Blue Raspberry Sky

Today's yummy  BLE lunch I restarted my BLE journey several times in the months of November and December.  I couldn't seem to get grounded.  I'd start in the morning, and by the time evening rolled around I was popping chocolates out of the Russell Stover boxes I had bought for the kids.  There's a term I started saying to myself: "Bad Mommy." New Years rolled around and I got better, but still struggling.  Struggling with chips, chocolate and fruit snacks.  That's it!  Just eliminate those three things from the planet and I was fine.  Except I'm not.  It was a really, really hard fall.   And then the other night I really poured my heart out to Heavenly Father.  I told him I was drowning, that I wasn't doing super hot with this diet thing anymore, and I really needed some strength from beyond myself.  I felt like I was in chaos, and I wanted peace.  This morning this thought came to me: "In that...

Last night my sister-in-law told me about some cookies she made for her kids.  I got excited because that was a recipe *I* could do for myself...  for breakfast!  With a little tweeking, of course.  ;) Here's the original recipe: 2 mashed bananas 1 cup oats Chocolate chips to taste. Stir together, drop on cookie sheet (I greased mine) and bake at 360 for 15 min.  She doubled her recipe and made two dozen. For BLE breakfast (What I ate): 6 oz banana (weighed, then mashed) 1 oz oatmeal some shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg Same - stirred together, dropped on cookie sheet and baked same degree for same amt of time.  Finished off with an 8 oz glass of milk...  Cookies for breakfast, and still losing weight the healthy way!  :) FYI - I am at 71 lbs lost...  last month was excruciating!  I cheated just a little for General Conference and then I found myself eating just tiny little bits of stuff we don't eat on the plan.  I ...

When I started Bright Line Eating, I was amazed at the beautiful food I got to eat.  Not even kidding!  There's something about the deep greens of spinach against the yellow cherry tomatoes, red peppers, and white onions... and so forth.  Or a beautiful plate of spaghetti squash and meatballs.  The first time I sank my teeth into spaghetti squash?  Oh. My. Gosh.  So yum! All Bright Line Eating (BLE) recipes are simple because we weigh everything.  Here is my favorite tuna salad recipe (made for lunch): 4 oz of romaine salad mix, spinach, cherry tomatoes, & bell peppers (any color) 1 oz pickle, finely chopped 1 oz onion, finely chopped 1/2 oz mayo 1 boiled egg, peeled and smashed 2 oz tuna Arrange the 4 oz of salad veggies on the plate.  Mix the pickle and onion together with the mayo, egg and tuna.  Scoop on top of the salad greens.  Serve with your choice of 6 oz fruit (my favorite with Tuna salad is grapes).  En...

61 lbs. released a few wks ago I've been really busy the past few weeks, and I totally spaced posting on the blog.  I've been out camping with my family, taking the kids to hoards of testing for dyslexia, ADHD and Autism, IEP meetings, taught several lessons on Astronomy, bought a new car because the old one just finally wasn't cutting it anymore, so forth and so on.  I wish I could say I've been writing, but alas, that is finally coming into balance again.  It's been a rough road. I'm really excited, though, because through all that stress, especially a road trip, I stuck to my "Bright Lines" (Bright Lines = no sugar, no flour, weigh food and eat only 3 times a day unless you have a medical condition, which I don't), and not only have I not gained a pound back, I've lost four.  :) There is a principle I want to share with you in Bright Line Eating called "REZOOM."  Basically, people fall off the wagon whether it's ...

Monday at the chiropractor's I had an epiphany. This guy is trying to straighten out my spine, which is twisted (scoliosis) and is why I have so much lower back pain, sciatic nerve issues, knee and ankle issues, and so forth. It's nuts! He did what I call his "karate chop" on my... it's not the pelvis but starts with an "S".... anyway, he did this incredibly painful but amazing thing that he does, and then I got up from the "torture table" and he was reassuring me that because it had been twisted for so long he needed to redo and redo and redo until my body decides, "Hey, I'm getting kinda used to this new way of a straightened spine." Which I already knew - this kind of healing takes time and diligence. But as he was talking I had this epiphany about new habits. I was thinking of how many times I have had to renew my dedication to something before it really became a part of me. And how many times do we have to repent...

Today I took this photo for my mom. 56 lbs lighter Back in late May/early June my mother came up to see the kids perform in the Idaho Falls Temple Cultural Celebration.  It was really a cool show, and I'm super happy my kids were able to participate.  Anyway, while she was here she gave me BOXES of smaller clothes. That's significant, because at the time I was "just slightly" too big for them, and "in a few months" I "should" be able to fit in them.  There are still some sitting in the back of the closet, including a skirt I adore that I bought myself before I ever heard of Bright Line Eating and just knew that "someday" I would wear it.  I now look at it and dream of serving Christmas dinner while wearing it. It's funny how we talk to ourselves because we're unsure of future even though we know what we want, but we also know we don't have a way to get there.  I'm so grateful for prayer, and for my Heavenly F...

My pink elephant in the room:  my weight, and/or my weight loss.  Seriously, a lot of people look at me and size me up, but they won't say anything.  My family wouldn't ask me about it - they'd talk to my mom.  "What's happened to Aine?" they'd say.  And now people look at me funny but only a few have asked me about losing weight.  My son's speech therapist came out last week and finally said, "You look really good today."  I thanked him and smiled... I was wearing a baggy shirt that had grown too big as I shrink, a pair of faded jeans that have a hole in them (that wasn't there when they were brand new), no jewelry other than my wedding ring, and barely a hint of lipstick and mascara.  But I looked GOOD.  Gave my husband and I a giggle.  Here I am at top weight: Me - Jan 2017 There are two rules you don't cross in polite society:  you never ask a woman her age or her weight.  These questions will earn you hate look...