A God-Sized Light Bulb

There's a Jenny Craig commercial that has been running for a while with a female named Sara Rue.  Honestly, before these commercials I had never heard of her.  Anyways, at the end of one of her commercials, she is pointing to the huge smile on her face and says, "Thank you, Jenny Craig, for putting 'this' back on my face."  "This" is referring to her smile.


That's when the God-sized light bulb went off in my head.  I got to thinking... for so many years now I have hung my happiness on my waist and clothing size.  I have spent countless days and hours stressing over what food I should or should not eat, getting upset and even angry at myself when I don't make it to the gym, and just over-all stressing about my weight and size.  


Then I remembered, happiness doesn't lie in a weight number or a dress size.  True happiness can only come from God Himself.  It is only by living life according to HIS Word that we can experience true joy.  I have got to stop hanging my happiness on my weight, and start living my life for Christ.  Only then will I be living a joy-filled life.


Of course I am still going to do my best to eat the right foods.  After all, our bodies are a temple of the Holy Ghost, and we are to take care of our bodies.  I will also still exercise.  But I have got to stop stressing over my weight.  Concentrating so hard on food is only going to make me more miserable.


Thank you Jesus for this liberating revelation!

It's Working!

So it has now been 2 weeks since I started this new "diet".  I'm not really calling it a diet, though, as it's really been a lifestyle change.  But it has been 2 weeks since I started cutting out processed foods and simple sugars.  I may have eaten a gluten-free brownie from a mix, or couple of pieces of bread there and there, but for the most part I've done really well.

So what do I eat?  As natural of foods as I can!  A lot of fruit, unsalted nuts, salads, etc.  Yes, I still eat canned soups, but they are cheap and easy to transport to school.  Oh yes, and let's not forget that daily oatmeal with raisins and honey... YUM!

And I have to tell you, I feel great!  I believe I have also lost 6 pounds in the last two weeks, maybe even more. I didn't log my starting weight, nor my starting measurements.  But I can tell you, I feel a little lighter, and I just overall feel better about myself.

I'm also impressed that it has not been as difficult to give up the foods as I thought it would be.  And what's interesting now, is I can definitely tell when something has too much sodium.  Man, I can't stand the extra salt!

I have always been a bread fanatic, and thus thought I could never give up bread.  And, if my honey comes through and gets me a bread machine, I will eat bread again.  But I have not had as hard of a time giving it up as I though!  In fact, I barely miss it.  This is a HUGE answer to prayer, especially concerning my weight-loss issues.

I am so thankful to God for keeping me accountable on this new journey.  I never thought I could trust myself to only eat when I'm hungry, and to trust myself to make the right food choices.  It feels great to be able to do this.

Day 1 of Cutting the Processed Foods

Please don't be scared by the title of this post.  Just because it says "day 1" does NOT mean I will be posting everything daily!  This just happens to be the first day that we are attempting to cut way down, if not cut out entirely all simple sugars and processed foods (mostly the packaged foods found throughout the interior of the grocery store).


I was honestly worried about being hungry throughout the day, and not being able to find enough food to keep me satisfied.  Boy was I wrong!  So what did I eat?


Breakfast: Oatmeal with applesauce, raisins and a dash of salt
Lunch: Healthy Choice frozen meal (I'm going to have to re-evaluate these as they have more sugar in them than I though)
Snack: Almonds (unsalted, plain); String Cheese; Banana
Dinner: Low Carb Pizza (I'm going to post this recipe at the end of today's post)


I stayed full throughout the day, and didn't even miss the crackers, bread, etc.  That low carb pizza was so much better than I ever expected it to be, and will now become a weekly habit.  I honestly can't believe how well today went.  I am very proud of my efforts, and thankful to God for keeping that small voice talking to me.


I had to go to CVS to pick up Mikaela's prescription and Natalie's formula.  As I walked through the store, I saw all kinds of foods that normally I would have a very hard time resisting - pretzels, candy bars, etc.  But I walked right by them as they didn't even appeal to me today.  Will they appeal to me tomorrow?  That's very possible.  But I made it through today successfully!  YAY!


Below is the recipe of the Low Carb Pizza.  I did amp up the healthy factor by using fat free cream cheese, reduced fat parmesan, and part skim mozzarella.  My toppings were turkey pepperoni and crushed pineapple.  

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon chives
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning or 1/2 teaspoon pizza seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon wet garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce or 1/2 cup tomato sauce ( the lowest carb you can find)
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese
• pizza toppings, of choice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Beat together cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
3. Add cream, permesan, garlic and Italian seasoning.
4. Spray 9X13 pan with cooking spray or oil.
5. Place 2 cups mozzerella cheese in bottom of pan.
6. Pour egg mixture over cheese.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and spread sauce over baked mixture.
9. Add toppings of choice.
10. Cover with remaining mozzerella cheese.
11. Bake until bubbly and brown.
12. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Journey Toward a Healthy Family

Ever since Mikaela was born, it has been my goal to teach her healthier eating habits than I was taught.  We started out doing so well.  I was losing weight, we had Mikaela eating healthy foods, and things were going really well.  Then I went through a miscarriage, which caused a lot of emotional eating on my part.  Then I got pregnant with Natalie, and lost all self control, eating anything that tasted good and blaming it on my pregnancy.


So here I am, almost 4 months after having Natalie, and struggling harder than I ever have with eating healthy and "gaining lightness" as my dear friend refers to our journey towards health.  The worst part is, I've allowed Mikaela to start eating many things that are not healthy for her, and can set her up to fight the same battles I've fought most of my life.


So far I've been using Weight Watchers online to track my food, exercise and weight.  I know this program inside and out.  I know how it works, I know what foods I'm supposed to be eating.  The problem is, simply tracking my food isn't keeping me from eating that sleeve of crackers, or package of fresh-baked cookies, or heaping bowl of ice cream at the end of the day.  It's not keeping me from eating a bag of skittles while studying to try and stay awake to get my reading done.  It's not keeping me from eating an entire bag of pretzel crisps during a class, again, to help me concentrate during class.


So I am making the decision here and now to give up on using Weight Watchers as my tracking system.  The program does work, but it's not helping me right now. 


I have been doing some reading, and I watch Dr Oz almost daily.  I definitely don't idolize the man, his show just happens to come on at a time when there isn't much else on.  So I got used to turning it on for noise during the summer.  But I will say, the man knows what he's talking about when it comes to healthy eating.  The main point I've been taking away from his show is, it is time for me to cut out processed foods and simple sugars.  While I have successfully kicked the fried food habit, I can not resist an entire sleeve of crackers once it is opened.


So hubby and I are going to try to start eating more fresh foods.  I'm not calling it a low-carb diet, as I don't believe in that kind of diet.  I do believe there are healthy carbs out there that the body needs.  But I will be looking for those healthy versions.  I'm excited about trying new recipes, and new ways of eating.  I'm also excited about this venture because my Mom will be staying with us for 12 weeks, and I can't wait to help her lose a good bit of weight before she goes home in November =)


I just get the feeling that, if we cut out the processed foods and simple sugars, and start relying on fresh foods, the weight will come off all on it's own, and it won't be as much of a struggle.


Will this be easy?  Heck no!  I will still have to make a daily, moment-by-moment conscious decision about what I'm putting in my mouth.  But I am tired of being tired, and I'm tired of not looking my best.  I'm tired of working out 4-5 times per week, just to sabotage my hard work with a bowl of ice cream.  Because we all know that one bowl leads to other poor food choices.


I ask for my readers and friends to please join with me on this journey, and pray for me!  I need all of the prayers and accountability I can get.  

Frustration!

Yes, I am absolutely frustrated with myself right now.  I just uploaded all of our pictures from our vacation this week and am absolutely disgusted with the way I look right now.  I know, I know, I know... I shouldn't be so hard on myself since I just had a baby 3 months ago.


However, I know for a fact that I completely sabotaged myself.  In the beginning of my pregnancy, my doc wanted to be super careful to avoid a second miscarriage, so he didn't let me exercise at all.  I totally should have at least kept walking a treadmill, or doing something.  Because I wasn't exercising, I was eating anything and everything, regardless of the lack of nutritional value.  And now, I'm so used to eating the sweets that I'm having a harder time than ever giving them up... UGH.


Could've, should've, would've... those are all well and good, but I have to deal with the here and now, which is I have about 30-35 pounds to lose.  Yes, I know this will take time and a lot of hard work.  This, right here, right now is the beginning of that journey back to a happier, healthier weight.  I've done it before, so I know I can do it again.  

This is my official "before" photo.  I can not wait until my anniversary next year when I will be able to post my official "after" photo in that awesome red dress that is hanging in my closet.  

Wanting to Grow Closer

This past Sunday was an awesome morning at church, but a little scary also.  I felt like God was confronting me and convicting me in some areas, especially when it comes to my daily walk with Him.  I am the WORST at spending time daily in His Word.  I know for a fact that I am saved and am a Christian, but I know that I'm not doing all I should to have a close, personal relationship with God.

The current sermon series at my church is called "Renovations", and the pastors have explored various areas of our lives that need to be "renovated" in order to shine God's light to the world.  This past Sunday's subject was our speech.  When seeing this topic, you automatically think of foul language, etc.  But the message was about our speech in general, about needing to be edifying in what we say to others, and being careful not to tear others down with our words.  I know I can be guilty of this and definitely need to work on it.

In an awesome conversation with a friend that night, I realized that God is trying to "renovate" my life, and it scares me and excites me all at the same time.  I don't know exactly what to do except to move forward as I hear Him speak to me.

I have ordered and received two books that were recommended to me, that I'm hoping will help me on this journey towards growing closer to God.  The first is "Women, Food and God".  The premise of this book is that our lives are reflected in the foods we choose to eat.  You can get a picture of your life by looking at your plate.  This is the first book I am reading as it relates to my current struggle to lose weight.

The second book is "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World."  If you know the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible, you may get an idea of what this book is about.  In a nutshell, Martha was running around like a crazy woman taking care of the needs of the house while Mary simply sat at the feet of Jesus.  Martha wanted Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her, but Jesus said that Mary was in the best place because she was being still and listening to Him.  I lead a very hectic life with trying to do too many things.  I am looking forward to learning a lot from this book about being still and listening to Jesus in the midst of this crazy thing we call life.

Thoughts About Dieting

So the other day, my weight-loss accountability partner and I were sharing our successes from the previous week, and talking about our strategies for the new week.  In our discussion, she mentions that she is now going to weigh herself on Sundays, and let this day be her "splurge, let it all go" day so she can enjoy her day with family and friends.  This can actually be therapeutic for people trying to lose weight, as it allows one day during the week in which a person can eat whatever they want.


However, this got me to thinking about my own dieting habits.  I, too, used to splurge on my weigh-in day.  It was my way of rewarding myself for all of the hard work I had put in during the week.  This time around, however, I am weighing myself on Mondays.  Not really a good splurge day, as it is the beginning of the week.  But I did this to keep myself honest on the weekends leading into my weigh-in day.


As I thought about the option of switching my weigh-in day to allow for a splurge day, I realized that I don't want a splurge day in my diet.  Why, you may ask?  I have been doing some reading and research on dieting, which program works best, etc, etc.  The one thing every program makes clear is, it has to be a lifestyle change.  You have to be ready to eat in this new way every day for the rest of your life, or you risk gaining all of your weight back, and even more possibly.  By allowing a splurge day each week, I feel that I wouldn't be teaching myself good, healthy eating habits for the rest of my life.  I would be teaching myself that, if I eat healthy 6 days a week, then on the 7th day, I can eat all the junk I want to.  This, in a sense, sabotages the entire week.  Sure, I may still lose the recommended 1-2 pounds each week, but how healthy is this mentality?


I would much rather incorporate small indulgences here and there into my daily routine.  To me, this makes more sense in teaching myself how to handle every-day situations.


Okay, so I realize that I may not be making much sense here, even though it makes complete sense to me... LOL.  This is exactly why the title of this blog page is "Kristin's Ramblings"... I really do ramble =)