Lose 12 to 26 pounds before Labor Day!

Labor Day, September 7th, is 13 weeks from yesterday and this is a great window of opportunity to accomplish some amazing things with your energy, health and weight loss. Imagine yourself at a cookout or some fun gathering - - - now, how do you feel? Do you have a ton of energy and are you excited about your life? Are you looking forward to all the activity that goes on around you in the fall?

Here in Perry Georgia, we have the National Fairgrounds and as soon as you come into town, there is a large sign that counts down how many weeks are left in the year before the next National Fair is held during the early fall. Every time I enter town, it is a grim reminder that I am overweight and out of shape! The fair heralds the holiday activity around these parts! It is absolutely the BEST fair ever and everyone around here looks forward to all the outdoor activity and all the rides and shows! It is so much fun for the family! My son, Chad could plan his whole year around going to the Georgia National Fair. He always announces the fair’s arrival to me each year. He never fails to say, “Mom, are you going with me to the fair this year?” But to tell you the truth, I have not been to the National Fair for about eight years! Not because I really did not want to…but because I did not feel that I the stamina and energy enough to even walk around and just look at all the exhibits, and definitely not enough energy to ride the rides. (Don’t you hate it when the seat belts on the rides don’t fit around your body?) Since I have had bad knees and health problems I have used them as my excuse to not take part in my children’s family fair outings. I always pretend that I really have just lost all interest in having fun at the fair. Besides, I am not a kid anymore! At 53, I’m too old! But the truth is that I would LOVE to go to the fair and ride ALL the rides (every one of them) with my grand kids. I’d love to walk all over the fair and take in all the sites and sounds and smells. I’d LOVE to hear the joy in my children’s and grand kid’s laughter! I feel that life is passing me by and I am missing a very special part of it because of my poor stamina, low energy, aches and pains.

Personally, I am tired of being tired How ‘bout you? Are YOU tired of being tired also? Do you want to have a ton of energy and be excited about life? This Labor Day will you be excited about being able to be much more active during the fall? Will people keep making comments about how great you look and how much energy you have? This is important because your consistency today and in the coming 3 months is going to lead you and me into feeling like a Rock Star on Labor Day. ARE YOU UP FOR IT? You deserve to have tons of energy, to be healthy and to feel good about yourself. So concentrate on making smart decisions today and start taking a few baby steps initially towards improving your energy and health. Even a few small changes in our behavior will help carry us into better health! Lastly, stop making excuses about why you are not losing weight and/or getting fit, start holding yourself accountable and start kicking some butt! (And as in MY case, it’s some pretty BIG butt! Ha! Ha! Just kidding!) Sorry for the tough love, but I care about you and want to help and encourage you.On Labor Day, you and I will be proud of our hard work and we will be excited to have made some great improvements to our health. And, let me tell you, it is OK to make yourself a top priority. YOU DESERVE IT!

Here again, I want to mention that there is so many ways out there to for anyone to attain better health! Especially online! And although a lot of the sites are NOT free, some of them really are FREE! I will say it over and over again, it is hard to beat Sparkpeople! Let me encourage you to visit their website: http://www.sparkpeople.com
All you have to do is register with them to have ALL of their resources available to you and your family! You will also have online friends that will chat with you and encourage you to become the best that you can be.

If you live in the Houston, Peach, Dooley, or Pulaski counties, please feel free to come join us at New Light Harvest Chapel on Hwy 341 South for the 3D Eat Well, Live Well, and Love God program. If faith can move mountains it may budge unwanted pounds, boost low self-esteem and overcome other problems. God is the most necessary component of a whole life — and that is what the average diet plan misses. Carol Showalter thought it was divine inspiration when she noticed the sign "Smile, God Has the Answer" on a Sunday school bulletin board. The message moved her to create one of the first Christian-centered health programs in 1972. It is a FREE program also! If you’d like to learn more about the 3D program go to: www.3dyourwholelife.com. At New Light Harvest Chapel there are NO WEEKLY FEES for weigh ins each Wednesday evening at 7 pm! "Other diets
make you feel guilty for eating too much or too little; but the 3D Plan doesn't judge you. I like the mix of nutritional advice with the spiritual dimension that was missing in other weight loss programs. To the first five members we are giving a FREE 3D book! We just had our weigh in meeting for the week last night and I lost one more pound! That's 25 pounds so far!

New Light Harvest Chapel is located just a few miles out of Perry, GA in a small community called Clinchfield. Our people are a loving caring group and would love to meet you! Hey, Pastor Kirby and I would really LOVE to meet you too!

OK, I hope by now that you have decided to join me in my challenge to lose 12 to 28 pounds by Labor Day! Let’s get started!



"I know, O Lord, and do with all humility acknowledge myself as an object altogether unworthy of thy love; but sure I am, thou art an object altogether worthy of mine. Do thou then impart to me some of that excellence, and that shall supply my own lack of worth. Help me to cease from sin according to thy will, that I may be capable of doing thee service according to my duty." (St. Augustine, 354-430)

• "Change your thoughts and you can change the world." (Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-1993)

KEEPING UP WITH PROGRESS!

OK so this blog spot is STILL a work in progress but so is my weight loss! I've decided to post this one more time and compare how far along I have come since I first started cutting back on what I am eating every day. If you'd like you can also check out my "blog to lose" site at: http://www.blogtolose.com/profile/ColeneWhitehead

Kirby still wants us to put a few pictures on his Myspace site: www.myspace.com/kirby2883 but, the crazy events that have been taking place over the past five months have had me all tied up or slowed down and over whelmed! So, I don't really know when I will ever be able to get to doing that. But I do have a couple notes jotted down in my 3D journal so I figured I’d go ahead and add them here just to share with anyone who may want to compare their goals and weight loss with me. Although my goals are EXTREMELY rational and slow, I don't feel that I have given my weight loss as much enthusiasm as I should. But, I am trying to take it a step at a time. I just don’t want to set myself up for something unrealistic and then be all sad and disappointed if I don’t meet them. I have been guilty of doing that a couple of times before in my life! And I can tell you that it is NOT good for the moral! So I decided to go back and check my past blogs and use the timeline that I posted weeks earlier. If I meet these goals ahead of schedule, then FANTASTIC! That would be a great reward for me! But as I am looking now at the time line, I see where I have not met the goals that I set for myself. Here is a list of my Commitment Goals
* Attend weekly meetings regardless.............this I have been committed to!
* Track points every day......with 3D, I do not have to track points, but I do track my nutrition on "Spark People" and get much needed feed back on what I need to be eating. Check out: http://www.sparkpeople.com/ on a daily basis. I can't tell you how much this wonderful site has helped me, informed me and encouraged me!
* Blog twice weekly (absolute minimum).....yeah! I am on track now with this one!
* Post pictures of my before pics and a new picture at every 25 lb accomplishment until I reach goal............well...I did post a BIG PICTURE of me and Kirby...but I am looking forward to getting some really great SKINNY PICS!
* Positive self-talk every day....I have to tell you that I could not go on without my 3D friends and my new friend, Trudy, who reminded me that we have to let God put things in the right perspective.

My Personal Goals:
* Slowly and responsibly strengthen my back by attending a gym and a physical therapy swimming class...I have not done this or tried to meet this goal. I have no excuse now that we've purchased excersize bands to work out with!
* Take a quilting class ......I have got the cutest pattern for a quilt for Michael, my grandson.
* Learn to sew pocket books and purses.....still pending....but I did make about 40 GREAT smelling candles which my son, Chad, took all over his neighborhood and got some ladies opinion of them....He said, "Hey, mom, you've got a really GREAT product! Get me more!"
* Walking for 30 minutes every day.........I have been walking, but I am doing it gradually! I don't want to experience any more pain than I really have to!
* Become a WW leader and possibly start a WW meeting at New Light Harvest Chapel........instead of Weight Watchers leader, I became a 3D leader by just starting the 3D program!
* 15 lbs weight loss by End of January 2009......I lost only 6 pounds.
* 20 lbs weight loss by February 8th, 2009. That is the anniversary of the first year of NLHC!.......................................Lose 20 lbs?? Nope not even close!
* 40 lbs weight loss by my birthday, May 11th, 2009......NO, but I lost a total of 22 pounds
* 50 lbs weight loss by my husband's birthday in June 2009....when I wrote these goals I thought that these were reasonable! It would be fantastic to be able to lose 50 lbs total. That would put me at 275!
* Goal weight of 140-145 lbsDecember 2010 Weight Loss Rewards....I'm getting closer!
* Every 10 lbs = a professional manicure or a pedicure......sounds GOOD!
* Every 25 lbs of weight lost = a mini shopping spree! I will buy a new outfit or a pair of shoes!............well, this week Kirby got the new pair of walking shoes by New Balance!
* For the first 50 lbs lost = purchase of new Coach purse
* 100 lbs = purchase a hot tub!
* Goal of weighing in at 145 = glorious vacation trip to Yosemite National Park, Montana and Seattle Washington.............Ooooh, Yeahhhhh!

My Favorite Walking Club - NC Asheville Ambler Club Walk Lake Junaluska On Jun 13

Kirby and I have been keeping our pedometers on and counting steps! I believe that Kirby is really serious about getting rid of the extra pounds this time! He has been busy walking every where he goes. So I suggested that we keep working up to speed and reward ourselves with a trip to the beautiful northern country...where it is cooler and maybe a little less humid than Georgia! This Spring has been the wettest one I believe that I've ever seen! But summer is fast approaching, and it is beautiful in the Appalachian mountains! As you get to know me, you will realize that Georgia is usually NOT ON MY MIND! My heart belongs to the mountains of North Carolina! Let me suggest to you an absolutely awesome place to walk. Make plans to walk with the Amblers around Lake Junaluska on Saturday, June 13,2009. The walk qualifies for the Authors and Literary Landmarks and the Railroad Heritage programs. The route wanders through a lovely residential area, around the lake, past the rose garden and along the nature trail. Enjoy breathtaking mountain vistas on this 2+ rated trail. Plan to register in the new Bethea Welcome Center at 9:45 AM, ready to step off at 10:00 AM. To get there from Asheville, take I-40 West, turn right at exit 27 (Waynesville, Hwy19-23-74). Right exit 103 (Hwy 19). Pass the lake; quickly turn right at the Main Gate entrance to Lake Junaluska Assembly (stone gateway). Proceed on N. Lakeshore Dr. a very short distance to Bethea Welcome Center on the left. The Welcome Center is open daily 9 to 5.

P.S. Here is the latest weight loss numbers for the New Light Harvest Chapel 3D Eat Right, Live Well and Love God Program! Diane Holmes lost 1.6 pounds last week but gained .04 pounds. She was a little upset at first, but her weight gain could very easily been due to fluid build up in her body. I think she is doing great! I lost another pound...OK! OK! It is not a very big weight loss and I could probably do much better than I am, but I want to lose more slowly so that my skin will not get too baggy! Kirby did not lose weight this week. He is at a stand still at 225 and he was a little upset over that. Until he realized that he had lost 2 inches in his waist! I am sorry to say that we had seven people who did not show up this past Wednesday night. But I am going to forgive them and hope that they show up next Wednesday night. Seems that commitment is a very hard thing for today's society! Even when it is going to be very, very, good for their health and Life!
Praying for your weight loss success and your good health, till next time!