8 Month Check-in

 Today marks the 8th month mark on this journey, and truly I am still amazed at what God has done in my life! In 2023 I had given up on ever losing very much weight. I was stuck in a cycle of losing some weight and then gaining it back - both were slow but still not doing my body very much good. But 8 months ago, God worked in a huge way in my life, and I am So very thankful! 

Before I get into how much I lost over the last month and how much altogether, I wanted to share that in this journey I have set several goals. These goals have dates of when I want to accomplish them. So, the next goal is to lose 56 pounds by my birthday - since I will be turning 56 years old. The good news is I am only 2 pounds away from reaching that goal- and I have 3 months till my birthday!!! This is great news because my next weight loss goal is for Dec 22nd (or possible 12/31) either of these would be amazing! And right now, I am 15 pounds away from that goal. That is a very manageable goal. I have 3 more goals set up, but I won't bore you with those details till these two goals have been accomplished. 

So that great news is that I have lost 7 pounds since last check in making a total of 54 pounds!! I may have mentioned this in other posts - but I have never lost more than 50 pounds at one time. Only one other time did I lost 50 pounds and fell into my old habits and slowly gained the weight back and probably more. So, making it past 50 pounds is a major accomplishment!! 

I am a part of a WFPB group on Facebook. Someone had shared how they had lost weight, but they were getting awfully thin and wanted to know on a WFPB diet - what can they do to stop the weight loss. Well, my answer was to add more nuts, seeds, avocados and olives. Why? Because these things have good fats and this person needed more good fats in order to stop losing weight. It was funny because then I got some unsolicited advice from several people - Oh NO! don't add those things till you lose all the weight - were the basic message being given to me. I very nicely responded with the facts of losing 50 pounds in the last 7 months - and yes - I eat nuts, seeds, avocados and olive. Not a whole lot of them - but they are sprinkled in here and there throughout the week. Yes- I could lose weight faster by leaving these things off - but I want to lose weight in a sustainable way. In a way that I can keep doing the rest of my life. And by allowing myself to have these yummy goodies - I am giving my body what it needs and doing something I can do the rest of my life. Oh and I also shared that I also make my own bread with freshly milled flour and eat bread every SINGLE day. It would be unrealistic for me to cut out all these things and be able to stick with it. Our bodies need the nutrients from all of these things.   

So 8 months in and I am still SO thankful that God has led me to this lifestyle. I know it is the best for my body and for my health and the beautiful benefit has been weight loss. And getting closer to my ultimate goal every day!! 

“The Plagues” | Sabbath School Panel by 3ABN - Lesson 4 Q3 2025

How to Start Healing Your Body Today

Keep Choosing to Put Your Health First

 Hello sweet friends! I hope you all are doing well. Things here are going pretty well. I am thankful that our summer has been a "mild" one - of course many days feel in the triple digits even if they don't register that high of a temperature. 

I am still SO thankful that we were able to get our attic reinsulated this year. Our AC is NOT having to run ALL day long like it did many days last year. We have seen a reduced electric bill - but it should really show up on the bill in August because we had an issue with our dryer - it wasn't drying and so it was taking FOREVER to dry. I put what I could put on the line to dry but my husband does not like hardly any of his clothes put on the line. Anyway my husband got the dryer fixed last week end so I am expecting the August bill to be even lower. The best part is that we are able to be comfortable in our home. 

Please do keep our son and his family in your prayers- he has an older unit and it has been breaking down like every other week it seems. It would be amazing if God could provide a replacement outside unit for them - it is what is in pretty bad shape and will need to be replaced but AC people saying it's really hard to find things now. And he can NOT afford to get a totally new unit altogether, 

It seems like I have a ganglion cyst on the top of my right foot. So I have been trying to take it a bit easier on walking and exercising. But I am trying castor oil now and hoping it will take care of the issue. And I am easing back into exercise. I just feel better when I am able to exercise. I sleep better as well. And of course I see changes quicker. 

Speaking of changes - I was thinking the other day- I am about half way to my goal - and I figure it will take another year to reach my goal. That could be depressing if a person let it - but I am choosing to look at it like this - by the time I get to my goal I will be at least 1 year and 8 months - or longer at this lifestyle and what I eat and do will be second nature. This is a very good thing. So yes- this in between part can drag sometimes but it is helping me to grow and to learn how better to deal with the stresses in my life - without going to food - and I will have P-L-E-N-T-Y of time to practice these healthier coping mechanisms. I could choose to dwell on the negative -but that wouldn't help at all. But choosing the postivie side of things helps in SO many ways. 

Next week I will be posting an update on how things are going. Hopefully I can get some other things typed up between now and then but if not - Take care and keep choosing to put your health first! :0) 

God Preparing the Way series .... #5

 And here I was thinking that #4 was the end of the series but here we are with and another installment. And this one is a big one. 

So, the last several years I have not gotten a birthday cake. It really made me sad the first several times that I did not get a birthday cake. There is also a really yummy green dessert that my grandma and mom used to make that I would love at my birthday as well. But sadly, I hadn't gotten any of it either. 

So fast forward to the present day and I am so thankful that it was already established that I did not get a birthday cake or green dessert- because I don't have to tell anyone please don't get me any cake since I don't eat that kind of thing anymore. And it won't be a big adjustment that I have to make when my birthday rolls around. 

I am still shooting to lose 56 pounds by my birthday - and right now(as of date of writing this post 7-23) I have 9 pounds to go and I have 17 weeks till my birthday. It is doable - for sure. 

This is where I will need some extra prayers though. For some reason I seem to come to a wall when I approach the 50 pound mark when losing weight. It's like my brain gets worried and tries to sabotage me at that point. But this time will be different. I will have to just keep at it. I have no intentions of leaving this healthier lifestyle. And I know that God said - I HAVE GIVEN you the VICTORY! And I am holding onto His promise. 

So just stick around because who knows.... there could be more things added to this list of how God prepared the way. :O) 

 Victory in Jesus Christ in 2025 and beyond!

“Rough Start” | Sabbath School Panel by 3ABN - Lesson 3 Q3 2025

God Preparing the Way.... #4

 So far, I have shared how God removed caffeine out of my diet, which not only removed Coke but also Chicken Express sweet tea. I also shared how God totally removed Dickies from the area, so I am no longer tempted to get their yummy tangler or ice cream cones. Today's post will be a bit different. Stick around and you will see what I mean. 

So, for quite some time I had been noticing how foods that I had really enjoyed had lost their taste, like things weren't as enjoyable or satisfying. And over the 6 months to a year before my shift to a WFPB diet - while at our favorite Mexican restaurant I tried several things, and the same thing had happened again- the foods didn't seem as good to me. But at the same time, I was noticing that things like salads, fruit, veggies, and such really tasted good and were satisfying. 

The lack of enjoyment and satisfaction has made it even easier to turn my back on the standard American diet (SAD)> 

The things I eat now may not always be oh so yummy, but they are always satisfying, and they give my body the nutrients it needs. And that is a win in my books! 

I am sure there are other ways in which God has been preparing me for my transition into a healthier diet and when I think of more things I will come back and share with you. Pay attention to your life. Are there ways in which God is working in your life. Maybe leading in the best direction for your life. It is really neat to realize how He works things out and to see how His hand has led. 

“The Burning Bush” | Sabbath School Panel by 3ABN - Lesson 2 Q3 2025