Standing On A Ledge

Yesterday was April Fools! Did anyone play any crazy practical jokes on you? I was pretty much left unscathed.  I did take our new puppy, Leia to the veterinarian yesterday. She was not happy about the wait.

She cried and cried and cried waiting for the vet...this was the only 5 seconds she was calm.  

The little porker weighs 29.2 lbs. already.  She's now at the wonderfully frustrating stage where she gets into everything, chews everything and drives you crazy when she's not getting attention. The only cure is exercise. Walks through the neighborhood seem to tucker her out well enough.

I have been sorely neglecting my blog for the past several weeks.  There are probably things I should update you about.  My motivation to write has been severely zapped.  I have been overwhelmed.  Like I'm standing on a ledge.  Work is crazy busy with 100 deadlines.  Trying to get caught up on my journaling has been excruciatingly dreadful.  And figuring out how to balance weight maintenance versus weight loss has been making me a bit nuts.

Trying to NOT obsess about my weight has me focusing on God's word.  "I am fearfully and wonderfully  made!!!"  If that is true, then God loves me just the way I am.  Praise him!

Here is the thing, when you are trying to lose weight, you learn a program, you stick to it and you follow the program.  If the program is right for you, it works like magic.  When you are no longer trying to lose weight, you still have to be vigilant about your nutrition, but you have the added pleasure of including extra calories and treats along the way.  Eating a piece of cheesecake for dessert, means you have to learn how to not feel guilty after and stick to eating only one piece.  When your hormones are cross-eyed and you get bloated, you have to learn the difference between that and feeling like you are actually getting fat.

My church sponsored a Women's Conference a couple weeks ago.  Friday night we had a dessert social, which was simply amazing.  It was so hard to limit myself with all the delectable goodies available.

The positive side of things is that the weather is warming up, providing more opportunities to be outside.

Playing with the puppies outside brings a lot of joy!

My weight has been stable within about 7 lbs. When it's up on the other end of the 7 lbs, I get a little freaked.

In January, I changed my form up a little for my squats.  It was like starting over.  I have been focusing on attaining a deeper squat.  This week, I finally beat my personal record and am up to three reps at 160 lbs.  It's a good sense of satisfaction.  (I forgot my hair tie this day...need to keep some spare ones in my gym bag.)

To deal with the weight fluxuations, I cut back on my calories somewhat and have been trying to eliminate simple sugars (I think these are contributing to my feeling bloated).  I have been sticking to the same regimen (macros and meal prep) and trying some new recipes along the way.

I made this for myself for lunch this week:

Turkey & Lentils
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey, browned
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 carrot sticks, peeled and chopped finely
1 C. dry lentils
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth, fat free, low sodium
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp. basil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the crock pot, cook on high for 4 - 5 hours.

Note:
I put it in the crock pot one night and asked my husband to turn it off when he got home.  When I got up, I divided it into four containers and put in the fridge for myself for lunch.  If you like cumin, it's really tasty.  It's not too spicy at all, but if you like spicy, I'm sure you could add more spices.

I served it with veggies.

Nutritional Information:
187 calories
1.4 g. fat
17.1 carbohydrates
17.4 carbohydrates
4.2 g. fiber

At the Women's Conference a couple weeks ago, I shared my story.  I think it went well.  I think I might have talked too much and didn't get to the point fast enough...I should have given the ladies more tools to take with them.  It was my first time public speaking, so I know now, if I were to do it again, what I need to do to change the format.

I got a little animated...

And Easter happened too.  

Mitch came home for spring break and was with us for Easter dinner.

Feeling so overwhelmed lately, I had an opportunity to really reflect on the meaning of Easter.  The sacrifice Christ made for us...for me...  This is what makes it possible to have hope.

Hope:  No matter what you are experiencing, what challenges you face... Whether you are overwhelmed with all life is throwing at you...  If you screwed up and are dealing with the consequences of your actions... Or have dealt with one crisis after another...  Sometimes it all gets to you and you feel like you are on a ledge.

Easter:  Christ died for us to pay our debt.  His resurrection is the real miracle.

When we give our burdens to him, we can have peace.  For He has overcome the world.  That's what it is all about.


Questions for you:  (Answer in the comments below.)
Did play any April Fools jokes on anyone?  Fall victim to any?
What plans do you have this weekend?

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