THM Sample Menu

I had a friend who was starting THM back in March, and I pulled this together for her.  I had posted it on Facebook and have had many people comment that they wish it were more easily "shareable" so here 'tis!  I know sometimes there isn't a full 3 hours between my meals/snacks, but this is how *I* make it work. I'm really just focusing on S and E, not really worrying too much about FPs. My full freezer (second one in the laundry area, not just my fridge) is my critical partner in this venture - I try to make large batches of things like snacks, meats, even precooked quinoa and beans and then freeze them in individual servings to pull out when needed. I also do the same with soups - make a ginormous pot, feed my family, and I can usually get 5 or 6 lunches out of it (also great to pull out for dinner if I'm making a family favorite that I'm choosing not to eat) **I feel I should clarify: I no longer use Joseph's so liberally Sometimes I do sandwich "wraps" with romaine lettuce or crepes (recipe in book)  This is NOT an official THM post, and I don't claim to have all the answers.  I strongly recommend that each individual take the time to read the book and work to understand the principles.  It's a steep learning curve, but soooo worth it!!

Gwen's Nest also has this great post about making THM work.

breakfast (S) 7:30 - coffee with heavy cream, 3 eggs cooked in butter with real bacon crumbles, served over wilted spinach
snack (S) 11:00 - thin mint smoothie
lunch (S) 1:30 - piece of salmon, broiled with butter and garlic, along with mashed cauliflower (leftover from previous dinner), sliced cucumbers
snack (E) 4:00 - (small, just to hold over until dinner) - FF Greek yogurt with stevia, almond extract, and a handful of frozen cherries (the cherries are what make it E)
dinner (E) 5:30 - grilled chicken breast (marinated with red wine vinegar, a splash of avocado oil and Italian seasoning), boiled sweet potato topped with FF Greek yogurt and cinnamon, red pepper strips
munchie/dessert (E) - banana bar (these freeze really well - I make a whole pan then cut them up and toss them in the freezer)

breakfast (S) 8:00 - coconut porridge (pg 232), coffee with heavy cream
lunch (E) 11:30 - leftover grilled chicken breast, side of black bean quinoa salad
snack (E) 2:30 - chocolate banana smoothie
dinner (S) 5:30 - baked pork chop, roasted broccoli (with butter!), green salad with ranch
dessert/snack (S) 7:30 - celery with smucker's natural PB (don't go nuts with the PB!)

breakfast (E) 7:30 - overnight oatmeal - use apple rather than peaches
snack (E) 10:30 - fresh mandarin orange and 5 or 6 almonds
lunch (S) 1:30 - last of the leftover grilled chicken in a Joseph's pita (found at Walmart) with guacamole and romaine, cucumber slices, fresh broccoli dipped in ranch
snack (S) 4:00 - chocolate covered cherry shake, but no protein powder since dinner soon
dinner (S) 6:00 - leftover pork turned into cabbage wraps
dessert/snack 7:30 (S) - skinny chocolate! (pg 371)

breakfast (S) 8:00 - baked pancake with berry syrup (I made a huge batch of this and froze in jars, still working my way through it), coffee with heavy cream
lunch (S) 11:30 - quesadilla with Mexican cheese blend on a low carb tortilla, extra fresh veggies and ranch (but avoiding carrots)
snack (E) 3:00 - 2 banana bars and a bit of Greek yogurt with vanilla and stevia
dinner (E) 5:30 - sweet potato black bean chili
snack (E) 8:00 - half serving of big boy smoothie (pg 242) with cherries (and very little protein powder)

breakfast (S) 7:15 - two eggs scrambled with bacon pieces, in a low carb tortilla (also from Walmart) with salsa and cheddar cheese, coffee and heavy cream
snack (S) 10:30 - skinny chocolate, FF Greek yogurt with stevia, vanilla, and berries
lunch (E) 1:30 - leftover sweet potato black bean chili with 2 wasa rye crackers on the side
snack (E) 4:00 - small apple with 1 tsp Smucker's natural PB
dinner (E) 6:00 - bean burritos (canned fat free refried beans with FF sour cream, fresh salsa on low carb tortilla, no cheese)
snack (E) 8:00 - 2 cups of popcorn (made on stovetop, light on oil)

breakfast (E) 8:00 - THM pancakes (pg 223) - again, I make a large batch of these and throw them in the freezer to pull out as needed). Topped with FF Greek yogurt and berry syrup
snack (E) 10:30 - banana bar with a pile of Greek yogurt and some frozen berries on top
lunch (S) 1:00 - Just Like Campbell's soup made with heavy cream (pg. 292)
snack (S) 3:30 - cheesecake berry crunch (1/2 of recipe, pg 373)
dinner (S) 6:00 - Big Mac Salad - burger served on a pile of lettuce, dressing made my mixing mayo with sugar free ketchup and dill relish (Family has their burgers on buns)
snack (S) 8:00 - skinny chocolate

breakfast (S) 8:30 - coffee with heavy cream, 3 eggs cooked in butter with real bacon crumbles, served over wilted spinach
snack (S) 10:30 - skinny chocolate
lunch (S) 12:30 - leftover burger eaten with a Joseph's pita with guacamole, cucumber slices and pepper strips
snack (S) 3:00 - half thin mint smoothie dinner
(S) 6:00 - pizza!
snack/dessert (S) 8:00 - half microwaved mudslide muffin, made with some frozen raspberries and a drizzle of heavy cream

breakfast (E) 7:30 - Gwen's berry cake (again, from the freezer) with Greek yogurt, stevia and a drop of lemon essential oil
snack (S) 10:30 - Joseph's pita with a slice of cheese, deli ham, and a schmear of mayo
lunch (S) 1:30 - leftover pizza, jicama wedged
snack (S) 4:00 - basic treat squares (large batch, stores in fridge long-term), pg 400
dinner (S) 6:30 - grilled chicken quarters, butter braised cabbage, green salad with extra veggies & ranch
snack/dessert (S) 7:30 - handful of frozen berries with a drizzle of heavy cream on top

breakfast (E) 6:45 - 2 banana bars and half a big boy smoothie (and out the door!)
snack (FP) 10:00 - 2 wasa rye crackers and a wedge of light laughing cow cheese (from my purse)
lunch (S) 12:30 - McD's bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken (use Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette or bring your own - their ranch is too high in carbs)
snack (S) 3:00 - thin mint smoothie
dinner (S) 5:30 - taco meat with mix of 80% lean ground beef and turkey. I eat mine as a salad (lots of salsa!) the family has tortillas
snack (S) 7:30 - lemon cake

breakfast (S) 7:30 - MIM (lemon blueberry version, based on recipe on pg 256 - almond flour and flax, plus lemon EO and a couple frozen blueberries), coffee with heavy cream
snack (S) 10:30 - basic treat squares
lunch (S) 12:30 - leftover grilled chicken and braised cabbage, jicama wedges
snack (E) 3:30 - small apple with wedge of light laughing cow
dinner (E) 6:00 - creamy chicken and wild rice soup 
snack (E) 8:00 - FF Greek yogurt with almond extract, stevia, and some cherries

Some Thoughts on Healthy Living

So I've been THMing for over ten months now. Wow, I can't believe that!  I've tried so many stinkin' "diets," and I usually burn out by the six month mark, tired of counting calories, measuring portions, and never feeling full...

My weight loss has really slowed in the past three months, but that's OK.  The crazy thing is that even though that number on the scale isn't moving much, my body is continuing to change.  I just did another round of purging in my closet - the clothes that I couldn't wear when I started this journey are now falling off.  I've run out of notches in my belts, and even my shoes are looser.  That's amazing.

So what have I learned from this journey? (so far)

• I firmly believe that weight is 90% what you're eating; I'm not saying that exercise doesn't play a part in your health (good for your heart, building muscle helps metabolism and prevents bone loss, etc.) but you do *not* need to work out an hour a day to start losing weight.  You are in charge of what goes in your mouth, and the majority of us Americans choose convenient crap rather than REAL food.
• It's about making small, good choices consistently.  You'll mess up, and that's OK. Don't use it as an excuse to write off the day/week/month and drown your sorrows in a box of doughnuts.
• Although it's overwhelming at first, it really and truly does get easier.  If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be completely sugar free, I would have rolled my eyes and started laughing.  I still enjoy sweets (made with stevia, erythritol, and/or xylitol - stop and think about that acronym!) but I'm no longer controlled by my cravings.  No, I'm not overstating that - if I had a taste of something, all I could think about was how I could have MORE.  Food is definitely my drug of choice.  Which leads me to:
• Sometimes moderation is not an option.  I had to completely cut sugar out before my cravings started going away.  That's tough since sugar hides in everything; I used to say that I ate pretty healthy, and I've always made a lot of our food, but I didn't realize how much junk was hiding in the stuff like BBQ sauce and salad dressings.
• Having support is HUGE.  I'm truly blessed to have a group of ladies locally; we've been meeting for over two years now. We come from very different backgrounds and are all at different places in our health journey, but what a blessing to have a safe place to gripe, ask for prayer and share recipes.  I've also found that I enjoy the online community; there's a FB group specifically for those following THM who have over 50 pounds to lose, and it's great to know I can post there and that those ladies get it.
• It's important to pay attention to YOUR body.  We're all different, and what works for one person may not work for another.  That's actually one thing I love about THM - it's NOT "Here's your eating plan for the next week." I've learned I do better with a minimum of six E meals weekly (Energizing: 25-45 grams of healthy carbs along with a good lowfat protein, i.e. grilled chicken breast with brown rice or pork loin with beets) although the S meals (Satisfying: these are fattier meals, very similar to Atkins) sure are tasty!

A few Non-Scale Victories (NSVs, as we like to refer to them online) I've noticed - beyond needing smaller clothes :)

• My skin has really improved!  I've always had acne - not as severe as when I was a teen, but annoying nonetheless.  I also have mild rosacea. The photo above is me without makeup. 
• Speaking of that photo: it's a selfie I took because I mentioned getting a new haircut, and a long-distance friend wanted to see it. I hate selfies - I shoot a whole bunch of pictures, but then hate looking at them (my chin, my cheeks, whatever!) Well, I only shot two tonight (and I had my eyes closed in the first one, LOL). Confidence increasing, self loathing decreasing!
• My nails are stronger.
• My arthritic knees hurt less (I used to pop 800 mg of ibuprofen each morning to help manage the inflammation, but haven't done that in months).
• Much fewer headaches.
• Increased energy levels.
• Sucking in my gut in to scooch through a tight space only to discover it wasn't necessary :)
• My feet don't smell bad anymore!  This is the one that has surprised me the most - never considered that might be related to my diet.

But a word of warning - I'm becoming one of those crazy people, you know: those annoying friends who talk way too much about whatever it is they're into.  I was chatting with a casual friend yesterday who's had some gallbladder issues.  She asked me some questions about the way I was eating, and I then asked her if she was taking any supplements, such as ox bile.  As soon as I said it, I stopped and had one of those, "Whoa, where did that just come from?!" moments.  Yes, I am still reading all sorts of things about nutrition, and apparently more of it is soaking in than I realized!

Anyway, I am still very much a devotee of THM.  Someone online was complaining that it was too hard with all the rules. I completely disagree - I have found it liberating to learn the basic principles and tweak them to fit our lives.  I was pretty strict with eating on plan the first six months, and even managed to do well while hubby was in the hospital (on a side note, if that had happened a year prior, I probably would have gained 10-15 pounds during that period as I would have sought solace in baked goods).  We went on vacation earlier this month, and there were a few meals where I really and truly couldn't eat entirely on plan - and that was OK.  I did the best I could and kept moving on -- I didn't inhale a plate of fries, but I did eat a couple.  I even had a Wendy's frosty; I wasn't sure how I would feel after that, but I was fine.  I have noticed that when I choose to have something like delivery pizza or a fast food burger, I'll get bloated and my face usually breaks out about three days later. Fascinating.  It's not a gluten issue (I do use some low carb wraps and tortillas for convenience sake, and they are not gluten free), but there's obviously something in the white flour that my body does not care for. 

Oh, the things I'm learning!

Progress!

Still a long way to go, but gotta admit I'm pretty proud to have hit this milestone!

January

Just checking in as we head into the first full week of January.

I have been THM'ing for about 4 months now, and am down 30 pounds.  Made it through 2 weeks of traveling/staying with family/holiday goodies without gaining.  As mentioned in my previous post, this is the first year in a verrrrrry long time that I'm not feeling overwhelmed about my weight; I know I still have a long journey ahead of me, but that's OK.  I'm not focusing on the end result, but just taking it one meal at a time and making good choices.  And if I screw up, that's OK, too.... but rather than getting down on myself and writing off the rest of the day/week/month, I'll get back "on plan" with the next meal.

I put these jeans on today; they technically fit, but were uncomfortably snug when I started making changes.  I now have 4-5" of extra fabric (and that's fresh out of the dryer, too!)

To "celebrate" thought I'd share one of my recent diet meals, LOL. Backstory: my Mom attended a baby or wedding shower at least 25 years ago, and the hostess served spinach quiche.  My mom got the recipe, and it became a family favorite; in fact, this even became my traditional birthday dinner.  Played around with the recipe this weekend, and came up with this version.  Under the THM guidelines, this is an S meal - "satisfying" since it's using fat as its fuel source (as opposed to "E" for energizing when it's all about the carbs)


Spinach Cheese Bake
1 pound ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
16 oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and pressed dry
8 oz block Neufchatel cheese, softened
2 c shredded mozzarella
10 oz cottage cheese
8 eggs
1 Tbsp oregano
½ tsp salt

 Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef, then use same pan to sauté onions. Stir all ingredients together, and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake approx 50 minutes, or until middle is bubbling and edges are lightly browned. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Healthin' it up...

And now on to weighty issues (ha)....

I like to cook.  Oh, and eat, too.  It's one of the ways I show love to the people around me - and food is also my default consolation AND celebration choice.  As a result, there is too.much.of.me.  This has a double meaning - obviously weight, but also I've come to realize it's an example of selfishness.

I've fought this battle for many years.  (I can vividly recall comments from a doctor's visit back in high school).  I gained slowly but steadily in college.  I did Weight Watchers before we had kids, and while I didn't make it down to my "wedding weight" I was able to get to a place where I felt healthier.  After two babies, my weight was not in a good place, and eventually I learned that my thyroid wasn't working quite as it should be.  That's now regulated through daily meds, but of course the pounds I accumulated didn't magically melt away.  I signed up for WW again when D started kindergarten, but I can't honestly say I gave it my all.  I was stressed and "easing the pain" by shoving things in my mouth.  We moved to South Texas, and I took part in a First Place for Health group at a local church - basically Weight Watchers + Bible Study.  I lost nearly 40 pounds during that time (also was using sparkpeople to track my food) but I felt like food was still controlling me - thinking ahead to my next meal, strategically planning my calories.  And frankly I was hungry a lot of the time, so was cranky.  Yes, my family is available to verify this detail ;)  I still needed to drop more weight, but stalled for a long time and then the numbers on the scale started to creep back up.  My solution: stop getting on the scale.

I know I"m being a bit flippant about this, but seriously, there's a lot of pain there.  Watching my kids play and wishing I could join them. Flopping onto the couch after dinner, exhausted even though I hadn't done much.

Earlier this year, a small, informal Bible study that I take part in went through Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  It's not a diet plan, but rather an encouragement for women in particular to turn their weight battle over to Christ.  I nodded along with all of her excellent points, but still didn't make changes.  Meanwhile, a friend of mine was counting calories and doing all the "right things" and had lost about 70 pounds.  She's part of the small group, and mentioned that she'd heard some good things about the Trim Healthy Mama program.

Huh? Never even heard of it.  I came home that afternoon and hit google -- and was intrigued with that I found.  Reviews like this and this.  I liked that it was from a Christian perspective and dealt with real foods.  I had read enough about "alternative" approaches like Paleo & Wheat Belly Diet to know that I was interesting in going beyond the government's food pyramid suggestions.  Anyway, I ended up ordering the book that day; it wasn't cheap, but it was still way less than what I had spent on WW in the past!

It arrived, and it's biiiiiig: 619 pages.  Not a fast read.  It starts out by describing a couple "types" of women: Whole Grain Jane, Drive Thru Sue, Raw Green Colleen, and Farm Fresh Tess, and talks about pros/cons of their diets.  They talk a LOT about insulin, and described it in a non-clinical fashion that I could easily understand; I was definitely interested in this part as I have a strong family history of diabetes.  They then go on to talk about Biblical Truths, and finally describe the plan they've created.  The basic idea is that all too often we are giving our bodies both carbs and fat, but our bodies can only process one of these fuel sources at a time.  Basically meals should be centered around protein, but then weighted to either fat or carbs. S (Satisfying) is very similar to Atkins, and E (Energizing) is healthy carb, low fat (more like today's typical "diet" food, but avoiding refined carbs).

It took me almost two weeks to read up to the recipe section (200 pages).  It's not that it's a hard read, but I was just overwhelmed and trying to process it all.  It's a big change from what I'd been taught was "healthy" for many years, and I didn't just want to skim through the info. I also read more about certain topics - google is definitely my friend!

A few more program basics:

• NO SUGAR!  This includes coconut sugar, brown sugar, agave, etc.  They also do not recommend chemical substitutes like Splenda or aspartame.  Instead, they recommend all-natural alternatives: stevia, xylitol, or erythritol. (I think that was 2 days worth of online research right there for me!)
• Avoiding wheat, unless it's been soaked, sprouted, or sourdoughed. 
• No potatoes - they spike your blood sugar too much.
• Mix it up - you can't eat just E or S meals.
• Spacing 3 hours between eating - especially important if you're switching between S/E.  There are also "Fuel Pull" foods that are neutral, so great for an occasional snack.
• Some foundational foods:  salmon, berries, eggs, yogurt and cottage cheese, nuts and seeds, coconut oil, almond milk, old-fashioned oats, quinoa
• Some other items they recommend that aren't exactly American staples: glucomannan, nutritional yeast, red palm oil, defatted peanut flour, whey protein (and yes, the type matters - the big jugs from walmart have lost most of the nutritional benefits due to processing), chana dahl beans (baby chickpeas!), 

FYI: these are all guidelines, especially if you're actively trying to lose.  They stress that each person will respond differently to different foods, hormones, etc. so you need to find what works for you.

Anyway, I've now been THM'ing for nearly two months.  I've lost just under 20 pounds and am feeling more energetic.  The first few weeks were really hard - I hit what I believe to a the "sugar wall" about a week in: I was tired, slightly nauseous, and had a killer headache but it only lasted 2 days.  It took about two weeks for me to really understand the fuel sources idea, and how to implement them.  By the end of the first month, I was already looking at recipes and mentally revising them to fit.  I have MANY more pounds to go, but I am actually hopeful about this process.  I'm not feeling ravenously hungry OR cranky, and I'm not tracking every bite of food (of course I'm not eating 14 oz steaks with every meal, either, LOL).  There's a very active FB group where people can get their questions answered, as well as share recipes, tips, etc.  There are also several sub-groups for special cases (pregnant/nursing, those who have 50+ pounds to lose, food allergies, etc.)  It's been amazing to see all the testimonies on the FB group - people going off blood pressure meds, managing IBS or Crohn's, no longer needing insulin shots for Type 2 Diabetes, etc.  There's a lot of good information in the book, and I don't regret purchasing it at all.

That being said, I do have a few complaints/observations:

• I think the sisters are stretching it a bit with some of the Biblical "justifications." I'm not saying that I disagree with their views, but picking a single phrase out of an OT passage doesn't sit well with me. Furthermore, I absolutely disagree with their stance on "unclean" meats - "Some people believe the New Testament has more freeing guidelines toward unclean meats." (from page 54 of the paperback).  SOME PEOPLE? I seriously question how they can read Acts 10 and still write that sentence. 
• Their four "intro ladies" are each simply lacking knowledge for optimum health.  But what about the obese woman who is an emotional eater?  There was really no mention of this issue (but the Made to Crave book I mentioned earlier fills this void nicely).
• This is a self-published book.  It's actually better written than many self-published titles I've read, meaning it's not full of spelling and formatting errors.  BUT sometimes the organization is a bit odd, and it definitely needs a much better index.  I also would have appreciated footnotes about their various health claims, so that I could research the topic myself.
• Recipes.  I *HATE* how they're formatted.  I want to be able to see all the ingredients/measurements at a glance.  I've actually started retyping some recipes just for my personal use.
• Both of these ladies homeschool, and sometimes I felt like their "ideals" were pretty unrealistic for a family who has made a different choice.  My kids attend public school, so are getting birthday treats at least once a week -- it's tough to get their palates to adjust to Stevia when they're still chowing on HFCS at their school desks.
• I felt they tried to cram too much in this book: hormones, marital relations, exercise...  The "Foxy Mama" chapter described how things should IDEALLY be, but intimacy is a complicated issue, and there's no way that can sufficiently be addressed in just a few pages.

I could say tons more, and perhaps I'll share more thoughts in the future, but for now I'm signing off.  Time to go make a protein shake before I pick up the kiddos :)

Paralyzed Perfectionist.

Confession time: I am a mess.

Specifically in relation to my weight and the current state of our home.

Some examples of my internal dialogue for your reading pleasure:
"Man, that bookcase looks awful - there are things piled up in front of it, and the kids shoved some of the books on there backwards, because I can't even read the title on the spine.  I really wish our bookcases were pretty.  But the shelf itself isn't cute, and I don't think I could ever arrange all the stuff to make them look like the ones I see in magazines and on Pinterest.  Sigh."

"I can't believe I just ate that muffin!  I was supposed to go home and have oatmeal.  Sheesh, why do I have no self control?! I clearly have blown the entire day - might as well just finish running all my errands and grab drive-through for lunch."

I have this idea of how things should be in my head, and it seems unattainable, so I basically just throw my hands up. Oh, and whine.  Yes, I *do* get that this is incredibly stupid.  I can work through all the logic, but for some reason I still am having a difficult time actually DOING. It's a ridiculous cocktail of being overwhelmed, guilt that it's gotten to this point, and years of bad habits.  I tend to THINK about things entirely too much rather than just getting to work.  I even hard a hard time sleeping this weekend as I was thinking about the personality types that my husband and I are, and how it affects our family dynamic (FYI: I'm the only introvert in our family.)

This approach is not doing me - or my family - any favors.

I've read countless books and articles about organizing, de-cluttering, and house cleaning schedules as well as diet and exercise plans.  They've added to the aforementioned bookshelf issue ;)

In all seriousness, though, it truly is a struggle for me, and I've been praying about this a lot.  The past two weeks, our pastor has been speaking on "The Plow." Allowing ourselves to be broken and pruned.  The hardness we've developed prevents God from filling us with His Goodness.  No, it's not easy, but very necessary as part of the sanctification process.

I am baby stepping.

As far as the body thing goes, I am working my way through Trim Healthy Mama* and leaning toward adapting many of the principles shared.  I'm only on page 60 and feeling pretty overwhelmed, but I keep telling myself to just do one thing at a time.  And I will mess up - the key is to just.keep.going.  We attended a birthday party yesterday at a pizza place - I had two bites of a slice along with a giant salad.  The Italian buttercream cake was unveiled, and I wanted to do a faceplant in it (while my brain was telling me not to participate in the sugarfest whatsoever) but I chose to have two forkfuls and move on. Baby. Steps.

On the home front, I am setting SMALL goals.  Instead of looking at the entire bookshelf, attack one shelf.  I actually cleaned out my cookbooks last week (and even made $10 selling a few on the yard sale site). Go me!

Do the best you can, with what you have and with what you know NOW.  Repeat.

Image from The Nester, whose mantra is "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." ❤ (and yes, I know that the name should be spelled Schuller, and yes, his theology is screwy, but this quote is spot on).

*I had mentioned this last week, and I promise I really will do a more in-depth post on it soon.

Friday, some funny and some news

Just in case you need a laugh.

In REAL news, I joined a gym today.
And did a 45 minute workout.
And the earth did *not* shift off of its axis.

My Weight Loss Journey (Part 1)

I posted this photo on FB last week - me, 25 pounds lighter and holding a 25 pound bucket o' lard. I have never gotten so many comments on any posting, photo, etc. Obviously it struck a chord.

I've had many people ask, "Oh, what are you doing?" I know I've asked others the same question, hoping they've stumbled upon some magical insight.

Here's my insight: "It's hard work."

I'll be writing this up and my book will be available next year ;)

If I've learned anything in the past 30-odd years, it's that shortcuts seldom work out. I've never been one to eat crazy foods or pop pills in an effort to lose weight, and while I have made half-hearted efforts at altering my diet/lifestyle, I never stuck with it. I had joined Weight Watchers back in 2000 and lost a good chunk, but it crept back on after 2 babies and a variety of other reasons excuses. And while I don't think Weight Watchers is a terrible program, I think that there's too much focus on the whole points system and not enough emphasis on nutrition. I've been using sparkpeople's nutrition tracker, and I've found it to be hugely educational as well as motivating. If you set up a profile and enter your weight goals, it will recommend a calorie range, and you can even use their suggested menus. I pretty much knew where I should be calorically (even though I wasn't actually doing it) but the big thing for me has been seeing actual amounts broken down on carbs, protein, fat & fiber. I know low carb is super trendy and low fat was all the rage 20 years ago, but our bodies are designed to use all those things, and it's so important to provide balance! In one sense, I've actually found it liberating to take control of my food consumption. Let me explain. In the past, if I ate a doughnut I'd usually feel guilty (and of course I'd try to "bury" that guilt by eating more. Sheesh!) Since I've been "dieting" I've eaten 2 doughnuts. Each time I chose to indulge my sweet tooth, but I knew that I was balancing that choice with the other food I was eating that day. Same goes with the occasional fast food burger. I'm making serious, life-long changes... and I'm not about to eat only salad and baked fish every day :)

Another insight: It's not just about the weight. I just finished the Begin With Christ Bible study, and God definitely used that to shake me up. Am I really leaning on Him? Really, truly trusting Him with every aspect of my life? I know God loves me, but for some reason I just felt like He didn't need to be bothered with the physical stuff. I mean, does He really care whether I choose to munch on an apple versus a bag of chips? Can putting down a candy bar be an act of worship? Whose voice am I listening to when I continue eating after I'm no longer hungry? This body may only be a temporary vessel, but I still need to honor Him with it while it's entrusted to me. There are *SO* many verses that I've read in the past couple months that have hit me in a completely different way. The study itself was pretty good, but the time spent discussing it with our group was where I was really encouraged. How awesome to share in the struggles and triumphs with a group of women who are earnestly seeking God! We laughed a lot and shed some tears, too. We've wrapped up this book, but will be starting another in the First Place 4 Health series in January, and I am really looking forward to it. To go along with that, I've had several people remark that they just don't have the willpower. Well, I can unequivocally state that I DON'T EITHER!!! But it's not about me - it's about HIM. I can't do this by myself - but He doesn't expect me to. My Loving Father is there to hold me up when I'm weak, and guide me back when I make a bad decision. I'm so grateful for His grace and mercies that are new every morning...

I have a lot further to go. My clothes are fitting differently, but I don't see a big difference when I look in the mirror. It's not like I've gone from a size 8 to a size 4, know what I mean?! And while I've dropped a substantial amount in the past 12 weeks, I also know that realistically the weight loss will probably not continue at this rate. Logically I'm OK with that, but I know that emotionally it will be a struggle. There will be weeks that the scale doesn't budge; I'm trying not to focus so much on this single number, and think about the bigger picture of health. Every day that I provide proper nutrition for my body means that I'm better equipped for whatever mission God has for me. Every rep with the dumbbells (my mega 2 pound ones!!) means stronger arms to reach out to those around me. The exercise part is still hard for me. I don't like getting all hot and sweaty - I like sitting on the couch and watching TV! Many of the exercises that "experts" recommend for toning involve movements that the orthopedic doctor specifically told me to avoid, but I've managed to find some exercises that I can do. And hey, at least I can now put my pants on without leaning on something for support!

Yes, I still have a long journey ahead of me. I know I've commented before that I don't want to turn this into a weight loss blog, but I do want to share what's going on in my life. Weight is major issue for me, and I know it will be a life-long struggle. Thankfully I am not on this journey alone.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. I Cor 10:31

Household Happenings

Daughter is home from school today. She picked up a stomach bug and I'm now praying that no one else is "blessed" with it (although it would probably be helpful with my weight loss, LOL) She is disappointed to be missing school - a very different reaction than her brother would have had, I assure you. Speaking of him, he's had a rough couple weeks due to his behavior at school. Would really appreciate your prayers for wisdom as to how to handle that issue - we keep trying different things and so far haven't found anything particularly effective.

I went back to the doctor yesterday to follow up on my knee situation (now that the heart issues have all been addressed...) It's actually doing much better now, so at this point I'm choosing not to have an MRI or anything else done; I've had quite enough tests done for awhile, thankyouverymuch. It's still bothering me a bit, but I've been able to do some low impact exercises, and I know that strengthening it - plus losing weight - will help greatly.

Speaking of losing weight, I'm still doing it :) I'm using sparkpeople.com and am loving all the tracking tools. I really like that I can go beyond just calories to recommended ranges of carbs, protein, fat, etc. I felt like that was one aspect where Weight Watchers fell short, and I get downright giddy over a week's graph where I can see that I stayed in my ranges on everything. Yeehaw! And I've also been surprised on a few things - most notably sodium. I don't add salt when I cook, and generally don't use a lot of convenience foods. Well, let's just say that I was well over 2,000 mg daily (usual recommendation is that the gen population doesn't go over 2,300 and those with high BP stay under 1,500 - my doc said 2,000 is fine for me). A single meal out or a processed meal and I was pretty much done for the day (canned soup and those freezer meals are ridiculous!) Anyway, I'm doing much better now, and it's really forcing me to truly cook from scratch, which is obviously healthier in many ways. And while I have been spending a bit more on some foods, overall spending on groceries is actually down.

An even bigger part of the "self-improvement" journey, though, has been focusing on my relationship with Christ. I had let my commitment to daily prayer & Bible study slip, and have been really re-energized by digging into the Word. God is *so* Good!! Additionally, we've been getting more connected in the church, which again has been such a blessing. I'll be helping with the kids on Sunday - pray for them as well as me! :) And seriously, I truly would ask for prayer. I feel like I'm lacking wisdom in so many areas of life, specifically in my roles of being a wife, mother & friend. When should I offer advice, and when do I just need to keep my mouth closed?

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life
Proverbs 3:5-8, The Message

(I know I usually stopped at verse 6 or 7 in the passage - I'm now loving vs 8, too!)

Food Talk

Since I've been cooped up in the house, I concocted a pan of crazy cabbage stoup (is it stew or soup?) last night, and baked up a batch of pumpkin muffins this morning. Yum! Thought I'd share some of the foodie love...

1 lb ground pork
1 med onion, chopped
1 can creamed corn (14.75 oz)
2 c V-8 juice
2 c chicken broth (or 1 can broth, with water added to get to 2 c)
2 c water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can fat free-beef gravy (10.5 oz)
4 tsp cumin
4 tsp chili powder
1 med head cabbage, chopped
2 can pink beans, drained and rinsed (15.5 oz each)

In large stock pot, brown pork and drain off excess fat. When meat is mostly browned, add the onion and cook until it becomes a bit translucent. Add all remaining ingredients, and simmer for at least an hour. Add additional water if it seems too thick. (I know some of these ingreds may seem a bit odd, but I promise it really is tasty. My kids even asked for seconds!) 8 servings, 5 WW points each

I found a simple pumpkin muffin recipe over here (lots of other good stuff there - definitely worth checking out!) and tweaked it a bit to create these:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
3/4 c mini chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients, and pour into prepared muffin pan (batter will be quite thick). Bake at 350 for 18 minutes. 24 muffins, 3 WW points each

BTW, for anyone else doing WW or just trying to eat healthier in general, have you checked out SparkPeople? I have pre-paid for the next couple weeks with WW, but have set up a SP profile and plan to check out their various forums and just get more familiar with the site. It's free, so obviously that's a HUGE advantage over WW, plus getting to meetings has become something of an issue. We'll see what happens... They also have a very cool Recipe Calculator tool if you want to figure out points on something you make; also lots of great recipes on this sister site!

Friday (Sorta) Funny

Yes, today's post has a story behind it.... I joined Weight Watchers this week. I had done WW about 7 years ago and lost a substantial amount, but after two babies and everything else I'm now at my highest weight ever. Not a nice truth to face, but I need to make changes and I'm not doing very well on my own. Not to mention the fact that it's not just a health issue, but a sin issue. So I'm starting down a long road - no diets, just making better choices that will make (and keep) me healthier. And I'm really looking forward to being able to say I'm a big loser! :)