WIN

Many thanks to my Weigh Station sister, Amber Miles Wines, for finding this song! It is definitely a good theme song for me. Brian McKnight's I'm Gonna' Win!

 "I'll never give up, never give in, never let a ray of doubt slip in.  me

And if I fall, I'll never fail, I'll just get up and try again! 

Never lose hope, never lose faith, there's much to much at stake. 

Upon myself I must depend. I'm not looking for place or show, I'M GONNA WIN!"

CHOOSING OUR PATH

Somehow we feel that to "go back" to what we "know" is more comfortable and a safer alternative to facing the future.  The truth is, BOTH choices lead to the UNKNOWN!  Even if we attempt to go back, it is no longer the same as we remember; change happens, and there's nothing we can do about it. The clothes that we've hung on to for "someday" when we're thinner; NO LONGER LOOK GOOD ON US! Even though the number on the scales is the same as when we wore those clothes, our bodies have changed shape, or we have matured, or the styles have become dated! There is no GOING BACK!  Many clothes I saved for "someday" have been discarded now for the above reasons.  Am I sorry I saved them? Not really, as they are proof that changes are happening. Another truth, once you've lost weight, you want NEW CLOTHES, not the OLD with all of their "baggage" from that time in your life.

The Lord has promised, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Heb. 13:5  We need to daily accept His promises and choose the future that He has in store for us. 

REMEMBER: We have today. Use it to the best of your ability!

I DON'T WANNA! **** DO IT ANYWAY!

 So, You woke up this morning discouraged for no particular reason...or you want to give up because you blew it again last night. Perhaps you are just BORED with the same old foods on your diet, or are tempted to have a pity party for yourself, thinking that "It's just not fair!"  Well.....The choice is yours.  Pity party (with only you in attendance, of course) or another day on the front lines, battling for your life (again, only yourself to depend on)....what's it gonna be?

Oh sure, You can pout, cry, pitch a fit, or simply moan and grown over the injustices of life. Those options are there, and will always be there.  What do they accomplish? Do they change the way things are? Do they help you do the difficult things set before you? Do they make it any easier?  NO! NO! NO!

But what can you do, when everything within you yells, "BUT, I DON'T WANNA!"

Think about it!  What does a parent tell their rebellious youngster who lets out this dramatic wail of protest over doing what the parent knows is best for the child?  You know the answer already, "DO IT ANYWAY!"

Don't wait to understand, psycho-analyze yourself, dissect the reasons, determine the cause or choose to "think about it" for awhile..........You will have plenty of time to do all those things when you are more in control of your emotions and are thinking more rationally; being more co-operative with the part of you that wants you to change your life.

DO IT ANYWAY!  It's as simple as that!  You made the decision to follow your weight-loss program. You started out on your journey. You have committed yourself to it! Just because the spoiled-child inside happens to be having a temper-tantrum, that's no reason to alter your course!  If you had a misstep yesterday or made a poor choice earlier today; Get up, dust yourself off, Make the next decision the right one.

DO IT ANYWAY!

THE SECOND (or third) TIME AROUND!

 I know some folks in our group are starting back on their program again this week, and that's wonderful! Just knowing that you are on your way to a lower weight and healthier body is exciting! I agree with one of our guys that talked about the temptation and tendency to "discount your losses" the 2nd time around, because you're having to re-lose the same pounds again; that somehow they "don't count" because you're backtracking to where you used to be.

 It's very difficult not to do this, and I'm as guilty as the next person of comparing where I am today to where I was at my "lowest weight!"  However, I think that it is damaging and self-defeating to feel this way. It undermines the progress we are making if we do not acknowledge and give ourselves credit for the positive effort we are putting forth today; rejoicing over each pound and inch that we lose! Most of us have realized that, left to our natural tendencies, if we're not losing we're gaining! Foodaholics don't tend to STAY THE SAME!

I've decided that: 

1. Choosing to STOP the insanity of gaining is GOOD!

2. Finding a way to "stay the same" until you can lose again is BETTER! 

3. Actively LOSING weight is BEST!

4. LONG TERM MAINTENANCE---That's the VERY BEST place to be!  

Wherever we are on this scale, we can be encouraged and celebrate our victory at that level! Positively acknowledging where we are will give an inner strength that helps us make it to the next stage! It is difficult for me to accept a NEW starting point, but I think it is a positive thing to do so.

Remember the horse with blinders on; the blinders keep him from being distracted or frightened by things along the way! When we approach our weight-loss with an intense focus on what we are doing, we can't help but get there! Remember to keep those blinders on!

It's vital that we give ourselves kudos for our good decisions today, and not withhold them for "when we get back to where we were!"  That just does not work! You NEED the affirmation and positive self-talk TODAY, not down the road after how ever long it takes to get back to where you were. Whatever your weight was last week, that's the number to beat!  Unless, of course, you are starting fresh this week!

A MUST SEE Video: Motivation, Success, Greatness w/Will Smith

EMOTIONS!

It never ceases to amaze me how emotions can control our actions if we let them! Today was a beautiful day and yet a friend of mine woke up "down in the dumps" for no apparent reason. For me, nothing was obviously wrong, but the desire to eat everything in the house was battling for my attention all day!  I have no idea how we can go from being totally focused on eating right and losing weight, to not caring at all about what is going in our mouth or the results that we will reap in the morning! It happens in the blink of the eye! See something, want it, make the decision---Think fast!  What are you doing? Why? Are you sure you want that? WOW! The hurdles my mind can jump in a millisecond continue to amaze me!  I know, the Doc says it's the "addiction" calling....but knowing what it is doesn't always make it any easier to deal with. At times it's just a "roll of the dice" as to whether I'll be victorious at the end of the day or not!  Today I survived, but only by constantly telling myself how sorry I would be tomorrow if I blew it! I mean, if you're gonna blow your diet you should at least have a "special occasion" to blame it on, right? No occasion, Easter has passed; I have no one other than myself to battle with!  Oddly enough, when the desire to eat badly is strong, having an "occasion" doesn't matter either!  Sometimes there's just an inexplicable desire to 'not worry about it and just eat.' The trouble with that is, once I succumb to that impulse, the desire is not quenched! Eating carbs is like throwing fuel on a fire; it just grows stronger! Sometimes simply remembering THAT is what gets me through it! Knowing that the desire to eat usually has nothing to do with being hungry also helps! Sometimes I can figure out the root cause of the impulsive thoughts, but not always! Actually, just knowing that eating the donut, candy bar or mashed potatoes will just cause me to want more, is one of the strongest deterrents that I have!  Being mindful of my followers and Mother's prayers helped me through the day, but honestly, the battle can be very draining! Thank you, God, for today's victory! Days like today make me appreciate days that I am "in the zone" and decisions are so much easier! Perhaps today's success will fuel the fire of success for tomorrow!

GRANDMA'S PRAYERS

Where would we be without the prayers of those who love us? I am comforted daily, simply knowing that my mother is praying for me! She will be 96 years old on Monday! That's a lot of years practice in petitioning the Lord for the desires of her heart! She doesn't just pray, "Dear God, bless my little girl." She prays in SPECIFICS!  Not only for me, but for my two brothers, my sister, each of their children, and their children, as well! Yes, she has a notebook with a page for each of her four children with specific needs and situations of concern for each member of our individual families. We might be tempted to think, "Well, she's got lots of time on her hands, so she can spend time praying..." But how many people do you know that actually PRAY more than two or three minutes a day, outside of the random "God, Help Me!" prayers uttered in a crisis?   It is my desire to learn from her this practice of Praying daily for the needs of my family.  No, I don't have my notebook for my prayer concerns yet....but it is definitely on my priority list of things that I HAVE TO DO!  I know that my time for learning from her is limited. Because of this reality, I am daily more aware of the things that are crucial for my continued Spiritual growth.

"Thank you, Lord, for a Godly mother! Help me to use the time we have together. Please help me to be the mother I need to be for my own children, and to pass down to them the heritage, and practice of prayer, that I have received."

All these thoughts on prayer are relevant, because after years of Mom praying for me, and her continued warring on my behalf in the Spiritual realm, I am making progress in my battle for health!  When the temptations are strong, I am aware of the power that her prayers are bringing down from Heaven! It's real, Folks! Prayer is a powerful thing!  James 5:16 still stands!  We are commanded to confess our sins/weaknesses to one another and pray for healing! The promise is there that "the prayers of a righteous man (or woman) are powerful and effective (AVAILS MUCH=GREAT RESULTS!) There is a wonderful commentary on James 5: 16 and how to pray effectively at http://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/BibleStudy/Series43/Study11.htm

Happy Birthday, Mom! (Born on April 8th, 1917)

Mama's 101st Birthday on Sunday will be celebrated in Heaven with her Lord Jesus!

CARBS--Can I have ANY?

So.....we are on a Low-Carb diet or better yet, have adopted a Low-Carb lifestyle....What does that really mean?  Am I NEVER to eat another bite of bread or candy? FOR A WHILE, NO!  The best success we can hope for with this type of weight-loss protocal is to TOTALLY ELIMINATE sugar and starch from our system! After our body has adjusted to using it's own accumulated fat for fuel, we can begin to re-introduce some foods that have "a tiny bit" of carbs. Remember, anything that is not pure protein or fat has some carbohydrate value! What? Yes!  There are carbs in your green beans, salad, cabbage and dark, leafy greens as well!! Not many, I admit, but there are some, so you never have to feel like you are on a NO CARB diet!  Also, be careful with the apples, strawberries, grapes or peaches that you might have in your food list.....yep, they have carbs too! This is where a lot of us make mistakes in our eating! We think that because these things are on our list that they are SAFE....and if we are lax in our portions just a bit, we think that it's no big deal! If we will take the time to read the labels and search out the nutritional information on the foods we are eating we can find where we might be messing up without even realizing it! There is a HUGE difference in the carbohydrate value of 1/2 cup of berries and 1 large apple! It's our responsibility to know the difference, abide by the guidelines of our diet instructions and then choose those items that do not cause us to feel hungrier than we did before we ate them. For me, hunger is usually a sign that I have eaten something that had too much carbohydrate content, excessive sodium or hidden sugars. A lot of these things are learned through trial and error! The secret is to listen to our bodies and act accordingly. Stop, look and listen! It's still a good policy to follow! 

I DON'T HAVE A GARDEN-- HOW CAN I STOCK A PANTRY FOR EMERGENCIES?

I've found a great store for getting proteins and vegetables to stock my pantry! The Ready Store has everything I could ever need! The idea of having enough protein for emergencies is a recurring concern of mine, but there I can get dehydrated and freeze-dried food that is packaged to last up to 25 years!

Check it out!  The Ready Store  Meat, Veggies, Fruit.....how can I be sure that I will have these things in an emergency? By having some long-term food storage in my pantry I can have a bit of piece of mind that I don't have to eat JUNK FOOD if the power goes off or I can't get to the grocery store! I'm excited about all the items I'm finding there, and hope you will will check them out! There is a 20% off the entire store SALE going on right now (April, 2013). Click on one of the ADS on this page to stock up today! 

DO YOU HAVE A LOW-CARB EMERGENCY PANTRY?

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY? 

Both man-made and natural disasters can isolate us from sources of food, water, and power. Having a stockpile of food and water is a very good idea. It also comes in handy when illness strikes your household or when it's inconvenient to run to the store. 

If you look at lists of emergency foods, you will see a lot of foods that have a high content of starch or sugar - such foods as cereals and crackers are commonly recommended. Since most of the foods we eat to keep our blood sugars low are fresh and perishable, this is certainly an issue we need to devote some time and attention to. With some planning, it is possible to get though a food emergency without raising our blood sugar, going off our low-carb eating lifestyle, or gaining any weight!  Here are some suggested items to stock up on! 

Protein for the Pantry

Eating enough protein is not only important on a low-carb diet, it's an area which can be neglected in emergencies, when it's so important to get adequate nutrition to cope with stress and physical exertion. Here are some shelf-stable sources of protein to have on hand: 

1. Canned Seafood - Tuna, salmon, and sardines are excellent choices for protein, and also contain omega-3 fatty acids. Crab, clams, and oysters are also possibilities. 

2. Canned Meats - Ham, spam, chicken, and ham salad spreads 

3. Dried Meats (Jerky) - Look for ones without added sugar, if you can find them 

4. Nuts, Peanut Butter and Other Nut Butters  (Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans)

5. Dried Beans - Beans are less glycemic when you soak them and cook them yourself rather than eat canned beans, as the resistant starch in beans is partially broken down in the canning process. 

6. Dry Soy Products - For those who tolerate soy, these products can be great additions to the emergency pantry, as they keep a long time.  

7. Freeze-Dried Foods - Although usually used for more long-term food storage, freeze-dried meats are another possibility.  Dried peppers, celery and onion are also good to have on hand.

8. MRE's and other shelf-stable "Complete Meals" - MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) usually have quite a lot of carbohydrates, but if you care enough you can search for examples that have less carb.

ALMOND-FLAX BREAD

Vegetables

Eating as wide a variety of vegetables as possible is important for good nutrition. Here are some vegetables to consider adding to your pantry:

Canned Vegetables such as:

• Tomatoes and tomato paste (no sugar added)
• Green chilies
• Artichoke hearts
• Green beans, cabbage, other low-carb veggies
• Spinach, Dark, leafy greens 

Pickled Vegetables such as:

• Dill pickles
• Italian pickled vegetables or hot peppers
• Sweet pickles such as Mt. Olive Brand (no sugar added)

Jars of:

• Salsa
• Pasta sauce or tomato sauce with no added sugar
• Roasted red peppers (rinse if there is sugar in the ingredients)
• Dried tomatoes in oil (a little adds lots of flavor)
• Jars of pesto or other vegetable-based sauces and spreads

Flour:  Almond, Flax

Fruit

It's difficult to find non-perishable fruit. Canned fruit packed in water is sometimes available. Freeze-dried fruits are the probably the best option. Berries and peaches are good bets. 

Fats

Most oils are stable for up to a year, if stored in a cool, dry place. Olive oil and coconut oil are good bets.

Adapted from:   http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/lowcarbemergencyfood.htm

BE SMART!

So, It's Wednesday.....Maybe the week did not start as well as you might have liked......Did Easter Sunday festivities throw your diet out of whack? For me, HAM  continues to be the Chief Liar in my life. It pretends to be protein, on my list, okay to eat, etc......when in reality it contains WAY TOO MUCH SALT and  "who knows" what else that totally messes me up!  But it was LEAN PORK, and I'm allowed to eat it, right? Well, maybe, but I repeatedly pay for it in swollen ankles, face, hands and general "feeling worse the next day" than I did before.....The side effects of HAM, leads to mistakes in other areas like CHEESE and PROCESSED MEATS, which just qualdruple the problems.......So....here I am on WEDNESDAY, determined to re-coup my losses and finish the week with healthy choices, SMART goals, and total commitment to my plan! What are SMART goals? They are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant & Time-bound goals that will get you where you want to be! Let's work on those! I know I am.....You can too!   The first thing to do is to let go of past mistakes and BEGIN! Set your SMART goals and concentrate on them.   Dr. Chuck Shaffer has presented this concept well in the April newsletter! Check it out! http://weighstation.net/newsletters                                                                                                                                                              

Accept the "lessons learned" from past mistakes and begin to move in the direction your want to go! Be thankful for today and grateful for the opportunity to finish the week with a BANG!