In My Simplest Form

My clothes are still big so it's hard to see the weight difference if you are going by my body.  But my face...Oh how my face tells the story.  I decided to take it easy on myself this week.  I will not weigh in until the 5th and I won't stress over ANY numbers.  I'm munching on lots of veggies and fruit AND I am so in love with oatmeal.  Having oatmeal has made life easier on me when everyone is gone and I must fix breakfast and lunch on my own.

Meditating and visualizing are two of the greatest tools ever known to man and help me walk my path daily being filled with joy, love and piece.  Visualizing alone makes me FEEL thinner and that I don't mind.  Reading my bible is also my greatest tool.  There I learn God's truths, which have become my truths.  I know that I've lost 24 pounds because He has helped me.  I know that as long as I do what I can he will do what I can not.

I'm keeping it very easy this week.  There will be no pressure nor guilt.  I will wake up daily and express my gratitude for all that I have.  I will not give focus to any negative thoughts.  I will keep my heart light and open to ALL love and positive energy.  I will smile and know deep within that the path I am on was designed by The Almighty.  Therefore, it...is...All...Good!

I've been meeting some wonderful people who like me are losing weight the healthy way.  I've been inspired by many of them and have formed great relationships with them.  A few have asked "why don't you post more about your weight loss?"  In all honesty I didn't think anyone wanted to read about that.  Then, I was asked "who are you mostly writing for?"  The answer was/is...Me

So, with that being said I'll be posting more about my weight loss journey here.  I pray it will help those who are trying to do the same.

The Facts:

-I am currently 196 pounds (I feel much smaller than that, because I've lost many inches on my body)
-I can now walk with my artificial leg without any pain (I did this for my hubby and princess Charlie and they were super excited)  I look forward to losing much more.
-I am exercising 4 days a week for 30 minutes
-I just received my order of Vitatops and they taste Amazing!!
-I'm currently eating up to 1300 calories a day and counting calories has changed my world! (it use to drive me batty, but now something clicked)

Today's Menu:

Breakfast: 2 Nutri Grain waffles w/PB
Lunch: Oatmeal (I'm addicted)
Dinner: Subway & veggies
Snacks: 2 apples and 1 vitatop
Exercise: 30 minutes                    Water: 9 cups

My Truths

Every morning I wake up and write three great things in my journal.  Most recently I've started listing my truths.  Things that have happened, will happen or things I'm grateful for.  I thought I'd share a few here this Thankful Thursday!

My Truths...
-I am a child of God
-I try to please the wrong people
-I only need to please The Father
-I adore my alone time at home
-I am losing weight and becoming healthier
-I am growing (emotionally & spiritually)
-Meditation is amazing!
-I love eating breakfast items for lunch or dinner LOL
-I am determined to walk my path with grace

Great News!!!

For as long as I have been on this earth we had never had a family member to beat cancer.  That was until yesterday!  My aunt Elaine was diagnosed with cancer in November of 2010 and had surgery to remove it a week ago.  Her doctor felt strongly that they had gotten it all and would wait for the pathology report.  Yesterday he called to inform my aunt that she is officially cancer free!!!  This gives my family Hope.  For so long we believed it would just take us out one by one, but now we know differently.  Getting checked early on is Vital.  We are all now going to be more vigilant in our health care.  I know this was a blessing from God and I/We accept it with open arms!

3 great things...

*A blessing for our family
*The presence of Angels
*Joy in our hearts

Have A Truly Blessed Day!!!

Sunday Quote

“All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not wither,
deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
a light from the shadows shall spring.
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
the crown-less again shall be king.”

-J.R.R. Tolkien

LOVE LOVE LOVE

LOVE...That's the theme for today.  The more I ask God to help me be more like him I find the word LOVE.  He is Love and Kindness.  He is gentle and compassionate.  So, I will go through my day copying my beautiful Father.  As I show this to other beings I will definitely show it to myself.

The Goings On..

*We are putting Love Bags together for the Brighter Days Project (they hold events for under privileged kids and our charity has teamed up with them).

*We changed the name of our bags from Goody Bags to Love Bags.

*We will be leaving love bags around wal-mart today (I LOVE doing this!)

3 Blessings..

*No bad dreams (my dreams are crazy at times)

*My beautiful daughter who loves helping me in my quest to spread God's love to others.

*Good health and a constantly shrinking tummy (woohoo!)

Have A Truly Blessed Day Filled With Tons of LOVE!!

In This Moment

I am grateful for...

*Hubby defrosting the deep freezer without my asking him
*A peaceful night of sleep
*Medical insurance, so princess Charlie can see her doctor


In this moment...

I choose to be filled with love, joy, peace and patience.  I am trying very hard to release myself from the ways of this world and am striving to be more like my Heavenly Father.  This is no walk in the park, but I am truly determined.

Silence is Golden

After my grandma died I started going days at a time not talking.  As this went on I learned that I liked it.  Something about it made me feel so at peace.  Today my word is Silence and I'll be going through this day in true fashion.  I'll use texting to communicate, but nothing more. lol


3 Great Things:
*I have the option of living in silence if I choose
*Cooking healthy meals for my family
*The ability to afford groceries

I'm Worthy

For many years I viewed my self-worth and graded my self-esteem on what others said or thought of me.  That is why this 30 days of positivity is SO appealing to me.  I now know that no one can define my worth, but me.  No one has the power to make me feel less than unless I give them that power.  Please know that I allow NO ONE to possess that power any longer.  I am fully aware that I am a masterpiece created by God Almighty.  That alone says to my very soul & spirit that I AM PRICELESS.  I AM WORTHY of ALL GOOD THAT COMES MY WAY.  So, I plan to rock this project!  Not to brag about myself, but to embed my good qualities deep in my head, heart and spirit.  I've beat myself up with the negative far too long.  If we do not show ourselves love & compassion how can we ever truly show it to others?

Positives of Self:  
*I appreciate that I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong
*I appreciate that I can now be grateful for even the horrible moments in my life
*I appreciate the change that's taking place within my heart, mind and spirit

My word for today is...Gratitude
Gratitude is contagious my friends.  If you are around others who use it daily it makes you focus on your very own blessings.  I've also learned speaking my gratitude brings me much more to be thankful for.  I will go through my day expressing gratitude for even the minute details.

I'd like to hear from you...What are you grateful for today?

Living Out Loud

I wish I could fully convey all of the transformations that have been going on in my life since 2005.  So much has happened and yet, I can not describe it all.  So here are a few of the newer highlights!

1. I can see my belly button!  Yep. You read that correctly!  When I was 220 (or more) pounds I could not see my belly button.  Now that I am 195 I see it and it has never looked cuter!  I literally cried of joy when I realized I could see it.

2. Until March 15th I'm going to be posting positive thoughts and from time to time a "word of the day."  My mentor told me how daily she lists 3 positive things about herself and how it sets her day on the right path.  She also chooses a word of the day, which I think is genius!  So, for 1 month (starting today) I'm going to do this on both my blog and in my personal journal.

3 Positive Things:

*I love my ever changing body
*I choose to be joyful and at peace
*True Love begins with loving ME 1st...and I do!!

My word for today is...Love
I will go through my day speaking with love in my heart.  I will show myself 100% love no matter what mood I may experience.  I will show my loved ones how much I adore them (as I do everyday).

Love is...

--hugging your loved ones
--laughing with your children
--smiling at a stranger
--helping the less fortunate
--being grateful for what you have
--embracing yourself completely
--knowing the Father and his Son
--waking up each day excited about the possibilities
--reading to the blind
--bringing dinner to an elderly neighbor
--cuddling up with your doggy
--ME
--YOU

Confessions of A Scale Fiend

OK, so a few days ago I posted a picture of what I look like now.  I was on cloud 9 and then, I stepped on the scale the very next day.  It said I had a 1/2 pound gain.  I knew in my heart it was because of the sodium, but I depressed myself to no end.  Then I realized the scale is NOT for me.  I know I'm losing weight.  I FEEL it.  I SEE it in my update photos.  20 pounds to many may not seem like a lot, but for me it's HUGE.  It's funny how as we age wisdom seems to settle in very nicely and to be completely honest I am loving that.  I'll be 40 years old in 6 months and I'm truly excited!  I love the thought of being wiser and a grandmother (WAY down the line).

I've learned how to eat when I feel TRULY hungry.  I am allowing my body to alert me of hunger.  I'm no longer eating just to do it or based on my emotions.  I've also learned to eat until I'm satisfied and not until I'm freakishly stuffed.  After reading a bit on weight-loss and the human body I found out that we (humans) tend to get physically hungry every 3 to 4 hours.  I've also learned (for me) that I do not need to eat breakfast as soon as my feet hit the floor.  I wait until I feel hunger and then I eat.  Doing this has proven that the theory of "we get hungry every 3 to 4 hours" is true.

My goal for this year is to lose 40 to 50 pounds.  I need to exercise a bit more.  I truly dislike exercise and I believe it's because I see it as a chore.  I need a different mind set for exercise, so I'm working on that.

What are you learning about yourself this year?

A Grateful Heart

Today I Am Grateful For...

#1. God's daily guidance and forgiveness.

#2. The gentleness I feel when I pray and trust in The Father.

#3. My daughter who loves me no matter what and loves to make her mama laugh uncontrollably.

#4. A husband who strongly believes in my destiny.

#5. A grandmother who's bravery is still teaching me 2 years after she's gone.

#6. I can hear the beautiful music, which uplifts my spirit and moves my butt.

#7. Playing in the snow with my princess (a very rare occasion)

#8. Warm soup with loads of veggies.

#9. Crying to release the old and laughter to usher in the NOW.

#10. Blue skies that hold the whitest clouds ever.

#11. Sisters in Christ who SO get me and my journey.

#12. My journey..The good, the bad and the ugly.


#13. Trials and tribulations and the lessons that came from the experiences.

#14. Knowing that God SO loves me that he gave his only son to save me.

20lbs Lighter

This is me 20lbs lighter.

The process is much slower for me as I can't exercise like I wish.

My clothing is baggy, but I refuse to get new ones just yet. (=

I'm very happy with the slow pace, because it has taught me so much about proper eating and long term maintenance.  I know that when I reach my goal weight (between 145 -150) I will be able to keep it off.

No quick fixes.  Hard work, true determination and Complete faith in God.

This is Tabitha 20 pounds lighter and I Love Her!!

Today's Affirmation:

Today we allow ourselves to flow through our day experiencing God's joy.