New Creation's Body

It's back off!

2008-03-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

In my last posts, I reported that I had gained a couple of pounds. I'm happy to report that they've come off. And I even lost another half pound. That was last week. So far this week, I haven't lost anything, but I have maintained.

I am continuing to enjoy getting healthy. I need to give a plug for the Kashi company. This weekend I purchased some of their cereal, granola bars, snack crackers, and even a frozen dinner. All of them taste really good. They're full of fiber and protein and low in fat and calories. Their website even has recipes using their products and lots of advice for healthy living. Go check it out.

In my last post I told you about buying Dance Praise. It is so much fun! I get to worship and exercise at the same time! Since then I've hung out on ebay to find some other exercise things. I bought the Biggest Loser's first two workout videos. The ironic thing is that I later found out that while I was buying one of them to give to my friend, she was also bidding on the same one. She was bummed that she didn't get it, but she'll soon find out that she's getting it as a gift! I really like these workouts because they use former contestants on the videos. It shows them sweating and struggling through the exercises. It makes me feel better as I also struggle through them. I also was the winning bidder for an aerobic step and two step videos. Those haven't arrived yet, but I'm sure I'll like them. I took an aerobics class as an elective in college, and I really liked the times we used the step.

I haven't done any new recipes. I've been so busy with work and a friend's wedding that I've been too tired to try anything new. But I have a whole list that I want to try. I'll let you know when I find new favorites.

Blessings,
Carrie

Ups and downs

2008-03-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had some ups and downs this week. If you read my previous post, from Sunday, you'll find out about my weekend. After I wrote that post, I continued to make poor choices, not in eating, but in staying up WAY too late. I did get back on track on Monday, especially after finding out that I gained 2 pounds over the weekend. I did go to Family Christian Store and buy Dance Praise, the Christians version of Dance, Dance Revolution. I read several reviews of it on Sunday, and so many people said it was a great way to exercise. I've used in a couple times, and it does bring the heart rate up! I also bought some ankle weights and used those while playing. I think it's a great investment, especially since it's something I can do with friends. I have more I want to accomplish during my lunch break, so I'll need to say goodbye for now.

Blessings,
Carrie

Tough but rewarding weekend

2008-03-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a change of pace at camp. We usually work with kids ages 7-12. But three times a year, we have weekends for teens. Many of them came to Youth Haven when they were younger, and quite a few of them still come out to help with the kids and help me in the kitchen. This weekend was our winter teen retreat. The program is entirely different. We strive to minister to them where they're at. A lot of them have had hard lives, and some of them are beginning to make the same poor choices that they've seen modeled all their lives. My work as the cook was also a lot different. I desire to give them meals that they don't get very often. They're used to Kraft mac and cheese and pizza rolls. The challenge was that I cooked for and served (buffet style) 80 people. I usually have the help of the teens to get the dining room set and clean up afterwards. But this weekend was for them, so I only used those who volunteered to help clean up for about 20 minutes. I didn't want them to miss out on the program. I am exhausted! Yesterday I think I sat a total of an hour from 6:00 A.M to 10:00 P.M.

Are you wondering why I'm posting this on a blog related to living well? It's because I've certainly been tried in that area this weekend. There were areas that I did not do well in, but I know that tomorrow is a new day. There were quite a few times that I grumbled in my heart about doing all the work with not much help. But God reminded me over and over that my service to the teens by cooking them good, generally healthy meals blessed them. I had many comments about how much they liked the food. And I remembered something that my boss has shared. If a person is well-fed, he/she is much more apt to be receptive to other parts of the program. When the staff gathered for our meeting after the teens left, I heard so many good things about how many of them seemed to be hungering after God in ways that we haven't seen with them as much in the past. Because they weren't physically hungry, they could focus more on their hunger for God and be filled with the Bread of Life. I am so glad that God used me in spite of myself this weekend.

I also had a hard time eating the way I wanted to. It was mainly because I didn't have time. Even though I had cut up veggies, salad, grilled chicken that just needed to be heated in the microwave, and fruit, I didn't have time to prepare it. I did wake up earlier in order to eat breakfast before I started working. Then the days kicked into high gear. I ended up eating what I was serving them, when I could. I had a lot more carbs than protein and veggies. I didn't get any fruit this weekend. And today I had three sugar cookies, a bottle of Mt.Dew, and a candy bar. I even planned on eating those things, justifying it by how crazy my weekend was. But I'm planning on getting back on track tomorrow once I have a good night's sleep and a day off. Hopefully the high level of energy expended has counteracted all the simple carbs and empty calories I ate. I'll find out tomorrow morning when I do my bi-weekly weight and measurement check.

In other news, on Thursday I bought a pair of "inspiration pants." I was browsing through T.J. Max and found a pair of capris on clearance (obviously from last season.) They are a size four. When I held them up to me, they looked like they just might fit. I tried them on and was able to get them zipped and buttoned! However, I still need to lose a little bit before they look flattering. Since they were only $3, I decided to buy them, believing that once it gets warm enough in mid-Michigan to wear them, they'll fit well. At the rate this winter is going, that won't happen any time soon. I am so ready for spring! I want to get outside and move! I enjoy walking so much more when I can actually have a destination. I did score a gospel music inspired aerobics video on Ebay on Friday and I'm thinking about buying the Dance Praise computer game that is like Dance Dance Revolution. I enjoy exercising a lot more when it's disguised as fun.

Blessings,
Carrie

Rejoice with those who rejoice

2008-02-27T15:33:00.001-08:00

I have greatly appreciated the kind and encouraging comments that I have received from my previous post. I am excited about my results and finding new and enjoyable ways to eat. Regardinglthe minneaola, I didn't care for it too much. I did some research on it (thanks again, internet) and found that it's a tangelo, which is a cross between a tangerine and grapefruit. I don't really like grapefruit, and this has a lot of the tartness that grapefruits have. But it's making my trash can smell good! For those of you who make the chocolate chip cookies, let me know how you like them.

I have also been encouraged by the things that have been written on other Live Well Wednesday participants' blogs. In regards to Darlene's post, I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 10:5, which says, "We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I remember a former pastor's wife saying that she pictures herself in her mind holding a lasso and whenever a thought comes in, she lassos it before it can go too far and decides if it's an OK thought to dwell on. I like that image.

Blessings and health to you all,
Carrie

Great news on my Living Well journey

2008-02-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

Once again I'm writing Live Well Wednesday on Tuesday. I like being able to take my time to write. That would not happen on Wednesdays very often.

I have so much great stuff to share today! I am really enjoying getting healthy! I have found ways to satisfy my sweet tooth in better ways. I am enjoying cooking for myself again. I think I've mentioned this before, but as the cook for the camp that I work for, there were so many days that I didn't have the energy to cook for myself after cooking for the kids. The fast food industry and frozen food companies got a lot of business from me. I was afraid that eating healthier would be more expensive, but I've realized that I'm just shifting the money I would spend on food into other, better directions.

I am so thankful for the World Wide Web. There's so much information available. I have loved finding new recipes and tips about weight loss and healthy living. So far, my two favorite sites are Eating Well and Food Fit. The chocolate chip cookies that I made last week were a big hit with my coworkers. I gave one to each person on Wednesday, and several of the ladies asked for the recipe. I took what I had left in on Thursday and set them on the credenza that has become the place to put goodies. They were soon devoured, and some of the ladies were disappointed that they didn't get one. I haven't seen any copyright info, so I think it's OK for me to post it here. So here it is:

Bev's Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Eating Well)

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Grind oats in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until firm around the edges and golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per cookie: 99 calories; 5 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 64 mg sodium.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

I did tweak it a bit to try to reduce the fat and calories and get some more good stuff in them. I used parchment paper to line the cookie sheets, taking away the need for the cooking spray. i used I Can't Believe it's Not Butter, xylitol for the sugar, and Brown Sugar Twin for the brown sugar. I also added some flax seed meal. Unfortunately, I can't remember how much. I ended up making two batches because I dumped the whole bag of chocolate chips in. I looked back at the recipe after I was wondering how I was supposed to get the cookies to stick together and found that I had too many chips. I took a bunch out and made more dough for them. So I ended up with a lot of cookies. I put a bunch in the freezer. I've been getting one out when I want it and heating it up in the microwave. They taste just like they've come from the oven. They are so good! Of course, I'm trying to limit myself to one a day (or less). There has been a couple days when I've had one during the day and then another at night. But all in all, I've been doing good with the moderation I've set for myself.

I hope you all don't mind that this is so long. I just have so much I want to share. Last night I went with a friend from work to her church. They were having a free swap meet. I need some smaller jeans, but I don't want to spend lots of money on clothes until I'm at the size that I want to maintain. I looked for jeans but didn't find any. I did find a pair of shorts and a dress that I'm really excited about. It's a size 4 and it fits! I don't think I was ever a size four. When I was a kid, I went quickly from kids sizes to at least a size 8. I am still blown away that this dress fits. It's sleeveless, so I'll have to wait a few more months to wear it. But when I wear it for the first time, I'm going to enjoy it.

I went grocery shopping yesterday. I was telling my friend that I wanted some variety in produce options, and she recommended a particular market. I've driven by it several times but never shopped there. First of all, they had great looking and tasting strawberries on a super sale. And they had so many kinds of citrus. I bought something called a minneola. It's the color and scent of an orange, but it bulges out where the stem was. I haven't eaten it yet. I'm waiting until later tonight to have it as a snack. They also had pork tenderloins on sale, but they were really big. While shopping, I ran into another friend, and we decided that I would buy one and split it with her and her husband. I've seen some great sounding tenderloin recipes, and I'm looking forward to trying one. We have a work potluck coming up, and I think I'll make it for that. I also went to a health food store that some of my coworkers recommended. I had a lot of fun roaming the aisles and checking out the possibilities. I had to stick to a budget, though. I did get some brown rice, carob chips, and whole wheat pastry flour from their bulk bins. Another great thing about the store is their cafe. I got a salad and chicken pot pie soup for lunch. They had some desserts on the salad bar, and I chose an organic rocky road brownie. I'm glad it was a small piece, because I really liked it.

And more great news-I just bought a nutrition text book from Amazon. I had a foods and nutrition class in college, and I've been wishing lately that I didn't sell back that book. But at the time, I didn't think I would ever use it again. I found a newer edition of the text that we used, and I decided to spend the money for it. I've read a lot of information on nutrition lately, but it's hard to remember everything. Now I'll have all the info in one spot.

Finally, the results from the week. We already know that I fit into a size 4 dress. Since my last report, I've lost 2 pounds. And the great thing is that I've lost even though I've been eating chocolate chip cookies! My measurements are the same. I've been doing well with drinking water. But I haven't gotten in as much power walking as I would have liked. And my goal to clean and organize has not been met. I think maybe I'm going to have to take a day off work and devote that day to cleaning.

Well, you've come to the end of this week's chapter in the book. I'm off to do the dinner dishes and fold laundry. Folding laundry is my least favorite household duty. I would rather clean the toilet and shower than fold and put away laundry. But at least The Biggest Loser is on tonight. I'll have entertainment while I work.

Thanks for reading and for sharing your words of encouragement.

Blessings,
Carrie (the long-winded one)

Living Well on Tuesday

2008-02-19T14:23:00.002-08:00

I doubt I'll have time to get to my computer tomorrow, so I'm posting today.

This week (since Saturday when I last posted) has been going pretty good. Sunday after the kids left and I was finished cleaning, I was a bit restless. I didn't want to be in my apartment, but I knew if I went out, I would end up spending money on things I don't need and possibly eating bad. So I decided to take a walk. It was rainy and slushy, so I walked around the dining room that use for the kids. I put on a CD and started walking. Boy, did God show up in that place! I had my very own power walking worship service. I had just told my friend a few days earlier that I think that when we're restless, God has something to say and is hoping that we'll choose to go to Him in our restlessness. I'm so thankful I did. Not only did I burn some calories and build some muscle, I communed with God.

After my walk, I had a good dinner and spent some time on the Internet. I stumbled upon a Website called Eating Well. It has tons of great, mostly healthy recipes. It gives the nutrition facts so that a person can decide if that particular recipe fits with his/her particular health regimen. They have recipe collections and a search function. I've already tried two recipes, Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers and Bev's Chocolate Chip Cookies. I was so happy to find a healthier chocolate chip cookie. Of course, I still need to eat them in moderation, but they are very tasty. When I was grocery shopping yesterday, I came across the Biggest Loser cookbook, with recipes from the show cooks as well as some of the participants. There were enough recipes that sounded good as I flipped through it that I decided to buy it. I'm glad I did. There's lots of good info in the beginning and throughout, as well as good recipes.

I've done well with drinking water. I've realized that since I made the decision to develop a healthier lifestyle, I've only had one bottle of pop! And the great thing is that I've had absolutely no withdrawals. Praise God! I think I might have pulled a muscle a bit on my walk Sunday. It hurt quite a bit, so I didn't do any power walking yesterday. I felt better today but decided to cut my routine in half. I'm planning to go do some of the Six Week Body Makeover muscle sculpting exercises with my friend tonight. And if we have enough people to play, we're going to play some volleyball afterwards.

I haven't lost any weight since my last weigh-in, but I have lost another half inch. The greatest result is the extra energy that I have. Now that I'm not sick anymore, I've been going strong. Today I did some cleaning in my apartment. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked, but I did make a considerable dent in the clutter. My next big focus after adjusting to a healthier eating lifestyle is to work on organization and decluttering. I know that I feel so much better when everything is put away. I just have such a hard time actually doing it. I've decided that each night before I go to bed, I have to make sure the dishes are washed and things are put away. I'm not allowed to go to bed until that happens. Of course, I have to get everything put away to begin with. Once that happens, I hope to be smooth sailing.

Well, I think that's it. I'm going to have dinner-leftover chicken fingers, green beans, and salad, and then head over to Heather's for some exercise.

Blessings and health,
Carrie

Better late than never!

2008-02-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Well, Live Well Wednesday has come and gone for this week. As predicted, Wednesday was pretty busy. I'm just now able to have significant computer time.

After I posted the last time about feeling better, I started to feel bad again. I continued to run a fever for two more days. When I went to the doctor, he said, "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, you just have a virus. The bad news is, you just have a virus." I knew that meant that I was just going to have to go back home and get more rest until I kicked it. I was able to go back to work that Friday, but I didn't regain all my energy until this Friday. Because I was sick, not much food tasted good to me. Unfortunately, what tasted good was not good for me. For the most part, I forced myself to eat good for me food. But I did break down pretty bad on Sunday night. I got take-out pizza, Mt. Dew, and a Kit Kat. After I ate that, I knew I had to get back to eating well.

On Monday I went to the store that I mentioned in a previous post called The Answer. I had a very interesting time. The couple who run it are very nice, and I believe that they want to help people develop healthier lifestyles. Everything that I did and received that day was free. First I filled out a questionnaire about my eating and exercise habits. I felt good saying yes to a lot of them because I've already started on the journey. Then they hooked me up to a machine that measured all sorts of things. Now I know (according to the machine) my percentage of body fat, pounds of body fat, excess body fat, lean body mass, suggested target weight range, resting metabolic rate, and recommended amount of protein needed based on my lean body mass. I am happy to say that I only have 8 pounds of excess body fat. I am only about 10 pounds away from reaching my suggested weight range. That really made me feel good. I believe that I will be successful in reaching that weight range fairly soon as long as I continue to make healthy eating choices and exercise more. After that analysis, I tried out their ROM, which is an exercise machine that allows a person to do 30 minutes worth of upper and lower body exercise in 4 minutes. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and it would be hard to describe to you. It wasn't bad, but I doubt I'll go back to use it again. Then I sat in their massage chair for 15 minutes. That was nice! On the way out, they sent me with some hot tea and a chocolate peanut butter protein shake. I don't like tea at all, so I threw that away later. The shake was surprisingly good. I had heard quite a few times that protein powder and soy milk (which it was made with) tasted awful. I decided to give it a try, and I did like it. However, I don't have the money right now to spend on the protein powder. I'll stick with protein from chicken, turkey, lean pork, and lean beef.

Monday I also made the decision to not stick to the Six Week Body Makeover plan completely. I am using it as a guide for healthy choices, but I realized how challenging it is to do it exactly how I was supposed to. There are a few things I'm adding back in to my diet. I'm using some cheese every once in a while. I also got some light mayo, light ranch dressing, and low fat margarine. I know these are going to slow down my weight loss. But it's not so much about the weight loss as it's about me eating things that are better for me than candy, chips, fast food, and pop. I am still drinking lots of water each day and exercising. My friend and I are doing the SWBM body sculpting exercises twice a week. And I'm doing power walking. I hope to do that on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays for 45 minutes each day. Today (my busiest work day in the kitchen) i decided to wear my pedometer to see how many steps I take on an average work day. I put it on at 6:45 A.M. It's now 2:25 P.M., and I've taken 7,778 steps. That's the equivalent of 2.9 miles. And my day won't end till 9:30 tonight. I would encourage you to get a pedometer. I'm always encouraged to find that my daily activity (not including specific exercise) allows for so many miles of walking.

As far as results, this week and a half has been up and down. I lost 5 pounds while I was sick. I gained 4 pounds back, but I've lost 3 of those since getting back to healthy eating. I tried on four different pair of size 6 pants, and they all fit. I didn't buy any of them because I didn't have the money (even though they were at Goodwill.) So I'm still wearing my size eights. I'm looking forward to the day when I go to buy size 6 jeans. I know I'll get them at Goodwill, because I'm hoping to go to a size 4. At that point, I'm sure I'll be at my weight range, and then I'll work on maintaining that weight. I decided to buy my first reward on Thursday. Now every time I put on those panties, I'll remember why I bought them. Hopefully that will encourage me to continue on this journey.

Other areas of living well haven't gone so well (God time and keeping a clean apartment.) But I'm hoping to get to that this week now that I have my energy back and have recommitted to eating healthy.

Thank you to all who sent encouraging comments on the past Live Well Wednesday post. I am really enjoying this little community that we have. Be blessed and know that you are loved today, not only by family and friends, but by our Abba, Almighty God.

Live Well Wednesday

2008-02-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

I don't know how often I will be able to do this on Wednesdays as I'm pretty busy on that day. I'll try to post on either Tuesday or Thursday if I can't post on Wednesday.

I'm still home from work today. I do feel quite a bit better, but I figured I would give my body another day to recuperate. The past few days I didn't eat much of anything except some crackers every once in a while. I was able to drink about 32 ounces of water each day. I think that was pretty good, but it wasn't anywhere near the 100 ounces I've gotten used to. Moving any faster than a snail made me quite woozy, but I did shuffle around for a few minutes every once in a while. I doubt that I'll do any power walking today, but I do plan to do a few laps at regular pace around the dining room at the camp I work at. I did lose a few pounds (no surprise), and I'm hoping that by getting back to my regular eating today, I'll be able to keep it off. Since beginning the program, I have lost 13 pounds. When I lose two more, I will be at the first goal that I have set for myself. I've decided to reward myself (when I reach that goal) with a new pair of panties. I've even scoped some out, and amazingly enough, I found some on clearance at Macy's that I really like. I hope they'll still be there when I reach my goal. And whenever I wear them, I'll remember why I bought them. That will be motivation to keep up with this new lifestyle. I've also lost inches in my thighs, hips, tummy, and abdomen. I can actually see a difference, which is great.

Most importantly, I am learning how to eat healthy. There were quite a few times these last few days that I wanted what I consider comfort food. But I knew that the sugar and/or fat would probably make me feel even worse. I am enjoying my fruits and vegetables. I'm certainly looking forward to spring and summer when they can be purchased cheaper. There's a couple down the road who have a produce stand. I've never stopped before because I wasn't eating much produce. But now I look forward to giving them some of my business.

I read through the last part of Romans 7 and all of 8 this morning. I was reminded that I am a conqueror. I will conquer my battle with junk food. Each day that I avoid it is bringing me closer to the day when I won't desire it at all. Thanks, God!

My Motivation

2008-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Why am I choosing to develop a healthy lifestyle? I've talked about it before, but it's always helpful for me to remind myself again. I am doing this to better glorify God. I know that being healthier will help me serve Him better, especially as I get older. I want to have more energy. And I know that I need discipline in other areas of my life. I believe that as I discipline myself in the area of eating healthy and exercising, I will also develop discipline in the other areas. Why am I doing the Six Week Body Makeover? I'm doing it because it's a disciplined program. A lot of people talk about moderation in eating. For me, moderation gets fuzzy. It's not concrete. At least for the next few weeks or even months, I need a concrete program that is going to help me develop discipline to choose foods that are good for my body and to know how to eat them. I believe that after a while, it will come naturally to me, and I will have a better idea of how to live a healthy life without having to think about it. And along the way, I believe God is going to teach me some new things. He has already, and I'm thankful for that.

In other news, I was sick yesterday with the flu. I went to bed early Saturday night to try to get rid of a headache that had come. I tried to convince myself that the queeziness that I was starting to feel was all in my head. I had worked around a couple of teens who got sick throughout the day. Well, I woke up at 5:00 A.M. with my head pounding even more and my stomach still churning. My whole body ached, and I felt that if I moved faster than a slug, I would pass out. I let my boss know I couldn't cook breakfast and lunch for the kids. I stayed on my couch the whole day. In the evening, my friend came to take care of me. It was nice to feel pampered. Today I feel about 80% better. My fever broke in the middle of the night. I missed going on the business trip I was supposed to attend. But maybe God wanted to give me some time to rest. I'm enjoying the resting a lot. I'm having fun on the computer, and I don't feel guilty about spending so much time on it. There's not much else I can do until I feel better. I think I will get into some Scripture later.

Blessings and health,
Carrie

Who am I?

2008-02-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

You might like to know a little about me, especially related to my health. I just turned 29. When I made the healthy living decision, I weighed 139. I now weigh 132. I know some of you might be frustrated to see a "little thing" talking about how she's overweight. It's not so much my weight now. It's the fact that if I keep eating the way I used to, 139 could easily become 239. With a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure, I realized I had to change. I also realized I had to change so that I could glorify God to the best of my ability. How can I glorify Him and serve Him if I don't have any energy or spend so much money on fast food, chips, and chocolate? I am the classic pear shape. One of my thighs is almost as big as my abdomen. I don't like that, and I believe my choices of eating healthy and exercising will change that.

I work as the cook at a Christian camp called Youth Haven. I play with food for a living. I try to keep the meals balanced, but sometimes it's hard with food costs. Fresh fruits and veggies and chicken breast cost more than canned things and hamburger. And, of course, the kids are supposed to have a snack at night. So I'm faced with lots of sugar. But since I've started eating differently, I have not taken a snack. Last night was really hard. I made brownies. I haven't had chocolate in almost three weeks. They smelled really good. I've realized that I'm fine seeing food that I shouldn't eat. The temptation comes when I smell it.

Blessings and health,
Carrie

Encouragement

2008-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

I was encouraged by Dee who left me a comment on my previous post. When I went to her blog, I found out that she is part of Living Well on the Christian Women Online site. I went on the site and decided I wanted to join, as well. If you're interested, click on the Living Well badge, and you'll be directed to the site. Thanks Dee!

Blessings and health,
Carrie

Roller Coaster

2008-02-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

This journey towards healthy living really is a roller coaster. It's easy to get discouraged when results aren't happening as fast as I think they should. But I have to remember that this is something I'm doing for life. Things are not going to be immediate.

I had a hard night last night. I have not lost any weight since Monday. Then when I went over to my friend's house to do our exercises, I discovered a bunch of people there. Some of them I don't even know very well. I just gave her the cookbook I mentioned previously and the binder that contains all our info for the program. I told her I wasn't going to stay. She thought we could go into another room to do our exercises. I was not comfortable with that idea, especially knowing that people were going to ask what we were doing. I just didn't feel like explaining everything to people I don't know very well. She sent me a text message later letting me know that she did not plan on people coming over until later in the evening. I was bummed, but I did get over it. But that wasn't before I ate something I should not have. I didn't go for the candy bars that I have access to in the camp kitchen. But I did have some salted almonds. While nuts aren't as bad as candy, right now I shouldn't be having salt or the fat that comes from nuts.

Things were better this morning. I did some power walking at my target heart rate for 45 minutes. Then I measured myself and found I've lost between 1/2 inch and 1 inch in all the places I'm concerned about. I need to remember that the scale is not the only indicator of results. And I feel so much better. I have a lot more energy. And I'm enjoying cooking new things or cooking things in different ways.

Blessings on a healthy day,
Carrie

Great Resources

2008-01-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I re-discovered a book that I looked at when it was given to the camp that I work at. At that time, I wasn't ready to consider how unhealthy I was. I'm the cook at the camp and started looking at some of our cookbooks yesterday. I picked up Eating for Excellence by Sheri Rose Shepherd. She was a speaker here a few years ago and gave the book to the camp. She uses a lot of the same principles as the Six Week Body Makeover. I have enjoyed reading it because I am now wanting to make those changes and because I enjoyed meeting her. Most of the recipes aren't exactly on-plan for SWBM, so I will save them until after I have lost the amount of weight that I want to. Hopefully that won't be too long from now. I have 20-25 pounds that I want to lose.

The other resource I heard about on the radio this morning. There is a place in Jackson, MI called The Answer. I don't know much about it from what I heard. It sounds like it's a health and wellness store. They were giving away smoothies this morning. The exciting thing they have is a clothing exchange program. Anyone who has lost weight can bring in his/her bigger clothes and exchange them for clothes that fit. That sounds great for my friend and I. Losing weight is great, but having to spend money on new clothes isn't always so exciting, especially for those of us working in ministry. We don't make a whole lot of money. God takes care of our needs, of course, but we often don't have much extra. So I'm excited to check out that store.

Have a blessed, health filled day!

Introduction

2008-01-29T06:17:00.000-08:00

This blog is going to be about my journey towards healthy living. A few weeks ago my friend and I were meeting for our weekly Bible study. We started with prayer requests (as always), and never got past them. I was sharing how I needed to be more disciplined in doing the things I knew I needed to do. She shared that she has really been struggling with her health and weight. That has been one of my struggles, also. I'm not necessarily overweight (by much), but I knew that the things I was eating were not good for me. I'm a cook at a Christian camp, and I was tired from cooking for the kids, so I often ate from the frozen foods section or fast food restaurants. I was also eating lots of junk food and drinking lots of Mt. Dew. I knew it took a lot for my friend to be that open with me. I wanted to reciprocate. She shared that she needed some accountability in her weight loss goals, and I told her I would be that person. She then told me about a program she saw on an infomercial that she bought. At first I was skeptical because I'm always skeptical of infomercial products. But as she explained more about it, I realized that it sounded like a good thing. I asked her if I could do the program with her, and she said she thought so, although the kit hadn't arrived yet, so she wasn't sure how it would work.

Two days later the Michael Thurmond Six Week Body Makeover kit arrived. Yes, the name sounds hokey, but as we watched the DVD and got started putting the program together, I realized it was what I was looking for. It's not a diet (which I've always refused to do), but a course in learning to develop a healthy lifestyle in which we choose food to eat that will boost our metabolism and ultimately help us lose weight. One thing I like about it is that it's not one size fits all. Before we did anything else, we did "blueprinting" to determine our body types. So we put together our info and got started. At first I told my friend that I was probably only going to use it as a guide but not necessarily stick to it 100%. I didn't think I could because of my job. But over the past couple of weeks, I've realized that not only is it possible, but it's necessary. I want to be completely healthy, and I believe this is going to help me on that journey.

Keep checking back for updates. If you are thinking you need to be healthier as well, I would encourage you to check out this program. Remember, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. You can find more info at www.provida.com/makeover.

Blessings,
Carrie