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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Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church : National Historic Site

Come experience a visit to the National Historic Site of the Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The land where the church rests contains the unmarked graves of Black pioneers who settled in Oro to escape the conditions in the the States. It  was inspiring that God would choose to let our provincial flower "The Trillium" to grow so lavishly in the wooded area of the property. A fitting tribute of acknowledgement....that we are all apart of the fabric of this beautiful province and to celebrate our history here.

Come see it for yourself.... a gentle visit in an unassuming corner......
The church is at the corner of Line 3 and the Old Barrie Rd..
For more information check out this online brochure:
http://www.oro-medonte.ca/Shared%20Documents/African%20Church%20Brochure.pdf

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Baby Geese and Too Many Flowers to Count

baby Canadian Geese.

In Canada the rights of Canadian Geese are protected....they are a national symbol.

I have no idea what kind of tree this is....but the miniature pine cones caught my eye, by their cute size and resembling a rose made out of the woody pine cone.

The lowly dandelion....still striking amid the ole winter's dry grasses.

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Snap a Pic of your local Buds

 

The buds of a Red Maple Tree taken this first week of May in Ontario Canada.

My ole Samsung GT-S7560M still takes AWESOME Pics!

 Can you see the minute details of the flower? Even the tiny hairs on the flower petals are clearly visible.All three of these photos were taken with my

Samsung GT-S7560M.

I love the way the external texture of this flowering cactus is so inviting through this pic. Don't you feel like you can just reach in and touch one of the succulent leaves?

There are times when keepin' it  "Old School" pays off. And that's exactly how I feel about my ole
Samsung cell phone Camera feature.

This phone is probably at least 5 years since it was first introduced to the marketplace.... maybe it's even older than that!
I bought it several years ago and the store couldn't even sell me a case that fit it. But I am writing today just to celebrate the fact that Samsung really created a profoundly excellent camera on their very early version cell phones. Check out these nature pics that I took with my Samsung GT-S7560M cell phone!




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Gluten Free At Subway

Yup it's true! Subway has gone "gluten free"....by offering a sealed gluten free "bread" upon which to serve their sandwich toppings. Now I've not yet had the chance to research just precisely which
"toppings" are also gluten free, but at least the fact that they are carrying GLUTEN FREE sandwich bread is a HUGE step in the right direction for those of us who choose, or must choose to observe a gluten free diet.

For more details...go directly to their website Subway.


Way to go Subway! We applaud you!

May many more fast food companies follow your example and offer healthy GLUTEN FREE options!

Peaceful productivity,
C.

Buy my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!
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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

Up Your Stamina with Cold Exposure

Ok, ok, now don't jump to conclusions. I am not a fan of frost bite or anything like that.

But lately I've been pondering Tim Ferriss' and Tony Robbins praises of "cold plunges" followed by "hot/warm plunges"....Both Tim and Tony are motivational "Type A" men
and they are BOTH HUGE fans of cold plunges. They use cold plunges into icy waters to "reset" something within themselves.( see Tony's blurb about the power of cold plunges HERE.)
( see Wikipedia's description of Contrast Bath Therapy HERE as Tim Ferris podcast suggests on his
("The Random Show")

So, since we are still in the thick of our wonderfully convenient CHILLY Ontario, Canada winter, I've decided to give my two cents about my experience with similar phenomena.

For the record, I have not yet done a professional "cold plunge" into icy water.
And No, I have not gone to the store to buy ice and thrown it into my bathtub to create my own indoor "cold plunge tank".

But what I have done, is simply RELAX more as I do force myself to go out for 20 minutes walks into the chilly winter air that currently surrounds my home.I used to hate the cold, and blamed my middle age on my lack of "cold tolerance". But lately I've been tweaking my perspective. Cold can be good. Cold can help me live better and feel better. 

So, before I go outside I bundle up; I wear a fab coat with excellent winter protection. Occasionally I wear a hat or hood  to combat falling/blowing snow, because there are some days that are just sooo cold that my big hair no longer is sufficient to insulate my head ....lol.

Growing up in Ontario, tobogganing and building snowmen was part and parcel of being a kid.
My recent ponderings of "pro cold plunges" brought back to my remembrance how I felt when I would come back home from a raucous afternoon of tobogganing.
 I remember rozy red cheeks.... feeling pumped and on top of the world. Perhaps there was some kind of internal "resetting" going on then too.
I recall feeling so refreshed and energized. I recall icy blue skies and seeing our breaths as we plodded back home dragging whatever was left of our dented toboggans. Back then, we actually had a steel toboggan. I don't think I've ever seen a steel toboggan since I was a kid.

So what's my point? Maybe Tim Ferriss and Tony Robbins are simply restating an obvious fact that I did know experientially to be true. I experience it again, whenever I do force myself to go outside for a very chilly winter walk. After only 20 minutes of walking in the frigid winter outdoor air I come inside and find myself feeling renewed, refreshed and yes, a definitely delightful boost of stamina and exhilaration.

Is that adrenaline? Is that my body's response to the outdoor air's attempt to lower my body temp?
Is that simply the affect of fresher outdoor air replacing stale indoor air in my lungs?
I have no idea.

All  I know, is that, being out in the cold even for a brief 20 minute walk, while fully dressed in winter garb, gives my stamina a great kick in the pants. I simply feel better.

Thank you to Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss for making it "cool" to get cold ")

How 'bout you? What gets you feeling better in the winter months?

Ttys,
Carla.

DISCLAIMER: Note that the author and publisher of this blog does not accept any liability for the ideas discussed in this blog post or any other post on this blog. This post is intended for conversational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as advice or medical advice. Medical advice should always been sought from licensed medical professionals. Before undertaking any new or unusual activities seek advice from a licensed medical practitioner.




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