Freedom Challenge - Week 1 Results

Today's picture was taken in an area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park known as White Oak Sinks.  Yes, those really are flowers carpeting the floor of the area.  During a brief span of around two weeks in April, this area is a wildflower mecca that is beyond description.  You have to see it to believe it.

My first week participating in the Freedom Challenge was interesting.  The goals which I thought would be easy were not and I had fun with the two I thought would be most difficult.  Here is my recap:

 1) Walking is my form of exercise. Since 2006, I have worn a pedometer, kept a log and averaged 10,000 steps per week. I'd like to increase that goal to 12,000 steps per week.  Did NOT meet.  This goal, I thought, would be my easy one, but I ran in to a situation I could not control.  On Thursday, I had my annual visit with my podiatrist.  My feet (bless their hearts!) are an ongoing issue which someday will call for a separate post, but for today, just know that they require a close relationship with a podiatrist.  Last Thursday, he took one look at my left foot and said, "how steep was the downhill on your hike last weekend.?"  I had noticed some discoloration under a toenail and just thought it was a bruise.  Hiker's call stuff like that "hiker's pride" or "hiker's plague" and don't usually get in a wad over it.  He didn't like it, though and proceeded to "fix" it.  I will spare you the details of exactly how he did that, but you may have heard the scream!!  Anyway, bottom line, no walking for 36 hours.  So, this goal did NOT get met.  I was on track until Thursday.  Had even gotten in my 12,000 steps before my appointment which was late in the afternoon.

2) I want to begin planning menus in advance. I will plan menus three days this week and increase it by one day each week, so that by the end of the challenge, I'll be planning a week in advance. I did meet this goal.  This week, I will plan four days and will do that today.

3) Along with goal #2, I will find and try at least one new recipe each week and post a picture of it on my blog.  My recipe for Oat Pancakes turned out well and I posted the picture on Saturday.

4) July 30th is my birthday. I will eat nothing with white sugar in it until that day (and maybe not then).  I did not eat anything which contained white sugar.  

5) This is a "just for fun" goal since you asked that our goals be unrelated to weight loss.  I'd like to weigh 155 or less by my birthday. This is my 55th birthday (EEK!!) and I think it would be cool to be at or below 155 on my 55th birthday. I'm already very close, so this should be a easy no-brainer.  My weight this morning was 157.  I should be well on my way to meeting this goal.

As we all know, a week can change in an instant, but as of right now, I know of no significant food challenges I will face this week.  There are no events, lunches, parties, etc. on the agenda.  I have tentative plans for another aggressive hike next Saturday and am looking forward to that.   I am looking forward to a quiet week.  NOTE: Before I could even get this posted, I received a call inviting us to a dinner party Saturday evening.  Oh well....................

Mr. B and I had a restful day yesterday.  After church, we cooked up a simple lunch of ground beef patties, cherry tomatoes for me, a baked potato for him and a pan of fried okra.  The tomatoes are from my garden and are delicious.  The okra was from a friend's garden and was to die for.  Okra is one veggie that I have found no likeable way to eat, other than fried.  So, I planned for it and enjoyed every morsel.  Mr. B is a wonderful "traditional" cook well-taught by his mom.   Believe me, he can do fried okra!!

In the afternoon, he napped, I read blogs and did some research on our next trip. We have 2 1/2 weeks in August after he completes his summer school class before he reports back for the fall term at the college where he teaches.  Our only criteria for the August trip is it has to be somewhere COOL!  This year, finding that place isn't as easy as it sounds!!   Any suggestions????????

After our weekly dose of "The Next Food Network Star," we called it a night.