Hello, hello - can't talk long this morning - had a work issue to address early - so running a wee bit behind. I felt to share today that sometimes so many things push against us, from all directions and life seems to spiral. Sometimes eating is a response to that. I so understand - we ALL understand or we might not be in the fam. Right? Eating is NOT the enemy however - what we eat and how much we eat is the problem. AMEN!
Like last night - I was tired, frustrated, and hungry. I had several choices but I MADE myself eat an apple as it was ONE of the choices and the best choice. :) We REALLY have to fight to surround ourselves with only good choices in a moment where the issues of life are pushing us and we may be a bit weaker.
It's kinda like friendships - some give life and some can drain the life from you. Right? If we are being honest, we LOVE a lot of people, but BOY, those low-maintenance friends are life giving sometimes and we LOVE them for that. All of our relationships will run through seasons of taking more work - yes, they will! But when someone is always taking from you and draining you - sometimes it's easier to give in than deal with attitude and issues that manifest. Food can be the same way. Sometimes we cave in when we are weak and it is screaming, "you want me" only to realize it was unhealthy and something healthy was right there. But.......we gave in to the loudest voice because IT WAS ALSO RIGHT THERE. Does that make sense?????
Moral of the story - let's help ourselves by filling the fridge, cabinets, and kitchen counters with "friendly foods" who REALLY will be LIFE GIVERS.
Choose life and eat to live - PK
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
February 28, 2012
Good morning,
Today is a celebration day with new ideas and victory pictures from our team. You know I love sharing! Paulette sends some new info on a coconut sugar, (remember when Cheryl shared about coconut oil and it's amazing properties a couple of weeks back), Jeni Sumner sends new photos from her size 6 body (was a 14) and Jennie Vaughn, who let us know she's down 93 pounds a couple of weeks ago, sends a workout routine that she has started and says is challenging - but really works! Enjoy all these. Praying for you - PK
From Paulette: (via Dr. Oz) COCONUT PALM SUGAR
Description
From the Tree of Life
Nature's Perfect Sweetener
Sustainable Sweeteners
Unrefined - High Nutrient
Low Glycemic Index Sweetener*
USDA Organic
100% Pure Granulated Coconut Nectar
Big Tree Farms Sustainably Sourced
Certified Vegan
Kosher
Gluten Free
Carbon Neutral
The Origin of SweetTree
Our coconut palm sugar CocoCrystals are Nature's Perfect Sweetener. Low on the glycemic index and high in nutrients, palm sugar is a pure and simple cane sugar alternative that provides the energy and nutrition your body needs for a healthy lifestyle.
SweetTree Blonde CocoCrystals is produced from the nectar of tropical coconut palm blossoms of SE Asia. Once collected, it is kettle-boiled into a thick caramel and ground to a fine crystal. SweetTree palm sugars are the perfect choice for all your healthy sweetening applications, from coffee and tea, cereals, baking and savories. Make the natural switch to SweetTree.
Sustainable Health
SweetTree is naturally low on the glycemic index (GI) and high in nutrients. With a GI of only 35**, and a nutritional content far greater than other comparable sweeteners, SweetTree is the healthy choice for an active lifestyle.
* SweetTree does not believe Glycemic Index is a safe indicator of a sugar's "friendliness" towards diabetics. In our experience we have found that while Coconut Sweeteners have been shown to have GI levels as low as 35, continued tests have shown fluctuation in GI levels. We believe that this is due to natural variables such as seasonality, daily temperature, elevation and others. Because of this fluctuation in GI we do not endorse the use of this product by diabetics unless approved by a licensed physician.
**based on testing by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
Supplement Facts
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 tsp (4 g)
Serving Per Container: 99
Amount Per Serving %Daily Value*
Calories 15
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0 g 0%
Saturated Fat 0 g 0%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 9 mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 4 g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0 g 0%
Sugars 3 g
Protein 0 g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Calories: 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less than 65 g 80 g
Saturated Fat Less than 20 g 25 g
Cholesterol Less than 300 mg 300 mg
Sodium Less than 2,400 mg 2,400 mg
Total Carbohydrate 300 g 375 g
Dietary Fiber 25 g 30 g
From Jennie Vaughn:
Lean Legs Pyramid
20 Squats
30 Lunges
40 Toe touches (head forward, legs straight, bend down & touch your toes)
50 Second wall sit!! (sit up against a wall, legs at 90 degrees and hold it!)
100 Seconds jumping jacks
50 Second wall sit!!
40 Toe touches
30 Lunges
20 Squats
Lean Arms Pyramid
10 Push-ups (can be on knees!)
20 Dips (on edge of chair or bench)
30 Bicep Curls (light weights or water bottles)
40 Seconds Plank on hands
50 Tone It Up Tummy Tucks!!! (In Push Up position bring knee to chest and push out straight, switch legs)
40 Seconds Plank on hands (Superman, legs and arms straight out while laying on your stomach.)
30 Bicep Curls (light weights or water bottles)
20 Dips (on edge of chair or bench)
10 Push-ups (can be on knees!)
Lean Abs Pyramid
10 Standing Knee Raises
20 Tummy Tucks
30 Second Plank Jacks (on your hands in a plan, jack your legs out & in)
40 Crunches
50 bicycle crunches!!
40 Crunches
30 Second Plank Jacks (on your hands in a plan, jack your legs out & in)
20 Tummy Tucks
10 Standing Knee Raises
Lean Body Pyramid- Cardio Style!!!
2 Minute Brisk Walk
4 Minutes Jog
10 Second 'Sprint'- this can just be as fast as you can
30 Second Run (slightly faster than your Jog)
10 Second 'Sprint'
4 Minutes Jog
2 Minute Brisk Walk
Take a breather with water!!!
Repeat this 1-2 more times!!! :)
Slimming Pyramid
10 jumping jacks
20 squats
30 lunges
40 wall arm toners-- chest & tricep (standing against a wall, angle your body. Begin with 20 push-ups with your hands wider than your shoulders and chest level. Then do 20 with your hands in line with your chest and shoulders. Tuck your arms into your sides & do tricep wall push-ups!)
50 second plank (superman, arms and legs straight out not touching the ground while laying on stomach.)
60 seconds wall sit
50 second plank
40 standing crunches (left arm bent to head, bend while raising right knee to stomach, then reverse.)
30 lunges with a BOOTY KICK BACK! -when you come up from a lunch, kick your back leg up toning your booty!
20 squats with a bicep curl (use weights or water bottles)
10 jumping jacks
Jeni Sumner's victory photos: (size 14 to a 6!!!!!!!!!!)
Today is a celebration day with new ideas and victory pictures from our team. You know I love sharing! Paulette sends some new info on a coconut sugar, (remember when Cheryl shared about coconut oil and it's amazing properties a couple of weeks back), Jeni Sumner sends new photos from her size 6 body (was a 14) and Jennie Vaughn, who let us know she's down 93 pounds a couple of weeks ago, sends a workout routine that she has started and says is challenging - but really works! Enjoy all these. Praying for you - PK
From Paulette: (via Dr. Oz) COCONUT PALM SUGAR
Description
From the Tree of Life
Nature's Perfect Sweetener
Sustainable Sweeteners
Unrefined - High Nutrient
Low Glycemic Index Sweetener*
USDA Organic
100% Pure Granulated Coconut Nectar
Big Tree Farms Sustainably Sourced
Certified Vegan
Kosher
Gluten Free
Carbon Neutral
The Origin of SweetTree
Our coconut palm sugar CocoCrystals are Nature's Perfect Sweetener. Low on the glycemic index and high in nutrients, palm sugar is a pure and simple cane sugar alternative that provides the energy and nutrition your body needs for a healthy lifestyle.
SweetTree Blonde CocoCrystals is produced from the nectar of tropical coconut palm blossoms of SE Asia. Once collected, it is kettle-boiled into a thick caramel and ground to a fine crystal. SweetTree palm sugars are the perfect choice for all your healthy sweetening applications, from coffee and tea, cereals, baking and savories. Make the natural switch to SweetTree.
Sustainable Health
SweetTree is naturally low on the glycemic index (GI) and high in nutrients. With a GI of only 35**, and a nutritional content far greater than other comparable sweeteners, SweetTree is the healthy choice for an active lifestyle.
* SweetTree does not believe Glycemic Index is a safe indicator of a sugar's "friendliness" towards diabetics. In our experience we have found that while Coconut Sweeteners have been shown to have GI levels as low as 35, continued tests have shown fluctuation in GI levels. We believe that this is due to natural variables such as seasonality, daily temperature, elevation and others. Because of this fluctuation in GI we do not endorse the use of this product by diabetics unless approved by a licensed physician.
**based on testing by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
Supplement Facts
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 tsp (4 g)
Serving Per Container: 99
Amount Per Serving %Daily Value*
Calories 15
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0 g 0%
Saturated Fat 0 g 0%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 9 mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 4 g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0 g 0%
Sugars 3 g
Protein 0 g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Calories: 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less than 65 g 80 g
Saturated Fat Less than 20 g 25 g
Cholesterol Less than 300 mg 300 mg
Sodium Less than 2,400 mg 2,400 mg
Total Carbohydrate 300 g 375 g
Dietary Fiber 25 g 30 g
From Jennie Vaughn:
Lean Legs Pyramid
20 Squats
30 Lunges
40 Toe touches (head forward, legs straight, bend down & touch your toes)
50 Second wall sit!! (sit up against a wall, legs at 90 degrees and hold it!)
100 Seconds jumping jacks
50 Second wall sit!!
40 Toe touches
30 Lunges
20 Squats
Lean Arms Pyramid
10 Push-ups (can be on knees!)
20 Dips (on edge of chair or bench)
30 Bicep Curls (light weights or water bottles)
40 Seconds Plank on hands
50 Tone It Up Tummy Tucks!!! (In Push Up position bring knee to chest and push out straight, switch legs)
40 Seconds Plank on hands (Superman, legs and arms straight out while laying on your stomach.)
30 Bicep Curls (light weights or water bottles)
20 Dips (on edge of chair or bench)
10 Push-ups (can be on knees!)
Lean Abs Pyramid
10 Standing Knee Raises
20 Tummy Tucks
30 Second Plank Jacks (on your hands in a plan, jack your legs out & in)
40 Crunches
50 bicycle crunches!!
40 Crunches
30 Second Plank Jacks (on your hands in a plan, jack your legs out & in)
20 Tummy Tucks
10 Standing Knee Raises
Lean Body Pyramid- Cardio Style!!!
2 Minute Brisk Walk
4 Minutes Jog
10 Second 'Sprint'- this can just be as fast as you can
30 Second Run (slightly faster than your Jog)
10 Second 'Sprint'
4 Minutes Jog
2 Minute Brisk Walk
Take a breather with water!!!
Repeat this 1-2 more times!!! :)
Slimming Pyramid
10 jumping jacks
20 squats
30 lunges
40 wall arm toners-- chest & tricep (standing against a wall, angle your body. Begin with 20 push-ups with your hands wider than your shoulders and chest level. Then do 20 with your hands in line with your chest and shoulders. Tuck your arms into your sides & do tricep wall push-ups!)
50 second plank (superman, arms and legs straight out not touching the ground while laying on stomach.)
60 seconds wall sit
50 second plank
40 standing crunches (left arm bent to head, bend while raising right knee to stomach, then reverse.)
30 lunges with a BOOTY KICK BACK! -when you come up from a lunch, kick your back leg up toning your booty!
20 squats with a bicep curl (use weights or water bottles)
10 jumping jacks
Jeni Sumner's victory photos: (size 14 to a 6!!!!!!!!!!)
Monday, February 27, 2012
February 27, 2012
Good morning to you all,
You know sometimes when we say, "that's good enough," we are simply tired of doing something or we are not pressing for excellent. Average is ok. Sometimes I have to challenge that in my life to not accept average when there is something better.
However, SOMETIMES, in the area of our health and food choices, it is a REALLY good statement. Again, it was a weekend filled with parties and experiences that could have been disastrous. But, I made a plan and stuck to it. People who are cooking for us sometimes are determined we are going to try their.............. But I had an answer and a plan ready. It's all good. However, someone asked me yesterday if I was still drinking coffee, as they know I don't eat sugar. They knew the "other me" and how much I LOVED Italian sweet cream coffee creamer with piles of whipped topping. So, they assumed I gave up coffee. When I conveyed I now use Truvia and half/half, they smirked and I replied, "it's good enough." Well, that phrase shifted from "I'm tired of this project and average is ok" to "I have the power of choice on my side and my flesh will have to understand it doesn't always get what it wants - and REALLY that's good enough." Totally different mindset. So sometimes, we just need to shift how we "see" things. YEA!
New recipe - use it sparingly as it contains aspartame but here goes: 1/2 cup of Smucker's natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup of sugar free caramel icecream topping (got the aspartame - so only on special occasions), 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix first 2 ingredients, add others and may need an additional splash of milk. Use with apple wedges. YUM!!!!!
Have a great day and keep fighting for YOUR health. Choose life! PK
You know sometimes when we say, "that's good enough," we are simply tired of doing something or we are not pressing for excellent. Average is ok. Sometimes I have to challenge that in my life to not accept average when there is something better.
However, SOMETIMES, in the area of our health and food choices, it is a REALLY good statement. Again, it was a weekend filled with parties and experiences that could have been disastrous. But, I made a plan and stuck to it. People who are cooking for us sometimes are determined we are going to try their.............. But I had an answer and a plan ready. It's all good. However, someone asked me yesterday if I was still drinking coffee, as they know I don't eat sugar. They knew the "other me" and how much I LOVED Italian sweet cream coffee creamer with piles of whipped topping. So, they assumed I gave up coffee. When I conveyed I now use Truvia and half/half, they smirked and I replied, "it's good enough." Well, that phrase shifted from "I'm tired of this project and average is ok" to "I have the power of choice on my side and my flesh will have to understand it doesn't always get what it wants - and REALLY that's good enough." Totally different mindset. So sometimes, we just need to shift how we "see" things. YEA!
New recipe - use it sparingly as it contains aspartame but here goes: 1/2 cup of Smucker's natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup of sugar free caramel icecream topping (got the aspartame - so only on special occasions), 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix first 2 ingredients, add others and may need an additional splash of milk. Use with apple wedges. YUM!!!!!
Have a great day and keep fighting for YOUR health. Choose life! PK
Saturday, February 25, 2012
February 25, 2012
Good morning (burr, it's cold again!),
Teree and her fam are in Orlanda at Disney and she sends me a text, "mom, my family is all eating warm pastries and I am eating a boiled egg. I told you I can do this." If you knew my daughter, you would so laugh. She has just finished her first round, did very well, but tortures herself for the fun of it. Grabs candy bars and smells them for several seconds, sucking the life out of every inhalation. I can imagine she was hanging over the display counter wiping her noise along the glass doing the "deep breathing thing." I really would have paid to see it. :)
Maybe you are strong like that - I am not! I try to avoid situations where I am tempted. i figure i have nothing to prove and quite frankly - to be REAL honest - sometimes the smell stirs me up and my stomach starts growling and I get hungry. I wish I was 100% free, but I am not. SO........why tempt myself. :) Teree says it helps her - it makes me mean. wink!
Had someone contact me who has done amazingly on the program and is battling fear as they transition to eating some Ezekiel bread, etc. Remember fam, fear has torment. WE ARE NO LONGER in prison - so don't be afraid to try. I personally am not reintroducing starch or sugar - I have found ways to satisfy that craving and don't need it. But remember - if you are weighing daily and only introducing ONE new variable in a week, the scale will tell you how your body processes that food. Scientists do this all the time. But, you cannot introduce THREE new things and then if your weight starts climbing make a guess as to which one is the trigger. NO, no. When on phase 4, add a piece or 2 of Ezekiel bread and weigh carefully for 5 days. Then you'll know. :) It's an easy process and it works. But, not three at a time. And NO fear - we are in control of our health! :)
I made the most amazing coconut milk whipped creme last night over fresh blueberries and strawberries with xylitol. My company loved it. I took a quart of heavy whipping creme (beaters in the freezer for a second), 2 cans of GOYA coconut milk I had in the refrigerator for a week, (popped the top, scooped all the solid - not the liquid or your whipped creme will be runny - you drink the rest - you'll be running too), 1/2 cup xylitol and a tablespoon of coconut extract. Grab the cold beaters and beat on high until solid, firm, and forming peaks. OMGoodness! Fruit first, coconut creme, fruit again, creme again and serve. SLAP me! What an easy and healthy dessert. You can do the same thing without the coconut pulp and substitute peppermint extract if you like. I prefer the density the coconut pulp gives and the smooth flavor. SO yum! It makes a big bowl, so you could cut it in half. I had plenty for my party, some for my coffee this morning, and some for a Mary Kay party I am having at 11. YUM x 2! If you wanna free facial this morning, come on over! I am serving chicken salad tacos with fresh fruit for lunch and we get to play in the makeup too. Come on - the more the merrier.
Have a great Saturday - let's reconnect on Monday morning. PK
Teree and her fam are in Orlanda at Disney and she sends me a text, "mom, my family is all eating warm pastries and I am eating a boiled egg. I told you I can do this." If you knew my daughter, you would so laugh. She has just finished her first round, did very well, but tortures herself for the fun of it. Grabs candy bars and smells them for several seconds, sucking the life out of every inhalation. I can imagine she was hanging over the display counter wiping her noise along the glass doing the "deep breathing thing." I really would have paid to see it. :)
Maybe you are strong like that - I am not! I try to avoid situations where I am tempted. i figure i have nothing to prove and quite frankly - to be REAL honest - sometimes the smell stirs me up and my stomach starts growling and I get hungry. I wish I was 100% free, but I am not. SO........why tempt myself. :) Teree says it helps her - it makes me mean. wink!
Had someone contact me who has done amazingly on the program and is battling fear as they transition to eating some Ezekiel bread, etc. Remember fam, fear has torment. WE ARE NO LONGER in prison - so don't be afraid to try. I personally am not reintroducing starch or sugar - I have found ways to satisfy that craving and don't need it. But remember - if you are weighing daily and only introducing ONE new variable in a week, the scale will tell you how your body processes that food. Scientists do this all the time. But, you cannot introduce THREE new things and then if your weight starts climbing make a guess as to which one is the trigger. NO, no. When on phase 4, add a piece or 2 of Ezekiel bread and weigh carefully for 5 days. Then you'll know. :) It's an easy process and it works. But, not three at a time. And NO fear - we are in control of our health! :)
I made the most amazing coconut milk whipped creme last night over fresh blueberries and strawberries with xylitol. My company loved it. I took a quart of heavy whipping creme (beaters in the freezer for a second), 2 cans of GOYA coconut milk I had in the refrigerator for a week, (popped the top, scooped all the solid - not the liquid or your whipped creme will be runny - you drink the rest - you'll be running too), 1/2 cup xylitol and a tablespoon of coconut extract. Grab the cold beaters and beat on high until solid, firm, and forming peaks. OMGoodness! Fruit first, coconut creme, fruit again, creme again and serve. SLAP me! What an easy and healthy dessert. You can do the same thing without the coconut pulp and substitute peppermint extract if you like. I prefer the density the coconut pulp gives and the smooth flavor. SO yum! It makes a big bowl, so you could cut it in half. I had plenty for my party, some for my coffee this morning, and some for a Mary Kay party I am having at 11. YUM x 2! If you wanna free facial this morning, come on over! I am serving chicken salad tacos with fresh fruit for lunch and we get to play in the makeup too. Come on - the more the merrier.
Have a great Saturday - let's reconnect on Monday morning. PK
Friday, February 24, 2012
February 24, 2012
Good morning to all and happy Friday!
I hope you are loving the new, warmer temps and are getting ready for the spring ahead. :) Don't forget that we have a fellowship night at my house on March 25th to share a recipe and a dish. That puts us ahead of Easter Sunday where the family parties will be plentiful and Easter chocolate jumping. (wink) If you are planning to attend, please consider sharing a dish that we might all use for meals during Easter weekend. I LOVED our last gathering and have used all the recipes. And, if you are part of our family and live out of town, in another state or country, you can also send a recipe (via email) and I will print copies. Then, I can scan the ones that attend the fellowship and email them to you. The great exchange, huh?
Fractions have been on my mind. They represent a portion of the whole. Yes? Well, our health is only a portion of the whole life God has given us. But can I just say - a HUGE portion. The top part of the fraction tells the portion and the bottom the whole. So let's say that our concern for our health was 1/8 last year meaning that 7 other things, out of 8, were more important to us than the condition of our health. BUT.....after being in our family and walking with others who are fighting from freedom of obesity, our fraction has changed from 1/8 to 4/8. That's HUGE progress! Where would you say you are today???
Now, I realize that portions of the fraction have to be our spiritual life, family life, social life - got it. But if our health is failing and we are constantly unhappy about our daily journey AND we keep going "around the same mountain of excuses," then there is a chance that our portion of the fraction related to health will steadily decline until we see no hope. NEWS FLASH........as long as you are STILL breathing - there IS HOPE.
Maybe as you consider your health fraction, you might say "no real change." OK - that's honest. Start today with 1/8 as your baseline and every day SEE IN YOUR MIND 4/8. Let's increase awareness and accountability and actual results. How about we don't settle or let each other settle for 1/8 or smaller yet? How about we don't allow the bottom number to continue to increase meaning we are sub-dividing our lives into smaller segments to cover the pain of how we feel about ourselves? How about we eat an apple, drink our water, and weigh every day for 30 days and increase the portion size of our lives (the top number) to something greater so we feel FABULOUS and that increases our hope?
I am praying that all of us continue to feel the hope of the Holy Spirit, the hope of being in a support group, and the hope of seeing our determination to NEVER GIVE UP.
Thinking of you today - PK
I hope you are loving the new, warmer temps and are getting ready for the spring ahead. :) Don't forget that we have a fellowship night at my house on March 25th to share a recipe and a dish. That puts us ahead of Easter Sunday where the family parties will be plentiful and Easter chocolate jumping. (wink) If you are planning to attend, please consider sharing a dish that we might all use for meals during Easter weekend. I LOVED our last gathering and have used all the recipes. And, if you are part of our family and live out of town, in another state or country, you can also send a recipe (via email) and I will print copies. Then, I can scan the ones that attend the fellowship and email them to you. The great exchange, huh?
Fractions have been on my mind. They represent a portion of the whole. Yes? Well, our health is only a portion of the whole life God has given us. But can I just say - a HUGE portion. The top part of the fraction tells the portion and the bottom the whole. So let's say that our concern for our health was 1/8 last year meaning that 7 other things, out of 8, were more important to us than the condition of our health. BUT.....after being in our family and walking with others who are fighting from freedom of obesity, our fraction has changed from 1/8 to 4/8. That's HUGE progress! Where would you say you are today???
Now, I realize that portions of the fraction have to be our spiritual life, family life, social life - got it. But if our health is failing and we are constantly unhappy about our daily journey AND we keep going "around the same mountain of excuses," then there is a chance that our portion of the fraction related to health will steadily decline until we see no hope. NEWS FLASH........as long as you are STILL breathing - there IS HOPE.
Maybe as you consider your health fraction, you might say "no real change." OK - that's honest. Start today with 1/8 as your baseline and every day SEE IN YOUR MIND 4/8. Let's increase awareness and accountability and actual results. How about we don't settle or let each other settle for 1/8 or smaller yet? How about we don't allow the bottom number to continue to increase meaning we are sub-dividing our lives into smaller segments to cover the pain of how we feel about ourselves? How about we eat an apple, drink our water, and weigh every day for 30 days and increase the portion size of our lives (the top number) to something greater so we feel FABULOUS and that increases our hope?
I am praying that all of us continue to feel the hope of the Holy Spirit, the hope of being in a support group, and the hope of seeing our determination to NEVER GIVE UP.
Thinking of you today - PK
Thursday, February 23, 2012
February 23, 2012
Good morning to all,
I met with a friend yesterday who has also had a GREAT success with getting his weight down and walking in health. We were both "chunksters" at one point in our lives. (wink) He said God has really solidified in him that you must have three things in your life to be successful in ANY area: a plan, passion, and discipline. A plan originates in our mind (heart) and often, as we have discussed, it is the greatest battle we face. I find that so many are drawn to looking back and focusing on failure as opposed to looking forward to embrace something they've never seen before. Isn't that funny? Our past CAN BE easier to see than our future we haven't seen - even if it includes failure. I was looking for my bio to send to someone and ran across this teaching I did at a women's event. I felt led to share it with you. It focuses on a new pattern of thinking. I actually posted that concept to you in a paraphrase on Tuesday morning. The battle rages and we have the keys to victory - but we have to choose - we have to start with a plan for victory. This is a Bible study, could take you a few mornings, but perhaps might help you look past the failures that we all experience.
Being healthy, as we know, is the best choice. But it's not the only choice. Let's be real. :) My prayer is that each of us sticks with the plan to embrace health - no matter what; stirs the passion when we get tired of the same veggies, the negative comments and the scale that gets STUCK sometimes; and SEIZES the concept of discipline, which is an unpopular word, but one that may add YEARS to the end of our lives.
Hope you enjoy the lesson and tonight as we settle down, we all smile and thank the Holy Spirit for keeping us on the plan THIS DAY. PK
I met with a friend yesterday who has also had a GREAT success with getting his weight down and walking in health. We were both "chunksters" at one point in our lives. (wink) He said God has really solidified in him that you must have three things in your life to be successful in ANY area: a plan, passion, and discipline. A plan originates in our mind (heart) and often, as we have discussed, it is the greatest battle we face. I find that so many are drawn to looking back and focusing on failure as opposed to looking forward to embrace something they've never seen before. Isn't that funny? Our past CAN BE easier to see than our future we haven't seen - even if it includes failure. I was looking for my bio to send to someone and ran across this teaching I did at a women's event. I felt led to share it with you. It focuses on a new pattern of thinking. I actually posted that concept to you in a paraphrase on Tuesday morning. The battle rages and we have the keys to victory - but we have to choose - we have to start with a plan for victory. This is a Bible study, could take you a few mornings, but perhaps might help you look past the failures that we all experience.
Being healthy, as we know, is the best choice. But it's not the only choice. Let's be real. :) My prayer is that each of us sticks with the plan to embrace health - no matter what; stirs the passion when we get tired of the same veggies, the negative comments and the scale that gets STUCK sometimes; and SEIZES the concept of discipline, which is an unpopular word, but one that may add YEARS to the end of our lives.
Hope you enjoy the lesson and tonight as we settle down, we all smile and thank the Holy Spirit for keeping us on the plan THIS DAY. PK
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
February 22, 2012
Hey gang - I am a little under the weather today, so I am reposting Crissy's response to yesterday's blog. She has lost over 40 pounds, regained her life, and has kept it off successfully for almost a year. :) So proud of her. Great insight below:
"My current favorite snack is blueberries with almond milk (vanilla/unsweetened) with some truiva. If you are at the stage of adding some nuts, I add some crushed pecans. This is so yummy to me!
I had someone ask me the other day how I eliminate sugar from my diet and actually give it up. I told them that I do not feel I have given up sugar because I just use a different sugar to sweeten my treats, there are a few healthy sweeteners out there.
I do admit that at times I can get bored with some of my same old foods, but then again, I too had thoughts of just this once to eat pizza at the party, etc. Then I remembered the bondage I was in and asked myself was it worth it? Thank God I told myself, NO WAY!
I always have my favorite bread alternative on hand and used Ezekiel bread or English muffins and put pizza toppings on it. I was totally satisfied and loved the fact that I was not dealing with guilt or the let down after a meal with all the white flour and sugars. I prefer the English muffins because it is thicker than the bread slices and also more like a roll. I put a muffin in my purse when our family ate at Olive garden and that was my bread sticks. I also put a muffin in my purse and that was my muffin when our band group stopped at McDonalds for breakfast. I ordered a muffin breakfast sandwich and replaced their muffin with the Ezekiel muffin. Totally loving this!
It can be done! Thursday my mom will be coming over for dinner and she wants to try the spaghetti squash noodles with what she calls my famous spaghetti sauce. I did spice it up with some hot sausage and it was awesome!
I still have areas of weakness like getting in ALL the veggies and I also need to get more workouts in to keep my knee and back stronger. After winter break I think I will just have to get up earlier to make sure I get in that needed part. I know that after I get that routine of getting up about 45 min. earlier I will get used to it, but getting up at 5 AM is very hard for me. If A Betterway guys can do it, I guess I can too! They actually get up at 4:45 AM, so 5 AM is not too bad. I know I will feel better and stronger as softball season is upon us yet again and I will be helping out Beth's team." Crissy
Isn't that great???? I love real-life testimonies and sharing how together, as a family, we can encourage one another to never turn back. Remember - you can't look in TWO directions at the same time. Love you! PK
"My current favorite snack is blueberries with almond milk (vanilla/unsweetened) with some truiva. If you are at the stage of adding some nuts, I add some crushed pecans. This is so yummy to me!
I had someone ask me the other day how I eliminate sugar from my diet and actually give it up. I told them that I do not feel I have given up sugar because I just use a different sugar to sweeten my treats, there are a few healthy sweeteners out there.
I do admit that at times I can get bored with some of my same old foods, but then again, I too had thoughts of just this once to eat pizza at the party, etc. Then I remembered the bondage I was in and asked myself was it worth it? Thank God I told myself, NO WAY!
I always have my favorite bread alternative on hand and used Ezekiel bread or English muffins and put pizza toppings on it. I was totally satisfied and loved the fact that I was not dealing with guilt or the let down after a meal with all the white flour and sugars. I prefer the English muffins because it is thicker than the bread slices and also more like a roll. I put a muffin in my purse when our family ate at Olive garden and that was my bread sticks. I also put a muffin in my purse and that was my muffin when our band group stopped at McDonalds for breakfast. I ordered a muffin breakfast sandwich and replaced their muffin with the Ezekiel muffin. Totally loving this!
It can be done! Thursday my mom will be coming over for dinner and she wants to try the spaghetti squash noodles with what she calls my famous spaghetti sauce. I did spice it up with some hot sausage and it was awesome!
I still have areas of weakness like getting in ALL the veggies and I also need to get more workouts in to keep my knee and back stronger. After winter break I think I will just have to get up earlier to make sure I get in that needed part. I know that after I get that routine of getting up about 45 min. earlier I will get used to it, but getting up at 5 AM is very hard for me. If A Betterway guys can do it, I guess I can too! They actually get up at 4:45 AM, so 5 AM is not too bad. I know I will feel better and stronger as softball season is upon us yet again and I will be helping out Beth's team." Crissy
Isn't that great???? I love real-life testimonies and sharing how together, as a family, we can encourage one another to never turn back. Remember - you can't look in TWO directions at the same time. Love you! PK
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
February 21, 2012
Good morning to all,
Thankful this morning for consistency in so many areas of my life: family, church, friendships, even my health. I know that some of you contact me regularly with "how do we overcome the boredom of eating lean proteins, fruits, and veggies?" Let's be honest - the answer lies within us. Creating new dishes, eating at a different restaurant, eating a different style of food are all venues for each of us to explore. I gotta admit - during the winter it's harder for me to be creative with the selections as the fruits and veggies are not as plentiful and fairly expensive, but keep exploring with color and texture at each meal. And, keep replacing those food cravings with cravings to take a walk, shop, redecorate your bathroom. The Bible teaches us that whatever people think about (all the time) is what they are. (paraphrase) I planned my meals the day before and spent all day thinking about those brownies I was making or the chicken I was frying. Food consumed the airwaves of my mind. I know you may not be like that - but food was what I thought about all the time.
I still think about food a lot, but now I am creating and reading and asking questions. In essence, I am fighting for my long-term health. I know that as quickly as I lost weight, I can start the mindset of relaxing the standard and I will find myself sick again. So I fight daily. I watched Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (for the 19th time) on Sunday :) and there is a line at the end of the movie that I love that the Moor makes to lead the simple people to victory, "IF you would be free men, then fight your way to victory." That always inspires me! Sometimes when I wonder if all this effort is sustainable and even practical, at that weak moment, I remind myself that the alternative is not pretty!
I would rather get bored with my food selection than be sick again. But when I start to see boredom creep in, I grab those thoughts and see myself healthy and 100 years old, smile, and eat that apple. Boredom is not more powerful than we are. Right?
Choose life and eat to live, PK
Thankful this morning for consistency in so many areas of my life: family, church, friendships, even my health. I know that some of you contact me regularly with "how do we overcome the boredom of eating lean proteins, fruits, and veggies?" Let's be honest - the answer lies within us. Creating new dishes, eating at a different restaurant, eating a different style of food are all venues for each of us to explore. I gotta admit - during the winter it's harder for me to be creative with the selections as the fruits and veggies are not as plentiful and fairly expensive, but keep exploring with color and texture at each meal. And, keep replacing those food cravings with cravings to take a walk, shop, redecorate your bathroom. The Bible teaches us that whatever people think about (all the time) is what they are. (paraphrase) I planned my meals the day before and spent all day thinking about those brownies I was making or the chicken I was frying. Food consumed the airwaves of my mind. I know you may not be like that - but food was what I thought about all the time.
I still think about food a lot, but now I am creating and reading and asking questions. In essence, I am fighting for my long-term health. I know that as quickly as I lost weight, I can start the mindset of relaxing the standard and I will find myself sick again. So I fight daily. I watched Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (for the 19th time) on Sunday :) and there is a line at the end of the movie that I love that the Moor makes to lead the simple people to victory, "IF you would be free men, then fight your way to victory." That always inspires me! Sometimes when I wonder if all this effort is sustainable and even practical, at that weak moment, I remind myself that the alternative is not pretty!
I would rather get bored with my food selection than be sick again. But when I start to see boredom creep in, I grab those thoughts and see myself healthy and 100 years old, smile, and eat that apple. Boredom is not more powerful than we are. Right?
Choose life and eat to live, PK
Monday, February 20, 2012
February 20, 2012
Hey gang - I know it's late and I am tired from a long weekend. Sorry - running a little behind. Can't chat long today as it's winter break for my grandbabies and they want to go shopping. :) Nina to the rescue.
Anyway - I am still in the "check every label mode" and maybe will never escape that. :( I was eating some almonds last night that were dry roasted thinking they were ok when I get this little "tap" on the shoulder to read the label. Well.......upon doing so..........I realize there are some "not so friendly" things in the nuts. For example it reads, "Seasoning (Maltodextrin, contains 2% or less of the following: Salt, Modified Potato Starch, Sugar, a bunch of other things and then Corn Syrup Solids.)" REALLY?????? YIKES!
So I grab a bag of my Planter's 100% natural harvest almonds (roasted in sea salt) with no added oils. Ingredients: Almonds, sea salt. BIG DIFFERENCE. So thinking dry roasted almonds don't have sugar, doesn't mean that's true. I just shook my head and realized that I still have to be so careful. Anybody else have any recent discoveries as such???
I think the closer we get to all natural, the better. I did go to Maggiano's Saturday for lunch with some of my spiritual kids and it's NOT so "friendly eating" there. Much harder. But Teree and I did it. We managed to get them to bring us a salad with romaine, avocado and some other veggies (first time around it had their house dressing which is loaded with sugar - so we exchanged it and had a dressing on the side without sugar), then there was an order of steamed broccoli and sautéed spinach. Finally we split talapia that was covered in a lemon sauce with capers and dried tomatoes. That was ABOUT it. Not so good.
Leep sending your best findings, best recipes, and healthy tips. We'll be into shorts soon.
Have a great day - PK
Anyway - I am still in the "check every label mode" and maybe will never escape that. :( I was eating some almonds last night that were dry roasted thinking they were ok when I get this little "tap" on the shoulder to read the label. Well.......upon doing so..........I realize there are some "not so friendly" things in the nuts. For example it reads, "Seasoning (Maltodextrin, contains 2% or less of the following: Salt, Modified Potato Starch, Sugar, a bunch of other things and then Corn Syrup Solids.)" REALLY?????? YIKES!
So I grab a bag of my Planter's 100% natural harvest almonds (roasted in sea salt) with no added oils. Ingredients: Almonds, sea salt. BIG DIFFERENCE. So thinking dry roasted almonds don't have sugar, doesn't mean that's true. I just shook my head and realized that I still have to be so careful. Anybody else have any recent discoveries as such???
I think the closer we get to all natural, the better. I did go to Maggiano's Saturday for lunch with some of my spiritual kids and it's NOT so "friendly eating" there. Much harder. But Teree and I did it. We managed to get them to bring us a salad with romaine, avocado and some other veggies (first time around it had their house dressing which is loaded with sugar - so we exchanged it and had a dressing on the side without sugar), then there was an order of steamed broccoli and sautéed spinach. Finally we split talapia that was covered in a lemon sauce with capers and dried tomatoes. That was ABOUT it. Not so good.
Leep sending your best findings, best recipes, and healthy tips. We'll be into shorts soon.
Have a great day - PK
Saturday, February 18, 2012
February 18, 2012
Good morning and happy Saturday!
I wanted to take a moment and comment on so many of us that are trying to decipher about the "gluten free" buzz. Some have said that gluten makes us gain weight - others not. Well, according to my research - those with a gluten intolerance or sensitivity (celiac disease) loose weight and not gain. Here is a portion of an article that may help us really just stick to lean proteins, veggies, low-sugar fruits and limited healthy fats. Read carefully about the starch provoking an insulin spike and how the additional insulin causes sugar to store as fat.
Margaret Floyd answered:
There's a lot of misinformation out there about gluten and gluten-free diets. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and many other grains. Gluten in and of itself does not cause weight gain in healthy individuals who can tolerate it.
Some individuals have a gluten-intolerance, which ranges from severe (i.e., celiac disease) to mild (i.e., mild digestive discomfort and symptoms of grogginess, headaches, and fuzzy head), and in these cases consumption of gluten can lead to bloating and eventual weight gain. If you aren't sensitive to gluten, however, eating a small to moderate amounts of gluten-containing grains shouldn't contribute to weight gain.
That said, the overconsumption of starches and grains (whether they contain gluten or not) can contribute to weight gain. Starchy foods (particularly refined grains, sugars, excess fruit, and potatoes) cause a spike in blood sugar and an associated spike in insulin, which stores that extra sugar as fat. So in this way, gluten (and non-gluten) grains can all contribute to weight gain.
I know we can get bombarded with so much information that it's overwhelming. I vote we keep it simple. I am a simple girl - give me a grill, some steamed veggies, a hunk of watermelon, and a tall water with some strawberries and truvia mixed in and I am IN HEAVEN! Will send a new recipe next week for clam sauce which is WAY YUMMY over your spaghetti squash. Spring is coming and our fruit selections and fresh veggies will be abundant. YEA (I never thought I'd say that.)
Choose life and eat to live - PK
I am off to a play day with friends. Preaching at church in the morning - would love your prayers! :)
I wanted to take a moment and comment on so many of us that are trying to decipher about the "gluten free" buzz. Some have said that gluten makes us gain weight - others not. Well, according to my research - those with a gluten intolerance or sensitivity (celiac disease) loose weight and not gain. Here is a portion of an article that may help us really just stick to lean proteins, veggies, low-sugar fruits and limited healthy fats. Read carefully about the starch provoking an insulin spike and how the additional insulin causes sugar to store as fat.
Margaret Floyd answered:
There's a lot of misinformation out there about gluten and gluten-free diets. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and many other grains. Gluten in and of itself does not cause weight gain in healthy individuals who can tolerate it.
Some individuals have a gluten-intolerance, which ranges from severe (i.e., celiac disease) to mild (i.e., mild digestive discomfort and symptoms of grogginess, headaches, and fuzzy head), and in these cases consumption of gluten can lead to bloating and eventual weight gain. If you aren't sensitive to gluten, however, eating a small to moderate amounts of gluten-containing grains shouldn't contribute to weight gain.
That said, the overconsumption of starches and grains (whether they contain gluten or not) can contribute to weight gain. Starchy foods (particularly refined grains, sugars, excess fruit, and potatoes) cause a spike in blood sugar and an associated spike in insulin, which stores that extra sugar as fat. So in this way, gluten (and non-gluten) grains can all contribute to weight gain.
I know we can get bombarded with so much information that it's overwhelming. I vote we keep it simple. I am a simple girl - give me a grill, some steamed veggies, a hunk of watermelon, and a tall water with some strawberries and truvia mixed in and I am IN HEAVEN! Will send a new recipe next week for clam sauce which is WAY YUMMY over your spaghetti squash. Spring is coming and our fruit selections and fresh veggies will be abundant. YEA (I never thought I'd say that.)
Choose life and eat to live - PK
I am off to a play day with friends. Preaching at church in the morning - would love your prayers! :)
Friday, February 17, 2012
February 17, 2012
How GREAT to know that faithfulness does pay off! How many of you remember that our Jennie Vaughn, we miss YOU and your recipes girl, moved to Texas to work at a church? She really loves it and is moving in her calling. Anyway, she sent me a text yesterday to announce that she just finished another round of HCG and is down 93 pounds!!!!!! Isn't that amazing? I just about cried. I know how hard it is to keep going and setting new goals and not quitting until you see those realized. Jennie, we are so proud of you!
Have had similar stories all week of victory dances among the fam. Teree transitioned to phase 3 and is only one pound away from her first goal. She fought against all odds to stay with the plan when her scales were BROKEN the FIRST TWO WEEKS (said she GAINED 9 pounds). Who does that? I don't know if I would have kept going - but once she got a new scale, she found that it was just an attack to keep her from being successful. Again, faithfulness pays off and she had a GREAT 1st round. :) Victory dance!
We have 5-6 transitioning to phase 3. If you have not gotten the maintenance protocol from me, email me for it. There is a structured way to transition to ensure your success. Phase 3 is the tricky one and often if people are going to fail - they do it here. I have done it three times now and followed the same procedure. DON'T do what the book says - it doesn't work. :)
What a GREAT day - great testimonies, warmer temps, and spring is in the air. YEA!
As far as those water drinks that are listed as Zero - PLEASE check for FRUCTOSE. Some companies don't feel that is sugar - but it is still really bad for us!
Gotta run - helping with a funeral at church today.
Keep those testimonies coming!!
Have had similar stories all week of victory dances among the fam. Teree transitioned to phase 3 and is only one pound away from her first goal. She fought against all odds to stay with the plan when her scales were BROKEN the FIRST TWO WEEKS (said she GAINED 9 pounds). Who does that? I don't know if I would have kept going - but once she got a new scale, she found that it was just an attack to keep her from being successful. Again, faithfulness pays off and she had a GREAT 1st round. :) Victory dance!
We have 5-6 transitioning to phase 3. If you have not gotten the maintenance protocol from me, email me for it. There is a structured way to transition to ensure your success. Phase 3 is the tricky one and often if people are going to fail - they do it here. I have done it three times now and followed the same procedure. DON'T do what the book says - it doesn't work. :)
What a GREAT day - great testimonies, warmer temps, and spring is in the air. YEA!
As far as those water drinks that are listed as Zero - PLEASE check for FRUCTOSE. Some companies don't feel that is sugar - but it is still really bad for us!
Gotta run - helping with a funeral at church today.
Keep those testimonies coming!!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
February 16, 2012
Good morning all,
Hope you are enjoying being on THIS SIDE of a chocolate holiday. I had so many people say they had no power to say "no" to chocolate. I wondered about that - what type of inanimate object has that much control over us??? Have you every thought about it? Now I used to say that chocolate was "calling my name, and I could not resist." Yes, I said it in fun, but after this past holiday with ALL the comments about the power of chocolate ---- I really shook my head. Does chocolate really have that strong a voice? NO, not the object, but the TASTE.
Taste triggers our mind into feeling a sense of pleasure - like we are being treated to something pleasurable. Remember, sugar sedates and comforts. So chocolate candy is a three-fold bomb - sedates, comforts, and tastes great. YIKES - what a deadly combo.
The problem is that chocolate tastes good "for a season" but it quickly settles on our belly and thighs. Then, we feel bad and opt for more chocolate to comfort us - only to repeat the process. It's a viscous cycle! We have to decide we want off! Once we have made a tough decision to never return to the sugar wheel, often every issue in life lines up in our house and our mind says, "YOU NEED SUGAR!" "THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO ENDURE THIS ISSUE." "NO ONE IS WATCHING - IT'S OK." The only problem with that is it ISN'T the TRUTH. The Bible says knowing the truth sets us free. And, while we know chocolate is not good for us, we rationalize with all our friends that "everything in moderation is ok." How about a drop of poison??? Are you willing to place that in the pot of soup of the stove?
When we continue to rationalize truth and make excuses for our weaknesses - we weaken the boundaries of success. Slowly we return to the old way of thinking, even though we KNOW the truth. You see the Bible, speaking of truth, should actually read - "the truth you know INTIMATELY sets you free." Why? Because when another voice speaks to lure us from the truth we are able to say, "that voice brings life - that one brings death," and we are able to decide without confusion. I don't do well with confusion. How about you? There are many options to chocolate and some are very healthy. Maybe they don't sedate and comfort - but a massage does and it doesn't deposit belly fat. :) "YES," you say - "but there is a BIG cost difference between chocolate and a massage." Absolutely - but we are WORTH it.
Loving you this day - choose life and eat to live - PK
Hope you are enjoying being on THIS SIDE of a chocolate holiday. I had so many people say they had no power to say "no" to chocolate. I wondered about that - what type of inanimate object has that much control over us??? Have you every thought about it? Now I used to say that chocolate was "calling my name, and I could not resist." Yes, I said it in fun, but after this past holiday with ALL the comments about the power of chocolate ---- I really shook my head. Does chocolate really have that strong a voice? NO, not the object, but the TASTE.
Taste triggers our mind into feeling a sense of pleasure - like we are being treated to something pleasurable. Remember, sugar sedates and comforts. So chocolate candy is a three-fold bomb - sedates, comforts, and tastes great. YIKES - what a deadly combo.
The problem is that chocolate tastes good "for a season" but it quickly settles on our belly and thighs. Then, we feel bad and opt for more chocolate to comfort us - only to repeat the process. It's a viscous cycle! We have to decide we want off! Once we have made a tough decision to never return to the sugar wheel, often every issue in life lines up in our house and our mind says, "YOU NEED SUGAR!" "THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO ENDURE THIS ISSUE." "NO ONE IS WATCHING - IT'S OK." The only problem with that is it ISN'T the TRUTH. The Bible says knowing the truth sets us free. And, while we know chocolate is not good for us, we rationalize with all our friends that "everything in moderation is ok." How about a drop of poison??? Are you willing to place that in the pot of soup of the stove?
When we continue to rationalize truth and make excuses for our weaknesses - we weaken the boundaries of success. Slowly we return to the old way of thinking, even though we KNOW the truth. You see the Bible, speaking of truth, should actually read - "the truth you know INTIMATELY sets you free." Why? Because when another voice speaks to lure us from the truth we are able to say, "that voice brings life - that one brings death," and we are able to decide without confusion. I don't do well with confusion. How about you? There are many options to chocolate and some are very healthy. Maybe they don't sedate and comfort - but a massage does and it doesn't deposit belly fat. :) "YES," you say - "but there is a BIG cost difference between chocolate and a massage." Absolutely - but we are WORTH it.
Loving you this day - choose life and eat to live - PK
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
February 15, 2012
Hey guys - before I share this morning, I noticed on my blogspot that some of my earliest blogs are missing. I am in a creative thought mood about my recipes and blogs and am sculpting a plan. :) I thought I had been writing since April, but I only see June on the blogspot and am missing July. I had everything in my sent box, but in October when I updated my operating system, i lost everything. I only have what's on my blogspot. I need a couple of things from you as I approach this project:
1 - do you have any of my old blogs in your trash that you haven't cleared that are pre-June? If so, please send, and do you have any from July? Can't find those either. (CRAZY!)
2 - I am not going to publish all of the blogs and I will delete your names from those I publish, but could you take a few minutes to go to my blogspot and weigh-in on your favorite ones? I'd like to get those ready for publishing.
3 - FInally, if you want to share your before and after photos, your story, and new commitment to health with details like how you plan to stay "with the plan" I am thinking this book will feature some of the fam sharing their journey with photos to encourage.
I really want this book to have recipes, inspirational blogs, real-life stories and pictures as well as reflection pages with scripture to help along the way. I am hopeful that our journey as a fam can give others the KEYS to be released from their prison cell of obesity. I don't have a title, just feeling the push of the Holy Spirit to do this NOW. I don't know HOW to publish, HOW to market, nor HOW to really get started. But the HS does. And I am ready - I don't think there's anything out there that combines all the elements that I see in this book. SO........can you help me? Can you search your trash for old blogs between April and June, those in July, and more specifically ANY that really ministered to you and why. I may quote you in the book - if that's okay?
Let's get our message to those trapped and hurting. We KNOW the victory dance - now let's dance it so others want to dance with us. Much love - PK
1 - do you have any of my old blogs in your trash that you haven't cleared that are pre-June? If so, please send, and do you have any from July? Can't find those either. (CRAZY!)
2 - I am not going to publish all of the blogs and I will delete your names from those I publish, but could you take a few minutes to go to my blogspot and weigh-in on your favorite ones? I'd like to get those ready for publishing.
3 - FInally, if you want to share your before and after photos, your story, and new commitment to health with details like how you plan to stay "with the plan" I am thinking this book will feature some of the fam sharing their journey with photos to encourage.
I really want this book to have recipes, inspirational blogs, real-life stories and pictures as well as reflection pages with scripture to help along the way. I am hopeful that our journey as a fam can give others the KEYS to be released from their prison cell of obesity. I don't have a title, just feeling the push of the Holy Spirit to do this NOW. I don't know HOW to publish, HOW to market, nor HOW to really get started. But the HS does. And I am ready - I don't think there's anything out there that combines all the elements that I see in this book. SO........can you help me? Can you search your trash for old blogs between April and June, those in July, and more specifically ANY that really ministered to you and why. I may quote you in the book - if that's okay?
Let's get our message to those trapped and hurting. We KNOW the victory dance - now let's dance it so others want to dance with us. Much love - PK
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
February 14, 2012
Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day!
Sorry I didn't get your recipe ready, but sometimes it takes a while to tweak something so it works with almond flour and xylitol. I will get it to you soon. :)
Spent 90 minutes yesterday watching a biochemistry professor support his theory about the link between sugar and fructose AND obesity. Fabulous! He works in an obesity clinic for children and I was in Heaven. It was very informative if you like "those kinds" of lectures. (pretty scientific) But there were several strong points he made that I could really grab and make "mine." I want to share just a few:
He showed how drinking a beer and drinking a soda (sugar) or ANY drink that was high in fructose (even natural fruit juices, which are minus any fiber - GOTTA READ THE LABELS CAREFULLY for any form of sugar, sucrose, or fructose) are metabolized EXACTLY the same. He showed how they enter the liver and what happens between calorie consumption and storing of fat. (VERY detailed explanation of all the chemical reactions/exchanges and where they end up. Bottom line - ethanol (alcohol) and fructose (as well as sugar) start differently - but break down and convert similarly. He said while we know that consuming LOTS of beer gives someone a "beer gut," and we accept that as truth, ingesting sugar and fructose gives us a SUGAR GUT. He showed a picture of an adult with a beer gut and a child with a sugar gut who was very obese.
He said he only allows the kids in his clinic to drink water or milk - no juices, no sodas (not even diet), no gatorade. (long story about gatorade also)
He did also say that "calories ARE NOT calories." He explained why that is not true from a metabolic standpoint. So I won't say that again. :) And he also pointed out that while exercise is KEY to reducing stress, it is ineffective if our lives all consuming sugar and starch. It becomes a fun activity with none of the benefits. YIKES! He argues that our fat cells have a substance in them that knows when to tell us "you've eaten enough." HOWEVER, sugar "tricks" the fat cells to think they are starving and they CRY OUT for more food - especially sweets. OMGoodness!
Needless to say - while the 90 minutes was challenging at times to focus on - all the chemical reactions, etc. - I felt like I could SEE the truth in his illustrations on the powerpoint slides.
So here we are back at the choice level - I am praying today that you choose to hit the DELETE button on sugar, sucrose, fructose, etc for you and your families. No SUGAR GUTS for us. :) Praying this day is filled with LOVE, LOVE, AND LOVE for you. PK
Sorry I didn't get your recipe ready, but sometimes it takes a while to tweak something so it works with almond flour and xylitol. I will get it to you soon. :)
Spent 90 minutes yesterday watching a biochemistry professor support his theory about the link between sugar and fructose AND obesity. Fabulous! He works in an obesity clinic for children and I was in Heaven. It was very informative if you like "those kinds" of lectures. (pretty scientific) But there were several strong points he made that I could really grab and make "mine." I want to share just a few:
He showed how drinking a beer and drinking a soda (sugar) or ANY drink that was high in fructose (even natural fruit juices, which are minus any fiber - GOTTA READ THE LABELS CAREFULLY for any form of sugar, sucrose, or fructose) are metabolized EXACTLY the same. He showed how they enter the liver and what happens between calorie consumption and storing of fat. (VERY detailed explanation of all the chemical reactions/exchanges and where they end up. Bottom line - ethanol (alcohol) and fructose (as well as sugar) start differently - but break down and convert similarly. He said while we know that consuming LOTS of beer gives someone a "beer gut," and we accept that as truth, ingesting sugar and fructose gives us a SUGAR GUT. He showed a picture of an adult with a beer gut and a child with a sugar gut who was very obese.
He said he only allows the kids in his clinic to drink water or milk - no juices, no sodas (not even diet), no gatorade. (long story about gatorade also)
He did also say that "calories ARE NOT calories." He explained why that is not true from a metabolic standpoint. So I won't say that again. :) And he also pointed out that while exercise is KEY to reducing stress, it is ineffective if our lives all consuming sugar and starch. It becomes a fun activity with none of the benefits. YIKES! He argues that our fat cells have a substance in them that knows when to tell us "you've eaten enough." HOWEVER, sugar "tricks" the fat cells to think they are starving and they CRY OUT for more food - especially sweets. OMGoodness!
Needless to say - while the 90 minutes was challenging at times to focus on - all the chemical reactions, etc. - I felt like I could SEE the truth in his illustrations on the powerpoint slides.
So here we are back at the choice level - I am praying today that you choose to hit the DELETE button on sugar, sucrose, fructose, etc for you and your families. No SUGAR GUTS for us. :) Praying this day is filled with LOVE, LOVE, AND LOVE for you. PK
Monday, February 13, 2012
February 13, 2012
Good morning all,
Happy pre-Valentine's Day! Telling/showing others that you love them is critical but REALLY should be done MORE than once throughout the year. YIKES! HOWEVER, tomorrow is a special day to make someone really happy with something extraordinary. I love being creative. I have worked on red velvet cakes twice in the past two days. One was a total bomb and the other better, but still not good. I am tweaking as a go. :) I hate failure, so I am trying a third round today. Almond flour reacts differently with the oil and therefore the texture is different and things have to be adjusted. I am working diligently to get something right, but it may not be for Valentine's Day. Sorry.
I went to Outback yesterday to lunch with my family and watched my daughter order from the kids menu - grilled chicken on the barbie and steamed broccoli. Cheap and Phase 2 friendly. I am so thankful that restaurants are beginning to work with us. I told the lady I couldn't have sugar or starch and she had them grill some asparagus with a little oil and salt and pepper. YUM! So, there's another option for your Valentine Dinner.
Thinking about hearts, how about our heart? The heart is the strongest muscle in our body and as such, needs to be protected and well taken care of. Eating properly and drinking properly is a great start to heart health but managing stress is another key. Stress takes such a TOLL on our health. I want to really bring that forward today - there are more components to heart health than just wise food choices. Wise choices in the area of stress are also critical. We cannot claim we are desiring health for our bodies and allow stress to consume us. That still represents a prison cell. YES?
Take inventory today: what brings stress, what perpetuates stress, what induces stress in your life???? Some things cannot be changed in our life immediately, but our response to them CAN BE! Stress adds plague to our arteries and that stresses our heart and stress causes our heart to beat funky and that is dangerous and stress adds fat to our bellies and that stresses our heart also. A recent article I read said fat on our bellies is a far greater risk to our HEART than anywhere else. SOOOOO, for a Valentine's Day present to ourselves, let's eat well, hydrate well, and fight to speak to the stress in our lives and remind it that God is BIG, God is in control, and "STRESS, you're not the boss of me!"
Much love this day - you can do it! PK
Happy pre-Valentine's Day! Telling/showing others that you love them is critical but REALLY should be done MORE than once throughout the year. YIKES! HOWEVER, tomorrow is a special day to make someone really happy with something extraordinary. I love being creative. I have worked on red velvet cakes twice in the past two days. One was a total bomb and the other better, but still not good. I am tweaking as a go. :) I hate failure, so I am trying a third round today. Almond flour reacts differently with the oil and therefore the texture is different and things have to be adjusted. I am working diligently to get something right, but it may not be for Valentine's Day. Sorry.
I went to Outback yesterday to lunch with my family and watched my daughter order from the kids menu - grilled chicken on the barbie and steamed broccoli. Cheap and Phase 2 friendly. I am so thankful that restaurants are beginning to work with us. I told the lady I couldn't have sugar or starch and she had them grill some asparagus with a little oil and salt and pepper. YUM! So, there's another option for your Valentine Dinner.
Thinking about hearts, how about our heart? The heart is the strongest muscle in our body and as such, needs to be protected and well taken care of. Eating properly and drinking properly is a great start to heart health but managing stress is another key. Stress takes such a TOLL on our health. I want to really bring that forward today - there are more components to heart health than just wise food choices. Wise choices in the area of stress are also critical. We cannot claim we are desiring health for our bodies and allow stress to consume us. That still represents a prison cell. YES?
Take inventory today: what brings stress, what perpetuates stress, what induces stress in your life???? Some things cannot be changed in our life immediately, but our response to them CAN BE! Stress adds plague to our arteries and that stresses our heart and stress causes our heart to beat funky and that is dangerous and stress adds fat to our bellies and that stresses our heart also. A recent article I read said fat on our bellies is a far greater risk to our HEART than anywhere else. SOOOOO, for a Valentine's Day present to ourselves, let's eat well, hydrate well, and fight to speak to the stress in our lives and remind it that God is BIG, God is in control, and "STRESS, you're not the boss of me!"
Much love this day - you can do it! PK
Friday, February 10, 2012
February 10, 2012
As we approach Valentine's Day (this is the last blog this week as I have family in for the weekend) I am reminded of three kinds of love: phileo, eros, and agape. Agape, the "top of the pyramid" love, is wrapped around the concept of sacrifice. (John 3:16) It's a love that gives EVEN to those who have wronged you. It's a love that places other's first, is patient, doesn't speak when it can. YIKES! Get the picture? And we should ALL strive to follow the example of God as he gave the best gift that he had when he knew we didn't deserve it. Can you think of someone who has wronged you RIGHT NOW? And, can you purpose in your heart that you are going to give one of your children, in death, so that rotten person can have life???? I am sooo glad I am not God and MORE glad that he LOVES me enough to offer AGAPE love to me. Are you?
In thinking about agape love, sacrificial love, I want to point that towards us for a moment. What? Sacrificial love is about others.......yes, but I find we make sacrifices for lots of people and sometimes NEVER for ourselves. I want to challenge each of us to LOVE our health enough to sacrifice for it. I know that chugging water gets to be a nuisance, and having to chop veggies for the week every Monday is a pain, and weighing when I don't want to is burdensome, but if I don't LOVE me enough to make some sacrificial choices, who will? My husband cannot drink water and it flush the fat out of my body; my daughter cannot weigh for me each morning; my friends cannot grocery shop and cook healthy for me. I do not feel it's wrong to extend some AGAPE love towards our health. This morning I want to encourage you to be mindful of healthy sacrifices you make FOR YOU today that offer your body LIFE!
If only one - great. Celebrate that. If it's a great AGAPE day filled with sacrifices that bring life - YEA! Challenge: while you are sacrificing for yourself.......place other's first, be patient, and don't speak when you can.
Agape, friends! PK
Talk Monday. :)
In thinking about agape love, sacrificial love, I want to point that towards us for a moment. What? Sacrificial love is about others.......yes, but I find we make sacrifices for lots of people and sometimes NEVER for ourselves. I want to challenge each of us to LOVE our health enough to sacrifice for it. I know that chugging water gets to be a nuisance, and having to chop veggies for the week every Monday is a pain, and weighing when I don't want to is burdensome, but if I don't LOVE me enough to make some sacrificial choices, who will? My husband cannot drink water and it flush the fat out of my body; my daughter cannot weigh for me each morning; my friends cannot grocery shop and cook healthy for me. I do not feel it's wrong to extend some AGAPE love towards our health. This morning I want to encourage you to be mindful of healthy sacrifices you make FOR YOU today that offer your body LIFE!
If only one - great. Celebrate that. If it's a great AGAPE day filled with sacrifices that bring life - YEA! Challenge: while you are sacrificing for yourself.......place other's first, be patient, and don't speak when you can.
Agape, friends! PK
Talk Monday. :)
Thursday, February 9, 2012
February 9, 2012
Happy Thursday - we are almost there. Just a few more hours until Friday. LONG week, but my niece, Heather, and her husband, Daniel, are here for the weekend and we will be having a family dinner and playing some cards. WAY happy!!! I know each of us are in different stages of our life, but I PRAY that you are HAPPY. I do know there is a huge difference between JOY and HAPPINESS and that JOY is the deep center that holds us........but sometimes it's just good to be happy and laugh even if we can't tap into the JOY of the Lord for a short season. (just being real)
Laughter is good - helping others is good and often brings laughter - making changes FOR US is good. Sometimes we are stuck in a bad situation so long we don't know what a good one looks like. (Preach, PK) I NEVER thought I would be free from my weight prison and to this day, I still "catch" myself not seeing ME as others do. I "catch" myself still running to a FEW old mindsets and having to "stand firm then and NO LONGER LET MYSELF be burdened AGAIN WITH A YOKE OF SLAVERY." Gal 5 But more often than not - I smile more, laugh more, play more, run more, and enjoy life SOOO much more. Being in prison doesn't often bring a smile - FREEDOM DOES. Smile today, family. We are changing one bad habit at a time for the good of our health. I am proud of you!
Lana sends another eat-out solution before the big day next Tuesday -
Let me just add that at IHOP in Fayetteville they have a Jr Kids fish which is a half piece of grilled talapia (lightly seasoned or you can ask for no seasoning) and steamed broccoli plain) - it was great and I think like $3.79. I like them to grill it a little crispy.
Thanks, Lana!
And, I saw another "candy" recipe I will be trying tonight: strawberries, salt and pepper - bake at 210 for 3 hours. I probably won't add the pepper - unless some of you have made these before and the pepper is good - but the article said they are chewy and very sweet. I would imagine like gummies.
The next Celebrate Life Party (got a name now) will be at my house on Sunday evening, March 25th. This is 2 weeks prior to Easter and I want us to come together and share foods and recipes for Easter and spring. We have had 2 and each one is very powerful and fun, especially if you need some new "tools" to help your journey be soooo successful. We'll meet at 6 and be done by 8. We will do it at my house and if we out grow this place, our next one can be somewhere else.
******Thinking out loud - may plan a community Celebrate Life Party where we give "our sides" of the story to encourage health, do a video of before/after, have testimonials, share recipes, encourage others, answer questions from REAL people REALLY doing life........ Just beginning to think about this.
Keep getting those veggies on your plate. That equates to choosing life..... PK
Laughter is good - helping others is good and often brings laughter - making changes FOR US is good. Sometimes we are stuck in a bad situation so long we don't know what a good one looks like. (Preach, PK) I NEVER thought I would be free from my weight prison and to this day, I still "catch" myself not seeing ME as others do. I "catch" myself still running to a FEW old mindsets and having to "stand firm then and NO LONGER LET MYSELF be burdened AGAIN WITH A YOKE OF SLAVERY." Gal 5 But more often than not - I smile more, laugh more, play more, run more, and enjoy life SOOO much more. Being in prison doesn't often bring a smile - FREEDOM DOES. Smile today, family. We are changing one bad habit at a time for the good of our health. I am proud of you!
Lana sends another eat-out solution before the big day next Tuesday -
Let me just add that at IHOP in Fayetteville they have a Jr Kids fish which is a half piece of grilled talapia (lightly seasoned or you can ask for no seasoning) and steamed broccoli plain) - it was great and I think like $3.79. I like them to grill it a little crispy.
Thanks, Lana!
And, I saw another "candy" recipe I will be trying tonight: strawberries, salt and pepper - bake at 210 for 3 hours. I probably won't add the pepper - unless some of you have made these before and the pepper is good - but the article said they are chewy and very sweet. I would imagine like gummies.
The next Celebrate Life Party (got a name now) will be at my house on Sunday evening, March 25th. This is 2 weeks prior to Easter and I want us to come together and share foods and recipes for Easter and spring. We have had 2 and each one is very powerful and fun, especially if you need some new "tools" to help your journey be soooo successful. We'll meet at 6 and be done by 8. We will do it at my house and if we out grow this place, our next one can be somewhere else.
******Thinking out loud - may plan a community Celebrate Life Party where we give "our sides" of the story to encourage health, do a video of before/after, have testimonials, share recipes, encourage others, answer questions from REAL people REALLY doing life........ Just beginning to think about this.
Keep getting those veggies on your plate. That equates to choosing life..... PK
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
February 8, 2012
Good morning to all,
Did any of you happen to see the recent Doctor OZ show on HCG? Boy, has he changed his tune! I am more convinced now than ever that we were right about the FDA trying to grab HCG in order to stop the success of this plan. Dr Oz said he is "fascinated" by the fact that science cannot prove why something works when humans show that it does. He shook his head. He questioned a doctor who uses it with her patients and said that a HUGE number of patients are very successful and have amazing results. The lady doctor said obesity is such a growing and out of control problem and this is a REAL solution. She told doctor OZ that obese people need to see some hope "quickly" and this plan offers it. He said, "well at least it teaches people portion controls - shocks them into the reality" that we can LIVE OFF smaller amounts of food. To that I add and we can LIVE WITHOUT foods we used to love and CHERISH.
Chip and I talked about the Dr Oz program yesterday and really went back through some of the things we have locked in our minds after a year of loosing and keeping our weight off:
1. Weighing every day is critical. Chip said it's a MUST for him. He accounts for every pound. He said if he expands his portions one day - it shows up on the scale. He pulls back tight until that is gone. Reminder: you can gain up to 10 pounds, quickly I might add, without noticing much in your clothes except a little snugness in the waist. 10 POUNDS IS A LOT HARDER TO LOOSE THAN GAIN.
2. Water is critical to weight loss. I can make a "guaranteed bet" that on the days I get 12 cups of WATER (whatever fluids are not water count on top of this) I loose something. Not enough WATER - stay the same or gain. Reminder: as we are loosing fat that is stored (it's being pulled and reconstituted) it must be flushed out by the kidneys in order for us to loose weight. If we do not FLUSH that out - fat reconstitutes AS FAT every 24 hours.
3. Chip and I are totally in agreement that sugar and starch are the keys and the lock to prison for us - including starchy vegetables and high sugar fruits. Chip and I neither one, in over a year, eat bananas, grapes or pineapple. We use a glycemic index table to help us determine which veggies and fruits are "safe" for us. Reminder: sugar that isn't converted QUICKLY into energy is STORED AS FAT. Our bodies can process moderate amounts of healthy fats MUCH better than small amounts of sugar. (there are 101 names for sugar in your HCG Made Simple book. Review them often)
4. Calories are calories. While we need calories to activate our bodies and fuel us - we have a choice to eat or drink our calories. Smoothies, even all natural, are packed with lots of calories - as are coffees and lattes. (I sent a list last month of calories) Be mindful, too, that while you may make the fudge recipe I sent yesterday - you MUST portion it out. Calories are calories. Here's how I help control that - instead of stuffing as quickly as I can, I stop, think, remind myself "there will be more tomorrow or I can make more after these are gone" and then I eat ONE square. That may seem elementary to you, but it helps me THINK and make a plan. Sometimes I would eat so quickly and would stop to breathe ONLY after consuming 6 pieces. Healthy foods DO have calories. We cannot swing in the opposite direction and say, "eating healthy means eating as much of the right stuff as I want." That is still an undisciplined life. Reminder: food is no longer our pleasure center - it's simply a tool to refuel our cells and help them reproduce healthy cells so we live a LONG time. Our bodies are "NOT THE BOSS" of us. Amen?
These are just a few TRUTHS that all of us must continue to rehearse as we continue to walk in health and wholeness. I would love to hear from some of you as to the truths that have come alive to you during your journey. When you send those, let me know if they are okay to share and we will blog on those this week.
Choose LIFE and eat to LIVE. PK
Did any of you happen to see the recent Doctor OZ show on HCG? Boy, has he changed his tune! I am more convinced now than ever that we were right about the FDA trying to grab HCG in order to stop the success of this plan. Dr Oz said he is "fascinated" by the fact that science cannot prove why something works when humans show that it does. He shook his head. He questioned a doctor who uses it with her patients and said that a HUGE number of patients are very successful and have amazing results. The lady doctor said obesity is such a growing and out of control problem and this is a REAL solution. She told doctor OZ that obese people need to see some hope "quickly" and this plan offers it. He said, "well at least it teaches people portion controls - shocks them into the reality" that we can LIVE OFF smaller amounts of food. To that I add and we can LIVE WITHOUT foods we used to love and CHERISH.
Chip and I talked about the Dr Oz program yesterday and really went back through some of the things we have locked in our minds after a year of loosing and keeping our weight off:
1. Weighing every day is critical. Chip said it's a MUST for him. He accounts for every pound. He said if he expands his portions one day - it shows up on the scale. He pulls back tight until that is gone. Reminder: you can gain up to 10 pounds, quickly I might add, without noticing much in your clothes except a little snugness in the waist. 10 POUNDS IS A LOT HARDER TO LOOSE THAN GAIN.
2. Water is critical to weight loss. I can make a "guaranteed bet" that on the days I get 12 cups of WATER (whatever fluids are not water count on top of this) I loose something. Not enough WATER - stay the same or gain. Reminder: as we are loosing fat that is stored (it's being pulled and reconstituted) it must be flushed out by the kidneys in order for us to loose weight. If we do not FLUSH that out - fat reconstitutes AS FAT every 24 hours.
3. Chip and I are totally in agreement that sugar and starch are the keys and the lock to prison for us - including starchy vegetables and high sugar fruits. Chip and I neither one, in over a year, eat bananas, grapes or pineapple. We use a glycemic index table to help us determine which veggies and fruits are "safe" for us. Reminder: sugar that isn't converted QUICKLY into energy is STORED AS FAT. Our bodies can process moderate amounts of healthy fats MUCH better than small amounts of sugar. (there are 101 names for sugar in your HCG Made Simple book. Review them often)
4. Calories are calories. While we need calories to activate our bodies and fuel us - we have a choice to eat or drink our calories. Smoothies, even all natural, are packed with lots of calories - as are coffees and lattes. (I sent a list last month of calories) Be mindful, too, that while you may make the fudge recipe I sent yesterday - you MUST portion it out. Calories are calories. Here's how I help control that - instead of stuffing as quickly as I can, I stop, think, remind myself "there will be more tomorrow or I can make more after these are gone" and then I eat ONE square. That may seem elementary to you, but it helps me THINK and make a plan. Sometimes I would eat so quickly and would stop to breathe ONLY after consuming 6 pieces. Healthy foods DO have calories. We cannot swing in the opposite direction and say, "eating healthy means eating as much of the right stuff as I want." That is still an undisciplined life. Reminder: food is no longer our pleasure center - it's simply a tool to refuel our cells and help them reproduce healthy cells so we live a LONG time. Our bodies are "NOT THE BOSS" of us. Amen?
These are just a few TRUTHS that all of us must continue to rehearse as we continue to walk in health and wholeness. I would love to hear from some of you as to the truths that have come alive to you during your journey. When you send those, let me know if they are okay to share and we will blog on those this week.
Choose LIFE and eat to LIVE. PK
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
February 7, 2012
Hey gang,
Just a brief blog this morning as I am running late. :) But I know we are all looking for healthy "eat out" places to keep our bodies moving forward and Jennie (who is now in Texas) sent this to us:
Watched a great episode of Dr Oz today while home sick. It listed a bunch of chain restaurants that had healthy options.
2 stuck out to me.
Ruby Tuesday has on their Fit menu Spaghetti Squash and Mariana. It's 260 calories but it comes with cheese. I bet you can subtract a ton of calories if you ask for no cheese.
Lastly, Red Lobster has a lobster tail and asparagus dish for 150 calories and a great dish for phase 2 people.
I thought these would be helpful for people that are stuck going out for lunch, here's some place they can suggest and still stay on the plan.
Thanks Jennie for still remembering your family. :) We miss you! AND.....she had to go by NEW pants this weekend as even her smallest ones were too big. YEA!
Teree also has an "eat out" to share - she goes to Outback and asks for the kids meal - grilled chicken (Phase 2 people remind them no oil on the chicken and only seasonings without sugar) and steamed broccoli. CHEAP, small portions, and YUM!
Isn't this great! More and more restaurants are coming on board to help us.
Speaking of help.....I know Valentine's Day is one week from today. I would love to know if some of my cooks are trying your favorite red velvet cake with xylitol and almond flour???? I know the recipes I found use cake flour, which is extremely fine, and almond flour is heavier, but didn't know if anyone was being adventurous???
For those that are grieving chocolate during this upcoming treat day - here is a recipe that will save you. It's EASY and it keeps a couple of weeks in the fridge. I cut mine in one inch squares - so NOT MUCH at a time holds the calories down, but you must be disciplined enough to limit yourself to ONE a day, maybe 2 on Valentine's. But, you can take this to the office party and people will love it. The question is........will you share? :)
Have a great day and think about one of the restaurants mentioned above for your Valentine date with your special someone. :) PK
Fudge – Guilt Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (I use the less fat kind, but not fat free)
• 3 unsweetened chocolate squares (1ounce each) melted (in microwave) and cooled (for about 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup xylitol
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preparation:
In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, chocolate, sweetener, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans.
Pour into 8-inch square baking pan lined with foil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Turn the fudge out onto a large platter and peel the aluminum foil from the back. Cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled and keep the remainder in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Yield: 16 servings
Per (1-Square) Serving: 147 Cal; 5 g Carb
Just a brief blog this morning as I am running late. :) But I know we are all looking for healthy "eat out" places to keep our bodies moving forward and Jennie (who is now in Texas) sent this to us:
Watched a great episode of Dr Oz today while home sick. It listed a bunch of chain restaurants that had healthy options.
2 stuck out to me.
Ruby Tuesday has on their Fit menu Spaghetti Squash and Mariana. It's 260 calories but it comes with cheese. I bet you can subtract a ton of calories if you ask for no cheese.
Lastly, Red Lobster has a lobster tail and asparagus dish for 150 calories and a great dish for phase 2 people.
I thought these would be helpful for people that are stuck going out for lunch, here's some place they can suggest and still stay on the plan.
Thanks Jennie for still remembering your family. :) We miss you! AND.....she had to go by NEW pants this weekend as even her smallest ones were too big. YEA!
Teree also has an "eat out" to share - she goes to Outback and asks for the kids meal - grilled chicken (Phase 2 people remind them no oil on the chicken and only seasonings without sugar) and steamed broccoli. CHEAP, small portions, and YUM!
Isn't this great! More and more restaurants are coming on board to help us.
Speaking of help.....I know Valentine's Day is one week from today. I would love to know if some of my cooks are trying your favorite red velvet cake with xylitol and almond flour???? I know the recipes I found use cake flour, which is extremely fine, and almond flour is heavier, but didn't know if anyone was being adventurous???
For those that are grieving chocolate during this upcoming treat day - here is a recipe that will save you. It's EASY and it keeps a couple of weeks in the fridge. I cut mine in one inch squares - so NOT MUCH at a time holds the calories down, but you must be disciplined enough to limit yourself to ONE a day, maybe 2 on Valentine's. But, you can take this to the office party and people will love it. The question is........will you share? :)
Have a great day and think about one of the restaurants mentioned above for your Valentine date with your special someone. :) PK
Fudge – Guilt Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (I use the less fat kind, but not fat free)
• 3 unsweetened chocolate squares (1ounce each) melted (in microwave) and cooled (for about 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup xylitol
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preparation:
In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, chocolate, sweetener, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans.
Pour into 8-inch square baking pan lined with foil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Turn the fudge out onto a large platter and peel the aluminum foil from the back. Cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled and keep the remainder in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Yield: 16 servings
Per (1-Square) Serving: 147 Cal; 5 g Carb
Monday, February 6, 2012
February 6, 2012
WE DID IT! Another huge party night behind us. One TV reporter said OVER 10 million chicken wings would be consumed during the game in the US. WOW - that's a lot of wings! But gotta be honest again - that party scene was HARD on me. I was thinking, "note to self - when on phase 2 stay HOME and watch the Super Bowl." OMGoodness - fried chicken wings, fried fish, gumbo w rice, hot YEAST rolls (homemade) out of the oven dripping in butter, and yummy desserts. I smiled and ate my little bowl of Phase 2 chili and drank my water. People kept asking what I WAS EATING and I kept smiling --- how about you? :) That's 2 Super Bowls back to back on phase 2 - maybe next year I'll be on LIFE TIME Maintenance. But, I am grateful for a plan that works!
Have some testimonies to share:
Jeff and Julie are closing out 5 weeks and are at -26 and -25 respectively.
Anthony is down 102 pounds.
Cheryl has completed this Phase 2 round and is elated to be so much closer to her goal of 100 by her health birthday.
Another man Chip is working with has also lost about 45 pounds in his first round, his family was worried because he lost so much weight so quickly, his brother-in-law heard some bad news about HCG, and they all pressed him to see a doctor. WELL.....after being tested stem to stern, his report came back and the doctor told him to FRAME THE REPORT as he was the healthiest he'd been while under his care. :)
Victory dance, victory dance, victory dance. Nana - nana - boo -boo obesity - we don't need you - you're not welcome in our homes - and you're not keeping us from being all God desires for us to be!
Now, just a quick word of encouragement this morning....
Have you ever really asked yourself WHY you want to loose weight? What's the real motive?? My real objective was desperation to live. BUT, I wanted to overcome depression, sleep better, stop hurting, look better in my clothes. YES - at the bottom level of the pyramid was appearance - but that wasn't the motivating factor. After coming off phase 2 the first time and having lost 30 pounds, I became acutely aware that I LOVED being healthy. When my first doctor's report was SOOOO much improved, it sparked something in me to REALLY say "I choose life." I had given up. My reason for sharing this story again (some of you know this about me) is because I know some of you struggle with being "on" one day and "off" the next. I am not the food Nazi. I am not your conscience. I am just someone who knows where you are and loves you! But I also want to ask you to really examine your motivation.
Are you really trying to loose weight to please someone else? Maybe you feel your spouse would love you more if you looked differently? Loving someone is not about what they look like - period. Please don't be trapped by that! Are you trying because you want to prove to others you can finally bring your life to a place of discipline. Give it up! The REAL bottom-line answer is we choose LIFE for US! Being motivated by anything else will probably mean one day "on" and one day "off." Maybe you're different, but I tried all the wrong motivations and when God allowed me to arrive at a place of total desperation, I chose life.
Can you stop for a moment and really ask yourself, honestly, why am I doing this???? Swimsuit, spouse, gain a spouse, promotion at work, new wardrobe, just want to........nothing wrong with that, but often those variables REALLY don't change our weight LONG TERM or we wouldn't be where we are. RIGHT??? In reality - the motivating factor for success has to come from a deep LONGING within each us to be healthy. But, we cannot get to that truth UNLESS we come to a true realization that health is not an option. I read an article a couple of years ago that stated for every 10 pounds we carry above our normal weight, we must subtract so many years off the end of our life. YIKES. I forget the ratio - but it was alarming. I don't want my grand babies to be without their Nina. :)
Let's together, as a family, embrace TOTAL health, and NOT merely appearance (although that is certainly a bi-product of healthy living). I'm in - how about you?
Much love, PK
Have some testimonies to share:
Jeff and Julie are closing out 5 weeks and are at -26 and -25 respectively.
Anthony is down 102 pounds.
Cheryl has completed this Phase 2 round and is elated to be so much closer to her goal of 100 by her health birthday.
Another man Chip is working with has also lost about 45 pounds in his first round, his family was worried because he lost so much weight so quickly, his brother-in-law heard some bad news about HCG, and they all pressed him to see a doctor. WELL.....after being tested stem to stern, his report came back and the doctor told him to FRAME THE REPORT as he was the healthiest he'd been while under his care. :)
Victory dance, victory dance, victory dance. Nana - nana - boo -boo obesity - we don't need you - you're not welcome in our homes - and you're not keeping us from being all God desires for us to be!
Now, just a quick word of encouragement this morning....
Have you ever really asked yourself WHY you want to loose weight? What's the real motive?? My real objective was desperation to live. BUT, I wanted to overcome depression, sleep better, stop hurting, look better in my clothes. YES - at the bottom level of the pyramid was appearance - but that wasn't the motivating factor. After coming off phase 2 the first time and having lost 30 pounds, I became acutely aware that I LOVED being healthy. When my first doctor's report was SOOOO much improved, it sparked something in me to REALLY say "I choose life." I had given up. My reason for sharing this story again (some of you know this about me) is because I know some of you struggle with being "on" one day and "off" the next. I am not the food Nazi. I am not your conscience. I am just someone who knows where you are and loves you! But I also want to ask you to really examine your motivation.
Are you really trying to loose weight to please someone else? Maybe you feel your spouse would love you more if you looked differently? Loving someone is not about what they look like - period. Please don't be trapped by that! Are you trying because you want to prove to others you can finally bring your life to a place of discipline. Give it up! The REAL bottom-line answer is we choose LIFE for US! Being motivated by anything else will probably mean one day "on" and one day "off." Maybe you're different, but I tried all the wrong motivations and when God allowed me to arrive at a place of total desperation, I chose life.
Can you stop for a moment and really ask yourself, honestly, why am I doing this???? Swimsuit, spouse, gain a spouse, promotion at work, new wardrobe, just want to........nothing wrong with that, but often those variables REALLY don't change our weight LONG TERM or we wouldn't be where we are. RIGHT??? In reality - the motivating factor for success has to come from a deep LONGING within each us to be healthy. But, we cannot get to that truth UNLESS we come to a true realization that health is not an option. I read an article a couple of years ago that stated for every 10 pounds we carry above our normal weight, we must subtract so many years off the end of our life. YIKES. I forget the ratio - but it was alarming. I don't want my grand babies to be without their Nina. :)
Let's together, as a family, embrace TOTAL health, and NOT merely appearance (although that is certainly a bi-product of healthy living). I'm in - how about you?
Much love, PK
Friday, February 3, 2012
February 3, 2012
Hey gang - only 1 day away from a BIG party weekend where pizza will be flowing and all the world drinking soda (adult and regular - wink). I have, in previous blogs, sent an almond flour as well as cauliflower pizza recipe. Both are yummy. However, is going to a party and no time to bake, eat a slice of thin-crust pizza, with some veggies, a big salad, some fruit, and a Zevia. Those are pretty good choices. I am working on almond flour tortillas but they are not ready yet. Sorry, Mexican will have to wait a month or so. :)
At my health birthday party, someone brought Zevia is these flavors: cola, lemon/lime (Sprite), ginger ale, black cherry, and root beer (which was the yummiest thing, as I normally don't like root beer). They said Publix carries some of these, but I have only found the cola, root beer and black cherry at Kroger - not Publix. Anybody got a little secret info on some stash? I love these - they are pricy - but for a treat or a party - worth it. But as I say now when purchasing expensive fruits or things I need for my health, "I'm worth it." And......the money I used to shell out for prescriptions, I now put towards WATERMELON! YUM! Can someone help a girl out with the "20" on some gingerale Zevia????
Here's another shopping tip from someone in the fam:
I wanted to pass along to the family about a great deal I found tonight. This week Publix has Swanson chicken stock on sale 2 for $4. However, at my Publix in Tyrone they have $1.00 off coupons at the front which makes the chicken stock $1.00 each for 32oz size which is a great deal.
Thanks for passing along!!
deena
Love this! I am going later today and stock up (get it???). :) I am tired and goofy and the day is early. Chicken stock is at the base of A LOT of my recipes right now and Swanson is fabulous! Thanks, Deena.
I am cooking a turkey breast in the crock pot for the weekend. My husband LOVES this. I slice a large apple or two as well as a couple of sweet onions around the turkey breast (as well as a little chick stock so the meat doesn't stick as I am adding no oil), sprinkle the breast with some sea salt, some cracked black pepper and lots or tarragon. The aroma will fill my house and bring a SMILE!!! I cook for about 6 hours until the meat comes off the bone. (the tarragon gives the meat a sweet flavor). I will cook some cabbage in chicken stock (thanks Deena) with some Montreal Steak Seasoning for a YUMMY meal!
Isn't this fun? Please share your testimonies, recipes, and sales for yummies so we may all celebrate and benefit. I look forward to hearing from you daily. Enjoy the weekend - go to the parties - be the trendsetter - and get up Monday with a smile knowing you did it RIGHT. :) PK
At my health birthday party, someone brought Zevia is these flavors: cola, lemon/lime (Sprite), ginger ale, black cherry, and root beer (which was the yummiest thing, as I normally don't like root beer). They said Publix carries some of these, but I have only found the cola, root beer and black cherry at Kroger - not Publix. Anybody got a little secret info on some stash? I love these - they are pricy - but for a treat or a party - worth it. But as I say now when purchasing expensive fruits or things I need for my health, "I'm worth it." And......the money I used to shell out for prescriptions, I now put towards WATERMELON! YUM! Can someone help a girl out with the "20" on some gingerale Zevia????
Here's another shopping tip from someone in the fam:
I wanted to pass along to the family about a great deal I found tonight. This week Publix has Swanson chicken stock on sale 2 for $4. However, at my Publix in Tyrone they have $1.00 off coupons at the front which makes the chicken stock $1.00 each for 32oz size which is a great deal.
Thanks for passing along!!
deena
Love this! I am going later today and stock up (get it???). :) I am tired and goofy and the day is early. Chicken stock is at the base of A LOT of my recipes right now and Swanson is fabulous! Thanks, Deena.
I am cooking a turkey breast in the crock pot for the weekend. My husband LOVES this. I slice a large apple or two as well as a couple of sweet onions around the turkey breast (as well as a little chick stock so the meat doesn't stick as I am adding no oil), sprinkle the breast with some sea salt, some cracked black pepper and lots or tarragon. The aroma will fill my house and bring a SMILE!!! I cook for about 6 hours until the meat comes off the bone. (the tarragon gives the meat a sweet flavor). I will cook some cabbage in chicken stock (thanks Deena) with some Montreal Steak Seasoning for a YUMMY meal!
Isn't this fun? Please share your testimonies, recipes, and sales for yummies so we may all celebrate and benefit. I look forward to hearing from you daily. Enjoy the weekend - go to the parties - be the trendsetter - and get up Monday with a smile knowing you did it RIGHT. :) PK
Thursday, February 2, 2012
February 2, 2012
Good morning to you all,
I know sometimes I sound like a fanatical extremist about our health - YIKES - but I don't want to ever abuse our relationships or friendships. I see myself as a coach who is leading a team of all stars to the OLYMPICS and training can be intense, and fast paced, and hard work. I also have never been one who settles for average. I want our family to "take the gold medal." I want us to press toward the mark as if we are rounding the end of the race, victory is in sight and nothing less than gold medal ahead. I find myself in that position as I close in on my final goal weight.
I always try to be transparent and I shared with my daughter and one of the fam yesterday, I was getting a wee bit tired in this last leg of the journey. I have had several plateaus along this journey right here at the end - it's as if my body is at war with my spirit. (sound familiar?) I tried to reason with myself yesterday that "maybe it's time to go back to maintenance, I'm close enough, I don't want to be OCD about this." Then I told my husband, "that's an old mind set STILL TRYING TO RISE UP but in a different form." I reminded him and me - I am not a quitter, I know what my goal weight has always been, and know the last few steps for all athletes require the most energy. I told my husband - I will stay right to protocol UNTIL I make my goal. Determination pays off - I am down almost a pound this morning and still running toward the finish line. PRIZE in sight.
I want to encourage each of you - if you've made changes at all - GREAT! Even the small changes help. If you've had a change in your attitude toward health - GREAT! Those small changes will not only benefit you, but your children will grow up seeing food differently if you present the whole refueling process differently. And finally, you've hung in here with our fam and embraced the challenge of accountability - GREAT! We REALLY ARE better together. :)
That's all for today from your fanatical coach who desires abundantly FABULOUS things for each of you. Know that God has GREAT things planned for you today and you MATTER to him. PK
I know sometimes I sound like a fanatical extremist about our health - YIKES - but I don't want to ever abuse our relationships or friendships. I see myself as a coach who is leading a team of all stars to the OLYMPICS and training can be intense, and fast paced, and hard work. I also have never been one who settles for average. I want our family to "take the gold medal." I want us to press toward the mark as if we are rounding the end of the race, victory is in sight and nothing less than gold medal ahead. I find myself in that position as I close in on my final goal weight.
I always try to be transparent and I shared with my daughter and one of the fam yesterday, I was getting a wee bit tired in this last leg of the journey. I have had several plateaus along this journey right here at the end - it's as if my body is at war with my spirit. (sound familiar?) I tried to reason with myself yesterday that "maybe it's time to go back to maintenance, I'm close enough, I don't want to be OCD about this." Then I told my husband, "that's an old mind set STILL TRYING TO RISE UP but in a different form." I reminded him and me - I am not a quitter, I know what my goal weight has always been, and know the last few steps for all athletes require the most energy. I told my husband - I will stay right to protocol UNTIL I make my goal. Determination pays off - I am down almost a pound this morning and still running toward the finish line. PRIZE in sight.
I want to encourage each of you - if you've made changes at all - GREAT! Even the small changes help. If you've had a change in your attitude toward health - GREAT! Those small changes will not only benefit you, but your children will grow up seeing food differently if you present the whole refueling process differently. And finally, you've hung in here with our fam and embraced the challenge of accountability - GREAT! We REALLY ARE better together. :)
That's all for today from your fanatical coach who desires abundantly FABULOUS things for each of you. Know that God has GREAT things planned for you today and you MATTER to him. PK
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February 1, 2012
Good morning to all,
How many of you know that changing a habit takes intentionality and time? Sometimes addictions can be broken instantaneously, but more often there is a weaning and fighting for freedom. Sometimes I wonder if the struggle for health is worth the effort for a lot of people. I really wonder if they see only the top of the iceberg and never really connect with the fact that danger lies just below the water. When the sea men spotted the iceberg that sank the Titanic - it was tooo late. We need the truth about what lies beneath the surface of our skin to help force us into a change pattern BEFORE it's too late. But eating correctly takes a lot of effort and sometimes we are not watching for the "iceberg" as we should be!
It's so easy to hit the drive thru as opposed to cooking. Isn't it? Or, grab a store bought dessert as opposed to baking something nutritious. But how many of you know that bad eating is like playing Russian Roulette??? Eventually, bad choices lead to a bad ending and SOMETIMES something drastic - like a heart attack - occurs and our eyes are opened to the need for change. But sometimes, that late response leaves long-term damage. YIKES! Sometimes, the fear of death, alone, gives us the courage to change. (as in my case) My prayer for each of us is that we are making the correct changes now and not trying to deal with the consequences later. The question is not IF - the question is WHEN. Let's be honest. I struggled with pain in my body, fatty organs that were struggling to LIVE, and depression for being a failure in the area of health. Fighting for my freedom was TOUGH - not gonna lie - but fighting to not return to my old habits was HARDER! But I kept choosing - one month, another month, another month. NOW........much easier, but I still have to choose. I can always return to the life of wrong foods - that's my choice. But for me, that choice leads to death. I choose life!
We must remember - God allows us to choose life or death. That is a multi-level choice. In the area of health, we cannot say we choose life and every other day choose death (wrong food choices that we know don't promote health), we cannot be on and off with our eating habits, especially the older we get. We cannot. My doctor continued to urge me to "just loose TEN pounds." That was like a million to me. Breaking the habit to run to food was a challenge, but today the "pain" of restructuring and forcing myself to choose life is paying off. Keep fighting - keep living today correctly and make yourself live tomorrow correctly as well. Pack your own food for the super bowl party, buy yourself a new shirt instead of chocolate for Valentine's Day and LOVE yourself enough to suffer for a season and BREAK some habits that lead to a place none of us wants to go! PK
How many of you know that changing a habit takes intentionality and time? Sometimes addictions can be broken instantaneously, but more often there is a weaning and fighting for freedom. Sometimes I wonder if the struggle for health is worth the effort for a lot of people. I really wonder if they see only the top of the iceberg and never really connect with the fact that danger lies just below the water. When the sea men spotted the iceberg that sank the Titanic - it was tooo late. We need the truth about what lies beneath the surface of our skin to help force us into a change pattern BEFORE it's too late. But eating correctly takes a lot of effort and sometimes we are not watching for the "iceberg" as we should be!
It's so easy to hit the drive thru as opposed to cooking. Isn't it? Or, grab a store bought dessert as opposed to baking something nutritious. But how many of you know that bad eating is like playing Russian Roulette??? Eventually, bad choices lead to a bad ending and SOMETIMES something drastic - like a heart attack - occurs and our eyes are opened to the need for change. But sometimes, that late response leaves long-term damage. YIKES! Sometimes, the fear of death, alone, gives us the courage to change. (as in my case) My prayer for each of us is that we are making the correct changes now and not trying to deal with the consequences later. The question is not IF - the question is WHEN. Let's be honest. I struggled with pain in my body, fatty organs that were struggling to LIVE, and depression for being a failure in the area of health. Fighting for my freedom was TOUGH - not gonna lie - but fighting to not return to my old habits was HARDER! But I kept choosing - one month, another month, another month. NOW........much easier, but I still have to choose. I can always return to the life of wrong foods - that's my choice. But for me, that choice leads to death. I choose life!
We must remember - God allows us to choose life or death. That is a multi-level choice. In the area of health, we cannot say we choose life and every other day choose death (wrong food choices that we know don't promote health), we cannot be on and off with our eating habits, especially the older we get. We cannot. My doctor continued to urge me to "just loose TEN pounds." That was like a million to me. Breaking the habit to run to food was a challenge, but today the "pain" of restructuring and forcing myself to choose life is paying off. Keep fighting - keep living today correctly and make yourself live tomorrow correctly as well. Pack your own food for the super bowl party, buy yourself a new shirt instead of chocolate for Valentine's Day and LOVE yourself enough to suffer for a season and BREAK some habits that lead to a place none of us wants to go! PK
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