Saturday, August 3, 2013
New Website!
I now have my very own website and will be moving my posts there. Please check out www.faithfoodfit.com for new recipes!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Keen-Wa?
Well folks, I successfully made it through Day 1 of eating clean! And do you know what? I feel good! I say that like I'm shocked. Did I ever really have any doubt that when I started to eat better, I would feel better? It's like one of the "Duh" moments.
I started my day in the kitchen (one of my most favorite places to be). However, even with all the times that I have been in the kitchen experimenting, I have never cooked quinoa. And to be completely honest, I'm not even sure how to correctly pronounce it. I call it keen-wa, because I thought I heard it pronounced like that somewhere before. Regardless of how it is pronounced, there is no denying that this little seed (that's right, through my research I found out it is a seed, rather than a true grain) is full of good nutritional benefits.
You can read more about the health benefits and uses of quinoa in a great article that I found here:
This morning I cooked a big ole pot of quinoa and then I sat there starring at it wondering what I was supposed to do with it. I tried a bite of it, and while it was pretty good, it needed something. I mean, do I add butter and salt and eat it plain like I do brown rice? Do I drown in it some sort of sauce? I started digging through my fridge and pantry looking for anything that I thought might make this quinoa a nice, rounded out meal full of nutritional, clean ingredients. I don't know about you, but I LOVE Mexican food. Pretty much anything with a southwestern flair, I will eat. So, what do I reach for to make my quinoa into a meal rather than a side dish? That's right, fresh veggies and black beans. The end result turned out pretty delicious (I may have taste-tested it while cooking) and I cannot wait until lunch time when I can chow down on my southwestern inspired quinoa. So, let me share with you what I will be having for lunch today and I hope that this will inspire you to try quinoa if you have not tried it before. It is a rather delicious and versatile seed!
Southwestern Quinoa
Ingredients:
1/2 quinoa, cooked
1 tsp. coconut oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 jalepeno, seeded and diced
1/2 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup whole kernel corn, drained
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
First thing I did was cook a large pot of quinoa (1 cup dry quinoa with 2 cups water - cooked according to package instructions). [You will only use 1/2 cup of this for this particular recipe, but I wanted to have enough to keep in my fridge, cooked and ready to use for other recipes.]
This is the quinoa that I used:
I bought it at the local grocery store. It should be pretty easy to find.
When the quinoa is cooked, it will look something like this:
Next, sautee the onion and jalepeno in the coconut oil. When they are just starting to get tender, add tomato, corn, and black beans. It will look something like this:
Doesn't that look delicious and nutritious? Yum!
Sautee veggies together until warmed. Then, add 1/2 cup of the cooked quinoa. Mix all ingredients together and add salt and pepper to taste. I did add about 1/4 cup of water to thin it out a bit and keep it from sticking to the pan.
Serve it up warm with a lime wedge and perhaps a bit of fresh cilantro. And there you have it, a delicious, filling meal for about 325 calories, 15 g protein, and only 3 g of fat.
I cannot wait to get back in the kitchen and see what else I can do with this amazing little seed! More recipes to come, so stay tuned!
Let me leave you this morning with a reminder.
I found this on Pinterest this morning - who doesn't love Pinterest?
I will begin my run training again today. As I restart the long process of trying to get back to where I was a couple of months ago, I know that it is not going to be easy. This verse was a great reminder to me that my Savior has taken all of my burdens and put them on His shoulders so that I no longer have to carry them. All I have to do is to trust Him to lead me and run the race that is ahead of me. I encourage you to do the same.
Love you all. Have a blessed day.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Picking Up the Pieces
Good morning my sweet friends!
I hope life has been treating you well.
I have been on a bit of a hiatus, but I am back now and ready for a new adventure!
A little recap of all that has been going on since last we spoke.
I began running. I never in a million years would have imagined that I would actually enjoy running, but I do! The Couch to 5k program is FANTASTIC!! If you are wanting to begin a running regimen, but don't know where to start, I urge you to download the C25K app on your phone RIGHT NOW! I ran my first ever 5k and finished it in just under 35 minutes. The feeling of accomplishment and sheer joy when I finished was like nothing I have ever experienced.
However, something happened (it's called laziness) and for some reason I just stopped running one day. It has now been about two months since I have had a good run and I have realized that just as quickly as you can pick it up, you can lose it also. I am basically having to start back over from the beginning of my training and it is quite frustrating. I think about where I was a few short months ago and I want to be back there so badly. When I stopped running, my eating habits went downhill and my weight skyrocketed back up.
I say all that to remind you that we all go through ruts. We fall down, and have to pick ourselves back up again. I am in the process of picking myself back up and returning to a life of healthy food choices and exercising. Why? To put it simply, I feel better when I do. I need to put a big sign on my fridge that says "Eat junk, feel like junk." Have you ever noticed that when you eat junk food, you really do feel terrible? Or is it just me? I mean, when I load my body with fatty, processed, unnatural foods, I am sluggish and grumpy and just not a very pleasant person to be around.
My goal is simple. Eat better, move more.
Will you join me on my journey?
I am embarking on this journey with an effort to Eat Clean. For those of you who do not know what eating clean is, it is simply cutting out processed foods and eating more natural, whole, nutritious foods. For those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE to cook and I plan on taking my new Clean Eating adventure into the kitchen to find new delicious and nutritious recipes that I can share with my friends! Eating healthy doesn't have to taste bad. In fact, it should be delicious!
With that, let me share with you what I had for breakfast this morning. My first Clean Eating meal was delicious and I want to share it so you too can learn with me how to make better food choices.
Blueberry Cinnamon Yogurt
The main ingredient, of course, is the yogurt. This is the yogurt that I use:
I hope life has been treating you well.
I have been on a bit of a hiatus, but I am back now and ready for a new adventure!
A little recap of all that has been going on since last we spoke.
I began running. I never in a million years would have imagined that I would actually enjoy running, but I do! The Couch to 5k program is FANTASTIC!! If you are wanting to begin a running regimen, but don't know where to start, I urge you to download the C25K app on your phone RIGHT NOW! I ran my first ever 5k and finished it in just under 35 minutes. The feeling of accomplishment and sheer joy when I finished was like nothing I have ever experienced.
However, something happened (it's called laziness) and for some reason I just stopped running one day. It has now been about two months since I have had a good run and I have realized that just as quickly as you can pick it up, you can lose it also. I am basically having to start back over from the beginning of my training and it is quite frustrating. I think about where I was a few short months ago and I want to be back there so badly. When I stopped running, my eating habits went downhill and my weight skyrocketed back up.
I say all that to remind you that we all go through ruts. We fall down, and have to pick ourselves back up again. I am in the process of picking myself back up and returning to a life of healthy food choices and exercising. Why? To put it simply, I feel better when I do. I need to put a big sign on my fridge that says "Eat junk, feel like junk." Have you ever noticed that when you eat junk food, you really do feel terrible? Or is it just me? I mean, when I load my body with fatty, processed, unnatural foods, I am sluggish and grumpy and just not a very pleasant person to be around.
My goal is simple. Eat better, move more.
Will you join me on my journey?
I am embarking on this journey with an effort to Eat Clean. For those of you who do not know what eating clean is, it is simply cutting out processed foods and eating more natural, whole, nutritious foods. For those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE to cook and I plan on taking my new Clean Eating adventure into the kitchen to find new delicious and nutritious recipes that I can share with my friends! Eating healthy doesn't have to taste bad. In fact, it should be delicious!
With that, let me share with you what I had for breakfast this morning. My first Clean Eating meal was delicious and I want to share it so you too can learn with me how to make better food choices.
Blueberry Cinnamon Yogurt
The main ingredient, of course, is the yogurt. This is the yogurt that I use:
It is nonfat, has one ingredient (cultured milk), no artificial junk, and no sugar. The great thing about this yogurt is you can have a whole cup for only 120 calories.
Next, I added 1 Tbsp. honey. This sweetens the yogurt naturally. No need for refined sugar here, honey is great!
Add 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Cinnamon is so great for you and can help regulate blood sugar.
That's it. Four ingredients. All natural. Less than 230 calories. 27 g protein. 0 g fat. Delicious.
Think of the variations you could make with this. Keep the yogurt, honey, and cinnamon, but change out the blueberries for any other fresh fruit you may have on hand or prefer better. Next time, I may also add a touch of vanilla extract. We'll see. It was pretty darn good just the way I made it this morning.
Praying you all have a blessed day. Remember to get up and move and make healthy choices.
Thanks for joining me on my journey.
See you next time!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Why AdvoCare?
Hello again, friends!
Most of you who know me know that my weight has been an issue pretty much my entire teenage/adult life. The weight started coming on in middle school, probably due to hitting puberty, and it never seems to have stopped. Now that I am 27, however, I can no longer blame my weight on puberty. I have to take responsibility for my actions (or lack thereof) and confess that I have a love of food (unhealthy foods especially) and I have been lazy. That is what has put the weight on. That is what puts the weight on most people. I know that it takes exercise and 'eating right' to take the weight off, but for some reason it seemed easier to sit on the couch watching FRIENDS, while eating Funyuns and M&M's. Let me tell you... that is not the easy road!! It may taste good while it's on your lips, but when you look in that mirror and see yourself bigger than you've ever been, when you cannot find anything in your closet that fits right, it puts a bitter taste in your mouth. At least it did for me. I knew I had to do something and just when I needed it most, a not-so-little company called AdvoCare was introduced in to my life. Many of you may be wondering what exactly AdvoCare is and why I have decided to be a part of this company. I'd like to tell you why I have come to love this company and their products...
A couple of months ago I was introduced to AdvoCare by the mother of one of my second grade students, who is fast becoming a friend and an accountability partner. At this point in time, I was nearing my heaviest weight I had ever been at, I hated to look at myself in the mirror, I had no energy, and I felt just plain gross. I took a chance and joined the AdvoCare family by first trying the 24-day Challenge. This was a big step for me because not only was I making a 24-day commitment to trying something I had never tried before, I had to stretch my finances a little bit in order to do so. After just the first couple of days on the challenge I could already feel such a huge difference! Not just in the fact that my clothes were already starting to fit better, but I felt FANTASTIC! I now had more energy than I had had in a long time and I was up off that couch being active again. At the end of my 24-Day Challenge, I had lost a total of 7 inches (3 of those inches were off my waist)! That is huge! I now had faith in the AdvoCare company and the products, so I signed on to be an Independent Distributor. My aim is to encourage you to take back control of your life and your health like I have done!
AdvoCare was founded in 1993 with 10 guiding principles " that guide our direction and are the basis of our success".
Honor God through our faith, family and friends.
Respect and strengthen the family.
Believe in the dignity and the importance of the individual.
Create a standard of excellence recognized as superior by the direct sales industry.
Believe that honor, integrity and principles are the foundation of a great life and company.
Commit to mutual loyalty and trust between AdvoCare and its Distributors.
Establish and continually improve the vehicle of opportunity and the pursuit of financial freedom for all AdvoCare Distributors.
Commit to ongoing personal growth and development through professional training and educational programs.
Build self-esteem by promoting a sense of personal worth among all people.
Continually expand our market by providing the most effective and highest quality products and service available.
AdvoCare products are high-quality products that have been featured on shows such as Dr. Oz and are backed by the Scientific & Medical Advisory Board. AdvoCare also has a "strategic alliance with INFORMED-CHOICE to certify our products are banned-substance free".
As we began 2013 and were trying to recover from the holidays and the overeating, I decided to do another 24-Day Challenge. The first 10 days of the challenge are a cleanse and I felt this would be a good way to help rid my body of the junk that I should not have eaten over the holidays and to help get me back in the swing of exercising and eating better. I am currently on Day 12 of the challenge, right at half way through it. I have lost a total of 8 pounds so far and am feeling great! I do not crave sweets nearly as much as I did before (I have a major sweet tooth), I am not as hungry all the time, and I find myself looking for ways to be more active (and actually enjoying exercise)! I believe in taking control of my health. I believe that it is a conscious choice that you have to make. I believe in this company!!
Some of my favorite products:
I love Spark!! It is probably my favorite product! Vitamins and minerals that give you energy in a great tasting drink with no sugar and only 45 calories?! Heck yes! It's awesome! My favorite flavors are Pink Lemonade and Fruit Punch.
MNS Vitamin Packs have all the vitamins you need for one day in a convenient pack that you can take with you.
Catalyst is great taken before a workout! It helps to protect your muscle and forces your body to burn the fat instead.
The Meal Replacement Shakes are great if you need to have a quick breakfast on the go. Great tasting and loaded with protein that leaves you feeling full and satisfied.
The Fiber Drink Packets help to relieve that bloated feeling that we sometimes get.
Can You 24 Workout DVD is one of the best that I have ever used! It gives you an option of working at three different levels and your workout is only 24 minutes long! It combines cardio and strengthening exercises for an awesome full-body workout!
SPECIAL OFFER:
Because I would like to help you get control of your health and introduce you to the AdvoCare products, I would like to offer you a 15% DISCOUNT off your first AdvoCare purchase from me if you mention this post. If you would like more details, please email me at lindsay.thomps@yahoo.com.
Please click on the link below to look around my personal AdvoCare website.
My AdvoCare Website
Most of you who know me know that my weight has been an issue pretty much my entire teenage/adult life. The weight started coming on in middle school, probably due to hitting puberty, and it never seems to have stopped. Now that I am 27, however, I can no longer blame my weight on puberty. I have to take responsibility for my actions (or lack thereof) and confess that I have a love of food (unhealthy foods especially) and I have been lazy. That is what has put the weight on. That is what puts the weight on most people. I know that it takes exercise and 'eating right' to take the weight off, but for some reason it seemed easier to sit on the couch watching FRIENDS, while eating Funyuns and M&M's. Let me tell you... that is not the easy road!! It may taste good while it's on your lips, but when you look in that mirror and see yourself bigger than you've ever been, when you cannot find anything in your closet that fits right, it puts a bitter taste in your mouth. At least it did for me. I knew I had to do something and just when I needed it most, a not-so-little company called AdvoCare was introduced in to my life. Many of you may be wondering what exactly AdvoCare is and why I have decided to be a part of this company. I'd like to tell you why I have come to love this company and their products...
A couple of months ago I was introduced to AdvoCare by the mother of one of my second grade students, who is fast becoming a friend and an accountability partner. At this point in time, I was nearing my heaviest weight I had ever been at, I hated to look at myself in the mirror, I had no energy, and I felt just plain gross. I took a chance and joined the AdvoCare family by first trying the 24-day Challenge. This was a big step for me because not only was I making a 24-day commitment to trying something I had never tried before, I had to stretch my finances a little bit in order to do so. After just the first couple of days on the challenge I could already feel such a huge difference! Not just in the fact that my clothes were already starting to fit better, but I felt FANTASTIC! I now had more energy than I had had in a long time and I was up off that couch being active again. At the end of my 24-Day Challenge, I had lost a total of 7 inches (3 of those inches were off my waist)! That is huge! I now had faith in the AdvoCare company and the products, so I signed on to be an Independent Distributor. My aim is to encourage you to take back control of your life and your health like I have done!
AdvoCare was founded in 1993 with 10 guiding principles " that guide our direction and are the basis of our success".
AdvoCare products are high-quality products that have been featured on shows such as Dr. Oz and are backed by the Scientific & Medical Advisory Board. AdvoCare also has a "strategic alliance with INFORMED-CHOICE to certify our products are banned-substance free".
As we began 2013 and were trying to recover from the holidays and the overeating, I decided to do another 24-Day Challenge. The first 10 days of the challenge are a cleanse and I felt this would be a good way to help rid my body of the junk that I should not have eaten over the holidays and to help get me back in the swing of exercising and eating better. I am currently on Day 12 of the challenge, right at half way through it. I have lost a total of 8 pounds so far and am feeling great! I do not crave sweets nearly as much as I did before (I have a major sweet tooth), I am not as hungry all the time, and I find myself looking for ways to be more active (and actually enjoying exercise)! I believe in taking control of my health. I believe that it is a conscious choice that you have to make. I believe in this company!!
Some of my favorite products:
I love Spark!! It is probably my favorite product! Vitamins and minerals that give you energy in a great tasting drink with no sugar and only 45 calories?! Heck yes! It's awesome! My favorite flavors are Pink Lemonade and Fruit Punch.
MNS Vitamin Packs have all the vitamins you need for one day in a convenient pack that you can take with you.
Catalyst is great taken before a workout! It helps to protect your muscle and forces your body to burn the fat instead.
The Meal Replacement Shakes are great if you need to have a quick breakfast on the go. Great tasting and loaded with protein that leaves you feeling full and satisfied.
The Fiber Drink Packets help to relieve that bloated feeling that we sometimes get.
Can You 24 Workout DVD is one of the best that I have ever used! It gives you an option of working at three different levels and your workout is only 24 minutes long! It combines cardio and strengthening exercises for an awesome full-body workout!
SPECIAL OFFER:
Because I would like to help you get control of your health and introduce you to the AdvoCare products, I would like to offer you a 15% DISCOUNT off your first AdvoCare purchase from me if you mention this post. If you would like more details, please email me at lindsay.thomps@yahoo.com.
Please click on the link below to look around my personal AdvoCare website.
My AdvoCare Website
Thursday, January 10, 2013
One Day At A Time
Hello, my friends! Well, once again I have let almost another year slip by without writing and sharing my thoughts. I hope to change that, but as I do not have internet at the house again it will be a little more difficult. Life just gets going at about a hundred miles per hour and I forget to sit down and share what is on my mind.
Let me first update you on what is going on in my life at the moment:
I now teach 2nd grade at a local Christian school. It has been such a wonderful experience so far and I have learned a lot about teaching, my students, and myself.
I am also now an Independent Distributor for AdvoCare, a company that sells nutritional supplements and products. I love the company and everything they have to offer!
I hope that each of you had a fantastic holiday season. I was able to enjoy some quality time with friends and family, which is something that I love! Welcome to 2013. It is hard to believe that yet another year has gone by. What are some of your resolutions? Here are a few of mine: (1) Travel to a new place I have never been, (2) Read 24 new books [that equals out to about 2 per month], (3) Read the entire Old Testament.
Each year, millions of people make resolutions to lose weight or get healthier. Is this a bad resolution to have? Not necessarily. I think that we should absolutely focus on our health. However, we have to remember that we need to set goals for ourselves that are attainable because if we do not, chances are we will break our resolution almost before it even starts. Not only this, but many times people expect their weight loss to be an overnight phenomenon. Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you this friend, but it definitely does not happen overnight. There are many diets out there that claim to make you lose weight without exercise or by allowing you to eat the same way you have always eaten. Hellllloooooo....... it is not exercising and eating junk that got you here in the first place! How do you expect to keep doing the same exact thing and see fantastic results? You can't! Sorry, but that's the truth. The truth is that it is not a diet that works, it is a change in lifestyle. Does this mean that you cannot have chocolate or pizza? Of course not. Every now and then, treat yourself to the piece of chocolate. Just do not eat the whole bag. Enjoy a slice of pizza. But don't eat the whole thing.
My weight has been up and down my entire teenage/adult life. I have tried diet after diet. Did any of them work. Sure they did. For a time. But as soon as I stopped following them, I gained back the weight I had lost, plus some extra. I had to make a decision not just to try a fad diet, but to change my lifestyle and the way I eat and move around on a day to day basis.
I'd like to share some tips that have helped me recently:
1) Don't expect it to happen overnight. It is a gradual process that I promise is worth the weight and effort you put in to it.
2) Don't deprive yourself of anything. If you want a piece of chocolate, enjoy a small piece of it, but don't binge on it.
3) Have an accountability partner. It is always easier if you have someone you can talk to about your challenges or your successes. Plus, it is more fun to workout with someone. I find that it helps me to push myself further than if I were working out alone.
4) Make your goals attainable. If you vow to yourself that you are going to lose 30 pounds in a week, sorry to tell you, but you're probably not going to meet that goal.
5) Celebrate small successes. Rather than looking at it as only losing 5 pounds, celebrate that 5 pounds. One pound of fat is equal to about 3,500 calories. This means that to lose that 5 pounds, you cut your calorie intake or upped your calories burned (or both) by 17,500 calories. That's huge! If you only wait until big accomplishments to celebrate, chances are you will get discouraged and quit.
6) Move it! Move it! Move it! Find exercises and activities that you enjoy. If you are doing a workout that you do not like, then the chances of you sticking to that workout are slim. Also, change things up and don't do the same thing every day or your body will get used to it.
7) Remember that God has given us each one body that we are to take care of while we are on this earth. If you have read my blog before you know that some of my favorite verses come from 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, which reminds us "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." In the days when this was written, a temple was a holy place that was used to worship our Lord. We need to treat our bodies as such, as pleasing to our Father and that honors Him in all that we do with it and put into it.
8) Do not let the number on the scale define you or dictate your mood for the rest of the day. This was a big one for me to overcome. If that number on my scale was bigger than I wanted it, if it had gone up, or hadn't gone down as much as I thought it should have then I would sometimes let that affect my mood for the rest of the day. This is wrong because we are more than a number on a scale. In order to remind myself of this, I wrote a note and taped it to my scale and each time I go to step on the scale I am reminded not to let one little number ruin my entire day.
Remember that we are a work in progress. Every day brings new blessings and new challenges and every single day is different. Just remember to take things one day at a time and that God has made you in His image.
Let me first update you on what is going on in my life at the moment:
I now teach 2nd grade at a local Christian school. It has been such a wonderful experience so far and I have learned a lot about teaching, my students, and myself.
I am also now an Independent Distributor for AdvoCare, a company that sells nutritional supplements and products. I love the company and everything they have to offer!
I hope that each of you had a fantastic holiday season. I was able to enjoy some quality time with friends and family, which is something that I love! Welcome to 2013. It is hard to believe that yet another year has gone by. What are some of your resolutions? Here are a few of mine: (1) Travel to a new place I have never been, (2) Read 24 new books [that equals out to about 2 per month], (3) Read the entire Old Testament.
Each year, millions of people make resolutions to lose weight or get healthier. Is this a bad resolution to have? Not necessarily. I think that we should absolutely focus on our health. However, we have to remember that we need to set goals for ourselves that are attainable because if we do not, chances are we will break our resolution almost before it even starts. Not only this, but many times people expect their weight loss to be an overnight phenomenon. Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you this friend, but it definitely does not happen overnight. There are many diets out there that claim to make you lose weight without exercise or by allowing you to eat the same way you have always eaten. Hellllloooooo....... it is not exercising and eating junk that got you here in the first place! How do you expect to keep doing the same exact thing and see fantastic results? You can't! Sorry, but that's the truth. The truth is that it is not a diet that works, it is a change in lifestyle. Does this mean that you cannot have chocolate or pizza? Of course not. Every now and then, treat yourself to the piece of chocolate. Just do not eat the whole bag. Enjoy a slice of pizza. But don't eat the whole thing.
My weight has been up and down my entire teenage/adult life. I have tried diet after diet. Did any of them work. Sure they did. For a time. But as soon as I stopped following them, I gained back the weight I had lost, plus some extra. I had to make a decision not just to try a fad diet, but to change my lifestyle and the way I eat and move around on a day to day basis.
I'd like to share some tips that have helped me recently:
1) Don't expect it to happen overnight. It is a gradual process that I promise is worth the weight and effort you put in to it.
2) Don't deprive yourself of anything. If you want a piece of chocolate, enjoy a small piece of it, but don't binge on it.
3) Have an accountability partner. It is always easier if you have someone you can talk to about your challenges or your successes. Plus, it is more fun to workout with someone. I find that it helps me to push myself further than if I were working out alone.
4) Make your goals attainable. If you vow to yourself that you are going to lose 30 pounds in a week, sorry to tell you, but you're probably not going to meet that goal.
5) Celebrate small successes. Rather than looking at it as only losing 5 pounds, celebrate that 5 pounds. One pound of fat is equal to about 3,500 calories. This means that to lose that 5 pounds, you cut your calorie intake or upped your calories burned (or both) by 17,500 calories. That's huge! If you only wait until big accomplishments to celebrate, chances are you will get discouraged and quit.
6) Move it! Move it! Move it! Find exercises and activities that you enjoy. If you are doing a workout that you do not like, then the chances of you sticking to that workout are slim. Also, change things up and don't do the same thing every day or your body will get used to it.
7) Remember that God has given us each one body that we are to take care of while we are on this earth. If you have read my blog before you know that some of my favorite verses come from 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, which reminds us "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." In the days when this was written, a temple was a holy place that was used to worship our Lord. We need to treat our bodies as such, as pleasing to our Father and that honors Him in all that we do with it and put into it.
8) Do not let the number on the scale define you or dictate your mood for the rest of the day. This was a big one for me to overcome. If that number on my scale was bigger than I wanted it, if it had gone up, or hadn't gone down as much as I thought it should have then I would sometimes let that affect my mood for the rest of the day. This is wrong because we are more than a number on a scale. In order to remind myself of this, I wrote a note and taped it to my scale and each time I go to step on the scale I am reminded not to let one little number ruin my entire day.
Remember that we are a work in progress. Every day brings new blessings and new challenges and every single day is different. Just remember to take things one day at a time and that God has made you in His image.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Confessions of an Emotional Eater
Hi friends! I have missed you all! Life has been crazy, busy around here and I have missed writing, but here I am ready for another post!
Have you ever had one of those days where it seems nothing goes your way? That day where one thing after another seems to just fall to pieces? One of those days where you are just so stressed and want a little relaxation?
When I used to have days like that I would not just walk to the fridge for the Ben and Jerry's... I would run for it! I can recount numerous times sitting on the floor with a carton of ice cream and a spoon. No bowl was necessary. I found comfort in eating junk food... for a moment anyway. Because after I would down that ice cream, or those donuts, or that bag of Doritos, I would feel so guilty because I knew that I was not treating my body with the respect that it deserves. I know full and well that God created me in the body he wanted me to have and I am to treat it with respect, fill it with foods that are wholesome and nutritious, and engage in activities that help me stay healthy. First Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds me that:
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."
Over the last several months, I have been relying much on the verses from 1 Corinthians because they are a constant reminder that God created me in HIS image and I am not to defile what He has entrusted me with.
Do I still have those days where I want to come home and endulge in some chocolate ice cream because I have had a bad day? Absolutely! That desire is not going to magically go away. It is going to be a struggle probably through my entire life. But, I am equipped with the knowledge and the resources, as well as the desire, to treat my body respectfully.
And just FYI, I have found that a good workout session is a far better stress reliever than binging on junk food because rather than having feeling of guilt and self loathing afterwards, you have just worked your tail off and burned a ton of calories that you could have consumed had you picked up that ice cream instead!
Have you ever had one of those days where it seems nothing goes your way? That day where one thing after another seems to just fall to pieces? One of those days where you are just so stressed and want a little relaxation?
When I used to have days like that I would not just walk to the fridge for the Ben and Jerry's... I would run for it! I can recount numerous times sitting on the floor with a carton of ice cream and a spoon. No bowl was necessary. I found comfort in eating junk food... for a moment anyway. Because after I would down that ice cream, or those donuts, or that bag of Doritos, I would feel so guilty because I knew that I was not treating my body with the respect that it deserves. I know full and well that God created me in the body he wanted me to have and I am to treat it with respect, fill it with foods that are wholesome and nutritious, and engage in activities that help me stay healthy. First Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds me that:
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."
Over the last several months, I have been relying much on the verses from 1 Corinthians because they are a constant reminder that God created me in HIS image and I am not to defile what He has entrusted me with.
Do I still have those days where I want to come home and endulge in some chocolate ice cream because I have had a bad day? Absolutely! That desire is not going to magically go away. It is going to be a struggle probably through my entire life. But, I am equipped with the knowledge and the resources, as well as the desire, to treat my body respectfully.
And just FYI, I have found that a good workout session is a far better stress reliever than binging on junk food because rather than having feeling of guilt and self loathing afterwards, you have just worked your tail off and burned a ton of calories that you could have consumed had you picked up that ice cream instead!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Stepping Into A Healthier 2012
Hello friends and welcome to 2012!!
It is hard to believe that yet another year has ended and a new one begun. Twenty-eleven was a wonderful year and I am excited to see what God has in store for 2012.
This will be a short post; I just wanted to share with you my resolutions for the new year.
For my resolutions this year I tried to take a different approach than I normally do. Being a girl who has always struggled with my weight, my New Years' resolutions in the past almost always centered around weight loss. Every year I would set an unlikely goal, get discouraged when I would not see results quick enough, and give up, usually ending the year at a higher weight than I began it at. Am I alone on this one... I think not! This is just the way most resolutions go. This year, however, I decided to take a somewhat different approach.
My focus this year is simple: live a healthier lifestyle.
Yep. That's it. Pretty simply, huh?
Have you ever seen the movie Fried Green Tomatoes? It is one of my all time favorite movies! In it there is a scene where one of the main characters (Kathy Bates) repeatedly rams her car into another one and she is laughing hysterically the entire time! I want to do that with my scale... I want to take my scale, throw it out in the driveway, and run over it with my car repeatedly because it has caused me so much pain over the years. Why do we obsess about a number when we should just be living healthier and focusing on how we feel. With living healthier comes eating better, engaging in physical activity, and just enjoying everyday life. Sure, some pounds may come off when you start doing it, but that should not be the focus. I have missed out on so much over the years by obsessing about my weight and I am tired of it. This year, I am going to start living!
In my quest to live a healthier lifestyle in 2012, I have decided on two main resolutions (that do not focus on getting to a certain number on the scale) to get me toward this goal:
("Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." - 2 Corinthians 9:6)
What are your resolutions for this new year?
It is hard to believe that yet another year has ended and a new one begun. Twenty-eleven was a wonderful year and I am excited to see what God has in store for 2012.
This will be a short post; I just wanted to share with you my resolutions for the new year.
For my resolutions this year I tried to take a different approach than I normally do. Being a girl who has always struggled with my weight, my New Years' resolutions in the past almost always centered around weight loss. Every year I would set an unlikely goal, get discouraged when I would not see results quick enough, and give up, usually ending the year at a higher weight than I began it at. Am I alone on this one... I think not! This is just the way most resolutions go. This year, however, I decided to take a somewhat different approach.
My focus this year is simple: live a healthier lifestyle.
Yep. That's it. Pretty simply, huh?
Have you ever seen the movie Fried Green Tomatoes? It is one of my all time favorite movies! In it there is a scene where one of the main characters (Kathy Bates) repeatedly rams her car into another one and she is laughing hysterically the entire time! I want to do that with my scale... I want to take my scale, throw it out in the driveway, and run over it with my car repeatedly because it has caused me so much pain over the years. Why do we obsess about a number when we should just be living healthier and focusing on how we feel. With living healthier comes eating better, engaging in physical activity, and just enjoying everyday life. Sure, some pounds may come off when you start doing it, but that should not be the focus. I have missed out on so much over the years by obsessing about my weight and I am tired of it. This year, I am going to start living!
In my quest to live a healthier lifestyle in 2012, I have decided on two main resolutions (that do not focus on getting to a certain number on the scale) to get me toward this goal:
- Walk/jog 365 miles throughout the entire year. To some that may sound like a lot, but to me it sounds pretty simple... it equals out to a mile a day.
- Give more. With this, I am not just talking about money. In addition to monetary and material things, I am also talking about giving my time, energy, and efforts to people, to ministry efforts, and to my church. While this may not have anything to do with physical health, I believe it does have to do with a healthy soul. Giving can teach us sacrifice. It can help teach us gratefulness for what we have when we see what others do not. I think that there are many benefits to giving and thinking about someone else for a change, rather than always thinking of ourselves.
("Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." - 2 Corinthians 9:6)
What are your resolutions for this new year?
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