Just Like I Promised...

Welcome to the Health and Fitness Blog! If you are coming here from "Little Things in Life" As promised... Here is a photo of me doing a back bend. DD took this of me yesterday. And boy do I look like I have been a Miss Piggy the past month!!! It comes off fast when I get back on my routines.

Yep, I will be 50 in 17(?) days and I can still do a back bend. It is all of God.
I could not do any of this stuff myself!

I started this back bend from the floor. I do not do them from standing positions. Now for my DISCLAIMER & WARNING... I am a fit person. I am very flexible. I did this as a youth. Your muscles have a memory. If you did a back bend as a youth, chances are, with some exercise and a little work, you will be able to do this as well. Your arms and shoulders must be strong enough to hold up your body. Also, a good strong back is a must. In other words... DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. :-)

A Swiss Ball is great to start out on. It supports your body, stretches the abs. Most people cannot get the extension you see me doing here. I love doing this stretch after doing a routine of what my class participants call 'Nauseous Abs'.

Please scroll down to the previous post and share your 2009 Lifestyle/Fitness/Diet goals. There is a poll in the left side bar I would like you to participate in as well.

Have a Blessed Day... And New Year!
Melissa

Setting Your New Year's Goals

Before we look at setting those goals, let us first look at the two Healthy Food Choices I-Q Questions I asked on Saturday.

• Butter or Margarine (Or other butter type substitute)?

• Eggs or Egg Beaters (egg whites or egg white substitutes.)

As Geri posted in the commit section, the answer to the first question is "Butter"! Are you surprised? Our bodies can metabolize butter. It cannot metabolize margarine or other butter type substitutes. And becomes what we now call 'trans-fats'. That being said, we need to use butter wisely, not a whole stick when a little dab will do. Learn to eat your bread and potatoes without butter. That is better for you in the long run.

Certainly Eggs (whole eggs or fresh egg whites) instead of Egg Beaters or Egg White Substitutes. I have to have yellow in my eggs (I am guilty of buying Egg Beaters...) and a good alternative is to have one egg yoke to every 4 egg whites. Gives a little 'yellow' to your eggs.

Whole eggs get a bad rap! There are Omega 3's in the yoke. It is OK to eat the yoke. I am a weight lifter and have to eat a good deal of protein to repair/build muscle. 4 egg yokes is too much fat, but one yoke w/ 4 whites is just what I need. Add some tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms... oh yum! What a meal! A dish of fruit on the side.

Another thing I will do with eggs... I will boil 6-12 and they will keep up to a week in the fridge, if they last that long. Of course, they never do at my house. Great for a quick healthy snack, lunch boxes, salad toppings, etc.

It is time for you to set those goals and make a plan!
What "Healthy Changes" do you want to make this year. I like to encourage people to set goals to change dress sizes and not weight loss. Your goal should be to lose inches and exercise 'x' times a week. The weight will come off as a side effect of living a healthier lifestyle.

During the next couple of days, post what goals you would like to set for yourself. Include any questions you might have as well. We can discuss them in the next few days.

A Couple of Healthy Food Choice I-Q Questions

As I mentioned in my Little Things in Life Blog, I am firing this baby back up. Sorry I have neglected this blog.

I have a question for you. Just to test your I-Q about what foods/seasonings are healthier choices for eating and cooking.

• Butter or Margarine (Or other butter type substitute)?

• Eggs or Egg Beaters (egg whites or egg white substitutes.)

Post your answers, questions or suppositions and I will post back on Monday!

Have a great weekend and remember to do something fun and active!

Fast

My sugar fast has ended. Is anyone still on theirs? How are you doing?

Looking forward to doing another one in a month or so. God works on my prayer life every time I do a fast.

Do you exercise? Since I am a fitness instructor, my answer is 'yes'. If so, how many times do you exercise in a week?

I have a poll going in the side bar for you to vote.

Have a good weekend!

Debbie emailed this prayer request to me earlier to today. Many of you (church people) may have gotten it.

Good Morning! THIS is the day that the Lord has made. We WILL rejoice and be glad IN it. I read an article yesterday asking the questions – should Christians be involved in politics?, should Christians discuss politics with friends? I guess everyone has their own opinion on that… hopefully mine doesn’t bother you!

Tonight Sarah Palin has her debate with Joe Biden. The debate moderator, Gwen Ifill, is an open supporter of Obama and in fact has written a book and has set her release date for her book the day Obama is inaugurated. (She will sell millions if he wins and make almost nothing if he does not!)

Anyway, I am asking for us, as a group of women, to set aside time today to pray for this debate tonight. I want it to be a fair, not one sided debate. I have heard that the main goal will be to make Palin look as stupid and uneducated as possible. They want to trip her up in her words. Please pray with me today. I think this is so important. Let’s pray that the truth will shine through. That America will not be fooled. Pray for Palin to have peace, wisdom, a calm spirit. Pray that Christ would choose her words! Whatever else God puts on your heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got this in an email earlier today. Please feel free to copy it, post it to your blog, email it to anyone you want to, etc.

Dave has some specific prayer recommendations here.

I just heard on the news that the bill passed in the Senate. It goes back into the House on Friday. We need to continue to pray for all the Congress men and women.

We are at a crucial time in our country's financial history. Congress defeated the $700 billion bailout plan on Monday. However, they are revising it and trying to push it through again. I'm supporting an alternative plan that will keep our nation from going even deeper in debt, and I've been on TV and radio all week telling people about it.

We need everyone's help!

Follow the instructions below. Together we can change history.

Pray for them to resist a spirit of FEAR and to embrace WISDOM. Even if you don't like them or agree with them, pray for them and tell them you are praying for them. There is a spirit over this problem that must be broken. Also, most of the media personalities are afraid as well and that is affecting their reporting. Pray for fear to be removed from them; they are making this worse.

Send The Common Sense Fix to your Representatives and Senators and tell them how you expect them to vote, and that if they put this nation in $700 billion of debt, that you will vote them out. It's their job to listen to us! (Whichever presidential candidate or political party that champions this plan from their leadership down will likely become the next president. That is because this plan fixes the crisis while going along with the wishes of the vast majority of Americans.)

1. First, read this page (PDF)
2. Next, copy the info on this page (text file)
3. Send it to your Senators and representatives by copying and pasting the text in the web form you're sent to.

*Note: If their websites are down, that means we're making a difference! Keep refreshing the page until you get through. You can also go through Congress.org, though we don't endorse this site.

Forward this email to everyone in your address book and tell them to urgently follow these 3 steps TODAY. The more people we have supporting this and contacting their elected leaders, the more likely we can turn our economy around!

Get a list of Dave's media appearances this week.

Update your email preferences.

Prayer Fast

Please take a moment to post what day you are on of your fast. Remember, God will move when we fast and we pray. He is reminding me minute by minute, moment by moment.

I was walking down the isles of Publix Monday, as I looked at merchandise, and began to salivate, desire the taste of some of the sweets, God began to place specific names of our leaders (most I usually cannot remember!) on my heart. Ladies, that has never happened to me before. Never!

It has made realize the importance to pray specifically, because these ladies and gentlemen have very important decisions to make. The right decision can make us, the wrong one can break us. But we do need to be fixed. But an instant fix is not the solution. I hope they will have the wisdom to see that.

• Acts 13:2 NIV

  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

• Acts 14:23 NIV

  Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

When we combine fasting and praying, it helps us to focus on God and the needs of others. Just like in the early church. When they sought God's guidance, they would fast and pray in order to focus. God hears us when we fast and pray.

Fasting can be on anything. Food, TV, Computer... blogging (gasp!)!

This is a 14 day fast. Most of us are doing a sugar fast. It is a 'healthy' fast and one that really brings everything into prospective, at least for me. You can do it on different levels. You may start it at anytime. And remember, no treat days. It is only for 14 days. 2 weeks. Jesus died on the cross for us. We can go 2 weeks without sugar.

If you feel lead, please post how many days you have been on your sugar fast.

BTW, you do not need to register with blogger in order to post to this blog. But please, sign your name (first name only, if you are from church, we know who you are.) And take a moment to share how God is using the fast to lead you to pray.

How is Everyone Doing?

On the Sugar Fast that is. I can feel it today. I tend to become more sore for some reason. You may as well. I believe it has something to do with toxins leaving the body.

Remember to drink more water, increase carb intake. There are a lot of empty calories in sugar. You do not need to replace all of them, but you do need to eat extra piece of fruit and some extra grain. Maybe a spoon full of peanut butter.

Today I am dragging, I could tell that Cindy was dragging a tad this morning as well. We will be better tomorrow as our bodies adjust. Yours will as well. Then you will have more energy.

Remember to read labels on the boxes!

And... Pray for our Leaders, Country, Economy, Election, Citizens, Soldiers and that God will give us Wisdom.

Sugar Fast & Pray

Sugar Fast

We (members of today's group fitness class) are beginning a 2 week sugar fast. We are doing this to remind us to pray for our upcoming election, country, gvt. leaders, economy, neighbors and friends. Anyone is welcome to join us in this sugar fast.

You do not have to start tomorrow, you may start anytime between now and Monday. We are only doing this one for 2 weeks (14 days) with no treat days.

Those participating may chose different levels. Some may just want to cut out white sugar and anything containing white sugar and that be it. You make your own choice of the level that you fast.

Remember that you will need to increase your calories. Simple and Complex carbs are the best and healthiest way. I usually increase my fruit intake. And eat an extra serving of wheat bread or oatmeal.

If you would like to read more on Sugar Fasts, you may scroll down the left hand column of this blog and look under ~Labels~ . There you may click on *Sugar Fast* and it will take you to all the posts on this blog concerning sugar fasts.

Remember, every time you feel the urge to eat something sweet.... Perhaps I should word it this way, every time you deny yourself the pleasure on the lips & the tongue of the sweetness of the sugar, let that be a reminder to pray. That is what God wants us to do when we fast. It is denying ourselves and putting Him and the needs of others first. Right now our country needs our prayers. And I am using the fast to remind me to continually pray for my country. (Not that I continually eat sugar all the time, but you know what I mean.)

Thank you for joining me in this!


Interval Step Circuit

Something I keep intending to mention in class is, y'all need to make sure you eat an extra 3-4 oz of lean protein with a good veggie and or a fruit serving (something hi in vitamin C) especially on days you take this class. And you really need to get that protein in you pretty soon after the class.

Be careful to not give into hunger and eat everything that does not eat you first. That can be very tempting with this kind of workout. The Thurs workout is not near as bad as a full hour. You do not want to defeat the purpose of what you are in there for.

The protein feeds and repairs the muscles. Also helps you to feel satisfied. The vitamin C carries the protein to the muscles and the veggies get the other vitamins and minerals that you need to the muscles.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Do You Find Yourself Sitting For Long Periods?

Perhaps at a desk, bookkeeping, photo editing, blogging..... You really need to consider what you are doing to your core. What I am about to suggest might not go with every decor. (See how well it goes with mine? And no, I am not painting my oak office armoir. I think it looks fine like it is.) But it is great for core strength building while sitting for long periods. Will also encourage good posture. And if you need a break, you can even stop for a few exercises. :-)

I love my ball. You can get them for 10-20 bucks anywhere. This one came from Walmart for 10. I used our black & decker air compresser to add air to it. I had one from a yoga or pilates kit once. It never held air. This one does. When I am not using it, I keep a Pilates Magic Ring under it to keep it from rolling all over the place. That is 15-25 bucks. You might can find one at a yard sale of thrift store. I would buy the ball new.

It will take practice to maintain balance on the ball for long periods. At first, you may even be sore if you spend a lot of time using it as a chair at your desk. But it will pay off. You back will stop bothering you, you will sit correctly, it tones the buns, you have to keep the core erect and engaged in an isometric contraction. And you will find yourself rolling back and forth on your heels... It does become very comfortable.

I will get my DH to take photos of me using the ball as a chair while working at my desk this weekend.

Have a Wonderful and Blessed Day!

Protein

I have had a couple of people recently post who are vegans or 'almost' vegetarians.

A Vegan eats no product that comes from a being with a face.

A Vegetarian will often eat dairy products.

An "Almost" Vegetarian usually is someone who has access to and likes a lot of fruits and veggies. Will eat some meats on occasion. Usually refrains from red meat and pork or will only eat meat.

I am a carnivore. I lift weights, I have to have a complete protein. I like meat. I limit red meat to no more than once a week, sometimes less. I rarely eat pork of any kind.

If you do a lot of weight lifting, you need protein to repair/build muscles (depending on which theory you follow). Rice and beans just will not do it for me. I am hypothyroid and have had part of my thyroid removed. Soy and soy products are out of the question for me. (And if you have thyroid issues, you need to limit your soy intake as well.)

Whey is a great protein supplement. I look for 100% Whey and it is hard to find. Almost every product has additives, a tad of soy added (sometimes listed as vegetable protein-read your lables and be careful!) There are many brands out there. All are good. I just prefer the kind with less ingredients.

On days that you lift weights (and even on days of rest) you need an additional 20-26 additional grams of protein. That is about 3-4 oz of fish or a lean chicken breast. Or a serving of Whey Protein. Could also be about 4-5 egg whites. It is a good source of protein.

If you are trying to lose weight, avoid the protein bars. They are full of calories. And.... high in sugar.

Have a great day everyone!

BTW, I believe National Bodybuilding Champion, Kelley Nelson, is a Vegan. To read more on Kelley, click here.

Spot Reducing

Many people are are asking me, "How do I lose my stomach fat?", "How do I lose the fat in my hips?" etc. Well, spot reducing is a myth. You lose fat when you lose fat. And it comes off where your body decides to pull it from. (There is really a lot more to it than that, but I do not have time to go into all that right now and that really starts going into courses, certifications, etc.)

Now you can "Spot Tone", but I will get to that at another time.

There are several things you must do to lose fat. Eat less calories than you burn. And I am talking about eating good quality calories. Not cookies and ice cream.

Portion sizes in this country have gotten way out of hand. A portion size is no larger than the palm of your hand. If your portions are larger than that, you are eating too much.

Always eat a complete protein with your carbohydrate. Eat 5 - 6 small meals a day. The protein shake I have posted in an older post can count as one of those meals.

Avoid white stuff! White sugar, white bread, anything made with white flour. Sugar and bread will put that belly fat on fast! And it does not want to come off.

White potatoes are OK. They are healthy for you as long as you eat them baked or prepared in a healthy way.

Avoid soft drinks. Even diet ones. Think about it. How many skinny people do you see walking around with a diet coke in their hands? I think I have seen one and she had a cigarette in the other.... As a personal trainer and diet consultant, I will take a client off of diet drinks. Allow them one regular coke over a 1 month period as a 'treat' (just one). Replace those diet cokes with water. Not do anything else to their diet and they will lose 7 lbs in 2 weeks. There is something about that stuff that makes people retain or something. I saw one gal drop a whole dress size.

Try a 2 week sugar fast and see the difference. You can do without anything for 2 weeks.

Another thing to do to lose 'fat' is a good cardio workout. It can be spinning, running, power walking, boot camp, circuit (my personal favorite), and make sure you add strength training 3-4 times a week to take care of that 'spot toning'.

Since I teach such a variety of classes my regimen is different. Mondays I teach 2 step classes, (1 am, 1 pm-temporary), 1 Essential Fitness Class (Sr. Aerobics-am), 1-Pilates also in the am. So, until someone takes over this pm class at a gym I sub at, I am teaching 4 classes on Mondays. That is probably more workouts in one day than most people do in a week. All the classes also have a weight and ab segment.
Tues-a Free Weight training class called Muscle Works. Wed I am off from Fitness-But I do work on lesson plans & practice new routines. Thurs I teach my favorite class, Interval Step Circuit (Gin Miller's style -I just love her!) then I teach an Advanced Pilates class with some Yoga thrown in. Most people can't tell the difference. Thurs night, I soccer scrimmage with my DD's team. (I also get calls to sub here and there on days I am off. But I try to keep those my off days b/c my primary occupation is a freelance photographer. My only reason to sub is when I have a shoot, I need a sub and you know all about payback right? ;-} )

Friday off but work one lesson plans and new routines and I do a lower body workout. Some Sats I sub at a local gym that I am currently teaching at on Monday nights. Or I will lift weights at home.

Sometimes I run, walk or bike on my own for variety. As you see, I am plenty active and it takes up most of my mornings everyday.

To lose body fat:

1. Eat less calories than you burn
2. Cut out the white stuff (except white potatoes prepared in a healthy way)
3. Increase cardio
4. Replace soft drinks with water
   

You may want to consider doing a sugar fast for a couple of weeks. :-) And this really works for losing belly fat. Change nothing else in your diet, but lose the refined sugar and the white breads.

Please post a comment! I love to hear from you!

End of Sugar Fast

And I lost 5 lbs total and 3/4" in the waist. Feel great!

Did anyone else lose weight?

I plan on doing this from time to time and ... continuing to cut back on my sugar intake altogether.

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I am double SORE!!! I taught 2 classes Saturday morning. The second class was a Pilates class. Afterwords a few of us hung around to do weird flexible things... I did a back bend. Well, I did 2 back bends. The 2nd one I held it for a while. Felt good too! Stretched some things I have wanted to stretch for a while. :D Now talk about deep core tissue being worked, it got worked and I am sore from my ankles to my armpits. Calves, hams, inner/outer thighs, obliques, lumbars, traps and gluts. I did them again today! I am going to do them again tomorrow!

This O'le Gal can still do it!

I am SORE!

I am sore. I have been sore for 3 weeks now. Everyday. I know I teach something different everyday, but I have been doing that for a while now. I have been a little sore everyday now since the Sugar Fast. Sarah told me it has something to do with the lack of refine sugar in my body. Anyone else have any comments or ideas on this?

I have broken the fast all 3 Sundays. The 13th for Mary Esther's birthday. Made me feel horrible on Monday. Sweet tea on the following Sunday. Made me feel very jittery. Sweet tea again last Sunday cut with unsweet that did not make me feel jittery.

I do feel great. Almost do not want to do the 'treat' thing on treat day b/c I feel so good. It ends this weekend. (I have a wedding on Saturday Night and Pancake Breakfast at my Aunts on Sunday morning...) But how I feel is really outweighing the taste on the tongue, if you know what I mean. There will be plenty of food to eat at the wedding besides cake. And I bet my aunt will have some health food experiment or something going one with some of the pancakes at breakfast. I will not starve. :-)

BTW, you should be able to post a comment without signing in or registering to Google.

A Few Days Left on the Sugar Fast...

... that is if you are doing the 28 day Fast. I know that some of you are going on vacation next week and are only doing the 21 day fast.

How are you feeling? I am feeling great! I have made sure I replaced the calories to a small degree. I also remembered to PRAY when I had that craving for a piece of chocolate, glass or cup of sweet tea or Starbucks Mocha Frap. Or that wonderful Publix Fro Yo-Black Jack Cherry! OK, I know enough of that!

One thing I have learned is that I can live without refine sugar and white breads.

Now this fast has not been as hard on me as some of you. Or as hard as it was the last time I did it. I was a little more extreme this time. I also do not drink soft drinks (here in the south we call them 'cokes') of any kind, diet or otherwise. I think it is wasted liquid, have for years. (Now ask me again on a hot July afternoon at Walt Disney World, I might change my mind.) So that is no sacrifice for me.

Hang in there, we only have 8 more days!!! Please post a comment. I would love to hear from you!

Banana Choco-nut Shake

This is the recipe for the shake that Cindy brought to Aerobics one day. It is a recipe from Arbonne International's website. Cindy is an Arbonne Consultant.

Banana Choco-nut shake
Submitted by Sara Magnotta
Independent Consultant

1 cup of milk
1 scoop of Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX® Chocolate
1/4 scoop of Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX® Vanilla (can be omitted)
1 frozen banana
1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter (blend with one first and do a taste test)

Procedures: Put ingredients in the blender in the order listed above and liquify. Should be the consistency of a nice thick shake! Serves 1 to 2.

Y'all enjoy!!!

Protein Fruit Smoothie

Here is a list of the ingredients that you will need.

• Fresh Fruit in Season (You can also use frozen fruit if you do not have fresh fruit. Make sure the frozen fruit does not have any sugar added.)
• 1 Cup Plain Non Fat Yogurt
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Flavoring
• 4 Rounded Scoops of Whey Protein, Vanilla Flavored or Plain (if you can find it)
• Ice/water as needed
• A good blender or smoothie maker

Optional Ingredients: Almonds, almond flavoring any think else that you like. I have found that sweetener is not necessary as long as you use a ripe banana. But if you do need a sweetener, artificial sweetener is fine and it tastes great with honey.

Make sure you have a speckled ripe banana to make it nice and tasty. As you can see in the photo there are several cups of chopped fruit in the smoothie maker. It needs to be about 1/2 - 3/4 full of fruit.

Add your protein, yogurt and vanilla flavoring. Add ice and water and blend until smooth.

Makes 4 large servings.

Enjoy!!!

Have a great day everyone. :-)

Please post and let me know how you like the smoothie recipe!

{Maybe we will get Cindy to post her Airbone Chocolate Smoothie Recipe next}

Shame on Me!

I just read in an older post that I was going to share my Protein Smoothie Recipe!!! *blush* I will make one today, take photos and post them tomorrow.

Perhaps we can persuade Cindy to post her chocolate smooth recipe as well. Yum it is good!

Fresh Veggies and Grilling

I miss seeing everyone today. I hope that you will be getting your workout by taking your children for a walk, jog, swim at the pool, playing outside or just play with them on the floor. They will enjoy it and you will too! The ROC Fitness Classes will resume on Friday with Lisa at 9 and Lou at 10:05. Mary Esther and I are going down there this morning to clean the room, the closet, mirrors (though Aaron, Mildred or someone has been doing that already!) and the matts. Oh, did I tell you, we are getting new matts!!! Yeah!!!

Right now is a great time to pick up fresh fruits and veggies at the Farmers Market and the vegetable stands that are around the area.

Have you ever thought about grilling the veggies? Grilling gives them a really good flavor. I put my veggies on when the meat is about 1/2 of the way done.

But first I clean, slice and toss them in olive oil. Then sprinkle sea salt and Greek Seasons on the veggies

Zoey is my grilling buddy. Stands guard for Cat and Hawk alert. :-) And she keeps me company.

Don't forget to check the veggies and turn them. This is the way that you want them to look.

Plate it up! Delicious and Nutritious! Add a Baked Sweet Potato (Or White Potato) {and they can be grilled too!!! } or Whole Grain Rice and You have a Wonderful Meal.

2nd Week!

And how is everyone doing?

I know some are doing this in different stages. The first time I did a Sugar Fast, I just cut out the refined sugars. Cokes, Sweet Tea (the very hardest for me), desserts, ice cream, etc. Anything make with sugar. This time I chose to take it a step further and cut out white breads, etc.

I have left over birthday cake, candy (Hershey's kisses that did not make it into the treat bags {they were over loaded!!!}) Ahem. Snapple Peach flavored Sweet Iced Tea in the basement and I have been a good girl. I even have Popsicles in the deep freeze. Have not touched them.

Tips for the sinking feelings:

• Eat plenty of fruit
• Keep raisins on hand-they give a great boost of energy that lasts
• triskets and cheese
• cottage cheese
• water, drink plenty of water
• nuts, peanut butter, bread and peanut butter
• banana and peanut butter with bread
• a salad
• eat 5-6 meals a day
• most of us who workout together also lift weights we need that protein! Drink that protein shake/smoothie what ever.

Check in tomorrow for my Smoothie Recipe made with whey protein. It is very good. A good snack for you or even the whole family. Maybe we can even get Cindy to post that wonderful Chocolate Protein shake she brought to class that day. Yum!!!

Sugar Free Treats

Today was dentist day. We always have a treat afterward and Mary Esther reminded me that I 'owed' her a trip to TCBY. Since we were in Homewood, near TCBY, we decided that would be our treat.

Guess what? They had Sugar Free Chocolate Fro Yo and a No Sugar Added Fudge Topping. That is what I got for myself. A small serving and it was very good! I would not advise a steady diet of this stuff. Certainly not everyday or even once a week. But, as a once in a while treat and an opportunity to enjoy some time with your children, go for it. And enjoy!

Eat a Sugar Treat Yesterday?

I did. Several. It was Mary Esther's birthday, so I ate cake, candy, etc. I am paying for it today. Just do not have the get up and go. It did feel good to sweat a lot of it out of my system though.

Next Sunday, I do not plan on taking a treat. Just continue with the sugar fast.

How is everyone else doing?

My EnRG is Returning!

And I am feeling great! :-)

Margie gave me a link and print out yesterday. I added it to the link section. It is how to build up to 100 Pushups over a period of a few weeks. It is a good site and I think is a good challenge.

How is everyone doing with their Sugar Fast? I personally am feeling great! Might be all that watermelon. I am having to increase calories. When you take out white breads and sugars-those empty calories that just turn to fat- and replace them with healthier choices, you get to eat more food. :D.

Romans 11:36 -For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever. Amen. For without God we could do nothing. He is the one who gives us the strength.

God Bless!

Ezekiel Bread

Ezekiel 4:9 Take also the Wheat & Barley and Beans and Lentils and Millet and Spelt and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..."

I bought some Ezekiel Bread at http://orharvest.com/ (This is Sarah and her husband's store) and I must say, it is really good. You can also find it in the frozen food section in other stores. Ingredients are organic sprouted 100% whole wheat, filtered water, organic sprouted barley, organic sprouted millet, organic malted barley, organic sprouted lentils, organic sprouted soybeans (I guess I better limit a little, but all breads have soy in them...) org sprouted spelt, fresh yeast, sea salt, organic sesame seeds.

It is a complete protein and with water, can completely sustain life. I have ordered the grains before and made this bread, according to the directions, but it did not taste this good. I will bring it tomorrow morning and let everyone sample it. I have to say, it is tasty.

God Bless!

Pre Work-out Breakfasts

Cindy, I am putting this on the main page...

Hey! I am on the 2nd day and not hurting too bad yet. My prayer time and bible study has increased. My bible reading today was Ex. 34:28. Moses fasted for 40 days while getting the 10 commandments (and much more instruction) from God. I pray that God will be glorified in all we do.

Some suggested cereals are:
~ POST spoon size shredded wheat
~ General Mills: Fiber One (original)this one is also a great crunchy topping on a salad to replace croutons.This fiber is important.

Raisins, almonds/walnuts, and shredded wheat are a good zip-lock bag snack-on-the-go.

Another snack idea: Triscuit crackers ingre: (Wheat, oil & salt) with some cheese and/or turkey.

Have a great day!

From Melissa---
I personally do better when I do not eat much protein in the mornings. Some people are fine with protein. I like hot or cold cereal and milk for breakfast. If my breakfast gets too much heavier than that, I tend to have an unpleastent workout experience.

Please post what kind of pre-workout breakfast is best for you?

How did everyone do

On your first day of the Sugar Fast?

Sugar Fast Starts Tomorrow!

And I am so excited!

If you have never done a Sugar Fast before, there are a few things you might want to be aware of. The first week will be a tad bit hard. Days 3-5 will be the hardest. Day 7, you are home free and will begin to feel great!

I know that I mentioned that you could have a 'treat' on the 7th day, but if you can refrain from that for at least another week, you will reap many benefits. This fast is only for 28 days and that is not long.

Speaking of benefits of Sugar Fasting here are a few that I have listed:

• Lower blood sugars
• Lose weight
• Reduce insulin resistance
• Reduce symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome-annoying & uncomfortable)
• Improved endurance training and sports performance
• Reduce heart disease
• Lower lipids
• Prevent diabetes
• Prevent heart disease
• Reduce hunger

I took the above right off of this web site that you can go to for more information - http://www.diabetes-blood-sugar-solutions.com/glycemicdiet.html and something I want to add from personal experience is

• ADDED ENERGY!!!!

Days 3-5 you will feel zapped or tired. But that will begin to improve on day 6. Day 7, you will feel great.

MONDAY Weigh and measure your waist. I hope that you have a prayer journal, either a written one or one on the computer. But have one somewhere. When we fast, we pray. God may lay one need, person, situation on your heart, He may lay dozens. You might want to write them down. I am finding that I need to write them down. Start to pray over these needs written in your journal. Ask God to remind you of them throughout the day. He will. Especially when you have that desire for that Mocha Cap, Sweet Iced Tea, Scoop of Ice Cream, that little piece of candy, etc. As you fast on that sugar, pray. When you put sweetener in your coffee, pray. As you prepare healthy foods for you and your family to eat, pray. You will be ministering to the Lord and you will see Him move.

What is included in the Sugar Fast?

• Obviously-white sugar, refined sugar (that includes brown sugar. It is just white sugar with molasses added to it.)
• Anything with sugar added to it.
• White breads
• White crackers and ... snacks. Yep. Full of white flour and yeast and sugar
• Most cold cereals, especially those with the 2nd and 3rd ingredient listed "sugar" or "corn syrup" or "fruitose" or other fancy words for hidden sugars. Read the labels.
• Anything with "..ose" tacked on the end of an ingredient they are mostly fancy words for hidden sugars. By the way, "Fat Free" items are full of "sugars".

Now your whole wheat breads and whole grain breads sold in the stores are cut with white flour. That is mostly what I purchase. It is better than the solid white bread. But if you want to be a purist go with pumpernickel bread. Sweet potatoes better than white potatoes. The occasional white potato is fine, just be careful of what you put on it. Same with sweet potato.

More on what you can eat:

• Fresh Fruits and Veggies!
• Fresh Frozen Fruits
• Fresh Frozen Veggies
• Meats
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Milk & other Dairy
• Whole Wheat and Whole grain products
• Nuts
• Brown Rice
• Whole grain pasta

There is plenty out there to eat. Just read the labels! :-)

Love y'all!

Sugar Fast Scripture Theme: Acts 13:2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting , the Holy Spirit said , "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. "

Happy 4th of July

Thoughts on the Sugar Fast

I think this will be a very good thing for us to do. But with fasting comes prayer. Yes, the sugar fast will be doing a much needed cleanse of our bodies, but each of us need to focus on a prayer need. When you think about that craving for Sweet Iced Tea, pray for that person, situation or need. God will honor that prayer.

God speaks & moves when we fast and pray. Acts 13:2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting , the Holy Spirit said , "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. "

God is good and you can make the time of your Sugar Fast a wonderful time to spend with Him.

I love good soups and love making them from scratch. I can make them healthy, low fat and low in calories. High in nutrition and protein. Yum!!! One of our favorite Mexican restaurants inspired this next recipe.

Mexican Chicken Soup

4-5 Chicken Breasts

1/2 bag of fresh frozen mixed vegetables (You can also use fresh veggies or veggies in season)

Cilantro - fresh chopped or dried to taste

Sea Salt- to taste

Cracked pepper - to taste

Chili Powder to taste

Can of Rotel with green chilies (or hot Rotel, your choice)

1 chopped up colored sweet pepper or pimento pepper (this can be a hot pepper if you prefer)

Brown Rice - Cooked to directions

Sliced fresh avocado

In large pot, cook chicken breast. Remove chicken breast, strain broth through sieve and return broth to pot. Cut up chicken breast and return to pot. Add veggies and all the seasonings, can of Rotel and the chopped sweet pepper.

Cook until the vegetables are tender and done.

Serve in soup bowls over rice. Garnish with avocados and a splash of Tabasco if desired. Very tasty left over.

Health and Fitness

I decided to start a different blog for the health and fitness part of my life. It is a different interest and a different challenge. Keeping my weight down has always been difficult for me and has taken me most of my life to learn how to live with it.

Yesterday, in one of my classes, I issued a challenge. A Sugar Fast. 4 ladies signed up for it today. I am sure others will sign up for it during the week and we will begin it on Monday the 7th. Meanwhile, we will study scripture and see what God says about the matter as well. We will pray for each other and prepare each other. If anyone who reads this blog wants to join us in the Sugar Fast, you are welcome to. :-) We will love to have you.

Will post more on it in a few days.

Meanwhile, a lovely recipe to share. It is inspired by an old issue of Victoria that is long since gone, but modified for the health conscience. You can use if for an appetizer or a dessert. It is a cold Berry or Mixed Fruit Soup.




Cold Mixed Berry Fruit Soup

4 Cups of cut up fresh peaches, strawberries and blueberries
1 Cup of water
Sugar or Splenda or any other type of sweetner to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

*Place in 2 quart pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Add sugar or Splenda to taste.
*With slotted spoon, remove some of the chunks (slices) of cut fruit before they are 50% cooked and set aside in a bowl.
*Allow the remainder to cook a tad longer. *Please NOTE You do not want this to be syrupy - Do not cook it that long!* You do want it chunky.
*When it is finished cooking, you can take a potato masher and mash it up or you can place it in a blender and blend it into a puree.
*Add the chunks (slices) that you removed earlier back into the mixture.
*Place into the fridge and allow to cool before serving.

(During the cooking process, you may have to add a tad of water to the mixture.)

Serve chilled with a dollop of low fat plain or vanilla yogurt on top.

You can also use mango, necterines, cantalope, rasberries, blackberries, apricots, anything you have on hand. They are all good and tasty in this soup. I hope you enjoy this healthy dish!

Mary Esther and I made this to eat for dessert tonight. It is always welcomed on these hot summer nights.