Ghost of Diets Past

I thoroughly enjoyed spending a few hours with my favorite aunt, Shelia Holmes, rearranging our booth at Kaleidoscope, eating a yummy lunch together, and just catching up today! Sometimes people underestimate the power of face-to-face interaction with loved ones! It refreshes the soul!

I have to say, I feel a little terrified by the thought of my 21 day sugar detox being over! Under its umbrella, I knew there were certain things that I just simply couldn't have. Now that I'm "on my own," I am afraid of myself, my will. I have prayed for a keen sense of knowing what is good for my body and what is not. Now that the toxins of sugar and artificial sweeteners have been cleansed from my body, I am more sensitive to these cues, but still have to test the waters a little. The ghost of diets past wants to remind me of my failures and make me relive them. The Ghost of diet future, my God who has already walked the path before me, desires to see me succeed! I'm choosing to trust Him! After all, I'm human, and humans are untrustworthy!

About a year ago, I read 1 Cor. 10:23, "Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial." Now that I am living the lifestyle for which the detox prepared me, I think that keeping this Scripture close to my heart might be a really smart thing! I have no real restrictions placed on what I can eat or drink, but not everything is good for me! Later in the chapter in verse 31, it says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." There you have it!
Blessings!

The First Day of the Rest of My Life!

 With my first-ever 21 day sugar detox behind me, and the rest of my life before me, I celebrate! The past 3 weeks have been so eye-opening and liberating, and I am thrilled to say that I cannot imagine ever going back to eating with the same reckless abandon as before! 

I bought groceries at Market Street today in Wichita Falls, and filled my basket with veggies and FRUIT!!! I have been so excited about getting to eat the sweet, deliciousness that is found in watermelon, grapes, red apples, strawberries, and oranges! Remember though, even nature's candy must be consumed in moderation. 

Last night, I spent the night with my daughter and son-in-law in Wichita Falls, and we celebrated! I love Fuzzy's Taco Shop! LOVE! My old standby is the tempura (aka fried) fish tacos, and their queso is fabulous! I did the impossible...I ordered a salad! A DELICIOUS salad with grilled shrimp! Now, I did eat some chips and queso, but I didn't go crazy.
VICTORY!!!

After dinner, we went to Orange Leaf for fro yo. I asked the guy for a little cup for tasting, and he gave me 5. I just assumed that meant I could try 5 or more flavors, so...I did! I looked up and Em and Blake were laughing at me. I guess I got a little carried away. Those taste tests were more than enough, so next time I think I'll just ask for taste cups for however many flavors there are and be done with it! I might have to go by myself for that, though! Tee Hee!

Anyway...Here's to a life of freedom!
Blessings!

Day 21 of 21DSD

Aug 29, 2013 - Day 21 of 21DSD: You know what that means? My detox is almost officially complete!!! What does that mean? Well, it DOESN'T mean that I'm going to go out and have a greasy, sugary meal loaded with bad foods to celebrate as I would've in the past! It means that my body is cleansed and ready to begin this new lifestyle of eating clean, real foods! To tell you the truth, I'm a little terrified to eat any differently than I have these past 21 days! I feel so amazing that I don't want to mess that up! I AM excited about a glass of pomegranate wine tonight, though!

I went ahead and weighed this morning and only lost 0.2 pounds. The good news is that's a total of 11 pounds in 3 weeks!!! After I stepped off the scales, I asked myself (out loud), "Now, how are you going to handle this?" Of course, I was hoping for another couple of pounds or so! I made a conscious effort to push that number out of my mind. I mentioned in a prior post that we cannot let the scales define us! I know that I made good food choices, drank plenty of water, and moved more. That's all I need to know! That is how I measure my success. PLUS! We started that squat challenge! That's it! I gained 2 pounds of muscle mass! Haha!

Because this has been so therapeutic for me and has seemed to inspire others to strive for better health, I think I'll keep posting! I'm also going to get serious about following through with a blog. It is nice to have a cyber community of encouragers and kindred spirits who can share encouragement and struggles, so I'm going for it! My aunt, Shelia has inspired and encouraged me to do this for years, and I think it might be time.

I also want to thank Shelia, my son, Eric and daughter-in-law, Caitlin, and my best friend Marla Panzer for modeling a healthier lifestyle and encouraging me to take control of my life by moving more and eating real food!  Todd, my sweet hubby, and Emily (daughter), thanks for being my biggest cheerleaders! Becoming a regular at Better Bodies Gym and Fitness is my next goal, and I can't wait to get stronger and fitter!

Wow! I feel like I just wrote an acceptance speech for an Oscar! In a way, I guess this is an acceptance speech! I accept this lifestyle of clean eating and adopt it as my own. I take responsibility for the choices I make and offer my body as a living sacrifice to the One who set me free from the bondage of a food addiction! I challenge you to accept this mindset in your own life and take control of your body! This is not the end...it is only the beginning!
Blessings! — feeling free.

Day 20 of 21DSD

Aug 28, 2013 - Day 20 of SD: Today was an awesome day! Work was great! The people I work with are fantastic! I felt really good, too! An interesting thing happened on my way home from work, also. I was CRAVING a cobb salad with that yummy avocado lime ranch dressing from Chick-fil-a, (yeah! I craved a salad) so I pulled in the drive thru and excitedly ordered my delicious salad and a large unsweet tea with lemon! Of course, I couldn't wait an hour till I got home to eat it, and I didn't want to waste time before I got home, so I did what any law-abiding, conscientious citizen would do...I cut that chicken up on my salad, drizzled my dressing across the greens, tossed it around a little, and took off down the road! In hindsight, driving and salads don't actually make a good combo, but I was hungry and ready to get home! All was well for about 4 bites, but then I dumped that entire beautiful salad into my lap! Smooth move, Ex-Lax! Now this might gross you out a bit, and you may never think the same of me again, but I pulled over (safety first, lol) and scooped that salad back into the bowl, wiped off my pants and the steering wheel with a wet one, and continued my journey home...and my dinner. Don't judge me!

I never thought there would ever come a day when I pulled through a drive thru and ordered a salad without even thinking about how badly I wanted something else! Another victory!!! Today, I had a random confession time with a friend and colleague, and admitted something I had never spoken out loud before. I was so obsessed with food that you might even say it was my idol! I ate in secret. It was nothing for me to pull through that same Chick-fil-a drive thru and order a regular CFA sandwich with large fries, Chick-fil-a sauce, and a large Coke (easy ice because you get more Coke that way) to eat on the way home. Then, if I was in the mood, I might stop at Sonic or DQ in Anson and order a hot fudge shake or hot fudge blizzard. The kicker is that I would try to HIDE my evidence before I got home. I often tossed my trash in the dumpster before I drove into the driveway so my family wouldn't know what I had eaten. It made me feel so much better to get that off my chest, but it was so hard to admit! Poor Nancy Ochs just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! Thanks, Nanc!

The enemy likes for us to keep those deep, dark secrets, though! He is better able to hold us captive and torture us in a dark, hidden dungeon where we can neither be seen nor heard. When the Light starts to shine in on us, we are revived and the darkness flees! The same is true for our hidden sins and shames. Today, when I released that secret into the light, another shackle was broken, and another bucketload of dirt was thrown into the pit that was once my prison!

It's almost here! Tomorrow is DAY 21!!! Blessings!

Day 19 of 21DSD

Aug 27, 2013 - Day 19 of SD: TodaY, I probably faced the biggest challenge of the entire detox. I am an emotional eater. I had a little crisis of faith this morning, and all I could think of was a blueberry muffin! I'm talking about one of those giant ones with the crunchy sugar stuff on top! I wanted that so badly! This little battle waged inside me, and for about half a minute, I considered caving in, but I collected myself and ate some bacon, a green apple and some almond butter instead. This could probably be called a GiAnt victory!!! Yay, God!!!

I'm a little behind on my Made to Crave devotional, so I read the entry for day 16. Lysa talks about how she used to find it hard to believe that God could make something good out of her struggle with food and her weight. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." That is my aunt Shelia Holmes's favorite verse...her great "go-to." I completely know why! That tells me that everything we go through, no matter how good or how bad, can be used to become something beautiful.

The devil wants to use difficult times, disappointment, and challenges to lure us away from our Heavenly Father, but God's desire, and His plan, is to draw us close to Him, especially in times of trouble.

Will I ever eat a humongous blueberry muffin again? Probably. Will I always choose the healthy snack over the ooey, gooey one? Most likely not. Will I make every effort to make more healthy choices than unhealthy? Absolutely. Will I continue to trust my Healer?
Oh, yes! I most certainly will!

Blessings to you!

Day 18 of 21DSD

Aug 26, 2013 - Day 18 of SD: I worked today so that one of my coworkers could see her sweet grandsons off to their first day of school, and it was a great day! I love being able to work with so many people I am crazy about! We got to pick colors for our unit's remodel, fabric for the chairs, and even started a 40-day squat challenge! When I say "started," I mean STARTED!

My sweet friend and colleague, Kristen Ayres challenged me to do this with her, and I accepted. Now that my knee is doing so much better, I am ready to tackle this fitness thing. For whatever reason, several of us decided to take about 5 minutes and complete day 1's squats. Only 6 reps of about 5 types of squats, I think. NO BIG DEAL! Unless you're as out of shape as a couple of us are! Nicole and Nita were just counting those suckers out like they were standing still! Heck, Nicole was even charting while she did hers! Kristen and I hung in there with those two, but were both a little wobbly-legged afterwards!
I think the point of telling this story is that, even though our little "workout" was just that...little, it was a start! I've always had a tendency to think I had to dive headfirst into whatever I was starting. The problem with that is that sometimes, you hit the bottom of the pool, and it knocks you a little goofy! Then you just give up because the pain of a bad dive is too much to bear. (If you only knew the irony of my use of a diving analogy when I can BARELY swim!) Back to the point...it's all about taking a step forward. Whether it's a baby step or a giant leap, as long as you're moving forward, it's the right step.
Tomorrow, our squats may not be as deep, and there may be a little more groaning, but we will be taking the next step!
Blessings!

Day 17 of 21DSD

Aug 25, 2013 - Day 17 of SD: I thought I might mix things up a bit and post at the beginning, rather than the end of my day today. I love Sundays for multiple reasons. First, it's the day I get to go worship the Lord with fellow believers and my hubby. Second, it's the only day of the week that Todd and I are both off at the same time. The only thing I don't like about Sunday is that it's the day my class assignments are due, and since I'm the Queen of Procrastination, it's also the day I typically START those writing assignments. I've meant to change that and try to get them done earlier in the week, but Hey! I'm almost finished with school! Why change now?
I think that is the attitude that a lot of us take with our health. I've heard so many people who've been newly diagnosed with lung cancer say, "Well, the damage is done. What's the use in quitting smoking now?" Or diabetics who say, "I'll just eat whatever I want and take some insulin to bring my blood sugar down later." Hmmmm....well, I can see how we develop that thought process, but here's a thought! To the cancer patient - yes, the damage is done, BUT wouldn't it be awesome to NOT have to struggle so much for every breath? And to the diabetic, wouldn't it be so much better to find a healthier alternative to that slice of "death by chocolate" cake and NOT have to inject yourself? Forgive me if I sound preachy, but as a nurse, especially an oncology nurse, this is really something to consider!
My attitude has been no different about my weight, so I guess I'm preaching to myself, too. I've carried around 60+ extra pounds, remained sedentary, and danced all around diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart trouble for too many years. While my procrastinating nature may never change in regards to deadlines, I have made the decision that I can no longer put off reclaiming good health! WHOA! We done had us some church up in here! LOL! I will now step off my soapbox and go get ready for worship. Todd told me to stop putting it off so we can go! Blessings to you on this gorgeous, fantastic day that the Lord has made!

Day 16 of 21DSD

Aug 24, 2013 - Day 16 of SD: One thing about getting junk out of your body is that it makes you keenly aware of what does not agree with you. Right now, cucumbers and my belly are having a huge disagreement, and the cucumbers are winning! Excuse me for my brutal honesty, but this is real life.
Today was a day of "catching up" with family! It started with an unexpected visit from my son, Eric and his sweet bride, Caitlin, followed by Face Time with Emily, and ended with hanging out in KC with my baby sister, Michelle and the gang. It did my heart good to laugh and visit! Technology seems to have hindered our ability to communicate, don't ya think? We peek into each other's lives on various social networking media, text instead of talk, and spend most of our time looking at one screen or another.
I have decided that even the devil is using my computer to tempt me to jump off the no-sugar wagon. Today, I was pinning healthy recipes on Pinterest, and this little pop-up ad came up on a website I had been redirected to. Guess what it was advertising! M&Ms!!! How stinking sneaky is that? Thankfully, it didn't make me want to jump up and drive to Stripes for M&Ms, but that's pretty crazy!
The lesson in that is that our enemy, the devil, really does prowl around like a lion, seeking to steal, kill, and destroy (1 Peter 5:8), but "God works all things together for good for those who love Him" (Romans 8:28).
Tomorrow, I challenge you to call someone up with whom you haven't spoken in a while, spend some face-to-face time with a loved one, or just visit with the people at your table instead of looking at your phone.
Blessings!

Day 15 of 21DSD

Aug 23, 2013 - Day 15 of SD: 

Weigh in day! Another 2.4 pounds off my body! That's a total of 10.8, but who's counting! — feeling awesome.Today was another good day! Todd took off for a doctor appointment, so we did what all good middle-aged couples did...went to the doctors! It dawned on me as I was sitting in the waiting room at Todd's appointment that WE ARE GETTING OLDER!!! I'm talking about those particular appointments that we have to keep that involve drinking a bunch of a peculiar-tasting liquid and spending the entire evening before in the bathroom or having our boobs smashed between two cold, flat things are the ones I'm talking about. It's official! We're a middle-aged couple. 

I think that now is the time to step this up a notch and hit the gym! When I notified my personal trainer, Eric Lewis, that I'm ready to get serious about working out, he gave me great advice. He said, "Never set a FINISH line." I think that is some of the best advice I've ever gotten. He went on to say that when you set that line, and then you cross it, it's too easy to revert back to your old ways. I love that advice (and I love that guy!)
Yesterday, I had the thought of this 21 day sugar detox being like the starting block of a very long race! Now, it is confirmed that this is not a race, but a lifelong journey. There will be peaks and valleys, curves and straightaways, but there will never be a finish line.

Day 14 of 21DSD

Aug. 22, 2013 - Day 14 of SD: I'm so excited to be entering the last week of the detox!!! Today, I started thinking about all the things I will be able to add back to my diet next Friday and, oddly enough, it was NOT my usual list of pizza, Cokes, and DQ Blizzards. NO! What I'm looking forward to eating are things like watermelon, oranges, grapes, cherries, and cantaloupe!!! AND, I'm gonna buy a bottle of pomegranate wine from the Winery and have a glass to celebrate!

This morning on my way to work, I began to think about how I've dieted in my past. Weigh-in day was always cheat day! I would have nothing but water all day until after I weighed in, then it was "Katie bar the door!" Coke, pizza, Rodriquez Inn, ice cream, hamburgers, candy bars galore! (Of course, not all at once!) Then back on the diet I went until the next weigh-in. I am praying for strength to NEVER return to those ways! The new lifestyle will not end at midnight next Thursday night! This is not a quick fix! I want to live to be a healthy, active, cool old lady who wears crazy hats and mismatched clothes! I might even dye my hair pink and drive a motorcycle! I want to LIVE!

Anyway, tomorrow is weigh-in day. I don't have to starve because I am not measuring my success by the scales, and there will be no pigging out on pizza or ice cream afterwards because I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind! I thank God that He loves me too much to leave me where I was! 

Day 13 of 21DSD

Aug 21, 2013 - Day 13 of SD: Almost two weeks down, and still going strong!!! I haven't strangled, verbally assaulted, or body slammed one single person! That is quite an accomplishment in and of itself! Tonight was the first real hankering I had for a "No" food. Todd was sitting next to me on the couch tonight watching Duck Dynasty, chowing down on his Monster U Cheez-its, and I wanted one (literally just one) sooooooooo badly! I knew that one would lead to many more, though, so I just answered my discussion question for school and tried to push it out of my mind. Another tiny victory!
I didn't want to compromise at all! Even though one Cheez-it with Sully on it wasn't going to kill me, I desire to settle for nothing less than God's best for me! Too many times in my life, I have compromised little things, which led to big things, which led to ginormous things, which led me here! No more! I am keeping my eye on the prize, and that prize is total freedom! When you take the prefix "com" away from compromise, you are left with a PROMISE! (L. Terkheurst). I'm standing on the promises of Christ my King!
Blessings!

Day 12 of 21DSD

Aug. 20, 2013 - Day 12 of SD: I just saw the most exciting thing on the news!!! Tonight is a "blue moon!" I LOVE THE MOON!!! Always have, always will! The moon is my favorite! I love the crescent moon, the full moon, the half moon, the tiny little sliver of a moon...I LOVE THE MOON!!! When I see the moon, for some reason, it just makes me feel so close to God. I'm a weirdo, I know, but it DOES! I think one reason is because we are supposed to be like the moon. We shine no light unless we reflect the Son!
I survived another day of detox! I felt as if the Lord was warning me about something - PRIDE. Making this a public battle by posting on Facebook was a decision I made, NOT to call attention to me, but to call me to accountability. It is such an awesome blessing to read and hear all your words of encouragement! To be very real with you, I have to fight the urge to get a little puffed up in the chest and think, "Yeah! I'm all that and a bag of chips!" (Hmmm...tortilla chips with salsa would be good...). I have to keep reminding myself that there is no way I could be doing this on my own power! I am like the moon. I only shine because the Son shines on me!
Happy Blue Moon!

Day 11 of 21DSD

Aug 19, 2013 - Day 11 of SD: Beautiful morning harvesting okra and squash and gathering eggs. Not so beautiful when my entire egg basket tumbled off the golf cart and busted all but one little egg. Womp! Womp! I love a productive day, but I can't wait to go to work tomorrow so I can get some rest! LOL!
Made to Crave devo this morning once again hit me right at home! I swear, sometimes I think I could've written that book because her thoughts are so similar to mine. It makes me wonder how many more women share the same story.
For most of my adult life, I have fought this battle, giving it to God but taking it back. I have asked deacons and elders at church to pray that God would remove these addictions from me, yet I never released the white-knuckled grip I had on them. I have asked friends and family to help me and hold me accountable, but became angry or frustrated when they pulled their "Food Police" routines. I have apologized to God, to friends, and to family for continually messing up in this deal, but I know that's not really necessary. God's grace has no limits. He knows how many times it will take for us to give up our strongholds, and He waits patiently on us. His grace is sufficient for me!

Day 10 of 21 DSD

Aug 18, 2013 - Day 10 of SD is drawing to a close. I guess it's safe to say I've made it halfway through the 21 days, and I'm still going strong! Glory to God!!! Bethel Assembly was blessed beyond belief with a group called Eternity Focus who led us in worship and brought a beautiful message.
Through their music and message, I was reminded of the army of angels that surrounds us, fighting an ongoing battle with the enemy's army that is prowling around us, waiting to steal, kill, and destroy. How comforting is that? Just think, in an unseen realm, there are "superhero" angels fighting off the bad guys to protect us, even in the seemingly tiny battles! BaM! KaPoW@!
I know Who goes before me! I know Who stands behind! The God of angel armies is always by my side!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_954722&feature=iv&src_vid=fiBn6mPjvG0&v=ysgIzkwFFJU

Passion 2013 - Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) [Chris Tomlin] (High Quality Album Version)

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Follow Chris Tomlin on Twitter: @christomlin Listen to all the songs from the Passion 2013 Album "Let The Future Begin": https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Day 9 of 21DSD

Aug 17, 2013 - Day 9 of SD: Spent this beautiful Saturday morning picking okra while the chickens clucked happily at my feet in their little chicken jungle. I celebrated two small victories yesterday! The first was turning down a bite of cinnamon roll bread pudding at Abi-Haus. One bite would not have killed me, but I want to defeat that mindset, so I declined. The second was to refrain from eating some chips and queso blanco at Camacho and Charlie's last night. No need to explain how difficult that was. This morning's Made to Crave devotional tied in perfectly with those victories.
I feel that we Christians sometimes fail to see that our overeating hinders our relationship with God. After all, we NEED food to survive, so what's the big deal if we eat too much of it or make unhealthy choices? It is a big deal! Romans 14:19-20a tells us, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food." So if my choices, such as overeating and making unhealthy food choices, will destroy my body, then those things are obstacles to God's grace, and they must be avoided.
So, those victories I celebrated yesterday were not small after all, but HUGE leaps toward the peace and edification that are the true source of my hunger!

Day 8 of 21DSD

Aug. 16, 2013 - Day 8 of SD: One whole week behind me and 8.4 pounds lost!!! This time it's for good! Today was a good day! I ate two delicious salads and got to enjoy some spicy kale at Abi-Haus for lunch. I never thought I would go on and on about a SALAD! This was a good day!

Day 7 of 21 DSD

Aug. 15, 2013 - Day 7 of SD: Woo Hoo!!!! I made it through the first week!!! Weigh in is tomorrow. Usually, I'm super anxious about what the scales will say, but I really am not even worried about it because I'm learning to measure my success by what it says. I already know how much better I feel. Pretty timely because of this morning's devotional: "This isn't as much about losing the weight as it is gaining the truth - the truth of who I am in Christ and how I am made for more than this constant, self-defeating struggle. A scale can measure my physical body, but never my worth as a woman. And it's the truth that God loves me the way I am, but He loves me too much to leave me stuck in that place of defeat." (Made to Crave)
confession time...I am still excited to see if I've lost.

Day 6 of 21 DSD

Aug. 14, 2013 - Day 6 of SD: Today did not suck. I'm not gonna lie, there are times when I just want to eat a Popeye's biscuit, or a flour tortilla Nita Hale), or have some froo froo creamer in my coffee, but this is so much bigger than any of that! This is about breaking chains of bondage that have held me captive off and on my entire adult life. These chains had rendered me helpless and left me with feelings of insecurity, helplessness, and defeat. There's a great Christian song that says, "TAke the shackles off my feet so I can dance! I just want to praise You! I just want to praise You! You broke these chains, now I can lift my hands! And I'm gonna praise You! I'm gonna praise You!" That's my theme song! I'll share it with anyone who wants to claim it!
btw...another battle was won! Todd ate that biscuit for me!
Blessings!

Day 5 of 21DSD

Aug. 13, 2013 - Day 5 of SD: Quick, late entry because of working today and getting home late. Day 5 was a little more challenging out in the real world, but victory was mine! Some have asked what I'm following so I will post it on my timeline. In spite of the demands of work, I was more energetic and in a much better mood! 
The big point I got out of my devo today is to never seek soul satisfaction from my looks. In other words, I have to stop letting my weight, whether up or down, define who I am because I am fearfully and wonderfully made (God told me that!)

Day 4 of 21DSD

Aug. 12, 2013 - Day 4 of SD (sugar detox) began with coffee on the porch (yes, I can have coffee AND with REAL cream!), quiet time, and a great devo. I highly recommend "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst. The devotional closed with this prayer, "Dear Lord, this is one of the most significant spiritual journeys of my life. Help me focus on You as I battle this raw, personal issue. I need You today. In Jesus' name. Amen"
You might ask, "How is this a spiritual issue?" As I was praying, I heard the Lord whisper to my heart that this battle is very much one of a spiritual nature. Today, I have had SO much energy and my thinking has been so much clearer. The Truth that I heard from my Heavenly Father was this: If my mind is foggy, my energy is sucked out of me, and my health is potentially in danger, I am of little threat to the enemy. Satan used a seemingly innocent substance, sugar, to keep me in bondage.
I have struggled to escape his grasp for so long, and actually had lost hope, but the Word says in Romans 8:37, "No, in all these things, we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us."
My victory will be God's victory!

Day 3 of 21DSD

Aug. 11, 2013 - Day 3 of 21 day sugar detox began with an awesome, spirit-led worship service at Bethel Assembly, rocking babies in the nursery, and settling it to write my last paper in my nursing spirituality class. I am officially one class closer to graduation!!! 20 weeks to go! (Not that I'm counting!) I have purged all of my cupboards, refrigerator, and freezers so, aside from Todd's Monster U Cheese-Its and frosted animal crackers, the foods are pretty clean around here. No more headaches, either!!! 
I must say, the support and encouragement I have received has been very motivational! I deeply appreciate all your "atta girls!"
Made it past the weekend! Let's go kick Monday's butt!

Day 2 of 21DSD

Aug. 10, 2013 - Day 2 of sugar detox: There have been no casualties...yet! Although my best friend and junkin' buddy, Marla Panzer might argue that I probably should not drive when my mind is foggy! Headache was almost nonexistent, and I have discovered a new favorite food...roasted okra! My okra plants are on steroids, so I have plenty of the green fuzzy pods. Very simple recipe: Rinse and pat okra dry. Cut into pieces or leave pods whole, cutting off the tops. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. I use fresh ground garlic salt and black pepper. Bake at 450 on a cookie sheet lined with foil for 20-25 minutes. I like mine pretty crunchy. Turn periodically to brown on all sides. Enjoy!

The Beginning of the Journey

Aug. 9, 2013 - Day 1 of my 21 day sugar detox. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am ADDICTED to sugar...especially Coca Cola. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make this public, but I think that journaling it on here will be helpful. So, here goes! NO sugar, artificial sweeteners, or even natural sweeteners for 21 days. I plan to spend the next three weeks discovering all the great, tasty foods that are naturally on this planet. Let the JOURNEY begin!!!