's my loot:

Turquoise, ruffled-sleeve cardigan (TJ Maxx)

Cute Blouse (Sunny Paige),
"Jeggings" (TJ Maxx, $16.99)

Jacket (Sunny Paige)

My Valentine's Day scarf ♥ (Sunny Paige)

Whoa! Mamma! Bustier (Sunny Paige)

I will probably never wear this by itself, BTW. Just for you;)

SIZE 10 DKNY Jeans (TJ Maxx, $29.00)

I remember going shopping last February when I was just beginning to drop sizes. ((SEE PICS!)) It was SO much fun. I came home and took pictures of everything. The outfit below was my favorite.

------Then--------------------------------------Now-----

One year later--many things have changed--but my love for shopping remains!

Voices in My Head

It's currently 11:01 pm. I should be sleeping. But I'm not. I'm having an all too common inner-argument. Have a listen...

Fat Me: You should have a snack right now. Everyone's asleep. It's okay.

[Not Fat] Me: Don't listen to that jerk.

Fat Me: No, I mean--seriously. You have done really well today. A spoonful of peanut butter will be fine. Or two, even.

[Not Fat] Me: Do NOT listen to that voice! You know it lies.

Fat Me: Maybe I do sometimes, but hey--what about the scale? You weighed just a minute ago and it wasn't very good. About the same as yesterday. I think you should eat something. It's not like you lost any weight today!

[Not Fat] Me: That is the most irrational hog -wash I have ever heard. Shut up, fatty!

Fat Me: Do NOT call me fatty. That is rude. I am just trying to be helpful and justify your desire for a snack.

[Not Fat] Me: Oh well, excuse me. Please be quiet you IDIOT.

Fat Me: Anywaaaaaays... As I was saying... Just go ahead and have something. Remember when we used to lay in bed and eat crap? Yeah, man. Those were the days. It will be so relaxing. You can watch *ah-hem* The Biggest Loser...while you enjoy some of those Wheat Thins that were brought into the house today. Oooooh, oooh! Noooooo! I know--eat the Funyuns. Yeah. You haven't had any of those in a while.

[Not Fat] Me: Hey! Remember when we used to weigh 230 pounds and couldn't even sleep on our side because the fat around our neck and chest would suffocate us?! Yeah--those were the days. Not.

Fat Me: Wow. Someone is being dramatic. Geeez.

[Not Fat] Me: Nope. No drama here. That was reality. Out of breath tying shoes, knees hurting for no reason, clothes looking bad on us, our true smile buried under layers of fat and despair. NO drama. Just the bitter truth.

Fat me: Well, that was 60 pounds ago. You can mess up every now and then. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You can take your time losing the weight. Right? That's what you always say. A few chips won't matter in the long run.

[Not Fat] Me: Stop. Be aware of what is happening right now. You are this close to being decieved by yourself. Remember how you feel in the morning after you do this? Remember how mad you are right after you finish the snack? It's not worth it. Are you really hungry? Have a glass of---

Fat Me (sticking fingers in ears): Lalalalalalalalala. I CAN'T HEAR YOU! Lalalalalalalala.......

[Not Fat]: Oh , good lord.

Fat Me: Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala.......

[Not Fat] Me: Turn on your rain noise maker and GO TO SLEEP, you fool.

********************************************

The battle rages on...But the victory is WON.

Night.

Huge Weigh In & Weigh-In Extremists

So I only lost .4 lbs this week but that fraction of a pound took me into a NEW DECADE! I've been in the 170s since May ya'll! Do you understand what this means!? This means it has taken me about 9 months to lose 10 pounds! And I'm still doing this! Whoohooo!

I am SO glad that I have never let the stupid scale discourage me to the point of quitting. Yes, of course there have been instances where a weigh-in has influenced my emotions and mental state more than it should have. But somehow, I'm still here. And I'm about 10 pounds lighter than I was in May. Things could be a lot worse.

Tonight I was thinking of all the crazy power we let the scale have over us. I decided that some of us could possibly even be Weigh-In Extremists. What do you think?

You might be a Weigh-In extremist if...

1. You almost passed out during your meeting one time because you didn't eat anything all day in an attempt to lose one tenth of a pound. But you drove through McDonald's on your way home from the meeting.

2. You spend 30 minutes in the bathroom before weigh-in trying to get "everything" out that you can. Who knows how much that stuff weighs!

3. You have ever asked your leader if you can take the scale into the bathroom so you can weigh completely in the nude. You know--to get your "true" weight.

4. You need a special container like they have at airport security for all the stuff you have to take off before you weigh-in: earrings, glasses, shoes, belts, rubber bands, contacts...

5. You have ever dug nasty, dirty, stained clothes out of the hamper and put them on because that is your "weigh-in outfit."

6. You have ever brought a doctor's note to your meeting with the weight that you weighed at the Dr. office earlier in the week.

7. Before you step on the scale, you spend 15 or more minutes explaining to the person who weighs you in why you probably gained weight that week. You apologize to that person.

8.You have ever made counterfeit copies of the one "skip a weigh-in" card that comes in your new members' kit.

9. You have ever actually tried to converse with a scale, especially in a negative manner.

10. You have "put your scale away" because it is tripping you up, but you continue to climb up in a chair to get it down from the tip top of your closet 2-3 times a day. You fall, nearly break your back and think about suing the scale manufacturer.

I've never done any of those. If you have, seek help immediately.

I Could Tell Him "Yes!"

I received an email this afternoon from a member of my First Place 4 Health group regarding her 5K training progress. It literally made me cry, clap and yell all at the same time. She gave me permission to share, so here is the email:

Yesterday I did my first 20 minute jog and to tell you the truth I didn’t feel my body was ready for it. I thought the lady on my MP3 player was asking a lot of me to jump from 5 to 8 and then to 20 minutes all in one week.

I shared my feeling this with my son as I took him to baseball practice and told him I was thinking about just doing the two 8 minutes runs again. I also shared with him that scripture say’s “in our weakness he is made strong” and “that I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. I dropped him off at practice and pondered what I would do all the way home.

I am so glad I chose to trust God. I went for my run and I felt so good afterwards. I really felt a sense of accomplishment and when my son asked me if I ran for 20 minutes I was so glad I could tell him YES!

I absolutely love it. Where is her focus? On Jesus. Everything else just falls into place. And that part where she could "tell him YES!"??? *Sigh* Bliss.