Posts Tagged With: weight loss

RF – Sundays, taters, dogs & Angels

Posted on December 13, 2020 by emjayandthem

It’s Sunday morning, early December and here we are. Time for some random randoms from my part of the world. Ready? Let’s do this:

1 ) Sunday morning coming down: Sundays are my favorite, there’s no rushing, no fussing, just stirring and sautéing and tidying. Reading, regrouping, resting and readying. My day to recharge. ahhh…

2 ) Taters: Took this picture of 31lbs of potatoes I stacked up that represent what I’m leaving behind in 2020: 31lbs, 49″ and 60 – count ’em – 60 non-scale victories. Intermittent fasting is my life now. Want more info? Read the book, “Fast, Feast, Repeat” by Gin Stephens – it’s the health plan with a side effect of weight loss Fast. Feast. Repeat. | Gin Stephens | Macmillan

3 ) Walking friends: Something that’s saved my bacon this crazy year has been my daily walks. These are non-negotiable. I might not take a lunch break but I always take a walking break. Now sometimes my walks are stomps, other times more leisurely, but regardless, I come back refreshed, energized and thankful. A highlight is seeing my buddy, Chief. It’s even better when he sees me ~ tail thumping, a big smile as he lopes over to lean in for a big hug and many pets and assurances that he is, indeed, a very very very very good boy.

4 ) Christmas: The tree(s) are up and decorated; the lights and pretty colors make me smile and remind us both of the promise of Christmas.

5 ) Kiss an Angel good mornin’: Rest In Peace, Charley Pride. Such a sweet and timeless message of “the secret of happiness.” It’s a simple thing …. and the answer is in this song that I always sing:

What’s saving your bacon right now?

Categories: Animals, Attitude, Confidence at any age, Faith, Family, Gratitude, Growth, Home, Joy, Life, music, News, Uncategorized | Tags: 2020, Charley Pride, Christmas, classic country, dogs, free weight loss, Gin Stephens, health plan, increased health, Intermittent Fasting, Kiss an Angel Good Morning, mental health, non-scale victories, pandemic, potatoes, recharge, rest, self-care, Sunday morning coming down, Sundays, walks, weight loss | 11 Comments

Simple little things

Posted on August 2, 2020 by emjayandthem

When I find simple little things that make me happy, I’ve learned to do them again and again.

I notice.

I smile.

I repeat.

Examples include:

Saying “Good Morning” to the neighbor’s dog who waits patiently for a pet from yours truly –

my buddy, Chief

Sending 4 of these packing & working on more –

Waking up to walk early, setting a goal, and crushing it –

Reading a book so good it makes me sad to see it end – ooh!

Supper simmering on a rainy summer Sunday ~ Salisbury steaks!

How about you? What are some little things make you happy? Do you notice & repeat, too?

Categories: Attitude, Books, Confidence at any age, Determination, Fun, Gratitude, Growth, Home, Joy, Life, Personal, Uncategorized | Tags: 10K+ steps, daily step goals, exercise, Fitbit, food, good books, good food, Happiness, inner peace, Kim Michele Richardson, neighborhood dogs, simple little things, simplea pleasures, the book woman of troublesome creek, walking, weight loss, what 5 lbs of fat looks like | 2 Comments

Random 5 Friday – Life Lessons, Favorites and Dogs

Posted on June 5, 2020 by emjayandthem

It’s the first Friday in June – wow!

Memorial Day passed without the Holiday ~ no parades or BBQs, somber or otherwise. Lock-downs continue, with “social distancing,” face masks and the like. I’m in Michigan where businesses are just now beginning to re-open but haircuts are banned (you can’t make this up).

Here are 5 randoms from my world view ~

1 ) Daily walks – what started in winter has continued and daily walks have saved my sanity. I get away from the laptop to admire landscapes, pets and flowers while enjoying podcasts as I meander the neighborhood.

Lilacs in May

2 ) Lifelong learning ~ In addition to podcast learning and regular reading, another AHA lesson of late has been realizing AGAIN how much I love being home and how compatible Hubbs and I are. We have our little rhythm going; part of the day is spent together, part not, and we like and need both the connection and the time apart. I can’t imagine what this “stay at home” time would have been like had I been sheltered in place” with someone other than him. 🙂

3 ) Ch-ch-changes I feel my body changing, adapting to and craving daily exercise. My FitBit registers the “jump” in activity, from 5-6K/daily steps to 12-13K daily. On rainy days I use my rebounder inside. As a result, no “Quarantine 15” for me – actually, the reverse – I’ve lost lbs & inches, some due to exercise but most due to intermittent fasting, otherwise known as “time-restricted eating.” No longer noshing throughout the day, I drink black coffee/water in the morning, open my “eating window” when my body signals that it’s hungry, usually somewhere around 12:30 -2pm. Later, I enjoy dinner, listening for the “sigh” (your bodies’ signal it’s satiated) and stop, “closing” my eating window around 7-8pm. Since I give my body a daily break from constantly digesting, fasting is healing and restorative. Think of it as letting the cleaning lady in to do the heavy lifting for you – she clears the junk away ~ As a result my clothes are bigger, I’m smaller, and my eyes, skin & hair are brighter.

I feel ah-mazing! The best part? It’s. Free. 😀

4 ) Dogs & cats ~ 76 days in and I’ve yet to see one dog unhappy with the “stay home/stay safe” order. I see cats in sunny windows; everyone is adapting. Below is my pal, Chief, a favorite from my walking route:

5 ) In Summary ~ the first half of 2020 brought us Russia-Gate, impeachment attempts, COVID-19, Murder Hornets, Civil Unrest & Riots ~ this about sums it up:

So, how’re you doing?

Categories: Animals, Blogging, Determination, Faith, Family, fear, Gratitude, Growth, Home, Life, News, Opinion, Seasons, Self Discovery, Thoughts | Tags: 2020, changes, comfort, COVID-19, Delay don't deny, dogs, eating to satiety, exercise, favorite people, Fitbit, Gin Stephens, health-19, home, hubbs, inches lost, Intermittent Fasting, Intermittent Fasting Stories, intuitive eating, life lessons, lilacs, Michigan, murder hornets, podcasts, rebounder, Seven good minutes, shelter-in-place, Spring, stay home order, unrest, weight loss | 12 Comments

Random 5 Sunday ~ house cats, Chihuahuas, kids menus & donations

Posted on October 9, 2016 by emjayandthem

Like my summer, October is already flying by! Driving home from work one night this week I caught my surprise at the brilliant reds already in the trees ~ see, that shouldn’t be happening yet b/c, in my mind anyways, it’s only … August!

Today I’m cooking for my guys and packing for a flight tomorrow – a whirlwind trip to Denver for a conference with colleagues and dinner with the CEO, how lucky am I! 😀

Here are 5 randoms from this beautiful October Sunday:

1 – Since cutting grains I’ve lost just over a House Cat & a Chihuahua in lbs. What I’ve gained has been so much more – respiratory stability, increased stamina and glowing skin. I thought this graph was a great illustrator of what stuff weighs. Rephrased I’ve lost a medium bowling ball & a table lamp+ a couple of books!! I’ve got some more to go but the best part isn’t the smaller sized jeans it’s NEVER BEING SICK – with tons of stress this year, travel, Mom’s passing, and gobs of sick people around me ~ I. Don’t. Get. The. Crud. Anymore.

Amazing!

2. This made me laugh out loud. Our dog never did this but I know a few who have – at least they were sorry!

3. I took a personality test a few weeks ago for the conference happening this week ~ the results will be shared, analyzed and we’ll use them to help us learn our team’s personality types and strengths. I barely remember my answers – oops!

4. This may be the greatest kids menu ever written! Truth be told, every time we go out I read the menu then order the exact same thing I ordered last time! You?