I hope everyone who is reading this has had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. I certainly had my share of surprises!

A miracle happened to my husband and me on December 23rd. It said in our church bulletin that confessions would be heard on that night, from 7-8 pm. We arrived early anticipating a large crowd. There was no one there and the church was closed.

I went to the rectory to find out what happened and the housekeeper said there were no confessions that night, they were on the 19th – and there would be no more before Christmas. Then Father just walked in the door. He had nothing else scheduled for that night and it was a ‘miracle’ that we came when we did as he had been gone all day delivering food to the poor. He not only heard our confessions, but gave us the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. (more on that later) I am sure God orchestrated all of this. We were now ready to receive Holy Communion on Christmas. When we returned home, I looked at the bulletin again and I was right. It was printed that confessions were scheduled for that night – the night no one came to church but us.

Another miracle is God has given me the gift of healing. I walked into church a half hour early and no one had arrived yet accept the ushers. One of them, who I knew, looked so bad, I just had to stop and ask him what was wrong. He told me he was in severe pain due to a pinched nerve in his back and severe arthritis, among other things. You could tell he was in incredible pain as his face had aged 20 years! I was ‘moved’ to pray over him. I annointed him with oil blessed by Padre Pio and when I began to pray, the graces came through me from the tabernacle as if someone turned on a firehose and aimed it at the side facing the tabernacle. They came down my arms and into my hands to him. When I was finished, his face was absolutely radiant. He felt he was completely healed. He had not been able to genuflect for years and now he can. The pain is gone and the trembling in his hands stopped. What a wonderful Christmas gift – for both of us.

How is my workout and weight loss going? My visits to the gym have been cut back due to the holidays. But I have cut way back on what goes in my mouth. I am drinking my shake at lunchtime and am not preparing huge meals for just the two of us. Sometimes we only have soup and crackers or a baked potato. If we are still hungry, we will eat something more later. Christmas dinner with our family was no problem – I ate little.

Though I am doing all these things, my body does not look good. After looking in my full length mirror, I was so disgusted with myself but kept asking God to help me. Last night, Christmas Day, I sat on the living room floor watching TV with Eddie and began doing my ‘floor exercises’. This morning, my arms look ½ the size. Lesson to Ginger: Keep Moving – and God will do the rest.

I will do my best to write more often. I always think I have nothing new to write about and look what came out of the keyboard today. I wish all of you a Blessed, Peaceful, and Healthy New Year.

Again, it has been a while since I have written. My life has been filled with December. This is a difficult month for me and I was hoping to spend most of it at the gym. But my husband had to use my car for a while.

Today I worked at Wal-Mart as a temp to earn extra money. I could only stock shelves for 3 hours! This was one tough workout. I salute all those in retail who stand on their feet all day as cashiers and stockers. You guys rock!

This experiment of working at Wal-Mart alerted me to the fact that I am so out of shape, it is literally a sin! I have my full length mirror in my bedroom and I check myself out each day. Sadly, I have gotten so much bigger. I do not know if I am retaining water, it is more likely I am retaining fat grams. And the lack of exercise every day is taking its toll on me.

I have not gotten away from the bowl of ice cream every day yet! Sometimes it is more than 1 bowl a day! I am sure that is a big reason for the weight gain.

You see, I am lactose intolerant and have not been able to eat ice cream for many years. Now the stores carry ‘Lactaid©’ ice cream and it feels like I am making up for lost time. I was hoping to get sick of it by now, but so far, I still love it.

This IS a sin. Gluttony! It is also an addiction. And we know who is in charge of all that is NOT of God, right? Yes, the evil one. To sum it up, I am committing some of the 7 Deadly Sins of the Catholic Church every day! They are: gluttony, wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust and envy.

Do you see how every day habits make it easy to fall into Satan’s traps? This is Christmas, the time when Jesus was born into the world with nothing. It seems like a good time to lay down these sins at His little feet and never take them up again. He would like that Christmas present – for me to stop eating too much, to stop being lazy and to seriously work on becoming healthy.

I know it’s been a while since I have written. But I am happy to report that I have been to Planet Fitness two days in a row and so far, I love it! I’ve been doing 10-15 minutes of the treadmill, which runs so much smoother than mine at home.

There is a section in the building for working on abs, so I went there and tried the machines. Some I could not even move, but there is one that helps me do crunches and I liked how easy it was. I even put some time on the bikes.

I had my MP3 player and was listening to Michael W. Smith music. I really got lost in the music and did not need to focus on what I was doing. Before I knew it, I had been there an hour. I had thought taking a shower and blow drying my hair there would be a hassle, but it was not and I felt like a new person walking out of the door!

For me, it’s a place to ‘get away’ from my stress and concerns. I am in my own world and no one pays any attention to me or what I am doing as they are focused on their workout. I have to wait until Dec. 15th to ‘Design Your Own Program’ with a personal trainer. In the meantime, I will stick to the machines that I know how to use.

You know, it seems like I was able to focus on the music more while working out and I really listened to the words of the songs honoring God. It was like nothing else mattered except being in the ‘here and now’ with Jesus. It was a a wonderful spiritual experience. I know this is something He wants me to do. He gave me good muscle tone so it should not take longer than a year (hopefully sooner) for me to be in the shape I want. What a wonderful gift from Him to put an affordable gym in my neighborhood! There are no excuses for being overweight now.

For the first time, I actually hope I do not get a job for a month or so. By then I will have a routine and hopefully, I will be able to buy nicer clothes than the maternity tops I’ve been wearing. But it all starts in the morning when I wake up knowing I will go to the gym, no matter what is scheduled. I need that time for myself and God has found a way of giving it to me.

I feel so good! I just completed my floor exercises and they went great! I tried to focus on the muscle groups I was working, but the TV had a good show, so I just did my best. I hope I have not aggravated anything – but right now, I feel terrific! And…I lost another pound. That makes a 5 lb loss since Sept. 28.

I am finding the shakes I have for lunch give me the energy I need and I can almost feel a nutritional surge. I have not been putting Splenda© in them anymore, they taste pretty good without it. I am sticking to the ½ portion, except at dinner. I do not eat a lot at dinner, but I make sure it’s a good, nutritional one so both my husband and I have one good meal each day. His diabetes is stabilized and I am losing inches and weight (ah, so is he, faster than me!). So all the things we are doing must all be working together to make us healthier.

Tomorrow I am trying the new Rx the doctor gave me to help me be more alert and have more energy,especially at the beginning of the day. It is especially for people like me who use a C-Pap at night and may still not be getting enough quality sleep. It is also used for people who work different shifts and need to be more alert.

In the morning, I wake up tired, confused, and hungry. The hunger I can take care of, but the rest, I just have to keep going back to bed to get enough rest. About noon I start feeling better. By then I have wasted 4 hours. And I have yet to make it to morning Mass. That frustrates me more than anything.

I just had an idea. While re-reading the paragraph above, it occurred to me that maybe instead of cereal (Rice Krispies) for breakfast, maybe I should have a shake. I will try it and see how I feel. The shakes last exactly 4 hours for me, but after that 4th hour, I am empty and my sugar is low. I need to be aware of this and have something ready to eat by that time.

This is all a learning process. I know God is leading me to the best weight control and exercise program for my body. I just have to be open to His promptings.

“Help me to put my best foot forward at all times, Lord. I don’t always feel like making a great effort, but I feel better about myself when I do. I don’t want to take this beautiful gift of life for granted, Lord. Open my eyes to make positive changes in my life and in the world. Amen.” *

What a wonderful prayer for goal setting! Each sentence is a great prayer by itself! I may put this up on my wall and pray it every day.

I believe that God opened my eyes to making positive changes yesterday. While running some errands, I noticed ‘Planet Fitness’ opened up a center in my neighborhood. I checked it out and the monthly fee is only $10.00. The sign-up fee was $1.00. I can afford this and cannot afford to NOT take advantage of this opportunity.

One member of the staff is a trainer to help you design your personal workouts. There are free weights, circuit machines, balls, stair steppers, treadmills, gliders and more. There are no aerobics there, just machines.

This is terrific! They are open 24 hours Monday through Friday. I’m not sure but I think with a ‘premium membership’ of $20/month, you can go Saturday and Sunday. For more information go to www.planetfitness.com.

I think it will work better for me to just go away from my home and be around other people who are trying to do the same thing I am. I am finding it a ‘great effort’ to work out at home when there are so many other household projects or errands that need doing. I keep getting side-tracked and before I know it, the day is over and I have not done any exercises. I am not working now, so it will be easier.

Their mission statement is that they provide ‘a diverse judgement free zone where a lasting active lifestyle can be built’. This blog is not meant for an advertisement for them, but I wanted to let you know that I am going to give this a shot and see if it’s something I would like and maybe you would too. I have never been able to join a gym, so this will be a new experience for me. I am really looking forward to ‘putting my best foot forward’ to drop this weight.

Through sheer determination and the graces God is giving me, I am willing to do whatever it takes to fit back into my Size 12 jeans. I can’t count all the things I’ve tried this year to lose weight, but I am just not giving up! This is too important to me.

When I reach my goal…which is really a Size 10, I am going to do everything possible to keep it. With this blog, I can go back and see how difficult it was to obtain it and that will keep me motivated to maintain it. I hope that this blog has been helpful to those who read it and perhaps we can keep each other going. My prayer is that I meet my goal along with a lot of other people right there with me, meeting theirs.

*(From the Daily Prayer, Fr. John Madigan, O.M.I www.oblatesusa.org)

Aha! I have found another reason for my departure from my diet! I’ve been sabotaged by Rachel Ray and all of the cooking reality shows on TV. And let’s not forget Buddy, the Cake Boss!

My husband can watch these shows all day. I’ve heard from other wives that their husbands do too. Why does he like these shows? I don’t know. He does not cook and doesn’t appear to be taking notes. I keep waiting for him to sign up at a cooking school so he can take over the meals, but, no. He just watches; amazed at how many ways there are to make ridiculous things no one will ever really eat. I have noticed the judges on the show only partake a taste of each dish; do they finish it after the show?

After receiving my first issue of ‘Rachel Ray’s Everyday Living‘ magazine, courtesy of my husband, I dug out my cookbook. It had lots of dust on it. The yellowed pages were falling out of the binder. If I want to eat a new recipe dish, it cannot have soy, eggs, milk, onions, nuts or olive oil in it. So my menu is quite small. Sometimes I cook something with these ingredients and let my husband have all of it and I fix something plain and simple for me. Since I am now menu planning and shopping for the right ingredients, who has time to work out? Amazingly, my husband has kept his weight off and I gained my lost pounds back.

It is no secret that when I was not in a relationship, I had a lovely Size 6 figure. I only cooked for myself and ate very simply. But as soon as I am in a relationship, commonly referred to as my marriage, you need to put a ‘1’ beside the ‘6’ to know that living with a mate causes you to gain weight. And I know that if he were single, he would lose all the weight he would want to and then some, unless of course if he starts cooking! So we will remain together and I will buy a simple, easy–to-follow, cookbook for dieters. And leave the house for a long walk with God when the TV comes on.

This is a tough, tough challenge. I can start a project with lots of enthusiasm but sometime down the road, I stop thinking it is a priority. Then I start it up again, with less enthusiasm and try to plow through. Today I realized that there are a lot of ‘stops’, but there are a lot of ‘starts’ too.

In regards to exercising, I believe my ‘starts’ will always help me stay somewhat in shape. When I start my workouts and stay the course a few days, I can see that my muscle tone is back. It ‘remembers’ how it used to feel; nice and toned, and it likes it.

I have come up with some ideas that may work for me. First, I will put a set of light dumbbells in the bathroom. This is when I notice the flabby underarms while putting on deodorant. Instead of whining about them, I can do something to tone them.

Another thought is to put a timer on my pc. I spend a lot of time here, on my butt. If I can get up and do ‘something’, like 5 minutes on the T-mill every hour, I can rack up some exercise for the day. I also like to read, so I can again, use the timer, get up and stretch or do floor exercises. If I can do these little things, I think I can work up to doing a video once a week – this is when I REALLY burn the calories. (This can work while I am unemployed, and I can modify it once I get a job.)

I have been asking God for help to lose weight and I am beginning to lose my cravings. Yesterday I passed the candy aisle and it actually made me sick to look at the candy bars I love. I am almost out of ice cream and I will try my best not to buy any more. I really will try, as it makes my stomach feel so good. I guess that’s the ‘comfort’ food I have heard about. And the big one is…to stop feeding my face while reading a book. I’ve done this since I was a teenager so I think I am old enough to stop it now.

This will all be a little easier now. My husband is back at work but now has to pay back the medical, dental and union dues that he didn’t pay while he was on sick leave for 26 weeks. The company is deducting twice the normal amounts until he catches up in May. That leaves a very little paycheck. I really will be cutting back the groceries – no snacks. I may have to shut down the computer service – if that happens, I will leave a ‘until later’ message on my blog.

No job has come along for me yet, not for lack of trying. But when it comes, I will be in better shape and maybe be able to fit into those nice office clothes or factory jeans I have.

God has always provided for us, He will again. Circumstances may be bleak at the moment, but I will not lose my resolve to reach my goals or my faith in God. Poverty is a true instrument to ‘self’ discipline.:)

It has been quite a while since I worked out on the T-mill. The flu bug has visited my house and we both got sick. My symptoms were mostly the ‘flu headache’ that even the migraine pills did not help.

Today I woke up and just knew that something great is going to happen. Maybe I will get a job! Or maybe, it is just doing the T-mill. I have also decided to write down everything I put in my mouth. I really want to do this.

I walked 10 minutes on the T-mill. I did mini squats and standing leg lifts for a warm-up. I treated my body as if it were made of glass. I walked really slow and concentrated on my steps and on pulling my stomach muscles in with each step. I also wore different shoes to see if it makes a difference. It DID!

(Note: Later in the day I did 20 situps with the Ab Roller and while on all 4′s, pulled my abs in tight ‘tummy tucks’. The last one I held for 20 seconds. Much later: Did overhead presses and curls with dumbbells while lying on the floor, butt squeezes, tummy tucks again) If it is too hard for me to do some exercises while standing, especially using weights, I lie on the floor. You get the same benefits and your back is supported.

I also squeezed in a trip to my chiropractor and I really needed it. Was adjusted, massaged, got e-stim and rolled on roller table. Felt so much better when I got home.

I took my measurements yesterday and was so sickened with my lack of effort to really knuckle down and get rid of this fat. I am about 6 inches from zipping up my jeans. So either I do it, or I do it better. There is no going back to not doing anything every day. Every day I will do something! There I have written it so I have made a commitment to myself. I can do better and I will do better. And every time I do something BETTER, I will write it down.

I am listening to Joe Hand’s ‘Psalms’ album on my MP3 player. The Psalms remind me that God was there for King David so long ago, during all his troubles and victories; He is still here for me. The God who made the heavens, earth, man and all the kinds of animals, who made kings and gave us His Son, this God is listening to my voice as I beg for help in losing 59 lbs. He really cares that I am trying to get and stay healthy. Yet He loves me just as I am. He loves me fat, sick and watches me (in dismay I am sure) when I eat ice cream every night.

He loves me when I am sitting in the recliner reading a good book instead of walking the T-mill for a few minutes. This is hard for me to imagine, but it is true. How can I keep letting Him down when He loves me so much? “Rejoice in the Lord, sing a new song”. I am going to sing a new song – my song of determination to be the best possible me.

I feel so good! I just completed my floor exercises and they went great! I tried to focus on the muscle groups I was working, but the TV had a good show, so I just did my best. I hope I have not aggravated anything – but right now, I feel terrific! And…I lost another pound. That makes a 5 lb loss since Sept. 28.

I am finding the shakes I have for lunch give me the energy I need and I can almost feel a nutritional surge. I have not been putting Splenda© in them anymore, they taste pretty good without it. I am sticking to the ½ portion, except at dinner. I do not eat a lot at dinner, but I make sure it’s a good, nutritional one so both my husband and I have one good meal each day. His diabetes is stabilized and I am losing inches and weight. So all the things we are doing must all be working together to make us healthier.

Tomorrow I am trying the new Rx the doctor gave me to help me be more alert and have more energy. It is especially for people like me who use a C-Pap at night and may still not be getting enough quality sleep. I really hope it works. The first part of my day has been so unproductive. I wake up tired, confused, and hungry. The hungry I can take care of, but the rest, I just have to keep going back to bed to get enough rest. About noon I start feeling better. By then I have wasted 4 hours. And I have yet to make it to morning Mass. That frustrates me more than anything.

I am hopeful and prayerful that this new medication will work. I just had an idea. While re-reading the paragraph above, it occurred to me that maybe instead of cereal, I should have a shake. I will try it and see how I feel. The shakes last exactly 4 hours for me, but after that 4th hour, I am empty and my sugar is low. I need to be aware of this and have something ready to eat by that time. This is all a learning process. I know God is leading me to the best weight control and exercise program for my body. I just have to be open to His promptings. Like the 4 hour time limit. I never noticed it before this week.

I was sitting in my recliner today and in the light, I can see stretch marks on my calves. Remarkable! In fact, my arms and legs are getting slimmer and I had not even noticed. I can wear my wedding rings and they turn around on my finger. What a wonderful surprise. I was so focused on the ‘weight’ of the scale, and all this time my body is slowly slimming down. I am not looking forward to the facial wrinkles that are sure to come, but I’ve got Mary Kay® for that.

So, what am I planning on doing next? I should have some kind of plan or schedule. There is nothing good on TV tonight, so the floor exercises can be done to music. I can add the abdominal crunch (abs cruncher rolling bar) this week and back strengthening exercises to my workout next week. At least I can try it and see if it affects me. Again, I have to do things slower than normal. But I can’t wait to get going again!