Day 31

I don't have anything real exciting to talk about today, so I decided to share a link to a "Weight Loss" daily devotion that I found today called "Devotions for Dieters". Here's a sample of today's devotion:

Proverbs 11:18
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

It seems too easy to cheat on a diet. There are so many good things to eat, and it doesn't seem like it could hurt to cheat just a little. The problem is, when we try to convince ourselves that a little cheating is okay, then we never seem to draw the line, and a little cheating becomes a lot of cheating. When we are deceitful with ourselves, we find ourselves in big trouble. It is much better for us to do what we know is right, avoiding the things we know will give us trouble. When we stick to our diets, then we can expect nothing but reward.
Today's thought: There's no such thing as cheating just a little!                          (Devotions for Dieters, by Dan Dick, 2013)

  Click here for the link. 

Watching what I eat, tracking my WW points (even the "high point" foods), getting my activity in each day, and drinking all my water each will help me reach my goal.  But.......the most important thing that will get me there is for me to.........Remember Everything 4:13!

Day 30

I learned an important lesson yesterday...............ALWAYS check the points values BEFORE you eat.....especially when dining out!  I picked up a quick dinner from Panera Bread on my way to class last night.  Thinking I was making a "good choice, I ordered a 1/2 Spinach Salad and a small cup of soup.  The calories were posted on the menu board & they were reasonable.......and WOW! The food was delicious too.....UNTIL I tracked the points!  The spinach salad had 12 points and  the small cup of soup had 8 points!  My "small" dinner had more points than anything I have eaten for a meal since starting WW!  Although there wasn't very much, apparently the bacon crumbles, dressing, and onion slithers packed on the points for the salad.  The next time I go out to eat and "think" I'm ordering healthy, I'll be sure to check the WW points values first, order the salad without bacon or onions, and............Remember Everything 4:13! 

Day 29

I went by Weight Watcher's to weigh-in today and I am down exactly 8 pounds since January 1. Yahoo!  I am very pleased with that since it was the personal goal I set for myself each month AND January isn't even "technically" over yet.  In previous "crash" diets, I've sometimes lost more than 20 pounds in a month, but I need to tell myself that "fast" weight loss = short-term and "slow" weight-loss is "long-term".......at least that's how it's always worked for me.  Since 8 pounds is less than I've lost in a "typical" diet month, I tried to come up with a visual in my mind of what "8 pounds" looks like and the first thing that came to mind is  a "baby".  Both of my children weighed 8+ pounds as newborns.......so I guess you could say I lost my "baby" weight.....not literally........I still have about 20 more pounds until I'm to the weight I was before children (almost 10 years ago!), but for daily motivation I'm going to keep telling myself that I lost my "baby" weight and Remember............ Everything 4:13!

Day 28

As my homework for grad. school this semester increases, my stress is beginning to multiply as well.  As a result, my blog posts will more than likely be pretty short until my work load eases up and I have time to "think" clearly again.........My weigh-in is tomorrow.  I'm hoping I was able to reach my 8 lb. weight loss goal for January.  Remember.......Everything 4:13!

Day 27

I've been trying to keep my pantry, fridge, classroom, and bag for grad. school filled with "good" snack choices to prevent me from feeling the temptation to munch on something that I will regret later.  Here are a few of my favorite "new-found" snacks.

My friend, Amanda, introduced me to Smartpop! Kettle Corn.  One single serve bag is 3 points.  It is the perfect snack for when you are craving something sweet AND salty.  Yum!

 

I've mentioned my weakness for chocolate several times.  My favorite candy bar is a Mounds bar.  I can't remember where I found out about Chocolate Dipped Coconut Luna bars, but they have been a life-saver for my chocolate cravings.  They are high in calcium, protein, and fiber too.  1 bar is 5 points.  Since I'm usually in a rush in the mornings, it was a nice, quick snack for me to eat on the go.

I LOVE dipping apple slices in peanut butter.  I'm not a fan of the "natural" peanut butter either......I'm a fan of good ole' creamy Jif peanut butter.  The problem is one serving of Jif is 5 points, which kind of defeats the purpose of enjoying a "0 point" snack of apples.  I found a recipe for Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip on Pinterest and gave it a try.  If you use "natural" peanut butter, one serving is 1 WW point.  My creamy Jif version is 2 points.  Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

1 cup greek plain or vanilla yogurt

4 tbsp. peanut butter

1/2 tsp. honey

Mix ingredients together.  Store in refrigerator.

Makes 6 servings

I'm looking forward to joining the 12-Week Weight Watchers at Work Program tomorrow with many of my friends/co-workers.  It will be nice to support each other as we work towards the common goal of living a healthier life!  Remember........Everything 4:13!

Day 26

 

Eat only when you're stomach growls............I heard a celebrity on television say that was her "weight loss secret".  If you think about it, it really makes sense.  I eat when I'm happy, sad, bored, stressed.....every emotion I can think of.  I tried to pay more attention to my "true" hunger today and I actually did find that I snacked much less and made better choices.......plus I didn't eat until I was stuffed either.  Instead of relying on my emotions to tell me when to eat, I just need to let my body tell me instead.......what a novel idea! So......listen for the "growl" and remember.........Everything 4:13!

Day 25

I'm barely making the deadline for my Day 25 post-----my short & brief thought for today is......Life goes on.....It doesn't stop.....Diet or not------Keep moving forward & Don't look back.....Everything 4:13!

Day 24

One of the most difficult things about eating healthy is..........being Southern.  As a Southerner, drinking sweet tea and eating fried food is part of who we are.  I guess you could say I'm kind of famous for my sweet tea.  Growing up, all of my friends LOVED my mom's sweet tea and she passed along her "secrets" to me.  I must admit it is REAL good, but it has so much sugar I'm almost embarrassed when I tell people how much to use.  I "tried" making a sugar to Stevia swap on my sweet tea a few weeks ago, but it didn't work.  I didn't mind it, but the rest of my family just said.........Blech!  So, although I've given up my sweet tea habit (for the most part)......the rest of my family still adores it and they freak out a little bit if there isn't any in the fridge.    Another thing my family loves is FRIED okra.  I have always said, I'll eat my veggies IF they're either fried or covered in cheese.  Well, unfortunately eating a lot of fried food just doesn't fit into my new lifestyle right now. I decided to sneak some "Oven Fried Okra" onto our dinner plate tonight and see if the family would enjoy it.  They LOVED it!  1 serving is 1 WW point.  Click here for the recipe.

 Although I'm going to have to start limiting my sweet tea and fried food, I'm still "Southern" in my heart and soul.  With or without my fried food and sweet tea, I'll still have my Southern twang, make sure my kids say yes ma'am and yes sir, and most importantly the Southern hospitality and state of mind instilled in me by my family that helps me remember........Everything 4:13!

Day 23

I'm beginning to notice a trend in my morning devotions for women.........the majority of them mention "STRESS".  What does that tell me? Women find STRESS as one of the major obstacles in their life.  Why?  Is it because of the high standard we set for ourselves?  Our desire to DO IT ALL regardless of the pressure, stress or anxiety it may cause and, of course, keeping a SMILE on our faces through it all? I mentioned yesterday that I have reduced my after-school responsibilities at work to help "de-stress" and allow me time to focus on my weight loss goal and my family.  Although having time to exercise, extra quality time with my family, and a "somewhat" clean house feels great, it's not the "fix-it-all" solution.....turning to Jesus will provide the peace and serenity we, "Superwomen" long for.  In today's devotion Tracie Miles says, "Stress is not a sign of the times; it's a sign of living. Always has been, and always will be. Our stressors may be different today than when Jesus walked the earth, but the overwhelming power stress holds over our hearts is the same.Maybe you have tried massages, vacations, relaxation techniques, shopping, and soft music or bubble baths to help you manage stress. Or maybe you've coped with stress through drugs or alcohol. Perhaps you've tried every stress relief tactic known, to no avail.All the stress management tactics in the world cannot hold a candle to the very real stress relief Jesus offers. His methods have withstood the test of time, used by generation after generation for thousands of years"  Click here to read the full devotion.  The next time I'm stressed, instead of turning to chips, chocolate, or some other "high WW point food", I need to pause, stop, and ask Him for peace to get me through it............and of course, I need to remember Everything 4:13!

 

Day 22

Today marked the 1st day of the 3rd quarter of this school year.  With the dawn of this new quarter, I am trying to make a few changes to my routine.  For most of this school year, I guess you would say my life has been TOTALLY out of balance.  Between teaching full-time, learning/teaching the new Common Core State Standards, attending Graduate School, working the after-school program four days a week, & of course all the numerous duties of a mom/wife........there was little to no time for "me" and my weight AND sanity were the innocent victims as a result.  Instead of continuing to make excuses for not exercising and constantly feeling like I was burning the candle at both ends, I decided to decrease the number of hours I work the after-school program this quarter.  Although the extra money will be missed, I will now have more time to exercise, do homework, catch up on laundry, cook a REAL dinner, and most importantly............spend time with my family.  I'm hoping that adding more "me" time to each day will help me find the perfect work-life balance..........we'll see!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've done the Biggest Loser Xbox game for the past two days.  Let me say this...........Ouch, I'm sore!  It's like my body is telling me, "See!  This is what happens when you don't pay attention to me for a while!".  Every muscle in my body hurts!   But, you know what they say.......No Pain, No Gain!  I'll keep pushing forward and endure the pain so I can enjoy the prize in the end. 

I stopped by the Weight Watchers office to weigh-in today since I missed last Thursday's meeting.  I was down .4 pounds.......which I am pleased with considering my "Miss Piggy" moments at the fair this weekend. I am now down 5 pounds since starting this 365-day blog on January 1.  My goal for January is to lose 8 pounds, so there's still the possibility that I will reach that goal by Jan. 31.

Today's devotion focused on 1 Timothy 6:17.  Sharon Jaynes spoke of the danger of ingratitude by saying, "Ingratitude is the infection of Eden that closes eyes shut tight to glory moments to experience God and leaves us groping about in the dark for that which will never satisfy the longings of the soul. The cure comes in capsules of praise, thanksgiving, and a grateful heart. Gratitude is the antibiotic of the soul to cure a variety of the world’s ills. It cuts the bark of our hard hearts and nourishes the very spot where we are grafted into Jesus Christ Himself, and restores a sense of closeness and intimacy with God.Today, practice praise. Think of thanks. Go with a grateful heart." Click here to read today's Girlfriends in God devotion.  As I progress through this journey, I need to remember to that my desire to be thinner is not the source of happiness.  HE is the source of my joy and I need to remember to praise HIM through the good and the bad and be grateful for all of the blessings he has bestowed on me and my family............Remember Everything 4:13!

Day 21

In last night's post, I mentioned how disturbed I was by the "image" of myself on the Xbox Biggest Loser game.  It bothered me so much again today that I decided to take a picture so everyone could see what I'm talking about.  No, the frightening image isn't of the ripped chick in the middle.......that's supposed to be Jillian Michaels.  It's the little (or I guess I should say BIG) image on the right side of the screen is the Kinect image and the person in the red is my avatar!  Really?  My 7 year old watched me this morning while I completed the workout and he said, "Mommy, I think this game makes you look really fat on the screen so you'll want to keep playing your game because you don't look like that........actually you're skinny!"  (Ha ha ha......He knows how to make me feel better, he exaggerates, BUT still makes me feel better!)  After the workout, the game asked me to create my own "avatar" for the game. The "default" avatar for this game is a 350+ pound woman with nappy hair .  On top of that, she's missing two of her teeth!?!?!?  Needless to say, I adjusted my avatar so that it was a better resemblance of me, so hopefully my upcoming workouts will cause me to sweat from my hard work.......not from the nightmarish image on the screen!

As I read my devotion this morning, I had to check the author's name to make sure I wasn't the author.  It hit so close to home that I seriously could have written it myself.  It is so true & is something I definitely need to apply to my daily life.  I decided to share it in today's blog post so you could read for yourself. 
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January 21, 2013 Who Controls What? By Glynnis Whitwer

"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." 
Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

Ask me why my attempts at losing weight haven't been successful and I can give you a list of reasons: It was a stressful summer, I hit a "golden" number on my birthday, how could I say no to the scrumptious food on vacation? And the "best" one (the one that garnered the most sympathy) - I couldn't exercise due to a minor medical procedure on my legs.

But the bottom line is this: I lack self-control in this area of my life.

I know what I should do. Or more accurately, I know what I should NOT do. And yet when faced with a temptation, I give in. Rather than choose a modest portion size, I justify a second helping. Or I set myself up by not anticipating my weakness and buying Little Debbie Swiss Rolls thinking I'll only eat half of one. Oh, how I deceive myself.

The ability to control my own choices is a God-given gift. And yet it's one I misuse some times. Sadly rather than controlling myself, I choose to try to control other things. And end up losing control of myself.

Here was God's original plan: He controls the world. We control ourselves.
That's a great plan when you think it through objectively. God's got unlimited resources, unlimited wisdom, and unlimited power. He should be in charge of the world with that resume.
That's not what happened though. Many generations ago, in a garden with some fruit that was off-limits, we decided we didn't like that plan. In fact, we decided it was our job to control the world. After all, we have to live in it, right? Shouldn't we make the rules? Plus, we really should make sure others stay in line too. My what a big job we have trying to corral everyone! It's exhausting.
So the more we focus on God's job (controlling the world and other people) the less we do our job (controlling ourselves).

I love today's Scripture verse from Proverbs 25:28, "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." (NIV) This gives me a mental image of an unprotected treasure. So when an enemy tries to attack, there is no defense.

As I apply that to my life, I can see where the enemy sneaks in through my lack of self-control. Especially when I start my excuses. Whether it's excuses for over-eating, not managing my home well or over-committing myself, without self-control I'm like a bombarded city. The more I focus on what I can't control, the less I'm able to manage what I can control.

Thankfully, God has a plan in place to help us with this issue. He sent His Holy Spirit to live in us. Galatians 5:22-24 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (NIV)

As we start a new year, I'm taking a fresh look at what I can control and what I can't. I'm acknowledging my need of God's help, but I'm also acknowledging my responsibility. Thankfully I can release the load of trying to control others, because on most days, I'm as much as I can handle.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------As I begin another hectic work week, I strive to remember to demonstrate self-control with my eating and.........Everything 4:13

Day 20

 Life handed me a gigantic bag of lemons today............REALLY, it did!  My neighbor has a lemon tree & he had a "bumper" crop of lemons this year, so he brought over a bag full of them.  I found a WW recipe for lemon bars.  (3 points!)  They were pretty good, but so sour......I don' t have to worry about eating more than a "serving" in one sitting.  Click here for the recipe.

Apparently my blog has inspired my husband to get into shape too!  I found a bargain for a weight bench last week & today he not only used it for the first time, but he also spent an hour or so playing basketball outside with the boys.  This was a huge feat considering that this happened on a Sunday afternoon, which is when the force of the "Butt Magnet" (AKA.......his recliner) is always very strong.  I'm proud of him and hope he keeps it up too so we can get fit together.  

 Speaking of getting fit, I purchased the Biggest Loser Xbox Kinect game today.  I know one thing.......if seeing my "Kinect Body" on the television screen doesn't motivate me to lose weight then I don't know what will!  Yikes.........that was scary!  I'm looking forward to watching my image change not only on the Xbox, but in my real life too!  Everything 4:13!

Day 19

Just call me Miss Piggy..........I've been around pigs so much this week, I'm beginning to feel & act like one.  I have enjoyed so much fair food, that I'm waiting to hear myself say "Oink".  But......the fair only comes around once a year, so I might as well enjoy myself........right?!?!?  I just need to remember not to say the same thing when the Strawberry Festival, Seafood Festival, Pumpkin Festival, and all of the other 1000's of festivals in Florida come around.  No more piggy food for me!

Since our time at the fair is finally over, it's time to quit making excuses and get back on track.......for good!  Packing a good, healthy lunch is a challenge for me.  I try to swap things up every now and then so I don't get bored from eating the same thing all the time.  I found the following recipe in a Weight Watcher's cookbook last week & tried it out a few days last week for lunch.  It is very tasty & only 5 WW points.  I tried it a few different ways.  I put it on a whole grain sandwich thin and pita chips.  But, my favorite was spreading it on half of a whole grain tortilla and rolling it up......yum yum.  Here's the recipe! 

Feta-Olive Spread

(5 WW points per serving--Makes 4 servings)

5 ounces low fat cream cheese (about 2/3 cups)

1/4 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese with basil & sundried tomatoes

4 tsp. chopped, pitted kalamata olives

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.  

Well, I'm down almost 3 pounds since January 1.  I've already made several excuses for "slip ups" since Day 1............birthdays, illnesses, and now.........the fair.  Now that all of that is out of the way AND I have my 3 strikes, I plan on getting on track and staying there!  Everything 4:13!

Day 18

 I find LOTS of stuff on Pinterest.........recipes, crafts, stuff for my classroom, housecleaning tips, ideas for my dream home, and.......diet motivation.  Today I decided to share a few of my favorite inspirational blogs and videos I've found as well as a few of my favorite "healthy" recipe sites.

One of my favorite inspirational videos is by "Ben Does Life".  It's a video that chronicles his journey to lose 120 pounds.  Click here to view the "Ben Does Life.......120 pound journey" video.

"Can you stay for dinner" is a weight loss blog that contains recipes, dining out tips, and the inspirational story of a 27-girl's 135 lbs. weight loss.  Click here to view the "Can you stay for dinner?" blog

"Undressed Skeleton" is probably my favorite weight loss blog.  It includes tons of healthy recipes, exercise tips, weight loss tips, and her inspirational story.  Click here to view the "Undressed Skeleton" blog.

Here is a list of my favorite "healthy" recipe links.
Skinny Taste
Emily Bites
Spark Recipes
Skinny Crockpot
Hungry Girl

There's no doubt about it......Facebook is a huge waste of time.  I look at Pinterest as an "effective" time waster because it gives me ideas that "help" me make life easier, whether I'm cooking, cleaning, teaching, or trying to lose weight......Thanks Pinterest! :)

Remember..........Everything 4:13

Day 17

I know one thing I'm getting out of this blog............writing it is helping keep me honest & on track towards reaching my goal.  Knowing that I HAVE to do an entry every night & that I actually have people reading this & checking up on me, makes me think twice before I have that second helping or skip exercising.  My husband is holding me accountable too.......he's my favorite fan & has begun to look forward to reading what I have to say each night..........he even makes me feel guilty when I am tempted to take a "night off" from writing.  

Tonight marked the "official" opening night of the Manatee County Fair..........what does that mean?  Every fried food you could possibly imagine of course!  Since I'll be spending LOTS of time there over the weekend, I know that I will not be able to resist a funnel cake or some other fried delicacy.  For this reason, I guess you would say I'm a bit of a "point hoarder".  I'm working to get as many extra activity points I can each day this weekend as well as save my weekly point allowance.  Hopefully this will help me out if I have a sudden urge for something dipped in batter and thrown in some hot grease. If you plan on visiting the fair this weekend, be sure to stop by the Mosaic Arena on Saturday at 2:00 for the Swine Auction and Sale..........I know of a very handsome little boy that will be selling his prize pig, Barbie-Q.  I hope to see you there!

In the past, I have been on a few diets that had RAPID weight loss at the beginning........I would sometimes lose 7-8 pounds in one week!  It was good for motivation, but in the long run.........the weight lost NEVER was sustainable.  I have got to remember that as long as I'm progressing towards my goal, I will get where I want to be........eventually.  Although it is frustrating not to see immediate results, in the long run this more "reasonable" rate of weight loss will be hard to gain back.........especially with the help of........Everything 4:13!