Tag: life as I know it

Lenten Season Means Spring Cleaning for Soul and Home

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Mama

If you were busy exchanging smooches, sappy cards and chocolate kisses with your sweetheart this week, you may have missed the official beginning of this year’s Lenten season. Yes, Ash Wednesday fell right on Valentine’s Day and apparently came as a surprise to many of us. I was unaware until I spied a lady at my son’s school party craft station with black “marker” on her forehead. I wanted to warn her that she had a little something on her face. . . but luckily at the last minute I realized she was proudly wearing ashes and I kept my mouth shut. Whew!

Lent is the forty days between Ash Wednesday (Feb 14, 2018) and Easter Sunday (Apr 1, 2018) and is a time of prayerful preparation leading up to the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Many people fast, give up luxuries and step up their prayer life during Lent as a way to respectfully mimic the sacrifice of Jesus and His journey in the desert before His crucifixion.

Being a Southern Baptist my whole life, Lent was something I was aware of but not something we celebrated much in the way of sacrifice (unlike my Catholic bred husband). We simply put all our emphasis on the single, super-special day of Easter. Oddly enough, in recent years the Baptist churches in which I have attended have been stepping up their game as far as religious days go. I have seen a much larger emphasis put on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and even Advent leading up to Christmas. I personally like this new awareness, because all these days were part of the master plan (or The Master’s plan) and it makes sense to be more aware of the whole picture.

On the less spiritual side of Lent is a fun little program called “40 Bags in 40 Days” hosted by Ann Marie at White House, Black Shutters. The whole idea is to purge our homes of the clutter that is weighing down our lives by discarding forty bags, boxes or items during the forty days of Lent. Don’t get me wrong, there are some real soul-lifting aspects of this program also and it can have a profound impact on your family dynamics, personal wellbeing and spiritual walk with Christ. Now, If you simply take part in this fun challenge for the pure desire of having a cleaner house, I say go for it girl! I have participated for a few years now; and although I’ve never met my 40-bag goal, I still feel less burdened without the stuff I purge from my life and I know my husband (who is definitely not of the hoarder sort) appreciates the cleaner closets and blank spaces.

I also like to consider Luke 10:38 from the [Holman] Bible, “While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.” You mean, Jesus just happened to stop by her house one day and she actually welcomed him in? That’s pretty amazing because I don’t even welcome my dearest friends (much less the Messiah) on some days; because let me tell ya, we have stuff and it can be absolutely everywhere! I know our homes don’t have to be perfect, but wouldn’t it be nice if people just popped over like they used to without our ducking behind the front door and hoping they didn’t see the shutters move?

So whether you’re unburdening your soul or your shelves this Lenten season, I hope you will do so with intention and, if your house is as full as mine, a hefty helping of prayer. God doesn’t mind if we ask for a little help, even with the most mundane of life’s challenges. . . and for some of us, we need all the help we can get.

Chapter 2: My First Month with Weight Watchers

Posted on February 3, 2018February 3, 2018 by Mama

January flew the coop and with it went my first four weeks as a Weight Watcher. The month seemed to pass quickly and I guess that’s a good thing when you are embarking on a lifestyle change.

Being on WW truly has made an impact on my life and I like to tell people that it’s turning me into a “foodie.” Gone are the days when I can fall back on my basic, I-can-do-this-in-my-sleep meals; I’ve traded them in food planning and prep, but with a pretty payoff. I am trying loads of new recipes, eating some awesome meals and I’m losing weight! From shrimp fried rice and grilled chicken to salmon and turkey chili, I’m eating it all (and my husband thinks he’s partaking quite nicely too).

So just how much am I losing? Here are the numbers: My first official weigh-in put me at 168.2 pounds. Okay, yes that embarrassing but I’m trying to be upfront with y’all. . . so there it is. Week one I lost 3.6 pounds and week two I lost two more pounds. That put me down a total of 5.6 pounds, which was enough to earn my first WW charm — the five-pound charm.

I stayed the course in week three with a loss of another 2.2 pounds, but in week four I only took off .8 pounds for a total of 8.6 pounds lost. I was a bit disappointed in that final January weigh-in but I gathered a lot of support at my weekly meeting, especially when I announced that I cinched up my belt one notch. Apparently plateaus are common and sometimes we might see what they like to call “beyond-the-scale” victories (i.e. smaller belt size). At any rate, according to my home scale I’m on the other side of my first plateau, so I’ll let you know how it goes at Tuesday’s meeting.

I also earned my second charm of my Weight Watchers journey at the four-week mark because I attended four of my first five meetings. I have perfect attendance at this point because, other than the great personal support, I really love to step on that scale and see the numbers go in reverse!

STARTING WEIGHT: 168.2
JANUARY 2018 : -8.6
CURRENT WEIGHT: 159.6

Prologue: My Weight Watchers Story

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Mama

5870749384_220953388a With the new year comes resolutions, goals and promises that we hope will renew our lives, transform our bodies and lift our souls. . . fast forward to February and many of us will have already thrown in the towel.

This year, like most others, I decided it was finally time to lose weight and get fit via a lifestyle change. Sounds great, eh? Kind of like all the other times I decided “The Weight is Over.” I’ve tried time and again to shed several pounds and beef up my exercise routine (I even managed a 5k a few years ago), but I ultimately end up in the same spot with a big “F” on my report card in the subject of health. Perhaps it’s the 40-something of it all, because gone are the days when I can quickly shed several pounds with a few tweaks to my diet. *sigh*

After several attempts at mastering a healthy lifestyle the same old way and getting the same result (y’all know the definition of stupid, right), I decided to take a different approach toward my goal. I looked at my personality, past successful situations and things I enjoy, and realized that a solo journey may not be the answer for me. I like to think I am strong willed and valiant enough to go this alone, after all I know what a healthy lifestyle looks like, but in reality I’ve always been a team player. Literally. I played softball, basketball, even a little Intramural football and I thrive on the comradery and accountability that comes with belonging to a team working toward a common goal.

Since I’m such a people person and belonging to a group suits me, I decided to adjust my weight loss approach to capitalize on the strength of numbers. So this week I decided to join the seemingly unglamorous ranks of the Weight Watchers. You know, that mysterious organization that was born before I was and has mesmerized an aunt, mother or family friend on and off throughout the years with special meetings, point counting and quirky little calculators. Yup, that’s the one!

After a bit of research into popular weight-loss programs, I decided that Weight Watchers has a proven record and most closely supports the ultimate lifestyle change I’m seeking. There are oodles of success stories associated with the program and meetings are even led by folks who have “been there and done that.” Plus, there is very little commitment if it doesn’t seem to be the right fit (yes an emergency exit, if you will).

So I’m joining a team and pulling on a new jersey (hopefully one that will be four sizes smaller this time next year) to lean on the strength of numbers. I’ll keep you posted here at Small Talk Mama on the ins and outs of it all and hopefully reveal a few lessons along the way.

If you are interested in joining me at Weight Watchers (there’s a special offer valid until Jan. 8, 2018) visit them online at https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/

photo credit: ElliGill thirtynine 25062011 via photopin (license)

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