THE PLAN

We all have to have a plan, right? And here is mine and has been going on for about 5 days.
It is somewhat vague, though based on the realization that I will need to burn/reduce my intake by 210,000 calories to lose the 60 lbs to my goal weight of 150. So with that as my starting reference and realizing that I am going to need to be exercising an hour a day by the end of all this, I set up 3 "steps" if you will in my weight loss. I figured roughly that from 210 down to 180 that I would stay the same weight at 2400 calories per day, It will likely take me 22 weeks to lose the first 30 lbs, From 210-180 I want to try for 1850 calories per day and burning at least 1500 calories a week. Whatever combination of exercise burns 1500 calories, wether it is 3 times at 500 calories each or 5 times at 300 calories each. Then when I get to 180 lbs, I estimated that I could maintain that weight with 2100 calories, so I want to reduce my calories to 1650 calories and up my exercise to 3000 calories extra burned per week (I think I can do this in 11 weeks), then for the last 11 weeks, I assume that I would maintain at around 1900 calories per day, so for the last 11 weeks, I want to have my calories at around 1550 and burn about 4000 extra calories per week. I haven't thought about maintenance except to realize that I will need to be exercising about an hour a day (I think of that usually for 5 days a week, not 7). Okay, so now the world knows what I weigh, too humiliating. I actually started at 211 lbs, but my weight now is 209.5, so I guess it is working. Please, please, if you know me, or come to one of my workshops, or are another vendor or customer, Please don't tell me you read my blog. I would rather die.

Confession Time

I mentioned quite a bit back that I might talk about weight loss, and though I am afraid that someone I know might find this, or that customers might be reading (as well they might since the blog link is on my website), weight loss is a huge part of my life. Or weight gain as the case may be at the moment. I had a catalog printed up about 15 months ago that talked in the front cover about my family and me, and it told how I had lost 60 pounds. I went on to lose about 15 more pounds and at this point now, I have only maintained a loss of about 25 pounds. It is so hard to have people comment on my weight loss, as if it were still real, as if I really had lost and kept off 60 pounds instead of having GAINED 50 pounds in the last 9 months. I know what I need to do, I really wasn't on a program or going to any center, or following anyone elses way, I did it all on my own, with several different things. I started with an old Weight watchers exchange program. So many breads, so many milks, proteins, fats, fruits, etc. And I started adding exercise. Walking at first, then jogging. Until I was walking/jogging 4 miles a day (6 days a week). When the exchange program got old, I went to counting calories and when it got cold here in NW Minnesota, my husband bought me a wonderful treadmill. Which I continued to use about 5 times a week. But I started struggling last May and have gained and gained and gained. Until finally really nothing in my closet fits. I have had to go and buy 3 pairs of jeans to have something, anything to put on my body. There are so many times when I have been embarrased to go to a conference because I will see my other vendor friends, or past customers, or just plain feel FAT. I don't know what will get me back to taking care of myself. How I will mysteriously find the spark, but I HAVE to. This is too miserable a way to live.
By the way, had an okay conference. It was so cold in the Twin Cities that I was worried my car wouldn't start. My friend let me put my car in her garage over night (Thank you Robyn), and I went out twice during the day to start and run the car so that I could for sure get it going and get home. Now I have 2 weeks with no travel. I will likely do some home visits with childcare providers. I love those, and I think childcare providers find them convenient and fun too.

At the back of the Whirlwind

Actually the whirlwind would be ME. I haven't stopped running since last Thursday morning. I left for a 2 day conference at about 10 am and the roads were not very good. I was able to make decent time, but was left drained because of constant vigilance to conditions and other cars. However, the making good time ended as soon as I hit 169s in the Twin Cities. I only had about 20 more miles to go, but it took me 1 1/2 hours to go the last little bit. Granted the roads were not great, but not worth going SO SLOW. Arggg... If I wasn't frazzled before, I quicly became frazzled. Then I got lost in the last 2 blocks of my search for the church where the conference was held. However, after that the weekend went SO VERY WELL. I met a new friend who was a vendor in the alcove near me. She is a potter and I bought tiny lips to give to my husband for valentines day. They were a hit here though my kids were sure they were good to eat and the boys each had to put them in their mouth to check it out (my boys are almost 8 and 13). She was so willing to share from her heart and I enjoyed visiting with her no end. The sales were pretty good also, I did not know what to expect because I have never done this conference before. Then I stayed with my friend Sherri Eide, who is married to the Christian singer Peder Eide. Sherri has a masters degree in counseling and I took full advantage of her expertise. We talked about some things I have been struggling with and she showed me how to pray some prayers of forgiveness for some people in my life that I have been trying to forgive for years. I feel that God has moved in my life in a very real way.
I did get home on Saturday night, but then Church on Sunday, family time Sunday afternoon/evening, and then Monday was a mad rush to receive a couple of pallets of Little Tikes products off of a Semi, not to mention laundry, supper, cleaning up, and the usual pull-the-business-together-after-3-days-away. Then on Tuesday I delivered a BIG Little Tikes Playground to Bemidji, and today I travel to Aitkin to present a workshop. I told someone this weekend that I love what I do so much that sometimes I almost have to pinch myself that this is what I get to do for a living.

Wonderful Weekend.

I did have trouble getting myself ready on Friday night so I got a bit of a late start, but the roads were good and I got almost all the way set up on Friday night for the Saturday conference. Which was AWSOME. Great sales, friendly ladies, good food, and the presenting went very well. I love that part of what I do. It is so fun to get the group to start sharing ideas and getting excited about trying something new. It always makes me feel great when I can find something new for either a very new Childcare provider, or one that has been in it for a lot of years.

We had a good Sunday too with Church, then family time and relaxing. Though my daughter went to my neighbors church for a memorial service for her best friend. Last summer, Mary Helen's best friend, Karina was in a horse accident and was killed. She was only 9. This last week she would have turned 10. I think this has been a tough year for my daughter. I know she thinks about her a lot, even if she doesn't talk about her much.

Then I did a few business things while my husband worked on school work, and a bit of relaxing in the evening and it made for a great weekend. Oh, and we had Benjamin's basketball coach in for coffee. He was out on an errand and came in to get warm. It was fun to get his perspective on coaching 18 7th graders. It has been so fun to watch Benjamin's games.

Back to Brainerd

So I leave again for Brainerd today. Not quite ready to go and I am procrastinating final preparations for what ever reason. I still need to get on the treadmill and walk for 1/2 hour. It doesn't seem like it should be that hard, but the getting started is the worst. I have to get my workshop tub ready, including making some recipes of messy stuff. The workshop I am doing is called Glorious Goop. It is one of my favorite workshops to present, but I need to make sure everything is fresh. I also have to repack the van for selling, from when I was in Grand Forks, ND 2 weeks ago. I made a cake for the family for when I am gone this weekend, and I will put soup in the crockpot for supper. I am missing Mary Helen's (age 10) basketball game tomorrow. I wish it had been last Saturday since I was home then. Someone asked me an interesting question on Tuesday night. I do travel quite a bit with the business, and I really love that part of what I do. Ron (my husband) has always been very good at picking up the slack when I am gone and his mom lives just 2 miles away and will cook a meal or help with the kids when I am gone. Anyway, this older lady said "What do you do with your kids when you travel?". I said, well, my youngest is almost 8 and my husband parents. NOT BABYSITS FOLKS, parents. It has been good to have almost 3 months of less travel, but I am very ready for the busy spring season. I love what I do, I am very fortunate that way. I even get to take my kids with me on occasion. One at a time only, since all the seats have been taken out of the van (except the drivers seat and front passenger seat) to put tubs of products there. Well, I am off to frost the cake and then EXERCISE.

January in Minnesota

I drove 2 1/2 hours to my workshop. Good thing I got there early, the classroom was SO hard to find in the college. Presenting went very well. I always remember why I love speaking/presenting. There were about 8-9 ladies there, and several of them said how much they enjoyed the ideas. Some of them said they would be at my workshop on Saturday, so I have to make sure I have some different ideas. It was interesting cuz several people said they work with toddlers or infants and toddlers and were wondering about inexpensive ideas to use with them. Does anyone out there have some super ideas? If so please post them here for all to see. One of the things I suggested was that they take an empty formula can, cut a slit in the plastic cover, and let the babies drop metal juice lids or metal canning jar lids into the can. It makes a fun sound and it is great for hand/eye coordination.
I heard on the radio on the way down, that Minnesota is experiencing the warmest January since 1849. WOW. Nice for the old heating bill anyway.
The weather on the way home was gastly. It started out as wet slushy snow, and quickly became a semi-blizzard. If you have never driven in snow on rural 2 lane roads, I dont' suggest it. It was hard to see where the side/middle of the road was, so for quite a bit of the time I could only go 35-40 mph. Ugg.. I did stop to get coffee and that felt great. Warm, filling. However, I have a question. Precisely where does a gal find a bathroom at 11:30 pm in a snowstorm in rural Minnesota? I'm just asking.