Wellness Wednesday #21

Hello everyone! Long day, connection problems on the lap top, so back at the desk top to get this post out before it's no longer Wednesday.

First of all I have to say that I have some of the best blog readers ever! Thank you all for the encouraging comments you have left for me. Several of you took the time to write me emails as well with encouragement, suggestions or just to tell me that you like my blog. Honestly, I would really be journaling this way even if no one read, but I am thankful that my ramblings and ideas bless others from time to time.

You will never know how much it meant to me during a stressful weak of difficulties with the kids, illness, hormonal issue and the stress of the California home schooling issue with Hubby being gone extra hours training for and hoping to get this new position at University of Phoenix. Praise God, he was chosen to be hired, contingent on completing a mentor program where he will team teach with another teacher or professor. Friday night's session will give us more information. How ironic this week that he would be selected to teach other college students how to become a teacher but our state would not consider him qualified to teach his own 1st grade son, since he has the "wrong" credentials! LOL Sometimes you have to laugh or you will cry. We are praying, staying alert and still learning here at our little Pathfinder Academy. Liberty requires vigilant maintenance - we will not give ours up easily!

Now on to other forms of wellness... 312#! I can't believe it. I always have to chuckle when I write a number like that down because a stranger passing through would be mortified at being excited a number that large. However, I am excited every time the number goes down. At 310# I became pregnant with D and at 296# I married Hubby (you have got to love a man who accepts you just as you are, warts and all!). I have been sick this week, so that number might go back up as I haven't been eating a whole lot, but I have also been "bad" having vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce (hey it was "natural" and "organic", can it be that bad?! LOL).

It may not put on the pounds by I feel more and more the side effects of white sugar/flour. I never noticed them before but now, almost immediately (even when it's not dairy), I have phlegm in my throat when I eat sugar. Phlegm is the body's natural way of getting rid of pests - so I am thinking it recognizes white sugar as a pest! lol I do not have the same response with honey or the items I have made with sucanat which are unrefined sugars. Has anyone else noticed this? So, when will I learn to quit eating it? You know my brain is so indoctrinated by memories of how good something is that I will eat it just based on memory. I am sure I am not the only one experiencing this. So, I am going to be praying that God will help me be more purposeful in my eating.

Behind the blog scenes I have been "playing" more with my grain mill and mixer. If you are interested slip on over to my other blog to see pictures and a recipe of what I have been up to. There is no turning back. This is fun! And unless you think, "I cannot do this, I will gain a hundred pounds!" Think again. During these 21 weeks that I have been sharing my health journey with you, I have been eating all this stuff, not dieting, mostly not exercising and still losing weight. Regardless of conventional "wisdom", all calories are NOT created equal!

Today I placed an order with Azure Standard. They are a company/farm that has natural, organic and healthy stuff...food, equipment, storage items, supplements etc. They do UPS in the US, but on the west coast you can also pick up items at a drop off point. The drop off point has to have $400 of items to be a drop off, however, many people can pool together to do that. Fortunately I can get most of this stuff locally, but for those who can't, this is a great option. I ordered organic hard white wheat, coconut oil, storage buckets, gamma seal lids for 1/2 the price of anywhere else (for the 5 gallon storage buckets), hard red wheat, spelt, 50# of oatmeal (have I mentioned our family likes oatmeal?!) and a few small miscellaneous items. It is a good thing the drop off is Monday and Hubby will be having spring break because the order weighs 300#!

Hopefully I will be able to start writing about some more interesting things I am researching soon. My energy has just been going in many different directions. Before I leave I want to leave you with a great idea that Joanne gave me. She suggested putting a calendar up on the fridge where you can see it every day (some people already have these) and mark on there special marking for what you are working on... did you exercise? did you drink your water? did you...fill in the blank?! Such a simple but effective idea. Now I just need to clear off all the drawings of Larry Boy from Veggie Tales and coloring pages of My Little Pony and I will have a spot for a calendar! :o) If you need free calendar pages Donna Young has a lot of neat stuff!

Thank you for joining me on the journey. I hope God blesses you along the way!