Day 3 - Passion Reasons to lose weight

Today I'm supposed to write down the 3 strongest reasons to lose weight as well as  creating a Power List.

What ARE the most important things in my life?  What are my Power Reasons?

1. My family certainly - my son, my daughter, their spouses, my grandson Evan.  Also the kids who came and stayed a while, whether officially or not - Kelly, Tray, Royal, Dawn, Haman, Sean, Dean, Josie, Jonathon and most certainly Sammi.
2. My little furry friends - my cats, the dogs who shared my life over the years, the gerbils, hamsters and Alfie - the guinea pig who thought she was a cat!
3. Being able to garden, see beauty in nature, see, appreciate and give thanks for God's gifts to the world.
4. Adding a 4th MAJOR reason here - my religious beliefs about God, religious observances.

To each point on my list, now, I add how my losing weight will affect this - what I will gain by losing those pounds and inches.

1. Family - born, fostered - both official and unofficial, guardianship.
1. Losing weight and exercising regularly means I will be around longer to enjoy my family.
2. I'll be in good health so that my being around won't be a burden to my family.
2. Furry friends
1. Losing weight means I will be around longer to care about and for them, that they will continue to survive and survive well.
2. Being around them longer means that my elderly kitties and critters can live out their lives instead of being put down because they are elderly.
3. Garden and enjoying beauty of the world
1. Losing weight and exercising regularly means that I will continue to raise a garden and not be a burden to society, my family, that I will not spend major $ in groceries or shops to guarantee my continued existence but can instead share with others
2. Exercising regularly means I can interact with nature, can enjoy hikes in the countryside or around town, can garden and enjoy God's works on a daily basis.
4. I'm not sure what losing weight and exercising regularly will do as regards religious observances and about giving thanks, except that I will be around longer to do so.  
1. Exercising regularly DOES mean however, that when called to read Torah, that I can do that and that is such a joy!
2. Exercising regularly DOES mean that when given the chance to dance with the Torah on Simhat Torah - that I can, and that I can join in the processional around the synagogue on Sukkot - that I can participate more fully and with the joy I feel.

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The 8 minutes book today mentioned that fruit juices, while tasting great and all, are loaded with calories.  They suggested that I dilute the fruit juice with sparkling water and enjoy it that way.  Already I dilute it by half.  The idea is that over time I can dilute it more and more until there is only a hint of the fruit juice there.  No, - I don't think I want to do that - sort of like diluting Nature's goodness until all that's left is the diluted part.  Nope!  Half and half - that I can live with - and that's where I'll stay!

Interesting thing I found out is that I can also dilute other things with sparkling water as well - wine (I have maybe 4 glasses a year - on Passover), tomato juice, and soda.  I can do without the soda quite well!  tomato juice - or even vegetable juice - that's a treat!  I'm going to TRY that - but think I will probably stay with the real McCoy!  We'll see!