RUMSPRINGA

My daughter and I just spent two days in Holmes County - Amish Country.  I think I might have had a little too much too eat for dinner at the DER DUTCHMAN buffet for during two consecutive dinners.   We also walked over to the local chocolate factory, COBLENTZ CHOCOLATES,  and sampled some (too many) of their offerings and purchased some (too many) of their offerings.    I think for two days, I got away from the Rabbi Hillel philosophy.   I think I did eat some (too many) things that were probably not good for me.  In other words... It's as if I had my own personal RUMSPRINGA for the past two days.   Now you, of course, are saying to yourself...."What is a Rumspringa?'   And your humble blogger, is about to provide the service and let you know....

I found this essay on RUMSPRINGA on a website of Elibatbethtown Collge.

Rumspringa

In many communities, Rumspringa is a period when some Amish youth, boys more than girls, experience greater freedom. They are no longer under the control of their parents on weekends and, because they are not baptized, they are not yet under the authority of the church. During this time, many Amish youth adhere to traditional Amish behavior. Others, however, experiment with “worldly” activities—buying a car, going to movies, wearing non-Amish clothes, buying a television or a DVD player. In the larger Amish settlements, an adolescent’s behavior often depends on the peer group he or she chooses to join. Amish parents may worry about which group their child will join because the choice will influence the teen’s behavior.

Traditional youth activities may include volleyball, swimming, ice skating, picnics, hiking, and large outdoor “supper” parties. The most typical gatherings are “singings.” Groups meet in a home and sing German hymns and English gospel songs for several hours and then enjoy a time of conversation and food. The “faster,” more rebellious groups sometimes drive cars, rent a building for parties, or go to bars and nightclubs in nearby towns.

A fling with worldliness reminds Amish youth that they have a choice regarding church membership; however, most of the forces of Amish life funnel them toward church membership. Knowing they have a choice likely strengthens their willingness to obey church standards and, in the long run, the authority of the church itself.

The practice of Rumspringa varies greatly from community to community. Some church districts provide adult supervision, but others do not.  Rumspringa as a wild rebellious experience is virtually unknown in some smaller settlements and in certain affiliations. In fact the practice would be suppressed among some Amish subgroups, including many New Order groups.

In short, I just think I might have 'rebelled' against my good eating policy for the past two days.  And it appears as if - now I must pay the price as I step onto the scale this morning.   I believe that as long as I return to a more balanced approach to eating over the next week I will see my weight dip down again closer to 220 lbs.   

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222.3 lbs

I weigh 222.3 lbs.

I lost 2 lbs this week

I lost 86.7 lbs in 213 days. Today begins Day 214.

I have lost nearly 16 inches from my waist. 

(I am just beginning to wear (squeeze into) 34" waist blue jeans and slacks.

I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.

I weigh 222.3 lbs. (213 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 28.0% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.73 (far away from obesity!)

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 206 days ago (Class III obesity)

I have two words to describe how I feel this morning: all right

...I know how to begin this week... I think it might be another good day to to burn 2000+ calories with a strenuous session on the elliptical 

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 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast  steel cut oat meal, apples                                                         840 calories
lunch        PANERA BREAD SOBA NOODLE, turkey, apples            1070 calories
dinner      CORN THINS                                                                          668 calories
SNACK   BULK FOODS - KROGER                                                     700 calories

total calories consumed 3278 calories

calories burned

HOME ELLIPTICAL 92 MINUTES, MANUAL SETTING, LEVEL '20'  2245 CALORIES
(I expected to give myself two days off from exercising... but I did return home early enough from OHIO to jump on the elliptical machine at home for a quick 92 minutes session!)

Friday net calories  1033 calories

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Even a peach has too many calories - if you eat too much.
(no worries here - this was just a wooden sign advertising fresh peaches in  Amish Country)