Gazing through Heavenly Natural Phenom

What is summer without a day at the beach?

When I see Lichens growing naturally on a fallen log or tree, I think of Kaffe Fassett and his extravagant portrayals of lichens in knitting.

Can you see the chubby bumble bee playing in the rose?

Fungi are not only white or gray in color. I found these chocolate brown ones attached to birch bark.

Summer holidays are good times to be a slug.

This picture doesn't do this flower justice and I must admit i don't know what kind of flower it is ....but it reminded me of a wild orchid with it's deep plum coloring, as it grew so quietly in the forest.

Don't think I will ever get tired of snapping pics of baby geese and their fiercely protective parents.

I've seen the progress, from the little goslings that fall head over webbed feet following their mamas to the curious teen geese that still can't claim their parent's full blown colors, but are happy to imitate their parents' grazing tactics.

The ball of flowers reminded me of the July 1st fireworks....to celebrate my country's 150th birthday.

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11 lbs and counting

Yes, yes I know....you don't necessarily read my blog for weight loss blogging....but hey, it's where I am right now and I might as well share my excellent adventure in this regard.

So yes, as of last tally I've lost just an ounce shy of 11 lbs. And for the record, yes I do have more weight to lose.

The things that work continue to be:

Drinking enough water and unsugared coffee or tea throughout the day. I am not sparse on adding milk or soy milk to my teas and coffees, but I have almost eliminated my white sugar intake.

In line with keepin' it real....I must divulge that as I have been drastically reducing my white sugar intake, that I do notice that I don't get that boost of energy that I used to get whenever I consumed my numerous coffees througout the day. White sugar does give me a sense of "hyperness" that I have counted on to continue to keep my "up" . Not having that boost is like missing a "key ingredient" of my lifestyle. And frankly....that sucks!

In watching TLC's reality shows on those who lose hundred of pounds of weight, I remember noting that so many of those who have radically changed the way they eat, that they do go through profound psychological changes when they reduce the amount of foods and type of food they eat. They feel a sense of profound loss, as if they have lost a dear friend, or a cherished hobby.

Oh dear, I am getting much too sentimental....but hey don't we all feel some pretty strong feelings about the foods we eat? Don't we have precious foody favorites .....those we really don't want to go without?
White sugar was really one of the strongholds that I've held close to my daily routine for years. And where would I hide the white sugar in? In my coffee and in my bowl of cereal.

So, in conclusion, if you are also trying to change your diet or style of eating, be prepared for some emotional and physiological changes. I heard some years ago, that some folks's addiction to        white sugar is similar to what drug addicts feel about cocaine.....a very strong and most compelling drug.

But there is hope, there is strength in numbers.....and in public forums. I feel better for having shared this with you today. And I hope that you too will dare to care and share your struggles with someone that cares about you and your health.

Peace, Carla.




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I Lost 4% of my Body Weight

Yes, yes, tis  true... I lost 4% of my body weight and today is June25th 2017 and I began my "weight loss " efforts in earnest in April 2017.

Curious about how? Well, you must permit me to blurt out some of the unusual things that have helped me. They may not work for you......but perhaps the reading will entertain you none the less.....so here goes:

What helped me lose 4% of my body weight are the following activities:

• Attending church services
• Attending prayer meetings
• Consistent caffeine intake via coffee or teas....without sugar added.
• Probiotic yoghurt packed in 100 calorie plastic pods such as ACTIVIA.
• daily weigh- ins on a digital scale
• Writing down the daily weigh ins.
• Goal setting and rehearsing those goals aloud as often as possible. ( note that these goals cover many          facets of my life.....not just weight.)
• Making sure I had some good protein regularly....such as fish, nuts, or yogurt or small amounts of cheese.
• Scripture reading aloud almost every day.... from one chapter of Proverbs and one chapter of the New  testament bible books.
• Positive attitude.....toward myself and and others and life in general as much as possible.
• Occasional Container Eating....which means that I would segregate all my "appointed" foods for the       day into    one box or container in the fridge so that I could count and control the calories.
• Counting calories...... I used to think that calorie counting would never work for me....but lo and behold, I  am learning a lot and now know some of the calorie estimates for many of my fave foods.
• Occasional eating of one raw garlic clove...with lots of water to drown out the taste.
• Occasional taking of Vitamin B complex supplements.
• Eating simple common and modestly priced foods such as :   boiled corn on the cob, bananas, boiled eggs, sardines in a can, canned tuna,  canned mussels or  oysters  in oil, vanilla soy milk, skim milk, maple syrup.
• Simple activities like occasionally pumping 5lb weight with one arm....while counting up to 20.
• Simple activities like biking or walking

Sooooooo....that's all folks for today. Perhaps, if my weight loss continues as I hope it will, I  may write more. I want to mention gently to my friends......that, weight "stuff" is just one aspect of life.....and not a really huge part of it. But it is true that weight can affect other parts of our personal and public lives because it affects the way we dress, as well as our vulnerability to things like high blood pressure and diabetes. I want to live a long time, as God grants me the grace to do so. So if I can live that long long life, without having to tow around many extra heavy pounds on my excellent adventures, then I am going to give it my best shot.

Peace,

Carla.

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