Juicy!

My apologies to everybody for the scanty posts lately. The summer travel season has begun, and an average day on our itinerary easily comprises 15 hours of scheduled activities. When the choice is whether to sleep five hours and blog or sleep six hours but not blog, I have opted for the extra sleep - especially since I'm typically an eight-hour-a-night snoozer.

I grew up vacationing at my grandparents’ home in Dalton, Georgia. Every night just before bedtime, my grandfather – a banker by trade, but a farmer by instinct – sat me down at the kitchen table to share a bowl of peaches. Not just any peaches, mind you; his peaches. Juicy, just-peeled peaches. The kind that explode in your mouth when you bite down on the fleshy pulp.

Pop liked his peaches swimming in cold whole milk. Me, too.

Although he’s been gone a long time now, I still love Pop’s kind of peaches. You can keep those stony, bland-tasting look-alikes. My taste buds have been tainted by the real thing.

Thank goodness we don’t have to drive to north Georgia to find “real” peaches anymore. This time of year, we head straight to Mitcham Farms, three turns off Interstate 20 about two miles north of Ruston, La.

“People start asking about the peaches in January, but now the phone rings all day every day,” says Joe Mitcham, second-generation owner of the 130-acre farm. “Everybody wants to know if the peaches are in. We picked our first batch around May 20 and will likely continue through the end of July.”

Joe’s father was a little like my part-farmer Pop. Mr. Mitcham had a day job as a high school music teacher, but he bought land in 1946 and planted his first trees the following year.

“Dad retired from the classroom in ’63,” says Joe, “but he served as principal for 10 more years. Now 91, he was still active in the fields until two years ago.”

The peach fields originally planted by J.E. Mitcham, Sr., have gradually become woven into the fabric of Ruston’s economy. The Squire Creek Louisiana Peach Festival, held the fourth weekend in June, has been a local tradition for 57 years.

Today, we took my grandson to Mitcham's to taste his first "real" peaches and to sample their homemade peach ice cream.

Part of the beauty of our summers is enjoying the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available at area farms and markets!

The Magic Bullet

Maybe I just don't watch enough television, but when my brother asked if I used a magic bullet, I thought he was making a sarcastic comment about how I've lost weight.

Come to find out, the Magic Bullet is a souped up "personal counter top blender," that'll do just about everything except cook your food.

Blair's favorite recipe sounds yummy.

"First, you freeze skim milk in an ice tray.
To make a peach shake, put one 8-ounce container of Yoplait low-fat peach-flavored yogurt into the Bullet. Add a couple of frozen milk cubes with just enough additional skim milk to blend. Voila! You've got a peach shake that'll make you think you're eating peach ice cream."

Blair says you can also slice bananas and/or strawberries before freezing, then mix frozen fruit with vanilla yogurt for a different flavored treat.

Can't WAIT!

Evangelists and Ambassadors

As a young mother, I homeschooled my son - an only child - as well as six other preschoolers. When the other children grew into kindergarten age, they left and were replaced by new preschoolers; however, we continued to homeschool Wayne until the sixth grade.

As teaching parents, one of the first lessons we learned was how much a child's behavior is influenced by the early training he receives at home. We found that most parents innocently waited too late to begin disciplining their precious ones - thinking that "until they can understand words," the process is premature.

Can I brag for a minute? Having had our 14-month old grandson in the house all week for his first stay-alone visit, we could tell within the first few hours how well he has already been trained by his parents, Lauren and Wayne. One quiet command, "Hands off, please," and Trey obeys, period. Each time he finishes eating, he makes sounds (not words) similar to the inflection of 'thank you.' When it's to go to sleep, he lies down without a fuss. Every time.

My housekeeper was truly amazed, saying, "I can't wait to tell my daughter about this. She's been hesitant to have children because the only ones she's ever been around are curtain climbers."

How spectacular will it be when we see a generation of children who are not obese, but are genuinely healthy because parents and educators cooperate to train young children to prefer wholesome foods over fast food, and who prefer to be active over sitting around watching television?!

We who were once couch potato converts are now evangelists for active lifestyles, ambassadors for healthy living. Who is watching you?

Heavy Responsibility

Shhh! Don't tell Trey's parents, but my back is really complaining this morning.

When my mother stopped in for a visit yesterday, she picked up Trey and asked, "How much does this child weigh? He's heavier than a sack of potatoes!"

With that, DH received the child into his arms and headed to the scale, just to find out. We were not surprised: 27 pounds.

This week of caring for Trey - bending over to let him hold my finger, picking him up to play, lowering his sleeping body into the Pack-n-Play, putting him into and taking him out of the car seat, carrying him into stores - has been a terrific reminder exactly how much weight 40 pounds is...13 pounds more than I've been hauling around this week! In other words, a Trey-and-a-half. WHEW!

What physical reminders do you have how much weight you've lost?

Totally, Consciously In Charge

When 14-month old Trey heard the garage door open late yesterday afternoon, I wondered if he would be disappointed to learn it was Poppy instead of Daddy and Mommy, who have been away at a convention for three days - and not due back until late tomorrow night.

Au contraire! Squealing with delight, Trey jumped up and found comfort in his grandfather's arms for as long as he wanted. I'm not sure who was more content!

Learning to be content in new or unfamiliar environments is important for us who are developing new lifestyles. Exchanging self-defeating behavior with self-affirming habits makes dramatic changes in our weight, our health, our relationships and our lives.

To achieve permanent weight loss, however, Dr. Phil says we have to be totally, consciously in charge of ourselves and everything we do, think and feel. That's a pretty tall order for those of us who have lived unconsciously long enough and consistently enough to gain back the weight we once lost.

Caring for Trey while his parents are gone has been a good reminder how to care for myself: stay present, be in "the now," engineer the environment for desired outcomes, choose healthy foods and get enough exercise to make sleep come easy.

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

A Healthy LIfestyle Loves Company

Before I quit smoking in 2000, it was uncomfortable to be around friends who had quit. Truthfully, they probably didn't like being around me as much anymore, either.

Dr. Phil says if we hope to keep our weight off, we have to live the motto that "a healthy lifestyle loves company." My company this week is my 14-month old grandson - a precious example of a healthy lifestyle. Hats off to all you moms who are still chasing youngsters! But, wow! It's SO much more fun when I'm not out of breath every few minutes.

As we transform our lives (which is a lot different than "going on a diet"), there is a noticeable difference in how we engage the world. We have changed our momentum to create a life of energy, meaning and purpose - according to Dr. Phil.

"There really are no limits to what we can now achieve, nothing to push us down, because we look better, and live better," he says. "Continue to press on with an optimistic spirit."

Have a great week, everybody, and thanks for all your comments yesterday. I was overwhelmed!

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Tuesday Weigh-In

Part of the joy of this journey is sharing good news.

Today, I'm pleased to report another successful week on the BestLife program - subtracting another two pounds and 1.75 inches - bringing the totals since January 15 to 40 pounds and 36 inches lost!

Thanks to all the other HYC Challenge bloggers, who have continued to be such awesome support! Here's a video to inspire us this week.

P.S. I've got a 14-month old baby grandson in the house this week, so posts will probably be short and sweet!

Don't Eat Like a Bird; Sing Like One

"'Eat like a bird' is a very poor analogy, since it is meant to denote light consumption," says Alan Weiss in his current Balancing Act newsletter. "The birds I've seen, from sparrows to seagulls, pack it down like there's no tomorrow since they have huge metabolisms. We're often blindly imprisoned by venerable but inaccurate bromides."

On another note, my dad,
Dr. Davis Bingham, is one of the gifted humans who sings like a bird. A profoundly healthy 77, he still conducts his church choir, and will be singing the baritone lead in Mendelssohn's "Elijah" this Sunday in North Carolina.




The last time I visited Dad and my stepmother, Joan, was the week after Thanksgiving last year, when DH and I were on our holiday eating binge.
(I admit, it was really awkward watching them eat responsibly, or watching television while they went to play tennis or work out in their gym.)

When I return to their home in mid-June, I will have lost 49 pounds - assuming I reach my weekly goals between now and then.
"Cant wait to see the NEW you!" Dad said in an email yesterday.

"..and I ran 25 minutes WITHOUT STOPPING today," I responded proudly.

What a difference a decision and some dedication makes!
This truly is the Best Life!

Train 'em Young!

Our effervescent Felicia requested we post a childhood photo. Here's one that, until recently, was always prominently displayed in my mother's living room. Notice those chubby cheeks, fluffy arms and chunky thighs? How about the little roll just below the shoulder?

Obesity in kids has reached epidemic levels. Experts estimate that 15 percent of kids are overweight and another 15 percent are at risk of becoming overweight. And two-thirds of these overweight kids will become overweight adults.

These alarming statistics have already prompted many of us to make a commitment to prevent obesity in our children or grandchildren by helping them maintain a healthy weight through appropriate food choices and adequate exercise.

Last week, several of us discussed having been reared as members of the "Clean Plate Club." Somehow, what began as the Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917 to preserve our food supply during WWI evolved into a movement forcing children to eat more than they really need.

I'm grateful the tide is turning, but my goodness, have you looked at a typical public school breakfast and lunch menu recently??

Open Wide and Say Spahhhhh!

My, oh my, oh my! I love to be pampered, but I love to be surprised even more. And boy, did DH surprise ME today!

"Why don't you spend the afternoon at the spa?" he whispered, nudging me from a dreamy Saturday-morning sleep. "I'll be playing two rounds of golf today, and since you've worked so hard on your fitness plan, I think you deserve a little something extra - especially since I was recovering from surgery on your birthday and we didn't really do much to celebrate."

So...after my workout at the gym, I went to Spa Botanica at the Hot Springs Embassy Suites hotel for a 20-minute aromatherapy bath followed by a 55-minute deep-tissue massage. (If you come to visit, ask for heavenly-hands Heather!) And to finish it off, I indulged in a luxury pedicure.

DH and I arrived home within five minutes of each other, just in time to freshen up for dinner at Red Lobster, where we each enjoyed a fire-grilled shrimp selection with salad, broccoli and asparagus.

Back home again, we're now in our jammies, ready to take in a movie on TV.

Ahhhh.....what a nice day!

ICU: Intensive Cardio Unit

Here's a funny one:

This morning, while visiting with my mother in a local hospital waiting room where my stepfather had surgery this morning, she said, "Honey, you look great. I can just see the weight
falling off of you."

It was all I could do not to roll on the floor laughing. Bless her 125-pound self. She truly meant her statement as a compliment...but still! Anybody who is on this journey knows the weight NEVER seems to just FALL OFF. Instead, it CREEPS off - itsy bit by itsy bit - after hundreds of healthy food choices and endless hours on the cardio circuit.

But Mom's idea was a lovely thought, wasn't it? And mine, on the other hand, is actually pretty pessimistic.

As a matter of fact, starting right now, I will incorporate HER vision into my daily personal affirmations:

"...Now that I've found the discipline to eat according to my needs rather than being driven by self-destructive habits, impulses or diets, I am able to face the day without overeating. And because I exercise as a matter of habit, my body functions at its peak - metabolizing calories quickly and efficiently - leaving me free to forget about food and instead, to use my increased energy for productive, enjoyable activities..."

Quote adapted in part from Key No. 4 in The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

One for the Books

Sudden stress can spark a hot flash; unfortunately, no calorie burning is associated with the event. That's too bad. Here's an incident that should have knocked off a pound or two:

A couple of weekends ago, I married a precious couple, Jessie and Kelly (formerly McQueen) Newton. At the end of the ceremony, after Jessie kissed his new bride, I announced, "Laides and Gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Kelly McQueen." (Get it?? That's the BRIDE'S NAME!!)

The congregation laughed uproariously, thinking I had done it on purpose! (NOT!) Jessie and Kelly were great sports about the whole thing, which I sincerely appreciated. Their photographer posted several beautiful pictures of the wedding, which will give you an idea how I spend a good portion of these gorgeous weekends.

Guess I'll be burning calories another way tonight. Just got a call from my mom, asking if she and her DH can hang here at the house for a couple of hours in between doctor's appointments tomorrow.

Better clean up this office! See ya tomorrow at HYC Weigh-in!

Inspiration: Our Gym Hero

Whew, it feels good to be home - sleeping in my own bed, cooking in my own kitchen, sitting at my own desk, working out in my home gym. On my birthday!

Tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled to interview a man who, without knowing it, has inspired me to train consistently, even when I don't feel like it. Each time he walks into the gym, he yells, "Mornin', everybody! (Waits for response.) How's everybody doin' today? (Waits for second response.)" For the next few minutes, he strolls around the gym, pumping handshakes like a seasoned politician.

I watch as he unzips his gym bag to retrieve an unwieldy contraption which he slings over his shoulder. With one hand, he buckles a strap around his chest. Next, he wraps a towel around one handle of a spin bike. Finally, he locks his prosthetic hand over the towel and begins his workout.

Folks who've been around a while tell me he was injured in the war. I'm not yet sure which one. I'll find out in the morning.

After I learned his name, I called our gym hero this afternoon to schedule the interview. He agreed, but said he needed to be finished by 10:30.

"A group of us meet over at the St. Joseph Chapel to pray for our service personnel serving in Iraq and other areas of the world," he explained.

This is going to be a good story. I'll keep you posted.

P.S. Thanks to everybody who sent get-well wishes to DH. He's recovering nicely!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 7

Yesterday, we mentioned having eaten at Restaurant La Provence, where Chef Rene's big focus is "farm to table." Another journalist on this trip was savvy enough to upload a short video of our trip to a crawfish farm last Thursday so that you can see how these tasty crustaceans are harvested. Click here to meet Chad. (Okay, if you didn't click, you are r-e-a-l-l-y missing out on some healthy south Louisiana scenery.)

Before we left the hotel, I got in a workout on the treadmill in my room, and then ate a healthy breakfast from the Omni's Ideal Nutrition menu.

Once outside the hotel, our group started the morning with famous cafe au lait (coffee with steamed milk) and beignets (ben-YAYS) at the French Quarter's famous Cafe Du Monde. (*sigh* I took pictures and drank my coffee and chickory straight.)

Later in the morning, Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu stopped by the Savvy Gourmet to show his support for the state's Culinary Trails program.

While we were there, Chef Matt Brewton showed us how to make an authentic roux using equal parts all-purpose flower and oil (not EVOO or walnut, which will burn). We watched as the cooking flour turned from blonde to paper-bag brown to milk chocolate to dark chocolate. Finally, the group got to sample a chicken-andouille (pronounced ahn-DOO-ee - which is a course, spicy smoked sausage) gumbo and a separate pot of crawfish etouffee.
(I ate moderate portions of each, without the rice.)

By mid-afternoon, we were touring the Audobon Society's newest attraction, The Insectarium. Scheduled to open this summer, it will be the largest free-standing museum in the U.S. devoted to over 900,000 insect species and their relatives. And yes, we were guests for a cooking show at the Cultural Cafe, where a zany chef introduced the "joy" of cooking with insects. Did I sample? No.
I figured if I'm "giving up" so many other foods all week, I'm definitely not going out of my way to eat insects! Nearly every other journalist, however, eagerly chomped down on crickets and ants.

Finally, we said our good-byes at Couchon Restaurant (pronounced COO-shon). Nominated in 2006 for Beard's Best New Restaurant, we enjoyed Chef Stephen Stryjewski's old-style German-Acadian traditions, which he learned from co-owner Chef Donald Link, who showcases the food he grew up preparing and eating at his grandfather's side. I ordered wood-fired oven grilled red fish accompanied with pickled onions and a side of collard greens.

By the way, DH had his gall bladder removed yesterday morning. I'll be flying home today, ready to take over care taking from his parents - who drove up from Louisiana to be with him during surgery.

Thanks again to everybody who stopped by here this week. I'll be visiting your blogs again once I get home. And I'm READY!

Inspiration: Family and Friends

Holidays at my mom's house are always a treat, and today was no exception. After church, we enjoyed a healthy lunch and a couple hours of pleasant conversation.

Yesterday, I received an email from long-time friend, Mary Weeks-Ayala. Having fought a courageous two-year battle with liver cancer, she and her husband left Dallas today, headed back to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for what is scheduled to be the final operation to rid her body of that tortuous disease!

Whenever I hesitate the slightest bit on my exercise regimen, I consider Mary, who, for the past two years, would give anything to feel well enough to go to the gym.

Mary's perspective on Easter is better than any I could write. I invite you to read the inspirational words from her own blog. And while you're there, feel free to leave a note of encouragement.
(Click here to meet Mary.)

Back in the Nest

DH and I each had uneventful travel days today, returning home after having been in different states on business all week.

If you read my blog post Monday, you know what a test of commitment and creativity a press tour can be to somebody like me who’s trying to stay on plan. Now that I'm back home, I can look back on the week with no regrets - thanks in large part to the enouragement from all my faithful HYC friends who cheered me along the way.

A few “aha” moments on this trip are worth sharing. When I pulled my luggage across the inclined crossover from the parking garage to the airport terminal, I felt strong, not strained this time. Also, I was able to walk around all day every day - usually about four miles - without feeling fatigued or experiencing horrible lower back pain…which used to happen any time I had to stand a long time. I was also able to “stay aware” during meals all week, eating to satisfy hunger instead of something else.

One very nice surprise happened this afternoon when I got home. After DH asked me to go out for a healthy dinner, I changed clothes and learned I can now fit back into my size 14 pants!!

WAHOO!!

Trippin' Out

Harldy anything is more fun than a grandchild's birthday party, usually. Especially when it's
the first birthday for
the first grandchild.

But when it came to driving 155 miles one way for the two-hour event, then turning around and driving 155 miles home so that I could pack and be ready to leave by 6 a.m. this morning to catch a flight and be gone for the next five days, things got complicated. At least they were complicated in my head.

After I had finally quieted the obsessive voice rattling off excuses not to go, I recognized the real reason I didn't want to make the trip was because I knew I would see a lot of folks I hadn't seen since my son's wedding in 2006...when I was 20 pounds lighter than I am right now. Simply put, I was projecting embarrassment. As if the party were about ME. How pitiful, I told that silly voice in my head.

So yep, I sucked it up. Threw some fruit, a protein bar and a bottle of water in the car and made the trip. The first thing my 25-year old son said was, "Dang, Mamma! You look GOOD!" After that, nothing else mattered. (And I politely passed on cake and ice cream.)

On the way home, sunshine warmed the spring afternoon temperatures to the mid-70s. I opened the moon roof, turned up the music and enjoyed beautiful memories of a few minutes with that precious one-year-old grandson all the way home!

P.S. I also put in a 35-minute aerobic workout at the gym before I left this morning!