Stick With Your Plans For Success By Lora L. Williams

Lord willing, 306 days from now will be my birthday (February 12, 2018).  Being a breast cancer survivor, I don't take birthdays for granted.  It's a blessing from God to be blessed to see a brand new day, let alone another birthday.    It's not easy for me to share many of the things that I will here on this blog, but that's part of my struggle.  I also know that in order to be helped, I have to be willing to share my story with everyone.  I have to be willing to expose all the pitfalls along the way, not only the successes.

I've been so ecstatic the past couple of weeks.  I've set specific goals that I'm working towards.  

• Walk 2 to 3 miles everyday
• Drink 72 ounces of water
• Keep a food diary
• Get 6 to 7 hours of sleep
• Prepped my meals to better control my emotional eating habits
• Eat no meats at least 3 days out of the week
• Strength train 2 times a week
• Drop at least 1 pound each week

My plan is to drop a pound a week, so it's exactly 44 weeks away from my birthday.  That would be a 44 pound weight loss.  That's very attainable, even with the medications that I'm taking.  

"I know that it won't be a quick fix"

I would be content with the 44 pounds, and even if it was not quite that.  Even a 30 pound weight loss would be sufficient.  The most important thing is to not give up on myself and to stick with the plan.  Everything else will take care of itself.  

I'm excited to be starting our garden soon.  This will go a long way in me attaining all the plans that I've laid out.  We're going to plant lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, collards, turnips, squash, radishes, and beans.  I look forward to walking outside my door each morning to harvest the crops we will plant.  What a blessing!

I would like to encourage you all to keep going and lay out specific plans and just stick with them.  Don't give up on yourself.  Stop by my sister's website at ReginaSwarn.Com for all the latest in healthy eating advice, and how you too, can look and feel great at any age.

God bless you my friends!

BEAUTIFUL MINDS INSPIRE OTHERS By Lora L. Williams

Just look around, and you will see people who make a difference in this life.  People who give their time to help others.  One of those people is my sister, Regina Swarn.   She's always creating and crafting projects with others in mind.  It's not about making money and building herself up, but it's all about inspiring other people.  I was so excited when she started her new website and devoted it to helping others.  I must admit, there's not many people in the world like this.  

When I poured out my heart to her a couple months ago about all the weight that I'd gained after breast cancer, she reached out to me over the telephone about a new plan she was introducing to her fans called the Regina Swarn Vegetable & Fruit Factor.   The Lord had her call me at the right time.  I was so miserable with the weight gain.  The medications that I was taking was not making matters any better.  It seemed the harder that I worked out, the tougher it was for me to lose weight.  It was like I was fighting a losing battle.  

As we talked over the phone I realized that my whole approach to losing weight was wrong.  I was staying pretty active, but my eating habits were disastrous.  I've always been a sugar addict, and a friend of fried foods.  This, along with stress was destroying my body.  I needed a change....FAST!  

After speaking for a few moments, I was convinced that I was going to give this program a try.  All there was to it was to eat (or drink) fresh fruits and vegetables daily.  I didn't have to give up meat (my sister is a Vegan), but just try and incorporate as many fruits and vegetables into my daily life as possible.  I could still eat my favorite foods, but do it in moderation.  

I'm so thankful for programs like this, and for people like my sister.  Her encouragement to me has made all the difference in the world. When I think of her sometimes I'm reminded that in this life, it's not always about us.  Helping ourselves many times means reaching out to help others.  This is the greatest gift that any of us could ever wish and hope for.  

When I look in the mirror at myself now I'm reminded that the Lord put me here for a reason, and one of those is to reach out and extend a helping hands to those who are also struggling like myself.  Every chance that I get I'm sharing with others what it was like for me to go through breast cancer, and undergoing 16 rounds of chemotherapy, and 33 days of radiation.  My scars are still healing from the lumpectomy, but some wounds will never heal.  I get through this by telling my story, and reassuring  the woman who's diagnosed with breast cancer after me that she can get through it, but it will take having the Lord, and a good support team.  A very important factor in recovery process is to take care of our bodies.  We must get the adequate amount of sleep and exercise, and we must educate ourselves on the proper nutrition.  My sister has helped me so much in this area.  I have a new way of looking at food, and I'm learning it one day at a time.  The most important thing is just showing up each and everyday with a willingness to succeed.  You are not always going to feel like doing that, but you must keep going.  You have to know that you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ!  

Surround yourself with people who believe in and support you.  Along with my sister, my husband is so supportive of what I'm trying to accomplish.  He sees all the bad days, and the times that I fall.  He bought me a fit-bit that I just love.  I'm so excited when I put it on in the mornings because I'm pumped to see how many steps in the day that I can take.  I want to do better than I did yesterday.  I'm setting weekly goals and striving to meet them as best I can.  I've taken all the unhealthy foods out of my house and replaced them with healthy ones.  I'm starting to get to sleep earlier every night.  I'm reading more on health and nutrition.  I'm keeping myself accountable by sharing with others my journey.  I'm trying to get comfortable with weighing myself once a week again.  I can't be afraid of the scale, but I'm not going to obsess over it either.  I'm taking monthly measurements of my body.  I'm drinking more water than any other liquid.  I drink some diet soda once or twice a week, but that's it.  I also drink green tea with a little honey.

                                       (Me back in 2010)                                       

My sister has given me a wonderful opportunity to write motivational articles on her new website.  You can visit it here ReginaSwarn.Com.  If you are indeed serious about taking your health to a new level, then check out this place.  There are all sorts of healthy recipes, inspiring articles, and motivational blogs.  I'm looking forward to the new show, "Important Topics" coming soon.  I hope to share my own story there in hopes of paying it forward from all the help that I've gotten along the way.  I look at pictures from a few years back, and with the Lord's help I will be there again.  I won't give up, but will just continue to move forward in faith in the Lord.

Thanks so much Regina for your help and inspiration.  You are doing so much to help other people live healthier lives.  I only pray that I can help at least one person out there who may be struggling by sharing my struggle with them.  You are not alone.  Remember that God has placed people in various places in your life to be of help.  I'm so grateful for the ones He has set before me.  

Be blessed my friends!