Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Weight Loss Success With Trim Healthy Mama


                                               
*In reference to the above picture: due to the fact that I avoid the camera, I couldn't locate a "before" picture. Not sure if this is the best "after" picture, but here it is nonetheless*

After I had Josie (now 15 months old), I reached the point where I was past ready for a CHANGE. I've been overweight 85% of my life, and have bemoaned my dissatisfaction therewith to my husband for most of our marriage. He'd always say something like, "You're the only one who can do anything about it", then usually followed it with "but I love you just the way you are." The fact is, I did not love me just the way I was.

I joined Weight Watchers, which has always worked for me (up to about a 15 lb loss), but I got to the point that I was burned out with it. After 15 lbs I would start to lag and have to work harder at it, then I'd get discouraged and quit and the cycle would begin once again.  Then one day while reading an Above Rubies newsletter, I saw an advertisement for the Trim Healthy Mama book. It piqued my interest, as I have always had a lot of confidence in and respect for the wisdom of Nancy Campbell and her family. It was a little on the pricey side, but I saved up my birthday money that year and ordered the book.



I have to be honest with you--at first, I was a little intimidated. The book has "more pages than the Bible", as a friend of ours recently put it, and it taking in all that information seemed a little daunting. So I put it to the side. That was in January of 2013. A few months later, I noticed my brother and sis-in-law saying things at the Sunday dinner table like, "We can have the sweet potatoes, but just not combined with a fat." I also noticed my brother, who has carried around extra weight as long as I have, dropping weight like lightning. This, of course, was due to their implementing the Trim Healthy Mama plan. So, I picked up my book and dove in. I read it a couple of times, then started to experiment with different recipes. In mid-September, I took the plunge and went all the way with it.

By Christmas, I had already lost 35 pounds! And never added up a single point, or counted a single calorie. I ate things like fried eggs (in coconut oil) for breakfast, a fajita-steak wrap for lunch (complete with sour cream and cheese), and grilled chicken with parmesan crusted zucchini for supper. And these are just a few examples of the delicious foods that I eat every day while the pounds melt off. Since Christmas, I have lost about 15 more pounds, putting me at a round-about total of 50 lbs.

My goal is 80 lbs, so I still have a ways to go. I have now reached that "donkey weight" that doesn't want to move, and I am probably going to have to include an exercise regime to get the rest of it off. Yes, I have lost 50 lbs in 7 months without exercising consistently (although THM strongly recommends it).

I cannot say it enough. I LOVE living the THM lifestyle!! It's the best thing I have ever done, health-wise, and I am never looking back! I have changed my lifestyle for good. There's no need (or desire) to go back to my old ways. I eat delicious, satisfying meals, snacks, and desserts every day and they are all working for me to bring me to that goal weight.

A couple of months ago, I was walking across the church parking lot when a friend yelled from her car, "Hey, girl, you look good! What have you been doing?" I replied, "T.H.M." She looked at me with a confused look on her face, then yelled back, "G.O.O.D!" (lol). And yes, it is soo good!



Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Josie Amelia Turned One!


Um, back in January, that is. Better late (posting) than never, right? We had an awesome party and celebrated in style! You'll just have to use your imagination! Ha!

Josie is a little bundle of joy, and every single one of us are crazy about her! She has been walking since she was about 9 1/2 months old, and so by now she is a live wire and can climb like a little monkey! Her favorite things are playing outside, reading books, and giving her Daddy all her good sugars! She is also the "church baby" and gets spoiled by everyone at our church, including her pastor, who is one of her favorite people. She brings smiles and love to our home every day and we are so thankful God gave us this special little girl to call our own.

Back in March, John's awesome-photographer sister Wendi took some pics of our little Stinker and I was thrilled with how they turned out!  Oh, you'd like to see them? I'd love for you to! ;)





If you're in the Moss Point, MS area, look her up! She's on Facebook under Wendi Wood Photography.


He's Alive! (and so is this blog).

It's not very often that I get a chance to sit down and blog a spell, but every now and then I come out of the woods and re-enter civilization long enough to pick up the laptop and connect to the wide world of the web. Out in the backwoods of Mississippi, we neither have cell phone nor internet service, believe it or not. It's been an adjustment, but I kind of like it! 

My husband was sent to the big city of Jackson this week for training, and Jo-Jo and I tagged along. John did  not give me much choice. He said, "You need a break and you are going with me." He even sweet-talked my Mom into keeping the other three kiddos while we are gone. Poor Gran! She will be needing a vacation now!  I must admit it is rather nice to sit back and relax, let someone else wash my dirty towels and prepare my meals. Having uninterrupted screen time is icing on the cake.

We had a very nice Easter Sunday. We visited my "home" church (although it is not where we attend, it will always be "home" to me) with my parents and brothers' family. Afterwards, we drove about 20 minutes south and joined my Mom's bustling family (she has 6 siblings) for Easter dinner. My cousin Beverly's home was bursting with aunts, uncles and cousins. The food was abundant and delicious and of course we all ate too much. Even though all of that is wonderful, it's not what "makes" Easter so special. Being a born-again child of God, the Easter holiday stirs me like no other. I love Christmas, but Easter comes in a pretty close second. As a blood-bought, born-again child of God, I can't get over the significance of His resurrection.  He is alive! He is ruling and reigning from His heavenly throne. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, and whatever it brings with it.  I can face death, whether my own, or of a loved one because He has taken away the sting. He conquered death and all its darkness and pain and grief.  He is my glorious overcomer, and now I have nothing to fear!

So that is why we get all dressed up for Easter Sunday. It's certainly an occasion worth donning our best, to show that this Resurrection Sunday is special and significant to us. And we do clean up pretty good, if I do say so myself!


                      
                                                                      Our Family, Easter 2014

 
The Cooper Grandkids! All ten of them!

 

 
My Parents and I

 
Josie Amelia's First Easter


 

 
My Four Sweeties, My Whole World
 
 
Elijah shucked off his Sunday duds and climbed a fence post the first chance he got!