November 13, 2012 - Thanks!

GM all, I am so excited to be sitting in Brentwood, Tn right outside Nashville this morning looking at a thick layer of frost on the car - THICK! It really feels like winter here. I made some God connections yesterday and will wait to see what doors God opens. I have told him for years, "I'm available." Having said that - God has always held me to my word. He has moved me and done things in my life I never imagined. I always tell people, "if you're available to God, you can count on the ride of your life." Sometimes those changes were not easy, but I know God shifted me as He needed to. My heart is always to please him. I thought about this morning the EXTREME value of being in a group who are walking the same path, understanding the day to day issues that challenge each of us, and knowing that we are better TOGETHER. I don't tell you enough - THANKS! Thanks for being my friends and helping me choose health when my whole life I have aways lost my way SOMEWHERE. Thanks for sharing your recipes and insight with a girl who gets bored easily and always looks for the "next thing." Thanks for the hugs, smiles, and "gritting teeth" experiences we have shared. God knew I needed a group in order to experience life-long success and He sent me you. Thank you, God! Now, as we are planning our FAMILY dinners for next week let's challenge each other. Have we planned foods that are healthy, foods that taste good, foods that will allow us to enjoy the holidays WITHOUT GUILT? God doesn't want us to be guilty. Jesus came to bring freedom to our lives. Remember Galatians 5:1??? Let's refresh our hearts and make that declaration as we approach next week. Don't plan to cheat - plan to eat healthy. Don't plan to fail - create a great plan that excludes the possibility of failure. Don't allow family to coax you into a place of compromise - know what you believe and have YOUR healthy options close. (even in the movie theatre) Love to you all - heading off the mountain soon. Gotta run, PK

Thank You to the Veterans

This weekend was filled with "giving honor where honor is due." Many men and women have boldly defended the freedoms that sometimes I take for granted. (I repent!) As we had our veterans stand yesterday in church so the congregation could honor them, I felt a real tugging on my heart and a sense of honor. I was proud of their accomplishments and sacrifice. I doubt I will ever fully comprehend their journey, but I am proud that I live in a country where they were willing to take a risk for me and so many others they would never know. There is really something to fighting for freedom. I would imagine in non-war times the preparations for war are not AS intense, but our military still prepares - there's combat simulations, PT, and all the educational experiences to become proficient with the latest technology. While war may not be occurring, the threat is always a reality. For us on our health journey, this should serve as a reminder that we must always remain alert and be prepared. Sometimes internal weaknesses in our bodies can lay quietly for years without our attention. Poor diet, lack of exercise and improper rest can actually be aiding the illness in its silent development. Then, at a most inopportune time, the "enemy" surfaces - like a military submarine under the water lurking. Our response is often fear - and rightly so. All creation houses a desire for LIFE. I don't know TOOOOO many people, or animals, that when confronted with death give up without a struggle. A desire to live resides within us all. But again, when the submarine emerges and we are unprepared, our options may be limited. I like the proactive approach - how about you? We KNOW that food and water, exercise and rest are our best weapons against poor health. We KNOW that; however, sometimes we forget or we get tired of doing what is right. For our military, I am certain PT at 5:30am (without being at war) is not pleasant - but being physically fit at the exact moment needed IS! The submarine of disease is always lurking, but we have our own weapons and victory strategy. Let's stay on top of being physically fit and remember - preparing for a battle with the enemy standing over you is too late. The outcome of that encounter requires a miracle. Yes, we KNOW a miracle maker, but let's do our part to always be prepared. Have an amazing day, PK

November 8, 2012 - The Smell of Victory

I have been thinking about Thanksgiving morning and my favorite part: the smell of Tom Turkey baking in the oven. To me, there are not many scents that fill the entire house - every inch - and are proud of it. When I think of that scent, I immediately travel to past years of family mornings of watching the Parade by the fire - and that scent; of setting the table with baby turkeys and pumpkins - and that scent; of watching my father carve the bird delicately collecting the skin that we fought over as children - AND THAT SCENT! I was thinking about how powerful that fragrance and ALL the memories that flood my soul are. They are so real to me, and yet fifty years old. Sometimes I will make a turkey breast and I am convinced that I JUST NEED THE SMELL. There are places in our lives where we experienced JOY, family, happy memories, peace. Where is that for you? That's my happy place. Along our freedom journey, there are going to be times when giving up may seem easy. Returning to the prison of obesity may seem to be the only "easy" thing to do. When you have those days, can you find a place, a scent and family tradition (not related to food) that brings a smile and releases some endorphins? Sometimes we must remember the good and the victorious spots and we must encourage OURSELVES that life is GOOD. Negativity and failure seem to suck the LIFE from our will to be free. Then, the excuses begin to flow. I challenge each of us to be real - there will be bumps, daily, but as long as we continue to do what's right in the face of wrong options.........we win. God told Cain that sin was crouching at the door, but he simply needed to do what was right. I like to remind people that making excuses for weaknesses means you get to keep them. ALL of us have temptations and weaknesses, but our response on a consistent basis, is the real hope. SOMETIMES, when I am weak, it's critical that I stop and remind myself that I have experienced victory on many occasions. I go to my "happy place" and gain strength. Sometimes we need to light a candle that reminds us of Christmas morning and smile. Life throws hard things and we can get consumed. Stop and find the thing that makes you smile and remember the good - stop focusing on the failure. Put the cookie down and grab and apple. Burn the candle and make a new sensation connection. Our minds and memories are amazing. I challenge you today, no matter where you are on your journey, find the victory slots and smile. The releasing of endorphins will help you feel good about yourself and that is usually enough of the boost we need to drink another 8 and eat the apple. wink Choose life this day and eat to live, PK

November 7, 2012 - SEED-TIME-AND -HARVEST

Just a follow-up to yesterday's blog (if you didn't read it yet - probably should read it first): I wanted to point out that once a seed has been planted (you make a commitment to follow a healthy eating plan) you must nurture that seed as it's roots FIGHT for their space in the ground - in uncharted territory in the hopes of producing fruit. (evidence that the TRUTH has taken root) Just because we "desire" to loose weight, doesn't mean we really will do whatever it takes to be healthy. Right? If our REAL heart is to be healthy, then we will do whatever to protect the seed (the new plan) and eliminate as many variables of opposition as possible. SO hard isn't it???? Yes.........there are the storms of life that come to uproot the seed and pull us away from the goal of positive life change! And it is hard, BUT IF WE ARE CONSISTENT AND PATIENT, and if we stick with the plan long enough against all odds, there is a GREAT chance that a harvest of life will come. A seed (a new life style) is placed in a cold, dark environment and then fights to push it's roots down into the soil DEEP enough to sustain the ability to produce life-giving fruit. I am sure the little seed struggles - wants to quit - fails on occasion........BUT, eventually fights for it's purpose and in time produces a harvest. That's us! We must realize the work it takes to produce a life change. It doesn't happen overnight nor without opposition, but if we keep PRESSING and reaching into a DEEP place within our resolve, it can happen. We talked at work yesterday - NO DIET - ONLY REAL Life Change. So keep allowing this life-change journey to take REAL hold of your heart and mind. Embrace the concept that it's NO LONGER a seed, but a real change and you cannot keep changing seeds. (seeds=every new fad under the sun) Eating healthy has it's challenges but in the long run, over coming those obstacles produces a beautiful, colorful "life" that gives life to others. Hope you see the analogy this morning. Gotta run - loving you........PK

November 6, 2012 - Tune Your Ears.

I have been especially stirred of late as several of you have contacted me with a "cry from your heart" that somewhere you opened a door or gave over to temptation and have gained a lot, if not most, of your weight back. I totally understand - been there and done that! We must be reminded that Satan desires to sift us (test, test, and test again) to break us down and eventually have his way. Do any of you remember baking with your grandmothers? My Nanny had a sifter and we would place flour in there and sift it sometimes 3-4 times so that it was broken down into fine pieces and she could make it do as she wished. Get that picture in your mind. Remember the Bible teaches that satan comes only but to kill, steal, and destroy. He has the same agenda every day and never grows weary of the plan - back into the sifter we go. For me, my weight was such a HUGE component through which I filtered everything. Not being able to zip my pants = a bad day. Gaining 6 pounds in one month = a bad month. Looking at the fatness of my face in photos = a look at failure and a stab in my heart AGAIN. Anybody been there? I totally understand your frustration and still face that myself on occasion. Let me encourage you, as I told someone last week, CONGRATULATIONS for reaching out to someone and admitting you've gained weight. I always tried to hide and make jokes about being a failure. It became easier to laugh at obesity than try ONE MORE TIME to conquer it! I HEAR you..........but my heart wants to bring you hope. Let's ask God where the breech is and let's repair that. We need to determine why you gained weight and fix that issue. Is it sugar? Is it lack of prep? Is it boredom? Is it an issue with saying "no"? These are fixable issues. I promise. Proverbs 2 holds the key I believe: The Benefits of Wisdom 1 My child,* listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. 2 Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. 3 Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. 4 Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. 5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. 8 He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. 9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. 11 Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Here's what the Lord showed me this morning - some have their stations on the wrong frequency. Tune your ears back to the truth! Somewhere along the way, the "truth frequencies" got bumped, stifled, confused, whatever.......YOU MUST TUNE IT BACK. Ever been in a car where it's not "quite" on the station - close but not quite? Sometimes we can find ourselves there - close but not really. We KNOW WHAT TO DO, but sometimes another frequency (voice) questions our truth and unless we become so fixed on the TRUTH - we question it ourselves! Then, when we begin to gain weight it's a truth check. We must TUNE OUR EARS back to wisdom. I don't believe it's a one time event either.......sorry. And the word YOU means no one can do that but us. :) So, as we enter the holiday gauntlet, let's tune our ears to truth and remember food is simply for refueling. Don't make it more than it is! Look at verse 10 above - when wisdom is TUNED back into our heart (follow the plan) then knowledge (truth) will fill us with JOY. Is a piece of chocolate cake worth the feeling of failure the day after? Tune your ears to wisdom that says healthy foods will give you long life and chocolate cake will steal it. That's JOY. Are you tuned in? PK

November 5, 2012 - Keep It Simple

Good morning to you all, I am resting from a LONG couple of months - pjs on, coffee cup warm, and movies about to start. I need to REST my brain. Do you ever need to REST your brain??? If not, pray for me, it could be my age. (wink) Last night's Life Group was amazing - we won't meet again until January! Linda wowed us with several salads, some baked pears and a little chocolate ball made with chia flour. YUM! Linda, we're gonna be like you when we grow up. We also had breakfast frittatas and cheesy garlic biscuits for Christmas breakfast and a yummy dessert pizza. Hope in January some of your schedules will open up and you can join us once a month with a dish and a smile. :) I was reminded last night, as we were discussing alternatives for sweets at Christmas parties, that we cannot over eat simply because what we eat is healthy. We also have to remember that portion size helps the scale to be "our friend" during the morning weigh-ins. Yes? But most importantly, we have to remember that processed foods contain things we cannot pronounce and probably have no idea what they do in our bodies. Pricilla said last night, "so, I guess I'm gonna have to cook." YEP - that's really a major component in this journey. I know that those of us who work are pressed for time, but simple meals work - they really do. Life Group is our time to explore fun foods for weekends and events, but the day-to-day eating regimen can be very simple. I like to cook 6-8 pieces of chicken, 6 turkey patties (or whatever meat is on sale that's lean), and veggies, as well as cut up various vegetables once a week and get them in baggies for my lunch and dinners. I can always add a fruit or steam another veggie and be really happy. If I'm lighting the grill, I'm loading the grill! After my movie I am making clam sauce to go on top of my spaghetti squash and I will top with some fresh grated parmesan reggiano cheese. Yum, yum, and yum! Are you struggling with keeping things simple? Being healthy is about refueling not grueling hours of prep. Let your natural foods provide the nutrition and you provide some creativity and wow - amazing combo. Now that's a recipe for success. I would encourage you to stray from so many products that are processed and choose whole foods as often as possible. Peel and eat - SIMPLE! Talk again tomorrow - going to peel some jicama and follow my own advise. :) PK

November 1, 2012 - It Takes Time

Okay, we cleared one hurdle - got through Halloween. How did you do? Did you get through the day sugar free? :) If not, today is a new day in a new month. Ask God to show you the balance needed. Perhaps you can have sugar and starch in limited amounts. That is awesome! Each of us knows where our triggers are and each of us should be using regular blood tests to determine the internal health of our bodies. Gotta remember, just because your clothes fit doesn't mean you're the healthiest you can be. People who are skinny can have high cholesterol. Right? Being healthy is composed of several elements and zipping our jeans is only one of those. wink I was thinking about how busy our lives get and sometimes I wonder if people are not healthy because it takes TIME TO BE HEALTHY. I wish it didn't, but it does. Someone asked me last night about this and all I know to say is I was desperate to live. (sometimes I sound like my Iphone on repeat) I think people really expected that within a few months I would be back at the obese stage again. I can understand why they would think that. But as I have started to really LIVE this life, not because of HCG or loosing weight, but out of a real love for health, I realized that one component is critical in the success of this journey...........TIME. It takes TIME to shop and find the healthiest foods, as well as TIME to explore different things so we don't get bored with the eating plan. (a 100 calorie snack bar is easy - full of sugar and processed flour, but easy) It takes TIME to stop and drink water all day. It takes TIME to prepare and cook real foods. It takes TIME at a restaurant to examine the menu, ask for modifications, and choose the healthy items. It takes TIME to go for a walk. Come on........this JOURNEY takes TIME. But let me remind us.........we make TIME for the things important to us. I spend hours on Sunday and Monday preparing foods for lunches and quick-fix dinners after a long day at work. I try at least once a week to prepare something special for my grand daughter who will be 10 soon and has lost over 20 pounds recently choosing to eat healthy. This takes TIME - it would be easier to buy a bucket of candy. But the candy would lead her back to a place of being diabetic, so I'll give my TIME to assist in her journey. The moral of this morning's blog - being healthy DOES TAKE TIME - but you and I are SOOOO worth it. Where can you take some time from another venture that is not going to allow you to live a full and healthy life? Maybe take one television show a week - perhaps and hour - and give that to your HEALTH. Pull out some of the recipes from Life Group and make those, freeze some and do something wonderful for YOU. I watch some TV too, but not before I prepare my foods and invest my TIME in the future of my health. Have an awesome day! PK