George Washington and Me

Happy Birthday to George Washington. And to me. I'm 60 today. And I've got to be honest -- I've really struggled with it. But because of the encouragement of some good friends (some older and some younger) and my husband (who is definitely older!), I think I'm going to make it.

And isn't that just an interesting expression... "I'm going to make it." When I wrote it, my meaning was that I wasn't going to let the whole thing beat me, get the best of me, suck me down into the abyss... But as I sat here looking at it, the question occurred to me, "I'm going to make it WHAT?"

So let me think through my fingers here for a minute. What am I going to make of this new decade, the Sixties -- MY Sixties?

• I'm going to make it full of joy. Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit, and I want to see more of that filling up my heart and splashing out of me onto those around me.
• I'm going to make it healthier. I need to develop new habits, like exercising more. "I am a person who exercises." And I want to enjoy it... I went through a period earlier this month when I couldn't exercise, and it brought me face to face with good health as a privilege.
  
• I'm going to make it thinner. I AM losing weight, and I'm not going to let anything stand in my way. Not even myself -- the biggest obstacle I have!!

And I'm sure I'll make it a lot of other things, but it's still early in the morning. I'll keep you posted as I come up with them.

Now, back to Beck. I've obviously fallen off the wagon. Wagon? Where is that daggone thing, anyway? The wagon has gone on without me... sigh. But, look! Here comes another one! Hang on while I climb back on...

Day 7 or So

There's been a lot of discussion about whether the 7 days of Creation were literal 24-hour days, and I'm beginning to get a little insight into that question. But, before I explain my insight, let me just say that I do believe that they really were 24 hour days.

So I'm in two programs... no, make that three... where progress is measured in days. First, there's "Get Clients Now!" where I have launched a 28 day intensive marketing program. Second is SBI!, my website program, which is based on 10 days that are not literal days. And I'll write more about both of those programs in another post. (Just an aside... what is it with exclamation points these days?!!?)

Then there is this program -- Beck. It is 42 days, 6 weeks. And you are supposed to do one day every day. Well... sometimes I just can't. So I had the option of skipping to Day 9 for this post, or just climbing back on the wagon at Day 7 and continue. I'm choosing that option. I'm going to do every day.

So first, a confession. Sunday night Earl and I went to our Community Group, and I had a small piece of pie. And I enjoyed every bite.

Day 7 -- Organize Your Environment. The premise of this lesson is that I have a right to an environment that doesn't unfairly tempt me to eat things I shouldn't eat. Not too much of a problem, really. We don't have much to snack on in the house. There are some chocolate chip cookies Earl has stashed in the crock pot, but that's about the extent of it.

I work at home, so the "work environment" where people bring donuts and brownies really doesn't apply. I have some mints in my office, but make it a rule (and have for a long time) not to have food in my office. Drinks, yes. Food, not so much. I mean, I'll bring something in and eat at my desk, but I don't have a stash. Not usually, anyway.

I'm very pleased with the way the program is going. I'm down 5 pounds -- I know the first 5 or so are always the easiest. But I'm really feeling some control, and since it seems to be the only area of my life I have any control over, I'm really feeling good about it.

Day 6

Today's task was to check in with my Diet Coach. I have two people who are unofficially my diet coaches -- unofficially, because I haven't asked them officially to hold that esteemed position.

I check in with Kim daily. Not just about diet stuff, but the very fabric of my life. She's the one who smooths things out when the fabric gets a snag or gets torn or gets worn out. No one knows me as well or puts up with as much as she does.

... well, now that I think about that, there are a lot of people who put up with a lot from me, primarily Earl, my hunny-bunny.

And then there is Gigi, who has courageously stepped into the Beck waters with me. We don't check in every day, but often enough that I know I need to mind my p's and q's. Not to mention my treats and snacks.

Both of them are grand encouragers, and there would be a great void in my life and my heart without them. Thank you, dear friends!

Today Gigi and I went to the Christian Chamber of Commerce in Lakeland. We were pleased to hear Pierre Chastang, Station Manager of WKES, 91.1 FM, Central Florida's Moody Radio Affiliate. Kate Bruington and Ron Maxwell from New Day Florida were also there, and I got to talk to Kate. I was delighted to receive her business card and a hug.

Overall, I made some good contacts for my business, Electronic Marketing Success -- you can check out my website here, and even download my free report, "7 Principles for Success in a Challenging Economy."

So, what is it I do? I work with solo-preneurs to help them breathe new life into their business through electronic marketing strategies, such as a website, blogs, electronic newsletters, social networking, article marketing, and implementing a keep-in-touch strategy.

Businesses today need to be smart about where they spend their marketing dollars, and they need to take advantage of the new trend to information marketing... and when I get started writing or talking about this kind of stuff, I forget about eating -- so you might be hearing more!!

Gigi went to the Christian Chamber meeting to represent her new business, too. She is The Classical Instructor, and you can check out her website here for more information.

So, back to the food thing for a minute... I had to fast this morning for blood work, so I didn't get any coffee until after 9:00. Heavy sigh. Then I went home and had an egg-beater omelette and COFFEE. Mmmmm. Contented sigh. For lunch I had a chicken breast and green beans. Two teeny little potatoes. Water. Dinner was nice - Earl and I went to Applebees and I had a 7 WW Point sandwich. Very satisfying. A WW Ice Cream bar this evening. More water. And now it's time for bed. Nighty night!

Day 5

Today was the first day back for our winter-spring Bible study term for LifeRenewal Ministries. It's good to be back in that groove, spending regular time with other women who are passionately in love with Jesus. Check out our website at www.LifeRenewalMinistries.com.

I skipped the bread with my egg-beaters this morning. Just added some cheese and ate it with salsa on top. Tasty, indeed. I avoided the snacks at both the morning and the evening Bible study classes, too -- and they looked really good! If I hadn't been doing Beck, I would have snacked. So good for me! I resisted twice, so I can put it on my Credit Card twice.

Lunch was challenging. Did you know that most of the items at Ruby Tuesday are NOT diet friendly? Could be why they all taste so good, huh? My friend Gigi and I split a grilled chicken salad, so I think I got away with about 300 calories on that one. Dinner was a little more - a burrito at Tijuana Flats -- about 400 calories. So, not bad for the day. I'm a little hungry, but hunger is not an emergency. And I'd rather be thin than be full.

Today's lesson in Beck is this: eat slowly and pay attention to what you eat. I do eat slowly -- and even more so when I actually think about it. I gave up wolfing food down long ago -- what's the point? I love to eat, and cutting things in very small bites and eating them one at a time makes it last longer. I also use the Weight Watcher's trick with salad dressing -- I dip my fork in the dressing and then take a bite of salad, which is much better than drenching the salad with the dressing.

I'm feeling good about the program this time, but then I always do well the first week or so, while it is still all fresh and things are going well. Like this morning - the scale was officially down 4 pounds. Now, THAT'S encouraging --a pound a day! But of course it won't last. It didn't go on that quickly, and it isn't going to come off without a struggle. I know that.

And what I meant by "it won't last" is the rate of weight loss. I certainly hope to keep what I've lost OFF -- that part will last. My goal for this 6 week program is to be firmly into the next lower tens digit. And ultimately? I'd like to lost a total of at least 25 pounds. And hopefully by then the marketing plan I'm working will have paid off so I can buy some new clothes!

Tomorrow morning will be challenging. I have to fast to have some blood work done, but have to take my husband to his Bible study and then go somewhere for an hour and twiddle my thumbs (or work on something productive) -- but not eat or drink. Now THAT will be a challenge. And then I have a meeting with the pastor about the church website before I can go get my bloodwork done. THEN I'm going to have coffee! Oh, yeah!

Okay, off to bed to dream of caffeinated things. Sleep tight!

Day 4

My favorite day, more or less. This is the day where you build your confidence by giving yourself credit. The first time I went through the Beck program, it was in a group facilitated by my Life Coach, Kim Avery (www.LifeCoachingForChristianWomen.com), and I loved the accountability. That's when I fell in love with Day 4 -- Giving Yourself Credit.

Since much of the Beck program revolves around writing and reading 3X5 cards, I decided to make one for giving myself credit -- and I called it my Credit Card. I just think it's cool to have a Credit Card that I can use as much as I want and it's a GOOD THING!

Let's talk about the whole "give yourself credit" thing. At first it was hard because I didn't feel like I had done anything to deserve any credit. And I didn't like the whole idea of patting myself on the back, either. It almost seemed childish -- like getting stars. And then I thought about the high school students I taught who would do almost anything to get those stinkin' stars... Hmmm.

So I started talking to myself. "Good job!" "Nice one! I like the way you ignored that tasty looking sample." "I really WOULD rather be thin than eat that cookie. Really!" And you know what? It felt good. Then I started writing those little triumphs down, and that felt good, too.

What I discovered is that I like to look back over those little victories - makes me feel in control. And encourages me that I can do it again.

So, here's what I came up with... I take an index card and write "Credit Card" at the top, and then I start filling it up. Not in list form, but one thing right after the last one. And when I get the credit card filled up, I can trade it in on a treat. For me, that's usually something geeky.

Here are some of my credits: I wrote my advantage card ~ I read my advantage card ~ I used less creamer ~ I stopped eating when I was full and left food on my plate ~ I chose water over Diet Dew ~ I didn't take the sample of yummy stuff at Publix ~ I passed up the home made banana bread at church ~ I ate chili instead of a burger ~ I checked the stats before I went out to eat...

And speaking of going out to eat, I'm going to lunch at Ruby Tuesday's tomorrow after our first Bible Study class (www.LifeRenewalMinistries.com) and I just looked their menu up on DWLZ. Oh my goodness! The calories and fat grams are off the charts!!! If you know anything about Weight Watchers points... I get 22. Their colossal burger ties their Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta at 49.5 points! That's crazy!!! The chicken has 2061 calories and 128 fat grams! I might just have a diet coke and some vegies.

Wow. I think all those calories are scary.

Day 3

Three days without an eating binge... might be a record! I'm actually doing better than I usually do -- yes, I know, it's only the third day -- I'm not cheating. What's with that??

Of course, Judith Beck (I'm feeling like I know her well enough, since I've been through the book so many times -- I'll just call her Judith from now on. Or maybe "The Judith.")... Judith would not use the word "cheating." Smacks of rules and legalism, I suppose. She calls is "unplanned eating," which presupposes that one has actually planned out the food options for the day. Fortunately, I haven't gotten to that Day yet, and haven't begun to actually carve my food list in stone.

Today's task is to "eat sitting down." And at first glance, that's a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how many opportunities there are to eat standing or walking around. Today was easy -- no opportunities like that all day :-) Well... except for fixing dinner. Somewhere in the book Judith says that she builds into her plan a little nibbling of the veggies as she prepares dinner, and I think that's a fun idea. I mean, extra vegetables have to be good, and since the rule for the rest of the day is Sit2Eat, it sorta feels like I'm getting away with something.

So, what did I eat today? Dressed up the breakfast sandwich with four slices of cucumber, and that added a nice touch. I got some fresh dill, but forgot to put it on... Maybe tomorrow. Lunched out by myself at Tijuana Flats -- had the small refried bean burrito, power-lite, no onions or jalapenos. Wonderful. I rode through the afternoon craving time in the doctor's office, and then I fixed leftover chicken, brown rice, and salad for dinner. Half an apple with half a container of yogurt for dessert (I shared with Earl), and then this evening I had a WW ice cream bar.

This morning the scale was down 2.5 pounds total. WooHoo! Of course, that was "as light as I could get," if you catch my drift, and it was not quite the same as fully clothed with shoes on this afternoon on El Doctero's scale...

Now, the doctor's appointment has thrown a monkey wrench into my dieting plans... I've had some symptoms lately that could indicate heart problems (both my parents died of heart attacks, so I suppose I'm somewhat at risk anyway), and to be on the safe side, he has asked me not to exercise or exert myself until they run some tests over the next couple of weeks. Normally I would be smugly gleeful over being told NOT to exercise because, frankly, I don't like to exercise. But, much to my surprise, I'm bummed about the whole thing because I've really geared myself up to do this right, and that apparently has to include some form of exercise.

So I have the perfect opportunity to just ditch the diet and say, "I'll come back to it when things settle down..." but I know that's the cheap way out, and I'm not going to play that game. Actually, I'm enjoying the monologue/blog, so I'm just going to forge ahead. TTFN.

Day 2

Have you ever noticed how many figures of speech have to do with food? Piece of cake... Easy as pie... It's no wonder I'm preoccupied with food all the time!

I think I did well again today. And I have to admit I was pleased to see the scale drop a little this morning. I have a scale that reads in half-pound increments, so I was down half a pound. And really, for the huge difference in my eating, I was disappointed that it wasn't more. BUT, this isn't really a race. I didn't, after all, put it on overnight.

Although, it did go on rather quickly, now that I think of it. I've added about 15 pounds since the middle of October. And it would be a whole lot more depressing if I hadn't enjoyed so much of what I ate, but I did, so there you have it. You play, you pay. Or gain, as the case may be.

So let's see what happened today... I had the same breakfast -- an egg-beaters sandwich on lite wheat bread with a tomato. Quite filling, and very satisfying flavors. Good choice. Lunch was Wendy's chili again, with 3 packs of crackers. Did I tell you I'm a creature of habit? Don't know how long I can keep up the chili part, though...

Dinner was fun. We went grocery shopping today, and I discovered that Publix had Weight Watchers dinners BOGO Free, so I stocked up. And I got some for Earl, too -- so sad for him. He had salsbury steak and macaroni/cheese, and I had the chicken parm. Only 290 calories for mine (5 WW points). And we had a huge salad to go with it, and it was quite filling.

This afternoon I had a treat -- Gigi and I went to Bean & Grape and I had a latte. Gigi is going to help keep me accountable on the Beck adventure, and we also are working on a marketing program together, so we had a great time with our lattes. We're both in Kim's "Get Clients Now!" group, and we were working out our strategies -- and counting our time as meeting some of our tasks. You can find out more about Kim's program by checking out her website, www.CareerBuildersPlus.com

Well, Day 2 in the Beck Book is "Commit to a Diet Plan." Frankly I'm having a bit of trouble with that. Weigh Watchers works pretty good, but I've figured out all the ways to beat THAT system, so I'm thinking I need something else. I'd sort of like to hold out for getting Judith Beck's new book and see what she's recommending, but I need to pick something now. I did South Beach for a while and liked that, too, and it worked pretty well... And I've been pretty successful with just counting calories. So, I'm not sure what to do. And I just bought all those WW dinners, too... sigh.

So I think for right now, I'm going to just monitor what I'm eating really well, and land on a diet within the next week or so. Officially in the Beck program, I'm not even dieting yet... just learning the skills. I'm not stressing over it.

But I'm pleased with my progress so far (all two days of it!). I've upped my water intake, and that's bound to help - hopefully it's doing something beneficial beyond flowing through me freely!