Scale: Slave to? Or Accountable To?

 Weightloss.   Everywhere you turn you see ads for quick and easy weight loss.   Pills, shakes, creams, and even laser therapies.  If you have followed me at all, you know I have struggled with my weight since our daughter got sick the first time.   I know I am repeating myself, but I am a major stress eater.  Knowing and understanding your eating habits and eating triggers is critical to success in weight loss.

Fast forward to this spring.   Gyms had been closed for three plus months.  Our business has been drastically affected by this pandemic as well.  That was a recipe for disaster for me.   Food for comfort, beer and pizza, wine, chips and so much more.   The latest health issue in our home if our son hurting his back over a year ago during off season baseball training.  That is another story, but let's just say, unsupervised weight training with young high school athletes is a REALLY bad idea.  He has struggled a lot and missed a lot of baseball as well.  The masses of tests, emergency room visits and so much more has been stressful to say the least.

We trusted so many people and medical professionals to figure out what was going on with his back.  The answer?   I don't know.  His tests are normal.  We finally turned to a long time friend and person trainer Jason Ivesdal.  Jason is the perennial student and is always studying and learning to better service his clients.   Our son started training with Jason and working on building back his strength and mobility.  Of course then COVID hit.  there was no more training with Jason for over 3 months.  But, this isn't about our son.  I always went along to our son's training sessions with Jason.  Jason and I would chat about a lot of different things during those sessions.

One very emotional day for me, I said to him with tears in my eyes, "I can't be like this anymore, I need your help to lose this weight for good.".   His simple answer, "I will help you."

I will write more about the process later, but right now I want to talk about the scale.   I have been a slave to the scale for many years.   If I had a night of beer and pizza, I would step on the scale the next day.  I would get frustrated that the scale would go up significantly and it would take me days to get back to where I was.  I would get frustrated and say things like, "I won't ever be able to eat normal food again.  Every time I eat normal food I gain weight."  "I'm never going to get to my goal weight."  In the past the scale would make me feel like a failure.  It was not a healthy place for me to be so obsessed with the scale.   

The scale does not always reflect where you are in a weight loss journey.  There are other considerations.  For example:   Are you retaining water?  Do you have food allergies?  Are you working out and building lean muscle mass?   The scale is only one piece of a larger wellness puzzle.

So, I changed my focus.  Now I am excited to step on the scale and don't concern myself with how much it goes down. I am looking at the scale as a tool to help keep me on track.  I am learning what foods and what things make the scale go up slightly.  That way I can adjust my "normal" eating habits to not eat those things as frequently.   I also purchased a new scale.  This one has an app (doesn't everything) associated with it that lets you visually track your progress.  As an accountability tool, I make adjustments if I see the scale go up.  This will help me ultimately from rebounding and gaining the weight back.

My scale was also not accurate.  So many home scales are NOT!  That didn't help my cause.  So I decided to splurge on a new scale.  Withings Body Scale

                     

Who would have ever thought I would be excited about a scale?   This bad boy does all this:

• Tracks BMI & Weight Trends
• Up to 8 Users
• Wi Fi Synchronization
• Daily Weather Report
• Works with Multiple Health Apps
• Has a Baby & Pregnancy Mode (I am way beyond that but great for expectant Mother's!)

The hardest thing for me over the last few years is to remember that I AM Worthy.   This is a struggle for so many women.  I have lost weight and regained it more times than I can count anymore.  I know I have said this before, but it is time for ME.  Time to be healthy.  With all the craziness of this pandemic, it is even more important for people to care for the bodies God gave them.  Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep and have a strong spiritual life.  That will help you stay healthy even through a pandemic!   I will write more about healthy living, but don't fall for quick weight loss scams.  Pills, shakes, etc.  They are not sustainable unless you want to continue purchasing and using those products for the rest of your life?   No gimmicks, no cheats, real food and exercise (full disclosure, I started with shakes, but there is a good reason for that - I only did them for 21 days). 

You are worth it.   I am worth it.  If you need to talk with someone about this, I am always available.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase a product through an affiliate link I make a small commission at no cost to you.  This small commission keeps my husband happy when I spend too much time on things like this.  Thank you for your support!

DIY Thieves Household Wipes

Since the start of Covid people are much more conscious of cleaning and sanitizing surfaces.  At our house we have been using Thieves household cleaner for virtually everything.  No toxic fumes, smells great and has been proven successful in killing many little nasties in your home.  An even larger bonus is it is safe for children and/or pets.  Let me tell you from experience, teach your children EARLY how to clean and get them involved in the cleaning process.

The Clorox wipes and other similar products have safety warnings all over them.  I don't want to use products like that.  Over the years we have slowly moved to more plant based and natural products in our home.   With the lack of disinfecting wipes available during this pandemic it made so much sense to make our own!   You only need 4 things.

1.  Large roll of paper towels.  We like Bounty.   Of course you can purchase these at the grocery store but if you prefer to shop from home?   Bulk Paper Towels

2.  A bottle of Thieves household cleaner.

3.  A small container.  We like this one:    Favorite Container 

4.  Water

Directions:

• Cut your roll of paper in half.   
• Place it in the container.
• Mix In Bowl 2 Cups Water & 2 Capfuls Thieves Cleaner
• Pour the Water Mixture Over The Paper Towels

Voila' you are done.   Let the towels soak up the moisture.  Once the towels are wet you will be able to remove the cardboard tube from the center.  Our recommended container seals tightly to help keep moist.   Open the lid and pull wipes from the center!   Super easy.

On the go?   Pick up some of these refillable baby wipe containers and add a few of your paper towels to this for a portable option.  Wipe your hands, wipe down shopping carts and much more! 

Portable Wipes   

Thieves household cleaner can be used for many cleaning tasks in your home.  This product is highly concentrated and will make you MANY bottles of cleaning solution at a fraction of the cost.   Notice we only used 2 capfuls in the recipe above.  Here are recommended dilution ratios.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase a product through an affiliate link I make a small commission at no cost to you.  This small commission keeps my husband happy when I spend too much time on things like this.  Thank you for your support!

Pandemic Gardening - Weeds Be Gone!

My Mother had beautiful, well tended gardens.  One of her best friends, Florence also had beautiful gardens on a large gorgeous wooded lot.  I remember as a child, going with my Mother to her home for lunch in the summer.  We would arrive there, walk down the hill to the screened gazebo (this is Minnesota after all and home to killer mosquitos).   I called her Aunt Florence because we spent so much time with them as a family it didn't seem right to call them Mr. and Mrs. Felber.  So they were Aunt Florence and Uncle Harvey.  Yes, I am that old that we called adults Mr. and Mrs. not their first names.  Inevitably, when we would arrive, Aunt Florence would be on her hands and knees at the edge of the garden.  She wore her big floppy hat and was always pulling weeds, digging in the dirt, moving plants to various places in the garden to create her version of beauty.  We always began with a tour of the garden.  The joy and the love Aunt Florence had for those plants was contagious.  She would point out new growth, beautiful blooms and talk about changes she was making to those gardens.

Her table was always impeccable.  Beautiful white floral table cloth and of course a vase of beautiful flowers in the center.   The table was set with beautiful china and all the silverware was placed to appease Miss Manners.  Sandwiches, iced tea with lemon and always a lovely home made pastry for desert.

 We have had the opportunity to do a lot more with our house and our yard this year.   Our neighbors are probably very thankful.  Unfortunately our son was unable to play baseball this summer.  This is probably the first summer in 14 years that we have not spent the majority of the summer on a ball field!

So, our backyard was a DISASTER!

We have a large back bed that has become completely overgrown with grass mostly.   Let me tell you it is A.  Ugly, B.  Hard to mow.  

This year I have taken the time to do much more planting and "playing" in the dirt.  Actually weeding the front beds so that our front yard actually looks decent.

Now on to the backyard.   The first thing we are tackling is that large back bed.   We are a toxic chemical free home as much as possible, so killing weeds safely is a real challenge.

Here is a testimonial from a friend that tried it.

Weed problems? Oh my gosh does this stuff rock!

Do you love our planet? Little changes add up to BIG changes!

Harsh chemicals like Round-Up sprayed on the cracks of the driveway and sidewalks DO make their way into our water supply - where we then ingest them.

Angela ordered this for me the other day and oh my gosh the weeds are just GONE! I believe she sprayed it on straight and 24 hours they were already withered!

I will be taking before and after pictures.   The plan is to spray tonight.   We will then bring in a load (or two) of black dirt.  Nothing like some manual exercise with a shovel and wheelbarrow!

                                                

Here is a link to purchase your own:    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W9HX3MV/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=lhanken-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=4d984cf15d2aa0e59b2fdd1d209ae600&creativeASIN=B07W9HX3MV

During these crazy times, we are always looking for ways to naturally boost our immune system.   Vitamin D has been shown to naturally boost your immunity.  The best way to get Vitamin D naturally is through sunshine!    

Here is a great article on how gardening actually can make you HAPPY.   https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/antidepressant-microbes-soil.htm

Working in the soil is good for the soul.  You often hear people describe their garden's as their happy place.  Beautiful shades of green, gorgeous blooms of varying colors.  Gardening also is a natural stress reliever.    Being present in the moment while gardening naturally reduces stress and anxiety.  I like to say a prayer, thanking God for his amazing beauty while gardening.  Listen to the birds, the breeze in the trees.  It can be very calming.

I know the summer is almost over, but get out in your yards, dig in the dirt.  Plant some fall plants.  Be joyful in the moment.

Be Observant - Be Present

My parents survived the depression.   My Father was incredibly frugal.   He did very well in his business but he would still haggle over acorn squash prices at a roadside stand.   He would pick up people's trash (long before Bloomington curbside pickup), fix it and either sell it or use it in our home.   He had the funds to buy whatever he wanted, but he was always frugal.

We took a lot of vacations in the car.   We didn't stay at fancy hotels, we stayed at motels (do they even exist anymore?).   I was ecstatic if we stayed at a motel that had a pool.   My oldest brother is 18 years older than I am.  I am the youngest of 4 which means I was basically an only child.   Yes, we took some big trips to Europe (to see my other brother who was stationed in the army in Germany) and to Hawaii years later when I was in high school.     But MANY of our trips were road trips.   Drive to a place, stay in a motel, drive to another place, stay in a motel until you got to your destination.

I had the backseat to myself generally and I was really good at sleeping in the car.   I still have that skill if anyone wonders.   The beauty to me was that I would fall asleep and then wake up and we would almost be there.   I thought car rides were horribly boring.  My Mother would regularly say, "Lori if you sleep the whole car ride you will miss so much!"  I wasn't buying it at the time.

My parents bought a lake home when I was 2.   I grew up at that lake home.   We were at the end of a dirt road.   We didn't have a tv.   We listened to music, we played cards, we did puzzles, we rock hunted, we explored, we fished, we swam, we played yard games, we bird watched, we boated, we grilled, we gardened, we did yard work and every day we would "go for a walk down the road".   I remember those walks usually just with my Mother very fondly.   We would talk, look for agates, watch the birds, she would point out wildflowers.   We had reference books and when we saw particular birds or flowers we would look them up and mark in the books the date and location.  We were present in the moment and always observant of what was around us and the gift of nature that God provided.

             

I learned to be observant.    I learned to listen.   I learned to watch.   Boy, how much did I miss while sleeping on those car trips?  The joy she had in finding and seeing God's creation every day was infectious.   A sense of adventure and discovery was something I cherish now. 

Fast forward to today.   

I now understand my parent's frugality.   It came from experience.   It came from fear.   We have learned to be much better stewards of our money during these trying times.

The world has slowed down.   Time is all relative now.   Our society needed this change of pace.   

Cell phones, and being constantly connected is not good.   Everyday we see people walking by our house, looking at their phones or even talking on their phones with headphones.   Why is everyone afraid of silence?   True silence doesn't exist.   While you are walking you may hear the sound of a trickling creek, or the birds singing.  Even the sound of a chainsaw or a mower brings back memories of my childhood summers.   Open your eyes.   Look at the world and the people around you.   Listen to the beautiful music God provides outside.

Our family has become more connected through this shutdown.   We are going for walks together.  We are playing games.  If I can share a little of the joy my Mother shared with me I will pass along a legacy of beauty and joy.

Worship Where You Are

Shelter in place.  Churches closed.  No singing.  Social distancing.  I never in my wildest dreams thought that our country would be brought to a screeching halt by a virus.   Over the years you watch the virus movies and it simply never occurred to me that this could happen in my life and that it could happen so quickly.  We were on "shelter in place" due to our MN Governor's orders.   The world has slowed down.   Businesses are closed, churches are closed, people are unemployed.   It is a terrifying time for many people.  That evolved to some slow openings and social distancing.  Months later and nothing is normal.

Churches were closed for weeks.   So many churches, including mine, have adapted as best they can to reach their congregations.   Messages of hope and of God's love are important to many.  But, are we sharing that message outside of our comfort zone?   

Now that we no longer worship in the walls of a church, where are you worshiping?

I picked up a book I had started before and hadn't finished.   An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.

The first chapter of the book talks about where we worship.   God actually told Jacob that he didn't want a "house of worship".   It is easy for Christians to hide in a house of worship.  We are with people we know, people we love.   We re comfortable.  But what do you do when you leave those four walls? 

Jacob encountered God in the wilderness.   When he awoke, he realized the place he was in was the "house of God."

We have had to learn to worship differently.   The whole world is the house of God.  Church can be a front porch, a river bank, a mountain top or even a chair at the dining room table.   Jesus comes to you where you are.   He doesn't need a fancy church, he just needs your heart.

I have been on a new (old)  journey.   Yes, it is another wellness journey.   I have done a lot of clean eating and weight loss programs.   I am always successful with them.  Then something happens.  Someone gets sick, or injured, or something happens at work and I fall back to old habits.   This new journey for me, will include a lot of self reflection.  Clean eating, reading and exercising. 

I added a couple other options, pray, devotion and write.

If you have followed my journey at all, you know that I am a stress eater and when I am caring for others, or stressed, I stop caring for myself.  I talked with our friend and trainer Jason.  I was almost in tears.   I said, "I need your help".  I need to lose this weight.  I will tell you more about the journey later, but he stepped up and is helping me get there.  

So.   Now is the time.

Where is your house of God?

The Sanctuary Was Empty

The sanctuary was mostly empty.  A full sized figure of Martin Luther sat in the back.  Our chairs were separated so that we could still practice 'social distancing'.   It was very surreal.   I would even say awkward at first.     I was a little self conscious (if you know me, that is not me - at all!) and a little anxious.  It felt like a HUGE responsibility to be there sharing God's word to all the people that no longer can come to church.  Little did I know, that I was the one to be blessed.

Like many churches, we use Holden's Evening Prayer for Lenten services.  I know the music and the words by heart.   But last night.   Those words.   Oh those words.   As the service continued I was overwhelmed by a sense of peace, love and awe.   Those words seemed so much more powerful.  Maybe I had been forgetting lesson #2 (see below).   It is so easy to go through the motions during a church service.  Not last night.    Those words washed over me.  There is Hope.  There is Peace.   There is Joy.  There is Love.

"Jesus Christ you are the Light of the world; the Light no darkness can overcome; Stay with us now for it is evening, and the day is almost over.  Let your Light scatter the darkness and shine within your people here.  Joyous Light of heavn'ly glory, loving glow of God's own face, you who sing creation's story, shine on every land and race.   Now as evening falls around us, we shall raise our songs to you, God of daybreak, God of shadows, come and light our hearts anew.  In the stars that  grace the darkness, in the blazing sun of dawn, in the light of peace and wisdom, we can hear your quiet song."

And, oh so powerful...

"Love that fills the night with wonder, love that warms the weary soul, love that burst all chains asunder, set us free and make us whole."

It continues....

"You who made the heaven's splendor, ev'ry dancing star of night, make us shine with gentle justice, let us each reflect your light."

I sang with every part of my heart and soul the canon that followed.   After worship was over, I found out that family members and many others were watching and singing along.   How powerful is that?   Satan has no hold.

"Let my prayer rise up, like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.  O God, I call to you, come to me now; O hear my voice when I cry to you.   Keep watch within me God; deep in my heart may the light of your love be burning bright.  All praise to the God of all - Creator of life; all praise be to Christ and the spirit of love."

I love Lent.   I love the time for reflection and the quiet that seems to come with Lent.  Our church, Immanuel Lutheran in Eden Prairie, like many churches use Holden Evening Prayer for their Lenten worship.    This week we have been forced to "social distance" ourselves which means no in-person worship services.  What a time in the church year for this to happen.  Lent.   While we are preparing for God's biggest sacrifice and his biggest miracle.   We are forced to not worship together in a church building.

In my work with Holy Commotion, the youth confirmation band at Immanuel, I only want them to learn two things from me.

#1  Being a worship leader is all about giving glory to God through music.   It is not about your own glory or about your musical talents.   It is giving of your time and talents to glorify God.

#2  Really hearing and feeling the words while sharing worship music.

Last night, I felt both those lessons so dramatically it made me cry.

So, maybe this is a good thing.   We cannot hide behind our church walls anymore.  We cannot be safe together in a sanctuary.   We need to worship where we are.  All day.  Every day.  This situation has already taught me many things and I am sure I will continue to learn and grow as a person through this process.

When the service was over?  We all felt it.  We knew we really had just experienced something truly special.  I read the comments from the live stream when I got home.  Families worshiping by candlelight at home, people from afar joining us,  taking communion on their sofa,  worshiping against all odds.   It was such a blessing to me.