My Journey With MFP Aug/Sept.

So September was an AWESOME month for me all around.  Joining the August challenge was a huge accomplishment and motivation for me.  I lost inches (not sure how many) and 7.2lbs, so all in all it was a very productive month.  

I signed up for my first 5k in October and I cannot wait to see how I do.  My fastest time for a 5k so far is today's time 35:53, yay!!!  Of course my 5k's are not official ones but 5k's non the less.  

Alex, yes that picture of me is recent, although my hair is dark now, but yes that is me in July.  

The kids are all heading back to school next week, woohoo!  I am so ready for them to be back on a routine.  Come the second week of September I will be helping out at our little store, for the lunch rush.  Hopefully that will work out, my hubby is having me help out rather than have to spend the money hiring someone else to work a very short shift, 2hrs at most M-F.  This will cut into my lunch date with my bff Julie and my cleaning job once a week, but I am sure I will figure something out.  

I have become quite addicted (in a good way) to exercising at the local YMCA. Betcha have that song going through your head now.  Ha, Ha !!! I love the elliptical trainer, adaptive motion trainer, and the recumbent bike trainer, they all give me a kick butt workout and are helping to shape my body.  I have also added some weight training to my regime, and will be increasing that as time goes on and allows.  

Our prune tree out back yielded quite a huge crop of prunes (taste like plums) and my son had my mother-in-law make us some prune jam...sounds gross but soooooo good. This winter we will be enjoying some tasty jam, can't wait.

Things at home are going well and we are having some great weather to boot. The hot days are not so hot anymore, and mornings are beautifully fall like.  I can't wait for the trees to change their colors and to feel that cool breeze day after day.  As a result of my weight loss I can now wear my leggings and look great at the same time...woohoo!  I love being skinny but more than that, I love being healthier and more fit.  

Blessings my dear friends and as usual please leave me a little somethin' somethin' when you come by.



© 2011 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Update On My Life 2011

 Hey all...just wanted to let you know what has been happening in my life these past several months.


Well the kids are all out of school and on summer fun break.  1st thing we all did was go to Family Camp 2011 at Lake of the Woods. So much fun would be an understatement.  The boys and Miss M. usually go with dad on Friday and stay until Sunday, but my mom and I go just for the day on Saturday.  Although Miss M. did get to go to a great day camp for aspiring writers and artists on the week before family camp, this was the first family event we all went to.  


Over the last several months I have been going through a sort of closure as well as a letting go of a certain person and time period of my past. I previously wrote that I went on a Sabbatical to find my "me-ness" you may or may not remember reading that post, at any rate during that time I also let go of a certain person and time period of my life.  That person is my father.  

Now let me just start by saying that he is not a horrible person and that I do love him, which I am sure leaves you wondering why in the world I would remove him from my life...let me try to explain it a little more.  For some odd reason he never really learned or tried to be my "daddy" and all that word implies.  He did provide well for me and my family growing up, and he did instill in me values, morals, ethics and discipline.  These are all admirable characters to have and be given and I am grateful to him for that.  

That being said, he never really showed me the nurturing part of love, I was never good enough and will never be good enough for him to change what he has been doing his whole life and do something to develop and continue a real relationship with me and his only grandchildren by blood. He was of the mind that children are to be seen and not heard so I am sure you can imagine what it was like growing up in a home like that, or maybe you know all to well what I felt like because you yourself grew up in a home much like my own. When you grow up with strict discipline and little to no nurturing you develop a skewed sense of self-esteem and your value as a person.  As a result of this relationship in my life I have spent most of my teen and adult years trying to be "good enough" for everyone I came into contact with but especially for my father.  


After my Sabbatical I DECIDED to let that relationship go.  I decided that after 40 years of not being good enough I was going to take control of this part of my life.  I was going to decide who I allowed in my life and who I did not allow or want in my life.  Life is too short to be surrounded by toxic or negative relationships...I am called to love my father and I do, I am not called to continue in a relationship that brings me pain and negativity.



Let me just say that I am not writing this to get sympathy or advice from anyone who happens to stop by and read this post.  This blog is about my life and is like an online diary of sorts, it is mainly cathartic for me.  I am also not writing this to hurt or be mean to my father, it is for me a way to share my life with anyone who comes this way and also a way to speak my feelings, whether you like it or not, it is how I feel. 


Above and beyond what I just wrote regarding my father...my life is wonderful.  I am loving my life and intend to enjoy this summer to the fullest whether that means doing nothing but relaxing or that it means going and doing family camps, family reunions, taking road trips, reading, etc...I will enjoy every moment I receive like it is a gift...because it is...I am alive, and I am abundantly blessed by my ultimate Father, God.  I don't have to be good enough and in fact I can never be good enough...He loves me just the way I am but not because of anything I do or have done or will do, but because of who He is.  The point is I don't have to try to be good enough to win or deserve His love, He just loves me.  I am His child and there is nothing I can do that will take away His love. Wow, that is such a blessing and the fact that I am so undeserving makes it even more so!  


God bless all who may pass this way...May He bless you as abundantly as He has blessed me...May His face shine upon you all and give you joy overflowing.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp* 


© 2011 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Update For October 2010

So I thought I would update y'all on what I have been doing these past few

weeks/months.  Well the kids are all in school and doing very well so far.  My daughter changed teachers already, but that went very smoothly, fortunately for all involved.  You know how it is when your kids go back to school and you are left with this immense...silence.  It is like a huge sigh of relief...kind of like, wow, I haven't heard that in so long (12 long weeks) I forgot what it sounded like.

I started going in to our store to help my hubby put freight away on Wednesday mornings, and I am also cleaning house for a friend one day a week, so that keeps me busy.  I Also meet with my best friend for lunch every Tuesday afternoon, and we try to catch up on our week...so I have been a lot busier than normal.

As far as my health goes I am well.  I just saw my doctor and all my tests came out wonderful...yay!  Sadly I found out my doctor is leaving me, but his assistant is staying so I am not too worried at this point.  I know what to look for, as far as me getting sick again, so I should be fine.  I will go in once a year to get tests to make sure I am still in remission, but other than that, things are great.

I am still not sure I will keep this blog going, it seems to be harder and harder for me to be consistent.  For now I will continue it, until it becomes glaringly obvious that I need to quit, so thanks for staying loyal friends, God bless.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

Update

I thought it was time to update on my weight loss status.  I am still at 20lbs down, but I wanted to let you know how I have been doing it. 

I found this great website calorie counter it is a blessing.  You can track everything you eat, all your exercise and weight loss trends.  It truly is amazing. 

Over the past few months I have learned to only eat what my body needs, not just what I want.  I used to eat whenever I wanted with little regard to whether I actually needed to eat.  Now I eat when my body is hungry, I eat to live.  I no longer live to eat.  It is very freeing to be able to say what I just said. 

My day usually start with coffee, and then moves on to food.  Sometimes I will choose to eat fruit in the morning, like an orange.  They are sweet, have fiber and seem to make my morning even better.  There are times I will have two eggs scrambled with salt and pepper, then I put it on toasted sandwhich thins...they are only 100 calorie bread thins.  This makes a good breakfast!  For lunch I will have a huge salad (just greens) and a boneless, skinless chicken breast, with Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing, only 35 calories for 2 tbsp.  Dinner is something similar to lunch. 

I do buy snacks, but they are the healthy snacks.  For example; Laughing cow cheese (35 cals), special k bars (90 cals), a hersheys nugget w/almonds (1 @40 cals), a half cup of low fat cottage cheese (80-100 cals), these are all healthy low fat snacks that won't undo all your hard work.  One other thing I just love to snack on is good old Edemame (soybeans), I buy a bag of frozen and when I am in the mood for something salty and yummy I thaw some out and snack on those, now that's what I'm talkin' about!


I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

Update

Hey all, just wanted to let you know why I have not been participating in the usual Meme's lately. 

Some of you have probably heard of the challenge issued by Arlee over at tossing it out, if not head on over there and take a look see.

Not sure if the challenge is still open but it couldn't hurt to look.  Anyhoodles, that is keeping me very busy.  Also I have started a 61 day Bible Study and that keeps me pretty busy too! So for the month of April I will be busy doing this challenge, although I will probably do the Friday Follow Meme every week.  

I didn't want any of you to think I don't care anymore, it is just that I have been busy writing posts for every letter of the Alphabet and reading for my Bible Study. Both are proving to be challenging, but in a good way.  

Another thing that has kept me busy is I am trying to log at least 7,000 steps a day right now, and then move up to 10,000 when I am feeling better. Now that I am in remission and regaining my strength I am trying to get healthy both nutritionally and physically.  Unfortunately they both take time out of my writing agenda. I have not forgotten all of you and I promise to try and stop by and read up on your posts, if you promise not to give up on me.

"Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life."


~ Ralph Waldo Emerson