Discussion Board

Yikes, I haven't posted in so long! I am back from Tanzania, and my trip was wonderful! When I got home, my kids and grandkids were already arriving for our annual family reunion. The last few just left today, except for one son who is staying and who plans to move to this area. We had a great time!
Life in the remote area of Tanzania that I travel to is very simple. There is running water, but there is only power for about an hour a day (solar). Water is heated in the late afternoon for quick showers. The children are wonderful, and very healthy and happy with no processed food at all. You really don't see any hyperactivity there, the kids have great teeth, no one wears glasses (and their eyes have been tested), and I've never seen a broken bone there. Illnesses there are diseases of poverty, not of affluence. They do eat very small amounts of meat once or twice per week. Most have never ridden in a car or been to a store.
The children living in The Children's Village (an orphanage) are exposed to both Tanzanian culture and western culture. They speak Swahili and English. Their culture discourages imagination and creativity in children, but because of the American and European volunteers, the kids do ask questions and use their imaginations. They love learning, and feel very privileged to be able to go to school. I'd stay for many months if I didn't have a husband, children, and grandchildren here. The village is at a high altitude (about a mile high, I think) and is lush and green. To get there, you travel about three hours from the nearest city, and then go on a long winding, bumpy, dirt road for more that a half hour. It is very peaceful and beautiful.
During my trip and during our reunion, I've been less strict with MWL, but I don't think that I've gained weight. I really need to lose still, though, so staying the same is not enough for me at this time. I'm back to my normal routine now, for the first time in nearly 6 weeks. I have no travel planned except for a brief trip to NY to be with my daughter and grandson. Since they eat this way, my time there with them is never a problem. Other than that, I don't think that I'll travel again until November. My kitchen is stocked, and I'm on plan!!
I can't wait to read a few journal updates in the next few days. I hope that everyone is doing well.

Welcome home Laura! Gosh what a traveler you are - that's so great. And your home sounds like a mecca for family and friends who love you, so you're doing a lot right! (That couldn't possibly be correct grammar, but you know what I mean). Enjoy the summer - I hope it's not too hot there, but would imagine that Tanzania was pretty warm.

Thanks for stopping by, Birdy! I love company here! It is hot here, but heat has never really bothered my. I was raised in Alabama way before air conditioning.
Today, I had lunch with my sister in law and her mother. I'm actually closer to her mom's age. Anyway, my sister in law is naturally very very slim - always has been. Today as I was leaving, she said that I looked great, and asked if I had lost weight. That was nice to hear, especially since I'm currently not weighing in! She is naturally very slim, and never seems to notice weight loss/gains.
Anyway, I'm doing well, and am enjoying a little time without a big crowd here. Over the last few days I've taken everything out of my attic, and now there is just one box of memories, and three small boxes of holiday decorations. I've had all family pictures scanned, and they are all now on the computer. I've been working on getting the stuff sent off to be scanned for a few months, but it is finally done. Even though I don't mind the heat too much, late summer are kind of like our "snow days" - a good time to get things done inside. Take care, LauraA

Laura - thanks for your post on Tanzania - it's very wonderful to find out how others on the planet live, and even better to get to visit them !!! Lucky you

Hi all - I've been missing in action again, but this time it's because I'm so busy living a very healthy life! My weight loss stalled during the time that I was working in Tanzania, and also when I had most of my kids and grandkids here for the early summer. The great news, though, is that I didn't gain any weight. It looks like it may take me a little longer than the end of 2012 to get to my goal, but not much longer. I'm now losing about 2 pounds a week. I'm eating very simply, and the best news is that I have really increased my exercise. I'm walking for about an hour 7 days per week, and also going to Curves 3 or 4 days. One of the days at Curves we do Zumba! Until about a month ago, I was either walking or biking or doing Curves, but not two things on one day, and I was taking one day a week off from exercise. I haven't been bike riding in awhile, but only because I was trying to increase my walking. More good news: my knees don't really feel stiff anymore except when going down stairs. I'm still hoping that will improve. My blood pressure is always about 113/64. I feel great. Next summer (2013), I won't be staying at the Children's Village to work, because I am taking two of my grandchildren and their parents (my daughter and her partner) to Tanzania with me! We will go on safari, visit The Children's Village (where the kids have a pen pal) and see a couple of cities in Europe when we pass through (London and Venice, we think). We'll also see Amsterdam for about a day, because we change planes there. I have had a travel fund for grandkids for quite awhile, so we've got the trip covered. These two grandkids will be 11 and 8 when we go, and I want to be sure that I can keep up with them the whole time!! We're even going to one place in Tanzania where you stay in tree houses! The place has one house that is on the ground, and recommended that one for me because I'll be almost 67. I said "no thanks" that the tree house would be great! My grandchildren are my motivation.There are 5 of them in all, and they range in age from 21 down to 4, and there are probably more grandchildren in our future. I want to travel with them! My eating is oatmeal with flaxseed and fruit, rice and veggies (or Jeff's burgers and veggies), and then usually potatoes and veggies. I'm usually having two snacks per day.
Well, I'm sorry that I've been away from my journal for so long. I'm going to try to write here more, because it is so helpful.

I love fall!! Today was so incredibly beautiful that I walked for an hour and forty five minutes!! It is a perfect day here in southern GA! Oh, and has anyone else every worn minimalist running shoes? I don't run, but I'm wearing them for walking, and they feel so wonderful. The make is Leming.

Hi Laura!

I can't imagine having my toes all separated like that, but it might be interesting to try them. My insole needs a lot of support, though. Those seem like being barefoot.

How're you doing anyway, besides loving the autumn in your town?

Hi Buns - I'm so glad that you are back doing a journal! I've read some of it, and I'll post there soon. I mentioned a lot about how I'm doing in the entry right before the one where I tell about the nice fall day. I'm doing great! I feel wonderful, and I'll be 66 in 10 days!! My minimalist shoes, Lemings, are not the ones with the separated toes. They look pretty much like sneakers. Look them up on line. It feels like my feet are covered in something very, very supportive - maybe ace bandages? Anyway they feel perfect - really never want to take them off. I read a lot about them, and it seems that we all think that cushioning in shoes helps, but it seems that it makes it more like we are walking on a mattress, and have to find our footing again with each step. These are the best shoes that I've ever had on, ever!! You feel things that are under your foot, but only slightly. It is like you know where you are in space. They feel like a glove - fit like a glove, and shouldn't be very long. My toes come to the front when I'm standing. I highly recommend them. I go to Curves, someone there recommended them, and almost everyone has bought a pair.
Well, today was another really good day - walking and Curves and great eating.
B- oatmeal with half banana, ground flaxseed
S- baby carrots
L- mashed potato, broccoli, McDougall bean soup mix
S - air popped popcorn
D- Jeff's snap meal
I wish everyone well, and hope that you are having a touch of October's Bright Blue Weather, even though it is still September!

HUGS!!! Your trip sounded like you enjoyed yourself. My sister adopted a little girl from Ethiopia and when she went over there to get her she said it was interesting seeing the difference in how they live.

Hi Rosey, and thanks for coming by for a visit!!
Hi all, I'm doing really really well, and still losing a pound or two each week. A few people have noticed - even a couple of my kids. As I've said, I won't be at my goal by the end of 2012, but I should be pretty close. Two people in the last week have told me that I look good in the color that I'm wearing, and it is just tee shirts that they've seen me in all summer! I think it is the weight! Anyway, most days I am having one of Jeff's meals and the mashed potato/broccoli/bean soup meal, also, of course, my oatmeal! Hope that you are all doing well!

I like your simple foods, and super proud of you for forging on, and excited that you are almost at goal!

Good going!

Hi all, and Buns, I guess "almost at goal" is a relative term. It will be sometime in the winter of 2013, I think. I'm losing very slowly, which is fine with me. Anyway, I'm still doing well. Today I'm wearing a pair of jeans that haven't fit forever. They are a size Large (no number size) and not at all stretchy. That's pretty good for me, because I have wide hips, and think that a medium would be my best size. People are still noticing with comments like, " I like that color on you" or " I like your shirt" (the shirt is about 6 years old). Only a couple of people have said that I look like I've lost weight. Of course, that is a loaded topic. Anyway, I'm happy with my progress. I'm still eating as simply as I can. pretty much still oatmeal with banana, jeff's meals, and the mashed potato and broccoli meal - sometimes succotash. My snack is usually popcorn. I either have one snack per day, or I sometimes add a few carrot sticks or small piece of fruit as a morning snack. I recently was out of town for my nephew's wedding, and then babysitting my grandson. I did notice that it was easier to carry my backpack, get around the airport, etc.
I hope that everyone is doing well. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I've started something that my daughter suggested. They are weighing me in each week at Curves. That is really helping keep me on track. I love going to Curves, so I can't just disappear if I mess up with weight loss. I seem to need some accountability!
Well, in a few days I head for New York again, and then to England and Scotland with my daughter and grandson. He is 4, his dad, my son in law, is from Scotland. His dad can't go this trip because of work, so I get to travel with them. I've never been to Scotland, so I can't wait, but (as I said in the Challenge Journal) I'm a bit worried about our eating there. We are all McDougall vegan, but we will be in a small town in Scotland with no car. We will manage somehow, and once we get to England we'll be fine - hotel right near Whole Foods!

Hi all - I'm very excited that Katydid is organizing another Holiday Challenge this year. That will be wonderful! I'm still eating simply, and dong well with exercise. Has anyone seen the iphone app "map my walk"? It is great . You take your phone with you, and it shows a map of your course, tells you how far you've walked, your time etc. It really works well. It also has a long list of different exercises, so it's not just for walking. I can do that at the same time that I listen to audio books on my phone, so I'm really enjoying my walks!
Well, I mentioned my jeans the other day, and how they finally are fitting. This afternoon I'm pulling down more old pants that should also fit, because I know that I wore them when the jeans fit. These are the smallest clothes that I own, so once these get to big, I'll be out shopping! You'd think that I would have some larger clothes to give away, but I don't . Anything bigger than the jeans had lots of stretch. I just kept feeling like I was a size L, but they had so much stretch that they probably were at least XL. Maybe after our Holiday Challenge I'll be bagging up clothes to give away and buying some new stuff!!

Hi all - I pulled down the rest of the pants from my closet shelf. They are old, and haven't fit for awhile. They are jeans and other pants without stretch. Well, I found two pair that fit, and three pair that were too big!!! This was so wonderful! For where I live, these would be winter pants, so it's not that I could have worn them and missed my chance. I couldn't really have worn them in August or Sept. Well, the big ones are at Goodwill now, and today I'm wearing some nice (soft and old) khaki pants! I feel great, and I'm excited about our holiday challenge!

you pulled down your pants, then?

hee hee

but congrats on finding them baggy or fitting just right. I LOVE it when that happens. When skinny jeans become normal-fitting jeans, and then baggy jeans. WHAT a good feeling!