Encouraging Deep Roots

As I looked in the store's dressing room mirror the other day, tears sprang up. I was there because the weather has turned very warm and nothing I own fits me anymore. Every single piece of summer clothing I own is too big and hanging off of me. Tears sprang up because I fit into a size that I haven't worn since I was a college student. And I didn't just squeeze into the size, it fit perfectly. My tears were happy ones. I know it may be silly to some, but I have been so unhealthy for so long that it just seemed that was the way I was going to be forever. The funny thing was that I didn't think I looked as heavy as I was, but when I see pictures of myself now from a few years ago I cannot believe how swollen my face looks. I really used to hate dressing room mirrors and would often leave the store feeling depressed because much of what I liked wouldn't fit and my clothing sizes kept climbing. When depressed, I would immediately begin to eat all the things that kept m...

I've spent the past 4 days staring at a computer screen for hours each day, feeling like I wanted to rip my hair out and yes, crying a few tears. However, I am happy to say that my new cookbook has been published. You can click on the picture above to take you to the page on Amazon where it is listed. It is available as a paperback, hardcover and Kindle e-book. I'm so happy with how it turned out and yet, never thought writing a cookbook would be that difficult. I would think I was finished and then find something else I needed to tweak. I also included a bit of my weight loss journey in it as well.  I have also created a new website for all things frugal called The Frugal Connection . The link for that is at the top of this blog. I also started a Facebook page for that with the desire to build a community around inspiring each other with ideas to save money in this crazy economy. I'm excited about this new book but had to laugh at the irony of how expensive it is to print ...

  Despite the unexpected busyness and interruptions, I have been plugging away at my weight loss as well as writing the plant-based, whole food cookbook. Recipe testing fell by the wayside the past two weeks, but I've still gotten a good chunk of the book done. I also got on the scale this morning for another one pound loss which makes a total of 61 lbs. since I started this journey back in July. It's second nature at this point and I have so much more energy and feel healthy. The only negative is that because I've lost so much weight I'm seeing some sagging, crepe-papery skin happening. Yuck. Some of that is age and I need to figure out some toning exercises. It's definitely a life-style change, but a positive one which I'm so thankful I started on. The pictures above are a small selection of meals I've eaten the past two months and many of those will be included in the book.  This will be a printable e-book as I find that will be the easiest and most cost ...

  As many of you know I've been on this weight loss journey since July. I've lost 51 lbs. so far and can see a noticeable difference in my appearance. I've hit a weight that I haven't seen since before I had my second child back in 1993. I have about 25 lbs. to go but am losing at a steady 1-2 lbs. per week. When I started out I realized that I couldn't view this as a diet which I could stop once I lost the weight, but had to actually make a life-long change in eating. The more I've studied and listened to podcasts and looked at my life, the more I realize that I truly have an addiction to sugar and processed foods. Once I start eating all the wrong things, I have a hard time stopping. There is no eating one bite and stopping. And yet, this is what people keep saying to me. "One bite won't hurt you." "It's the holidays." "You can cheat on the holiday." I've discovered very quickly that I cannot. Processed foods and sugar...

My life was so busy this past month and I realized yesterday that I didn't do my monthly recap of my weight loss journey. I was quite certain that after being away for a week and out of my normal environment that I would have stayed the same or at least, gained a pound or two. However, I got on the scale yesterday morning and have lost another 6 lbs. for a total of 36 since the beginning of July. I don't really notice it so much, but someone took this picture of me at church last night and I can really see the difference in my face.  My clothes are fitting looser and I feel so much better. My doctor told me I no longer need the blood pressure medicine which is amazing and makes me very happy. I think a challenge this winter is going to be continuing to move and exercise. Right now the only thing I'm doing is walking and hiking and the winters here are not conducive to that. Also as I continue to lose weight, I know I need to start doing some toning exercises to tighten up t...

  It's been two months since I made the change to eat plant based and whole foods and I'm loving the results I'm seeing with very minimal effort.  Because I've always made everything from scratch this hasn't been a challenge that way at all. I've continued to cook the way I always have only without all the fat and sugar. I've cut way back on my salt intake as well. I still do use it because I think it does enhance the flavor, but I'm not using anywhere near the amount I used to do. It's been really helpful to listen to some podcasts from different doctors and nutritionists and learn how to make better choices even within a plant-based diet.  Because my family eats whatever I make for them, they have been eating healthier as well.  I've had to navigate a couple of tricky situations and as long as I have a plan going in then I find it's not that difficult. Being away from home for extended periods of time is a little difficult, but planning ahe...

I made the change in my eating habits on July 3rd and I am amazed that I've had no sugar, no processed food nor any sort of fried foods or white flour in a month. Other than once or twice I haven't really had the desire for them either. I'm learning to cook with different ingredients. This salad had a tofu dressing on it instead of mayonnaise. It was really good the first night and reminded me a bit of ranch dressing. However, I wasn't crazy about the texture the next day. Some things are a win and others aren't. The couple of times we've gone out I have made sure that I know what's on the menu ahead of time so I have a plan going in. I know that if I wait until I get there and am not prepared then I will be more apt to make a wrong choice. It was a challenge the other night when we met another couple at a place that's geared toward college students and the main choices on the menu were pizza, burgers and deep fried everything. I ordered a salad with gri...

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ~  Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. I'm finishing up the third week of this new way of eating and it's been going well. I got on the scale this morning and it frustratingly has not budged. But I'm not going to let that discourage me as I lost 8 lbs. the first two weeks and there is bound to be a leveling off. Ideally you should lose 1-2 lbs. per week in order to see permanent results.  I also had to navigate a few social situations which are always a trigger for eating the wrong things. We have refreshments after church each week. I'm thankful for the couple who signed up last week and brought a veggie and fruit tray.  Once a month on Wednesdays we have a cooking class at the church for those women who want to learn some life skills. This week they made pizza and that's a challen...

I had a conversation with a friend recently, who shared something she had been reading about choosing to steward (be responsible for or look after) or not steward things.  So as you go through your house and look at your items, you can ask yourself, "Do I really want to steward this any more?" "Do I want to use my physical and emotional space to care for it or is it just taking up valuable space?"  It got me thinking about stewardship in general and how there are some things we are definitely supposed to steward. We are to steward the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are to steward the spiritual gifts we have been given.  Another thing we are to be stewards of and gets overlooked by so many is our physical bodies. We have one body that has been given to us and so many, including me, have let it fall into disrepair. I've struggled with this the past few years. I've been blessed with a large bone structure and am taller than some women so carry my excess weight in ...