My mother always told me....

… make sure you are at your ideal weight when you reach age 40 because it is SO hard to lose weight from that point forward. What she didn’t tell me was that it was nearly impossible to lose weight when you reach 50.

Notice I said “nearly”—not completely impossible, but it take determination, prayer, and a whole lot of will power.

That is where I am right now, developing the discipline of losing weight. I am trying a combined approach of eating fewer carbs, exercising regularly, and staying out of the kitchen.

No longer can I make just a few tweaks in my diet and watch the pounds drop off. No, this is weight loss at a slug’s pace.

But, it will be so worth it when I am on the other side, I remind myself….when I see those amazing Cadbury chocolate eggs we keep in the freezer…when my husband thaws pastry for his breakfast…when a sales rep brings this immense basket of goodies to our office.

I go back to my Branch Living book and remind myself of the low calorie treats I actually like: green olives, pickled beets, low fat cheese, a few smoked oysters.

Focus on the good right here that I can have—envision the future this will lead to.

A good foundation for all habits!

Focus…..and pray!