LOTS OF INSPIRATION THIS WEEK= ONE HAPPY GRANNY

This has been a great week for me. I have had five of our Granddaughters visiting with us. Their enthusiasm and jest for life couldn't help but rub off on me. They were watching their weight so that was a great help to me. I wouldn't at all be surprised if they were doing it for me so that I would be able to stay on the program that I am on. They were a great encouragement to me. Where I have found it hard to get on the stationary bike and pedal away, they were on it several times a day. My youngest Granddaughter even rode it for eleven miles one day. They were constantly busy doing something and such energy. Always smiling and sitting down to listen to their Grandma talk as if she had something very important to say. It was so good for my soul. I am very thankful to God for the time that I have had to spend with them. I see them grow physically and spiritually with each visit and it thrills me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.

I have learned a lot from watching them this past week. I have made up my mind that I am going to put my day on a schedule for a time. I have always worked well with schedules so I am going to give this a try and see if it want give me some accountability.

I have lost two pounds this week. In many ways I am surprised but in others, I guess I am not. It has been a very busy week and has passed all too quickly. I look forward to this next week to see how I will do putting all my new thoughts into actions.

I do so hope that each one of you have had a great week. We all know by now that the kind of week that we have is much up to us. We can look at things in a negative way and our week will be one where we feel low and seem to have nothing to look forward to. It can be a week where we set goals and then go to work to make them come to pass with the help of the Lord leading and guiding our every step.

I have the last half of my teeth cleaned on this Friday so I would ask you to please pray for me. I look forward to it being done and yet I am hoping that this secession goes as well as the last one. I would appreciate your prayers and thank you for those you have prayed on my behalf in the past. I pray for each of you by name. Have a great week and have a good attitude and work toward that goal. connie

WHAT A WEEK!!

I was told a couple of weeks ago that I needed to have my teeth cleaned. Not just cleaned by deep cleaned. Now, I have only been to the dentist twice in my life, this being the second time. How did I know what "deep cleaned" meant. I just knew I didn't want to lose my teeth. The dentist said this is what I needed. So my husband set up an appointment for me on this past Friday and began to save the money needed. Wow! Made me wish I had "flossed". I am not even sure about all that.

My son, Jeff's advice for me was, "Mom tell them to give you "laughing gas." Now I knew that I didn't want to be laughing while I had my mouth wide open. Then this past Wednesday night my son Jeremy, told me, "Mom, you KNOW it is going to hurt." Well, no I didn't until he told me.lol. I was beginning to get a little nervous by now. But still determined, I kept very busy so that I would not have time to think about what might be going to happen inside my mouth.

So Friday morning came and my husband took me to the dentist, nothing happened to keep him away. So without excuse, I got into the car to face what lay ahead.

They were very nice at the Dentist's office.Took me right back to a small room with I noticed a large chair that was practically reclining. The nurse told me to get on it. I look at my husband to see if he was going to rescue me and he smiled sweetly and said, "It will be just fine, hon." So, slowly I lay down to meet my fate.

The nurse sat down beside me and said now we can do this one of two ways, we can either have the dentist come in and give you a shot or we can use jel. She said the jel works fine for some people and others it doesn't. Hey! well I knew that I didn't want a shot if I could get out of it. So I said, I will take the jel. She put it on my gums. She got every which way in my mouth with this thing that squirted water and ever once in a while she would say close your mouth and it would suck up everything in my mouth that was lose. Very strange feeling. She worked steadily for an hour first the top half and then the bottom half of my teeth.She would pick a while and then I am not sure what it was she was doing but I didn't smell anything burning nor did I feel any PAIN. It didn't hurt and I didn't laugh all the way through it.So things seemed to be going just fine. She kept asking if I was ok. I kept nodding my head in the affirmative not knowing if I was suppose to not be ok or not.

She finally said she had finished. She gave me a new toothbrush and some floss and explained how to use it. Wow! That is going to be a job. She told me that she would see me again on next Friday for the other half.

It seems so odd to have one side of your teeth cleaned and knowing that the other side after 65 years must be off the charts. But it did feel must better on the good side and I can hardly wait for next Friday to get the other side cleaned so I can have a fully clean mouth.YEA!!!

I have said all of that to say this, I have not had a hard time staying on my program this week. In the beginning I was too nervous to eat and now I am not wanting to get my teeth on the good side dirty. I am sure that as the days pass, I will get over it. lol. Thank you for listening about my dental problems and how they are being solved. I will try to do better next week in this space. Thanks again.connie

I HAVE FOUND A GOLDMIND IF YOU KEEP UP WITH WW POINTS

I am really beginning to love Google. I found the key lime pie recipe as I told you in my last post. I decided to look for the Strawberry Shortcake recipe also. "BINGO" found it but while looking I came across the wonderful sight. It is made up of Weight Watcher Recipes and most all of them show how many points they contain.

You can find it here:

htt://fakeouttakeout.blogspot.com Go check it out! It is a great find. It sure was for me. connie

JUST SOME DESSERT, PLEASE

My husband and I have been trying some of the Weight Watcher Dinners. I want to learn some things from the way they are cooked, the portions, etc. We have been trying to do the point system. Not going to Weight Watchers but I had attended once before so I had the books. So we have eaten the right point values for breakfast and lunch and any snacks but leaving enough for the dinner Weight Watcher Meals. So far so good. We bought one of their desserts last week. We wanted something sweet so much. I was afraid we were going to mess up if we did not not eat something that we could count into our daily meal. So we bought the Key Lime Pie dessert that Weight Watchers makes. It was delicious. The package comes with two servings in it. Just perfect, not too much but not too little either.

I looked everywhere to see if I could find the recipe, No luck. Finally I decided to Google it up on the e-net. My husband always tells me when I don't know something to Google it up. So that is what I did. This was under the title Weight Watchers Key Lime Pie. So we shall see. I will make it sometime this week. I sure hope it is the same. Here is the recipe if you are interested.

WEIGHT WATCHERS KEY LIME PIE

1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
1--1/16 package sugar- free lime gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
1- 8 ounce container fat-free whipped topping
2- 6 ounces key lime pie yogurt

1) In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
2) Stir in yogurt with wire whisk.
3) Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon.
4) Spread in crust.
5) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

This has 3 points per serving.

Other facts:
CALORIES 73
TOTAL FAT: 6.3g
SODIUM 37 mg
TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 3.6g

This does not include the crust or the yogurt. This is not something I would advise anyone to eat every night but on those times when you just think you can't go one more meal without a taste of something sweet well this is it. That is if you like tart, sweet desserts.

I hope all of you are doing great!!! connie

"FEED YOUR FAITH AND YOUR DOUBTS WILL STARVE TO DEATH."

The following is a quote from a copied article and I do not know who the author is but it is a very good quote that I think can benefit us here.

"WITH FAITH AS HIS ONLY GUIDANCE SYSTEM, BRYD FORCED HIMSELF TO DO THE NECESSARY THINGS FOR SURVIVAL VERY SLOWLY AND WITH GREAT DELIBERATION. AT TIMES HE FELT AS IF HE WAS LIVING A THOUSAND YEARS IN ANY GIVEN MINUTE. BUT AT EACH DAY'S END, HE COULD SAY HE WAS STILL ALIVE. AND THAT WAS ENOUGH."


I know at times during a given day, I may feel as if it will be a thousand years before I can eat again or not have to fight the desire not to eat. But, we like Bryd must force ourselves to do the necessary things to keep our bodies healthy. Things like eat the right foods, exercise, drink plenty of water, watch out for the carbs., etc. We know if we are wise that we must do these things for our survival and quality of living. I know I am in that category of people. I must do the necessary things to make my body healthy. We must do them slowly and with great deliberation and focus. It must not be a half-hearted effort. We must be determined.

There will be times in our lives when we will fail but we have to realize that we are human and get up and wipe ourselves off and continue on! It is not the failing that will STOP us but the QUITTING will.

How many times does the end of the day come and you think if I can just make it until I go to sleep, then it will be over for today. When the morning comes, you are so thankful that you have succeeded one more day. Now the long day is ahead of you and your realize that the fight has to be done all over again. You know when my children were young and I would clean house from top to bottom and everything was sparkling clean, that would be when one of the kids would track mud in or leave things laying all around. I might be a little discouraged that it seemed like my work was in vain but it did not keep me from doing it over and over and over again for all these years. My objective was to have a clean home. The same way with our bodies, we have to keep on doing the right things for our health, to be pleasing to God and to look better is no small thing. You natuarally feel better if you think you look right. So, we must keep doing the right things over and over and over to reach our goal! Yes, we may despair and be discouraged at times but with great DETERMINATION, we must CONTINUE ON. connie

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD

I want to say Happy Father's Day to my Dad. He has been gone to be with Jesus for some thirty-five years. I can still remember my Dad as though it was only yesterday that I saw him last. I loved and appreciated him more than I could have ever told him in words that I knew. I just wish that I would have let him know more often what he meant to me. How very happy I was that I was his daughter. So, Dad, up there in heaven, what ever you are doing, I just want you to know that I love you still and appreciate you so much more today than I did way back then. I have grown and experienced being a parent and a Grandparent and a Great Grand Parent now and I realize how very much you loved me and sacrificed for me. I know that the years grow short now and it want be so much longer before I see you once more but today, I felt a great need to say it out loud, "I love you, Dad!"connie

If you have a Dad, still living, don't take for granted that he will be here tomorrow. Sometimes tomorrows never come. Take the opportunity you have today to say, "I love you, Dad." Remember no one is perfect, no even you so appreciate the things that you can about your Dad and let him know it. Just some advice from someone who no longer has a chance to tell her Dad all the things she would like to.

A LOOK INTO WHAT YOU MIGHT BE.

I have been trying to think of a way that I could be a help to all you young ladies that come here. You are in a time of life that you can do something about what you will be in the future. If you can just take control of your eating and make your body the temple that God intended, you will look back when you are at my age and be glad. I have not been a good example in this area of my life and today I am paying for it. It is not that I have not had good advice, not that I have not had any help that I wanted. My husband has always seen that I had within reason anything that I needed to keep me healthy. No, it is totally on me and the bad choices that I have made for a lifetime. I don't like writing this but I felt if I can help one of you to keep you from coming to where I am, then it will be worth it. I will start from the beginning.

As a child, I was always overweight. I was the one that the kids were always saying, "Fatty, fatty, two by four, can't get through the kitchen door." It usually hurt my feelings but did not touch my weight problem.

In my high school years, my weight stayed at about 180 pounds. In those days, 180 pounds was considered FAT. People back then didn't weigh as much as they do today.

During my senior year in school, I lost down to 165 pounds. Sill considered over weight, I met a young man,named Jim------. He thought I was the most beautiful person he had ever met. My heart was so warmed by his love. We met September of 1961 and were married in March of 1962. We have now been married for 46 years and he still thinks that I am the most beautiful person he has ever known. So I have no excuses, I have been loved. I have been cherished. I just did not make good choices concerning food.

I had our first son when I was 19 in 1963. By the time our second son was born, I weighed 256 3/4 pounds. My husband still thought I was the most beautiful person he had ever seen and he not only said so but showed me with his actions.

After my third son was born, I started to TOPS CLUB. It is a place where you go to be encouraged to lose weight though competition and help from the ladies. It was a good time in my life. I lost 100 pounds while going there. Then I got Pregnant with our fourth son.

I gained slowly back to 180 pounds after that. It took years but for the most part that is the weight I stayed at. Then three years ago, I started having gout, I had it about every six weeks for a year, until they found a way to control it.During these episodes I had more pain than I ever thought possible. I could not walk. My husband had to help me with the most intimate of things. I have always been a person who always took care of herself and anybody else that needed it. It was a very hard year. During the episodes of gout, I had to take steroids which made me gain weight. I could not hardly move for about a year. Each episode I was barely recovered from a it, then it would hit me again. So you can imagine just laying mostly around for a year and still with my eating habits, I gained up to 238 pounds. The rest of the story since then you know.

Now, I was put on blood pressure medicine when I was 19 years old for being overweight. When I was in my 50s, I was found to have some arteries part blocked. I had high cholesterol. So now I took medicine for chest pain and high cholesterol. Two years ago, the Doctor told me that I had type 2 diabetes caused from being overweight. Now, I take medicine for that and that is what has been wrong with me for the last month or so. The diabetes got out of control.

Now all of the things came into my life because I have made wrong choices about food my whole life. It did not have to be. I probably would have still had pretty good health if I had listened to the Lord and to my doctors and learned to control my appetite according to what I needed for a healthy body.

I want all you young ladies to please listen to me, Life passes by very fast and you can always think you will do better later but then one day, it is too late. Health is gone and in some ways you can never get it back. IT WAS NOT NECESSARY. If I could tell you one thing, please do all that you can to take your eating habits seriously for they are effecting your body's health.

I am still fighting a battle and except for the Lord and all of you, I probably would have already given up trying. So, if you can , please think about my story and don't repeat what I have done. I want to do better now but it is so much harder at this stage of my life to lose weight, but I will not quit. To quit would mean my not pleasing my Lord and also premature death for me. connie

GETTING CONTROL

Dear ones who are on this journey with me, I have been ill for the last few days. After visiting my Doctor today, I am going to take a break from this blog but not from you all for a while. My diabetes is way out of control and I have to give my attention to that at this time. I do not want to continue to be ill. I thank you for your prayers and I will continue to pray for all of you. I am still holding my weight.I am very thankful for that. We have been gone a lot over the past couple of months for various reasons. Life has been a little unsettling or maybe I should say out of our regular routine. Jim and I have to get back to our healthy , regular routine for eating and rest for health's sake. As soon as I am feeling a little better, I will be to visit all of you. May God bless you in your lives. connie