Week 32, Thursday, Diet with Dianna

Wow! Great day! Stayed busy most of the day. I did eat well. Woke up late but grabbed a piece of toast and coffee as we ran out the door. Later I baked cookies for the family and made two pots of chili. One with beans (I like the beans) and some without beans (my men folk like it bean-less). OH, so Dee-Lish-Ous!!!!! Good winter comfort food!  It was good and spicy, which made my nose water.


Exercised:
Kettlebell
Did not walk.


Revelation Knowledge:
Psalm 139:13 & 14  You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!




Even though we may change our eating habits, we still have cravings for unhealthy foods. Here is a testimony from a girl who replaced her cravings for food to Cravings for Jesus and gained control over her fleshly desires:

After having lost 60 pounds through exercise and changes in diet, I knew I still had not conquered my addiction to food and I privately feared that I would gain the weight back. Despite my physical success, I still fell prey to desires for the sugary treats and unhealthy meals. During a session at a health conference at my church, the speaker (Dr. Celeste Owens) mentioned... spiritual malnutrition. I can’t thank God enough for the book and for Lysa.Made to Crave has changed my life. I’m now down 75 pounds, with a goal to take off a total of 120 pounds. I know that each choice I make determines my victory or defeat. I tell everyone about this book. Even my trainer (a male) is reading it! — Vanessa T.  http://madetocrave.org/success-stories/

Today's Menu:
Toast and coffee (on the run).
Jason's Deli: Salad bar (I measured out 3 cups total salad and topping) Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, red onion, apples, nuts, raisins, feta cheese, spinach leaves, and romaine. Oil & Vinegar dressing. :D
Bowl of homemade chili (three beans and ground turkey) DEE-LISH!
Spiced Pumpkin cookie and coffee for a late snack.

Week 32, Wednesday, Diet with Dianna

Tuesday. I did a good workout tonight with the kettlebell. Wow, I was huffing and puffing! It felt good to heat up. The room was slightly chilled, but after I got moving I quickly shed my sweater and ran for the shower afterward. 


I haven't weighed and won't until Monday night. I know that the workouts, walking, and good healthy eating will pay off!!!! I like watching the scales go down to lower numbers. 


Support: 
It is a great idea to find a support friend or friends to help you stay accountable for your new lifestyle. Don't do it alone. Plan to succeed. Here is one way I stay accountable and encourage myself/motivation:

• I have been reading a website by Lysa TerKeurst and her "Made to Crave" Daily Devotionals. She offers great spiritual uplifting for living a better life Craving God and not food. Here is a link to her website. Lysa TerKeurst

"Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food." Romans 14:20a (NIV)

 By Lysa TerKeurst: Excerpt from: Made to Crave:

Old thought patterns: "I need these chips. I deserve this ice cream. I must have that extra large portion."
New thought patterns:Chips will only taste good for the moment. But the calories are empty and will do nothing good for my body. 2 Corinthians 7:1 reminds me, "...Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit... out of reverence for God." (NIV 1984)
This ice cream will give me a sugar high but then I'll crash and feel terrible. Psalm 34:8...reminds me to get into God's Word and let it satisfy the deep hungry places of my soul, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." (NIV 1984)
This extra large portion will overstuff me and make me feel sluggish. I can't look to this food to soothe me. Psalm 34:5 says, "Those who look to [God] are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." (NIV 1984)
Learning to do this has been a process that I have to intentionally choose day after day. Eventually, I did lose the extra weight I needed to shed and have kept it off. But the real reward was what I gained with Jesus in the process. He became the best part of my journey. And I wouldn't have missed this new found closeness I now have with Him for anything in the world.
Dear Lord, if this devotion is a call to action that I need to make, please help me. I want to see the root of my issue, I really do. I want to learn to crave and depend on only You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Today, on Lysa's devotional there were a few great helpful hints and questions:

• Keep a pocket sized notebook nearby all of this week. Every time you crave food, ask yourself if you are hungry or if you are craving something else like comfort or peace. Write down your old thought patterns and then rewrite them using new thought patterns.
• Have I learned to let God satisfy my deepest needs?
• What is one healthy choice I can make today?
• Power Verses:
  Romans 14:17, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit..." (NIV)
  Psalm 18:1, "I love you, O LORD, my strength." (NIV 1984)

Week 32, Tuesday, Diet with Dianna

Titus 2:11-12 NIV, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions (and I believe that it also means cravings for food, too), and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” 

Well, I'm down a pound so I'm headed in the right direction. I hate that I am having to backtrack through to the weight I had already lost, but at least I'm going down.  Day before yesterday I exercised. Yesterday I was sore...today I am REALLY sore. AHHH! Exercising was not fun and rather painful! I know it will do me a lot of good, though. Walking was at a slower pace because my groin muscles are very sore.

Well, I woke up too late to get in my exercise for the morning. I kettlebelled tonight. It all worked out, thankfully. BUT, I did get my devotional/Bible study completed for day three, this morning.

Last night I made two loaves of bread. One was white bread and the other was whole wheat. They turned out beautiful! Mrs. Baird would be so proud. The house smelled heavenly.  I was so tempted to eat a slice as they came out of the oven, but I resisted. I did, however, eat a slice for breakfast with my coffee this morning and it was worth the wait! It was soooo good!  I wish you could sample a piece. It is so much better than store bought bread and so easy to make!

I will put the recipe here for those of you that would like to try and make some. NOTE: Once you make it, you will be hooked and will have to make more, guaranteed!

No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
                                                                                                                                                                                                     Yield: 1 loaf of bread (16 slices)If you've never baked homemade yeast bread, but want to learn how, start here. Unlike most yeast breads, this one isn’t kneaded; instead, the soft dough is simply beaten in a bowl for several minutes, and then scooped into a bread pan. Ninety minutes later, it’s ready to pop into the oven and bake. The result: A dense, moist, easy-to-slice loaf; Ideal for sandwiches!Ingredients:
1 cup      lukewarm water, (approximately 110°F).
¼ cup      (2 ounces) orange juice
¼ cup      (2 ounces) melted butter or vegetable oil (do not use margarine)
3 Tablespoons      molasses (or maple syrup)
1 package              (2 teaspoons instant dry yeast)
¼ cup                      whole milk or soy milk
3 cups                    (12 ¾ ounces) Premium 100 % whole wheat flour ( I use King Arthur brand)
1 teaspoon            sea salt 

Supplies:

1.       Non-Stick cooking spray or vegetable shortening

2.       Stand mixer with large mixing bowl, and paddle attachment

3.       Measuring cups and measuring spoons

4.       1 bread loaf pan

5.       Plastic wrap and one large piece of aluminum foil

6.       Instant read thermometer

7.       Hot pads or mittens

8.       Large spoon or scraping spatula

9.       One gallon-size, zipper style, storage bag and paper towels.

Directions:

1.       Add the yeast to the water and let it stand for 5 minutes. Set aside and work on the next step.

2.       Thoroughly and liberally grease a bread loaf pan (8 ½” x 4 ½”) It is very important to grease the pan well, as this bread tends to stick.

3.       Combine all of the wet ingredients into a very large mixing bowl or a large stand mixer bowl.

4.       Add all the remaining dry ingredients next.

5.       Beat on very low speed at first, then on a medium/high speed for 3 minutes. (If you are hand stirring, make sure to have a friend nearby because your arm will get very tired).

6.       THE DOUGH IS STICKY SO SPRAY YOUR HANDS WITH NON-STICK SPRAY BEFORE HANDLING THE DOUGH. Scoop or pour the bread dough in to the prepared loaf pan. 

7.       Spray a large piece of plastic wrap with non-stick spray and cover loosely over the bread and set it in a warm place to rise. The dough will  rise up over the top of the bread pan.

8.       Let rise for 45 to 90 minutes (until the dough has risen up above the top of the pan)…do not skip this step.

9.       Preheat the oven to 350°F, if using a glass baking dish (325°F for a dark metal pan). Bake for 15 minutes.

10.    Remove with hand protection and tent the bread with aluminum foil, and replace into the oven for an additional 15 – 20 minutes.

11.    The bread is actually done when an instant read thermometer temperature reaches 195°F

12.    Remove from the oven. Turn oven off. Set the bread on a wire rack, in the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes.

13.    With hand protection, invert the loaf pan and place the bread on a wire rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

14.    Store any remaining bread wrapped in paper towels and then placed in a zipper style bag for up to 1 week at room temperature, or 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Week 31, Diet with Dianna

I Timothy 2: 1-8 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. ⁷ And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Happy New Year 2012! 
The first day of the New Year.
I began a new Bible Devotional and study!
I also began a new exercise routine and my daughter has joined me! AWESOME! One day down, tomorrow is a new day!
I pray for each of you to be successful in your dieting/healthy eating and exercising. You cannot have dieting without the exercise. They are a unit~ they go hand in hand. Just to exercise you would probably not see a big difference in your weight.
If you just diet, you might see a slight difference but soon would stall and fail. To be really successful in losing weight you must diet AND exercise.

There are two kinds of exercises that are beneficial to success.

1. Aerobic or getting the heart pumping fairly rapidly for an extended period of at least twenty minutes. Then a cool down and slower pace until your heart is back to normal.  
2. Muscle toning or Strengthening. Using some sort of weights or resistance bands to firm up and tone muscles. All muscles in the limbs and your core. Try a few to start and then progress to more difficult. NOT BODY BUILDING, just strengthening to prevent muscle loss during weight loss. You can actually lose muscle when dieting so it is vital to add some sort of muscle toning along with aerobics.

When choosing an exercise routine, choose to only do muscle toning every other day. Aerobic exercise can be done everyday! Only in muscle toning should you rest a day in between to let your muscles rest and heal. Most experts agree on the resting, unless you are body building.

Aerobics on the other hand is good for every day. Maybe alternate between just walking and doing a more defined aerobics workout.

Have a blessed day and YOU ARE A WINNER!

Exercise:

Kettlebell

2 mile walk

Menu:

Turkey sausage, one egg, toast, coffee

Beef taco and a few corn chips. (Mexican food is our family's New Year's Day meal tradition.)

Homemade bread and some popcorn...too full from lunch so this was a snack! Coffee.

Week 31, Saturday, Diet with Dianna

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012
Well, I've already started this year off better than last year because I am thirty pounds lighter. I hope that next year I will be able to say that I am one hundred pounds lighter than this year...Yes! I will!!!!!!

Today was a great day. Any day that has a day of worship is a good day! We attended church for the last day of the year. We had communion, which is always my favorite thing to do on the last day of the year and to welcome in the new year. I also like that we ended and began the year in church worshiping the Lord! I know that my new year will be blessed beyond measure.

Today's Menu:
Spinach & Cheese Omelet, toast, turkey sausage, coffee
pretzels and cheese
leftover Omelet and turkey sausage.
Kettle corn and sparkling cider to bring in the New Year!

Exercise:
Walked 1.5 miles!
No Kettlebell  (not feeling 100% yet).

REMEMBRANCE:
Last year I began my year with a 30 day fast. I was not looking forward to it, BUT it was the turning point in my life. During my Bible study the Lord showed me that I was not putting Him first in my Life. He also reminded me that my body is HIS temple and that my body was in sad shape and a poor example of a HOLY temple.

PRAISE and THANKFULNESS
I am so thankful for so many blessings during last year. Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

• I am free to worship My God, freely!
• I can express my beliefs in my God!
• I have a loving and supportive husband.
• I have loving and supportive, grown children.
• I have a roof over my head, food for my table, clothes to wear, and a comfy bed to sleep!
• I have a car to take me where I want and need to go (and my children have cars, too).
• My husband has a great job, and he has favor in his job.
• My children have great jobs and they have favor in all they do.
• We are all healthy...no sicknesses, no diseases, no physical problems!
• We live in a great country....(that needs to return to the one and only true living God!).
• I have loving and supportive, dear friends!
• I lost thirty pounds and will lose seventy more!
• I attend a great church.
• God has blessed me richly with all that I could ever dream of or ask for!

My Prayer for you in 2012:

Numbers 6:24 through 26

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Jeremiah 14:13

But I said, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’