So Long, January! Hello, February!

Baskins Creek Falls - GSMNP

January 31, 2012

You might recall that I entered 2012 on a high note with expectations that my newly found enthusiasm would continue in the same fashion and I am happy to say that it has.  What crazy person would EVER choose to begin a whole new way of losing weight on the day after Thanksgiving?  That crazy person was me and it has been one of the best decisions I've ever made.  January has now faded right into February and the enthusiasm remains high and the plan has become second nature.  Should there be anyone reading who has not kept up with my progress on the 17-day Diet, you'll find my posts outlining the decision to start that plan here.  It has worked perfectly for me and although I'm still living in Cycles 1 and 2 because I have more weight to lose, I know that Cycle 4 (maintenance) is something I can sustain forever.  To date, I have lost a total of 17.2 pounds since November 25.

Here are some January statistics of which I'm very proud!

Weight Lost in January - 6.2 pounds

Miles Hiked in January - 47.2

Average Weekly Steps - 12538  (this is total steps for week divided by 7)

#1 of times I fell flat on my face - 1

NUMBER OF TIMES I WAS SURPRISED - MORE THAN I CAN COUNT!

Remember my New Year's mantra?  It has become so meaningful to me that I plan to share it with you at the beginning of every month during 2012.  

In 2012, I will:

Look for a SURPRISE in every day.

EXPECT steady results from a healthy eating plan and efforts to have a normal relationship with food.

RECEIVE love, friendship, gifts and kindness without question from those who choose to give it to me.

Embrace JOY with every thread of my being.

CELEBRATE my own successes as jubilantly as I celebrate those of others.

SHARE my life, my time, my money and my possessions in creative ways that are new and extravagant.

If you missed the background behind this mantra of mine, here's a link to my first post of 2012.  Like the 17-Day Diet, my mantra has become such a part of each day that I find my brain checking off whether or not I've experienced each aspect at some point during that day.  But mostly, I love the surprises!!

This past week, I was lucky to be able to hike on three different days.  Our weather continues to be incredibly mild and un-winter-like making hiking conditions pleasant, so other things are fading into the background as I know these days are probably limited.  One of those things that has temporarily faded is my newfound love of cooking that I discovered last fall.  Between hiking and what seems like an unusually hectic activity schedule, I just have not had time to keep up the level of experimenting I had begun.  But that doesn't mean I've lost the fire or the joy.  I've gone back and made a few of the recipes a second time and Mr. B begs for repeat performances of the soups I'd made.  Once we return to "normal" weather conditions, rest assured you'll start hearing about more kitchen adventures!  I'm am almost totally gluten-free now, so want to experiment with some gluten-free baking alternatives as I'm not willing to give up the yummy muffin/bread recipes I'd made last fall.  So never fear, one of these days the cooking diva (LOL!!) will make a return appearance.  

And lastly, I'm finally going to answer the fun questions my friend, Karen of Waisting Time posed during the recent round of tagging.  Don't know that I'll ever get around to answering the questions from everyone who tageed me, but she was first, so here goes.........................

What is the most memorable meal you ever ate?  

I've had so many that I'd never attempt to choose just one, so will mention the most recent.  Last fall, we were "treated" by friends to dinner in the Blue Ridge Dining Room at Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.  Not only was the food among the best I'd ever eaten, but we were seated at the exact table you will see if you click on the link.  The view was incredible!

 

What TV show(s) are you embarrassed to admit you watched

The only TV I watch is an occasional show on The Food Network, so can't say there's anything I'm embarassed to admit I watch. 

Share a favorite childhood memory.

My most cherished memories are those of my family camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our pop-up camper.  

What destination would you love to visit?

All of them.  (O.K., I'm allowed one snarky answer although it's a truthful one!)

What’s one food you think you don’t like but you’ve never actually tried?

Escargot

What modern technology that you didn’t grow up with could you now not live without?

No brainer - my computer!

List the 5 websites you visit most often.

maps.google.com, tripadvisor.com, vrbo.com, amazon.com, nps.gov/grsm  (this doesn't even remotely cover it!!)

Who would you like to meet (living, dead, fictional character, blogger, anyone…)?

This so overwhelmed me with the enormity of choosing just one, I realized I couldn't possibly do that.  So, I'm just going to say that my experiences with meeting other bloggers have been so wonderful, I want to meet as many of you as I possibly can.   And that involves visiting new and exciting places, so I get to travel at the same time!

What’s your favorite spot in your house and why?  Where in your house do you spend the most time?

I spend the most time in our den working on my laptop, but my favorite spot is probably on our screened-in backporch or patio.   Our house is very cozy even if I do say so myself, so most everywhere is pleasant and comfortable.

How long on average does it take you to write a blog post?

It depends.   If I'm just writing about my week or off the top of my head, it flows quickly and takes under an hour.  If I'm trying to tie life events in with a meaningful point, it can take much longer because I'm forming the thoughts for myself at the same time I'm writing them for you, so there's a lot of staring, thinking, reflecting, writing and usually a trip or two to the kitchen for more coffee!!   Sometimes it seems as if choosing just the right picture takes more time than writing the post!

We are in for a string of delightful days with no rain in the forecast and temps in the 50's.  Guess what I'm going to be doing?  How about you?