Hello Friends & Family!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for all of the faithful support and encouragement!
I have decided to move my blog to a new location and I don't want to lose your following!
Here is my new web address:
www.jenniferlpina.com
If you had previously received my blog via email you WILL need to re-establish your email in the new site . There is a box to the left of the home page on the new site to input your email to continue to receive direct emails. You will only need to do this once and this is the easiest way to follow my blog. Please let me know if you have ANY questions!This new format allows a simplier web address, a smooth format, and the addition of many more perks which I think you will find really helpful as you follow the blog.
Check out my recent post in which I discuss my Top 10 Weight Loss Tips & Tricks!
http://jenniferlpina.com/2012/11/01/top-10-weight-loss-tips-tricks/
I have also created a Facebook Page that I will provide frequent tips and tid bits on our journey to getting healthy. Click the link below and LIKE this page to follow along!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-in-the-Potters-Hand/300395540069561
Thank you again for all of your support. I pray our journey has been encouraging for your walk!
Blessings!
Jennifer Pina
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
My Testimony
I surrendered my life to Christ and began to completely
follow Him on April 16, 2001. I was 24 years old and although I had grown up in
a Christian home this was the first time I had truly allowed Christ to be Lord
of my life. I had grown up in church and knew the truth but in my late teens I
began to make choices that took me down a very dark path. As I began to walk
out this Christian life I was in awe of God’s forgiveness and passionate about
serving Him with my whole life. My story for a long time has centered on the wonder
of Christ taking a broken and lost young life and receiving me into His
kingdom, just as I was. I now stand before God complete & whole. Justified.
Redeemed. Forgiven. My salvation is
secure and I know who I am in Him.
As I celebrate 103.1 pounds lost this week I found myself
reflecting back on all the work that God has done in my life over the last 14
months. I realized that my testimony of the story of God’s work in and through
my life does not end with my surrender to Him. God desires that we continually
allow Him to work in and through us so that we may always have a story of His
transformation to tell. God has used my obesity, my addiction, my recovery, and
this journey to bring Him glory! As I have allowed God in to this dark area of
my heart and seen Him bring healing and wholeness I have to wonder what would
happen if I allow Him into the other dark areas of my heart? Yes it has been at
times a very trying and painful process to develop self discipline, to deny
myself, and to surrender of my old habits & desires. BUT I have never felt
a closer connection with the Lord and have never know His love & strength
more intimately than I have the last 14 months. I realize that if we are
walking through this Christian walk feeling completely comfortable than we may
be limiting God’s work in and through our lives. I absolutely believe that God
has NO intention that we be comfortable. God’s every intention is that we grow
and growth requires movement, stretching, molding, and sometimes pain. Our
growth brings God glory and ultimately shows the world around us that He is the
one and only living God. He is the one and only path to Life.
As I celebrate this current victory and continue on this
physical, emotional, and spiritual path of transformation I am daring to allow
God into even more dark areas of my heart. This is not the end of His plan for
me, this is just the beginning. I am daring to be brave enough for even greater
transformation of my soul. Are you brave enough? Has your testimony gotten
stalled at your salvation or is God allowed into every area of your life to
create change to His glory? Let’s be brave together and trust a loving God to
allow growth and fruit in our lives! Praise God for the great things that are
yet to come!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Holiday Confessions
I do fully realize that Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, & my birthday (January 8) are now long gone and we would all like to move on with this New Year 2012. However I felt it would be remiss if I didn’t communicate some interesting things that I learned passing through this time of year about myself and about this journey to becoming healthy.
Going into Thanksgiving we had been on this journey for about 3 solid months and our home “environment” was very much changed. If you read my recent blog entry “Targeting for Change” I talked at length about the stages of change based on a graph from Weight Watchers (if you haven’t read it you have to check it out cuz it is my favorite blog entry so far!). Well environment is the first and easiest area to facilitate change. Regarding food we no longer had anything in our refrigerator or cabinets that would not be good for our body. House environment under control, check!
When going out to eat we by this point had developed the routine of choosing a restaurant ahead of time, looking at the menu and nutritional info on said restaurant’s website, and pre-choosing our meal in advance. In this day and age all restaurants no matter how small, yes even Berry’s in Norwalk, OH, has a menu on their website. Not all have nutritional info but we have found we make better informed food choices if we minimally look at the menu from home first and come up with a game plan before entering into the restaurant. You know they pay marketing people millions of dollars on jingles, commercials, & menu pictures to ignite your taste buds and tempt you into all kinds of delicacies that are not good for you or your wallet. So our restaurant environment was under control as well, check!
-We drank plenty of water all day including all evening at the event.
-We got plenty of rest that week and prioritized sleep even with family in town.
-We pre-choose the items including quantities that we were going to put into our bodies that day. We enjoyed the foods that we love including dessert and did not deprive ourselves while being in control.
-We brought a measuring cup and measured the food items such as stuffing, rice, potatoes, etc. just like we would in our home environment.
-We positioned ourselves at the end of the table furthest from the food so that we were not visually looking at food all night. This also allowed us to connect with family and enjoy the conversation with Thanksgiving.
-I know a lot of his grandmother’s recipes and I pre-calculated the calories for some of the dishes ahead of time so that I could be informed on what the values would be.
-We planned ahead that we would not take any food home, and if pressured only items that we could fit within our healthy routine.
-We went to the gym and exercised good all week and then the following weekend as we normally would.
-We attended our WW support group meeting faithfully which fostered encouragement and camaraderie. This is not a journey that you can walk alone through, we need people.
Going into Thanksgiving we had been on this journey for about 3 solid months and our home “environment” was very much changed. If you read my recent blog entry “Targeting for Change” I talked at length about the stages of change based on a graph from Weight Watchers (if you haven’t read it you have to check it out cuz it is my favorite blog entry so far!). Well environment is the first and easiest area to facilitate change. Regarding food we no longer had anything in our refrigerator or cabinets that would not be good for our body. House environment under control, check!
When going out to eat we by this point had developed the routine of choosing a restaurant ahead of time, looking at the menu and nutritional info on said restaurant’s website, and pre-choosing our meal in advance. In this day and age all restaurants no matter how small, yes even Berry’s in Norwalk, OH, has a menu on their website. Not all have nutritional info but we have found we make better informed food choices if we minimally look at the menu from home first and come up with a game plan before entering into the restaurant. You know they pay marketing people millions of dollars on jingles, commercials, & menu pictures to ignite your taste buds and tempt you into all kinds of delicacies that are not good for you or your wallet. So our restaurant environment was under control as well, check!
That said I have to be honest and tell you that going into this holiday season was overwhelming to me as much of the environment phase that we have mastered would be tested and challenged. Thanksgiving is spent every year with my husband’s grandmother who is an amazing cook. She has been cooking since she was seven years old and had to pull a stool up to the stove top (not kidding). We split the cooking duties and my husband and I make the turkey, several sides, and usually one dessert. She does the ham, the rest of the sides, and several yummy desserts. This Thanksgiving we were armed with a plan. We discussed in advance the entire menu with his grandmother. This helped us prepare in two major ways. We could then plan to bring at least one side and a dessert that we would feel good about putting into our body. This also helped us determine what dishes we didn’t want to sacrifice for and what dishes we wanted to factor into our points (caloric intake) for that day. For instance there is always a traditional pasta salad on hand at any of our family gatherings. Though I like it and have eaten it in the past many times, this isn’t a “special” dish that we only get this time of year. Whereas his grandmother makes “The Best” stuffing this side of heaven (please don’t be offended Ohio family but I’ve converted) and I had to eat at least a cup of stuffing. This delicacy is only offered at Thanksgiving and Christmas so it was prioritized in my plate that day.
Our plan for Thanksgiving survival also included the following:
-We started our planning in prayer to ask for God’s help in preparing and making choices that would honor him.
-We made sure to eat breakfast, small snack, and lunch as we would normally so as to not go to dinner completely starving.-We drank plenty of water all day including all evening at the event.
-We got plenty of rest that week and prioritized sleep even with family in town.
-We pre-choose the items including quantities that we were going to put into our bodies that day. We enjoyed the foods that we love including dessert and did not deprive ourselves while being in control.
-We brought a measuring cup and measured the food items such as stuffing, rice, potatoes, etc. just like we would in our home environment.
-We positioned ourselves at the end of the table furthest from the food so that we were not visually looking at food all night. This also allowed us to connect with family and enjoy the conversation with Thanksgiving.
-I know a lot of his grandmother’s recipes and I pre-calculated the calories for some of the dishes ahead of time so that I could be informed on what the values would be.
-We planned ahead that we would not take any food home, and if pressured only items that we could fit within our healthy routine.
-We went to the gym and exercised good all week and then the following weekend as we normally would.
-We attended our WW support group meeting faithfully which fostered encouragement and camaraderie. This is not a journey that you can walk alone through, we need people.
Long story short we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were successful in our plan and even got more activity with my husband’s Latin family spontaneously broke out the salsa dancing later that evening. It was one of the most fun holidays we have ever had. At our WW weigh in the Saturday following we both actually lost weight that week. All this planning may seem ridiculous or exaggerated to you but you have to understand the power that food has over me & others. It is a powerful addition like any other. I have been “dieting” in the past countless times and the holiday season has completely thrown me overboard. One compromise leads to another, then another, which leads to shame, regret, & humiliation. It is a slippery slope and I never want to under estimate its power again.
Thanksgiving laid the framework for the rest of the holiday season. With its success we maintained a similar plan at Christmas, New Years & my birthday. We didn’t deprive ourselves but made choices that would honor God. We cooked a lot, we made informed decisions when going out to eat, we exercised daily, and we loved on and enjoyed family. For so many years of my life my mind over the holidays has been consumed with food and followed by a New Year that began with shame & guilt. It is amazing how God ministered to my heart this season as I have allowed him into this area. My time with family was so much richer, my connection with the meaning of the holiday was so much more vivid, and my joy was complete as we got on the scale at our WW meeting and in the end both lost weight through it all.
Questions for you….
1. Can you relate to what I shared about feeling guilt and shame following a holiday?
2. What has been your biggest food struggle around the holidays?
3. What tips do you use to surviving the holiday?
4. What tips that I shared stood out to you that you might try?
5. Maybe you don't have issues with food but you have friends or family that do. How can you use some of these tips to support them during your next get together?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
One year down! Let's Celebrate!
Today marks a major milestone in our journey to getting physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy because it is our one year Anniversary of joining Weight Watchers! I remember last year so vividly it seems like yesterday. We were in Ohio visiting my family and had been talking about taking the plunge and doing it for weeks. We had fiercely analyzed several different program options and after MUCH discussion decided to go with Weight Watchers ….but then never signed up, funny huh! I guess we were just waiting for the perfect moment but the problem is there is NO perfect moment. So in the middle of our vacation I woke up one morning and just had a burning desire to do it! To sign up! Nothing holding us back! After a little bit of rationalizing and resistance from my husband he finally recognized that there was nothing that would stop my zeal and determination! So we did it! We signed up online from Ohio on Monday, August 29th 2011 and began tracking our food with a plan to attend our first Weight Watchers meeting at a location near our home that Saturday morning. The first week went great and we seemed to fall into place. I lost 6.5 pounds which was probably a lot of water weight since I was still on steroids at the time but it was just the boost I needed to keep motivated. Our meeting that Saturday was great and we seemed to fit in immediately with the Weight Watchers group we chose. They were friendly and open to us and we loved our leader Sandra right away, which really says something because my husband tells me that I can be pretty hard on leaders ;)
Achieving the one year mark on this journey was definitely cause from some self reflection and goal setting. What better time to set new goals then when you have achieved so many. To celebrate this momentous occasion I decided to go out this morning and walk/jog as far as I could manage which in my mind was a glorious 15 miles! Well about half way through my intentions changed and I decided on a 6 mile walk/jog and that is exactly what I did. As a reflected on the last year I can see the hand of God all over our lives. Who would have thought that God could take illness, unemployment, and several other major trials and mold it into such a marvelous testimony of His grace & mercy? The physical transformation has been such a small part of this journey as we have truly learned to honor God with our choices on SO many more levels. I can honestly say this has been the most intimate time that I have ever shared with the Lord or with my husband. In my devotions today I read a line by Oswald Chambers that really brought it all together for me, “Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into personal possession only through conflict.” My faith in myself, my spouse, and most importantly in God has grown tremendously over the last year and I can’t even imagine what the next year will hold!
Achieving the one year mark on this journey was definitely cause from some self reflection and goal setting. What better time to set new goals then when you have achieved so many. To celebrate this momentous occasion I decided to go out this morning and walk/jog as far as I could manage which in my mind was a glorious 15 miles! Well about half way through my intentions changed and I decided on a 6 mile walk/jog and that is exactly what I did. As a reflected on the last year I can see the hand of God all over our lives. Who would have thought that God could take illness, unemployment, and several other major trials and mold it into such a marvelous testimony of His grace & mercy? The physical transformation has been such a small part of this journey as we have truly learned to honor God with our choices on SO many more levels. I can honestly say this has been the most intimate time that I have ever shared with the Lord or with my husband. In my devotions today I read a line by Oswald Chambers that really brought it all together for me, “Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into personal possession only through conflict.” My faith in myself, my spouse, and most importantly in God has grown tremendously over the last year and I can’t even imagine what the next year will hold!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Having Fun with Homemade Granola!
½ Cup Canola Oil
Canola Oil cooking spray
24 Oz. of Honey
1 Cup Molasses
2 ½ Cups Creamy Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons of Salt
3 Tablespoons of Ground Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons of Ground Ginger
½ Tablespoon of Ground Cloves
3 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
42 oz container of Whole Oats *(NOT instant or quick Oats)*
3 Cups of Whole Almonds
½ Cup Chopped Pecans
½ Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Cup White Raisins
Preheat oven to 300* and spray two large cookie sheets with Canola Oil cooking spray. In LARGE pot heat oil, honey, molasses, peanut butter and stir often on medium heat. As it begins to melt add salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and vanilla extract. Once this mixture is completely melted and mixed well, turn off the heat and remove from the burner. Add in ½ of the Whole Oats and stir well. Add in almonds & pecans and stir well. Add the remaining ½ of the Whole Oats and stir until everything in the pot is covered. Pour and spread evenly onto the two cookie sheets. Cook at 300* for 10 minutes and stir, cook again for 10 minutes and stir, cook for another 10 minutes and stir well and remove from oven. The goal is to absorb a good about of the moisture in the cooking process but it will still be a little sticky when you remove it from the oven. Cool completely and then add Dried Cranberries and White Raisins.
*Very important to always add the dried fruit AFTER the cooking process because the fruit will dry up and harden in the oven and it is not good for your teeth or the flavor.*This recipe makes two large gallon bags or 32 cups of granola. It freezes really well and is perfect for gifts! I eat this a few times a week and it will usually last us about 4 months. The beauty of homemade granola is that you can play with it and add what you like. I’ve decreased the honey in the past and added 1 cup of brown sugar. I’ve also added cocoa powder and cayenne powder which add a great flavor. I’ve used a bunch of other dried fruits and nuts in the past too. I’ve heard of people adding chocolate chips or marshmallows once it is cooled as well. I almost never make it the same way twice and always try to use up whatever I have in my home. Have fun with it and Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Losing a battle but Winning the War!
I remember waking up day after day, week after week, year after year; filled with self loathing regrets and shame because I had done IT yet again. I had eaten too much, over indulged, fallen off the wagon, binged, splurged, or gorged myself. After so many of those mornings filled with regret I finally gave up trying….which led to eventually “Not caring” at all….or so I told myself. You could literally put this record on repeat and this was my life for about the last 20 years. Unfortunately this is NOT a new story; I am NOT all that different from many other people who cycle through the same patterns of ….dieting-binge-shame/regret-not caring-caring-diet etc…..over and over again. I know this because as I have been so open about my journey with others COUNTLESS people have shared their hearts with me and exposed the truth about their own struggles. The truth is that even if your issue is not food most of us go through this cycle in one area or another at some point in our lives. I felt powerless to break through and truly defeated before I would even begin.
At this point to date I have lost a total of 94.1 lbs and have been on this journey to getting healthy exactly one year on August 29th. You may think that I have it all figured out by now. That I have made this lifestyle change and ever fiber of my being is on board, focused, and in route to the finish line. At the risk of sorely disappointing you I must share the honest reality that is not always the case. I read a very interesting blog post recently by the CEO of Weight Watchers, David Kirchhoff called "Do all habits and no play make Dave a dull boy?" Kind of a funny name, huh? Anyway in the article he talks about how important habits are to sustaining change. Well the good news is that over the last year I have built many wonderful physical, emotional, and spiritual habits that have had a tremendous impact in my life! Obviously to lose 94.1 lbs some drastic elements of my life have changed!
However the bad news is I spent 34 years building those unhealthy habits and occasionally, especially when I am exhausted, stressed, angry, or otherwise highly emotional….the unhealthy habits will prevail! Also I AM a human being and not God so I am imperfect apart from Him. I woke up recently on a Tuesday after eating all of my weekly points (49) and all of my activity points (25) in just 3 days with the EXACT same shame, regret, & fear that I had in the past. As I showered & prayed I repented to the Lord for not honoring Him with my choices. In that moment a thought came to my heart “My emotions had won THAT battle, but ultimately I (with God’s help) WILL win the war”. It occurred to me as I meditated on that reality that in a war you won’t win every individual battle. There will always be losses at times in war. Even the great champion King David from the Bible experienced losses. When we lose a battle it helps us refocus, reevaluate, make necessary changes, and reconnect with our source of power – God! I was so encouraged by this truth! It released me from chasing after perfection which always leads to disappointment since perfection is unachievable. My greatest fear has been that somehow I would “fall off the wagon” and go completely back to my old unhealthy lifestyle. Guess what! I’m NOT on a wagon! I don’t have to live in fear of every little daily mistake I make! This helped me realize that God has a purpose even when we lose a battle. I have surrendered my physical, emotional, and spiritual health to the Lord and He will sustain me. Losing this battle helped me refocus & recharge and I’ve been backing kicking butt with God’s strength ever since!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
On My Knees
There have been so many times in my life and very significantly on this journey that I have felt the confusion, pain, and desperation reflected so beautifully in this song "Find You On My Knees" featured on Kari Jobe's newest CD "Where I Find You". I HAD to share the lyrics and video with all of you! I'm so encouraged that in our most vulnerable and broken state God reaches down and meets us where we are at and fullfills our deepest needs. God has been lifting me out of a place of brokenness to a place of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing!
Please enjoy "Find You On My Knees" by Kari Jobe
Troubles chasing me again,
Breaking down my best defence,
I'm looking, God, I'm looking for you
Weary just won't let me rest and fear is filling up my head.
I'm longing, God I'm longing for you
But I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees.
So what if sorrow shakes my faith,
What if heartache still remains,
I'll trust you, my god I'll trust you.
'Cause You are faithful and
I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees, my knees.
When my hope is gone, when the fear is strong
When the pain is real, when it's hard to heal
When my faith is shaken and my heart is broken and my joy is stolen, God I know that
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
Find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees.
Please enjoy "Find You On My Knees" by Kari Jobe
Troubles chasing me again,
Breaking down my best defence,
I'm looking, God, I'm looking for you
Weary just won't let me rest and fear is filling up my head.
I'm longing, God I'm longing for you
But I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees.
So what if sorrow shakes my faith,
What if heartache still remains,
I'll trust you, my god I'll trust you.
'Cause You are faithful and
I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees, my knees.
When my hope is gone, when the fear is strong
When the pain is real, when it's hard to heal
When my faith is shaken and my heart is broken and my joy is stolen, God I know that
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
Find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Let's Review!
Welcome & Hello Old & New Friends and Family! It has been WAY TOOOOO long since I’ve written and I have SOOOOOO much to tell you! For those who may be joining this blog for the first time and for those who need a refresher let me tell you a little bit about me and the journey my husband and I have been on.
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-We “woke up” to the reality that for far too long we had put our physical health on the back burner and our weight was out of control.
-We “woke up” to the fact that our weight was not only affecting our physical health but also reflected unhealthy emotional & spiritual health as well. It makes sense after all we are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings and everything is connected.
-We “woke up” to the painful reality that our life message and our physical lives were a contradiction.
-We “woke up” to the reality that this issue was bigger than us and we needed some serious help!
After much discussion, consideration, and prayer we chose Weight Watchers to provide the structure, accountability, and support we needed for real sustainable change. If you’re interested in more on that decision process check out "Finding the path....to health eating". So on Monday, August 29, 2011 we signed up online and began the program determined to stay the course and finish the race. We weighed in that Saturday, September 3, 2011 at the Weight Watchers meeting located at Mockingbird in Dallas, TX and have been there ever since. After several months and great success I began to develop an interest to tell our story to the masses. Let me just tell you that was definitely divinely inspired because nobody, and certainly not me, wants to share all their most intimate hang ups and struggles with the world!!! In obedience and trepidation I began this blog completely unaware of how God would use it to touch the lives of people.
In this excerpt from "Beginning the Journey" I share my vision for this blog and explain the crazy and somewhat provocative title J
After almost a year of learning, growing, and changing literally from the inside out all I can humbly say is that ONLY GOD can cause this kind of authentic transformation in a person’s life. My Eyes Are Open!!! Against all odds and fighting the battle on a daily basis we have continued on this journey to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. I’m so grateful for His daily strength and grace and look forward to continued growth and change. We definitely have NOT arrived but we thank God that to date we have lost a total of 170 lbs as a couple! Rejoice with us and Praise the Lord!
**Don't forget to SIGN UP to recieve Posts directly to Email**
-The Pinas share their story at a Weight Watchers Grand Opening!
-Pictures from 70lbs lost & 85lbs lost!
-Tips to add more Veggies to Lunch & Dinner!
**Don't forget to SIGN UP to recieve Posts directly to your Email**
My husband and I had a wake up call in June 2011 when my health took a drastic turn and I was put on bed rest for 10 week to recover from having a fungus in my lungs.
-We “woke up” to the reality that for far too long we had put our physical health on the back burner and our weight was out of control.
-We “woke up” to the fact that our weight was not only affecting our physical health but also reflected unhealthy emotional & spiritual health as well. It makes sense after all we are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings and everything is connected.
-We “woke up” to the painful reality that our life message and our physical lives were a contradiction.
-We “woke up” to the reality that this issue was bigger than us and we needed some serious help!
After much discussion, consideration, and prayer we chose Weight Watchers to provide the structure, accountability, and support we needed for real sustainable change. If you’re interested in more on that decision process check out "Finding the path....to health eating". So on Monday, August 29, 2011 we signed up online and began the program determined to stay the course and finish the race. We weighed in that Saturday, September 3, 2011 at the Weight Watchers meeting located at Mockingbird in Dallas, TX and have been there ever since. After several months and great success I began to develop an interest to tell our story to the masses. Let me just tell you that was definitely divinely inspired because nobody, and certainly not me, wants to share all their most intimate hang ups and struggles with the world!!! In obedience and trepidation I began this blog completely unaware of how God would use it to touch the lives of people.
In this excerpt from "Beginning the Journey" I share my vision for this blog and explain the crazy and somewhat provocative title J
“My blog will be centering on my journey to getting healthy physically, emotionally, & spiritually. This journey began for me in June of 2011 and has caused me to come face to face with my own weaknesses, my own insecurities, and my own demons. I have had a problem with food for as long as I can remember. I have used food for comfort, stress relief, and even as a companion at times. I plan to be completely open about my fears, failures, and triumphs as I embark on learning for the first time in my life how to maintain a truly healthily lifestyle. This is a conversation that other Christ followers often over look. I have been following Christ for 10 years and have never allowed Him into this area of my life. My theme for 2012 is "Naked in the Potter's Hand". I will no longer hold this or any other area of my life from my Lord. Naked means many things including: uncovered, stripped away, or bare. I no longer want anything to get in the way of God's plan for my life. I see God as a Master Potter molding me into the final product he desires (Isaiah 64:8). I realize now that my journey to getting healthy doesn't just deal with my food choices, but it also encompasses how I spend my time, incorporating exercise, getting passionate about water, and protecting my sleep.” December 21, 2011
After almost a year of learning, growing, and changing literally from the inside out all I can humbly say is that ONLY GOD can cause this kind of authentic transformation in a person’s life. My Eyes Are Open!!! Against all odds and fighting the battle on a daily basis we have continued on this journey to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. I’m so grateful for His daily strength and grace and look forward to continued growth and change. We definitely have NOT arrived but we thank God that to date we have lost a total of 170 lbs as a couple! Rejoice with us and Praise the Lord!
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Getting you caught up here is what’s coming soon:
-On my knees (sharing a song with video & lyrics that have impacted me so much!)-The Pinas share their story at a Weight Watchers Grand Opening!
-Pictures from 70lbs lost & 85lbs lost!
-Tips to add more Veggies to Lunch & Dinner!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tips to add more Veggies to your Breakfast!
I have been learning a lot about what my body needs to become physically healthy. It sounds ironic that I would be 35 years old and just now figuring this out. It took a total of 19 weeks of bed rest, June 2011 through January 2012, to cement in my thick skull how important it is to take care of my body. The way I see it healthy bodies are fueled by 4 things: eating healthy, regular exercise, drinking lots of water, and getting plenty of sleep. I’m sure there are many of other factors that may contribute but these are the main four that I am working on. So packing our meals with fresh vegetables has been a trick I’ve been mastering over the last 8 months now and I wanted to share some tips with you.
Tip 1:
Try to be intentional about adding at least one serving of a vegetables to every meal of the day including your snacks. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) with my age, gender, and level of activity I should be consuming 2 cups of fruit & 3 cups of vegetables everyday to promote good health. Use this calculator from the CDC to determine your daily needed intake, I guarantee you will be shocked as I was! Plus my husband’s suggested veggie intake was significantly higher than mine! Check out this link to read an interesting article on Benefits of Fruits & Vegetables and this link will give you visual examples of several veggies and what the serving size looks like Examples of 1 cup serving.
Tip 2:
I have learned that if you’re going to be intentional about packing the menu with veggies it is going to take some planning & preparation. First we find that shopping weekly and buying only what we will eat in that week will help ensure freshness and the best taste possible. This goes for fruits as well but fresh produce doesn’t tend to stay as fresh past a week. Nutritional speaking fresh is best, frozen is ok, canned is better than nothing. However in the Pina household fresh veggies weekly is the only way we roll!
Tip 4:
Load up some of your family’s favorite dishes with extra veggies. This will add a huge nutritional impact and they don’t even realize it! For instance in our favorite ground turkey spaghetti sauce I double the onions, green peppers, and mushrooms for that extra veggie power! I also load up all of our sandwichs with extra vegetables such as cucumber slices, tomato, and spinach.
Tip 5:
When in doubt stuff the veggies! I’ve been known to put my ground turkey meatloaf in bell peppers (any color), tuna or chicken salad in tomatoes, pizza sauce & cheese in zucchini, and wild rice in acorn squash. Limitless possibilities my friends!
I have to admit that I personally find breakfast to be one of the hardest to pack veggies into, BUT not impossible. For the sake of space & time I'm going to share 3 of my favorite veggie packed breakfast ideas. These are all ones that we love & eat regularly!
You'll need the following:
bagel thin (I like everything, whole wheat or plain for this)
ripe avocado
medium yellow onion
tomatoes
salt & pepper
Next thinly slice the tomato, thinnly slice the yellow onion, and cut the avocado in half & remove the seed.
Next prepare a nonstick pan by spraying a few sprays of olive oil on medium high heat.
Add onions to the pan and begin to soften & slightly carmelize on both sides
After 3 to 5 minutes the onions will be done and should look like this:
Scoop out avocado. Here is hint, if you carefully pre-slice prior to removing from the skin it will lay nice & clean on your bagel. *If you are watching your weight I highly recommend weighing the avocado on a food scale in grams. Often avocados vary in size and it makes a significant difference in calories or Weight Watcher PointsPlus*
Avocados are a great source of healthy oil but if you don't like them I also recommend 1 oz of reduced fat cream cheese which is also really yummy! Next we build the bagel: First toasted bagel & add avocado. I doesn't have to be perfect, I just lay the avocado out as evenly as possible.
Now time to add the onions & tomatoes.
To finish salt & pepper to taste! Enjoy!
Topping bagel thins or english muffins with vegetables is a really great way to incorporate veggies into your day. The sky is the limit, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, or even sauteed mushrooms would also taste great!
The second favorite veggie packed breakfast in our home is the Green Smoothie! Ok I'll admit I was slow to grab hold of the Green Smoothie trend but I'm totally on board over the last 2 months. Bascially a green smoothie is a regular fruit smoothie that is loaded with tons of veggies - commonly with some green veggies such as raw spinach, kale or arugula. Believe it or not you SERIOUSLY can't taste them at all. I want to caution you on this, as I've been researching green smoothie recipes some of them get really high in calorie count (or WWP+) so be careful what you put in these if you are watching your weight. *I also don't choose to use this as a meal replacement but rather incorporate it into my daily points and the daily number of fruits I consume.*After tons of experimentation here is my favorite combination:
1 cup of ice cubes
2 cups raw spinach
1 large banana
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup 1% milk (1 WWP+)
1 scoop protein powder (mine is 3 WWP+ but check your brand's label because they all vary)
Load it all in the blender like so:
I blend it really well until it is smooth and creamy. Here is the final product!
Great way to pack in some great veggies. Have fun & experiment with all kinds of combinations of fruits & veggies. I also really like blueberries, oranges, and canned pumpkin!
Finally the last veggie packed breakfast I am going to share is my husband's favorite. Basically any combination of sauteed, grilled, or roasted veggies & eggs. Adrian LOVES eggs for breakfast and could probably eat them every day. He has recently discoved egg whites in the container and loves how convenient they are to use. Here are some great combination ideas that could be made into an omelet, egg scramble, or a frittata.
baby portabella mushrooms
zucchini slices
diced onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup of egg whites
or
roasted red bell pepper
roasted cauliflower
diced red onion
1/2 cup of egg whites
This if the first of 4 blog posts with tips on packing veggies into our meals. I hope you were inspired to try some new things. I'd love to hear from you guys on what you find helps you eat more veggies. I'd love to hear some of your favorite breakfast recipes that are packed with veggies!
Tip 1:
Try to be intentional about adding at least one serving of a vegetables to every meal of the day including your snacks. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) with my age, gender, and level of activity I should be consuming 2 cups of fruit & 3 cups of vegetables everyday to promote good health. Use this calculator from the CDC to determine your daily needed intake, I guarantee you will be shocked as I was! Plus my husband’s suggested veggie intake was significantly higher than mine! Check out this link to read an interesting article on Benefits of Fruits & Vegetables and this link will give you visual examples of several veggies and what the serving size looks like Examples of 1 cup serving.
Tip 2:
I have learned that if you’re going to be intentional about packing the menu with veggies it is going to take some planning & preparation. First we find that shopping weekly and buying only what we will eat in that week will help ensure freshness and the best taste possible. This goes for fruits as well but fresh produce doesn’t tend to stay as fresh past a week. Nutritional speaking fresh is best, frozen is ok, canned is better than nothing. However in the Pina household fresh veggies weekly is the only way we roll!
Tip 3:
Next I’ve learned to stay creative and try new things. My husband really wouldn’t go for it if I added a salad to every meal, believe me I tried and failed! I experiment ALOT and we like about 3 out of 4 recipes and we have tons of fun with it. Pinterest is my new best friend and allows me to explore tons of new recipes. Click here to follow me on Pinterest!Tip 4:
Load up some of your family’s favorite dishes with extra veggies. This will add a huge nutritional impact and they don’t even realize it! For instance in our favorite ground turkey spaghetti sauce I double the onions, green peppers, and mushrooms for that extra veggie power! I also load up all of our sandwichs with extra vegetables such as cucumber slices, tomato, and spinach.
Tip 5:
When in doubt stuff the veggies! I’ve been known to put my ground turkey meatloaf in bell peppers (any color), tuna or chicken salad in tomatoes, pizza sauce & cheese in zucchini, and wild rice in acorn squash. Limitless possibilities my friends!
I have to admit that I personally find breakfast to be one of the hardest to pack veggies into, BUT not impossible. For the sake of space & time I'm going to share 3 of my favorite veggie packed breakfast ideas. These are all ones that we love & eat regularly!
First I'll start with a Loaded Bagel Thin, here’s how I make them.
Next thinly slice the tomato, thinnly slice the yellow onion, and cut the avocado in half & remove the seed.
Next prepare a nonstick pan by spraying a few sprays of olive oil on medium high heat.
Add onions to the pan and begin to soften & slightly carmelize on both sides
After 3 to 5 minutes the onions will be done and should look like this:
Avocados are a great source of healthy oil but if you don't like them I also recommend 1 oz of reduced fat cream cheese which is also really yummy! Next we build the bagel: First toasted bagel & add avocado. I doesn't have to be perfect, I just lay the avocado out as evenly as possible.
Now time to add the onions & tomatoes.
To finish salt & pepper to taste! Enjoy!
Topping bagel thins or english muffins with vegetables is a really great way to incorporate veggies into your day. The sky is the limit, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, or even sauteed mushrooms would also taste great!
The second favorite veggie packed breakfast in our home is the Green Smoothie! Ok I'll admit I was slow to grab hold of the Green Smoothie trend but I'm totally on board over the last 2 months. Bascially a green smoothie is a regular fruit smoothie that is loaded with tons of veggies - commonly with some green veggies such as raw spinach, kale or arugula. Believe it or not you SERIOUSLY can't taste them at all. I want to caution you on this, as I've been researching green smoothie recipes some of them get really high in calorie count (or WWP+) so be careful what you put in these if you are watching your weight. *I also don't choose to use this as a meal replacement but rather incorporate it into my daily points and the daily number of fruits I consume.*After tons of experimentation here is my favorite combination:
1 cup of ice cubes
2 cups raw spinach
1 large banana
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup 1% milk (1 WWP+)
1 scoop protein powder (mine is 3 WWP+ but check your brand's label because they all vary)
Load it all in the blender like so:
I blend it really well until it is smooth and creamy. Here is the final product!
Great way to pack in some great veggies. Have fun & experiment with all kinds of combinations of fruits & veggies. I also really like blueberries, oranges, and canned pumpkin!
Finally the last veggie packed breakfast I am going to share is my husband's favorite. Basically any combination of sauteed, grilled, or roasted veggies & eggs. Adrian LOVES eggs for breakfast and could probably eat them every day. He has recently discoved egg whites in the container and loves how convenient they are to use. Here are some great combination ideas that could be made into an omelet, egg scramble, or a frittata.
baby portabella mushrooms
zucchini slices
diced onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup of egg whites
or
roasted red bell pepper
roasted cauliflower
diced red onion
1/2 cup of egg whites
This if the first of 4 blog posts with tips on packing veggies into our meals. I hope you were inspired to try some new things. I'd love to hear from you guys on what you find helps you eat more veggies. I'd love to hear some of your favorite breakfast recipes that are packed with veggies!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Free from Accusation!!!!
This summer when I was on bed rest for 10 weeks with a fungus in my lungs I would read my Bible frequently and for some reason I literally couldn’t get out of the book of Colossians. Has that ever happened to you? I’ve always been a “3 chapters a day, and 5 on Sunday” type of girl which was engrained in me while at Christ for the Nations Institute by the co-founder we affectionately called “Mom” Lindsey. For whatever reason I was glued to this book and read it over and over again this summer until I had practically memorized it which is for me uncharacteristic and shocking! At that point I didn’t realize that God was priming my heart to get ready for this journey.
noun
1. a charge of wrongdoing; imputation of guilt or blame.
2. the specific offense charged: The accusation is murder.
3. the act of accusing or state of being accused.
Let me give you some personal examples of the types of accusations that have gone on in my mind:
-“You ate too much of ……AGAIN”
-“You’ll never be able to lose this weight”
-“You are out of control”
-“You are a hypocrite”
-“You are a failure”
WOW! Do you know how freeing it is to have that revelation? WOW! This revelation has opened the door for me to begin forgiving myself for all the years that I have not taken care of my body. If the creator of the universe has forgiven me than how can I continue to beat myself up day after day for every little mistake? It gives me hope for the future and strength to break out of this cycle of obesity. This revelation also strengthens my positive self talk when negative thoughts and self accusations pop up which they do often. I repeat to myself the phrase “You are free from accusation!”
Oh thank you Jesus for your freedom!
I have said many times that this blog is about my journey to getting healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Many of my posts focus on one or a combination of those areas of transformation. Spiritually I have gone back to basics in many ways as I explore who God created me to be and how my personal relationship with Christ affects my relationship with myself. Colossians chapter 1 verses 15 through 20 reflect the solid foundation from which my faith is built upon. It begins with creation and ends with that sacrifice of God’s one and only son Jesus Christ on the cross. Check it out below…
Colossians 1: 15-20 (NIV)15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Awesome! I get excited every time I read that! This next part literally keeps rocking my world.
21-23 (NIV)
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Both science and the Bible are in agreement that the mind is a very powerful mechanism and it is where ALL action begins. Even though I know Christ’s shed blood on the cross paid the penalty for my past, present, and future sins I continued to live alienated from God in my mind under the curse of accusation, particularly in this one area. Here’s how Dictionary.com defines the word accusation.
ac·cu·sa·tion noun
1. a charge of wrongdoing; imputation of guilt or blame.
2. the specific offense charged: The accusation is murder.
3. the act of accusing or state of being accused.
Let me give you some personal examples of the types of accusations that have gone on in my mind:
-“You ate too much of ……AGAIN”
-“You’ll never be able to lose this weight”
-“You are out of control”
-“You are a hypocrite”
-“You are a failure”
I am learning as I read Colossians that in order for my spiritual health to grow my mind needs to get in check with the truth of God’s word. His word states (Jen paraphrase of vs.22) that as a believer in Christ I have been brought back together (reconciled) to God and have been made spotless in God’s sight. It states that I no longer walk as one accused and destined to death but I am set FREE by Christ bloodshed for me on the cross. Christ is no longer accusing me as He has made me holy in His sight, but I continue to accuse myself in my mind. It is the bondage of these mental self accusations that have kept me in a cycle of obesity and from allowing Christ into this area of my life. Self accusations have kept me going around and around from weight loss plans to binge eating and never accomplishing a healthy lifestyle. I do NOT have to continue to live under the guilt, shame, and the deception of self accusation because I am set Free in Christ.
WOW! Do you know how freeing it is to have that revelation? WOW! This revelation has opened the door for me to begin forgiving myself for all the years that I have not taken care of my body. If the creator of the universe has forgiven me than how can I continue to beat myself up day after day for every little mistake? It gives me hope for the future and strength to break out of this cycle of obesity. This revelation also strengthens my positive self talk when negative thoughts and self accusations pop up which they do often. I repeat to myself the phrase “You are free from accusation!”
Oh thank you Jesus for your freedom!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What is the function of a Mirror?
Our Teaching Co-Pastor, Chris Carroll, has been teaching an awesome sermon series from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) over the past few months. Check out this link to view recent messages if you’re interested in watching any of them I highly recommend it: Firewheel Bible Fellowship. Anyway as he concluded the series this week he began the sermon with a funny analogy about people looking into mirrors at the gym. Well that got my mind rolling, and I’ll admit with full disclosure my mind may have wondered off just a bit. Have you ever noticed all those mirrors at the gym and all those people looking in them? These days I’m at the gym 6 days a week about 2 hours each day. I remember when we first started and I was just beginning this journey to getting healthy. I was so uncomfortable and ashamed of my weight that I despised that there were so many mirrors at the gym. I barely looked in mirrors at home let alone wanting to have every wall covered in mirrors. Plus I thought it was arrogant and prideful that many people stared at themselves, flexing muscles, posing, gloating in their triumphs, or so I thought!
Interestingly as I got further & further along with exercise I learned that the mirrors actually do serve a purpose while working out. I have learned from my awesome trainer to use the mirrors to watch my movements while doing specific exercises in order to ensure I’m doing it correctly. For instance I often raise my shoulders in error when I’m working out my chest or arms. Without the mirror I would be unable to realize I am doing this movement incorrectly. In the mirror I notice the error and can make adjustments accordingly. I have found the mirrors useful as well in my Pilates & Zumba classes. The function of the mirror in the gym is to enable you to see what your body is actually doing and not what you perceive your body to be doing. Oh how that concept applies to the rest of my life and I didn’t even realize it! The mirror forces you to face and deal with reality, keeps you grounded, and allows growth and change to truly happen where needed.
As I continued to ponder this idea of mirrors, both literal and figurative, and their functions I recognized that at my heaviest weight I would rarely look in the mirror. Was I avoiding facing the inevitable? I definitely know that I was blind to how bad things had gotten with my weight & overall health, until I had a “Damascus Moment” (Acts 9) this summer and was lying on my back for 10 weeks with a fungus in my lungs. The function of the mirror in the physical is to reveal what we may not realize or truly want to see. Without looking in the mirror in my mind I considered myself to not have a problem, to be the same old Jen as I’ve always been, and to stay contained in my bubble of self deception. In a way avoiding the mirror physically allowed me to keep wearing a mask and tell myself & everyone else that everything was alright when it wasn’t!
Then there’s the whole emotional component of looking in the mirror. Let’s be honest I’m sure that there is not a human alive who has looked in the mirror at least once in their lives and not liked something about their bodies. Not looking in the mirror kept me in denial emotionally about my body image issues which resulted in the shame and guilt I was carrying around. How had I allowed myself to get so heavy? How had I become so out of control with food? I avoided these questions like the plague and sunk deeper & deeper into emotional denial. Looking in the mirror and truly facing yourself is a powerful component to change. It may be a literal mirror or a virtual mirror, but we all have to come to grips with where we are in life, how we got there, and how to get on the better path. No human being is perfect and I firmly believe we are all a work in process. We halt our own personal progress when we stay for a prolonged period in denial about our circumstances.
Have you ever locked God out of an area of your life? I did for many years when it comes to my health, my food obsession, and honoring God with my body. In this case I see the Bible as a spiritual mirror. The Bible is God’s word and in it we learn about His character, His standard of righteousness, and His plan and purpose for our lives. This spiritual mirror must be allowed to penetrate the deepest parts of our heart in order to produce life and transformation. This spiritual mirror allows us to see ourselves through Christ’s eyes, it allows Him to produce healing in our hearts, and good or bad it prompts action on our part. As I spent time in God’s word I would gloss over places where He was clearly addressing this weakness in my life. I am learned to stay still, focus in, and allow the Bible to be the spiritual mirror it was designed to be. I am learning to embrace the change, growth, and molding of the Potter’s Hand!
So whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual change that needs to take place in my life or yours we need to allow the mirror to function for the purpose it was designed. Physically the function of the mirror is to bring us face to face with reality. Emotionally the function of the mirror is to reveal the depths of our heart in order for change, healing, and wholeness to take place. Spiritually God’s word functions to guide, direct, encourage, correct, and ultimately mold us according to His righteous standard. May our eyes be unveiled in these areas and may we have the courage to allow the mirrors in our lives to do their jobs!
Interestingly as I got further & further along with exercise I learned that the mirrors actually do serve a purpose while working out. I have learned from my awesome trainer to use the mirrors to watch my movements while doing specific exercises in order to ensure I’m doing it correctly. For instance I often raise my shoulders in error when I’m working out my chest or arms. Without the mirror I would be unable to realize I am doing this movement incorrectly. In the mirror I notice the error and can make adjustments accordingly. I have found the mirrors useful as well in my Pilates & Zumba classes. The function of the mirror in the gym is to enable you to see what your body is actually doing and not what you perceive your body to be doing. Oh how that concept applies to the rest of my life and I didn’t even realize it! The mirror forces you to face and deal with reality, keeps you grounded, and allows growth and change to truly happen where needed.
As I continued to ponder this idea of mirrors, both literal and figurative, and their functions I recognized that at my heaviest weight I would rarely look in the mirror. Was I avoiding facing the inevitable? I definitely know that I was blind to how bad things had gotten with my weight & overall health, until I had a “Damascus Moment” (Acts 9) this summer and was lying on my back for 10 weeks with a fungus in my lungs. The function of the mirror in the physical is to reveal what we may not realize or truly want to see. Without looking in the mirror in my mind I considered myself to not have a problem, to be the same old Jen as I’ve always been, and to stay contained in my bubble of self deception. In a way avoiding the mirror physically allowed me to keep wearing a mask and tell myself & everyone else that everything was alright when it wasn’t!
Then there’s the whole emotional component of looking in the mirror. Let’s be honest I’m sure that there is not a human alive who has looked in the mirror at least once in their lives and not liked something about their bodies. Not looking in the mirror kept me in denial emotionally about my body image issues which resulted in the shame and guilt I was carrying around. How had I allowed myself to get so heavy? How had I become so out of control with food? I avoided these questions like the plague and sunk deeper & deeper into emotional denial. Looking in the mirror and truly facing yourself is a powerful component to change. It may be a literal mirror or a virtual mirror, but we all have to come to grips with where we are in life, how we got there, and how to get on the better path. No human being is perfect and I firmly believe we are all a work in process. We halt our own personal progress when we stay for a prolonged period in denial about our circumstances.
Have you ever locked God out of an area of your life? I did for many years when it comes to my health, my food obsession, and honoring God with my body. In this case I see the Bible as a spiritual mirror. The Bible is God’s word and in it we learn about His character, His standard of righteousness, and His plan and purpose for our lives. This spiritual mirror must be allowed to penetrate the deepest parts of our heart in order to produce life and transformation. This spiritual mirror allows us to see ourselves through Christ’s eyes, it allows Him to produce healing in our hearts, and good or bad it prompts action on our part. As I spent time in God’s word I would gloss over places where He was clearly addressing this weakness in my life. I am learned to stay still, focus in, and allow the Bible to be the spiritual mirror it was designed to be. I am learning to embrace the change, growth, and molding of the Potter’s Hand!
So whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual change that needs to take place in my life or yours we need to allow the mirror to function for the purpose it was designed. Physically the function of the mirror is to bring us face to face with reality. Emotionally the function of the mirror is to reveal the depths of our heart in order for change, healing, and wholeness to take place. Spiritually God’s word functions to guide, direct, encourage, correct, and ultimately mold us according to His righteous standard. May our eyes be unveiled in these areas and may we have the courage to allow the mirrors in our lives to do their jobs!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Endurance
My husband and I began this journey to getting healthy physically, emotionally, & spiritually on Monday, August 29th, 2011. It has been exactly 30 weeks of learning, growing, and changing! To date I have lost 57.3 lbs and my husband has lost 55 lbs. Our lifestyle is being transformed most especially our eating habits & regular exercise. The results have been amazing as we learn to honor God with our bodies, channeling our stress or anxieties no longer through food but to God. We are learning to give self care the priority that God requires and how essential self care is to all other areas of life & ministry.
Reflecting on our journey so far I can see so many ups and downs. Let’s be honest here, I am definitely not Super Woman. I wouldn’t have been almost 300 lbs if I didn’t have some major issues with food. At times it is a daily battle to make choices that will honor the Lord. It is a battle to not fall into those old habits that are so engrained after many years of practice. It would be so easy to sit around and watch TV instead of going to the gym. It would be so easy to order a pizza after a long busy day instead of cooking a healthy meal. That is not to say we haven’t done those things from time to time. Lord knows we are and will continue to be a work in progress. We are learning balance and balance is NOT easy.
As I reflect on the journey so far the word Endurance continues to come to mind. I touched a little bit on it in my recent blog "Never Give Up" so thanks for hanging in there with me as I continue with this theme. Endurance, persistence, stamina, patience, fortitude, and staying power all sound like great traits right? Whew they require a lot of hard work. I told you early on that our journey can’t be just about dieting, vanity, looking good, or only losing weight. It HAS to be more than that in order to find meaning and purpose day in and day out. There is a passage in Romans 5 that comes to mind, check it out below:
Romans 5: 1-5 (NIV)
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
So you might argue that suffering is a strong word for me to use in comparison to my journey to getting healthy. Most days I’d agree with you but I’ll tell you there have been days that are literally painful and for those I’ll whole heartedly make the comparison with suffering. By God’s grace it is endurance that changes suffering into perseverance, then into character, and ultimately hope. Endurance requires a daily connection with my source of Power, aka. my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ via the Holy Spirit. It is literally by His favor which I cleared don’t deserve and could never earn on my own (Grace) that I daily recommit to this journey. Just like toaster that is not plugged into the electrical outlet, if I’m unplugged for my source of power I will not be able to continue on this path.
Endurance also requires me to set aside how I “feel” on any given day and just do what is part of my program. For instance yesterday Adrian and I got up with some possibly horrible news about unemployment which piled an enormous burden of stress. It was tempting in that moment to not stick with our program for that day and go to the gym to work out for 1 ½ hours, eat our healthy lunch & dinner, etc. We could have rationalized that we just didn’t feel like it, weren’t in the mood, or didn’t have the motivation. BUT we endured and went through the motions even without passionate feelings. I’d love to report that at the end we were miraculously free of all stress but that isn’t the case. I can report that endurance does mean going through the motions until your “feelings” are in check. In the end we were glad we went to the gym and followed the program. I realize that my “feelings” have been driving this ship for such a long time, but not any longer!
A permanent lifestyle change requires endurance. It is a hard lesson but a good one. Endurance requires that I stay connected to my source of power and that I learn to not let my feelings drive my choices. It is critical that I stay engaged on a daily basis with Christ to continue to maintain the direction He has for my life in every way, not just on this journey. I want to allow Christ to define the path, NOT my feelings. Feelings are unstable and can be manipulated at every turn. I found this quote recently that I think totally breaks down endurance. As we reach our goal to learn to honor God with our bodies, no matter the cost, It IS Worth it! Check it out!
Reflecting on our journey so far I can see so many ups and downs. Let’s be honest here, I am definitely not Super Woman. I wouldn’t have been almost 300 lbs if I didn’t have some major issues with food. At times it is a daily battle to make choices that will honor the Lord. It is a battle to not fall into those old habits that are so engrained after many years of practice. It would be so easy to sit around and watch TV instead of going to the gym. It would be so easy to order a pizza after a long busy day instead of cooking a healthy meal. That is not to say we haven’t done those things from time to time. Lord knows we are and will continue to be a work in progress. We are learning balance and balance is NOT easy.
As I reflect on the journey so far the word Endurance continues to come to mind. I touched a little bit on it in my recent blog "Never Give Up" so thanks for hanging in there with me as I continue with this theme. Endurance, persistence, stamina, patience, fortitude, and staying power all sound like great traits right? Whew they require a lot of hard work. I told you early on that our journey can’t be just about dieting, vanity, looking good, or only losing weight. It HAS to be more than that in order to find meaning and purpose day in and day out. There is a passage in Romans 5 that comes to mind, check it out below:
Romans 5: 1-5 (NIV)
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
So you might argue that suffering is a strong word for me to use in comparison to my journey to getting healthy. Most days I’d agree with you but I’ll tell you there have been days that are literally painful and for those I’ll whole heartedly make the comparison with suffering. By God’s grace it is endurance that changes suffering into perseverance, then into character, and ultimately hope. Endurance requires a daily connection with my source of Power, aka. my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ via the Holy Spirit. It is literally by His favor which I cleared don’t deserve and could never earn on my own (Grace) that I daily recommit to this journey. Just like toaster that is not plugged into the electrical outlet, if I’m unplugged for my source of power I will not be able to continue on this path.
Endurance also requires me to set aside how I “feel” on any given day and just do what is part of my program. For instance yesterday Adrian and I got up with some possibly horrible news about unemployment which piled an enormous burden of stress. It was tempting in that moment to not stick with our program for that day and go to the gym to work out for 1 ½ hours, eat our healthy lunch & dinner, etc. We could have rationalized that we just didn’t feel like it, weren’t in the mood, or didn’t have the motivation. BUT we endured and went through the motions even without passionate feelings. I’d love to report that at the end we were miraculously free of all stress but that isn’t the case. I can report that endurance does mean going through the motions until your “feelings” are in check. In the end we were glad we went to the gym and followed the program. I realize that my “feelings” have been driving this ship for such a long time, but not any longer!
A permanent lifestyle change requires endurance. It is a hard lesson but a good one. Endurance requires that I stay connected to my source of power and that I learn to not let my feelings drive my choices. It is critical that I stay engaged on a daily basis with Christ to continue to maintain the direction He has for my life in every way, not just on this journey. I want to allow Christ to define the path, NOT my feelings. Feelings are unstable and can be manipulated at every turn. I found this quote recently that I think totally breaks down endurance. As we reach our goal to learn to honor God with our bodies, no matter the cost, It IS Worth it! Check it out!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Never Give Up!
I recently hit a major mile mark in this journey to getting healthy. Actually my husband and I both achieved over 50 pounds of weight loss each! Hooray! Updated photos coming soon I promise! As a reward we decided that we each could have $50 cash to spend however we wanted. That may not seem like a lot of money but I am unemployed and as a full time student he has a part time job so let’s just say money is super tight. That $50 might as well be a thousand and it certainly felt like a wonderful treat. I ran across this canvas and had to purchase it. The message and the picture connected with me past, present, and future. Plus it matches my kitchen ;) Yes I put it right in front of the refrigerator and my supportive husband did not complain at all!
This idea of “Never Giving Up” or never quitting has been very significant to me since I began to really follow Christ at 24 years old. I remember being a student at Christ For the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas in the first week of October 2002. We had speaker that week that asked us to write in our Bibles “Jesus I Will Never Quit!” and put the date, it was 10/2/02. The message still stands out to me all these years later because it dealt with the raw and honest truths that this life is not easy at times. We all face moments of wanting to give up if we are really honest. I like to do everything 100% and nothing less. When I struggle with accomplishing something I have had a tendency in the past to just throw in the towel, give up, and move on to the next project, maybe it’s the perfectionist in me? What stood out to me in that message was that I will fall and fail in this journey of following Christ but I made a commitment that day before God that no matter what I would never, ever, give up on my relationship with Him. That is a commitment I continue to renew and to this day is written with dates in my Bible.Never giving up translates very easily into this current season. In my post "Finding the path...to healthy eating" I describe my philosophy that dieting has a goal of losing weight whereas my purpose goes much deeper. I am following a path that I feel God has led me to get healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Allowing God into this area of my life and learning to honor God with my body is directly connected to my relationship with Him. I will never give up on my relationship with God and I trust that whatever path He places me on in life is so that I can fulfill my purpose on this earth. Therefore, I will NEVER GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT!
Another part of the canvas that really spoke to was the target in the center. Do you remember my post "Targeting for Change"? In it I share a visual used by Weight Watchers called the “Target of Change” which shows how we gradually make changes beginning with the external (Environment, Attitudes, Behavior) and eventually to the internal (Beliefs & Identity). The target posted below has hung on my refrigerator since we began this journey. So you can see why I was super excited to find a reward that had both the message of Never Giving Up and the Target for Change all with colors matching my kitchen right!?!?!
This week was a hard week for me. I don’t know if it was the rainy, cloudy, and generally gloomy weather here in Dallas. Or possibly the fact that I’ve suffered a bit of insomnia. My food choices were on plan and honored God; I exercised daily, took my vitamins, and drank my crazy amounts of water (lol). My mood and heart were just struggling for some reason unknown to me. We all have those kinds of days, weeks and possibly months don’t we? I’m proud of the fact that even though my mood was “off” I pushed through and did not choose to use food as a remedy as I would in the past. By God’s grace I’m learning that even in the midst of an “off” week I don’t have to give into or turn to food. I don’t have to take on the “give up” attitude. He cares about those inevitable moments and wants me to learn to draw on Him instead of food. I found a really cool quote online by Fred Devito that says “If it doesn’t challenge you, It doesn’t change you.” I am learning to welcome the challenges both big and small so that my identity can be transformed into a vessel in the Potter’s Hand that honors God!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Healthy Roasted Veggie Lasagna
Healthy Roasted Veggie Lasagna
Prep time: Up to 90 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes, cool time 10 minutes
1 Eggplant, peeled and cut into ½” rounds
2 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
1 head of cauliflower
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow onion, cut into large dice
8oz package of Baby Bella mushrooms
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 Tablespoons of garlic powder, divided
3 teaspoon of garlic salt, divided
2 Tablespoons of Italian herbs, divided
1 cup parts skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, raw
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 2/3 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Olive oil cooking spray
36 oz of Classico’s Traditional Sweet Basil pasta sauce (which is 1 1/2 jars or whatever kind you enjoy), divided
1 box of oven ready lasagna noodles
Preheat oven to 425* and spray two large cookie sheets. We will begin by prepping all the veggies for roasting. Roasting these veggies will take more time but it adds a tremendous amount of flavor and it is totally worth it!
*Very important when prepping the veggie to try to cut them around the same depth so that they will roast evenly. *
Starting with the eggplant cut the ends off and peeled it with a potato peeler.
Then cut the eggplant into ½” circles (rather than long strips) See the picture below.
Next I tackled the zucchini and yellow squash. In order to maintain the same depth for even roasting I cut in half length and depth, then in ½” thick slices. See pictures below.
Deconstruct the cauliflower and cut into bite sized pieces. Spray olive oil cooking spray on two large cookie sheets. Add the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and cauliflower. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt to each cookie sheet. Mix well and spread out evenly. Place on center racks in the preheated 425* oven for approximately 60 minutes.
Once the veggies are all complete begin building the lasagna by spraying olive oil cooking spray in a large & deep baking dish. Place 2 Tablespoons of pasta sauce and spread evenly.
Then place the first layer of pasta in the bottom of the baking dish. *Note* If you choose to use "oven ready" lasagna noodles as I did you will notice that they absorb ALOT of sauce and continue to do that each time you reheat the meal. So if you like alot of sauce and choose to use this noodle I recommend adding at least an extra 1/2 cup of sauce to each layer.*
Before I continued building the lasagna I mixed all the roasted veggies together with the onions and mushrooms EXCEPT the eggplant that I kept separate. Here is how I built the layers from the bottom up:
Olive oil cooking spray
2 Tablespoons of pasta sauce
Oven ready lasagna noodles, even layer
Pasta sauce, even layer
1/2 of roasted eggplant pieces
1/2 of veggie mixture
1/3 cup of finely shredded mozzarella
Oven ready lasagna noodles, even layer
Pasta sauce, even layer
1/2 of roasted eggplant pieces
1/2 of veggie mixture
All of the cheesy ricotta mixture
1/3 cup of finely shredded mozzarella
Oven ready lasagna noodles, even layer
Pasta sauce, even layer
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
2/3 cup finely shredded mozzarella
Here's what is looks like all built up! Looking good so far :)
Next wrap really tightly with foil. Place in preheated 425* oven for 60 minutes or until noodles are cooked completey through. After taking it out of the oven allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into it. Cut into at least 8 pieces, serve & enjoy! Here is the final product when cut, super yummy!
Prep time: Up to 90 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes, cool time 10 minutes
This recipe is my creation derived from some recipes I found from The Pioneer Woman & Martha Stewart. I made them healthier but choosing leaner cheese, using less cheese, and cutting the oil in at least half. I also tripled the veggies from the recipes I found. This means it is more vitamin packed, however it also means it added about 30 minutes into the prep time. This makes 8 large portions that I have calculated to be 11 WWP+ per serving. If you are a WW please make sure to recalculate the recipe based on the brands you choose as the pointsplus values can change. So let’s get started.
Ingredient List1 Eggplant, peeled and cut into ½” rounds
2 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
1 head of cauliflower
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow onion, cut into large dice
8oz package of Baby Bella mushrooms
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 Tablespoons of garlic powder, divided
3 teaspoon of garlic salt, divided
2 Tablespoons of Italian herbs, divided
1 cup parts skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, raw
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 2/3 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Olive oil cooking spray
36 oz of Classico’s Traditional Sweet Basil pasta sauce (which is 1 1/2 jars or whatever kind you enjoy), divided
1 box of oven ready lasagna noodles
Preheat oven to 425* and spray two large cookie sheets. We will begin by prepping all the veggies for roasting. Roasting these veggies will take more time but it adds a tremendous amount of flavor and it is totally worth it!
*Very important when prepping the veggie to try to cut them around the same depth so that they will roast evenly. *
Starting with the eggplant cut the ends off and peeled it with a potato peeler.
Then cut the eggplant into ½” circles (rather than long strips) See the picture below.
Next I tackled the zucchini and yellow squash. In order to maintain the same depth for even roasting I cut in half length and depth, then in ½” thick slices. See pictures below.
The red bell pepper I cored and cut into 2” cubes.
Deconstruct the cauliflower and cut into bite sized pieces. Spray olive oil cooking spray on two large cookie sheets. Add the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and cauliflower. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt to each cookie sheet. Mix well and spread out evenly. Place on center racks in the preheated 425* oven for approximately 60 minutes.
Flip or mix every 15 minutes and rotate pans for even roasting. This photo was after 30 minutes, notice the browning on the eggplant. This color shows the added flavor that you are looking for in roasting veggies.
Cut a large onion in a large dice. Clean & cut 8 oz. of baby bella mushrooms into 1/2" thick peices. You can use any mushroom, I like the depth of flavor of baby bellas. Spray a large nonstick pan with olive oil cooking spray. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat to medium high. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic salt and sautee onion and mushroom mixture until lightly carmelized and tender. *You could probably also roast the onion and mushroom in the oven I just didn't have any more room in my oven*
As all the veggies are cooking mix the cheesy combination: 1 cup of part skim ricotta, 1/3 cup of finely shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup of grated parmesean, 2 eggs, 2 Tablespoons of Italian Herbs, 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder. Mix well and set aside.
Once the veggies are all complete begin building the lasagna by spraying olive oil cooking spray in a large & deep baking dish. Place 2 Tablespoons of pasta sauce and spread evenly.
Then place the first layer of pasta in the bottom of the baking dish. *Note* If you choose to use "oven ready" lasagna noodles as I did you will notice that they absorb ALOT of sauce and continue to do that each time you reheat the meal. So if you like alot of sauce and choose to use this noodle I recommend adding at least an extra 1/2 cup of sauce to each layer.*
Before I continued building the lasagna I mixed all the roasted veggies together with the onions and mushrooms EXCEPT the eggplant that I kept separate. Here is how I built the layers from the bottom up:
Olive oil cooking spray
2 Tablespoons of pasta sauce
Oven ready lasagna noodles, even layer
Pasta sauce, even layer
1/2 of roasted eggplant pieces
1/2 of veggie mixture
1/3 cup of finely shredded mozzarella
Oven ready lasagna noodles, even layer
Pasta sauce, even layer
1/2 of roasted eggplant pieces
1/2 of veggie mixture
All of the cheesy ricotta mixture
1/3 cup of finely shredded mozzarella
Oven ready lasagna noodles, even layer
Pasta sauce, even layer
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
2/3 cup finely shredded mozzarella
Here's what is looks like all built up! Looking good so far :)
Next wrap really tightly with foil. Place in preheated 425* oven for 60 minutes or until noodles are cooked completey through. After taking it out of the oven allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into it. Cut into at least 8 pieces, serve & enjoy! Here is the final product when cut, super yummy!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Lazy Man's Cabbage Rolls
This is a really easy, healthy, and tasty recipe. My grandmother gave me the original and I modified it just a bit to make it healthier. They call it Lazy Man’s Cabbage Rolls because it is a deconstructed roll that still maintains the same yummy flavors without all that hard work.
Here are the ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 medium sized head of green cabbage, cut into 1” squares
1 large onion, diced
1 lb of extra lean ground beef (93%/ 7% at least)
½ cup instant rice (I used Minute rice)
1 ½ Tablespoons of garlic powder
1 Teaspoon of garlic salt
½ Teaspoon of ground pepper
15 oz can of diced tomatoes
15 oz can of tomato sauce
10 ¾ oz can of tomato soup (I prefer Campbell’s)
1 ½ cup of water
So here is how you prepare this meal. Preheat the oven to 350*. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray. Cut cabbage into 1” squares, if you have a large head of cabbage as I did just use ¾ of the head of cabbage. Place cabbage into the bottom of the baking dish as shown below.
Add rice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, & tomato soup to the meat mixture and bring to a boil.
Add 1 ½ cups of water, cover tightly with foil, and place in the oven to bake for 40-50 minutes until cabbage is tender and the majority of the liquid is absorbed. Here is what the final product will look like!
I portioned this into 8 servings and according to my calculations it is only 4 WWP+ per serving. It is low fat, packed with veggies, and super easy to prepare. Let me know if you enjoy this Pina Family favorite!
Here are the ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 medium sized head of green cabbage, cut into 1” squares
1 large onion, diced
1 lb of extra lean ground beef (93%/ 7% at least)
½ cup instant rice (I used Minute rice)
1 ½ Tablespoons of garlic powder
1 Teaspoon of garlic salt
½ Teaspoon of ground pepper
15 oz can of diced tomatoes
15 oz can of tomato sauce
10 ¾ oz can of tomato soup (I prefer Campbell’s)
1 ½ cup of water
So here is how you prepare this meal. Preheat the oven to 350*. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray. Cut cabbage into 1” squares, if you have a large head of cabbage as I did just use ¾ of the head of cabbage. Place cabbage into the bottom of the baking dish as shown below.
Brown ground beef with onion & seasonings until cooked well (mine was still in the cooking process in this picture.
Pour meat & tomato mixture over the cabbage in the baking dish.
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