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!!!!!