It is true! Despite the Finnish Cardamom Bread, I am, in fact, slimming down.
Of course this is mainly thanks to all those wonderful morning walks I’ve been taking. Giving up evening snacking for Lent has probably helped a bit as well, though I’m sure not nearly as much.
Oh, how I love my walks!
I can’t tell you how grateful I am that Brian’s schedule is such this semester that I’m able to take Urban to his bus in the morning and then walk, rather than having to rush back to the house to tend to the younger boys. I know they are safe at home with Dad, and I can take my time.
I have been expanding my territory more and more, a little at a time, getting to know my neighborhood (and the neighborhoods near my own). I’ve discovered one route that takes me up quite a steep hill—my heart pounds with the effort, but I know it is so good for me. Spring is well and truly here (though we do still have danger of frost some nights), and I’ve enjoyed being able to see all the azaleas, daffodils, lilies, and Carolina jessamine in bloom. There are still a few camellias, redbuds, and tulip trees going to town, as well, and the dogwoods are starting to bloom. Beauty abounds! And I feel so fortunate to be able to enjoy it the way I’ve been.
Did I ever mention that I hadn’t stepped on the scale before I began this regimen? I feared that if I did, I would end up putting too much stock in a number on a scale and less on how I looked and felt; I was afraid of self-sabotage. Neither do I wear a pedometer to track my number of steps or follow any kind of “plan” to tell me how many minutes I should walk on a given day, on what kind of terrain, and so forth. It would all be too much. The only “keeping track” I am doing is in giving myself a colorful foil star on the calendar each day that I walk. An especially long walk gets two stars. 
In doing this, I am encouraged to shoot for five (or more) stars a week. There are weeks I’ve only managed three stars (due to weather or the necessity of an a.m. shopping trip without the kids), but that only serves to encourage me to earn more the next week.
I am definitely noticing a difference. Odd chubby places (my fingers, under my chin, the area around my collarbone) are slimming down. And when I put lotion on my legs after my shower, I can see and feel that they are changing—there is less padding above and around my knees, for example.
I do have a goal in mind, but it has nothing to do with numbers on the scale. My goal is to be able to fit into my “Texas pants.” These are jeans I bought on clearance years ago at Target in Indiana, and Brian calls them that because they have ribbons of stars down the side seams—they do look like “Lone Stars,” I have to admit! Anyway, I haven’t been able to wear them since just after Charlie was born. After that, I gained some weight and then got pregnant with Levi….and here we are. But those are my favorite jeans, and I would love to be able to wear them again. Beyond that, I don’t choose to think; after all, one must be realistic.
I will let you know how I progress. When last I tried the Texas pants on (last week), I could get them all the way on but could not button or zip them—I’ve got some inches to lose in my waist before that will happen. But honestly, I was quite encouraged; I had not expected to be able to get them up over my hips!
