Half-Past Failure

What time is it where you are right now?




Do you ever feel as though it's about half-past failure?



I sure do.



Whether the day isn't going as planned, or I don't seem to be able to gather up enough motivation to even think about resisting a bad choice, it's easy to feel as though I'm well on the way to failure.



So from today on, I'm putting failure on a different time schedule.



A stop watch.



Anytime I feel as though I'm about to take a giant leap towards failure, I'm going to hit that button and stop the clock! While failure fumes and stomps around grumbling about free-will and choice, I'm going to step back and look at the decision I'm about to make and decide if it's right for me.



The rest is easy. Once I decide, I'll reset that old stop watch and start again, one step at a time on the road less traveled by. I'll wave as I go by, maybe stop in to see you with a friendly word of encouragement. Some of you will be walking alongside me, boosting me up with positive support and friendship. Thanks for that. Have I told you recently how much I appreciate you?



When I finally reach my goal, I think I'll send failure a postcard and thank him for helping me appreciate success.



Ready? Let's go!

Less of me

That's right, there's a lot less of me, than when I started this blog back in January. In that time, I've lost almost sixty pounds, and it's thanks to SparkPeople.com. I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but what a fantastic site it is.
I have reduced my weight from 240 down to 185, a loss of 55 pounds, and I am determined to lose another forty pounds yet in the coming year.
Check it out right here:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

Look me up over there as Jani-Lou, stop by my Spark Page and say hi!

Spark People Again

For anyone trying to lose weight, I can't sing the praises of SparkPeople.com loud or clearly enough.

I found this website by 'chance', in answer to prayer, a few days after I asked God to help me with my weight problem. I was surfing the web and saw photos of the latest Biggest Loser contestants. One woman mentioned having used Spark People.com, so I decided to look it up and it has changed, perhaps saved my life!

Spark People is FREE. There are no fees, or costs, hidden or otherwise. You can follow their nutrition program with a daily menu, planned out for you based on your starting weight, goal weight and activity level. If you don't like a food on the menu, you can change it! No more having to look up those calories. The site does it for you, and also lets you know the fat, protein, carb, vitamin and mineral levels you have consumed for the day.

They give you a personal Spark Page where you can blog, post photos, and tell your story. Reading other people's pages will amaze you, when you see how much weight they have lost.

There is a personal fitness program, again, tailored to fit your schedule, your needs. You can make use of the site as much or as little as you want to.

As you progress through the program, you will earn Spark Points, and learn all kinds of motivational techniques, to help you make this a permanant life-style change. You will never say "diet" again.

Then there are the community forums, where you will find thousands of other people all striving for the same goals, to lose weight and become healthy again. Chat with people on just about any clean subject under the sun.

Spark People has a staff of professional nutrition, health and fitness experts on staff who present daily articles on a wealth of different subjects.

You can join Spark teams of fellow members who share your personal interests. Do you like horses, dogs, cats? Riding, sailing, motor-cycle riding? Knitting, sewing? Are you an Oprah fan? Or do love House or Law and Order? There is a Spark team for you.

Do yourself a favor and take a look at www.sparkpeople.com

It might change your life!

SparkPeople.com Is Fantastic

If you are ready to lose weight, I have great news for you! There is a website called SparkPeople.com where you will find all the motivation, support and help you could ever need and it's all free.

I joined Spark People almost four weeks ago, and I've lost eighteen pounds already.

They help you set up your goals, and provide nutrition tracking (no more having to look up those calories!) and a fitness program tailored to your individual needs.

There are interest groups to join, and all kinds of motivational, health and fitness articles to help you along the way.

Winter Blues

Here it is April and we are still getting snow! Sigh. My weight loss is SLOW, like the arrival of spring. But the last time I stepped on the scales, I was down to 206.4 pounds.

Now, if I could only tip the other side of 200!

A Long Winter

It is winter and the snow drifts are piling higher than ever around here. We've had nothing but snow and ice storms for months. It will melt one day soon. Like the excess weight I still carry. Some days I look in the mirror and despair of ever seeing this fat gone. But it will "melt", just like the snow.
Number of the day is 210.4.

Pounds, that is.

Mirrors Never Lie

The mirror doesn't lie. I can see the changes in my body now when I stand in front of a mirror.

Although it has been almost two months since I posted to this blog, I have continued on track, not without some struggles through the Christmas season where emotions took hold and I found myself eating for emotional reasons.

I got through it. Although I "strayed" for about a week, I was able to pull myself around.

Weight today is 212.6 pounds.

I like it. But only for today and the next few days.

I've been setting my goals pound by pound. My next goal is 211 pounds.

One day, God willing, I will reach 145 pounds again.