Walk a Mile

 

VOLUNTEERS AT THE WALK A MILE FOR THE HOMELESS

I did not want to wake up Saturday morning to walk in the cold. The weather was not good, and the sidewalks were slick. I asked my daughter if the walk was canceled because of the weather, and the reply that I got was, “This is what it is like for the homeless, no, it is not canceled the walk is still on.” The more I thought about that comment the more I realized what the homeless have to endure on a daily basis. My heart broke thinking about all of those people who are homeless and cold. I only walked a mile; they walk outside because that is all that they can do at this point in their life.

My friend was telling me the other day that when she went to Indianapolis she saw so many homeless people on the overpasses. It was so cold out that night. She could not even enjoy that trip to Indianapolis due to the thought of the people that have nothing.

When I got to the Walk a Mile in My Shoes walk I could not believe how many people showed up to participate. The walk was slippery, but it was a learning experience. Before the walk they offered the walkers granola bars, doughnuts, and something to drink. After the walk they supplied a wide selection of food items. It was a wonderful lunch! The New Life Community Church made over 400 sandwiches, and yes, they even had cheese, vegetables and fruit!  I took a picture (above) of some of the hard workers at the walk. The volunteers were so kind, and they helped everyone forget about the cold. I am going to attend this event every year. I want to help others, and this is one way that I can be a part of something that helps raise awareness for the less fortunate in our community.  It is also encouraging to see the individuals who are willing to go the extra mile to help others in their time of need.

God bless them all!

Julie

WHY?

Why bother with this journey after 50 years of being overweight? Why fight the odds? Why struggle? I could write a book on the answer to the question WHY, but tonight I will hone in on one reason. Because someone I love very much is addicted to drugs and it is destroying him. In my mind I think, if I can overcome 50 years of food addiction, maybe, just maybe, it will give him hope that he can overcome his addiction too. I pray for him and for all who struggle with addictions of any kind. It's such a debilitating disease. It takes everything, including your life if you let it. I am holding on to my WHY. It is powering me right past the cravings. I'm doing this for myself and I'm doing it for him. I'm staying the course for all who want to change, but have little hope that they can. I am a warrior. I am hope. I am faith reborn. Stay strong.

Kathy

Having Fun in Water Aerobics!

MARI AND THE CLASS WORKING OUT AND HAVING FUN!

Do you like to swim? If you do, then you should try water aerobics. I love to swim. My family thinks that I should have been a fish. I could stay in the water all day! Water aerobics was one class I was excited to go to.  I did exercises that I have never done before in the pool. I have a pool at home, and I have exercised in it every summer, but it doesn’t even compare to water aerobics at the YMCA.  

The instructors name is Mari. She has such a welcoming personality! She was fun and talked with all of us throughout the class. It was like taking an exercise class with a best friend. You could tell she has never met a stranger, and she wanted to help everyone become healthier versions of ourselves. Can you believe that you can “ski” in the pool, do jumping jacks, and use resistance weights all while jogging in the pool? Our class jogged around in a circle in the pool, and then she had us jog in reverse. This is a lot harder than it sounds because when we switched directions we were going against the current that we all had created by jogging the other way. It was not easy walking against the current. Sometimes I felt like I was in an undertow, (just kidding), but it was fun.

I met some really nice individuals, and we all laughed a lot. That is what I love about this class. You do not have to worry about what you look like in a swim suit. Everyone is there to become healthier and have a good time with friends. Thanks Mari for making this a fun class. I cannot wait to go back this Friday!

Classes for Water Aerobics at the YMCA with Mari are: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 5:30 to 6:30. Come join in the fun!

Julie

STRESS Relief

What do you do to relieve stress? I do a lot of things - write, exercise, pray, meditate, take deep breaths, do affirmations... but some days the only thing that helps is MUSIC! Music reaches places in my soul that nothing else can. I turn on the music and it takes me away from the moment to a memory of being young or maybe it's a new song that helps me get out of my head and focus on the beat. It works almost every time. I feel my mood lift and before it's over, my feet and shoulders are moving, my head is bouncing and I'm out of the funk. Some days Pandora is my best friend!

What are your favorite songs that help you de-stress and maybe even make you want to dance? Here are a few of my favorite songs that help me unwind. Maybe they will help you too!

Music is such a beautiful gift. I appreciate and love the music-makers of the world.

Kathy


Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Iz Kamakawiwo'ole  
 Unwritten by Natasha Bedinfield  
 Happy by Pharrell Williams

Journey to Health with Julie & Kathy featuring Megan Gilmore OVERCOMING FOOD ADDICTIONS Episode #4

Wow, where do I start with all the great information Megan provided for us in this podcast?! One of the biggest take-a-ways for me was using the acronym HALT to determine what is really going on when you have a food craving. H = Hungry, A = Anxious, L = Lonely, T = Tired. Megan also shares many tips for overcoming food addiction including journaling, finding support and accountability partners, affirmations, exercise, and even scream therapy. I may give that one a try sometime! Get your notepad ready because you are going to learn some very effective tools to help you live a healthier and happier life!

Megan Gilmore is the owner of Lark's Song - a life coaching and consulting service located in Marion, Indiana. To learn more about Megan and find out about her upcoming classes, visit www.larkssong.com and www.facebook.com/larkssong.

YMCA Spin Class

Ready, Set, Go…and away we went, in the YMCA spin class. Wow, how do I describe this class? I had a lot of fun riding the spin bike. The instructor was really fun, and she made the class go by fast. I felt like I had rode to Florida and back by the time the one hour class was finished. She cranked up the music and we did not stop for 60 minutes. It took my energy level to a new high! I never would have believed that there were so many ways to ride a bike! I even stood up and pedaled. I was dripping sweat the whole time. There is a little dial on the bike that you turn to up the resistance. You can make it feel like you are riding up a mountain. At times I thought I was riding up Pike’s Peak.

Bryce and Cindy Coryea, husband and wife, were spinning next to each other. I thought that was so neat that a couple was working out as a team. Don’t they look like a picture of health? I think they do!

This is one class I want to go back to because I do like to ride a bike, and I liked the way the class all worked together. We cheered each other on the whole time. No one was left behind. Then again, we never even left the room.

Julie

Cheese Soup

When it is cold outside, warm soup always tastes good, and it is freezing out. Did you know that if you eat soup before a main meal you could possibly eat less? I like to look through cookbooks and try different types of soups. My problem is that I like the creamy soups, and they are usually loaded with calories. I started thinking at how I could make cheese soup healthier so that I could eat it more often without feeling guilty. I started experimenting and looking in the grocery store for healthier cheese products. I found Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese Soup in a can. I took that and added in my favorite vegetables and skim milk to create a healthier alternative to what I was used to eating. I took a picture of the soup that I made, and if you would like to try making this, here is the recipe. I was happy with how the soup turned out.

 Cheese Soup

1 can Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese Soup

4 cups skim milk

5 potatoes diced

1 small onion diced

1 cup baby cut-up carrots

¼ teaspoon onion salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

 

Heat milk and cheddar cheese soup until  desired temperature. Cook vegetables separately until tender. Mix half of vegetables in a blender (to make soup thicker). Mix all together and cook on low heat. Serve and enjoy on a cold winter day!

Julie