Slimfast update and other details...

It's been a month since I started the SlimFast diet. So far, I'm down about 10 lbs. I suppose that's a healthy amount. At that rate, I will have met my goal within a year. There are other habits that I've been trying to incorporate into my life that I think are more helpful than the SlimFast, to be honest. In fact, I think the SlimFast more or less satisfies a sweet tooth that keeps me from overindulging in the real sweets.

Some of the other simple habits I'm trying to incorporate include:

• no eating after 6 p.m....usually pretty easy unless I'm down in the dumps for some crazy reason, but I'm trying to mentally get control of that behavior!
• 2 to 3 cups of black coffee (well, I do use Splenda) everyday. Dad...you will be satisfied to know that I'm finally a coffee-drinker, but it took me almost 35 years to get here. And, by the way, all you coffee-o-holics, you folks never told me coffee helps to curb your appetite! I mean, a Diet Mountain Dew was good for an afternoon pick-me-up because it has a gazillion tons of caffeine, but it doesn't do the trick for the appetite the way the black coffee does. Now, I think it's important to notice the "black" (I would much more prefer milk and sugar flavored with a little coffee but that defeats the purpose) part of this habit. I've been reading about benefits of the black coffee is that it does contain good antioxidants which are beneficial. I am positive, like with most good things, consumed without moderation this coffee-habit has the potential to backfire on me. Moderation...
• I bought a dietary supplement (vitamins and fiber) at the herb shop in Rainsville which is supposed to be a good weight loss aid as well as helpful for decreasing risk of heart disease. It is a powder that you mix with water and drink 10 to 15 minutes before your 2 heaviest meals each day (about 8 to 10 oz, so it's not much). I can definitely tell that I feel full with much less food and don't get hungry so much between meals. It has an orange flavor, not great tasting but I have had to drink worse things before (anybody who has had a major surgery may know what I'm talking about!)
• Walking, walking, walking. I hate it but I guess it's got to be done. I'm walking about 40 minutes and am up to about 7 laps at the track (1.75 miles).
• I've been reading what the Bible has to say about endurance, because that's what I lack when it comes to diet and exercise. On Wednesday night, our pastor has been teaching from 2 Peter 1:5 and following about adding to our faith, knowledge, goodness, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. (Hope I didn't leave one out...). Well, the Bible says a lot about endurance. I'm no seminary professor, but I definitely know endurance involves pain now and pay off later, usually for a cause much greater than your- (or my-) self. I also know that our God is the God of encouragement and endurance - check out Romans 15:5 - , so I'm praying He will encourage me to endure....stick with the pain now for pay off later.

Well, that's all I can think of about the SlimFast diet....

A few other notable comments...

Some of you blog-readers met our little resident Omzavious this summer (2 year old little cutie-pie who lived with us for several months and captured every one's heart to crossed his path). I hear from his mom often and they are doing good it sounds like. I actually talked to him on the phone tonight. I just melted! I wish I could just kiss his little face off! I so want to take a little road trip to Geneva County and see him, his baby sister, and his momma. It sounds like they are in church and his mom is working. She is planning to start to community college in January. Please say a little prayer for them.

Does everyone know I'm going to see Dolly Parton in concert in Atlanta in a few weeks? I'm not a huge Dolly fan but she is a legend no doubt. Our social worker here at The Way Home is crazy about Dolly, so there are 4 of us girls taking off to see Dolly. There's been some talk of passes onto her tour bus....we'll see... We were supposed to go see her at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta back in the Spring, but we got scammed in our ticket purchase and did not get to go. This time, we already have tickets in hand and paid for.

Planning to watch the big VP debate tomorrow night. To be honest, I'm holding my breath a bit for my gal Gov. Sarah Palin. I'm nervous...

I'm looking forward to this Saturday. The Alexandria Valley Cats will take on Jacksonville in peewee. It's supposed to be downright vicious. I'm taking our girls (we have 2 now with 1 baby) with me. Jaxson told me that he's been wanting to hold a tiny baby...not sure how or why he got that in his mind, but I think we can make that happen for that little feller!

That's my post for today! Chow!