November 14, 2012
I'm Josie,
Mom, daughter, sister, friend, business owner, and sugar addicted stress eater..
I was 38 when I got pregnant with my daughter. The same week I got pregnant I had a skiing accident which led to a total ACL reconstruction of my left knee. The rigorous exercise program and healthy eating habits that I had followed for ten years was put on hold. In the years that followed, my fairy tale life of love, marriage, family, health and fitness, began to unravel around me. With that, I became a stress eater and sugar my culprit.

Fast forward … My daughter is 14 and I am 80 pounds over weight, I have tried every diet including the “Raw” diet without success. Today I am challenging myself to change; change my eating habits, change the way I feel about myself, CHANGE.... I will be blogging daily, starting with today, my 53rd birthday. I will share with you my challenges, some solutions I come up with, photos, recipes and each success. It is my hope and desire to make a difference in my life as well as the lives of everyone that visits me here. Thank you for supporting me. I am now publicly accountable to myself and each of my readers. Come back often to read and see how I evolve. My goal for this year is weight loss and wellness. My diet is simple, whole foods and nothing artificial! I am using experience, logic and you to keep me going.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. – Lao Tzu

Bounty from My Back Yard – Day 26

Fri. December 9, 2011 2:12 pm

Day 26 and down another pound, but whose counting.

I was out with my daughter last night and she wanted to stop on our way home for a cheeseburger. I had already eaten my well planned out meal (actually leftovers from the night before’s well planned out meal) but I thought it would be fun to sit with her and catch up on what new and exciting things were happening for her this week. As I looked at the menu, I considered a salad but wasn’t really in the mood for one so a plain baked potato seemed like a smart choice. I ordered one along with a cup of tea while I listened to my very animated daughter tell her tales of 8th grade bliss as she ate her cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.

Ah yes, back to ‘bounty from my back yard”…

One of my dad’s many hobby’s was gardening. We always had an a amazing garden. I seem to have picked up his passion for gardening. Every year, no matter where I’m living, I have a garden. When I was 23, I had a cherry tomato plant growing on my fire escape in the West Village in NYC. When I lived in the Austrian Alps, I grew my garden in pots above ground. It was hardly worth it but I couldn’t help myself.

Here are some images I took of some ‘Bounty from My NJ Back Yard’ in 2011

Colorful Bounty

Cucumber and Peppers from My Garden

Broccoli from My Garden

My 24' Herb Garden

Cute Little Pepper

Cantaloupe Grew by Surprise from a Stray Seed

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Anne - December 10, 2011 - 7:00 pm

The cantaloupe that grew by surprise from a stray seed? WOW! I think Someone is encouraging you on this healthy life change! How blessed you are! 🙂ReplyCancel
Ginny - December 10, 2011 - 1:01 pm

Hi Josie! Your pictures are really clear and amazing. You are very talented. I think this blog is going to keep you motivated. Keep up the good work.ReplyCancel
Anne - December 10, 2011 - 2:26 am

Awesome photos; inspiring words! Thanks for the post. It makes me want to get back to gardening again now, even more…ReplyCancel
arlene - December 10, 2011 - 12:59 am

Geez, all those pics looked good enough to eat! LOL When my boys were little, we had great gardens that I froze a lot of fresh veggies and made freezer jam. I didnt trust myself enough to can stuff. I figured I’d poison us or something. So I froze everything! LOL I miss it! There’s so much development in our area the deer have invaded everything! I tried growing tomatoes and peppers in pots and left them on the porch steps. The only area that gets sun unless I’m out in the middle of the yard! You know those little brats came right up the steps and ate the tomatoes and peppers right off of them! I got nothing!!!! Ugh, it was so depressing! Next year I might try planting things and put a tall fence around them or put the pots in our boat and hopefully the animals wont get to them! Most likely Ill just get everything at the store! Oh well, as long as I eat healthy, I guess that’s the answer!!!ReplyCancel
jane - December 9, 2011 - 9:39 pm

Your garden is amazing. Love the cantaloupe too!
this is great. it makes you accountable and conscious.ReplyCancel