It's my challenge, so it's my prerogative. I'm starting my 12 week challenge over again. This is not something I would normally do, but I consider these last 3 weeks to be extreme, and am throwing my own rule book out the window. First, 4 days into the challenge I learned that I can't exercise for 2 weeks. I decided that I could overcome that hurdle by being very careful with my diet, and continuing to lose weight, even if I couldn't improve muscle tone by exercising for weeks two and three of the challenge. Then, sadly, Sister Mary Loretta died and Jack and I ended up with 6 house guests (my Dad, his wife, and my four siblings) for 4 days on 3 days notice. We also were the hosts for an open house on Thursday for our extended family. So we went into hyper-drive to clean the house, transform our yard from from the dregs-of-winter look to a spring-fresh look, set up beds and bedding for family and cooking food for family and the open-house. It was a lot of work. most of it done with a big dose of adrenaline to push me beyond the point of being tired. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to do all of this, more than happy. I was pleased that we were able to take care of everyone. It means so much to me that we can open our home to our family and take care of them like this. I am so happy that our family, both immediate and extended, finds our home welcoming and relaxing. In spite of the circumstances, it was great to see everyone and the spontaneous family reunion reminds me of how special my family really is. All of my siblings flew to Kansas City to support my dad this week. That was incredible. They all stayed here and everyone was comfortable. It is satisfying to be able to provide that hospitality. We had several members of the extended family here for an afternoon. That was a truly special moment. No, I have no complaints. But for several days I did under-sleep and overeat. I had a couple of glasses of wine and a beer or two. I went off program and I refuse to beat myself up over it. But I do get to start my challenge over again.
I am going to use the same chart and just change the dates. I am going to use the same week one and week two pictures, but I am going to do weeks one and two over again. I will start taking photos again three weeks from today and they will be my "real week 3" photos. I know it is a bit unorthodox, but extreme times call for extreme measures!! I'll start posting my weight again tomorrow. I get one day to detox (by eating only on-program food and drinking a lot of water) before getting back on that scale.
Today, I feel particularly happy. The weather is gorgeous. It's getting warm out, the birds are singing, and everything is green again. There is one stubborn bird that keeps trying to build a nest on my porch light, but I'll only have to knock the beginnings of her nest down a few more time before she gets the hint that my porch light is not going to be her new home. It was nice to see my family, even if it wasn't for the best of circumstances. We are spread out, way out, but in times of need, we come together. Whether it is for a funeral, a wedding, a medical emergency, a special birthday, or anything else, if one of us is in need, the rest of us are there for each other. We may not be very involved in each other's day-to-day lives, but we support each other when the support is needed. It was heart warming to have everyone together to support Dad this last few days. It meant so much to him that everyone was here. He didn't expect it, he didn't ask for it, but everyone was here, nonetheless. It was a very special moment for him and it makes me happy knowing my family comes together for each other in times of need. I even got to play a little bridge, which reminded me of how much I enjoy playing that game. Maybe someday I will get the opportunity to play regularly, again.
I was also reminded of how incredible my husband is, as if I needed reminding. There is no way I could have pulled off the last several days without his help. We were shoulder to shoulder through this entire week. From sprucing up the yard to hauling up the beds to being hosts to a houseful of people. To have a partner who you don't doubt for a second or question in the slightest is a great gift. It's something that you can't imagine unless you have it and when you have it you realize just how wonderful life can be. I don't talk about Jackie Deane a lot in my blog, but never underestimate the impact he has on my life. He's my special guy and I will never, ever stop marveling at how well we fit together and how much he means to me. Thank you, Jack!! You make everyday a better day!
So, Day One, Week One. Back on Program. Life is Good. Back to work and my "normal" life tomorrow!!
Have a great day!!
No comments:
Post a Comment