Find Your Adventure In Each New Day

Time passes. No, really, it does. Quickly. When we aren't "looking" is flies swiftly by. We get wrapped up in work or our problems or just the crazy things that are going on IN the world. Some people live their whole lives this way. They wake up one day and realize that they forgot to live their lives with a purpose in the day to day and just focused on the distant future.

I'm not saying it is wrong to plan for the future. I love to plan! But if we forget that we have a purpose TODAY then we miss out on what God has for us right now. We were put here for a purpose. God has a plan for our lives, for each day that makes up that life. As a follower of the Jesus Way, I know that purpose is to bring God glory in all I say and do. Sadly, that doesn't always happen. I want it to. I really do. The sermon this morning was about that very thing, finding purpose in our lives. I have been working on that concept and thinking about this blog post since mid June. I thought I had "my plan" figured out earlier this year. I only had part of it figured out. God began to show me new things in the last few months and weeks that I hadn't thought about. I would like to share those with you and ask that you lift me up in the coming months and years as I strive to bring Him glory in all of my actions and decisions. That others will see HIM and not me and will be encouraged through my actions.

I have been married since I was seventeen and a half years old. I went from living with my parents to living with my husband. That was over thirty-four years ago. For the past thirty years I have been a mom of at least one child under the age of 18. I have four children. My third child just graduated high school and is headed off to a big university in August. My youngest child will turn 16 this year. After she graduates in two years, her goal is to dance with a professional school or mission that travels. Those two things have shifted my thoughts about my life the past several months.

You might be wondering what I mean by shifted. Here's the deal. We will be what people call "empty nesters" in a little over two years, despite the fact that my youngest promised me she would give me an extra year before moving out. I am sure she doesn't remember those words spoken over a year or two ago as I cried that I couldn't stand thinking of her moving away from home. She has fallen in love with dance and now has a vision and direction for her life, one she didn't have when she made that promise. No, I will not hold her to it. That isn't the kind of mom I am or ever want to be. I never want to hold my children back from following the path they feel life is leading them down. But...my heart aches when I think about it.

My oldest daughter is so wise. I was sharing some of these thoughts with her earlier this month. She gave me some very good advice, beyond good actually. She said, "You are going to have to find your way and enjoy some freedom" That really got me to thinking about "Finding My Way". At first, I shook it off and told myself I didn't want to "find my way". I don't know how to do that anymore. I wanted to dwell on how lonely I was going to be. Since I'm not really one to dwell on negative things for very long, I began to slowly start thinking about how I saw my life after none of my children lived at home full time. What did I want it to look like? That is a complicated question, one I am still sifting through. I'm working on a list of things I want to do and accomplish along with a list of things I feel would need to change for those to happen. There are a few challenges ahead, but I am going to pray my way through them and seek His direction.

I can share ONE change that will be coming in the next FIVE years. I have had a home kidcare and preschool for the past 18 years. I have enjoyed teaching the children and building relationships with the children and the families. It is bitter sweet when they go off to Kindergarten or move away. I keep in touch with many of them. Two of them just graduated high school. I feel that season in my life is coming to a end. I will complete the work I started with the children in my school right now. But when the time comes that I send them off to kindergarten, it will be the ending of that chapter in my life and continuing on with the new one that has just begun.

In two years, I will lose the best assistant my kidcare has ever had, as she goes off to bless others through her talent. That alone changes things. At least, the youngest children will be two by then and I will no longer be taking any under the age they are. The youngest now will be the last of that age I will teach. (There are two babies that will start at some point later this year and the beginning of next year.) The younger the children are the more challenging it can be without a great assistant. I don't want to turn away siblings to the kids that are in my care now, but we will have to play it by ear depending on when they are born.

I am by no means planning on doing less as a teacher. I am writing new curriculum that will carry me through the rest of the years I will be teaching. I am pleased with how it is coming along. I've been able to find many new resources that will make it even better than I had hoped. I am even considering putting that curriculum into a format that I can share it with other kidcare teachers. I just have to figure out all of the copy write issues if I mention the names of the books I use. That would be a way for me to pass on what I have learned in the past 18 plus years of teaching young children.

I know what you may be thinking. "How are you going to make a living?" "How can you retire when that is your main income?" I know that God has a plan because He is sharing it with me a glimpse at a time. I saw that change awhile back but didn't understand how it was going to be possible. It started to become clearer earlier this year. A seed was planted a year ago about a company and a product that I really liked a lot. I was reluctant to let that seed grow in my heart because of the things I had tried that didn't produce the results I wanted. I do have to say that I learned so much every time I took a step forward and tried something new. I will use all that I have learned to succeed in this one and to help others succeed by sharing what I have learned.

In February of this year, I took that leap of faith again and found what feels like my dream job, my perfect fit, if you will. I am having such a great time working this business. After all, I am a self proclaimed bookaholic! THIS is the career I plan on being in for this half of my life. I can work it when I am at home or when I am traveling with my family or friends. That is a great plus for me because one of the things on my list is to travel, a LOT. I will be working hard to grow my business and that means sharing these wonderful products with as many people as I can and helping others do the same. I am already succeeding in this venture. I am also using the products in my preschool, to homeschool my teen and with my grandchildren.

I have a lot of work to do. I have let work and the every day take over a bit of my joy in each day. I have also let things get in the way of my relationship with my husband. Sometimes, as moms, we can do that. Life gets to be too much and we don't feel like we have the mental energy left for anything or anyone else at the end of the day. But with our children gone and my time freed up, I personally will have more time on my hands and I want to spend a lot of it doing fun things with him. We need to spend some time figuring out what things we want as a couple in the years ahead since things are changing.

My mission in life really hasn't changed. I'm continuing to work on several things; making my home chemical free, my body as fit as it can become for a long and productive life, memories with my family and friends and doing ALL of that while living life on the Jesus Way. Sharing His love in all that I do and to all that I meet along the way.

My goal for this blog is to document those things much better than I have in the past few years. I hope you will stick around and share this journey with me. It's going to be an exciting ride here on out! Not that it hasn't been the first 51 1/2 years! Thanks for dropping by!

~~Terri

Helping Transform Lives One BOOK At A Time!

Transformation Takes Time

My coach shared this on her page yesterday and I keep looking at it in kind of an awe. I mean really, that was me? And now THIS is me? Wow!

There were days and weeks and...let me be honest...even MONTHS where I wondered if what I was doing was moving me forward AT ALL.

But I didn't stop! I didn't stop because even when the OUTSIDE didn't seem to be changing, the INSIDE was.

Eating better, having my shake daily and working out daily made me FEEL good and improved my overall health. I've been sick very rarely and when I was, it passed super fast and was very mild compared to others who had it. I have energy and a better attitude because I feel good. I work off life's stresses with my fitness routines. I work out instead of eat my stresses away now. Much healthier choice, I think. This is a lifestyle that I will continue the rest of my life.

By taking it one day at a time and doing my best to do those three things every day I have TRANSFORMED my life! Not just my body but my life. It is worth every struggle I went through to get here.

Struggles? Yes! I struggle just like everyone else. The mind is a powerful thing. We have to feed it the right way, too, or it can stop you from reaching your goals and living a joyful life.

There are many days that I don't WANT to work out. There are many days that I don't WANT to eat what I should and crave what I should stay far away from. Sometimes I let my thoughts get negative instead of feeding my brain positives. I know you probably struggle with those very same things.

Can you still make progress? YES! Just take it ONE DAY AT A TIME. Evaluate each day and decide the night before what you will do tomorrow. Get it in your head just like a to-do list. Then stick to it. Put one foot in front of the other each day as you get closer and closer to your goals. Celebrate your small successes as they come. Together they will add up to something that blows your mind! Just like me!

We are all different and we each have to find what works for them. There are certain foods, even the healthy ones, that I can't eat. You have to learn to listen to your body and adjust accordingly. There are some exercises I can't do so I've learned how to work those muscles with what we call a modification. That doesn't mean I'm working any less, it just means I'm working it differently. I work towards doing the moves without the modifications as I get stronger but there are some that I may never be able to do. That's OK.

I believe, with all my heart, that by doing those three things DAILY anyone CAN transform their body and their lives. If you are interested in learning more and working with me as your fitness coach, message me and we can get started on your transformation TODAY!

~Helping Transform Lives One Day At A Time

My Journey Part One

We all tend to judge things by successes and failures. But true success is measured by our failures. Let me explain. If someone never fails then that means they never tried. Don't be afraid to fail. A successful person isn't someone who has never failed. They are someone who NEVER GIVES UP!

You might be wondering WHAT "success" I want to talk to you about today. After all, I do run a successful kid care and preschool and have for MANY years. I've been married to the same wonderful man for over thirty-three years. I have given birth to four children and raised two of them to adulthood and the other two are about to embark on that journey, one in a year and the other in three. Those are all things a lot of people would count as successes. I know I do. But those aren't the ones I am here to talk about today.

Today is for a different type of success. One that is just as challenging and rewarding as the ones mentioned above. But this one is a personal journey that is just about ME. This is about my fitness success. Those who know me understand that when I say FITNESS I am talking about more than exercise. Fitness is exercise, diet, our mental fitness and our spiritual fitness. Sometimes those get off balanced and we have one on track but the others fall to the way side. Balance is important when it comes to fitness.

In order to tell you about where I am today on my fitness journey, I need to give you some background on where I started. I was born in the mid 60's. I was not a chubby child, in fact in some of my pictures I look kind of like a stick before hitting puberty. I was an extremely active little girl. I was always outside running around, riding my bike, climbing trees or playing on the swing set. In the summer I was ALWAYS at the public pool. My grandparents spent a lot of time on the golf course so I was doing that, too. I've looked back to try to figure out when that changed and why. It may have been because school got more involved and harder. It could be because I spent more time watching TV. It may have been because puberty changed my attitude and I just got lazy. We were required to do sports and PE in school instead of recess and that may have made it seem less "fun". I'm not sure what the commercials were back then but they COULD have been the beginning on the body image issues that plague us still today.

I grew up in a time that the new aerobic fade came around. Fitness Centers for women were popping up in the late 70's in our small city.. I don't know if women always worried about their weight or if it didn't matter as much because they worked hard around their homes to take care of their families and didn't have time to think about it. But I remember that my grandmother was unhappy with her size 14 clothes and struggled to lose any weight until she got in her mid 70's and 80's and the weight just wouldn't stay on her body. I was not a thin girl after I reached puberty but I wasn't really big, either. But I FELT like I was. It bothered me that I wasn't as small as I "thought" I should be. I can tell you right now that those thoughts were very harmful to my self worth and it has caused me many challenges over my lifetime. I don't remember if I had other people say things to me about weight or if I saw things in movies, TV shows or read it in books. But somewhere, somehow, I got the idea that I was FAT. But when I look back at pictures of myself during those years...I was NOT fat. I was NOT overweight. I was NOT unattractive. I have read my old diaries from my teen years and I was dieting and trying to lose weight ALL.THE.TIME. The more weight I put on the more diets I tried. I lived a yo-yo life with my weight.

My journey just got harder and more complicated as I got out of high school and got married followed by children. Check back for Part Two of the story.

Helping Transform Lives One Day At A Time

My Favorite Thieves Products with Young Living

Thieves products have become some of my favorite items that I use daily. There are so many but I will try to share just a few. Let me tell you a little about Thieves Essential Oil Blend. "This unique Young Living blend is a carefully crafted balance of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary essential oils and is infused into home and body products you can safely use every day. Our Thieves line offers the versatile products you need to clean your home effectively and to support your family's wellness."

The Thieves Essential Oil Blend is a must have oil for me. I diffuse it with other oils to promote a healthy balance and leaves the room smelling great. If I feel like I am coming down with a cold or something like that, OR I am going on a trip and I want to promote good health while I am on my trip, I put a carrier oil (either coconut or almond oil) in my hand and add a couple of drops of Thieves oil and rub my hands together. Then I rub the oil onto the bottom of my feet and put socks on at night. I make sure I wash my hands with soap to get the oil off my hands because cinnamon is a warm oil and it can burn if it gets in you eye. If it does, do not try washing it out with water. Put a small amount of carrier oil in your eye to get it out with. 

The Thieves Household Cleaner is a must in my home. It is concentrated and you add two cap-fulls to a spray bottle with water. It goes a long way and cleans great. The kids love it because it fills the house with a wonderful cinnamon and lemon smell. I love it because it cleans well and isn't made with harmful ingredients that can ruin clothes or hurt the kids or myself if we breathe it. The little bottles of Thieves Spray are great for taking on trips because you can spray doorknobs, handles, etc. 

They came out with the Thieves Laundry Soap not long ago and it is my second favorite product. I have a front load washer and no matter what soap I used my clothes and towel just didn't smell that great after coming out of the dryer. since using this laundry soap they smell great no matter how long they are in the cabinet and even hanging in the bathroom after one use. It is a small container but it takes so little to do a load that it will wash 64 loads of clothes. You just need 1/4 of a lid. 

The dish soap has Thieves, Jade Lemon and Bergamont essential oils. Jade Lemon is one of my favorite oils! This dish soap cleans well and fills the room with a wonderful smell. No harmful ingredients getting on your hands or on your dishes. 

If you are trying to get away from harmful products you are probably trying to buy healthier foods. The fruits and veggies we buy tend to have pesticides on the outside of them. Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak and Spray are designed to safely and effectively wash produce with the cleaning power of Thieves essential oil blend. It works great. When I do a big grocery run I fill up a tub and put the Thieves Soak in it and add my produce to soak. Then I put them in the fridge ready to eat. I take the spray with me on trips so if we are out and about we can use that to clean our produce. 

One cleaning product I haven't put a picture of is the Thieves Foaming Hand Soap. I got the 3 pk and then bought the refill bottle. I keep one in each bathroom and one in the kitchen. When we go on trips I take one with me. It is easy for the kids to use in the bathroom and goes a long way to help save money. 

​

When it comes to my oral care it is Thieves all the way! It got tired of all the harmful ingredients in oral care products at the store. I was thrilled to find Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste. It has Thieves, Peppermint and Spearmint essential oils. It doesn't take a bunch and I think the taste is pretty good. It actually helps whiten your teeth. The Thieves Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash is a great thing to use after each time you brush. It floods your mouth with the ingredients to promote healthy teeth and gums. And what is oral care without a great dental floss? Thieves Dental Floss has the Thieves and Peppermint. 

So there you have it! I love my Thieves products so much. They have replaced so many harmful products in my home. If you are interested in learning more about them, please feel free to let me know. I love talking about them!!!

​Helping transform lives one day at a time.

10 Tips for Living Fit in a Busy Life

My friend, Nicole O'Dell has written a wonderful blog post about 10 tips for Living Fit in a Busy Life. I don't know about you but my life IS SUPER BUSY! Most people I know would say their lives are busy. And that tends to get in the way of them doing the things for themselves. They don't realize that we could better serve in the areas we are called to, be it a wife, mom, friend, employee, etc. if we make that time for ourselves. I read her article and just couldn't help asking her if I could share it with you. So here you go....

By Nicole O'Dell @ Fit and Busy Life

10 Tips for Living Fit in a Busy Life.....

I’ll be the first to admit that living fit is difficult when you’re smack dab in the middle of a busy life. You already know how busy I am. I have five kids still at home, a full-time job, church activities, grad school, book writing, blah, blah, blah. All the day’s minutes? They are used up. Your story may be different than mine, but I’m sure you feel no less busy than I do. So how do we find time to make things like working out and eating healthy food possible?

I’ve learned by trial and error how to prioritize fitness in a way that doesn’t make me feel guilty or selfish, and so it doesn’t get pushed aside in the hustle. By making it work, I feel healthy and invigorated, which translates into more productivity and better moods throughout the day. Everybody wins!​..........

Follow this link to see the entire article. 

Helping transform lives one day at a time.

Age Does Not Define You

I've always known that age is just a number. I was raised by my grandparents. They were in their early 50's when I was born, yes, around mine and my husbands ages. I lived with them from the time I left the hospital until I got married. I watched them do things that most people don't think OLD people do. My grandfather worked on cars until he was in his 70's, not as much as when he was younger but he was still quite capable. I watched them take up golf in their 50's and never stopped playing as long as they lived. I watched my grandmother learn how to snow ski when she was in her 70's. She played golf in the Senior Olympics every year after she turned 80. She always got a gold metal because there wasn't anyone else in her age group! She was amazing. She even played in it a few short months before being diagnosed with colon cancer at age 90. She was a strong woman at any age. The number didn't matter. My aunt was just like her mom. She was super active and stayed that way her whole life. She died not long ago of natural causes, in her sleep. It was just time for her to go. 

The other night I was driving to pick up my youngest from dance class. On the radio they were doing calls about peoples moms. One lady was talking about her mom and said she was 63 and a very fragile and sweet lady. Now, there is NOTHING wrong with what she said. But what struck me is I will be 63 in less than 13 years. How do I want my children to describe me? Not as fragile. I am working very hard to change my activity, my food and the products we use so they are safer. 

I would love for my children, and anyone else, to say I am strong, happy, and lots of fun. I am sure I could come up with a few more things I would like but you get the "picture", pun intended. I found THIS picture online yesterday and it went right along with what I was feeling about that radio show. I am NOT going to be a "little old lady", although, yes, I am very short compared to my children. And I tease them that I feel like a little old lady standing next to them. But I've had strong examples growing up. There is no reason I shouldn't strive to be just as active and strong as they were. In this way, I am carrying on the legacy they started. My children are very into fitness and being healthy and strong. They will teach their children to do the same. THAT is what I want. THAT is what I am working towards. 

How about you? Is that a goal for you? To live your entire life? Yes, I worded that correctly. Because I want to live as long as I am alive. I don't want to just exist. Let's work on it together and get in the best shape of our lives. Doesn't matter your age, it's just a number. Don't let your age define you. Define your life with action. 

Helping transform lives one day at a time. 

Girls Only Color Run 2016

The Color Run is a family fun day for us. (I say "girls only" because this year only the girls in our family did it.) The first year I did it was 2013 with my oldest daughter. The following year my teens joined the fun. This year only my two girls and my granddaughter were there, my oldest surprised us with tickets! Next year it is my hope to have even more join us. My husband never will because getting covered in paint-powder is not his idea of fun, lol. But that is OK. He actually runs a mile in under 7 minutes, so he passes me up pretty quickly and can run circles around me. 

Here are pictures of me, one from 2 years ago and one from today. I see big changes and my weight is not that much different in the two pictures. Maybe 10 pounds or less. But I was not doing any weight training in 2014. I wasn't even doing a ton of running other than in races. I see so many changes in the second picture. My calves and thighs are smaller. My waist is smaller. Even my face looks different. 

If you are ready to see changes in your body, not just the scale, private message me and we can talk about how I can help you find the road to success like I have. 

~Helping transform lives one day at a time.

My First 15K

Hot Chocolate 15K

I picked up my runner's goodie bag yesterday. I was getting ready for my first 15K. My very first race was the HC5K so it's only fitting my first 15K would be this one. It was challenging but I pushed myself and did my very best and nothing less. It has been a couple of years since I was in even a 5K so the 15K seemed a bit much to me but I was excited to do it anyway. How do you challenge yourself? Do you? You have to push yourself past your comfort zone in order to grow and get better. 

I got up super early and didn't stop going for most of the day. It was a very busy morning! 

Here are just a few things you might like to know.

*This was my first 15K

*It was also my first race of any kind in almost 2 years...yikes!

*My very first race was the HC5K 

*It was in the 30s this morning and the sun never came out to warm things up.

*My feet didn't hurt until mile 9.

*I took sips of my Hydrate during the race to keep me going but at the end I drank most of it. I didn't want to have to potty during the race.

*I would pick a light or a tree and run until I got to it. Often times I was able to keep running past that once I got going. Giving myself goals to shoot for helped.

*I took it one mile at a time. Once I got to 6 miles I knew I was only a 5k away from finishing. 

*When I did a 10K 2 years ago my feet hurt between mile 4 and 5 so they were hurting badly by the time I finished. Today I passed mile 6 feeling great!

*Having family or friends waiting for you at the finish line makes all the difference in the world. 

*Hearing them call my name as I came towards the finish line and them saying what a great job I did brought tears to my eyes. It was pretty cool. 

*Getting the finisher's metal was awesome!

*Getting a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of fondue hit the spot. I ate it all but the marshmallows and rice crispy treat.

*Going to eat breakfast after I make them stand out in the cold is a tradition. Old West is a new venue. It was delicious. 

*Normally I can't fall asleep after a race, any size race. Today I fell asleep shortly afterwards and slept for a couple of hours.

*Stretching and "rolling" my feet and legs is a must in my recovery. Plus a hot bath and a cup of Recharge at bedtime. 

*Will I do it again? Yep, next year and every year after as long as I can. I am sad I missed last year. 

**I forgot to turn off my Nike app at the finish line and turned it off after I walked all the way to get my finisher's mug of fondue.

**I forgot to turn off my Polar watch until I was almost to the car! 

There you have it. My day. What did yours look like?

~Helping transform lives one day at a time

You Are Not Forgotten

It's Christmas again. How did that happen? It is true what they say...The days pass slowly but the years fly by. I turned 50 this year and I honestly don't feel like that much time should have already passed. But as I look back at the memories it makes more sense. My life is filled with so many memories, good, bad, and awesome. I choose to focus on the good and awesome ones. When the bad ones try to worm their way into my thoughts I try to push them back as quickly as possible. 

Last night as I was baking bread I started to think about one of my most treasured people, my grandmama, my "mom". When I was newborn I went to live with my grandparents. The details behind that aren't really important, those are some of the bad memories I choose not to think about too hard. The fact that God placed me in their home was one of the greatest gifts that He gave me. He placed me in a Godly home, not perfect, but loving and safe. I was adopted by them when I was in the first grade. They gave me everything I needed and so much more when it came to love and opportunity.

Thanks for being an active example for me. You never stopped doing, not until the end. In your 60's you started wall papering houses. In your 70's you started snow skiing. In your 80's you WON a gold medal in the Senior Olympics in golf EVERY YEAR! You are my hero. 

I miss you now and always! Merry Christmas to you and Grandpapa. See you again someday.

Love, Terri

When God Closes A Door

What do you do when God closes a door? What feelings run through your mind? While I have had many times where God has closed a door, there was one time that stands out more than all the others. I believe that we should learn from our life experiences and grow from them. So, as I celebrate my 50th birthday I want to look back over a period of time where I struggled and grew the most in my faith. I want to share that with you so that you can know you are not alone. The struggles are real. We all have them. 

In 2009, we changed churches. We had been members of a different church for over 22 years so it was not an easy thing to do. But we felt God was closing that door and opening a new one. We joined First Baptist Church of Arlington. We had been working with a ministry that is connected to that church for the past decade and a half, Mission Arlington. It seemed right. They are very missions oriented and had great programs for the kids. It has been a huge blessing to our family. The younger two kids have grown up in this church and are now in high school and the leadership in the preschool, children and youth has been the same since we joined. The pastor has been here for over a decade, too. And he just leads the flock with such love and compassion. 

In 2010, we had some HUGE ups and downs. We struggled with our teen through some difficult years, this one bringing it all to a head. We struggled financially and lost some land in Colorado and a vehicle. In January we began mission training. At the end of the 5 months of Perspectives training we both felt called to missions in a different country full time. In the fall we started a more in-depth mission training, Panorama, to prepare us for the full time commitment to missions abroad. The two kids had their own training as we did ours. We felt they needed to be prepared, too, so they came up with teachers to work with them. It was great. We also got involved with ministry that does low cost water well drilling. John felt that this what the type of work God wanted him to do. 

In 2011, we started part two of the Panorama missions training. We touched on some deep subjects. We also went through some testing through the counseling center that everyone who goes into the field through our church must go through. We did a week long training with Water for All, the water drilling ministry. That was really great. We were asked to go to Kenya with another group that summer for 3 weeks. John was to do water well drilling there, teaching them how to do it. Our two younger children went with us. They were a part of all our missions training. They even sat in the back of the room of our Perspectives classes. The trip to Kenya was a once in a lifetime experience for all of us. But my son really didn't want to do that full time and he was quick to tell us. He didn't want to move away from our home and our church. Our daughter didn't voice it, but she probably felt the same way. 

After ALL of that training and experience, the doors SLAMMED shut. We were told they would NOT send us. Here is one of the hard parts for me. It was because of me. In the testing it revealed that I need people too much. I made friends while I was in Kenya. I feel like I would have done OK because my needing people would have just drawn me to these people in whatever place we lived. But it didn't matter about our trip to Kenya. It didn't matter that the kids did well. It didn't matter that John really enjoyed his time there teaching them how to drill. 

I was hurt, mad, and upset. I even became very bitter. Other people were being sent. We planned on making this a lifetime commitment. A couple who had done the water drilling training at the same time were sent to another country in Africa. They have been there all this time. They now have foster adopted 2 children and are expecting one of their own. I was so confused as to why God closed the doors. Every time they would announce in church that they needed people willing to go, my mind would scream inside "WE WERE WILLING AND YOU SAID NO!!!" It hurt for so long. I did my best to pretend it didn't matter that the doors just shut. But it did matter. 

I honestly can't remember when those feelings stopped. But they did. I no longer feel angry or bitter. And I look back at the training and the mission trip that the 4 of us did together and I am so thankful. We have life lessons and experiences that we would not have had otherwise. We have friendships from those trainings and from the trip. I would NOT trade that for anything. 

The following year God took our apartment ministry church through Mission Arlington and moved it into an actual church building. Our congregation tripled in number. We began meeting not only on Sunday mornings at 11 but also on Wednesday nights. John now is a part of a worship team on both of those days. He also teaches the older kids in Bible study both days. He has done ESL classes, too. Our church there is all Hispanic. Most are from Mexico. So in a way, God is using us to reach people from a different country, just not in that actual country. John hasn't been able to do any more water drilling but you never know what God has planned for the lessons He teaches you. 

In the years that have followed the relationship with my oldest daughter has grown by leaps and bounds. It was in a very precarious place at the time. That is something I would not have had IF we had moved overseas like we thought we were supposed to. We would not have been here for our granddaughter's birth and first year of life. Our other son would not have gotten to know his sweet girlfriend and fallen in love with her. Our youngest would not have found her love for dance and been a part of this wonderful dance school for the past 3 years. I would not have reopened my preschool and had the wonderful children and families that have been a part of it in our lives. I would not have found a love for fitness and become a Beachbody coach. 

I know that God has MORE for me. The years to come are exciting to think about. God KNOWS His plans for me, even when I don't. HE KNOWS when to close the doors even when I am confused and hurt because of it. HE has great plans for my life. I just need to allow HIM to direct my path and change it when needed. As one of my friends says "Jesus is big y'all!" He really is. He has walked me through this journey for the past 50 years and He isn't going to leave me now. 

I tell you all this not to have you feel sorry for me or to judge me for my anger. But to be real with you. Feeling anger and disappointment is a very human thing. God understands. You just have to take it to Him and He will help you deal with it. I cried out to him many, many times. But I hung on to the hurt for longer than I should have. I was angry at people for deciding my future. When really, God decided it. He KNEW what He had for me that was so rich and worthwhile. So many blessings He bestowed upon me since that time. I am so thankful!!! 

When God closes a door, stop and think. Remember He has great plans for you. Then ask Him to show you what they are. He may not show you everything right away. But He will give you glimpses. You can chose to see good in things or the bad in them. Life is much better if you can find the good in each situation. Hang on to those good things. And let God handle the bad ones. Take it all to Him.

Until next time...blessings to you. 

Eat To Live

Here is a question for you to think about.

Do you LIVE to EAT  OR  EAT to LIVE?

I've seen a few posts on social media that are telling people it is a GIVEN they WILL make poor choices on Thursday so just go workout or whatever. Is that true? NO!!!!!!! It is NOT a MUST that we make poor choices on a holiday or anytime of the year. 

When we focus our lives around food we will struggle to eat correct portions and with eating foods that are better for us. If it is all about food then we allow those foods that have addictive ingredients in them to control our lives. Many foods contain them. Our bodies have built up an addiction to foods with salt, fat and sugar plus unhealthy chemical additives that make us think we are still hungry, but we aren't. Although, if we are ONLY feeding our bodies those foods, our body is screaming for the foods and nutrients it needs but have no room for them in our stomach. We are over fed and under nourished. Our bodies were created to be fed certain foods. What foods are you feeding your body? 

And it isn't just about what foods but how much food. Why do we stuff food into our bodies without thought? We pile our plates high with so much food and then want to have seconds and thirds because it "tastes so good." Or when we eat out we get large everything or think we need to order very large plates of food. It's OK to enjoy your food. But it isn't a good feeling when we are so full we can't even keep our pants buttoned. I used to live like that. Many, many people do. 

THAT does NOT have to be your Thanksgiving this year. You can eat some delicious food and have a great day. But choose them in the right portions. A smaller amount of potatoes and stuffing is OK. A bigger helping of fresh salad or vegetables is great. Then pick a small piece of dessert, like a thin slice of your favorite pie. It doesn't have to be huge to taste wonderful. And you don't HAVE to have some of every dessert at the same meal. You could spread it out over a number of days so you can enjoy each one IF your like us and tend to make more than one kind of dessert. 

Have no regrets this Thursday. Don't give up on your goals for one day, for one day of food. 

But you say..."Can't I just workout extra hard before and/or after?" Well, I do recommend that you DO keep up your workouts as if it is just any day of the week. I try to workout between 5 and 7 days a week. I do SOMETHING active each day. But when it comes to fitness and weight loss, if that is your goal, it is 80% diet and 20% exercise. Done together will get you the best and fastest results. 

I'm not here to judge your Thanksgiving meal. I'm not here to judge you exercise habits. I am here to support you in your fitness choices and encourage you to make more healthy choices than you do unhealthy ones. We are human and can't do everything just right all of the time. But we can set our goals, figure out what it will take to reach those goals AND stick with it!!! Don't let anything get in your way of reaching them, including yourself and the temptations that come along every day for each of us. 

That is my job as a personal coach and trainer. I want to help you find motivation to set and meet your goals. I want to help you find food choices that you can enjoy and not just tolerate. I want to help you find exercise that you LOVE to do. I have found that if you love to do it you will want to do it more and won't like it when you miss a day. I have free groups that help with different areas of food and fitness. I also have groups that require a commitment to fitness program to be a part of. In those groups you get even more of my attention and support. 

I am here to help and encourage as I am on my own journey. I am real and upfront. I share my struggles and my successes. I don't sugar coat it. I am human just like you. I give you REAL advice to help you make REAL steps forward. I have a FB page that I post many things on the subject, videos and links to my challenge groups. Click on Fitness Fun on this page and it will take you there. You can also sign up for me to be your free coach on my website. There are ways to track your fitness goals on my website and much more. 

Let's finish 2015 strong and start 2016 even stronger! 

~~Helping Transform Lives One Day At A Time

Thoughts Are Powerful...Use Them Wisely

I am on week three of my new workout plan. I have combined two different workouts, Turbo Fire and ChaLEAN Extreme. I love, love, love my Turbo Fire, but I wanted to add some weight exercises to my daily routine. Why? Because muscle burns fat! I am building muscle so I can burn more fat. I am becoming lean and strong! 

I've had a few set backs the past two weeks, mostly weekends. But I just keep picking myself up and moving forward. I found a great article that addresses that by Chalene that I feel is going to help me succeed this coming weekend. You can check it out here. 

I changed my workouts back to late afternoons. I know I changed them from that to early mornings but it just wasn't working for me. I was dead tired by 10 a.m. and I can't afford that when I have children to teach. I found I started sleeping better so I really needed that extra 2 hours of sleep in the mornings since I tend to stay up just a bit late with reading or personal stuff. I don't get a lot of me time during the day. I'm doing my best to make time for me. My workouts are part of that. 

Last week was kinda crazy. We had a fun 4th of July weekend but during the night on Sunday someone let out dogs out of the back yard. One of them was hit by a car and killed. The other was lost. We spent all day Monday looking for her and the whole week was filled with looking for her or getting people to share pictures of her, etc. And like I said, I didn't work out that weekend or the past weekend. Yesterday, Monday, a week from the time she went missing, our lost dog showed up on the front porch before sunrise. So Monday was filled with excitement and joy over her return but not so much of a workout. 

Today I got back on track and hit PLAY on my videos. I felt wonderful! I remembered WHY I work out. I feel so good after I complete my workout. I know I am making healthy choices for my body and my life. I remembered WHY I do the videos I do. I do my CE first, the free weight workout. Each time I do one I know I am building more muscle. I have been able to increase the amount of weight I am using with each exercise. At some point I will have to get some more weights since I only have 20's. She uses 25's on some of her exercises. My coach tells me to push myself because I am stronger than I think I am. I found out today that is true. I pushed myself to harder weights than I did before. I know I am going to be sore tomorrow! And that is totally OK with me. That means I actually did it right. Next, I get my Turbo Fire on. Turbo Fire is what is called my soul-mate workout. I love it. It is fun and I just enjoy doing it. I have never fallen in love with a workout like this. Every time I do it I try a little harder to get the form correct and to put just a bit more effort into each move. Let me encourage you to do the same. Whatever workout you are doing, no matter what it is, go a little extra each time. Put forth a bit more effort to get more results. You can do it!

My eating is better most of the time. I am having my Shakeo every morning, even weekends now. I prepped my food this weekend so there is fruit salad and tossed salad in the fridge to eat on daily. We grilled Monday so there is different kinds of meat ready to add to any meal without the hassle of cooking it for long periods of time. I hard boiled half a dozen eggs to add to my salad or just to have one as a snack with a touch of cracked pepper and sea salt. It helps me provide healthy meals quick for my family on days when I need to be in and out of the kitchen quickly so I make the right choices. I have juice sometimes at dinner so having most of the meal ready for my family makes it easier on me to say no to a meal and just have my freshly made juice. Any amount of prep time you can accomplish at the start of your week will help you succeed in the area of food. You can workout every day but if you do not change your eating habits it isn't going to do much good. As long as you are putting junk IN your body it will NOT function properly. It will be like a car that has water in the tank. Let me encourage you in this way, too. Each day change one thing to get to healthier food choices. Cut out sodas and alcoholic beverages and replace them with water with a touch of lemon or other citrus fruit. Stop smoking. Cut out processed foods and replace them with healthier, fresh food choices. The old saying "you are what you eat" is true. What you put into your body will determine what your body looks like on the outside and how it performs for you on a daily basis. 

A big part of your fitness journey is how you talk to yourself and the goals you set. You have to tell yourself you are going to do it. You can't use the words try or maybe or whatever else falls into that group. You have to set real goals and tell yourself every day you are going to do it. You are going to eat a healthy lunch. you are going to work out. You ARE strong. You are going to finish your challenge for the month, etc. Don't allow any negative words to get inside your head because what your mind hears is what your going to believe. Tell yourself you are going to meet those goals. Even give yourself a date. But believe it. The more you say it will help it become a reality. The positive can push out the negative from your mind. Then you will see results. 

I turn 50 in 4 1/2 months. I am going to be so amazingly strong by then after doing these awesome workouts during that time. After I finish the 18 week program I am seriously considering doing the Body Beast, I hear tell there is going to be a new addition later this year. Can't wait. I might partner that with the new CIZE workout since that is a fun dance series. I have to keep this in my mind at all times because I can let my everyday life get me so busy I forget that I have some series fitness goals for ME. One of the things I AM going to do for my 50th birthday is a photo shoot. I can't wait to document what an amazingly strong body I am going to have to show for all this hard work. 

My coach and I are starting a new free challenge next Monday. A Summer of Salads is going to be a great way to make summer healthier and easier without turning on the stove to have a delicious meal. If you are interested in this new group, visit my fb page and look for more details. I would love to have you join us. 

Changing my life one day at a time. 

New Workout Program Schedule

I have five months until I turn fifty...the BIG 5.0. I've been "planning" to "get in better shape" before that BIG day. So many times I have let other things distract me from what is important to me, things that are for me, personal wants and needs. I put myself on the back burner so much of the time. But I have kept in my mind that I need to do SOMETHING every day that is a better choice than the day before. That is why I picked up the tagline "Changing My Life One Day At A Time". I am taking it one day at a time and doing something to change it for the better. 

I started drinking Shakeology a few months ago. I got consistent this past month, I have one for breakfast every morning. Even when the other stuff I did wasn't great, that was in place.  Build your routine one day at a time. For the past month this was mine: Get up, brush teeth, get dressed, fill my water bottle up, make my Shakeo, and start my work day. I got that down so that it became second nature. I don't even think about it anymore because it is my routine. The only thing I added to my routine that was already in place was the Shakeo. I already have the habit of doing those others things right when I get up, have for years.

Monday I added to my routine, again. I had been doing my workouts in the evening after a long day and it was keeping me up at night. I wasn't sleeping and some people had suggested that one reason might be my working out so late in the day. Let me just say this, just in case you don't know it already. Some of you may not know me well enough yet. I am NOT an early riser on MOST days. I like to sleep in the mornings because I tend to fall asleep after 3 in the morning, sometimes closer to 4 or even 5. I had to make some hard choices in order to meet my goals. Goals that I don't want to miss...again. I can't let myself down this time. This is just too big of a milestone year for me not to do it right.

When I signed up to be a BeachBodyCoach I got to choose my challenge pack. I decided what would serve me best would be the On Demand. I get so many great programs on there, including the extras for the programs I already own on DVD. I used to run but my feet started to hurt a great deal so I backed off of that. My favorite workouts are the Turbo Fire. They are super fun and really work it. I've been doing that routine in the late afternoons for a month. I decided to ADD a weight workout to my daily routine. Since I have this super On Demand filled with so many GREAT workout programs I picked ChaLEAN Extreme for my weight workout. The great thing about Beach Body is you can go on the website on your personal profile, you don't have to be a coach to have this, and you can put in what programs you use. Then PICK a Program Schedule. No more guessing what workout to do what day. I printed off one for Turbo Fire and one for ChaLEAN Extreme. The rest days fall on different days. That means that some days I do both and some days I do just one workout. There is a stretch class that I do after my Turbo Fire workout, too. These schedules are 18 and 20 weeks long. Not all of them are that long. I picked these because they will keep me focused for a longer period of time while advancing in intensity as the weeks go along.

I added these workouts to my MORNING routine. I took my workouts off my late afternoon routine to leave more time for family and personal time so I could wind down and sleep at night. I set my alarm for 5 a.m. That is super early for me and I tend to get pretty sleepy mid morning. It takes me about 15 minutes to get dressed and awake enough to walk in the den and push play. But once I do I feel great. I know that by the end of this year I will be used to it and even crave getting up that early to get my workout done to start my day positively. After finishing these two workout schedules I plan on doing the soon to be released Body Beast 2. I can't wait for that. What a great birthday gift to myself.

My food has been a bit tricky and isn't quite what I want yet but each day I am working to make changes. I still have my Shakeo for breakfast made with unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon, and a banana. I have some fresh fruit for a snack mid morning and mid afternoon. For lunch I have a portion of meat, either beef/chicken/fish/pork with a tossed salad filled with lots of fresh veggies and a cooked vegetable or some more fresh fruit. I am doing my best to eat as little bread or grains as possible for now. My goal for dinner is to juice. I juice a ton of different veggies with a bit of fruit. I add a half an avocado for the natural and good fats that my body needs. The last two days I didn't had that for dinner and haven't made the best choices. I still need to get on track with my entire plan. But remember, don't beat yourself up if you don't do everything just the way you planned. Just do better tomorrow or the next meal. As long as you are taking steps forward you are going the right direction and you will get there. We don't get out of shape in one day and it will take more than one day to get back in shape. I have to keep telling myself that when I allow myself to get down about how far I am from my goals. I have to look at the positive things I am doing every day and tell myself "I am amazing! I am doing this!" You have to be your #1 cheerleader because your going to listen to yourself more than anyone else.

If you are interested in finding out more about the workouts I do or the free support I offer, check out my website or my fb page for more details. I would love to help you by giving you encouragement and helping you find the tools that are just right for you.

Changing my life one day at a time. 

New Game Plan

The past couple of months have been crazy busy in almost every area of my life. It usually is but I'm talking really crazy busy. I've been working on my kid care business, doing my best to fill the open spots and the ones that will be opening this summer. I have 6 wonderful kids graduation from our school. That will leave a huge hole in our hearts as well as our income, unless I get them filled. I do special things for the kids that are graduating and I have been getting those things together. I was also working really hard with those 6 kids to make sure they finished up the reading lessons before the end of the year. I am proud to say that they can all read, plus one 4 year old that isn't graduating until next year. If you know of anyone looking for kid care or a good preschool, send them to my website. 

Last week, I started a challenge to drink 1 to 2 ounces of NingXia Red every day. That stuff is wonderful. It has helped me keep down the cravings for foods I shouldn't have an abundance of. I have more energy. I don't feel like I am ready to call it a day after lunch. I feel like I could just keep going and accomplish so much. It is so worth investing in it for all the benefits you get. If you are interested in that, just let me know. I love my YL and my NingXia Red!!! We have been using our oils and our household products like crazy and loving the lifestyle with less chemicals and a healthier us. If you want to read more about it, you can check out my fb page here. You will find lots of great articles plus links to find out more about the products and company. 

I have let some personal areas of my life go during the past several months and it is time to get back on track. I know from experience that when I am eating right, sleeping enough and working out my whole day goes smoother. Sunday afternoon my youngest daughter and I cleaned out the cabinets and fridge before heading to the store for groceries and supplies. We got a few items to help organize our kitchen better and lots of good foods to make. I really had no rhyme or reason to what I bought, other than I wanted only good foods in my home. My oldest daughter came over on Monday and helped me in an enormous way. She knows how to prep and precook foods and plan meals for the week. She does it all the time for her and her man. She is also MY Beach Body coach. 

Together with my younger daughter, we managed to prep, store and plan for every meal this week, including the meals we serve the kids. We portioned out salads for me for lunch and made a HUGE bowl of salad for my husband and teens to eat. We made a huge bowl of mixed fruit and portioned it out for me but left a huge amount for the family and preschoolers to eat during the week. Extra fruit was washed and bagged to be eaten by itself when we need a little something or don't want the mixed fruit. My hubby grilled chicken and burgers on Monday. I made a huge bowl of rice and mixed in green onions, carrots, green, red, yellow and orange peppers. Each day at lunch I take three cups (1 for my hubby and each teen) and reheat it with some olive oil in a skillet. Today I added some boneless pork chops that I sauteed with olive oil and spices to make a main dish with veggies included. Other options this week for the rice will be seasoned hamburger meat or grilled chicken. We made the salad dressing from scratch. It is a bit tangy so we might work on that or just use less. My lunch is the salad with two hard boiled eggs for the protein. I am staying away from a lot of grains right now. I am making our bread to keep us away from all the added ingredients and I may or may not have a small slice with dinner from time to time. But I am limiting myself to that amount IF I feel the need to have a slice. At least I know it is healthier than the things we used to purchase all the time.  

For snacks we have fruit or nuts, or a healthy granola. I started dinner around 5 before heading into the den for my Turbo Fire workout. Some options for dinner this week are baked salmon and asparagus, steak and new potatoes, skillet pizza, and spaghetti. Any leftovers are put in a container or a baggie and available to add to one of the other meals. At the end of the week we may decide to have a combo meal with everything we have left over so it doesn't go to waste. 

I will be doing my shopping on Saturdays and my food prep on Sundays late in the afternoon each week, when time allows for that. I am going to be flexible when needed. Depending on the time I make it to the store on Saturdays, we COULD grill the meat and some veggies on a Saturday afternoon and then I would prep it to put into meal plans on Sunday afternoon. 

 I set timers to go off on my phone all day long. I had a timer for each meal and snack, for the workout (I need to change the time because I really like working out earlier rather than later) and for cooking. It was GREAT! I stayed ON TRACK, I ate well and I got my workout in. I know for me, planning and prep is KEY. I HAVE to have that, always. Today, the first day of this plan, went off like clock-work. My family ate the food I put on their plates and seemed to enjoy it very much. 

If you are interested in learning more about meal planning or Shakeology or great workout videos, let me know! I would be happy to help you any way I can. If I don't have the answer to something, hang on, I will ask someone higher up and let you know. I am super excited about this journey to better health and I would love for you to join me. If you want to check out my fb page on fitness it is here. 

Now for a really cool surprise.....drum roll please...... 

I decided to become a Beach Body coach. I did it for several reasons. I know a great deal when I see it. I get 25% off my BB products by being a coach. Who wants to purchase full price on something they purchase every month? I sure don't. I don't have all the details yet, but when I do, I will fill you in. While you are waiting, why don't you check out my pages and let me know if you have any questions about anything. We have monthly online and in person YL parties to share more about different oils. There are monthly challenge groups for BB that keep you inspired and excited. 

My goals for the rest of this year are pretty simple. I will get into a size 8 jean/dress again. I will get back to running in fun races all year long, maybe one a month, maybe more in the cooler months and less in the really HOT months. I will become an expert at every Turbo Fire workout PLUS PiYo. I am looking forward to the NEW Cize workout that is coming in July!!! I can't wait to get my hands on that one. I know my younger daughter and I will have super fun with that because she is my dancer. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my update. I hope to share with you more often, as my life allows. I love the fact that it is full. When my teens are all grown, I don't think I will enjoy the quiet and I will miss them deeply. 

Changing my life one day at a time.

Essential Oils Introduction

I am so excited to announce that I have become a Young Living distributor. I have a website and a FB page! My FB page is named after this page, Changing My Life A Day At A Time. I will be sharing how the oils have helped our family. I will be holding classes and informing people of online classes they can attend in their own home. This is a new journey for me but it is one I am very excited to be on. 

I still have my FB page called Changing My Life One Day At A Time for running, biking, fitness, juicing, and other food or activity choices. I may even post some oily news on there from time to time. But my YLEO page is JUST for that.  

I hope you will join me on this journey. 

Changing my life a day at a time. 

First Day of School 2014

I just realized how little I posted the last school year, only twice. I think we were just so busy with life I didn't remember or think about stopping and posting. We started school earlier this year because we are doing our breaks a little differently. I always start out the school year thinking I will be better at posting, but some years I don't do very well. Let's see how this school year goes.

  

I did manage to get a couple of pictures of each teen on the first day of school. I am working on setting up a photo shoot with their big sister for the school pictures. Last year's pictures turned out so good. I am hopefully this years will be even better. (The one below is just great because he is laughing. I love it!)

The teens had a hard time getting up this morning but once they did it was great work. They worked right up until lunch and then even a little after. They did more in the evening and finished up the major subjects. It is going to take some trial and error but as long as they are putting forth the effort, I know we will have a great year.    

  

Their first break will be Labor Day, after only four weeks of school. We normally start school that week after Labor Day weekend. We have a family retreat that weekend and then they have the entire week off. I'm not sure what we will do that week since our business will still be open four of those days. But we will plan some fun things to reward them for the hard work. After that they won't have time off until the week of Thanksgiving and then two weeks for Christmas. They will have spring break off but we aren't going anywhere for that. I will try to find some fun things here to do.  We are hoping to wrap things up by the end of May, if not sooner. It's going to be a GREAT year!

That is our progress report for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

I've Been Super Juiced

I can't believe the 28 days has gone by already. What an amazing journey it has been. I have learned so much about myself and my body. I have to say I did not LOVE every single juice I had but none of them were so terrible I couldn't drink it. I knew I was giving my body something it needed and I was full afterwards. There were quite a few that I LOVED and some I liked a lot. If you are interested in more information about what I did, check out the Super Juice Me website. I watched the documentary online and then I purchased the app for my phone. I love how it has all the videos, grocery list and recipes plus videos of him making the juices all on the app.

Today was day 1 after my 28 days. I am able to eat whatever I choose to eat now. I juiced three times today and ate a very small amount of food at one in the afternoon. I had some mixed veggies and a turkey patty that I made for my family for lunch. Compared to my juices it tasted bland. It did not sit well in my stomach and made me feel less than my best. I think it was the frozen veggies that did it. I should have had my other choice, a fresh green salad with some fruit on the side. 

  

Some of the changes besides my weight were my skin. I didn't have any large issues with breakouts. My feet, which are terribly dry and rough have become a lot smoother without me doing anything to them. Usually they are only slightly smooth if I have a pedicure. I am really pleased with this. I must be much better hydrated now. Also, my nails are growing and look pretty nice. They feel a bit stronger than they used to. I am hoping that will continue to increase as I juice more. My thyroid seems to be working better, too. My period was a lot lighter this month and really wasn't bad other than I felt like going to bed a little early to rest. My allergies have been doing great since I started doing the ginger shot each morning, which is an apple and a piece of ginger juiced. It has quite a kick to it but I just drink it fast and follow it with some water.  

I got up this morning and measured, weighed in and took pictures. Those are all on my before and after page. But I wanted to share some of it here so you can SEE them side by side. If you look closely you can see my neck is different. I should have measured there. My waist is a big difference because I went from wearing size 12's that fit very tight to wearing size 10's loose. My actual weight loss was 15.7 lbs and 16.75 inches in only 28 days. I am super happy about it. I had to change the shorts I wore in my pictures because the ones I wore on day one were just too big to show what I had lost. I am wearing the same shirt and I plan on doing that each time. Notice how much farther down the shirt goes because my waist is smaller.

My goal from here on out is to keep juicing at least 3 times a day with most days being 4 times like on my 28 day plan. I have broken it down into 28 day increments. Every 28 days I will weigh, measure and take a picture to see my progress. I am doing that all the way up to November because I turn 49 at the end of that month. I am super excited to see what my body is going to look like then. Hang out with me on my journey and see where it takes me.

Changing my life one day at a time.  

Super Juice Me Day Thirteen

Day Thirteen

It has been a week since I have blogged. I went out of town for a couple of days but I juiced before I left to make it easier to stay on track. I had some struggles for many reason but my youngest daughter went with me and she kept me strong. I drank my juices the entire day on Wednesday, although it was later in the evening than I was supposed to due to the family gathering at the funeral home. They went to Whataburger afterwards and I so wanted a burger. But Jenni said, "No, mom. You will be so upset if you do that." So I bought her one and drank my juice. On Thursday, I got up and drank my juice on the way to the cemetery for the service at 10 a.m. We went to the tennis club for a buffet lunch after the funeral. That was so hard. I didn't have my juice for the 1 p.m. juice time with me and I had no idea when I would get to drink it. I talked to my older daughter and she told me to find fruits and veggies that are in my juices and eat those. So that is what I did. I had a great salad with salsa on it instead of dressing and I had lots of fruit. I drank my 1 p.m. juice when we headed home around 4:30 since I hadn't made the 4 p.m. juice. After I got out of Houston traffic I was getting so tired and I knew I had another four hours to drive. I stopped to get Jenni some dinner and I got me a cob salad. Yes, I did have some chicken but I made sure I chewed it well. I also got a sweet tea with lemons for caffeine so I would stay awake. I made the best choices I could with the situations I was in. I could have chosen much worse. I felt fine afterwards and was able to stay awake on the drive home.

I am not perfect but I didn't go too far off the plan as I could have. Extenuating circumstances change things sometimes. Make good choices. Don't eat garbage foods. Eat as healthy as possible. Choose fruits and veggies over other foods. And eat things that don't have a lot of chemicals in them, preferably zero chemicals. That would be your best choice. I am back on track since I am back home. I am still craving meats. I will enjoy eating some healthy meats in a couple of weeks at least once a day. I plan on juicing twice a day AFTER the 28 day program. With this I know I can stop taking a lot of vitamins because I will be getting them from the foods I eat instead. That is the ideal way of getting them anyway. That excites me since it will cost me a lot less money. I really would love to be able to grow all of my own fruits and veggies for my juices someday. What an amazing thing that would be. 

My feet have been bothering me for so many months now. I thought it was because of my new shoes. But I bought some new shoes today, for half the price of my other ones. I got size 8 instead of size 9, like the other ones. I am thinking the shoes were too big. When I ran my two miles this evening they felt fine. As I slowed down to walk a mile afterwards my toes starting hurting pretty badly as if I had run many miles. I haven't run in several weeks because I hurt my toe and couldn't get the shoe on. That is possibly the reason that my feet hurt after only a short time of running. I traded the hot pink shoe laces with Jenni. I am giving her my size 9 shoes since she is going to be taller than me and her feet are bigger. She needed new running shoes anyway. I actually like the look of the other shoes better but I like the price better on these. 

I started a 12 week training program, on week two, for the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in August 2. I am going to try very hard to stay on track with that program and run what it says to each day until the big race. If I do that, it is my hope my feet won't kill me anymore because it will be used to it. I will be doing feet exercises to help them not hurt, anything will be an improvement over what they feel now.

I have also been letting myself get away with not doing my workout videos. I have a ton of videos with great strength training and cardio. I've just been lazy and giving up. I have tried getting up earlier than 7 and I just can't seem to do it. I need my sleep. So today I did the DVD workout after naptime while the kids were having snack and then watching a video. Then I ran later in the evening. I have to really work hard to get my workouts in. I feel so good when I do them and feel lazy when I don't. I feel so much better when I have gone for a run. It may be a challenging run, but I always feel great afterwards because of the effort I put forth. It's time to build some muscle while I am training for this half marathon. 

My "grand design" for my body is one that I have had before but even better. I don't just want to loose the fat on my body, I want to build lots of muscle, too. I want to be strong as I grow older so that my life will be fuller and more meaningful. I have no clue what weight I will reach or what clothes size. I would like to reach size 6 in jeans but I know that will take a lot of work. I am willing to do the work. I just can't let my thoughts stop me from accomplishing them. My workout goal is DVD workout at least 4 days a week and running at least 4 days a week, if not more. I am not sure what my training schedule is for the later weeks, but it may be running 5 days or more. 

I have been struggling with my weight for so long and I finally understand why. It is the foods I am eating and my inability to stop eating them. The book I am reading talks about how the BIG FOOD and BIG DRINK companies put additives in the foods that MAKE you want to eat them and make it hard to stop. I was not able to loose the weight no matter how much I ran and worked out because I was still eating badly. I thought I was doing OK food wise but now I realize I wasn't anywhere near it. I have dropped 10 pounds in two weeks because I am juicing. I am eating healthier than I ever have with these juices. I am eating fresh veggies that I wouldn't eat normally or at least very often. I know without a doubt I will be able to loose the weight and inches now. And I will be able to build muscle to help that along as the fat goes away over the next several months. 

 I WILL reach my goal before my 49th birthday in November. Oh, what an amazing day that will be, when I can look at pictures of myself stronger and more healthy than I have ever been in my life. 

Changing my life one day at a time.