Day nine

8.8 pounds down! A note about last night: I am very happy to report that, despite my husband and I having our second anniversary yesterday, we did not cheat! We did have some of the gravy/a jus that was produced from the rotisserie chicken I made last night as a little treat. But, this was after standing in the kitchen discussing/devising/conniving what "cheat" meal we would have--Bojangle's, Cook-Out, Steak and Shake, Outback, or stay in an make some Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits from the boxed mix (which, for those of you NOT on a diet I recommend extremely highly). But, despite all the talk, we didn't do it--we didn't cheat; we stayed strong! We didn't even go out afterwards and get dessert. And despite how tempting it was and how amazing the food would have probably tasted, I'm glad we didn't. I'm very glad to still be "on" the more restricted meal plan, without any major lapses in strength or judgement.

Anyway, here's the meal plan for today:

DAY 9 (May 20)

• Breakfast- Advocare shake

• Snack- Strawberries & Banana

• Lunch- Sliced turkey breast w/ carrots and boiled egg

• Snack- Pear

• Dinner- Fiesta Soup

I exercised using Debbie Siebers' "Slim in 6" DVD again. I really like that video, and I think it's a tough but fulfilling workout. She works you hard without being annoying. It's exciting that my endurance is building--I'm not getting as sore and I'm able to complete more of the exercises with more ease.

I have been having trouble making sure I'm drinking enough water. I have not been drinking a full gallon, which I know is bad. I'm not really sure how to fix this issue other than to be more conscious of taking a few sips of water ever 30 minutes or so, and big cups of water during snacks and meals.

Thought of the day

A helpful infographic about the how good different foods are for you and the ideal distribution of your calories...

And some words of wisdom...

From the moment we wake, God is with us and is faithful to us. God loves us not for what we can do for him, but because he is full of grace and mercy. It is not because of any work that we do that we are saved--we cannot fast, stop ourselves from cussing, prohibit dancing and drinking, or commit ourselves to any other law/commandment to win his love. If we could do that, what would be the point of Jesus' death? No, the laws and commandments from the old testament are a mirror with which we see our sin and our glaring inadequacy. If all we try to accomplish spiritually is following the law, we will always always fail and religion will crush us. 

However, Jesus replaced the law. The John 1:16 says that we have received "Grace upon Grace," or "Grace in place of Grace." The law was given to us through God's grace so that we know his heart, and then Jesus came, literally, "in place" of the law to show us his love and to fulfill the law. So, when we wake we should think about Jesus and our Father's love, which is unfailing, patient, and so powerful that it conquered death. When we seek him and acknowledge our need for him, that is when we will demonstrate the fruit of the spirit and exhibit the discipline to care for our bodies and for each other. It is because of our love for him, and not because we are forcing ourselves to do it so he will love us. He already loves us--He is within us, he will help us, every moment of every day.

Day five

Down 6.6 pounds today. If the old saying is true--that the first six pounds are just water weight--I have officially reached the end of my water weight. Now, I'm expecting to lose pounds much less quickly. As I've learned on other diet programs and from putzing around on the internet, the goal should be to lose between 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. So, that's my goal.

Here's the plan for today:

DAY 5

• Breakfast- Advocare shake

• Snack - 1/2 banana w/ peanut butter

• Lunch- Sliced turkey w/ baby carrotshhh

• Snack- 1/2 banana w/ peanut butter

• Dinner- Grilled chicken w/ steamed broccoli 

I took a break from exercising today. After doing the "Biggest Loser" CardioMax video at home yesterday, I feel like a strained my back, or at least there a muscles in my back that are painfully sore when I do anything. I also woke up last night because my arms were sore. So, I'm going to take a break. Maybe I will go on a walk with my husband this afternoon...take it easy.

Thought of the day

Psalm 106:14 says, "But they had wonton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in ther desert." Other translations say that "They gave in to their cravings" and "tempted God."

Psalm 106 recounts what God has done for his people, and describes the people's response. It describes the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and then entering the wilderness. And, despite the fact that this mass of people witnessed a sea being parted before them so they could cross safely, they still had little faith and they still tempted God.

What does it mean to tempt God? As this page shows, tempting God could mean many things. It could be sinning with the expectation that God will forgive you, doing foolish things with the attitude that he has to save you, testing God because of your doubt or unbelief (e.g., "If you exist, give me a sign"), or trying to make God do things that are in accordance with your own will or desires. In Psalm 106:14, the Israelites made demands for food in ways that tempted God. They doubted that he would provide, they tested his faithfulness, and the asked him to do things that were their own desires rather than God's sovereign plan.

I have been struggling with cravings today and yesterday. I am certainly tempted to feel like I am in a desert wasteland in terms of food--nothing but fruits, veggies, and lean meats! No bread, no cheese, no sugar. I have so far managed to resist being tempted by foods and drinks I shouldn't have. I have been wanting to "cheat," thinking to myself, "One cheating meal won't make a difference," or, "I can make up for it later." But I think I need to remember that God is faithful and I should not tempt him to "save me" from even one meal in which I give in to my desires to have a biscuit or run out and get fast food.

Day three

Here's the meal plan for today:

DAY 3

• Breakfast- Steel-cut oatmeal

• Snack- 1/2 banana w/ peanut butter

• Lunch- Boiled eggs & mango

• Snack- Pistachios

• Dinner- Ground turkey taco meat in lettuce wraps with avocado

I felt OK today. Not as much of the sugar crash (or whatever it is) that has been affecting me for the past 2 days. I tend to feel better in the mornings and then sag a little in the afternoon.
I'm definitely getting less hungry between meals and feel more in control of what I'm eating and the things I'm craving. That being said, I have a tub of icing in my pantry and I REALLY need to throw it away because I still want nothing more than to swipe my finger through that and enjoy it to the fullest.


Drank 1 gallon of water and completed the "Ramp it Up" level of Debbie Siebers' "Slim in 6" DVD. That's a hard workout too! 

I think after the 24-day Challenge, I will start up Weight Watchers again. I did that program last year and had some success (lost 13 pounds), but I stopped when I "fell off the horse" during final exams. I think if I maintain the discipline from Advocare's program and apply it to the increased freedom that Weight Watchers allows, I can be successful. And, I have no more final exams since graduating last week!

Thought of the Day

Mark 11:23 says, "Truly, I say to you, whoever says to the mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him."

Isn't that an amazing image? I can't imagine what it would be like to see a mountain uproot from the Earth and be "thrown into the sea." It would be incredible. According to Andrew Wommack Ministries, the point of this verse is to realize that our faith is released by speaking words. We need to speak to the problems or obstacles in our lives audaciously, because out God is mighty and strong and there is nothing he can't do--even move mountains. And we need to be courageous enough to ask for his help. 

So when I look at my goal weight and think about the numbers of pounds I need to lose, that seems like so much! It's like two big bags of dog food, maybe more! If I go to the grocery store and try to lift two bags of dog food, I can't even lift it up! But I need to look at those pounds, "Be taken up and thrown into the sea," and I need to visualize what my body might look like in the end and say, "It will be." I need to know that these statements are true--they will come to pass. God will do it THROUGH me with my faith. He has already done everything necessary to save me, and he will enable me to do this as well.

Sugar withdrawal!

I've been on Advocare's 24-day Challenge for 2 days now. Both afternoons, I have completely crashed! I feel tired, my tummy hurts, I get a little headache. I even drank a second "Spark" energy drink today thinking that this might fix it, but I am sitting here on the couch feeling unable to do anything! Either way, I don't feel great and I haven't felt like this when trying other diet plans like calorie counting and Weight Watchers. I have been sticking to my meal plan and eating a snack every few hours, so I don't have an explanation for why this is happening! 

I wonder if I'm having sugar withdrawals since I have cut out processed carbs and sweets? A quick Google search reveals that sugar withdrawal might be a "thing," but, then again, I hear that this is up for debate. Either way, I think that it's interesting to learn about how sugar is processed by our bodies.

I can't pinpoint if what I'm feeling is a sugar detox, but I definitely feel a lot of the symptoms that are listed in some of the images from the Google search.

 I hope this feeling goes away soon...