Thanksgiving report card!

Well I'm glad to report that I made it through Thanksgiving! We had the traditional turkey and all the trimmings. It was great. Everyone ate their fill and we had a wonderful day.

We served buffet style. I chose about 4 ozs of white meat turkey with the skin removed. I added 3/4 cup legal mashed potatoes and about 1/4 cup stuffing. I had about 1/3 cup corn and 1/3 cup green beans. Finally I topped this with 1/3 cup fat-free gravy. Measurments are approximate, but I'm pretty sure they are close as I have been measuring my foods for over 3 years and I have developed a good eye. For dessert I picked a variety of fresh fruit - Orange slices, kiwi, grapes and pineapple! I passed on the other stuff as I knew I didn't need it and I was very satisfied with my meal.

We will be eating leftovers for a while, but thats ok. I will approach those with the same critical eye.

Before retiring for the evening I bundled up and went for a nice brisk 30 minute walk! I spent that time giving thanks and thinking about our wonderful day of sharing and visiting with family and friends!! I enjoyed the pretty moon as it shined down, lighting my way!

Now on to the results...............The next morning, at my regular time, I weighed myself.........The scale checked in at 224 pounds!! I was surprised, so surprised I had to step on it again just in case..................yup it read 224!!

Thank you one and all for the motivation that I need to keep working my program. It truly is a HAPPY DAY!!

PS: I'll explain how I have learned to make healthy changes to our traditional meals in a future chapter.

It's the HOLIDAY SEASON?????

Yes its the holiday season and its a wonderful time of the year. I would like to wish everyone good health and happiness! Enjoy the times with family and friends as they are very precious and too soon gone!

I am looking forward to the holidays, as I do every year. I always have the same feelings that I did as a child growing up in northern Minnesota! There always seems to be a peace about this time of the year.

With that said, I have to step back and remind myself of where I am today, and how I got to this place!

I am still enjoying the side effects of healthy eating and exercise, specifically my 255 pound weight loss!! I have been planning ahead. My normal weight is 225 pounds but with the holidays coming I wanted a little wiggle room so I cut down on my food and upped my exercise routine. I am happy to report that last week (the week before Thanksgiving) I weighed 222 pounds! I'm feeling great and certainly have a lot to give thanks for!

Happy & Healthy is certainly the way to go!! Good luck to all of you! God Bless!!

Biking Minnesota

Yes they do make bicycles that I can ride!

I've had requests to post pictures of me at my goal weight so I've picked three pictures that shows the real me!

Thank you for spending time checking out my blog. Stop back now and then for updates. Any "breaking" news will be published here first!!

Eat healthy, keep your body moving and make every day a "happy day"!

Let me know how you are doing, bigbill@gvtel.com.

"Why do I always have to pick the apples at the top of the tree?" Maybe given the fact that I stand 6 feet 10 inches tall might have something to do with it!

I post these pix to show how much my life has changed over the past 3 1/2 years. As I've mentioned in previous postings I used to have a hard time to struggle from my bed and walk the 30 steps to my chair. Some days that was the major activity that I did!

Since I've started this program I now plan activities to keep me moving. I love hiking, biking, walking trails, lawn and garden work, shopping, etc. Shopping? You bet! Have you seen the size of some of those parking lots? By parking on the outer fringes, not only is there usually no one parked next to you, but you have a nice walk to and from the store! I like taking the scenic route, maybe by a car thats caught my eye, etc.! I like to return my shopping cart back inside the store. Sometimes I pick up another cart or two before I reach the door. I do this to add steps to my day. Its free and fun and good for me! Sounds like a home run to me!

Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day and changing a lifetime of bad habits isn't going to happen overnight! Its a daily learning process. Educate yourself, ask questions, seek out people that are like-minded. Explain to your family what your program is and ask for their help. I have really lucked out in that department. My friend is super-supportive and we have worked together since starting down the path to healthy eating! "Thank you Bonnie!" Good luck to all of you with your program.

Nice day for a walk!

Here's a recent pix of me heading out for a nice walk! Living in Minnesota I like to take advantage of every nice fall day as I know that the white stuff isn't too far behind!

My lifestyle program was given a big resounding "Atta boy" recently when I was interviewed by Dr. John La Puma, M.D. from the Health Corner program on the Lifetime channel!!

I was very excited to visit with him as he has been my hero for years. I really respect him as, not only is, he a medical doctor but also a trained chef. His straight forward advice is medically and nutritionally sound. His recipes are very easy to follow. Check out his website at www.chefmd.com. You can page through his recipe list. A lot of the recipes are available on video and you can also print a copy.

Spend some time with Dr. John! Enjoy....

PS: Dr. LaPuma has published a new cookbook that is awesome! Its entitled "Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine"! Pick it up at your nearest bookstore or order it online! You will be glad you did! Its very compatible with the Mayo Clinic program that I follow!