Week 44, Tuesday, Diet with Dianna

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”Romans 10:9-10 NIV

Our dishwasher officially quit working yesterday. I did some shopping and internet research yesterday and today. I finally decided on a brand and style. I printed out the information and found the best price in town by using the internet. I took my printout with me to the store and it is a good thing I did. The price displayed on the 'mega-store's' web site was $100 less than the advertised price in the store! It was a good thing I took the printout with me because the mega-store matched the price...even though they are one and the same company. Strange!!!!! I saved a hundred bucks by shopping online and printing out my comparisons. 


God is so good. I listened to the Holy Spirit tell me to print out the web page with the unit model and price...I stuffed it in my purse as I ran out the door. I felt kind of silly toting in my paper when the salesman approached. I told him exactly what I wanted and he looked at me funny. He showed me the unit and then that's when I noticed the price difference. I questioned him about it and he asked me if I had proof of the price difference. YEP! I handed it to him and he asked, "But is this current? When did you print this out? It's probably out of date." he said sort of smugly. NOPE! I pointed to the date on the top of the printout!


HOORAY! I got the lower price!  Even though I had to buy a new dishwasher, I got the bargain price! Thank you GOD!!!!


*****************
Yesterday when I was out shopping, we had stopped for lunch and getting back in the car I noticed that both drink cup holders were full of other things. I quickly stuck my drink between my thighs. WHAT!? WAIT!!!! Hello! The realization finally made it to my brain. HEY! DIANNA! Your legs have thinned down enough that you can hold a drink cup between your thighs! Imagine that! Wow! 


Yes, a thin person is probably shaking their head. Only a person that has lugged extra weight around for a long time could understand this excitement. Only a person who once had thunder thighs the size of small sequoia redwood trees could fathom the significance and thrill of once again being able to use her legs as a cup holder. I grinned and hummed happily to myself for a couple of hours...even though the drink was very cold and the condensation was soaking into my jeans. I left the cup there for the entire trip home.


Go me!

Week 43, Monday, Diet with Dianna

“My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.” Psalm 62:7 NLT

Wow, this scripture says that I am a winner, not a loser. God is the source of my victory. I have to keep the Bible in the forefront of my everyday life. I call on God to protect me from Satan's lies about food. Satan wants me to feel deprived, hungry, a failure, and defeated so I won't be a healthy representative to others.


That verse says that no enemy can reach me...now it doesn't say that I won't see the enemy or that the enemy won't try to get me. It most definitely says that the enemy is held a bay and cannot reach me, therefore in order to be defeated it takes the action on my part to cause the defeat. Satan only tempts me. He is only a shadow or whisper of evil but he cannot harm me, unless I allow him to.


I have the victory! The scriptures reveal that when Jesus defeated Satan, on the day he rose from the grave, and he took back the authority that Adam and Eve gave away. The entire 91st Psalm talks about God's supreme and supernatural protection, if I will make Him my refuge. In Psalm 23, verse 4 the scriptures say, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Death is only a mere shadow for believers. God's word is my rod and staff, his words tell us how to speak authority over evil and to be victorious in all our battles [trials, temptations, sickness, disease, poverty, lack...and more].


To be victorious, I have to read & meditate on the scriptures, and pray . 

• Joshua 1:8 - meditate on the word, day and night.
• Psalm 1:2 - meditate on the law, day and night.
• Psalm 119:5 - meditate on your teachings
• ...And there are seventeen more instances in the entire King James Version of the Holy Bible regarding meditating on the Word of God.

********

Exercise:

I mowed the front and back yard, leaf-blowed nearly all of the front yard before the blower died...then I swept the remaining front and all of the back area with the broom.

I did all the laundry, cooked lunch and dinner [and right now the dishwasher is out of service and waiting on an ordered part, so hand washed, dried and put away all the dishes].

No other physical exercise...back is very achy so I used some moist heat the rest of the evening...bother!!! I am healed, in Jesus' Name!

Food Menu for today:

Egg, turkey sausage, whole wheat soda bread [homemade], fresh strawberries, coffee.

Drank 20 ounces of water after mowing!!! Whew, I was thirsty!

Fresh Spinach leaves with carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, Feta cheese, almonds and Low-fat- low calorie Newman's Own Family Italian dressing. Life Water Zero lemonade [sweetened with Stevia].

Soup with turkey kielbasa [skinless] , carrots, peas, sweet yellow corn in vegetable broth and diced tomatoes! DEE-LISH!  Water

strawberry yogurt [Fiber One, low sugar, 50 calorie size] & coffee

Week 42, Sunday, Diet with Dianna

Philippians 4:4-7. Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Sunday is a awesome day. The family, except me, went to the movie theater and watched different movies. I think three movies were viewed. They all ended about the same time. While they were movie going, I headed to the grocery store and came home with a load supplies. After the bags were hauled in and unloaded, I prepared hamburgers and fries for lunch. YUM!!!!

I grilled the burgers and oven baked the fries. They were just about done when all my arrived back home. We all sat around the table and enjoyed the juicy burgers (mine without bread) and the spicy seasoned fries [no ketchup for me]. DEE-LISH! We enjoyed great food and great conversation.

Afterwards I piddled around in the yard. I planted five strawberry plants, pulled weeds, and worked on the soaker hose for the flower beds. I came in, showered and sat down. Eeek, my aching back...I think I might have over stressed my lower back. I applied some muscle rub and took some pain reliever. Tomorrow it will be much better!!!! 


GREAT DAY! God is super to have given us such a gorgeous day! I am so blessed!


Menu:
Soda bread and coffee
Hamburger patty [no bread] fries, and water
No dinner just a few handfuls of nuts w/raisins.


EXERCISE:
Worked in the yard and hauled in groceries...not much, but at least I stayed active. 

Week 41, Tuesday, Diet With Dianna

Matthew 26:41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

How do I avoid giving in to temptations? Prayer, studying the Word, and giving in to God's calm quiet voice whispering in my ear. When I feel deprived, tempted, or overwhelmed by a food temptation, I begin to talk to my heavenly Father. I hand over my physical desires for unhealthy food and God responds immediately. I feel a peace come over me and I hear Him encouraging me...not reprimanding or berating me, and most definitely not in a commanding or harsh voice, but a gentle persuasion and reminder. "Dianna, you asked me to help you refrain from those kinds of foods. You told me that you were going to give up those kinds of foods to bring your body into a healthier state.  I'm not going to make this choice for you. I have given you complete freedom to make your own decisions. I will only bring your request to mind. IT is up to you to choose. Now, will you take my strength and walk away from that temptation? You can do it because I have already defeated the world and the desires of the flesh. All you have to do is trust in me, take my will and you win."


When I thought of those words he spoke to me I understood that even in the small things, God allows us to make the choice. He won't overstep his authority and choose for us. He only guides and reminds us what the better choices are, but he never chooses for us. FREE WILL!  Ultimately, it is my choice that will cause me to be successful or fall flat on my face. Here's the deal: God said that he would walk through the valley of shadow of death...he didn't say that he would do it for me, but walk with me.


When I am weak and tempted, I turn to God's strength to get me through. But I have to trust Him! He will only help me through it if I will give up my will to Him. God's spirit is what reminds me to make the right choices. In 2 Corinthians 12:8 &10 “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” ...For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Week 22, Day 1, Diet with Dianna

I will go back and add the days that are missing. Sorry, I've been too busy to sit down and blog. I need to work on my priorities. :D

Monday -Whew, I was so busy today! I got so much done! Laundry, vacuuming, dusting, grocery shopping, changed the bed sheets, cooked breakfast and dinner, made a sugar-free no-bake cheese cake (see the recipe by selecting the tab at the top of my blog), and ran a errand with my sweet daughter, I ate lunch with my handsome son!
Now, I'm going to sit down and watch the Texas Rangers play in the world series, game 5: GO RANGERS!

I have added a cardio chart as well to my blog page. I think I like having this on here...it show a lot of good news about being healthy...like total calories burned. COOL!

EXERCISE:

Cardio Tracker - Click Image to Enlarge

Revelation Knowledge:
Psalm 23:5-6 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD forever.

I remembered what it was like, yesterday, to shop in a "normal" clothing store. It was so grand. I actually had so many more choices. My daughter and I giggled at my revived knowledge of not shopping at a "tent and awning" store. (I really mean a Plus size store...not poking fun at the fluffy people, but just the type of store).

I looked at the clothes hanging on the racks, pick up an article and think, "It looks so small. Surely, it's too small...don't get your hopes up that it will fit". Then I put it on and I am so surprised that it REALLY FITS! My face was beaming and as I walked around all the racks and racks of clothes, I giggle and my grin is so big and my eyes well up with tears of joy. I am such a weeper...girl stuff. Anyway, it was so fun and I felt like a giddy teenager, again.  Afterwards, my daughter and I treated ourselves to some coffee. FABULOUS!

Breakfast:

• One egg, fried
• One cheese & turkey sausage
• Cup of coffee with cream and one packet of Stevia

Snack:

Nope..too full

Lunch:

Cici's Pizza with my youngest son.

• One slice of thin crust Italiano veggie pizza
• small signature Italian salad
• Diet Coke w/lemon

Snack: NO, are you kidding? No way...I'm too full!

Dinner:

• Pulled pork (no sauce - I added about a teaspoon of barbecue sauce)
• 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
• 1/2 a sandwich round by Oroweat
• cup of coffee (like breakfast)

Snack:

• Small slice of my pumpkin (sugar-free, no-bake) cheesecake.
• cup of coffee (I was cold, today).

NUTRITION REPORT

Click on Image to Enlarge

Week 21, Day 5, Diet with Dianna

Friday! I had a busy day, as usual. I began my day with breakfast and laundry. I worked on emails and my diet tracker. It will take a while to get used to this, but it is pretty swell! Our toaster/convection oven died, so I decided to check out Super Target and Wal-Mart for a replacement. I wasn't going to buy one if it was too expensive. I asked God for favor and to please guide me to a bargain.

I walked the appliance aisle at Super T. There was only one to choose from and I didn't want to pay $99. I looked at the plain toaster ovens and the cheapest one was too small for our family's needs. In order to get one large enough for our family, It was going to cost me more than $50 bucks & tax. I decided to wait and find something on sale or check the next store. As I walked away my Spirit prompted me to look back and I spied the opposite end cap..."CLEARANCE". The shelves were crammed with small appliances from their older display models. Would you believe? A convection oven sat on the lower shelf..."CLEARANCE"! This particular model was not one of the types they had currently on display. It had been $60 and was marked down to $29. It was very nice with digital display, preset food items, temperature control and timer. It was missing the cooking tray and wire wrack, though.  GOD is so good! He answered my request and led me to the perfect spot...on the same day! AWESOME!

When I arrived home I immediately searched the Internet for replacements for the missing parts and found them CHEAPLY. I was able to purchase two wire racks and one baking tray. My final costs was less than the original price of the toaster oven, and that included the purchase price of the oven PLUS the replacement parts. GOD IS SO GOOD! It is way better than what I had before.

REVELATION KNOWLEDGE:
Ephesians 4:20, Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.


Exercise: NOPE...I was harboring a headache, all day, and I just didn't want to aggravate it more by exercising. PHOOEY!

New Food Product: Pretzel Crisps

I thought I would post this in my blog about any new food products that I find that are delicious and good on this type of diet. I found a very tasty, low fat & low caloric snack food called  "Pretzel Crisps". They are so good, and I think they are better than the boring old round pretzels. These are great with some Laughing Cow cheese or Sugar Free peanut butter. May I say they are so tasty! !!!! Visit their website to see all the different scrumptious varieties they have. I have tried the Original, Garlic Parmesan, and  Everything. When I went to their website I saw they had WAY more choices than what is offered at my grocer. I would really like to try the Jalapeno Jack or the Chipotle Cheddar...yum! I like these much better than corn chips. Now I'm deciding what to put on them to make them over-the-top delectable!

Daily S/C: approximately 7g sugars/5 servings carbohydrates. My protein was a bit low. I will add an additional egg to my breakfast, tomorrow.

Nutrition Chart:

Click on the chart to enlarge for better viewing.

Week 21, Day 4, Diet with Dianna

Thursday - I had a super day. I was blessed to spend the day with two great friends. I was even blessed with a free lunch at Jason't Deli...but spending time with a good friend is priceless!  It was such a joy to laugh and talk and minister to each other.My Spirit was so uplifted and recharged when I arrived home, even though it was a long day and I was tired.
Then I was honored to spend the evening with my family and we dined together and just hung out. We watched our team play the second game in the World Series on television, and they won. It was just the best day!
Thank you Lord for unexpected blessings...

NOTE: My friend suggested a website for me to check out. It is pretty cool, with phone apps to boot. I really liked it...but it took me while to set it up; which I think I still have some things to do. So here's what you see below:

• A chart of the food I ate yesterday with all the calories counted and distributed in categories. It is a different than my S/C, but I will add that to the top of my page. I don't know if I will continue to use this and I will try it on...like a pair of shoes. If it fits I'll continue.

Exercise:

Walked late last night and my hand got really cold. 1.5 mi.

No kettlebell...I was just to tired and it was late.

Revelation Knowledge:

Rejoice in the BIG and small blessings of each day! Tell God thank you for it ALL.

Here is the new Chart:

Daily: S/C: 7/5 

(the chart did not let me add sugars as a category...weird).

Click On Image to Enlarge for better viewing.

Week 20, Day 7, Diet with Dianna

Sunday-- Today was a GRAND day as my family continued our tradition of going the the State Fair of Texas.This year the State Fair celebrated 125 years. Now, I've been going every year to the fair since I was a baby and that is only 50 years. I have passed along the tradition, joy, and excitement  of the fair to my children. As a child I remember it being BIGGER THAN LIFE...and it still is. There are the stand out icons of the fair like: BIG TEX and the HUGE Ferris-wheel. Then there are the traditional exhibits: the food building, auto show, Marine core drum and bugle band, and the creative arts building.

Some of our favorite places to see are:

•  the food pavilion where we get to samples of delicious treats, like sirloin burgers, ice cream, habanero salsa, chocolate milk, and turkey...for a start. Waiting in the long lines is just part of the experience; well worth the scrumptious delights that await us at the front as they pass along the yummy samples of food.
• the dog show, where the cutest dogs  perform tricks, run races, and grab Frisbees out of the air. One event is where the trainer tosses an object out over a long narrow lap pool. Each dog jumps from a platform out into the water and the distance is measured, as to how far thee dog jumped before landing with a "splash". Amazingly, one handicapped dog with only three legs, jumped a span of 23 feet. WOW! So much fun to watch!
• The Creative arts building where all the BLUE ribbon winners and runners up contestants have their entries on exhibit. So many fun, exciting, and bizarre things to gander. Simple fun! One of the most interesting parts of this building is seeing the massive butter sculpture. Also, in this building is the wall of canned goods -- so colorful and interesting.
• AND the BEST for last are the two Auto buildings. This is by far our favorite exhibit to see because the buildings are enormous and packed full of brand new shiny cars for the new year. Part of the experience is getting to look at all the cars, climb into them, and plan on which ones we want!

Of course, we always eat fair food, and I even ate a third of a juicy hamburger...it is on my permitted food! I really enjoy the old fashioned hamburger, but my kids like Fletcher's corn dawgs, and funnel cakes!  We don't usually go for the new wild fried foods that they have each year, and some of them are very strange. This year one of the craziest fried foods was bubble gum! I think next year I'll make something in honor of the State Fair, like fried jalapenos drizzled with chocolate. Hmmm! Delicious!

Exercise:

Well, I did not kettelbell, I took a day off. I did, however, do a lot of walking...at the fair, then took the dog for a walk, my usual 1.5 mi. WHEW! My feet are tired.

Revelation Knowledge:

 These words were in my morning devotional: idleness, empty, boredom, frustration,

and anger. There is a lot of emptiness and idleness in our daily lives. We fill our days watching television, surfing the Internet, check our Facebook, texting, and other time wasters.  Some days I am very busy, but it doesn't seem that I really accomplished anything...I was busy at non-nonsensical things. The Bible says in Matthew that we will give account of every idle word...In Ecclesiastes it says idleness will lead to ruin, leaky roofs, hunger, and more.

The word "failure" comes to mind, too.

CHANGE! Instead of trying to figure it out ourselves, a wise woman (or man) seeks God's direction for all my daily activities. Something that has definitely  helped me avoid dangerous empty busyness is taking the time to pray for God's direction in my life, each day. My prayer time and planning includes a to-do list and lots of Sticky notes! In addition to spending time just enjoying the Lord's presence and worship, I also seek His approval and guidance for my plans of the day.

I want to be a good steward of my time-both at work, play, and rest. Being 'busy' is not always bad but when I fill that time with idleness or empty pursuits. Plan, focus, prioritize!  

Breakfast

• One fried egg
• Two turkey sausage patties
• coffee with cream & Stevia

Breakfast S/C: 0/0

Snack

 Nope...Went to the State Fair of Texas

Snack S/C:

Lunch

 A third of a Fair hamburger with tomato, pickle, lettuce and mustard! Oh, so good!

Lunch S/C:

Snack:

 A nibble of some Fair traditional food... funnel cake, and beef jerky. I also sampled a sirloin burger, turkey, and cocktail sausage...all protein and on my diet! Except for the funnel cake and I only took a bite the size of a communion cracker. :D

Snack S/C:1/1

Dinner

 Chinese:

Chicken, broccoli, carrots, zuchini, and a few Low Mein noodles. SO GOOD

Dinner S/C: 2/2

Daily S/C: 5/5

I figured higher than calculated due to the unknown ingredients of the Fair Food!