Woot!!

It's a good morning! I am happy to report a major loss this week which brings my total loss since we started to 14 POUNDS!

Some time in the country at my friends' home has done me some good. A few of us gathered out there on Saturday to work on painting chairs for a charity auction. It was more back-breaking work than I expected it to be and I'm still hurting. But I also got playtime with their dog and enjoyed walking through the woods and down the road to their gate to the outside world (about a mile round trip.)

Sunday through yesterday I was back out there dog sitting while they took a short spring break trip -- they are both teachers and split town at any opportunity to be away from school. So my windfall was having my own private resort on 10 acres with a dog that loves me.

We enjoyed many walks, lots of playtime and good sleep (except for the part where I woke up with ticks crawling on me, but hey, this is the country.)

So what did I learn? Exercise can accelerate weight loss more than diet can. Relaxation is important to physical balance. Breathing deeply and stretching in the privacy of the wilderness feels good and brings oxygen to the muscles.

And life is good!