So much to catch up on - ONWARD towards the good wife's body and predisposition!

Here's the "bottom" line - no pun intended, but maybe it should have been (intended, that is).

Okay - exhale, deep breath, get set, go.

Food was good on the cruise. How does one NOT order the lobster and shrimp plate along with the prime rib and not have the desserts too? Warm chocolate cake with the gooey chocolate center with a side of vanilla ice cream? "No, thank you?" Pleeeaaazzzzeeeee! Hey, I skipped the rolls and butter every single night and one night I didn't even order an entre (how do you spell that stupid, useless word?). (Where does the period go if the question is inside of the paratheses?)

Gained 8 pounds on the cruise! Exercised like mad. Some of the weight gain HAD to be muscle weight gain. In fact, I had a repeat of the test from the Polar thing and it said that my fat percentage went down like 1.4% over the course of 3 days. I kept thinking about Kimber's 5 hours per day work-outs and the concept of the "fun" "exercise vacation!" However, the guy punched in the same weight amount and didn't re-weigh me, so maybe that messed up the results?

Before I left for the cruise, I had my measurements taken at the LA weightloss place, and while I lost about 1.2 pounds, or some silly amount over that past 4 weeks, I had absolutely no change in my measurements, which wasn't much of a surprise, since I had been exercising significantly less. I was interested in learning what happened with the measurements.

Let's see...

When I got back, I switched my eating to what LA Weightloss calls "Fast Forward" where you eat only meat, raw vegies and juice, to trigger your metabolism and take some rapid weight off. The "Maker's Diet" talks about this too, and I think he refers to it as detoxing. The first couple of days back, when I was "detoxing" I felt almost sick, and lethargic. Then, yesterday, I began to feel better, then today, a lot better. I think I was literally detoxing a lot of crap out of my system from all the food I ate (gross).

I got back to my yoga/pilate routine and went to a spin class this week and feeling better physically - back to where I was, I think, before I took the time off from exercising a few weeks back. There is something good to be said for routine. It is good to be home, although the trip was great.

Yesterday I started the regular LA Weightloss diet (once again) and I am continuing to work towards that elusive goal of 145 pounds and body beautifully sculpted. Well, is it okay to dream? Or better yet, as Paul says, "I buffet my body and make it my slave," and "Having sufferred in the body you are freed from sin, no longer living for your lusts but for God (my paraphrase)." Hey what is the rest of the world doing with the five hours per week that it takes to stay in shape? It is the mental focus that needs to be so empowered to make it happen that it has to come from the throne of God Himself. As Paul said, that physical endurance/training is benefital for a time but godliness is benefital for eternity. Therefore, physical endurance/training is benefital for this time and when done in Christ's power, it is freeing us from the temporal.

I cancelled my appointment for LA Weightloss for today beacuse I was SO embarrassed, and I didn't want to have to pay extra dollars since I was so far behind on achieving my "goal weight." It is risky skipping a week's appointment (counting it as more vacation time) but hopefully I can follow my diet and exercise, with the Lord's help, successfully this week and can go back next Thursday on track once again, and go from there, onward, onward, towards that elusive goal...

Today my scale showed 149.5. That is a lot better, so some of the weight is starting to fall off, like I hoped that it would. The difference between my scale in the AM straight outta bed compared to my weight at LA Weightloss (the scale that counts) in my typical dehydrated state wearing the lightest clothes I find handy in my closet, is about 4 pounds. Therefore, my LA Weightloss weight is about 153.5. It was 148.8 when I left for the cruise. I wonder if I could be down to 150 by next week? How can someone actually gain 8 pounds in a week and take 3 months to lose 8 pounds? OBESITY is my natural destiny. But thanks be to God...

Oh, I found those size four pants and wore them yesterday. They still fit, but I actually CAN SEE where the weight that I gained actually went. You'd think that I really binged. I didn't think that I did. I did overeat at times, but I could binge so much more effectively if I wanted...I was ...trying to stay on a proper eating schedule...sort-of. I think I gave up about mid way through the trip, but, like I said, not completely. I still had one hand at the side of the pool. One foot in the water and one foot out. Oh well. ONWARD! I love goals. What about these four categories with regards to "the body": 1) Prioritize, 2) Set Goals, 3) Write a Mission Statement, 4) Ask myself, "Where do I see me in 5 years?"--(Does "more wrinkled" count?)

Lastly, I am wondering if I had a hot flash this morning. I think that I had one about three months ago. Oh, the delights of being 44, and the veins popping in my hands (and even my feet) look like my mother's. Come on girls (girls? girls? that's what old ladies call each other) it's hard getting old! And Paul said in I Peter 3 not to consider the outer beauty more than inner beauty. And Job's girls were the fairest of them all...And Ester had like a year of beauty treatments....Well, in running the race, let us run hardest toward and after Christ Himself, but meanwhile, let us be good stewards, in God's strength and perspective for the gifts and body that the Lord has given us, and such care is a godly gift for our husbands. Which wife would you want to live with and introduce as your wife, if you were a guy? Sure, he loves us either way, but which body shows our respect for our husband? "Likewise wives should be sure that they respect their husbands..." God bless!

43

Here in Alaska I decided to take a "Polar" consultation, a series of measurements that results in a 20 page report summarizing my overall body health.

It said my body age is 43. (I just recently turned 44). It said my body fat is about 26-27. It said my ideal weight should be 144 and that I should lose 9 pounds. It said that my metabolism is sluggish and (without exercise) my body burns about 1550 calories per day. (No wonder losing weight takes so long.) The report said that my eating habits are very good. I get the final report in a few days. (He just gave me preliminary findings.)

This report helps me to see that despite size 6 pants (I am pretty sure I got 4's too but I'm trying to locate those!), I am only doing what I SHOULD be doing to take care of my body, and that the LA Weightloss goal that I set of 145 is a medically sound choice. I realize that I need to continue to exercise and I need to do still more exercise and careful eating, because, like the man said, I only have 112 pounds of muscle and this is why my metabolism is slugglish. So here's to more muscle and less fat (well, how about the other way around - less fat first, and also to more muscle) ONWARD!

pants

Ups and downs, good times and bad times, exercise and lack of exercise, self control (a fruit of the Holy Spirit) and lack of self control (the flesh). Yesterday I bought new pants. 4's and 6's. God's grace.

The scoop

Okay maybe I'm whining. Tonight I went off my diet a bit. I shouldn't whine about going off my diet when I have been sticking with the plan real good for the most part. Overall I am doing pretty well. Overall I am pleased with my progress, but cautious.

My goal is to get as low as I can within the next week, while staying on the "gold plan" at LA Weightloss. Next week I am scheduled to go to "stabilization," unless I pay more money, so if I can be about 148 or less, like 147.5 would be good, then I will go with that and "abandon" my goal weight of 145, in a way.

That is to say, since I have been through LA Weightloss before, I recall that during stabilization I actually continued to lose a few more pounds, because their re-entry of non-diet food is slow and cautious. Therefore, in my mind, I will still look to see if I can get to the 145.0.

After stabilization for six weeks comes maintenance. As long as you don't go over five pounds from your weight when you went on stabilization, you stay in maintenence.

I may choose to pay for more weeks and not go into stabilization, depending where I am at when I check-in next with LA Weightloss, which is next Thursday. I decided to go on Thursday, because it is right before my trip to Alaska. While there I will take a "vacation" from LA weightloss and do not have to pay for those weeks, and am not expected to lose any weight. I hope that I don't gain any either, but if I gain a couple, I'm not going to freak. I wonder where my measurements are at, because I haven't exercised much at all this past month, especially when compared to the month before. This is another reason why I am glad that I am in LA Weightloss: I want to learn, like a science, about these things, such as my measurements and how they will change this month compared to last. I have a whole year of "maintenence" with them and I am planning to "be good" and go in every two weeks like I should.

As far as exercise, this week has not been too good to me. It has been a stressful week actually, and busy at work. Since I am only home a short bit before leaving to go on another trip, I've had to be pretty focused on getting things done. However, yesterday I did get a chance to walk about three hours passing out about 200 invitations (see my other blog).

Sorry this read is so dry...........I'm tired and I gotta go to bed! Till next time!

LA Weightloss scale as of 6/6/6: 149.0 - a new all time low! (Home scale in AM: 145.5!) PTL! ALLGLORY & THANKS UNTO HIM!

Been busy so I lacked time/ability to exercise. Sad but I have another priority for a couple days (see my other blog).

I am prayful that the Alaska cruise can be an "exercise vacation!"

one pound

Yesterday I made my way into LA weightloss and do you know what? In three weeks since I checked in last I gained.........(drum roll please)....one pound! Well, Maybe the Titanic is slow to turn one way or the other. Whatever. Don't try to follow the logic of a scale or you will go crazy. Do not try to hit the jackpot again and again, it won't happen.

I am on "Fast Forward" part of their program for two days, and then back to their "gold program" (the color of my program). The lady who helped me out yesterday was actually really nice and enthusiastic and even, like, fun, sort-of.

The lady said that cruises are really dangerous places and she has seen people gain as much as ten pounds in a week.

Yesterday I exercised at the club for 45 min spin class and 50 minute yoga class. I have lost a lot of my aerobic capacity. Oh well.

Tomorrow I want to go to the club for 8 AM and 9 AM classes. I know it will wipe me out. But can I do it anyway? I think so.

Today I had a massage. I have shoulder problems and the deep tissue massage really helps.