2025

 

It's the second day of a new year.  I meant to post something yesterday, but spent the day taking Christmas down instead!  It's a lot of work, both putting it up and taking it down, but I love how my house looks for the holidays.  I also love how clean it seems after everything is put away.

Goals?  Resolutions?  Plans for 2025?  

I'm a bit blank on these right now:

I finished reading my Bible for the year on Tuesday and started a new plan on Wednesday.  I got behind a couple of times last year - both times when we were out of the country.  I was able to catch up within a week and now I'm back in Genesis!  It never gets old.

I've got to drop some weight - pounds that have slowly snuck back on in the past two years.  I know what to do - track, track, track what I eat!  Too much sugar and not enough water need to change. I won't eliminate sugar completely, I just need to cut back a lot.

 

OUCH!

I've started the year with a run many times, but this year I kicked my year off with a bike ride!  It was a chilly one - about 43 degrees the entire time.  It was a gorgeous first day of the year and hit about 70 mid afternoon.  I'm looking at blue skies as I work on this post.

I looked back and realized that I never wrote about our vehicle change in 2024.  We started the year with three cars - our faithful 1992 Saturn and our 2006 Porsche Cayenne here in California.  We also had a 2008 Saturn Aura in Hawaii.  When we went to Hawaii in March, we cleared out everything and gave our car away.  Over the summer, our other Saturn started giving us trouble.  It died while at a stop light when Les was driving it a couple of times.  The second time, it wouldn't start at all so we had it towed to our mechanic.  The cost for repairs along with money we have spent the last two years, finally pushed us over the edge and we chose to donate it to charity instead.  It served us so well for over 32 years, but it was time to let it go.

 

Now we only have one car!  It's been four months and we've made it work.  Since Les works from home, it's hasn't been too challenging.  I've been forced to think ahead if I need anything on Saturday because that's usually when Les will take the car to meet friends for a bike ride.  Other than that, we're content to just have one car for now.

I'm very thankful that we were both healthy in 2024, minor colds/flu were all we dealt with.  Les continues to enjoy his job. We're anxiously awaiting the day when we can break ground on our new church property!  We're believing 2025 will be the year when things really change for Victory Tabernacle.  We are bursting at the seams and are so excited for this next stage.

Happy New Year and may this be your best year yet!

Happy New Year?

Can you see the moon?

I think this is the latest I have ever posted for the first time in a new year.  What happened?  I kicked off 2022 by running a half marathon on New Year's Day.  It was windy, but I got it done.  We started revival at church on Tuesday night, January 4th, and by the time we got home I was feeling feverish and achy.  I woke up Wednesday feeling horrible and so did Les.  Chills, fever, cough, the works.  We tested negative for COVID, so it appears we "just" had the flu.  The worst of it was over for me after a few days, while Les got hit a bit harder.

 

 

Last week I felt back to normal and revival continued at church.  This week started off good, then we got our COVID booster on Tuesday.  Like clockwork we both started feeling sick by that night.  This lasted about 24 hours and now the only thing left is a dull ache in my upper arm at the injection site.  I've told several people that we are just getting all the yucky stuff out of the way in January and now the rest of 2022 is going to be fantastic!

I went for a trail run this morning and it was wonderful!  We got a lot of rain in late December and a little bit this week so the trail is in fantastic shape.  I ran four miles before turning around.  All the pictures in this post are from this morning's run.  At about 4.6 miles I saw two cows - one on each side of the trail.  Neither of them were the least bit interested in me.

I finished 2021 down a total of 32 pounds.  I had been down 33 but picked up a pound over Christmas.  As of this morning I am down a total of 34.5.  One pound from the goal weight I set a little over a year ago!  It's been slow but steady.  I've enjoyed birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations.  We've traveled, eaten out, eaten pizza and ice cream.  What I've done is gone back to the basics of tracking what I eat and eating reasonable portions.  My running is better than it has been in years.

We're closing out our third week of revival and it has been so good. We've had many services where we just lingered in the altars.  God is still moving and I'm excited to see what He has in store for 2022!

Friday Fitness

 

Les and I have made plans to go to Yosemite next month.  With that in mind I'm trying to get more hills in my running.  This morning I headed out for a trail run with the plan to go higher up the trail.  I knew there would be more hiking than running on the upper portions.  I also had the added challenge of Santa Ana winds.

I was on the trail before the sunrise, but there was enough light that I could see.  The first 3.5 miles were challenging but I was able to run quite a bit.  At the 3.5 mile mark I had gained about 550 feet of elevation.  The next mile was the meat of the outing and I gained about 570 feet!  It was so steep that I was only able to power walk it and my heart rate hit 155.

I was at the top of what we call Sunshine Mountain at the 4.5 mile mark and decided that was far enough.  I took a few pictures, then started back down.  Getting back down the first mile was more walking because I didn't want to lose my footing.  Once the trail evened out I was able to run most of the way down.

Total stats:  9 miles in 1:55:17, 12:47 pace.  Max heart rate 155, average 135.  Calories burned 832.

 

I also ran a half marathon last Saturday.  It was a great run!  I was able to run the entire time, no walk breaks.  My average pace was 10:16 a mile.  The first half I averaged 10:26, and the second half I was able to kick up the pace and average 10:06.  Total time on that outing was 2:14:36.  Max HR 148, average 130.  I burned 900 calories.  This is only my second half marathon this year.  The one I ran in April I averaged 11:42 a mile.  I'm loving the improvements I'm seeing.

And finally, on another happy note - I am now down 30.5 pounds!  I had gotten down 29.5 and couldn't seem to get to 30.  Last week I was up a pound, but today I was back down.  It has taken a long time to get to this point, but I have continued living and that means celebrations like birthdays and weddings, it means traveling, it means ice cream!  I know I need to be careful about what I eat, but I also know that I can enjoy occasional treats.

Friday Fitness Surprise

 I realize I've been pretty quiet here on the blog this month.  We have been BUSY!  All of our plants are now in - a total of 11 trees and 158 plants!  Yes, you read that correctly.  We have six trees in the front with 56 plants, and five trees in the back with 102 plants.  Our final plant went in Monday night:

All the weed barrier and irrigation lines are in.  We have just a little more decorative rock to do.  I'll do a full reveal next week.  But here are a couple shots:

I headed to the trail for a run this morning.  About 2.5 miles up, I saw these guys:

I made it just passed the four mile mark before turning around.

I was enjoying myself on the way down, but also aware that cattle could be around the next curve.  Much to my surprise, there were three calves!  Two of them were walking across the trail just as I came around the curve.  By the time I had  my phone out, they were already off the trail.  I had to stop for a few more shots:

8.17 miles total in one hour, 37 minutes.  Almost 1,000 feet of climbing (and descending) and 626 calories burned.  My weight loss has been stalled for the past month.  I hadn't gained, but I also hadn't lost anything.  I was finally down another pound this morning for a total of 27 pounds and 28.5 inches in 26 weeks.

Friday Foodie Hilton Head Island Style

As I mentioned yesterday, we didn't eat out at lot on our vacation, but when we did we made it count!  We had one forgettable meal - dinner our first night in Charleston.  We were starving after a long day of travel and most restaurants had an hour or more wait.  We made up for the less than stellar meal by finding Off Track Ice Cream!  The key lime pie ice cream, with chunks of graham cracker crust mixed in was excellent.

Monday night in Hilton Head we went to the Mixx on Main.  I was in the mood for Mexican food.  I know, we were in the South, but I can't go many days without it!  We split the fajita trio - chicken, steak and shrimp.  These were the best fajitas I have ever had!  Sadly, they didn't have anything for dessert, but we made up for it by buying a piece of carrot cake at the grocery store that was surprisingly delicious.

 

I turned 57 on Tuesday and I told Les he needed to decide where we would eat.  As always, he did an outstanding job.  We ate at Frankie Bones.  I had Filet Mignon and Les had ribs.  Both meals were amazing!

 

Because it was my birthday, I also splurged on dessert.  This is Butterfinger Crunch Cake.  "Get in my mouth!"

SOOOO good!!

We ate it all!

About a week or so before our trip, Les mentioned beignets.  I quickly Googled "beignets Hilton Head" and found Kenny B's French Quarter Cafe.  They not only had beignets, they also had Muffalettas.  This is a New Orleans specialty that we wanted to try when we were there in 2019 but didn't get to.  Kenny B's was about 10 miles from our condo, so we decided to ride our bikes there on Thursday.

We split the Muffaletta and it was delicious!

We also split an order of beignets that were as good as any you can find in New Orleans!  Kenny, the owner, is not from South Carolina or New Orleans, he's actually from Ohio, but he got the New Orleans food right!

The only right way to eat a beignet is to just go ahead and take a big bite!

 Powdered sugar on your face is a must!

After thoroughly enjoying our lunch, we pedaled our way home.  We were glad for easy, flat roads!

On our final night I told Les that I wanted ice cream.  Once again, I searched Google and found Gr8 Bites just a few miles away.  Their ice cream was outstanding and it's probably a good thing we didn't find it until our last night.

Our last meal took place in Charleston at Jim N Nick's.  We both had their classic pulled pork, you just can't go wrong with barbecue in the South!

You may be wondering how all these delightful meals affected by weight loss goals.  We got home late Saturday night and I stepped on the scale Monday morning.  I'm happy to report that my weight was exactly the same!  You don't have to give up enjoying life to lose weight.  Today was my "official" weigh in day and I was down another pound for a total of 25 pounds now.

Friday Update

 It's been a few weeks since I posted about my weight loss journey so I thought I'd give an update.

A little over a week ago I got really sick.  Pre-2020, I would have just let it take its course, but you know, COVID.  I went to the doctor last Friday and it was confirmed that I had strep throat.  I was pretty sure that was the case because it is the one illness I have had repeatedly through the years.  I started on an antibiotic on Friday.  Sadly, I had to stay home from church on Sunday since I still wasn't feeling good at all.  I've slowly come out of it and was able to go out for a five mile run/walk this morning.  At least it wasn't COVID, right?

 

As far as my weight loss goes, I've continued doing really well with my eating.  When my throat was at its worst, all I wanted for several days was yogurt, pudding and ice cream.  I've stayed within my points budget throughout and hoped for the best. Today was weigh in day for week 15 and I am now down 22.5 pounds!  That continues to be an average of 1.5 pounds per week.

Obviously, seeing so much movement on the scale is a huge motivator, but I'm also feeling so much better overall.  I'm trying not to spend too much time kicking myself over the fact that I gained the weight at all, or that I didn't do something about it sooner.  That is the past.  Today I choose to healthy, even as I recover from strep throat!

My Weight Loss Journey

Near the end of 2020, while trying to find pictures for our Christmas card, I was forced to look at pictures of myself.  I faced the reality that they were not flattering!  I knew I needed to get rid of the excess pounds and I was determined to do so.  I was a faithful member of Weight Watchers for many years and had been successful.  When I saw a link for "3 Months Free" I decided to give it another try.  Here's my journey so far:

WW Green

Weight Watchers rebranded themselves at WW.  They also have three different programs you can follow.  I went through their quiz and landed on WW Green.  Why green?  It has the fewest Zero Points foods.  I tried one of their "Smart Points" programs a few years ago and it was an utter failure.  They had so many zero points foods, I didn't feel like I was tracking much.  Why didn't that work for me?  I'm the person who always balances her checkbook.  Tracking my eating feels the same way.  With so many zero points foods, I felt like someone said, "You don't have to track expenses for necessities like gas, groceries, and mortgage.  Just track for fun things like travel or new shoes or clothes."  That didn't work for me.

 

Keto, Low Carb, Mediterranean, Paleo?

Believe me, I researched every type of diet out there.  Many, actually most, will bring about weight loss.  But what happens after the weight loss?  I've always believed that any weight loss plan needs to be sustainable AFTER the weight is gone.  So if I'm not willing to cut out carbs for the long term, I'm not going to cut them out for the short term.  I also wanted to be considerate of Les, he does NOT need to lose any weight!  I'm not willing to cook two different meals for us, so I calculate the points and eat smaller portions of the SAME foods as Les. 

My January "No Bread" Experiment

For the past several years, Les and I have done "No Desserts January."  It's a great way to start the year after all the indulgences of the holidays.  Sadly, I didn't actually lose any weight.  This year I decided to cut out bread for a month to see what would happen.  (Please note: I only cut out bread, not all carbs.)  I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) as a teenager.  I've always dealt with what I call "food headaches."  It's when my blood sugar drops.  About two weeks in, I noticed one significant change - I wasn't getting a food headache mid afternoon.  Around that same time I found a fascinating article called "Is Bread to Blame for Weight Gain?"  These two sentences grabbed my attention:

We digest flour of all kinds rapidly, which can spike blood sugar and insulin levels and create a blood sugar “roller coaster” and potential for overeating. Some breads can send blood sugar soaring faster than many candy bars.

What?!?!   Faster than many candy bars?  That blew my mind!

A sugar high is all well and good, but what inevitably follows is a crash.  It's that crash that usually causes my food headaches.  Since I wasn't having bread (toast for breakfasts, sandwiches for lunch) I wasn't on the sugar roller coaster.  I have now reintroduced bread on a limited basis, but typically with dinner.  I use bread as more of an accessory than the focal point of my meal.  We typically eat a wrap for lunch using Mission Carb Balance tortillas - we actually like this a lot more than bread because you can taste what's in the wrap instead of so much bread!

 

Age and Weight Loss

I've heard for years and years that "it's harder to lose weight the older you get."  Being the record keeper that I am, I have my weight loss trends from when I did WW in the past.  I first joined in September, 1997 at the age of 33.  After 12 weeks I was down 21 pounds.  My second go round was October 2005 at the age of 41.  After 12 weeks I was down 17.8 pounds.  As of today, at the age of 56, I am down 18 pounds in 12 weeks!  That is a healthy 1.5 pounds per week.  The key is making quality food choices and getting, or staying active.  But know this - you can't outrun a bad diet!  Believe me, I've tried.

The Addition of Strength Training

I've been a runner and cyclist for many years.  With four marathons under my belt, I'm definitely an active person.  What I've neglected is strength or resistance training.  My legs have always been strong, but my arms and core were flabby.  After my horrible fall last year, I decided my core needed some work.  I determined that I would add that this year and I have been consistent with 2-3 workouts a week.  I don't work out with heavy weights, my favorite is resistance bands.  Don't worry, I will never look like a body builder!  But my arms are no longer waving back at me.

Not All Pounds Are Created Equal

I've posted about this many times, but I have to address the old, "Muscle weighs more than fat" myth.  This is not a true statement. A pound is a pound is a pound. But a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. 

 

This is what 5 pounds of muscle looks like:

 

 

This is what 5 pounds of fat looks like:

 

So while I am happy with movement on the scale, I am even happier with what the tape measure tells me.   There have been a few weeks when I was feeling leaner but the scale stayed the same.  But the way clothes are starting to fit, and the number on the tape, tell the real story.  So while I have a "goal" weight, it's not set in stone.  I'm looking forward to going on a "shopping spree" in my spare closet!

Fall Back!

It's that time again (unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona!)  Set your clock back one hour tonight.  Don't waste that hour - get up at the same time, exercise for 30 minutes then surprise your pastor by being early for church!

And while you're at it...

The One Thing Everyone Needs

I received an email from MyFitnessPal yesterday with a link to an article - "The 1 Thing Everyone Needs to Lose Weight Successfully."  I was curious, because if there was really just one thing that made weight loss successful, none of us would ever be overweight!  The "one thing" wasn't just one thing - but it was the one thing that was unique to the individual when this happens:

You’re going to struggle. You’re going to have bad days. You’re going to eat more than you planned on eating, and you’re going to feel like doing nothing sometimes. It’s not a matter of “if.” It’s “when.” 

When that happens, the author created a fall back plan.  The ONE thing "you are 100% confident you can do, no matter what. It can be a nutrition habit like eating protein at every meal or an easy, 15- to 20-minute workout that moves you toward your goal but requires as much thought as brushing your teeth."  You are still moving towards your goal even after a setback.

Examples of the one thing were:

• 100 kettlebell swings
• eat a vegetable at every meal
• a 20-minute jog or bike ride
• replace one caloric drink with water
• a long walk
• split your dinner out into two meals

I've had my share of setbacks with my weight through the years and I think these are excellent ideas.  But I think this concept is something we can use at Christians in our journey.

You’re going to struggle. You’re going to have bad days. You’re going to be hurt by others, and you’re going to feel like doing nothing sometimes. It’s not a matter of “if.” It’s “when.” 

The ONE Thing we all need is God's Word.  I decided to list some of the one things that come to my mind when facing various situations in life, because life is constantly changing we need more than one verse to get us through.  I am not looking them up or giving references, they won't be perfect quotations, because I want to list things that are deeply rooted:

• David encouraged himself in the Lord.  This is my #1 go to.  I can always turn to God for encouragement.  When others walk away and I'm all alone, I can still encourage myself in the Lord.  He has always been faithful and that will never change.
• Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them.
• I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
• For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  God is on our side!  He wants us to be saved.  He gave everything to make this possible.  He isn't sitting up in heaven hoping we'll fail.
• Psalm 73.  This entire Psalm is so helpful to me.  The Psalmist struggled when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, several verses he talked about his despair... until he went into the house of God.  Tough times are not times to stay home from church!
• It is of your mercies that we are not consumed, they are new every morning.  Great is thy faithfulness.
• Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  There are so many times when a song speaks what my heart needs.

This list could go on and on, but you get the idea!  What's your one thing?

Weight Watchers Founder Jean Nidetch Dies at 91

USA Today carried the story yesterday of the passing of Jean Nidetch, the founder of Weight Watchers.  She weighed 214 pounds in 1962.  After trying many fad diets, she decided to try a diet program run by the New York City Board of Health in Manhattan. She lost 20 pounds in 10 weeks. Then she decided to invite some overweight friends to her apartment to tell them about the diet. "I am a sharer," she said. "When you give of yourself, you get back. I had to share it, so I called all my overweight friends.  I only had overweight friends."

The article had so many wonderful quotes and stories of weight loss victories.  

In The Jean Nidetch Story: An Autobiography, Nidetch wrote, "At that first gathering ... I told my story, and the beautiful thing was that people really listened. And then they began talking and contributing one at a time.
"One woman stood up and said, 'I'm a schoolteacher and I've been teaching for years. I have to say this. Seven years ago, I watched one of my students throw away half a doughnut into a wastebasket. It happened at school at the end of our noon recess period, and from noon until three that afternoon, I couldn't stop thinking about that half doughnut. After I dismissed the class at three o'clock, I immediately closed the door and reached down into the wastebasket, pulled out the doughnut, and ate it. ... It's troubled me for years. ... And I've never been able to tell anyone about eating that doughnut until now.'
"At that moment, all of us in that room became her allies," Nidetch said.

I became acquainted with Weight Watchers in the 70s when Mom started attending meetings.  Through the years the program has changed, but when I joined in 1998 the fundamentals of support and knowledge were still there, stronger than ever. Weight Watchers is the only diet I have ever tried and I know it works!  It works because you can eat real food.  You are taught portion sizes, decision making, tradeoffs, and so much more.

I lost 30 pounds, twice, because I didn't learn enough the first time around.  I stopped attending meetings as soon as I hit my lifetime status in 1998 and the pounds slowly crept back on.  The second time around I kept right on going to my meetings.  I always tell people we know we need to pray and read our Bibles, but we still need to go to church.  Weight Watchers members know how to eat and count points, but that accountability and check-in with others is a huge difference maker.

Nidetch said weight loss is often a matter of putting food into perspective. "Food is not your remedy for problems. Food is not going to change your life. If you are lonely, food is not going to be your company. If you are sad, food is not going to give you solace."

Hats off to a woman who took what she learned and willingly shared it with anyone who was willing to listen!

Question to my readers:  Are you a current or former WW member?  Tell me your experience!

Friendly Reminder!

Courage to Start

This quote came in an email last night and I really love it:

It takes so much courage to start something new!  23 years ago I was a new bride in a new city attending a new church.  I was content to slowly find my place in Victory Tabernacle.  I wasn't looking for any platform time, I was happy to help where needed.

A need became apparent when Pastor and Sister White were gone for Senior Camp one Sunday.  Our organist was missing and we were hurting big time!  In Fresno there was a never a gap - there were so many musicians that half of them could be on vacation or at camp and we'd still have plenty of music coverage.  That was not the case 23 years ago at Victory Tabernacle.  On our way home that Sunday morning I asked Les a couple of questions:

"Doesn't anyone else play?"  "No."
"Doesn't anyone else want to play?"  "Not that I know of."

And that's when I had to take a HUGE step of courage...

I enrolled at Moorpark Community College for a semester of Class Piano.  I knew nothing about music, so I was starting at middle C!  I tried to keep it a secret that I was attempting to learn the piano.  Long before I was ready, Sis. White found out and before I could do a thing about it I was playing a keyboard in church!  Actually, I was attempting to play a keyboard in church! 

I was terrified.  Even though I could hide behind the organ, bass and drums, I was still terrified.  My keyboard wasn't plugged into the house system - I just had a small amp that I usually kept so quiet I couldn't hear it myself!  It took a lot of courage in those early months to come to service and try to play along.

I have had so many people help me through the years.  I don't consider myself a great musician, but I can carry a service entirely if I need to.  Victory Tabernacle is now blessed with many musicians who started at a much younger age and have far surpassed my abilities.  But I do think my courage to start was an example to others that they too could be a blessing to the Kingdom!

It also takes a lot of courage to start over.  I remember walking into a Weight Watchers meeting in 2005.  My head hung in shame as I stepped on the scale, knowing I had regained all the weight I had previously lost and added more.  But I courageously attended meetings every week until I reached my goal once again.  Then I continued going to meetings for another 5+ years.  I was determined to get it right this time!

What are you hoping to finish?  Do you need to make some changes in your life?  Does that task seem overwhelming and you wonder if you can do it?  Have the courage to start (or start over) today!