It has bee two months since I posted, so I thought I would just let those of you who care know that I haven't given up. So here is the update.
I have been following a diet plan commonly known as "Paleo", with 1 difference. The actual Paleo diet doesn't allow dairy, but I haven't cut it out.
I have lost a total of 18 pounds since I cut out all grain sugar. (Note to "Biggest Loser" competitors: this is not your number, since I had gained weight after we started)
This is encouraging to me, because eating habits are the only major change I have made. I feel like I could lose more quickly if I could manage to exercise more regularly, but the fact that I am still losing is a good thing.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Alternate Motivation
This is a story about people who have influenced this journey greatly in the past couple of months.
I have been very frustrated. I have managed to lose a few pounds only to gain it right back. This is mostly because of my failure to stick to any one change that I have tried to make. A couple of weeks ago I stepped on the scale and saw a number that was only two pounds from where I originally started almost 3 years ago when Adam and I came to Claremore.
Enter my sister. Memorial day weekend she proposed a contest. The winner (whoever loses the most weight) gets to have the loser come and visit them, and we included an aunt and cousin who live not that far away. I thought, "This is good, it will be great motivation to get my life in order and really do this thing." Except that I still struggled. Down a couple of pounds, then right back up even more than I had lost. We message each other every week and report progress for accountability. My sister has been dropping pounds left and right. After a bit of discussion she says that she hasn't really been exercising all that much, but just made changes to her diet on her doctors recommendation. She sent me a list of things that she has quit eating. So I made an effort to cut out a lot of the things on her list, and made a little bit of progress.
Enter Dr. Owens. He is not actually my doctor, but a friend from church. He had told me a while ago what changes I should make in my diet and if I would do it I would see serious change. I didn't do it. Until this week! I have been having some pretty severe pain in my arms. I had been using Icy/Hot and taking pain killers before I went to bed just to sleep. Gradually the pain has gotten worse over time. In a moment of desperation I asked Dr. Owens what he thought. (I am generally opposed to asking somebody to do what they do for a living for free). But he was generous and told me to get a different kind of cream that would be an anti-inflammatory. He also said to stay away from "pro-inflammatory foods". I asked him for a list. He said: all grain, sugar (and some other stuff I don't remember, I think because I wasn't eating them anyway).
I have been completely grain free and mostly sugar free since last Monday. I am almost completely pain free and I have not had to use the pain cream since Wednesday. AND...I am losing weight!!
P.S. I don't think I would mind if my aunt or cousin eventually won our contest as long as I can beat my sister, which I fully intend to do.
I have been very frustrated. I have managed to lose a few pounds only to gain it right back. This is mostly because of my failure to stick to any one change that I have tried to make. A couple of weeks ago I stepped on the scale and saw a number that was only two pounds from where I originally started almost 3 years ago when Adam and I came to Claremore.
Enter my sister. Memorial day weekend she proposed a contest. The winner (whoever loses the most weight) gets to have the loser come and visit them, and we included an aunt and cousin who live not that far away. I thought, "This is good, it will be great motivation to get my life in order and really do this thing." Except that I still struggled. Down a couple of pounds, then right back up even more than I had lost. We message each other every week and report progress for accountability. My sister has been dropping pounds left and right. After a bit of discussion she says that she hasn't really been exercising all that much, but just made changes to her diet on her doctors recommendation. She sent me a list of things that she has quit eating. So I made an effort to cut out a lot of the things on her list, and made a little bit of progress.
Enter Dr. Owens. He is not actually my doctor, but a friend from church. He had told me a while ago what changes I should make in my diet and if I would do it I would see serious change. I didn't do it. Until this week! I have been having some pretty severe pain in my arms. I had been using Icy/Hot and taking pain killers before I went to bed just to sleep. Gradually the pain has gotten worse over time. In a moment of desperation I asked Dr. Owens what he thought. (I am generally opposed to asking somebody to do what they do for a living for free). But he was generous and told me to get a different kind of cream that would be an anti-inflammatory. He also said to stay away from "pro-inflammatory foods". I asked him for a list. He said: all grain, sugar (and some other stuff I don't remember, I think because I wasn't eating them anyway).
I have been completely grain free and mostly sugar free since last Monday. I am almost completely pain free and I have not had to use the pain cream since Wednesday. AND...I am losing weight!!
P.S. I don't think I would mind if my aunt or cousin eventually won our contest as long as I can beat my sister, which I fully intend to do.
Monday, May 13, 2013
A Divine Appointment
Let me start by saying I don't think that there are too many genuine coincidences in the world. I think that God orchestrates a lot more of our lives than we give him credit for. So when I usually use the phrase "divine appointment", most of the time I am talking about something that other people would term a coincidence. Yesterday, however, I experienced what I cannot describe any other way. God orchestrated my day yesterday to be exactly what I needed.
One more thing that you need to understand is that Mother's Day becomes an increasingly difficult day for me every year. My longing to be a mother is magnified and intensified by the celebration of mothers. Every year that passes and I don't feel any closer to having my desire gets more and more frustrating. So I don't necessarily look forward to going to church on Mother's Day. The sermon is usually about mothers or directed at mothers. There is usually a gift given and a big deal made about if you are or aren't a mother. And all my friends have plans to spend the day with their mothers (or their children). All these things combined leave me feeling a little left out, frustrated and depressed.
So this year Adam was expecting to have the day off. A few weeks ago he called his mother and asked her what she wanted to do on Mother's day. She said all she knew was that she was going to church. So he said that we would go with her. When it turned out that he had to work, I didn't change my plan. While Adam was asleep I went and spent the day with his mother.
The Pastor of her church was not in attendance, so the man who preached was not the normal preacher that she was expecting. It turns out that he is the director of their Celebrate Recovery Ministry. His mention of Mother's Day went something like: "Happy Mother's Day, there are muffins for all our moms in the foyer". Then he preached about addiction.
He described addiction as the thing you think about before you think about going to God. He said that for some people their addictions are easily identified (i.e. drugs, alcohol, etc.). But for others it may be more difficult to pinpoint, sometimes because of the necessities of life. The passage of Scripture he gave was Isaiah 44:14-21. It talks about a man who grows a tree and cuts it down to use for survival, but with the leftover wood he makes an idol.
Now I have heard preachers preach about addiction, and I have heard preachers preach on idols, but I have never heard a preacher equate the two. But aren't the basic definitions nearly identical? What is hindering my relationship with God? What thing have I concentrated on so much that it's all I think about?
There are three things that most constantly consume my thoughts. Food, Facebook...and Bible Quiz (not necessarily in that order). These are all things that I feel are necessities of life. I cannot quit eating, I would find communication with my family and friends more difficult without Facebook, and the Word of God is foundational for everything that I am and want to be and I want to pass that knowledge on to others.
So what do I do with this information? I have no idea, except to pray and ask God to show me and ask him to be forefront in my mind so that everything I do is done with his power and for his glory.
One more thing that you need to understand is that Mother's Day becomes an increasingly difficult day for me every year. My longing to be a mother is magnified and intensified by the celebration of mothers. Every year that passes and I don't feel any closer to having my desire gets more and more frustrating. So I don't necessarily look forward to going to church on Mother's Day. The sermon is usually about mothers or directed at mothers. There is usually a gift given and a big deal made about if you are or aren't a mother. And all my friends have plans to spend the day with their mothers (or their children). All these things combined leave me feeling a little left out, frustrated and depressed.
So this year Adam was expecting to have the day off. A few weeks ago he called his mother and asked her what she wanted to do on Mother's day. She said all she knew was that she was going to church. So he said that we would go with her. When it turned out that he had to work, I didn't change my plan. While Adam was asleep I went and spent the day with his mother.
The Pastor of her church was not in attendance, so the man who preached was not the normal preacher that she was expecting. It turns out that he is the director of their Celebrate Recovery Ministry. His mention of Mother's Day went something like: "Happy Mother's Day, there are muffins for all our moms in the foyer". Then he preached about addiction.
He described addiction as the thing you think about before you think about going to God. He said that for some people their addictions are easily identified (i.e. drugs, alcohol, etc.). But for others it may be more difficult to pinpoint, sometimes because of the necessities of life. The passage of Scripture he gave was Isaiah 44:14-21. It talks about a man who grows a tree and cuts it down to use for survival, but with the leftover wood he makes an idol.
Now I have heard preachers preach about addiction, and I have heard preachers preach on idols, but I have never heard a preacher equate the two. But aren't the basic definitions nearly identical? What is hindering my relationship with God? What thing have I concentrated on so much that it's all I think about?
There are three things that most constantly consume my thoughts. Food, Facebook...and Bible Quiz (not necessarily in that order). These are all things that I feel are necessities of life. I cannot quit eating, I would find communication with my family and friends more difficult without Facebook, and the Word of God is foundational for everything that I am and want to be and I want to pass that knowledge on to others.
So what do I do with this information? I have no idea, except to pray and ask God to show me and ask him to be forefront in my mind so that everything I do is done with his power and for his glory.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Lessons Learned
It seems like it keeps getting longer and longer between posts. I am not sure if this is just because of my frustration over not losing any weight, or just my normal procrastination and forgetfulness.
I was maintaining my weight in spite of making changes to my diet and increasing my exercise. I went into this with the intent to be healthy, and with that in mind I didn't want to do anything drastic. I want to make changes that I can maintain long term so that when I do lose weight I don't gain it right back. So I have been continually trying to evaluate my lifestyle and learn from my mistakes.
Last week I gained weight, and not just a couple of pounds that I felt I could chalk up to normal fluctuation. This scared me, BIG TIME!! The last couple of work-out groups we have been talking about sleep and rest and the importance of both to our health.
So this week I made two changes. I started drinking more water, and I am making more of an effort to get better sleep. This morning I stepped on the scale and it showed that I had lost 1/2 of what I had gained last week. So I will continue this pattern and hopefully the number will be smaller again next week.
So I have learned that my health track is four-pronged: diet, exercise, water, sleep. I think I have come to the place where I can say that none of these is more important than the other. I need all four in balance in order to be healthy. Maybe the next time I blog, I will have better news to report.
I was maintaining my weight in spite of making changes to my diet and increasing my exercise. I went into this with the intent to be healthy, and with that in mind I didn't want to do anything drastic. I want to make changes that I can maintain long term so that when I do lose weight I don't gain it right back. So I have been continually trying to evaluate my lifestyle and learn from my mistakes.
Last week I gained weight, and not just a couple of pounds that I felt I could chalk up to normal fluctuation. This scared me, BIG TIME!! The last couple of work-out groups we have been talking about sleep and rest and the importance of both to our health.
So this week I made two changes. I started drinking more water, and I am making more of an effort to get better sleep. This morning I stepped on the scale and it showed that I had lost 1/2 of what I had gained last week. So I will continue this pattern and hopefully the number will be smaller again next week.
So I have learned that my health track is four-pronged: diet, exercise, water, sleep. I think I have come to the place where I can say that none of these is more important than the other. I need all four in balance in order to be healthy. Maybe the next time I blog, I will have better news to report.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Conviction - James 4:17
This morning during church I had an odd experience, God began clearly speaking to my heart. Of course one might expect that to be where God normally speaks to us, but the subject matter this morning didn't match. Pastor was preaching about Palm Sunday, and I was thinking about losing weight.
My exercise and activity have been increasing. My neighbor and I basically joined a gym. It's not very much money because it is run by the city, but we still have access to an indoor walking track, exercise machines, and a swimming pool. So because of this we have been going every morning to do something. We have been on treadmills and swimming, but most mornings we just walk the track, making sure to do at least a mile and attempting to increase our distance gradually. In addition to going to One620 Workout Group, I am pretty proud of myself for this accomplishment, but...
I haven't been doing very well with my eating. I can generally do OK, at the beginning of the day. Breakfast and lunch are no problem. Then dinner rolls around, and I do things I shouldn't: Fast Food too often, going back for seconds after I have eaten, cooking something that was calorie and fat filled in the first place. Then when Adam leaves for work there is no telling what I might find in the cabinet or refrigerator to munch on. I even bought carrots to help me with the "lonely munchies", but I didn't eat them. This has been going on for a while, and sabotaging my weight loss journey.
This morning I began to feel conviction over this. At the beginning of this journey (around the time I started this blog) I felt like God was calling me to do this. I really felt like I would be more effective in ministry if I was healthier. So this morning God reminded me of that and began to work on my heart over my food choices. Pretty early on I tried to argue with God. "Is it really sin to eat whatever I want and not lose weight?" God's response? "James 4:17 contains what definition of sin?" This is a JBQ question and I knew immediately what the answer was. The JBQ card says "Knowing to do good, but not doing it is sin". My NIV Bible words it this way, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins". TALK ABOUT BEING SLAPPED!!!
I never want to admit that I have "sinned". Sin to me is a very hard word to process and I really don't like it being applied to something that I have done. I use words like mistake, and poor choice. But there was no getting around this. God to me to get healthy, and I wasn't doing it. Another JBQ question taught me that disobedience to God's commands is also sin (1 John 3:4). So, now that I have determined what the problem is, what do I do about it?
First, I make a plan to go to the store and get vegetables, come home and have a salad for lunch. I am firmly set on this plan until I get distracted and discover that one of my friends is going out to lunch and no one else is going with her. Perfect opportunity to spend some time with her. We end up going to Mexican food. Then I think, "I have chicken in the refrigerator, I can do something with that for dinner". And again I fail. I get home, Adam goes to work, and I want something sweet. I end up making waffles for dinner.
This reminds me of another passage in Scripture that I memorized as a quizzer. Romans 7:15-25. I was going to copy and paste it here, but I found that I can sum it up easier. Paul repeats the same thought three times in this short passage. I want to do the right thing, but over and over again I find myself doing the wrong thing. I was led to this passage by the sentiments in verse 24, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?". I feel Paul's anguish. I completely understand his use of the word "wretched". That is how I feel right now, wretched.
I know that even Satan can twist the Scriptures and mislead us in the wrong direction. In Matthew 4 he uses the Word of God to tempt Jesus. Here he almost had me stuck on verse 24, and feeling wretched. But God prompted me to go back and double check the passage and make sure that I had it right. That's when I noticed verse 25, "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
I think that needs repeating: "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Tomorrow is a new day, and his mercies are new every day. I know that I have some changes to make in my eating. With God's help, this will be accomplished.
P.S. I know this one was a little long. Thanks for hanging in there with me!!
My exercise and activity have been increasing. My neighbor and I basically joined a gym. It's not very much money because it is run by the city, but we still have access to an indoor walking track, exercise machines, and a swimming pool. So because of this we have been going every morning to do something. We have been on treadmills and swimming, but most mornings we just walk the track, making sure to do at least a mile and attempting to increase our distance gradually. In addition to going to One620 Workout Group, I am pretty proud of myself for this accomplishment, but...
I haven't been doing very well with my eating. I can generally do OK, at the beginning of the day. Breakfast and lunch are no problem. Then dinner rolls around, and I do things I shouldn't: Fast Food too often, going back for seconds after I have eaten, cooking something that was calorie and fat filled in the first place. Then when Adam leaves for work there is no telling what I might find in the cabinet or refrigerator to munch on. I even bought carrots to help me with the "lonely munchies", but I didn't eat them. This has been going on for a while, and sabotaging my weight loss journey.
This morning I began to feel conviction over this. At the beginning of this journey (around the time I started this blog) I felt like God was calling me to do this. I really felt like I would be more effective in ministry if I was healthier. So this morning God reminded me of that and began to work on my heart over my food choices. Pretty early on I tried to argue with God. "Is it really sin to eat whatever I want and not lose weight?" God's response? "James 4:17 contains what definition of sin?" This is a JBQ question and I knew immediately what the answer was. The JBQ card says "Knowing to do good, but not doing it is sin". My NIV Bible words it this way, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins". TALK ABOUT BEING SLAPPED!!!
I never want to admit that I have "sinned". Sin to me is a very hard word to process and I really don't like it being applied to something that I have done. I use words like mistake, and poor choice. But there was no getting around this. God to me to get healthy, and I wasn't doing it. Another JBQ question taught me that disobedience to God's commands is also sin (1 John 3:4). So, now that I have determined what the problem is, what do I do about it?
First, I make a plan to go to the store and get vegetables, come home and have a salad for lunch. I am firmly set on this plan until I get distracted and discover that one of my friends is going out to lunch and no one else is going with her. Perfect opportunity to spend some time with her. We end up going to Mexican food. Then I think, "I have chicken in the refrigerator, I can do something with that for dinner". And again I fail. I get home, Adam goes to work, and I want something sweet. I end up making waffles for dinner.
This reminds me of another passage in Scripture that I memorized as a quizzer. Romans 7:15-25. I was going to copy and paste it here, but I found that I can sum it up easier. Paul repeats the same thought three times in this short passage. I want to do the right thing, but over and over again I find myself doing the wrong thing. I was led to this passage by the sentiments in verse 24, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?". I feel Paul's anguish. I completely understand his use of the word "wretched". That is how I feel right now, wretched.
I know that even Satan can twist the Scriptures and mislead us in the wrong direction. In Matthew 4 he uses the Word of God to tempt Jesus. Here he almost had me stuck on verse 24, and feeling wretched. But God prompted me to go back and double check the passage and make sure that I had it right. That's when I noticed verse 25, "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
I think that needs repeating: "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Tomorrow is a new day, and his mercies are new every day. I know that I have some changes to make in my eating. With God's help, this will be accomplished.
P.S. I know this one was a little long. Thanks for hanging in there with me!!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Stuck In A Rut
At the beginning of this Blog I mentioned that I have a tendency to give up on things. My mom used to tell me that I had no "stick-to-it-iveness". She was (and is) right. My mom is always right. I am at the place now that people who have known me a long time might think that I have given up. I haven't blogged in a while, and I haven't lost weight in a while. As a matter of fact, I have gained back some of what I lost. I haven't stuck to my good eating habits, and I haven't included very much activity in my life. (See, my mom is right).
The one thing that I have done consistently is go to a workout group called "One620". You can look up 1 Corinthians 6:20 for meaning in the name. This is an incredible group of ladies, and I am incredibly blessed to have been included in this group. The leader is an incredible woman who is always very encouraging.
Tonight she started a lesson on nutrition. Some of the things she shared were very eye opening. I have so much to think through and process. It was also a great reminder of some things that I already knew and had forgotten about. It was like a great wake up call. Tonight was the first night since before Christmas that I came away actually feeling excited about tomorrow and doing things better for my health.
So, while my mother is ALWAYS right, in this instance I am still trying to prove her wrong. I am determined to stick with this and see it through to better health.
The one thing that I have done consistently is go to a workout group called "One620". You can look up 1 Corinthians 6:20 for meaning in the name. This is an incredible group of ladies, and I am incredibly blessed to have been included in this group. The leader is an incredible woman who is always very encouraging.
Tonight she started a lesson on nutrition. Some of the things she shared were very eye opening. I have so much to think through and process. It was also a great reminder of some things that I already knew and had forgotten about. It was like a great wake up call. Tonight was the first night since before Christmas that I came away actually feeling excited about tomorrow and doing things better for my health.
So, while my mother is ALWAYS right, in this instance I am still trying to prove her wrong. I am determined to stick with this and see it through to better health.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Philippians 4:13
Lately I have been feeling a little defeated. Workouts have been sporadic, eating habits have been horrible, and life has been just crazy. I did, however, continue to going to the workout group that I started in November. I was originally concerned, but the leadership has been good, and God has been Great.
Our workout group was only meeting 2-3 times a month. That recently changed to meeting every Monday evening. Tonight's meeting was especially helpful to me. The leader brought "conversation hearts" for us. They were just paper, each with a negative human thought with God's positive response, and a verse on the back. As we read them, each one was more encouraging than the last, but there was one that stuck out to me. It was a reminder that I don't have to do anything under my own power. It is Christ who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Our workout group was only meeting 2-3 times a month. That recently changed to meeting every Monday evening. Tonight's meeting was especially helpful to me. The leader brought "conversation hearts" for us. They were just paper, each with a negative human thought with God's positive response, and a verse on the back. As we read them, each one was more encouraging than the last, but there was one that stuck out to me. It was a reminder that I don't have to do anything under my own power. It is Christ who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Remembering the Tortoise and the Hare
I have not ever really been one for speed. I like to take my time with things. I would rather do something accurately than fast. The only things I ever liked doing fast were Bible Quiz related, and maybe driving. So I guess it should come as no surprise to me that I am not losing weight very fast. Part of this is my own fault. My eating habits have not been the best and I don't work out every day. Yesterday as I was playing Wii Fit at "work" I was contemplating my progress. Here is what I remember: "Slow and steady wins the race." I don't have to lose very fast. As a matter of fact if I made really drastic changes and dropped weight suddenly, I am afraid that I would not be able to maintain the changes and keep the weight off. So for now I am content to be the tortoise, and take heart in the fact that I am actually losing, even if it is only 1 pound at a time.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Christmas Craziness
I realize that it's been a few weeks since I posted. Christmas really got to me and I had a few setbacks. Weighing myself the last couple of weeks has not been pretty, but it also was not as bad as it could have been. While it seems counter-productive, I think making cookies for other people is the only thing that has kept me sane. You see, I could bake something sweet, sample it, then get it out of the house, thereby keeping me from eating any more of it. The problem came when I did my own Christmas stuff. I baked a batch of cookies for Christmas eve, which I ate several of. I stuffed a stocking for myself, which consisted of mostly chocolate. I made a huge double batch of enchiladas, then nobody that came to my house ate very much, leaving the leftovers for me to devour (which I did in a couple of days). I felt myself going into a really bad spiral downward. The thing that stopped it (of all things) was New Year's Eve.
As many of you know, I sit with an elderly lady two days a week. This doesn't require much effort on my part, as it is mostly my presence that is required. So I end up with a lot of time on my hands in between the few duties that I actually do have. So I was working New Year's Eve, and my employer (daughter of the lady), and I were talking about exercise and opportunities to exercise. She had purchased a Wii and Wii Fit. The Wii was hooked up at Thanksgiving for the family to play, but she hadn't done anything yet with the Wii Fit. She indicated that she didn't even know how to hook it up, and I told her that I would take care of it for her. I discovered that I LOVED IT!!!! I gotta get me one of those!! In the meantime I have been given permission to use it whenever I am working.
The second thing that happened was that I decided to go back to my workout group. I made the decision to talk to the leader and explain my concerns. She apparently had already noticed my issues, and made arrangements to split the group into two so that there will be an advanced workout and an easier one for those of us who just can't do the advanced stuff yet. She had also made notebooks for each of us with a goal sheets and To-Do lists and calendars. We discussed our goals for the year, and decorated our notebooks with reminders and reinforcement.
So, I don't make resolutions, but I am beginning again at the start of this new year. Goal: more workouts, more fruit and veggies, less sugar. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
As many of you know, I sit with an elderly lady two days a week. This doesn't require much effort on my part, as it is mostly my presence that is required. So I end up with a lot of time on my hands in between the few duties that I actually do have. So I was working New Year's Eve, and my employer (daughter of the lady), and I were talking about exercise and opportunities to exercise. She had purchased a Wii and Wii Fit. The Wii was hooked up at Thanksgiving for the family to play, but she hadn't done anything yet with the Wii Fit. She indicated that she didn't even know how to hook it up, and I told her that I would take care of it for her. I discovered that I LOVED IT!!!! I gotta get me one of those!! In the meantime I have been given permission to use it whenever I am working.
The second thing that happened was that I decided to go back to my workout group. I made the decision to talk to the leader and explain my concerns. She apparently had already noticed my issues, and made arrangements to split the group into two so that there will be an advanced workout and an easier one for those of us who just can't do the advanced stuff yet. She had also made notebooks for each of us with a goal sheets and To-Do lists and calendars. We discussed our goals for the year, and decorated our notebooks with reminders and reinforcement.
So, I don't make resolutions, but I am beginning again at the start of this new year. Goal: more workouts, more fruit and veggies, less sugar. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
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