Happy Thanksgiving!

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Mark 6:39-44

Blurt: Try, Try Again

They say don’t look back and keep moving forward. Persistence overcomes resistance. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Take it one day at a time. Hang in there. Push it to the limit. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Keep on keeping on. Keep on trucking. All of these contain the same message; keep a positive attitude and no matter the problems you face to continue to follow your path to your goals.

Sometimes it is difficult because we are not seeing the results that we desire. But if we look at our failures as a learning experience than we can do it better the next time around. Every time I fall I am one step closer to achieving my goal. If I make a mistake, I determine what caused me to fail and correct it the next time around. It is important to look at what, if anything, we are doing wrong.

At times, we just do not see the results right away. When trying to lose weight we reach plateaus and do not always see the results for our efforts. If you look back and realize you have done nothing wrong, do not worry. Just continue on the same path and you will see the results of your efforts.

This is true in other aspects of life as well. Sometimes when looking for a job we do not use the right kind of resume to highlight our strengths. We try a different fabric softener and our clothes are not as comfy. We try to quit smoking but continue to relapse. Most people do not quit smoking on their first attempt. We do not make a sale and have to call on another client. We face many disappointments in many areas but we can learn from our choices so we can make better choices in the future.

But at times it is beyond our control. Life doesn’t always give us what we want. It is that part of life that makes it great to be alive. Sure we get aggravated and frustrated at times, but if we keep a positive attitude we can overcome these hard times. I have had many trials and tribulations along the way but I keep the faith and keep on trucking. I know at times I may fall but I can pick myself up and brush off the dust. I will reach my goals and achieve a happier and healthier me. My weight loss may not be seen every time I weigh in, but as I press forward I will see the results I desire. One of my favorite sayings is one my Weight Watchers© instructor uses. She always says, “You CAN and WILL do it!”

I know I can and I believe in you as well. God will give us the strength to reach our dreams. I believe this is true. One of my favorite poems is:

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining.
I believe in love, even when not feeling it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.

May God’s Blessings Always Fall Down on You!

With God’s power working in us,
God can do much,
Much more than anything we can ask or imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

I CAN WALK!!!

Most people take walking for granted. I know I did for a long time. We are always talking about taking those baby steps to reach our goals. Well yesterday, I took a leap of faith and took a great giant baby step and I was very proud. For awhile now I have been coasting and needed something to pump up my motivation and after I had my little stumble with cheese dip last week I decided it was time to take that next step.

You see, it wasn't that long ago I was bed ridden and couldn't walk. I had let myself fall into a state of depression and I really had no motivation at all to do anything about my health. The warning signs were there. I had had two so-called anxiety attacks and then in 2006, I had congestive heart failure for the first time. You would think that would have motivated me, NOT!

Then I started getting progressively worse. I had fallen a couple of times and the doctor told me I had arthritis in my hip and knees so I was having some difficulty walking but still I made no effort to lose any weight. Then in 2007, I had an infection which left me bed ridden. I was already morbidly obese but this episode put even more pounds on my frame and eventually created atrophy in my legs. I had difficulty just walking the 5-7 feet to the bathroom.

Finally, by Fall of 2008, I said enough is enough. I started making baby steps. I would walk to the kitchen, about 20 feet, and sit down and rest because I was totally out of breath and then after resting I would make the trip back. I did this for a long time before I could finally make the trip there and back without resting. Then in February 2009, it happened. I had congestive heart failure and respiratory failure and had fallen into a coma.

At that moment, in this time of sorrow and worry, a time when all hope was nearly gone, when the doctors had little hope for me, when my parents felt the pain of the possibility of losing their first born child; it was at that moment, as the minister and those around me began to pray; My vital signs began to improve. God stepped in and said He was not ready for me. He had more for me to do. It is for that reason I decided to embark on this journey, to make myself whole and complete, to make myself well again, to find the strength to walk again, to lose the weight I had acquired through my gluttony for life. To live, to be, to one day love again. and rekindle my love for myself and the love for my family. To fulfill the dreams I once had, to ride the roller coaster of life. He had saved me once again.

So the journey began. After waking up with a tube down my throat the realization of my situation had finally sunk in. I began taking those baby steps and making progress. I was motivated and I lost a lot of weight. I started going to WW meetings and took it seriously for awhile. Then, for a short time, I couldn't go to meetings and slowly started putting some weight back on. But luckily, before I got too far gone, I moved and was able to start going to meetings again and I have had great success since.

This brings me to yesterday. I have been walking as part of my exercise routine on a regular basis but never for more than maybe 15 minutes at a time. Whenever I would go to the grocery store or Walmart I would get one of those electric carts and ride around because I was afraid I would get somewhere in the middle of the store and not be able to walk. But yesterday I decided I would finally try to walk around to do my grocery shopping. What did I learn? I CAN WALK!!! I DID IT!!! I was able to walk around the store for about an hour and a half. I was so proud! Sure I was a little sore afterward but this morning I feel great! No pain at all as I had feared.

So now I'm motivated! I can't wait until tonight when I see my friend at choir practice who has been asking me to join her walking group. I can now tell her, YES, I CAN WALK!!!

I can do all things through Christ,

because He gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Ok, this has got to be one of the easiest recipes to make. It is only 2 points per muffin on the Weight Watchers plan. A friend of mine from church gave me the recipe. I plan on making them for Thanksgiving and having it for dessert instead of the usual pumpkin pie.

Course: Dessert
Points® Value: 2
Servings: 24

Ingredients:

1 package Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
1 can Pumpkin
1 cup Water
24 paper baking cups

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F Mix ingredients into a large bowl until moistened. Place baking cups into muffin pan. Spoon mixture into baking cups (If not using baking cups spray muffin pan with cooking spray) Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before serving. (Or if you’re like me, wait about 5 minutes and take your chances. LOL)

WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc.

You CAN and WILL do it!

You

You have the control over your life and your goals. No one can keep you from succeeding except yourself. You choose your own path in life. You choose how you are going to feel. No one can make you feel anything. You can look at things positively or negatively. It is your choice. You decide how you will react in situations. Don’t waste your time blaming others, you are responsible for you!

CAN

You have the ability to succeed! Ask yourself, what is holding you back? If it is lack of knowledge then do your research, study and learn how to accomplish your task. If your own feelings of self worth are in your way examine why you think you can’t. Have faith in yourself. Surround yourself with positive people and influences. Find the support from others to gain the feeling of confidence. Find the tools you need to make it happen. This could be merely buying a scale or a pedometer to track your progress. You do have the ability to succeed.

And

Now you know you have the ability but it also takes action.

WILL

Visualize yourself as being successful. Think of yourself as already achieving your goals. See yourself as being thin and healthy. Think positive. Have faith and believe. “I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Do

It takes action! How are you going to achieve your goal? What steps do you have to take in order to be successful? You must be active and exercise. You must eat a healthy diet. You cannot sit back and do nothing and expect results. It takes work. You must actively pursue your goals. Keep them in mind when you go to a restaurant to eat. Make healthy choices at the grocery store. Make time available to plan and track your progress. Stop making excuses!

It

Only two letters but probably the most important of all. Name it; write it down! You must see your target to reach it. Create both short term and long term realistic goals. Do not think you will achieve success overnight. Your goals must be realistic. What is your motivation? Why do you want to achieve success? What will be the benefits to you once you have achieved your goals? List them and keep them where you can easily reference them as you need motivation. Give yourself the motivation and define your goals, IT.

You CAN and WILL do it! It has become my mantra to achieving my goals. Every time I achieve a milestone it is reinforced. Every time my self esteem dwindles it helps me realize my worth. When I fail it makes me pick myself back up and try again. Those six tiny words have great meaning. Have faith.

You CAN and WILL do it!

What Was I Thinking!?!

Okay, it really wasn't the best week for me this past week. I had a slight gain of 1.2 pounds and I know looking back at that week now I didn't really eat properly. Sure I kept within my points for the week and I tracked every day. But, it was one of those weeks where I really didn't eat a lot of fruits and I could have exercised more. So when Wednesday got here and I stepped on that scale, there it was, a GAIN.

But that really isn't the worst of it. Afterward when I got home, what do I do? I go in the fridge and pull out the left over cheese dip my daughter made for her schoolmates and dig into it devouring way too much dip with way too many chips. (I just love her dip because it has just the right amount of fire to satisfy my taste buds.) Of course, this caused me to use all of my Weekly Points on the first day of the week with something that is totally non-nutritious and high in fat. Not only that, Thursday came and I decided I wouldn't eat as much but still went and ate some more cheese dip and chips. (Of course this time I did track it as my lunch and made sure I stayed within my Daily Points)

Sure I could blame my week's attitude on being sick and not feeling well but I don't think that was the cause either. Chips and dip are a trigger food for me and if they are around I tend to gobble them up. I had been doing well using Pringles Light chips because a serving is only 1 point and I can easily measure them out for my lunch, put them on my plate, and then put the rest of them away. As they say, out of sight, out of mind.

Of course as I am doing all of this eating, I am thinking, I'll make up for it this weekend and get in lots of activity points. Guess what? Didn't happen. I had a busy weekend and started and finished reading this really good book. So here I am on a Sunday night beating myself up for the mistakes I made last week. I have done well in keeping on track this weekend, I'm just afraid it is not going to be enough when my weigh in rolls around again on Wednesday.

So, I'm feeling a little discouraged right now but I know I have to put that behind me because there is really not a whole lot I can do to change the past. What I can do though is learn from this experience to give me strength the next time around, keep on track, eat more fruit, exercise, and do all the things I need to do today.

The Value of a Smile

This is one of my favorite poems. It have a plaque on my wall with these inspirational words which I have had since my youth. It always brings me a bit of happiness every time I read it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and please pass one of your smiles along.

The Value of a Smile

It costs nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash & the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

It cannot be begged, borrowed, or stolen,
but it is of no earthly good to anyone until it is given away!

So if in your hurry you run across someone too weary to smile,
leave one of yours.

No one needs a smile as much as he who has none to give.

Author Unknown

Having a Happy Healthy Holiday Season

As the holiday season rolls in earlier and earlier each year with our lives being bombarded with decorations and advertisements from all directions and our friends and family putting numerous demands on our time, it is easy to feel frustrated, stressed and apathetic about our health. In our efforts to achieve a happier and healthier lifestyle it is important for us to plan for our success.

During this season the average person gains 7 to 10 pounds, but this can easily be avoided if we plan our meals correctly and remember the turkey gets stuffed, not us. It is not necessary and unhealthy to stuff our bellies full when we sit down for our Thanksgiving meal. I know it is easy to do but consider making the meal itself healthier. We can easily fill up on healthier foods and limit the amount of high-calorie, high-fat foods we consume.

In order to achieve this we must first make the decision we are going to concentrate on our health. Why wait until New Years Day to begin taking care of ourselves? Most New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside and are forgotten. There are numerous excuses we can make for ourselves but the truth is we are the ones in control. It takes looking into the mirror and deciding we are going to change our habits. If we don’t, we will find ourselves gorging on holiday treats and buffets and then feeling guilty because we made the decision to fail.

Sure the red velvet cake tastes great at the time but is it really worth the guilt and torture you put yourself through 20 minutes later when you feel bloated and are asking yourself why you over indulged? Not in my opinion, however, if we decide to fill up on healthy vegetables and fruits before diving into the stuffing and piling on the gravy, we will feel better about ourselves and can avoid the need to make New Year’s resolutions we have no intention of keeping in the first place. A good plan is to fill half of your plate with veggies, one-quarter with a lean meat and the other quarter with your starch.

There are many other things we can do during this holiday season in order to keep from gaining weight. When going to a party, begin the day with a healthy breakfast rich in fiber and protein and be mindful of your calorie intake throughout the day. We need to realize appetizers are not meals! Nibble on the healthy snacks like nuts, wheat crackers, veggies, and fruits. Stay away from the buffet table and walk around and mingle. Don’t feel you have to say yes to everything someone offers you to eat. Remember, drinks contain calories too, especially if you plan to consume alcohol.

Weight gain should not be our only concern for our health. There are many stressful situations we will deal with during this holiday season which can leave us feeling achy, irritated, and depressed. One of the easiest things we can do to relieve stress and also help us avoid gaining weight is exercise. This is especially important if you have a lot of traveling to do. In an airplane or a car we can do knee hugs lifting our knees toward our chest, twist our necks rotating them around, and shrug our shoulders up and down to stretch out the kinks of our travel.

To avoid the irritating situations of shopping, gift wrapping, long lines, cooking, and the numerous other events going on in our lives, we must have a plan. Staying on top of all of these events can be achieved through following Santa’s advice by making lists and checking them twice. However, even the most organized person can feel over extended during the holiday season. Things which have helped me overcome the aggravation are taking deep breaths, shopping online or at local merchants to avoid crowds, and going for a leisurely stroll just to unwind and relax. You must make time for you!

Also, loneliness and depression are common feelings among many people during the holiday season. There are a few things you can do to overcome these feelings. You can spend time outside in the sunlight, get up and dance around, have sex, watch a funny movie or exercise to increase those feel-good endorphins. Pick up the phone and call a friend; this may raise your levels of progesterone, a mood-boosting, stress relieving hormone. If you are experiencing extreme depression please seek the advice of a health professional.

Although we are quite busy this season, catering to the soul is necessary. Make the time to take care of yourself. Take time to volunteer and help the less fortunate. This can easily redeem a sense of joy and thanksgiving in all of us. By taking this time to supply another’s needs, one’s heart will feel complete. Take care of yourself this holiday season and have a safe and joyous Thanksgiving.

Daily Inspiration: Strength for Your Bones ~ WFW

The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs...and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Since it’s inception, the purpose of Word-Filled Wednesday is to share God’s word through photo, or graphic image combined with a verse from the Bible.

Word-Filled Wednesday is now being hosted at Internet Cafe Devotions. Please take the time to to visit and link to others participating in today's Word-Filled Wednesday. God bless you, may your day be filled with peace and joy.

Daily Inspiration: Start Living Today

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

Daily Inspiration: Security and Risk

Security is mostly superstition.

It doesn't exist in nature nor do the children of man experience it.

Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing!

Helen Keller

Blurt: Fear of Failure

Everyone who has ever tried to do anything has failed at one time or another. It doesn’t matter how talented, wealthy, intelligent, or important a person is, the only way to avoid failure is to hide out in a cave and do nothing. However, I believe it is important to continue to try to achieve your goals. We cannot live in fear saying to ourselves,

“Don’t take a chance or make waves to rock the boat.”
“I better just stay right here and hang onto what I have.”
“I shouldn’t change a thing because there is nothing out there for me anyway.”
“I don’t have what it takes to be successful or to make it.”
“I’ll probably just try and fail and then I’ll be sorry.”
“I’ll just end up wishing I had stayed where I am.”

You may be surprised to learn many successful and influential people have failed before they finally reached their goals or experienced success in their lives.

• Charles Darrow was unemployed before he invented the game of Monopoly. When he introduced his first version of the game to a toy company in 1935, it was rejected saying it contained 52 “fundamental errors.” Today, Parker Brothers prints more than 40 billion dollars of Monopoly money each year which is twice the amount of real money printed by the US Mint.
• Elvis Presley was fired after his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry and was told, “You ain’t going nowhere son.”
• In one of Fred Astaire’s early screen tests he was described as, “Can’t act, Can’t sing, Balding. Can dance a little.”
• One of the famous tenors, Enrico Caruso, was told by his voice teacher that he couldn’t sing at all.
• Albert Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. He didn’t do well in high school and he flunked his college exams being advised by a teacher to drop out and said, “You’ll never amount to anything, Einstein.”
• Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor saying he lacked creativity and good ideas.
• Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, flunked out of college.
• Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school and even though he returned later attending a class for the learning disabled, he dropped out again after only a month.
• Henry Ford barely made it through school.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald flunked out of college.
• Admiral Richard Byrd had been retired from the Navy as “unfit for service” before he flew over both poles.
• Michael Jordon was cut from his high school basketball team.

As for me, I know with my own attempts to lose the weight I have failed numerous times on many different programs but to date I have lost 139 pounds. In the past I would lose for awhile but then I would fall off of my “diet” and regain all of the weight and usually a few pounds on top of what I had originally lost. This is why I believe it is so important to have a mindset this is a lifestyle change and not a “diet.” We must look at our failures as opportunities to do better next time. We must ask ourselves,

“What did I learn from this experience?”
“What will I do the next time to achieve a different outcome?”

“What will my attitude be?” Will I look at my failure and beat myself up smacking my head against the wall. Will I say things like, “How could I be so stupid?” “What a dummy I am! I can’t believe I would be so stupid to let that happen.” “I guess I’ll never amount to anything anyway.” OR Will I look at my failure and try to examine what I did wrong so I can do better next time and succeed. We must be able to say, “I made a mistake. I can’t go back and change what happened. If I could, I would, but I can’t. Here’s how I will handle the situation differently if it happens again based on what I have learned.”

We cannot let the fear of failure rule whether or not to strive to achieve our goals. We must keep pushing forward and realize we will have setbacks. We will fail from time to time. But if we continue to strive and learn from our mistakes we will be successful. I wish you all of the best in achieving your goals. God bless you.

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits that neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Daily Inspiration: Do Not Be Discouraged

Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified;
do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Daily Inspiration 6 Nov 10

I can do all things through Christ,
because He gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Blurt: Ho Hum Gotta Exercise

Tired of that same old boring exercise routine? Have you started dreading going to the gym to do the same old stuff on the same old machines? Do you walk miles and miles on that treadmill staring at the same four walls? Sometimes we can get into a rut doing our exercises on the same days, at the same time, in the same place, and in the same way. It gets so monotonous that we just want to pull our hair out and scream. It becomes so boring we start making excuses not to exercise. Today I offer some tips to liven up your exercise program to make it less boring and more fun.

• Find something fun to do you enjoy. I know this sounds simple but true. It can be bicycling, swimming, skating, aerobics, square dancing, golfing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, running, coaching, refereeing, window shopping, or just taking a walk in the park. The sky is the limit. What activities do you enjoy? Sit down and come up with a list and incorporate different activities throughout the week.


• Play with the kids. Use their energy to get you pumped up. You could organize a neighborhood flag football game, a game of Frisbee® golf or simply a game of tag.


• Discover a new location to get in your exercise. Instead of walking on the treadmill take a walk around the neighborhood. Instead of using the same aerobics video find another one to use on alternate days. Instead of using the stair machine use the stairs at work. By changing where you exercise you give yourself new sights and experiences to enjoy.


• Change when you exercise. If you normally exercise in the evening try switching to the morning hours. If you exercise outdoors, this can be enjoyable change because the temperature is different and there are different sounds and people out at different hours.


• Find an exercise buddy. Having someone to talk with as you work out at the gym or go for a walk can be very enjoyable. It can be a learning experience as well by discussing different methods which are working for each of you.


• Measure your results. By keeping an exercise log you can see your progress. It can be very motivating to see how far you have improved. You can invest in a pedometer or a heart rate monitor to help track your progress and insure you are getting the most from your routine. It also is a new gadget that will keep you wanting to see how far you can go.


• Set a goal to walk in walk-a-thon or a marathon. You can build up your stamina by walking to get pledges for your cause. You can participate in a marathon to receive a trophy or T-shirt to display with pride.

There are numerous ways we can escape from the boredom of exercise. The main thing is to find something you enjoy. If you are happy then you are more likely to continue to exercise. Change things up, by simply changing the way we do things will motivate us to our goals. It can be as simple as counting our reps backwards instead of forwards or as dramatic as joining a gym or a swimming community. Try different exercises and routines to keep you motivated. I am sure you will be happier and achieve your goals toward a healthier lifestyle. Exercise is important to our success and we must continue to find ways to break it up and have fun. Good luck in your goals, Take Care and God Bless.

Daily Inspiration 5 Nov 10

Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start,
anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending!

Carl Bard

Blurt: Journal and Succeed

I find it helpful and important to keep a journal of the foods I eat to achieve the healthy lifestyle I am living. Mainly, journaling helps me keep in mind what I am eating. It makes me think about what I eat and forces me to make a conscious decision whether or not I should eat a particular food that day. If I am craving cookies, I can work them into my diet. Also, I tend to not eat enough and it helps me make sure I am getting the proper nutrition. The journal should include what foods, how much, when and how you are feeling when you eat. It is important to record everything you eat and to do this immediately. If you wait until the end of the day or when you get home it is easy to forget the little bite here and there or the plum you had for a snack.

There are many ways to keep this journal. A pad and pen will do. In many situations this is the best choice. You can carry a small pad and pen around in your pocket or purse so it is always with you. Of course, a napkin will do when you forget it or go out to dinner. Some like to use a PDA, personal digital assistant, and this is fine if you are into the new technology. There are many online sites and retailers that offer forms and food journals for little or no cost. Personally, I use Points® Tracker on the Weight Watchers© website. It is well organized and it is easy for me to track the foods I eat because I am at home most of the time. When I eat out, I look up my meals before I go to insure I will not fall off of my diet. I will also jot down what I eat when I am away from my computer and log it in when I get home.

The data you record should include everything you eat. You should record the calories and/or fat grams of each food. Pay attention to nutritional labels to insure you are recording the information correctly and to find the actual serving size. In the beginning it is important to weigh and measure your food to learn what portion sizes look like. After you feel comfortable you may want to follow the guidelines that I offer in my blog entitled, “Blurt: How to Visually Measure Food.”

It is also important to record when you eat. By recording when you eat you may discover the majority of the foods you eat are in the evening with the combination of dinner and late night snacks. If this is the case you can adjust your eating habits to eating more food throughout the day where you will not be as hungry at night. It is important to eat a good breakfast to fuel your body to jumpstart your day. I recommend also eating a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack to keep energized. This will help curb your appetite at night as well.

Finally, recording how you feel when you eat can tell you what is triggering the impulse snacks you include in your diet. If you use food as a support when you feel depressed or angry, you can use this information to avoid this pitfall. By journaling the foods you eat on your diet you can learn what strategies to take to improve your health and weight loss. I know tracking the foods I eat helps me stay focused toward my goals to achieve the weight loss I am seeking. It makes me aware of what and why I am eating and gives me the opportunity to improve before I fall back into unhealthy habits. I am living a healthier lifestyle by using this tool and I hope you are able to use it to your benefit as well. I also keep track of my exercise routine but I guess I will leave that discussion for another time. God Bless your continued success in your goals to achieve a happier and healthier you.