Authenticity

I listened to a video this morning of Wynonna singing "I Can only Imagine."  Beautiful song and she shares some real emotion as she begins the song.  But she said something that spoke to my heart - "Honey, let 'em see the brokenness.  That is how the Light shines out!"  What great words!  God wants our authenticity, not our facade of Christianity.  We are real people, with real problems, real lives!  We struggle with everything out there!  Me, with my weight issues, struggles at work, etc!  That is how others see Christ IN us!  When we FACE the issues, when we express how we fail and how CHRIST picks us up, they see that Christ LOVES us and cares!  It is sad that not all Christians see this.  They feel that they have to appear to be perfect, struggling in their silence because they can't share their shortcomings and struggles to find support and guidance in the brothers and sisters in Christ that are around us.  Or shun the one that has stumbled because the pass judgement based NOT on the Truths of God but on their fear of being in the same place as that person!  OH how important it is for us to share our shortcomings with others so that they realize that they are NOT alone and let the Light of Christ shine thru us so that others may find that joy also.

It has been a difficult week for me in the fact that I have started a new job and the person training me is not leaving because she wants to leave.  She is struggling with that and although I do understand and feel her pain, it is making my job difficult.  She is struggling on letting go and I am having a hard time on getting from her what I need to know before she leaves.  And although it is hard for me, I am trying to have compassion and caring for her.  Actually working has helped with my weight loss journey because I don't have too much down time to think about food!  lol  And a bit easier to time my meals, but some of the stress when I get home gives me the desire to eat.  I have not given into that but found other things to keep me busy (like a messy house) to keep my mind off of that!  The good news was when I stepped on the scale yesterday, I was another 2 lbs down!  I wasn't going to weigh but just had to!  Thanks for your continued support!!! :)   

Inspirational Quote!

A tale about habits: Inside of every person a battle is raging between 2 wolves. One wolf is bad & represents compulsiveness & habits of disease. The other wolf is good & represents self-control & habits of health. These 2 wolves are constantly fighting, pulling us in opposite directions, causing us to stumble or succeed. Which wolf is going to win? The answer is whichever one you feed. Feed your good habits.

Wow... this really says it all! I am printing this quote out and posting on my refrigerator!

And today the scale says...

I am happy to say that I am down another 6 lbs!  PTL!  I am soooo pleased.  Last night's dinner went very well.  I stuck to my plan and I think that was the key.  I had a plan and knew what I was going to eat and stuck to it.  :)  Another dream though.  This time in it the dog had a bone on the front porch and was not going to let anyone take it from him! HAHA... do you think that is related somehow to my weight loss journey! :)  

Not much really to share today, just that I am happy and pleased with how things are going.  Tonight I am fixing a Pork Tenderloin.  I am allowed 5 oz of it.  :)  I will be grilling it on my indoor grill.  I have not grilled a pork tenderloin so this will be a new thing for me.  I plan to season it up with a nice seasoned rub and enjoy it! :)  Happy Saturday!

How our mind works!

I had a dream this morning before waking. I dreamt that I was at a coffee house, like a Starbucks, meeting some old high school friends, who I don't know. (1st clue this is about my weight loss journey, as my TSFL coach is the wife of a high school friend). I took one bite of a sample and as I was about to swallow it I remembered that I could not eat that!!! I tried to spit is out into a napkin, but it had dissolved and gone down into my tummy, I guess! LOL Then I realized that I was drinking a drink that was packed full of sugar and calories!!!! Where, oh where, do these dreams come from?? :) Honestly, our mind is a funny thing sometimes.

Needless to say, I was happy to wake up and find out that I was still on my weight loss journey and I had not sabotaged it with empty calories! :) My kidney stones appear to have passed and I am feeling much better. I had a hungry day yesterday, so decided to have an optional snack. I chose 3 celery sticks and cut them into thin slices and sat down to eat them slowly. That did the trick until dinner and satisfaction the rest of the day. :) I actually tried Morningstar veggies burgers last night as I could have 2 of them! lol And I did enjoy them seasoned up a bit and eaten with a nice green salad spritzed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Tonight is the first dinner out on my weight loss journey. But I am going prepared and believe me, I have to be prepared. This is a buffet! But it is a seafood buffet and I know it. I have been picturing 7 oz of crab as I am allowed that. So dinner tonight will be 7 oz crab with a nice lettuce salad with cherry tomatoes and my allowance of black olives. (With crab I am allowed 2 healthy fat servings and olives are one of my choices.) The other healthy fat will be in the form of my vinaigrette spritzed on my salad. I will have some Molly McButter to sprinkle on my crab and I will be just a happy as a bug in a rug! :) The planning of this may have been what triggered my dream! haha... But with the strength of the Lord going before me, I am confident that this will be all go well. Tomorrow is my weigh day and I am looking forward to seeing what the scales have to say after week 2! Got my game on!!!!

~ Consistency ~

Consistency - being constant.  I have been meditating on those words.  Honestly, I have a problem being consistent.  Not in my "professional" life or with others, but with MYSELF.  I can be a consistent, constant devoted friend.  I can be consistent good worker.  I can follow thru and do a good job with an organizational assignment or commitment but when it comes to being consistent with myself, I fail.  I don't consistently exercise and it is important.  I am not consistent with my devotions and that is important to my spiritual growth.  I am not consistent with putting something back where it belongs and that is crucial to the organization to my home.   I think that part of it is that I don't consider myself as important as someone else.  My husband is more important, my children, my friends, all others rate over me.  And perhaps that has contributed to the failure in the past to consistently lose weight and keep it off.  In following my weight loss journey, there have been temptations.  Just yesterday, I fixed nummy sockeye salmon for dinner.  I weighed my portion and ate it.  Later as I was cleaning up the kitchen, I was SO tempted to take just a bite more of the leftovers.  Can't hurt, can it?  Did I take it?  No, I didn't.  I resisted.  I chose to be consistent in my plan.  Watching TV an ad came on for a new ice cream bar.  Man it looks good.  Hmmm, maybe I could buy one and just try it.... it won't hurt will it?  Well, you know, I could cheat.  I could take that extra bite and it probably wouldn't be enough to hurt me. And i could go out and buy that ice cream bar and probably set my plan back two days by doing so. It wouldn't hurt someone else, BUT it WOULD hurt me.  It would reinforce a bad habit rather than the habit of consistency.  In this journey to optimal health, I am learning Habits of Health.  Those habits need to include consistency.  So, I am practicing, conscientiously to be consistent, a constant in my plan and in my life.  :P  It is important.

I really appreciate all the support that you are giving me.  Your comments really do encourage me.  With the support of my coach and my friends and family, I am going to succeed!  PTL!

And the official weight loss for week one is -

Today is the official weigh in day.  I am happy to say that I am down 8 lbs!  Thank you, Lord!   Yes, there have been days when I struggled, when I wanted to give into temptation, when I felt hungry, when I craved something that I saw on a TV commercial, when I had thoughts like, "Oh, I wish I had eaten one of those before I started!!!!"...... Wow.   All statements that are programmed to create failure! I am so thankful!!!

The Neatest Little Kitchen Gadget!

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This little puppy is the handiest little kitchen gadget around!  It is great for blending a cup of hot cocoa and getting it all incorporated.   Many of my foods on my Medifast weight loss journey come in little packets that mix with cold water and a spoon just does not seem to do the trick.  I found this at Amazon.com (Thanks to my coach, Jenny) and have been using it ever since!  It is battery operated and small so that it can go with you when you are on the go!  I love it!  What a great find it is! :)  I might even find ways for my granddaughter to use it when she comes over to let her think she is helping me in the kitchen! :)

Minus FIVE!

"She who kneels before God, can stand up to anything."  Weight loss... think it sounds simple?   Do you think we might have enemies out there who really don't want us to succeed?  Perhaps even enemies inside of us?  You know.  That proverbial angel on one shoulder, devil on the other... the one saying, "You are doing it right now,  you don't need that."... that the other saying, "it's ok.  Just one bite won't harm you."  LOL  Well, that is why this verse helps me in this journey.  Granted it may not seem like such a big thing to someone else, but right now, this is truly a big thing to me.  To me, my weight loss journey will bring glory to God.  It will bring a healthier me back into life!  It will be a blessing to me and to my family.  So on my knees I will be asking God for His help and guidance.

I went to the doctor yesterday, mostly just to get a starting point with blood work and to ask for his assistance in monitoring my journey.  I did weigh myself before going as I wanted to see how close his scales were to mine.  They are about 2/10ths of a pound difference.  :)  I like that!  And I was so pleasantly pleased to find that I am down 5 lbs since Saturday weigh in.  Thank you, Lord!  My doctor is on board and I am thankful for that.  Only one negative though right now.... Tuesday I started to feel a dull pain in my right kidney, Wed it just didn't hurt enough to bring attention to it BEFORE going to the doctor... but by the time I got home from my doctor (a 45 minute drive), I was in pain!  Kidney stones.  I have had them before and knew there were still stones in there, just a matter of time.  So dealing with that and drinking LOTS of water to try and flush them through.  Timing is everything!   Lord knows and this too, shall pass!  

Thanks for your support and prayers and encouragements!!!! 

Feeling Good!

Each day is a new day and a gift from God.  I didn't wake up feeling quite as good as yesterday but it wasn't bad either!  lol  I am finding that I like having my first medifast meal in the hot drink form as I sit and reflect on God's Word.  I take my time drinking it and it gives me my Spiritual connection for the day.  Last night I had a real treat!  My last meal was Mango Soft Serve.  Let me tell you, after taking the first bite I had to look around the room, thinking, this is almost sinful, I think I am cheating here! It was that good.  Mango would not be my favorite flavor but this was GOOD!  I told, Jenny this morning that when they come up with just plain chocolate and chocolate caramel in this soft serve, I would never have a sweets craving again in my life!  I could watch people around me eating their cake and ice cream at parties and I would site back with a satisfied smile on my face as I slowly savored each and every bite of this one!!! hahaha.  Not weighing yet.  Gotta give it time!  But thankful for a plan, a support team and a coach that is helping me get on the right track for life!

Along this same line, I found the BEST blog this morning!  The Journey to Laura  What an inspiration this woman is and how authentic and soul stirring to me are her words!   I will definitely be following her blog because she gets it!  She says the words that I, too, am feeling!  Laura is on a journey to her optimal health and also a coach for TSFL.  

She made me stop and think this morning!  I want to find the REAL me, too.  I want the old Marcia back that is under the layers of embarrassment from being overweight.  The Marcia that could reach out to others and not feel like they would look at her differently because of her weight.  The happier me.  The more contented me.  The me that is coming back with a balance in her life of Spiritual and optimal health.  It is hard to put things all out there for everyone to see, but at the same time, it is important to be real and who knows what might touch someone else and inspire them in their journey, whatever it might be! 

What a beautiful morning!

It is one gorgeous morning this morning!  Day 2 of medifast and my journey to optimal health.  Sat down to have my devotions with my first medifast meal of the day; Cappuccino. I was pleasantly surprised by it.  I enjoyed slowly, savoring it as I poured over God's Word.  My devotion was on Consistent Godly Behavior.  "Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right."  Ps 106:3.  I can claim the second part of this verse for my journey also!  Isn't it fitting?  "Blessed are they...who constantly do what is right."  I am working toward changing my habits to create healthy habits!  Consistently and constantly, with a constant effort.  A verse to help me along the path. Creating optimal health in my life needs to be a balance in my life, both spiritual and health. :) 


In sharing that. I believe it is time to tell you how Take Shape for Life (TSFL) came into my life!  I have an old friend, classmate on Facebook who started posting about TSFL.  His posts about being a TSFL coach interested me, but I really didn't want to talk to a guy about my weight; especially one of the best looking guys from our class!  LOL  I considered "friending" his wife on FB because she is his partner in TSFL but I had never met her.  So I just watched and once in awhile commented on his posts.  Meanwhile all this time, I have been knowing that I need to make some changes and take charge of my weight and health. Have some health issues that I wish I wasn't dealing with!  And had of course been praying about it.  Several weeks ago, I posted on a weight related post on Steve and Jenny's certified Coach page on FB.  The Lord must have tipped Jenny off that I needed some help because low and behold, there in my request box later that day was a friend request from her!  We started exchanging emails and talking about TSFL and my need to find a healthier life path.  From there a friendship and coaching relationship has bloomed!  I really appreciate her!  She is a fantastic coach!  She knows her stuff!


It is amazing to me to see how God works in our lives!  Bringing just the person(s) that you need at just the right time.  PTL!~

Almost done with day one

First of all, started the day out early. Woke up at 1 something to use the restroom and was way after 3 before I went back to sleep! Then up at 6:30. 7:20 AM I ate my first meal. Oatmeal - not toooooooo impressed with it... lol But that is fine. I managed to slowly eat and take little bites and enjoy knowing that I am working towards optimal health! 10 I ate a lemon meringue crunch bar and enjoyed tiny bits if it while I played on the computer. My coach, Jenny called around 11:30 and we discussed my options and how I was feeling. Getting on the hungry side! lol Really enjoyed the flavor of my Chicken w/Rice soup! Drinking lots of water. at 2:15 or so I had a banana shake. I am not too fond of banana flavoring but it was fine. I started checking my packing list for my Avon as it had arrived earlier. By 3, I had to snack so 3 celery stalks it was for me. Right now I have salmon and broccoli grilling away on the indoor grill. I am REALLY looking forward to this! lol I was going to have cauliflower but decided on just the broc for today. Jenny tells me that on the 4th day the hunger will subside and I will be feeling better. :) I feel tired and just a bit headachy. But hey, this is worth the cost of today. It will get better and I will achieve a healthier me. I keep thinking of my goals. I want to honor God first of all. I want to do this for me. I want to be a happier, healthier me! I want to do this for my family. I want to be around for them. Enjoy many years of watching my beautiful grandchildren grow and become a great grandmother. I want to walk in the zoo with them and not be out of breath and ache so much! And I do want to get on that Harley again. I miss that. Miss that time with my hubby and I know he does too. So those are my thoughts for right now. I am sure that I will have many more thoughts to share. I acknowledge that the first few days are going to be tough. And I acknowledge that I CAN do this! "I can do all things thru CHRIST who strenthens me." UPDATE: Just finished my salmon and broccoli grilled on the indoor grill. 5 oz of Copper River Salmon and 1 1/2 C broccoli. I took my time and savored every bite. I squeezed 1/4 lemon on both the fish and broc. I am feeling VERY satisfied. Not full or stuffed but satisfied. :) I am a happy girl!

And the Journey begins......

The journey to optiminal health!  My "goodies" arrived and I quickly unpacked them and put the away in the pantry for easy access and organization. :)  How did the dog get in there?  He was feeling a little neglected as I unpacked the box and organized it.  And then the reading!  Along with the medifast system comes some very excellent reading.  Dr. A's Habits of Health.  You see, I have chosen NOT to diet but to change my lifestyle.  I have chosen to take the path to optiminal health.  I am 60 years old and I have never been a Barbie doll and have no desires or fantasy of being there.  I do however desire to feel comfortable in the body that God has given me.   Losing weight it difficult when we HAVE to do it. We don't have to smoke.  We don't have to drink alcohol.  These are choices that we make in life.  But eating is mandatory to stay alive.  So  in order to eat to live rather than live to eat, we need to make choices and create habits that help us choose to be healthy.  My Medifast journey begins Saturday but my journey to optimal health has already begun.  I am down 3 pounds to start.  That isn't much yet but it is the beginning and that 3 pounds have taken 12 pounds of pressure off my painful osteoarthritic knees!  So ALLELUIA and I continue on!  I think the most exciting thing for me is to read and really think about how different foods react and help our bodies to function properly.  :)


http://getyourfatoff.tsfl.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Yes, it is.  Those of you that know me, probably already know that I have struggled with obesity all of my adult life.  I have tried so many diets and my weight has gone up and down just like a yoyo!  I am getting off that roller coaster ride.    I am tired of living to eat.  It truly is time to eat to live.  I have 16 beautiful grandchildren.  I want to be around to see the youngest of them graduate from high school, graduate from college, get married and have children!  I want to enjoy life, not hide away ashamed of myself and suffering from the damage that I am doing to myself!  I have tooo much going for me for that.  So, I made a decision and that is to lose this weight and lose it for a lifetime.    I will take you on my journey one step at a time.  I will post a before picture but just not yet.   I have it taken and ready but I am not ready to put it all out there for the world to see just yet.  In doing this, I also believe that I am honoring my God.  With His strength and help I will do this!  So bear with me. It truly will be a journey. I have made the decision to create HEALTH in my life.

MAC & CHEESE: Donut Muffins

MAC & CHEESE: Donut Muffins: "For a person that rarely eats donuts (it's most certainly for health reasons and not taste reasons), it seems that I have recently come into..."