Super excited!!!!

Well, it’s day 3 of my fast and it is still going well. I am very pleased that I haven’t felt hungry or tired or sluggish or anything like that! I am also so happy to have created a recipe last night that actually seemed like a real meal rather than just snacking on veggies and fruits or nuts!
I prepared some whole wheat penne pasta, steamed some broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms; heated some tomato sauce with basil and garlic, then mixed it all together! It was really good!! Only way I can think of that it might have been better is to have had more sauce. I only used one small can with a large amount of veggies and pasta. But it sure tasted good!! And was very filling! Turned out, I had enough made for at least three meals!!
I was kind of disheartened though when I stepped on the scales, (using the Wii), and it said I had GAINED 2.9 pounds!!! YUCK!! My home scales showed me to be 9 pounds lighter today than I was last evening! So, I don’t know. I know it is really too soon to tell anything about the weight loss.
But, I have really felt closer to the Lord, spending more time in prayer and in His word makes a HUGE difference!! And, it seems that no matter what I am doing, He is on my mind! I’m listening for His voice because I know He has something to say to me, something for me to do or something like that. So, I am just waiting, trusting, and listening.
Tomorrow is going to be an awesome day! I begin my volunteer work tomorrow and I am so excited about that!! I pray that I am given the opportunity to make a positive impact on someones life, and that I get the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with many! I have several things to do to be ready.
For one, I am going to print myself out some plan of salvation notes to put in my tiny, purse-sized Bible! I also want to have a small list of some encouraging scriptures that I can quickly turn to if needed. Whether it’s me that needs it, or someone I am working with, or who knows? I want to be ready with God’s word. I am trusting the Lord to be with me and help me in any situation to have the words to say, and the wisdom to know when to say something, and when to just close my mouth and listen.
I have to remember that I can’t “fix” everything for everyone. Only God can do that, if it is His will. It is my job to encourage someone to trust that God is doing what is best for them and that they just have to trust in Him. I know that can be difficult, sometimes downright feel impossible, but that is the way! Trust in Jesus!
I also hope that I am able to squeeze my “wide-load” into my clothes tomorrow without being miserable!! Hopefully, I have lost a couple of pounds so that my jeans won’t be so constricting!!
I did get myself some exercise today, though it wasn’t walking, it was still more than what I have been doing! I played some games on the Wii! No, I did not sit down to play, I stood and really got into them. I played some tennis, table tennis, and bowling!! I think I will get back to it after I fold these clothes and play some other games. Every little bit helps!
Please include me in your prayers as I continue on this fast, and as I begin my volunteer work! I know I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Also, if you would pray for my husband as well, as he has gotten himself back on his low carb, diabetic diet. I pray that this time next year, we are both significantly smaller and much healthier with so much energy to burn!! I want to be strong and full of energy so that I can be the kind of representative for Jesus that He needs/wants me to be.
Have a great evening everyone and God Bless You!

Wii are about to get serious about getting healthy!

My husband and I are both in our late 40’s. (Gee that was hard to write!!) We both have back problems, including surgeries in our past, as well as other things going on with our health, most of which will be greatly benefitted by our loosing some weight! We both know this and accept it. We know that we want to get healthy to be around for our grandchildrens’ weddings and to see great-grandchildren born! We want to be around to build our dream house, complete with my husbands’ dream workshop. We want to be able to enjoy our retirement years feeling well while we do a little travelling, site seeing, maybe some out of state hunts! (My husband loves to hunt!) But, we both also know that we will not be able to get healthy by sitting in our comfy recliners and watching “The Big Bang Theory” or any of a number of other mind numbing television programs! We know we are going to have to put some work into this, especially since we both LOVE to eat.

So, we are now the proud owners of a Wii game system, complete with the Wii Fit Plus software! This is some pretty cool stuff if you haven’t heard of it. It has a balance board which also serves as a set of scales, and your exercise ‘mat’, if you will.  As with any computer program, you input your information, height, birthdate, sex, etc. Then you go through a series of tests to check your posture and balance. When you complete these, the screen will ask you if you would like to know what your BMI is? My first thought was, “well, duh!! That’s what I bought you for!” But, I simply pressed yes, and the numbers started climbing. It was kind of like watching one of the tally boards for a Jerry Lewis telethon! Those numbers just kept going up, and up, and up! I was beginning to think the system was not going to be able to handle what my final number would be! Then I started wondering if I would be able to handle the number?

Well, it was pretty bad. I stretched the top of the bar!

Then the system asked me how much weight I would like to lose? At this point I was thinking, “you’re the smart one, you tell me!” But, it doesn’t work that way. So I pointed the remote at the + sign and started counting up. I thought it would go up by pounds, NOT OUNCES!!! I DON”T NEED TO LOSE OUNCES!! (Deep breath…..okay, I’m better now). So, I found myself holding the button down and just letting the counter climb. I have a number in my head of how much I want to lose, but the system wouldn’t agree with me! It stopped at 22 pounds! Ok, now don’t get me wrong, If I lose 22 pounds I will not be complaining!! But, I will be resetting the system at least 2 more times after that, possibly a third even!

Then the system asks you how long you want to lose this? My first answer wasn’t even an option as I was thinking, NOW!! But, it gave me 2 months. It also questioned whether I realized that the recommended amount of weight loss was 2 pounds per week in order to prevent weight loss rebound! Did I want to reduce the amount I want to lose? NO, NO, and NO!!! I want all  this excess off of me and I want it gone NOW!! If I could have a body reshaping surgery of some kind, I think I would do my best to have it done! That is how badly I want this weight off.

But, until now, I haven’t wanted it off bad enough to actually work at it. I want the overnight miracle. I want to go to bed weighing what I do now, and wake up in the morning having lost all the weight I need to lose, feeling wonderful, and looking 20 years younger! Yes, I know….I dream big!

So you are probably wondering what has made me decide to get serious with this and commit myself to a steady weight loss for probably at least the next year! Well, when you have trouble walking the 20 yards or so to your mailbox and you can’t breathe when you get there so you stand there as if you are going through the mail for a minute to catch your breath before heading back to the house, you know you have a problem. The breathing difficulties are just another thing to add to my list of weight related complaints. Sleep difficulties, concentration, cognitive thinking, pain in just about every joint and muscle in my body! Those are a few of the physical compl, jouraints, but there is more.

I want to be able to walk into a clothing store and buy me an outfit off the regular size rack! I want to be able to enjoy playing with my grandkids and not have to sit down as soon as I have walked outside with them! I want to be able to breathe comfortably as I sit in church, or anywhere else as far as that goes. I want to be able to get in and out of my car with ease! I want to be able to make a trip to the grocery store and not be praying for an angel to help me put the things in my car because I am too tired and sore to do so myself! I want to enjoy life again!

But, I think the most important part of my weight loss/getting healthy journey is the fact that I want to be a healthy temple for Jesus to shine through. I want to be a light for the Lord. I am praying that He lead and guide me through this journey, that He helps me to make good decisions, and that He gives me strength and endurance during my exercise time, as well as strength and wisdom when it comes to my food choices. I know I will be successful at this, because I am depending on God to lead me, to help me. I know that as long as I depend on God to help me with making the right decisions, the rest will be a piece of cake!! (And, maybe if I am really good, He may let me have an occasional piece of cake!)

So, a journey that originally was going to begin after the holidays, because let’s face it, who wants to be dieting during the holidays, has already begun. I am not yet sticking to a stringent eating plan, but I am slowly building up my exercise endurance. After having been a couch potatoe for the past three years, ANY movement is going to help me feel better and probably drop a couple of pounds! So, I am going to start slowly and  will really hit it hard after the New Year comes.

If God is willing, and I work hard, this time next year I will have a whole new body! I already have a new mind set, so, with a little work, actually a lot of work, but it will be worth it. I will be a much more fit representative for my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I will be better able to perform the tasks my Lord asks of me. THAT is my ultimate goal. So, with God’s help, and prayers from everyone possible, as well as hard work on my part, I will succeed in this task! I know God wants me to succeed and I want to make Him pleased with me.

Thank you Lord, for giving me this challenge, and for the opportunity to use this personal challenge as a potential Bible study for a group!