Do this in remembrance of me

Yesterday was communion Sunday at Holden Chapel. I try to approach communion with a proper reverence and it seems that as I age, each opportunity to share at the Lord's table leads me deeper into an appreciation for what this common meal symbolizes.

I gazed at the other communicants in the sanctuary and processed the mystery of consuming a little of each of them and how that builds a stronger me. Each person who comes before God, searching for relationship with Him, brings something that we don't have, something that we can grow stronger from sharing.

I must admit that I am by nature drawn to certain people more than others, but the sharing at the Lord's table reminds us to look for the good in others, to desire it and to appreciate it. Much like manna we need to eat it fresh each day. We can't store it up. It goes bad. If we donn't eat enough we go hungry.

Come to the table friends and partake of the Lord's banquet. It's a rich and rewarding experience.

If God is for us..........

who can be against us? Have you ever thought about this? As we encounter various trials in our every day lives it is good to remember that God is for us. He is not only a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths; He works all things together for good!


Scripture for Today:

Romans 8:28-31
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Prayer for Today:

Father, you have called us for a work that we don't always see the purpose of. Open the eyes of our understanding that we would see with Your eyes and trust that you have the best for us in mind.

Challenge: Are you predestined?

What do I know of Holy?

The closer I get to God the more godly I seem to feel. Makes sense right? Then before you know it I am gliding along on those feelings. Sometimes I get prideful about where I'm at or where I think I'm at. It's subtle at first and then it starts to show up in my reactions to things. My thoughts are more filled with judgement rather than grace. Quick tempered. My outlook starts to turn inward rather than toward God. When I humble myself and pray I'm reminded of His holiness and it quickly brings me to the realization that His thoughts are higher than my thoughts and His ways are higher than my ways. I heard this song on the way in to work today which describes it perfectly.

What Do I Know of Holy?
I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all
No If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion? Where have I even stood But the shore along Your ocean? Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?Where have I even stoodvBut the shore along Your ocean? Are You fire? Are You fury?Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

(CHORUS 2)What do I know of Holy? What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame? And a God who gave life "its" name? What do I know of Holy? Of the One who the angels praise?

All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion? Where have I even stood But the shore along Your ocean? Are You fire? Are You fury?Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? What do I know? What do I know of Holy? What do I know of Holy? What do I know of Holy?


Scriptures for today:

Isaiah 55: 6& 9
:6 Seek the Lord while He may be found. :9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

2 Corinthians 7:1
1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

My Prayer for today:
Father, I'm desperate for you. Only you can keep me in balance and walking according to your spirit. Help me to have self-control to quiet my soul before you and listen for your voice. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you and your ways that I may be holy as you are holy.

Challenge:
What do you know of Holy?

Sneaky Fitness

10 sneaky ways to get fit and healthy without really trying.

Check out this site for some tips on ways to get fit fast from the Daily Spark.

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=10_sneaky_ways_to_get_fit_and_healthywithout_really_trying

Just Balance

Many things come to mind when I think of balance. Yesterday I promised to talk about balance today as Step 2. The more thought I gave to this the more I realized that the true balance needs to come from within. Meaning, balancing our mind, spirit, soul and body. I read a book once about organizing your house called "Organizing From the Inside Out" by Julie Morganstern. You can find more info on the book here. The book talks about dealing with your emotional attachment to things and space in your house. Her concept is to work on those internal drivers before you try to organize your external "stuff". To build on that, she suggests that you approach your organizational efforts to compliment your natural life style.

What does all of this have to do with living a healthy lifestyle? Do you see where I'm going here? In my experience I have found that I needed to work on my inside stuff in order to make true changes in my life style. We can work on all of our bad habits all we want, but if we still have old junk in our heart, mind or even our souls, then the long term changes will most likely not last long. That to me is the true crux of success. Is it well with your soul? Do you need to do some personal house cleaning from the inside out to get to a better balance?

I bet you thought I was going to talk about the balance of carbs, fats and protien. Right? There is tons of information on the Internet or in books that give recommendations on how to balance all of that. Most of us know what good nutrition is from all of the information we've looked into over the years. The issues beyond the scale are not usually talked about because everyone tends to want a quick fix to fit into that special dress or look good for the class reunion, vacation or wedding. I guess the question is, what do you want to end result to be? For me, now that I've been cleaning out some inner cob webs, I want better over all health to enjoy my life with better quality. How about you?

Groovy

Today, I'm feeling more like I'm getting back on track and into the groove. You could say I'm feeling groovy. I'm refining my plan and my focus to get back to basics. I started out last year with a goal to improve my health.

Basically there are two parts to it; food and physical activity. It all comes down to the choices that we make. For me, I'm making better choices to improve my over all life style. I don't want to repeat past cycles of dieting to "lose a few pounds" and then go right back to my old habits. Thus gaining those few pounds back and usually a few more to keep them company. In order to really accomplish this, I had to take a look at my overall life style and ask myself what needs to be "updated". That sounds more appealing than "overhauled".

Step 1: I took a hard look at what foods I was eating on a regular basis and realized that my sodium intake alone was about 5-6 times what it should be. Wow! That is a LOT of salt in my system. Once my taste buds adjusted to the "real" flavor of foods, I now actually PREFER low sodium. Weird, but true. I've also noticed that I'm not as given to cravings as I used to be.

Step 2: Balance - We'll talk about step 2 more tomorrow.

On a side note, I keep track of my food choice and calories that I burn on this awesome site; www.myfooddiary.com. This site also gages the percentage of fat, protien, sodium, fiber and carbs, etc. and lets me know when my food intake is out of balance. They have a great database of foods including restaraunt foods so you don't have to do manual entries of the foods that you like to eat.

Today, my head is back in the game! I'm motivated to renew my outlook and stop wafting around.

Definitions:
Groovy - Groovy is an object-oriented programming language for the Java Platform as an alternative to the Java programming language.
Ok, I was expecting to see Goldie Hawn's picture next to this word in the dictionary.........hahahaha. OOPS. Can I just say I was NOT expecting to find this definition! Anyone???

Rejoice: To feel joyful; be delighted

Scriptures for today:
Psalms 34:2-4: 2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord, always and again I say rejoice!

Challenge: What goals have you let fall to the way side? Take a look and see if they need to be brought back to life and take the steps to get back in the groove!

Prayer for today:
Father God, we rejoice in you today! Thank you that your mercies are new every morning and that you have a plan for us. We will boast in you today so that we are overflowing with your goodness. And again I say REJOICE and be groovy!

Are we there yet?

We are an impatient people aren't we. Well, I guess I should speak for myself; I was just hoping to have some company on this one. I AM impatient when I'm working toward something. I fully expect the results to be amazing every step of the way. For example, when I joined the gym a few months ago, I thought it would speed things up to getting me to my weight loss goal. Yes, by the way, I did get to the gym last night in case you were wondering. That was a victory in itself. And it just happened to be the week that I get weighed and measured........eeek! So overall the results are not bad, can you feel the but coming? BUT not that great either so I thought.

I've lost a total of 8 pounds and 11.5 inches. Sounds impressive doesn't it? However, if you stretch that out over the 15 weeks since I started it's .53 lbs and .73 inches lost per week. Now it's not so impressive is it? At least not to me at first glance. I went through my work out a teeny bit bummed out because I stayed EXACTLY the same over the last month.

Then it hit me on the way home. Wait a minute. This is GOOD news! You're making progress girl! That could have been an 8 pound GAIN........easily in days of old. Get rid of this "are we there yet?" attitude and adopt an "I'm on my way" mind set.

Bear with me for a moment........"stay the course, tow the line, steady as she goes, eye on the prize".............I couldn't resist. I'm a sucker for cliche's. Sometimes you just need a good old fashioned pep talk. :)

2 Scriptures for today:

Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Gal 6:8&9
8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Prayer for Today: We prayed yesterday to contually be intertwined with you, Father. In all things we need to abide in you including keeping our bodies fit to honor you. If we have our own 'house' in order, we can better minister to others. Your word gives us direction to press on toward the prize which is to be with you one day in heaven for all eternity. While we wait for you, Lord, sustain us so that we don't grow weary. Forgive us for losing site of this truth. I trust you for the harvest that is sure to come!

Wait

Ps 27:14 "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

Quote: Hebrew words are best understood in the everyday, simple life of all Believers. When Hebrew turns “lights” on in passages like Isaiah 40:31: “they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength….” “Wait” in Isaiah 40:31 is the transliteration from the Hebrew hw"q;, which means ‘to twist, or to bind, whence a rope.’ This verse reveals the active nature of intertwining one’s life with the life of God. When intertwining is being done, that person is made strong.

I found this explanation for the Hebrew definition of the word wait on this site that talks about the importance of understanding Hebrew in the word of God. It certainly sheds new light on these passages in Isaiah for me.

I've been growing a bit weary lately in my excercise routine and in my healthy eating habits. I did not get to the gym once last week. I can really feel it too. Then at church yesterday the pastor asked a question. When was the last time you picked up your bible? I had to really think about that. I quickly thought, I pray a lot; I listen to christian music! But when I really answered the question, I had to admit that it had been quite a awhile since I had actually picked up the bible and fed on the word. No wonder I'm growing weary! No wonder my battery is getting sluggish. I have had no nurishment......duh!

Definitions:

Twist - To wind together (two or more threads, for example) so as to produce a single strand.

Wait - To remain or rest in expectation 2. tarry until another catches up

(Hebrew - to twist or bind or whence a rope)

My Scriptures for today:

Is 40:31 "But those who wait (twists his life with God's) on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

Ecclesiastes 4:12 A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

My Prayer for today: Father, teach me to wait (twist my life with yours). I choose to be intertwined with you. Thank you for the wake up call this week!

Challenge: Are you feeling weary and weak? Is your life intertwined with God's? Ask Him to show you the way.

Short but Sweet

Today's post is short, but oh so sweet. I'm reminded today that God's grace abounds more and more. Seeing healing and victory springing up all around me is a great faith builder and a reminder to be thankful for His hand on our lives. Even though "counting our blessings" is important; I believe it is more important to utter the words, "thank you, Lord" to really experience a grateful heart.

Scripture for today: Colossians 2:6 & 7
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness

Prayer for today: I just want to thank you......thank you, Lord.

What Inspires Change in You?

I was listening to the radio station "The Message" XM32 on the way in to work today and the announcer was asking this question. What song inspires change in you? She played the song "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me. Definately a change inspiring song that challenges us to think about what it will be like to stand in God's presence one day. I encourage you to listen to it if you've never heard it before. So naturally I had to look up the definition of the word inspire. (See below)

That led me to ask myself what other things inspire change in me. It just so happens that I teach a ladies bible study at on Tuesday nights. We had taken a break over the summer and met for the first time again last night. It immediately struck me that being with these women inspires change in me. We had a fabulous discussion about where we are at and were we want to be. We looked at some scriptures that describe God's character and all agreed that we want to learn more about His nature and His character and what that means in each of our lives. We all wrote down our prayer requests in our new journals, agreed on the next study that we want to tackle and prayed together. Wow! I was left feeling very excited about reconnecting with these very talented women who are all very passionate about drawing closer to God. I'm motivated today to walk in His presence and be a light for Him.

Definitions:
Inspire - 1. To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence. 2. To stimulate to action; motivate 3. To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion 4. To stimulate energies, ideals, or reverence

Challenge for today: What inspires change in you? Is there someone in your life, a song or a favorite author. Share it with someone to "bless it forward".

Scripture for today: Hebrews 10: 24 & 25
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

My prayer for today: Father, my prayer today is a prayer of thankfulness that you have given us each other for encouragement and inspiration. Each time we get together, You are there in the midst of us. Your word tells us that 2 are better than one and a three fold cord is not quickly broken. Help us to remember to reach out and bless someone today.

Add-ons For a Solid Foundation

Elder Gary Wood delivered a message at Holden Chapel yesterday that really got me thinking about how our minds work. He brought us to 2Peter to remind us to check our foundation and then proceed into the world.

My thoughts went to how we process making changes in our lives. Say for instance to eating behaviors; we usually think about the things we need to stop doing and what we need to take away from our lives. For example, stop eating junk food and get rid of bad habits like inactivity. This passage in Peter directs our thinking in the opposite direction. Add to our faith these things and in this order. If we add these qualities in increasing measure they will keep us brom being ineffective and unproductive.

I've added definitions for more clarity.

• Faith - Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
  2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief, trust
• Goodness - moral excellence or admirableness
• Knowledge - The state or fact of knowing.
  2. Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study; learning
• Self-control - Ability to control of one's emotions, desires, or actions by one's own will
• Perseverance - Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.
• Godliness - Having great reverence for God; pious. 2. Divine.
• Brotherly kindness - (I had to break this one into two parts) A. brotherly - like or characteristic of or befitting a brother; "brotherly feelings"; "close fraternal ties" B. Kindness - Of a friendly, generous, or warm-hearted nature. 2. Showing sympathy or understanding; charitable: a kind word. 3. Humane; considerate: kind to animals.
  4. Forbearing; tolerant: Our neighbor was very kind about the window we broke. 5. Generous; liberal: kind words of praise. 6. Agreeable; beneficial: a dry climate kind to asthmatics.
• Love - A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. 2. An intense emotional attachment

These terms leave us with a lot to think about. So where do we start? How could we possibly achieve all of those attributes? 2 Peter helps us to understand the order of priorities to be considered and what the implication to our lives is if we choose not to add to our faith.

Scripture for today: 2 Peter 1:3-14
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My Prayer for today:
Help us Father, to add to our faith to build a solid foundation in you. If we live our lives with confident belief in the truth and moral excellence, continually learning with the ability to control ourselves, being steadfast, reverant, warm hearted with an intense emotional attachment to God we will not fall.

Bless These Hands

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." (Isaiah 49:15-16NIV)

In Praise of Hands

Blessed be the works of your hands, O Holy One.

Blessed be these hands that have touched life.

Blessed be these hands that have nurtured creativity.

Blessed be these hands that have held pain.

Blessed be these hands that embraced with passion.

Blessed be these hands that have tended gardens.

Blessed be these hands that have closed in anger.

Blessed be these hands that have planted new seeds.

Blessed be these hands that have harvested ripe fields.

Blessed be these hands that have cleaned, washed, mopped and scrubbed.

Blessed be these hands that have become knotty with age.

Blessed be these hands that have become wrinkled and scarred from doing justice.

Blessed be these hands that have reached out and been received.

Blessed be these hands that hold the promise of the future.

Blessed be the works of Your Hands, O Holy One.
(author Lois Silverman)

May your hands bless this world through the performance of good deeds. May you enjoy good health, sweet melodies and an abundance of love and laughter.

Hold someone's hand and know that you are holding a blessing from God.

2 and a half weeks later

I've been contemplating whether on not to keep up this post. It's a bit of a wonder if it's helping anyone besides me since there is not usually comment or other posting activity. So my conclusion is that, oh, yeah, it is actually helping me to get these thoughts down on "paper" and focus on a scripture and a prayer for the day. So here goes:

Lately I've been truly struggling with keeping up my exercise routine. I've been doing it, but I have to push myself on a daily basis. I can't figure out if it's just a phase I'm going through or maybe it's the weather getting colder so my joints are hurting more or if it's just a plain old lazy flesh thing.

God reminded me today that it's my job to remain vigilant and steadfast in my goals. If I focus on Him and not on my flesh; I remember to focus on seeking Him first, then I will see myself from a different perspective. I see that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. He has entrusted me with a special gift of his Spirit. How then will I receive that gift? This now gives me a renewed vigor to keep myself healthy and continue the battle with my flesh to overcome being overweight and unhealthy.

I have to make the choice every day. Every time I walk the stairs at work, or go to the gym or walk the treadmill I have to make the choice. Will I honor God, my Father and provider; my redeemer and my healer.

Vigilant:
1.to keep watch, stay awake, from vigil awake
: alertly watchful especially to avoid danger
synonyms see watchful

Stead·fast: 1 a : firmly fixed in place : immovable b : not subject to change 2 : firm in belief, determination, or adherence
synonyms see faithful

My Scripture for today: 1 Peter 5: 8&9
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

My Prayer for today:
Father, it's true that we are weak in our flesh and it is sometimes easier that we'd like to admit to become lazy and lose sight of your teachings. Help us Lord, to be overcomers; vigilant and steadfast in our daily lives with each decision that comes our way to honor you. Help us to walk by your spirit who is within us and not by our flesh. We know we are not alone; so help us to remember to encourage one another every day.

So what then for today?

It seems that Monday morning is always a chance for a new beginning. For some reason I usually start the week with a renewed sense of purpose.

This morning I am in need of just that; new beginning and renewed sense of purpose. I have been slowly slacking off on things over the last week or so. It all started with not doing the stairs as often at work; then I only hit the gym 2 times last week; then I started to eat some junk food. Just a little to start. Which then progressed to pizza on Sunday. AND I didn't walk on the treadmill at all. And as if this isn't bad enough; I didn't keep my food journal as accurately as usual. So as you can see from the account I have just laid out; I'm on a downward spiral that kind of crept up on me. No damage on the scale................yet. But that really isn't the point now is it?

Isn't it funny, how quickly you can veer right off the path and not even realize it until you purposely take a look and review the progress or lack of it I should say.

Needless to say, I packed a nice healthy lunch today and walked my first round on the stairs this morning. 2 more rounds to go. I usually walk them 3 times a day to get myself up and out of my chair to get my blood pumping and clear my head.

So what then for today?
Today I am.........

• Getting my mind back on my healthy lifestyle goals
• Renewing my commitment to exercise daily
• Walk the stairs 3 times a day
• Go to curves 3 times a week
• Walk the treadmill 5 times a week
• Eat healthy choices
• Keep track of what I eat

Scripture for today: 1Corinthians 15:58

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

My Prayer for today:

Father, this verse is referring to the resurrection of Christ; reminding us that all we do is a work unto the Lord. The sting of our own death is avoided by the victory of Christ's death and resurrection for us. If we live according to our flesh, we live in vain. If we are steadfast in what you show us for our lives; that effort is not in vain and You will be glorified through us. Help us Father, to glorify you and honor Christ's efforts to save us from our sins.

Off to the stairwell for round 2!!

Trust or Fear?

That is the question of the day. Will we trust the Lord to do what He says He will do or let fear and unbelief keep us stranded in our own ways?

Proverbs 3:1-6 sets a stage for us to follow what He teaches us. If we follow him then he will make our paths straight.

1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:1-6

This whole set of verses is power packed but verse 5 really grabbed me today in relation to my lifestyle changes of incorporating healthy habits. Trust and acknowledge with all my heart and in all my ways. This gives me the impression that He is very interested in the daily choices that I make because He wants to "prolong my life and bring prosperity if I follow His teachings (vs 1).

Definitions:
Trust - 1. To have or place reliance; depend: "Trust in the Lord". "Trust to destiny". 2. To be confident; hope. To have or place confidence in; depend on. 3. To expect with assurance; assume

Acknowledge - 1.To admit the existence, reality, or truth of.
2. To recognize as being valid or having force or power.
Synonyms: admit, own, avow, confess, concede. These verbs mean to admit the reality or truth of something, often reluctantly. To acknowledge is to accept responsibility for something one makes known: "He acknowledged his mistake".


My scripture for today: Phillipians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

My prayer for today:
Father, Forgive my fearfulness and unbelief. Today I am choosing to depend on (trust) and (acknowledge) recognize your authority. I have confidence to leave my ways of the old lifestyle (and old fears) behind me and press on toward doing what is right and healthy for my physical body. You have laid out the goals before me. I acknowledge the many teachings you have given us on how we should live our lives and the ways we should follow. Teach me your ways, Lord, write them on my heart that I might press on toward the goal for the prize of your upward call and allow you to set my paths straight. Amen

A Brand New Day...

Today is a brand new day; a day to experience things from a new perspective. A day to rejoice that you are alive and well for one more day.

A day to celebrate all of our victories great and small!

A brand new day to appreciate family ties and friends who still love us; sometimes in spite of ourselves.

Today is a day to seek and find the silver lining of our lives. Then stop to really let what that is sink in.

What is your silver lining? What are you thankful for?

Today, my silver lining is that God is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Now that is something to rejoice about!

My scripture for today: Romans 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

My Prayer for today:
Father, I'm thankful that your love doesn't change or depend on my successes or failures. It isn't more or less; it just is. Thank you that your grace and mercy are new every day. Thank you for this brand new day...I WILL rejoice in it.......and count my blessings." :)

Down to the Wire

Well Ma, I said I would do a post today. In typical fashion I have waited until the last minute :p While you will be reading this the day after you requested to see it (unless you're up late) I am still within my agreed upon timeline!

I am very glad that you are believing for this week to improve. I too am believing for an uplifted spirit as I head into my new job very soon. There is a sense that this field, now fallow, will shortly blossom as the fertilizer and seeds of growth incomprehensible to me at times even in the recent past, have nevertheless been tirelessly at work. It is time to work. Yay! And simultaneously, Boo!

Went grocery shopping the other day. It will be a lot easier when we have more income. One good victory, neither Janel nor I have had a fast food binge in over 5-6 weeks. There was a point before I came up to Massachusetts where I would eat fast food every day for a couple months at least! That is a victory I claim in Jesus' name :)

The last few days have been tough with bridal showers for Nicole and just a sense of blah. Janel has been sick and now I am sick. But we are staying focused and really wanting to succeed. No fast food, no sir! Eye on the prize and really looking to expand physical activity soon. That is a big road block for me at the moment and I could use some prayer to get started!

Love you all - and great job keeping this going Mom. I read whatever you have to say almost as soon as you say it! Keep it coming!

Adam

Hoping VS Believing; where do you stand?

Hoping for a better week this week. I wonder how long it will take for my hair to grow back and for me to feel back in balance again.............so sad.

Correction: BELIEVING for a better week this week. I will be in balance again soon!! God is good and I am believing that all things work together for good for those who love HIM and are called according to his purpose. I AM CALLED!! And I say yes, Lord, yes, yes, yes!! Thanks for the encouragement today Adam!!

Scripture for today: Romans 8:26-28
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

My prayer for today:
"Father, help me to always remember that you have given us your Holy Spirit who actually does intercede for us when we are overwhelmed and feeling lost. We don't even need to have the words because you know the words; we just have to come and be in your presence and allow your Spirit to intercede for us. So Father, I come just as I am to be in your presence and trust that you will cause these "things" in my life that are troubling me to work together for good. Amen and Amen."

Tough week.........

this week has been a roller coaster of emotions for me. It's one of those things that is hard to put into words so I'll spare the ramblings and just say that I could really use some prayer. I'm struggling to keep my eyes on the Lord. Maybe because I haven't been to church in a couple of weeks. The week-ends have been full with "summer busy" activities; which were awesome and I wouldn't trade them, but now I can sure see a difference in my outlook and focus. UGH!! It's not pretty, that much I can tell you.

Scripture for today:
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 1 Cor 14:26

My Prayer for today:
Father, help me to remember to think of others and not just myself. Sometimes in the midst of a trial, even if it's a little "t" trial; bringing a song and scripture or word of encouragement to someone else is the best way to improve our focus and get our eyes back where they should be......on Jesus!

Godspeed!

Down, down, down...........

I had a "weigh and measure" at Curves on Friday night.....yeah, I know, BEFORE the week-end. UGH! But I did manage to lose another 5.25" and another 1.25 lbs. Not a big weight loss, but I'm loving the inches going down especially when the big losses were the arms and hips.....oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!! :) It' funny because I'm always shocked by the inches going down; I NEVER feel like I lost much but the tape measure doesn't lie now does it?

***************

So I'm in phase 3; trying to eat 2000 calories a day. Most days I'm just under that but it doesn't seem to be budging the scale any. Yesterday was a HUGE fried food day......coming home from the beach, we stopped at Ronnie's Seafood. SOOOO YUMMY. I just HAD to have my favorite fried scallops and chicken fingers..........Oh and of course a soft serve.....BUT I did only have a kiddie size (which by the way was still over a CUP of ice cream). Well, let me tell you, I had NO trouble hitting 2000 calories yesterday AND I did NOT get sad face on my chart for NOT eating enough fats. YUP, you guessed it, I got PLENTY of fats in. LOL However, I will say that I did get sad faces for cholesterol and sodium. OOPS :) I gotta feeling the scale will be MOVING now........ hahahahaha

****************

Back to reality today, but no regrets for yesterday. When I think of where I've come from; I used to eat that way 2-3 times a week!! NOT GOOD. Now I only treat myself once every few MONTHS... VERY GOOD. smiley faces for me!! :)

Thanks for reading. What's your story this week? I'd love to hear all about your ups and downs........or maybe you're doing great and don't need support? What's up?

Scripture for today:
"Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus". Romans 15:5

My prayer for all of us:
"God, please help us to remember that you have given us the "power of patient endurance (steadfastness)" to do your will. And I know that it is Your will for us to care for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit whom you have also given to us. Help us to be faithful stewards of what you have blessed us with! Amen

~M

Phase "Colorado"

Well, traveling is typically the hardest time for me to make good food choices and this is no different. I think it is a combination of the social draw and the abundance of indulgent choices available when eating out. I have managed to try and make some good choices though.
I am looking forward to getting home to the safety and comfort of my "healthy routines".

Let me add that just connecting with you guys to talk about it is giving me renewed, resolve.

Nutrition: Striving for and Sustaining Healthy Habits

I found this great artice on sustaing healthy habits written by Gwen Stanley. One of the main points is to set a goal of being healthy and feeling good rather than focusing on the pounds lost. I really like that it calls out changing our mental status to achieve our goals.

Quote from article to wet your whistle.......
'A key component of the goal to feel good is that it is a very positive goal. There should be absolutely nothing negative about striving for and sustaining a state of feeling truly good and healthy. Yet the way almost everyone approaches making healthier choices is through a negative mental framework. The term, “I will cut down on my consumption of sweets and fried foods to lose some extra weight,” is far more common than the term, “I will purchase and consume more of my favorite fruits and vegetables, and walk or ride my bike every day.”'

The general concept is to mentally change the approach and consider what you will add to your healthy lifestyle rather than what you will "take away".
Make's sense doesn't it??!! Read the article in full at:
http://www.projectmana.org/node/3816

Let me know what you think!! :)

~M

Week 2 Recap

We had our week 2 weigh-in this morning (the start of our 3rd week.) Janel and I started on Fitday to get going logging our calories, and shifted to Myfooddiary.com at the end of week 1. Between the two of us we have lost about 15-16 pounds. Not too shabby!

We continue to take it slow and figure out what works best for us. There are things we like that we don't want to allow ourselves right now because we haven't really built up the habit support system we need for sustainable weight loss. It would be way too easy for me to have a few bad days in a row and then fall off the wagon. Janel is a really good role model for me and we are using each other to stay accountable.

Thanks to Mom for keeping this blog going and for leading the charge! I am sooooo proud of you Ma :) Make me catch you! I'm looking forward to a great week and I will have more updates to come shortly.

Love,
-a

Phase 3 this week for me...........

Remember I mentioned that going to phase 3 of the Curves weight management plan would increase my calories by about 500 daily. While I don't follow their food choices, I do follow the concept of their over outline which is basically divided into 3 phases. The thought is to keep your metabolism from stalling. The general outline is as follows:

Phase 1 & 2 are weight loss phases:

Phase 1: 12oo calories for 7 days

Phase 2: 1500 calories for 14 days

Phase 3 is maintenance phase NOT a loss phase:
Eat 2000-2500 calories for 2-3 weeks. During phase 3 if you gain up to 3 lbs you should drop back to 1200 calories until you lose all 3 lbs. Then go back to the 2000-2500. Don't let yourself gain more than 3 lbs. During this week you should weigh yourself daily (the other two phases recommend a weekly weigh in). It's good to allow yourself to gain up to 3 lbs at least a couple of times before going back to the phase 1 rotation. This will trigger your metabolism. The longer it takes in between gains the better your metabolism is working.

Another benefit of phase 3 is to let your body get used to the weight that it is losing and teach you the how to maintain on a regular basis so that when you get to your goal weight it will not be a new concept to maintian. Building good habits along the way are crucial to success. Because if we don't change bad habits we will only revert to those eventually.

The first time I did phase 3 I was very nervous about it but it was amazing to see my body respond well to it. We'll see how it works this time. :) I'll keep a post of my progress. I should really get some pictures up too.

Does anyone want to post before, along the way and after pics? Let me know. You all have access to create new posts. I'd love to hear about your journey.

Godspeed!
~M

And holding.......

Well, good news; I'm holding at 199. I did dip down to 198 for a minute but have not gone back up over 200. YAY!! So that means that it was a REAL loss and not just a quinkeydink. ;)

While there has been a challenge to keep a balance of the right mix for protien, fat and carbs, I have been fairly successful. My diary keeps telling me that I need more fat in my daily intake by about 1 or 2%.........I NEVER thought I'd struggle with that! LOL

Next week I go to phase 3 of my curves recommended cycle and will be increasing my daily caloric intake by about 500 calories.

How is everyone else doing so far?

Sweet!

ok, well, the day finally arrived. With great anticipation, I stepped on to the scale and low and behold.......199! I stepped off and back on 3 times just to make sure. Now I feel like the pressure if off even if I float back up a couple of pounds, which will inevitably happen. I usually ebb and flow, so to speak with my weight. #1 Milestone...........checked off the list! Now on to bigger and better.........oh, I mean smaller and better things. :)

I have to say, I am truly LOVING myfooddiary.com. I gave them a recommendation on FaceBook. I really like the smiley face encouragements and the added daily nutritional intake updates it gives you. Such a great tool for a small sum. Thanks to Adam and Janel for the referral!

Hope you're having a great day. I'd love to hear about your updates. Post a note here and share what's happening with you so we can all pray for each other and encourage one another. Pullleeeaasse!!!

Godspeed,
~M

Nothing Tastes As Good As Thin Feels

Monday, July 27th has proven so far to be a day of great satisfaction. I'm on the threshold of breaking my first milestone weight. I'm being challenged mentally because I've set out to be determined not to be TIED to the number on the scale, but as I'm so so close to breaking the 200 mark, I can't help thinking about how I can scoot under the number!!! I'm RIGHT at 200 and holding for the last few days. I know, I know, I shouldn't weight myself every day and AFTER I break this one milestone, I will resume my normal once a week weigh in. I'm excited and nervous and anxious........deep breath. It's been a long, long time since I was under 200. This is big for me.....I mean small.....hahaha. I'm cracking up, that's it folks, I'm finally cracking up. :) Then today I remembered a quote from a Weight Watcher leader from back in the 80's when Dad and I went together for awhile and it has proven to be VERY true. "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!"

How is everyone else doing on the healthier living front? I'm curious to hear the updates from everyone.

Here's to feeling thin!
~M

God given gifts

"I knew you were a demanding master reaping where you did not sew..so I hid my gift, here take what is yours...."

We all know how that ended up for the man who was too fearful to invest his talents. We are all talented and it shows in what we do. Every one of us is pretty successful in our careers and yet what about when it comes to ourselves? Are we investing our gifts wisely when it comes to finances, diet, and fitness?

One of the greatest gifts God gives us is our brain with it's ability to problem solve. Mankind has proven and scripture even says that, "nothing that they proposed to do was impossible to them".

Why is it then we suffer? Is it non belief? It could be. The ability to visualize and believe something is often the key to achieving success.

When it comes to losing weight, allow me to share some logical observations.
When we began the weight challenge, I said to myself , "calories in /calories out", that seems simple enough. As you know, I calculated what should have been my daily caloric output and then decided on a daily calorie intake.

In the last month I have lost 17 pounds. I am down 32 from the actual beginning but since the initial loss also reflects a lot of water or fluid loss, I started from where the graph seemed to flatten out. 17 pounds represents 14, 875 calories if you use the standard measure of 3500 calories per pound.
This means that I would have had a caloric deficit of 2125 calories per day.

Well, there you go. Science! Cool! Fitday says my daily caloric need is about 4100 per day and I am eating about 1800 per day . Hey, 2300 per day , it works!

Allowing for my inexact journaling of my food choices and the approximation that fitday makes about your caloric needs this is almost spot on.

I wish you all the best. Don't forget in the struggle of life, we have been equipped by God with all we need to thrive. Get your talents out from under the rock and invest them for the glory of God and the kingdom!

May God richly bless you and give you peace....

Pops

Blah,blah,blah

Hello, anybody out there???????

Hel-looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I know you're all busy, but I miss you guys....wah,wah,wahhhhhhhhhhhh

It's never too late to start

I will be 54 years old in exactly one month. During the last several years I have gone from playing softball and feeling pretty good to feeling like what I imagine an elderly man with a lot of ailments feels like. I began to believe that I would never escape my weight.

"Maybe it is genetic..."  "I just need to accept who I am"   ...etc, etc.....These are some of the thoughts that raced through my head, but everytime I want to get dressed for an interview or  shop for clothes I couldn't help thinking about the negative aspects of being "large boned". Everytime I had to hold the bannister, pulling myself up the stairs and had to reach back and push myself forward to get up from a couch or even worse say "give me a hand" I would think "what is wrong with this picture?".

Now obviously, I did not mean what is wrong as in I was not aware that I had gotten large. One can't turn around without constant reminder that America has an obesity problem. I mean that I felt guilty and helpless and tried to make the best of it, but I felt depressed, overwhelmed.

People at the turn of the century were smaller and leaner and I doubt the term diet had even entered the American lexicon. I think we all realized that people for the most part were more active and that most households had a stay at home mom who cooked. Even so, stories of generous portions of potato and white bread and butter were common from my parents who were born close to a hundred years ago now and were both very lean as young people.

What factors explain the lean, strong America of the past that did so without any apparent special effort and the obese and floundering America of today that spends half the gross national product on diet plans, foods and gimmicks?

We are so obsessed by weight loss and so desperate for a quick cure that we have become innundated with half-truths and lies that we now have a difficult time recognizing the truth among the forest  o nonsense. Choosing a weight loss strategy can seem like picking a path at random to get unlost from a wilderness only to find after days of trailblazing that you are back at the same rock you started at.

I believe I have found, if not the path, at least a method for avoiding the circuitious routing habit of the past. I have now lost thirty pounds in the last month. I don't say this to brag but in sheer amazement. I am leaner, stronger, more alert and not suffering from the cravings and rampant appetite that had hounded me in past diets. AS I said previously, I understand that you have heard this before. " I have more energy, I'm not hungry" , etc,etc...... as we have all tried diets in the past, I think initially we have had this kind of response and it is completely understandable that you are waiting for the bubble to burst. WHY is this any different? 

We are tired of having our expectations dashed like the homemade raft thrown against the rocks as we are attempting to escape Devil's Island. The other prisoners try to temper there enthusiam, "They'll never make it". But if a boat actually makes it past the relentless waves and appears to have momentum the prisoners start getting excited, "They're going to make it" , "Go you crazy buzzards, Go". 

Well, I am going to make it and then you are going to believe. Praise be to God. This is not my clever imagination or my determination or some secret easy formula although there are elements of all those things, but this is God's deliverance allowing all the elements to come together at the right to save my life and hopefully my fellow prisoners as well whoever you might be.

While I don't expect to lost another thirty by the cruise, I do expect to continue to drop wight steadily. I eat plenty of food each day, monitoring my calorie level and also the breakdown aiming for a 60 - 65 % complex carbs, 20-25 % protein and 10-15 % fat balance.  Much of my protein comes from beans, lentils, tofu, whey powder, egg whites, with occasional fish and chicken. 

I try to use a variety of fruits and vegetables each week, the fresher and more organic the better. Nuts and seeds are also good. It is really important to me to weigh and measure everything accurately. 

Daily exercise is critical. I realize that since being laid off it is easier for me to find the time. That was especially true at the beginning,  but honestly by the second week of the weight challenge, I was already at the point where I couldn't wait to get to the gym. It has gotten so easy that I barely think about it. I don't go and socialize. Bang, in and out. 30 minutes treadmill, go through the weight machines..bang, bang, bang and another some extra sets and an extra 30on the treadmill if I have time and then out the door. 

One last thing, at first I thought it would be a lot of work to cook differently. I also thought it would be way more expensive. Wrong on both counts. There was some initial cost in both \money and time to get setup and adjusted but on a weekly basis it has proven both easy and economical to eat this way.

"Do not grow weary in well doing for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness..."  I just want all you guys to know, I am there for you. When you start to see my boat leave the island and pull past the waves and belief and hope start to rise within you, I am there for you. I will be happy to share recipes and strategies and whatever I know to help you succeed. I want to help you pull free from all the untruths that may attempt to rob you of hope and keep you chained to unhealthy habits. You can get free. You are not the hopeless victim of genetics, illness or food allergy. YOU CAN GET FREE......

 

Pizza and Beer

Wednesday night I met some old friends from the office and we made two kettles of beer at Deja Brew in Shrewsbury. We made an Oatmeal Stout and a recipe called Backporch Pale Ale.

It really is a lot of fun. One of the guys went and bought pizza and I had three slices. Along with a few beers etc., not a great night as far as calories go, but you should be able to do those kinds of things and enjoy them, just not every day.

I feel great and I am finally over the cold (at least 90%) but I probably won't make the gym today becasue the schedule is just too hectic. I'll try to get something in tomorrow and back to the gym Monday.

I hope you are all doing as good as you hoped, more so in your walk with God but also in your life choices. I love you all. 

Pops

The post superbowl post

Well, the Cardinals came up just short, but not for lack of effort. It was actually a pretty entertaining game, what I saw of it. I spent the entire day yesterday, except for a short time to go to church, catching up on homework and rebuilding my computer. 

It has been needing it anyway, slow and quirky, but man! My mac is broken :-( 

So I took the easy way out and got a new hard drive,  installed it, created four partitions, installed xp on the first one, windows 7 beta on the second, and Fedora 10 Linux on the third. The fourth is for ????? at this point. 

I also had to install and configure all my goodies on the XP partition, Office 2007, antivirus, etc. including a C compiler for my programming class.  

I did not count what I ate yesteday, but I ate all good things ...OK maybe a little too much bread pudding, but it was home made...and I am down 25 overall. 

I am skipping the gym today, because I caught Mom's cold and feel crappy. I don't want to spread my disease around the gym either.

I hope you are all finding some success in your diets. I don't hear much from you'se all????

LOVE YOU ....................................POPS

Week 5 and stronger that ever!!

Wow, my mind is blown that we are starting week 5. I am officially down 9 lbs but more importantly, my body is at peace without any wild, unhealthy cravings that I have to constantly fight. That, my dear family, is a huge victory for me!! I can only attribute it to the fact that I am FINALLY tuned in to giving my body what it needs with the healthy food choices and cutting out excess white flour, sugar and most importantly sodium which seems to drive a lot more unhealthy habits than I EVER realized.

Anyway, I just wanted to hop on quick and post an update. I'm not sure if anyone is still keeping up with the site, but don't you dare give up! If you've had a tough time staying on track or coming up with a plan that works for you, don't be discouraged. It's never too late to move forward. Remember that it's the baby steps that count. It's one baby step at a time that get you pointed in the right direction. Remember the rudder on a ship is the tiniest part of the ship but has the most impact on the direction that the ship ends up going in.

Dad and I are here if you need prayer or help with suggestions. Love you lots!! Hang in there. I know life is throwing many trials toward a lot of you, but don't despair, your Father in heaven is your ever true source of strength and courage and help in the time of trouble. Just ask Him, he's only a whisper away.

Psalm 37:9 "But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble."

~M

Variety is the spice of life

This may not be a true guide for spiritual health but when applied to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds there isn't much better advice for achieving health and hapiness. When I was eating mostly processed food, I found it difficult to get a good variety of wholesome foods in each day. It seemed like such a hassle and too time consuming. Does any of this sound familiar. 

I also found myself -saying things like, "I'll give up my double cheeseburger when they pry my cold dead arterioschlerosis ridden hands from around it". Just kidding, but I did feel very strongly that I was going to be deprived and unhappy somehow if I couldn't eat fat ridden, high calorie, low fiber foods whenever I wanted and in whatever quantity it took to feel slightly uncomfortable. 

Ahh! Now that's livin'. Well actually, that's dyin'. Maybe slowly and little by little but that's dyin' for sure. 

Now, I enjoy healthy foods and after some initial adjustment I find it is not that difficult. Actually, eating healthy takes less effort and cost  than my previously  sporadic ways . My greatest difficulty now is being able to eat everything I want to in a single day. 

How did this transformation start, you ask? Well, praise God and thanks to my family for instituting a weight challenge. I started by logging into www.fitday.com and deciding to limit myself to 1500 calories a day to start. Near the end of the first week I began to think, "If I'm going  to limit myself to 1500 calories a day, I want to eat as much as I can so I'm not hungry and I want to eat healthy so my body isn't starving".

I then began to research low calorie, high satiety foods and started to incorporate some into my diet. By the middle of the second week, I was trying lentil recipes I found on line. One of my new favorite recipe sites is www.recipebazaar.com. I began to cook different veggies everyday. Butternut squash, brown rice, cabbage, steamed carrots, onions, peppers, tomatos, sweet potato, lentils, beans of all kinds and apples, oranges and frozen berries make up the bulk of my diet. Toss in any nuts, raisins, prunes, in small amounts, brussels sprouts, brocolli, spinach and now your talking. The site http://www.tqnyc.org/2006/NYC063364//beneficial.htm is awesome. Try some of the foods listed. 

You may be tempted to think, "How much difference can it make?" but all I can tell you is it has been miraculous in my life. In little over three weeks, my blood pressure has come down to a range it hasn't been in years. My resting heart rate has dropped from 82 to 68. I am working out at the gym as hard as I can with good form and I have not been the least bit sore. I seem to get stronger with every workout, my endurance on the treadmill is getting dramatically better, my left arm has stopped going numb (pins and needles) and my left leg has stopped burning and hurting. (although it is still slightly numb it has improved beyond my wildest expectations)

All this in only three weeks ..and oh by the way did I mention I have lost 24 pounds without being hugry...I can only attribute this to the healthy and restorative nature of my diet. Now that I have begun to be in tune with my real hunger I don't worry as much about keeping the calories strictly at 1500. If I have a real strong workout or a real busy day and I'm extra hungry I will go as high as 2000 calories but that is still well below what my body burns every day.

(The rule of thumb is take your current body weight X 10 for women X11 for men.  Add 20% for sedentary up to 40% for active lifestyle and then to that add 10% for digestion, etc. 

Assuming a body weight of 200 for a women you would have 200 X 10=2000    2000 + 30%=2600   2600 + 10% = 2860 which would be what your body needs to maintain if your relatively sedentary. So to lose a pound a week you would need to eat 3500 calories a week less than your body needs which is 500 calories a day so you would shoot for 2360.  Don't go to low and watch your nutrition. ONE LAST THNG...Sodium is a KILLER! for your health and your weight and processed food is full of it.

I know it's early and you've heard it before. It's going to take time and you seeing me stick to this and keep the weight off for you to believe for real, but if you want to start feeling healthier, calmer, more physically fit and spiritaully peaceful, more vibrant, hopeful and alive in every way then don't delay. Don't let precious moments of your life be stolen away.

God bless you and aid you in your endeavors ...I love you all very much...thanks for loving me!

bean salad

Nicole's family makes this all the time and its really good; really filling too and lots of fiber!

Red Kidney beans
White kidney beans
diced Onions
diced Tomato
Italian Salad dressing (just enough to toss the salad a bit)
feta cheese

Simple and delightful. You can really add anything you want i know i have tried many variations of it at the house but this one is my favorite.

AND BY THE WAY - can i just add a small victory of my own. I have been MAKING DInnER. for some this is not a big challenge but for my family; dinner is usually cereal for mark and mac n cheese with fish sticks or hot dogs for me and david. NOT Healthy!

BUT lately i have been making meals, with chicken/pork/steak/fish and rice/pasta/potato, salad or some other veggie and i am loving it!

Lasagna es diablo (temptation strikes)

Yesterday Mom and I went to Koko's to celebrate Becky and Ed's 25 th anniversary. Koko's cheese lasagna tasted soooo gooood. But such is true of sin in general, not that eating lasagna is sin per se, that it tastes sweet for a season and pays the wages of death in the end. 

I did eat too much. I guess I'm not ready for the world quite yet. Lasagna, noodles and Kielbasa, rice and hot sausage, kielbasa in barbecue sauce, meatballs in tomato sauce and then apple pie, angel food cake with strawberries and cookies. You get the idea, dive in and before ya know it, you've eaten like a pig. I gained 3 pounds from yesterdays weigh in.

I know it's largely water weight because my calorie count wasn't actually horrible, but I felt like crap going to bed and woke up feeling uncomfortable. Lesson learned. I am back on track this morning and eager to go forward. 

Love you guys...don't let a small slip up discourage you...get right back up and fight...plan your action and then stick to your plan....

Another Disciple

I just came back from visiting uncle John and he is excited about our pilgimage and looking forward to joining us in our quest. We discussed the general principles of eating a high fiber, low calorie diet. I was able to share with his that I have lost twenty pounds in just over two weeks without feeling hungry and not only that but I feel healthier and more vital than I have in years. We are looking forward to hiking again this year and by God's grace for many years to come. 

Praise God for his steadfast and enduring love. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  I believe this is nothing short of deliverance from unhealthy food addiction.

I love you guys and hope you are all doing well!

Lentil Soup

This is an extremely easy, delicious and nutritious recipe. It goes well with a fresh muffin and a salad. 

1 lb. dried lentils

8 cups of cold water ( I use a cup of chicken stock, any left over vegetable liquid from steaming and the remainder water to make the 8 cups)

1 (16 oz. ) can tomatoes, chopped

4-5 slices of bacon ( I use a little left over chicken and omit the bacon)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 tsp parsley

2 tsp wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minces ( i use bottled minced garlic 1 Tbs)

2 tsp salt ( I use a pinch)

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp pepper

1 large bay leaf

combine all ingredients in a dutch oven and simmer for 45 minutes..it's really that easy

Enjoy.......

Keep on Keeping On!

ok, so here we are starting week 3 already! Yup week 3. Time flies.....always it seems I guess.

I have to say that I wasn't expecting to lose any weight this week because I didn't FEEL like any had come off, but low and behold another 2 lb loss! I am amazed. I have renewed resolve this morning to keep on keeping on and will continue to work my plan. Using fitday.com has really simplified my efforts and has been a great tool to keep me on track.

Kudos are also in order for Dad's cooking! It's been a very nutricious and delicious 2 weeks of new recipes and being re-introduced to legumes which I am quickly becoming a HUGE fan of. (Huge on the inside and very small on the outside lol). Over the last 2 weeks we have enjoyed Black Bean Chilli with beef, lentil soup and a lentil stew with chicken along with many other great meals. Thanks Rick!! Awesome support and wonderful eating!!! :)

In addition I have stepped up my daily activities. I walk the stairs 2 or 3 times a day at work. I can make it to the 4th floor as of this week. I am definately breathing heavy by the time I get there but it will get easier the more I do it. When I first starting walking to the 3rd floor I encountered the same challenge. I also walk the treadmill 3 or 4 times a week for 30 - 60 minutes on level 1. I am planning to move to level 2 this week and see if I still live after that.....just kidding, sometimes it feels like I'll keel over, BUT I never do......soooo, keep on keeping on really fits here.

Well that's my 2 cents for now. Just thought I'd share what's been happening in my neck of the woods. I hope you are all reading along and will post some thoughts, struggles, victories, recipe ideas, weight loss tips, etc., whatever tickles your fancy and stay connected. We're here for you!!

~M

Sticking together

"Two are stronger than one and a three fold cord is not quickly broken"

Those words from the scriptures seem so alive in this format. We are encouraging one another and beginning to literally believe that all things are possible, even a lean helthy body. All the posts and comments have been so positive and helpful to me. Thanks everyone for participating.

I know it takes a little extra work to plan, shop, cook and record accurate portions, but it is so worth it. I have never in my life felt so in control of my hunger and I attribute that to not eating junk and the encouragement that I get here in the 8Justright forum.

I have the time so if anyone wants any help just let me know and I will help with recipes and or shopping tips. I am getting quite good at this natural foods biz. It's really a hoot actually and now that I am in the habit, it now takes less time to eat well than it did to eat crappy.

 I find in taking stock of my situation that since I started on the cpap machine, I am getting to bed early,  I am in school and eating right so I have healthy and wise covered. Now I'm just waiting for wealthy to kick in. Hey, it's got to be just around the corner, right?

Love you guys...

Do you wonder about your metabolism?

How can I boost my metabolism?

We often hear people speak of "slow metabolism" and wanting to boost their metabolism, but in fact, this term can have many different meanings. In scientific research studies, the term "metabolic rate" refers to certain aspects of body chemistry, and it is usually measured by comparing the rate at which a person breathes in oxygen (O2) and the rate they breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2). This O2:CO2 ratio is used as the measurement of metabolic rate. While foods you eat are not totally unrelated to this O2:CO2 ratio, it's primarily the result of our genetic tendencies, hormonal balances, and other factors that extend beyond the dimensions of your diet.

But the term "slow metabolism" can have other meanings, and in many of these cases, food can make a difference. For example, if "slow metabolism" means "sluggish digestion," increased fiber intake, decreased total fat intake, less food at any one meal, more consistent timing of meals, increased time spent getting ready to eat, increased time spent eating, better chewing, and increased attention to the joy of food can all help improve digestive metabolism.

Our digestive system responds to what are called "proprioceptive cues" - when we love the sight and smell of the food we're about to eat, our digestive system gets going in anticipation! This "jump starting" of our digestion improves its function.Slow metabolism can also involve poor circulation and transport of molecules around the body, and foods that support the circulatory and molecular transport systems can help in this respect. The colorful flavonoid pigments in vegetables, for example, directly help to improve the integrity of the blood vessels, and can improve circulation in this way. Transport of many molecules also requires a good balance of amino acids contained in protein, and including some protein in every meal and snack can be helpful, whether it involves a sprinkle of navy beans or nuts on a tossed salad, or a piece of steamed salmon at lunch.

What may be even more helpful for boosting the efficiency of a person's metabolism and the vitality of their circulation is exercise. Exercise can strengthen all of the muscles along the digestive tract, and in this way improve the way food moves through us and gets metabolized. Exercise can also improve our blood flow, and make it easier for our body to shunt blood to the area around our digestive tract when it is time for us to absorb nutrients. We think about healthy exercise as a needed accompaniment to a meal plan centered around the World's Healthiest Foods.

Check out http://whfoods.org/ for more information on healthy lifestyle changes and food tips including some great recipes and menu ideas.

Enjoy!

Gym Rat

I may not qualify quite yet as an official gym rat, but I did go back today and I'm feeling great. I start with 30 minutes on the treadmill and then go once through the weight circuit finishing with 30 more minutes on the treadmill. I feel so alive and it only takes me an hour and a half.

What was the reason again that I stopped getting daily exercise???????

Eating right is definitely the foundation; without good nutrition I wouldn't have the energy to go. I can't wait for the cruise so I can show off my new swim trunks. My plan is to eat healthy, get lots of exercise and spend lot's of time in the pool. Wooo -hooooo

Before you all get just too impressed with me, I am planning on having two guilt free meals (not worrying about calories) while on the cruise.  I know so many people who say you gain 6-8 pounds while on a cruise. I plan to lose 6-8. Oh yeah!

Tip of the day: a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic exercise is most effective. Mix your cardio with some resistance training 

 

Week 1 Summary

Well, last week wasn't a great week for me but I'm not here to talk about the past!

Last night I went grocery shopping and bought all good food. This morning I made everything in advance (just like the old days) and I have a solid success goal in mind for this week. I'm looking forward to getting started for real.

Meals today:
Breakfast (11am) -- 1 cup oatmeal, 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 multi vitamin
Lunch (2pm) -- Big salad with spinach, horse radish, olives, tomato, mushrooms and an olive oil based raspberry vinagrette (no cheese!)
Snack (3pm) -- Fresh broccoli, carrots and celery with roasted red pepper hummus
Dinner (7pm) -- Black beans, Spinach, Brocoli, Mixed veggies and collard greens all mixed up and nuked with some Mrs. Dash
Late night snack? -- We'll see.

I'm drinking water and I did bring 1 DDP. Although once my stock in the fridge is gone I'll be switching to Crystal Lite for variety.

Go team! Everyone's posts have been great, keep up the great work...I'm looking forward to some real great progress reports one day at a time.

Love,
-a

Week One-done and done!

I stayed the same but seriously, it was not a good week food wise. I am seriously ready to step it up a notch this week! At least I didn't gain right ?
Have a blessed week everyone!

quick note..

So i did okay this week; far too much pasta but i did better than the week before and that's what counts :) It's a journey... and each step counts. This week my goal is to eat LESS PASTA... 2x this week that's it - (and i already had 1 today for lunch).

I went grocery shopping and bought more salad stuff; and some meals to cook at home... chicken and taco's and a beef stew and some chicken soup... I am also going strong with the 0 coffee and soda routine. I drink tea and water :)

I'm hoping to be pregnant (obvi) so i don't think i will be the winner of any money; but it is nice to have the group support as we all try to make better/healthier choices for living.

Love you all xoxo and GOOD LUCK!!!!

we CAN and we WILL do this! I believe in us!!!

- Faith

First Weigh in!! Happy Monday

Well, I am very excited to say that I showed a 1.3% (3 lbs) loss this week. YAY!! My home scale actually showed a bit more, but I am going to go by the scale at work since that one is more conservative and I don't want to get confused between the two.

According to fitday.com I averaged about 1300 calories a day which seems to be a good goal.

I'm happy and very motivated to keep on trucking.....with the right gas in my tank (see Pops last blog)

Love you guys...........Happy Monday!

Weigh in -weight out

Good morning fellow pigrims in the journey to have a lean, healthy body. This was a fan-tas-tic week. I had an excellent weight loss, but more imporantly I am enjoying eating healthier and I am feeling much healthier.

Thank you all for the motivation! 

I am not struggling between meals or feeling like I'm starving. That is huge. I believe it is at least partly due to watching my sodium input. We'll see how that theory plays out in a couple of weeks. The other part is that I figure if I'm only going to eat a certain number of calories, I want to make sure that each calorie, as much as possible, is high quality, a calorie that contributes to health. 

I want to make an analogy (you know I do). Imagine that you have a racing engine in your car, an engine that you spent a lot of time and money assembling and installing. You drive to the gas station to fill up, but on the way you go by a convenience store. "Hey, I think I'll stop and throw some Coca-Cola in the tank". What??????? Are you crazy. 

Of course you would never do such a thing, but we do it do our body. We do it to our heart and organs because truth be told, junk food is almost as useless and destructive to our bodies as coke would be in a gas tank.

Love you guys....Think Quality not quantity..and remember God built you and God don't build no junk...marvel in the gift you've been given and treat it with respect, dignity and care

Peace out

Compariisons

Just for fun, I made some comparisons between meals that I might normally consume and alternatives.

Consider the ever popular Whopper with cheese, a medium fries, apple pie and a coke. I may have eaten this combo a hundred times or more. It doesn't really seem exessive, does it? In many ways it seems perfectly normal to me, "I've become accustomed to her face" ( sung here by Henry Higgins) but in reality yields .....one thousand, five-hundred, eighty nine calories, the great majority of which are fat and sugar which do little for your body except to precipitate a huge insulin spike which in turn efficiently turns that fat and sugar into stored fat.

Yes, the truth is we are what we eat and I am certainly, at least in part a whopper with cheese!

Now go with me to a new place. Load your plate with a full cup of brown rice, 3 oz. of salmon, a cucumber, tomato and onion salad with rasberry vinagrette, 2 oat bran rolls, a cup of brocolli, a 1/2 cup of butternut squash, 4 oz. of white whine, a piece of low cal apple pie and a cup of coffee.

WOW! That sounds like a lot of food. How can I eat that much. I don't need a huge meal like that, just a snack, something quick. Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? They do to me. Somehow, I tend to look at the amount of food on the plate rather than the calories represented. My salmon meal comes in at a nutritionally dense, fiber dense, super satisfying 1008 calories. 

That's twice the food volume, 1000% times the nutritional value and far more satisfying for 33% less calories. 

Make some comparisons of your own. What do you like to eat? How does it stack up? What alternatives are convenient and satisfying?

Well.....God bless you today...and grant you all the success you desire in learning to eat healthy

Pops

Stress

Now that I'm sitting home, unemployed and pursuing the things that I want to pursue, I realize just how much stress plays a part in my over eating. I have used over consumption as a defence mechanism. Let me explain. 

I have a strong intellectual grasp of the various factors involved in a healthy diet and by diet here I don't necessarily remain a reducing diet. I can picture easily that one choclate covered doughnut contains somewhere around 400 plus empty calories that leave my body hungry  as opposed to say a cup and a half of oatmeal with prunes, molasses and orange juice for a hundred calories less but when I am under stress I take the easy way out. Rather than stop for a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with a large salad, I might stop for a fast food sandwich with two or three times the calories, yet little or no nutritional value and one third the satiety .

Back to my openingl.......why is this? At least partly to blame is the stressful, high time demand lifestyle. When I feel over-burdened or unhappy, etc I fall back on eating comfort foods as a quick way to make myself feel better. Truthfully, it's little different than taking drugs. Eat non satisfying crap that release pleasure signals yet fail to really satisfy nutritionally. That's why we keep getting crazy hungry. 

I am so fortunate right now to have the time to deal with this in a relaxed and controlled environment. I don't mean to be judgmental to anyone else; I'm just sharing my reflections.

Try this the next time you are tempted to or have just made a meal choice that you regret. Picture or list the food you crave and right next to it list or picture an alternative meal. For instance on the left side of the paper draw a whopper w/ cheese and fries 1078 calories (mostly fat) and on the right side draw a turkey sandwich on whole wheat w/ sprouts and tomato, a 10 oz. tossed salad with sunflower seeds, an apple and a glass of skim milk  for 618 calories...Nutritionally dense, far more filling and almost half the calories. 

Well, that's my two cents worth today. I love you guys and wish you all the best in your attempt to wrest first place away from me. (You better be serious about it...I've lost 10 lbs already and I'm counting my money...ha,ha,ha)

What would Abe have done

Adam was recently kind enough to lend me the book, "Team of Rivals" about the life of Abraham Lincoln. I was amazed when a short way into this fascinating work I found out that Lincoln seldom had more than a single egg for breakfast and some fruit and bread at lunch. 

This giant of a man in every way possible made me realize how self indulgent I am to my own detriment. President Lincoln was gifted with strength and endurance mentally, physically and spiritually. 

I bring this up because I feel ashamed for the backward thinking that makes me think I could somehow eat too little. HA!!! I am not saying, "eat lettuce and skim milk". I am saying that figuring out how many calories my body needs and working from that is not "unhealthy". It is totally healthy and realistic. 

Take motivation wherever you can get it. The truth will set you free.  Love you guys.

Day 2 - And We Are On Our Way!!

Good morning! Day one was great. I have chosen to use http://www.fitday.com/ to track my food and activity diary. This site is awesome and it's FREE. Check it out.

The comments section is not working yet, but will be up and running soon. We can also post some "before" pitures. That might be a fun way to keep track too. What do you all think?

Be blessed today and remember:
1 Corinthians 10:13 "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."
God is just a whisper away, and He has promised to make a way of escape from our temptations. All we have to do is ASK!

~M

The Prince is in...

Alright folks - I'm in and that means first prize is locked up. Janel will be my accountability partner, can you say unbeatable team!?!?

Good luck to all and let this be the year where we all achieve peace within our own temples and on our journey to a healthier us.

Love!
-a

Here we are

Well...This is exciting! I find it to be true that often, in any project,  the cumulative result of teamwork is so much more than the sum of it's parts and I am anticipating as much here.

I stepped on the scale this morning and then put the "weight" of my intellect behind mapping out a strategy to capture first prize. I doubt not my intention nor do I doubt my ability to logically construct a sensible and effective diet plan. I do however doubt my ability to focus and stay motivated, but not as much with this forum to assist.

Finally, while I fully expect to win the competition, I am praying fervently for each of you to achieve beyond your expectations, not for vanity or glory, but for health and release from the bondage of unhealthy appetite. 

I love you all. Much success! 

Pops

Ready, Ready, Ready to go!!

ok, I am weighed in and READY to get this party started!!

Let's make sure that we share our weight with at least one other person for accountability purposes.

The rules:
1) Use any food plan that you are comfortable with
2) Weigh in on Monday mornings
3) Tell your accountability partner your weight
4) Record the percentage of your loss/gain on the blog (that's for the rest of you. MINE will be loss hehehe)
****Dad will make a chart to post after everyone logs in their percentages

The Prize
Friendly reminder, it’s $1/week, so the top prize winner will make a pretty penny.
1st place will get 65%,
2nd will get 25%
3rd place will win 10%.

1st place will also be getting a super extra awesome trophy.

Be blessed everyone!!

~M

Faith - weighed in

Ok I am weighed in and my commitment just went up a notch. Now as you all know we are also hoping for a miracle which means i wont be allowed to be on a diet but my goal will be to lose my weight and gain baby weight and stay at a net 0 lbs gained.

:)

Janel-January 5, 2009

Ok, I am weighed in, and more than ready now to get serious!!!

Let's get this Party started!!

Ok, Kate had this great idea of starting a weight loss challenge amongst the family starting tomorrow, Monday January 5th. Here is the "Skinny" (lol). Each week each person will put in a dollar. Every Monday we will each weigh ourselves (on the honor system) and check in on the blog. Tomorrow, since it is the first Monday, all you will do is weigh in and sign into the blog leaving a post sang you are in and you are weighed. You do NOT have to tell how much you weigh :) Each Monday after that, you will sign into the blog and write a post saying how much percentage of weight loss you had.
At the end, the top three losers, will get a percentage of all of the money :)
Sounds kind of confusing but it's not.
I am sure that Kate can write another post expaining it better :)
Here is the equation to find out your percentage of weight loss or gain!

Substract your current weight from your original weight. Divide that number by your original weight. Multiply that number by 100. Example 175-150=25....25/175=.14.... .14x100= %14.

Got it??

So, tomorrow, Monday, just post a blog on here to let us know you are partaking on this journey to healthyness :)

Good Luck!!
Please feel free to post encouraging posts and comments, good recipes, or any other weigh loss tips!! I will try and get some links up on the side that I find helpful.
Good Luck!!!!!