Praying for Help

I found this article on the Weight Watchers website and I love it! I am in awe of her and want to share her story with you.

In her video on the website she refers to the 3 - P's that kept her going:
Prayer, Program and Perseverance.

Praying For Help

After

Before Name Jane Age 52 Height 5'4" Was 282 lbs Lost 147 lbs* Weight 135 lbs As of 2/23/2008 *Results Not Typical "One day I went out for my daily walk, and as I was striding along I had an unbelievable epiphany

Having once tipped the scales at 282 pounds, Jane is convinced that without her faith—and the Weight Watchers plan—she wouldn't be wearing a size 6 today.

In August 2001 my sister got married, and I was her matron of honor. Later, when I saw the pictures from the wedding, I was absolutely horrified. I just cried because I couldn't believe I looked like that. And the video—the video was even worse. It made me feel so depressed. I thought, "I don't want to live like this; I hate the way I look." I was carrying 282 pounds, and I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall.

While I was crying, I got down on my knees and prayed. I said, "God, I can't do this on my own. I need you to help me." I had prayed for help before, but this time I gave it over to God. I acknowledged that I couldn't do it on my own.

My dad, who passed away when I was 17, really instilled the importance of faith in me. My husband and I have been part of a wonderful church for the last 20 years, and, in addition to our two grown kids, our congregation is like our family, so praying was nothing new for me. But this prayer was different. It was a desperate plea for help.

I've battled my weight my whole life. I went on my first diet when I was 9 years old, and I've tried just about everything that's come along since—the grapefruit diet, high-protein diets, liquid diets, even Fen-Phen, the drug combination that was taken off the market in 1997 because it caused heart valve problems in some people. I'd lose 5 or 10 pounds, then gain 20, lose 20, and gain 40. Even though my weight-loss attempts were a losing battle, hardly a day has gone by that I haven't worried about my weight or tried to watch what I eat.

I was never one of those people who overate regularly. Sure, I overate at times and I ate fattening foods— I love ice cream—but I also have a terrible metabolism. It's not an excuse. It's reality. I'd eat the same slice of cake that everyone else ate, but it would make me gain weight. It was enormously frustrating.

In 1999, I was diagnosed with an under-active thyroid, which can cause a slow metabolism, and I went on medication to increase my thyroid function. That helped a little; I didn't seem to gain weight quite as easily after that. But by then I was so heavy, it didn't make much difference.

I tried to convince myself that being fat was OK—some people are just heavier than others—but in my heart I knew I could never be happy as a fat person. I'd cry when I couldn't find things to wear and I hated to go shopping. I never looked at my body in the mirror, because I didn't want to see how big I was. I'm a nurse and I am the vice president of my company's home-care division. I felt as if I was in control of my life and successful in every aspect except for my weight. It was awful.

After seeing the pictures from the wedding and asking for God's help, I joined Weight Watchers on September 8, 2001. My goal was to get down to 155 pounds. A part of me didn't believe I would ever get there because I'd failed so many times before. But I developed a routine that I still do to this day: I started to get up at 4:30 a.m. for quiet time—Bible reading and prayer. I'd say verse 13 of Philippians, chapter 4: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Then I'd go for a fast two-mile walk. I always hated exercise—hated thinking about it, hated doing it. But I made up my mind that I was going to do everything I could to make this effort work.

I wish I could say the weight loss was easy, but it wasn't. There were plenty of upsetting setbacks. I remember going to a meeting after what I thought was a really good week, and the scale told me I was up 4 pounds. I was so upset; I couldn't stay through the meeting. At that point, I still had more than 100 pounds to lose, and I thought, "I'll never get there at this rate. I'll be 100 years old by the time I reach goal."

When I got home, I went into my bedroom and got on my knees. I said, "Okay, God. I'm really feeling discouraged. I need help." And then it came to me that God was trying to teach me a lesson. I needed to learn to accept setbacks and to keep believing in myself through them. I had many, many bad days after that, but because I saw them as lessons, they fueled my determination. When I'd gain a pound or two, I'd tell myself, "I'm not going to let this defeat me."

One day, I went out for my daily morning walk, and as I was striding along I had an unbelievable epiphany: I was enjoying it. Not only did I like walking, but I felt really good. I was eating healthy food and I liked it. The compulsion to eat foods that made me fat was just gone. It may sound hokey, but I think God took it away because every time I felt as if I was losing control, I would say that verse from Philippians, and a sense of peace would come over me. In any case, during that walk I realized that I was cured, healed. Somehow, I just knew that this time—for the first time ever—the weight loss was going to stick. And I knew it was because God was helping me.

I reached my initial goal in February 2006, and then lost another 22 pounds by July.* I've weighed 133 pounds ever since. Recently at work I heard someone describe me as "the tiny little woman over there." I thought, "What? They can't possibly be talking about me." But they were. When I think about the last six years, I realize it hasn't been so much a weight-loss journey as a journey of faith. I'm proud of myself and proud of my effort. But without God's help, I wouldn't be wearing a size 6 today.

A Person Of Faith

A Person Of Faith

"Being a person of faith doesn’t mean you’re not also a person of suffering, a person of fear, a person of anger. It just means you have someone to hang onto, and to hang on to you while you cry, or yell, or hurt. It just means you don’t suffer alone.

And somehow, that makes it just a bit easier to get through." -Karen Ebert

The above quote is from my dear friend Karen Ebert, Pastor of Wausau's 1st United Methodist Church. I really like it and I think it's very helpful for the emotional struggles we go through and we all know that our struggle with weight is connected in some way to our daily struggles.

Fruits of the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ....Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

- Galatians 5:22-23, 25

Perception and Stress

This post came from a Sales Training organization in town and I thought it held some points that may be helpful if applied to stress overall because we all know stress affects our eating habits and weight....

Problem:
Mike is "burned out." He feels under stress a great deal of the time. His response to this pressure is learned helplessness, the giving-up reaction. This quitting response seems to have followed his perception that he has no control over his situation. He blames "bad karma" and the unfairness of life as the chief nemesis.

Diagnosis:
All experiences are filtered through our personal perception and our bias will distort them to fit our entrenched beliefs. So, much of our stress is not from the situation we face but rather our perception of it.

Prescription:
12 ideas about worrying wisely and changing our perceptions:

1. Look to be proactive.
2. Solve situations that are in your control.
3. Cope with things that are beyond your control.
4. Exercise with a friend.
5. 95% of our stress is in response to trivial vs. important.
6. Keep responsibility where it belongs.
7. Choose your battles wisely.
8. Use down time to be creative.
9. Do not run your engine at a breakneck pace all the time.
10. Do something for someone with no reciprocal agreement.
11. Re-Humanize yourself. Work is only a part of life vs. life itself.
12. If you had one month to live, how would this effect your perception?

Calorie-Saving Cooking Swaps

This list comes from a website that is really helpful with information on food and products available on the market. Check them out at www.hungry-girl.com

TOP ATE Calorie-Saving Cooking Swaps!

1. Nonstick cooking spray instead of oil (for stovetop cooking) 2. Canned pumpkin instead of eggs & oil (for baking) 3. Light vanilla soymilk instead of milk or cream 4. Fat-free liquid egg substitute instead of eggs 5. No-sugar-added applesauce instead of butter 6. Ground-beef-style soy crumbles instead of ground beef 7. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granular) instead of sugar 8. Butternut squash instead of potatoes

WW Snickers Recipe

Definately a hit with the Snicker lovers crowd!

12 oz. soft Sugar-free or Fat-free Vanilla Ice Cream
1 Cup FF Cool Whip
1/4 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1 pkg SF, FF Butterscotch Pudding (Choc would be good too)
3 oz Grape Nuts Cereal

1) Mix ice cream, cool whip, peanut butter and pudding with mixer in medium bowl until well blended.
2) Stir in Grape Nuts cereal
3) Pour mixture into 8" square pan.
4) Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours

Sorry - I haven't run the points on this yet.

Listen to Your Gut!

The following article was sent to me by one of my WW members. I liked it and thought I'd share it with you....

Listen to Your Gut

The real story behind hunger pangs--straight from the source

Your Stomach, Reporting by Morgan Lord

Hey, you. Up there. Can we talk? I know you don't expect to hear from me except around mealtimes or after you've had Mexican food, but there's a lot about me you don't know. You think I'm a troublemaker who sabotages your diet and makes you look bad in a two-piece. You think I'm an ingrate who's always complaining: too full, too empty, too spicy, too many beans.

OK, I see your point. And maybe all the growling doesn't help my image. But hear me out: I do more for you than you know. I work nonstop, 24 hours a day, with no breaks, and I usually pull a double on holidays. I kill the bacteria lurking in your food to protect you from disease. And most important, I help convert the food you eat into fuel for everything you do, from washing the dishes to running a marathon. So give me a little credit, why don't you, and cut out the pinching already. That's never going to make me any flatter.

Besides, those rolls you like to grab and call your "Buddha belly" aren't me. I'm high up in the abdomen, under the bottom of your rib cage, a little to the left. I'm also not as big as you think--only about 12 inches long and four to 10 inches wide when I'm empty. I can stretch to hold up to three liters of food--pretty impressive, right? That's why you need to unbutton your pants after stuffing yourself silly (ahem, need I remind you of the Super Bowl?). But don't go blaming me for your muffin top. That's fat padding your abdomen, not me spreading out.

Believe it or not, my size actually has nothing to do with yours: Bellies' dimensions are predetermined by genetics, and we don't grow in proportion to our owners. That's why some very svelte people can gulp down a lot of food without getting a gut. For instance, 98-pound Sonya Thomas, a competitive eater most famous for downing 39 hot dogs in 12 minutes, regularly defeats men four to five times her size. I sure don't envy her stomach.

So here's what I'm doing while you're tucking into a plate of ribs: The upper section of my bean-shaped body, or fundus, serves as a pantry, storing food until it travels through my central region, the corpus, to be processed by my lower half, or antrum. That's where all the actual work of digestion takes place. And it is work. I have to flex my muscles (yes, I do have them! They form the muscularis, the third layer of about five I have) in a rhythmic, agitating motion, like a washing machine, to mix your food with acid and digestive juices that break it down into its basic components: proteins, sugars, and fats.

It's a big job, but I have help from the 35 million acid-secreting glands in my lining. On a normal day, I produce two to three liters of gastric juices. Dropping all that acid (hey, a little stomach humor!) doesn't just help with digestion; it also kills bacteria, protecting you from infection. Normally, a healthy layer of mucus over my lining keeps me safe from the acid's harmful effects, but from time to time, you aggravate that layer--with a bacterial infection, or by popping aspirin like it's Pez--and acid can erode through. Too much of that kind of damage could mean--gulp--an ulcer. Every stomach's worst nightmare.

Anyway, after I've churned the food into a nice, mushy mixture called chyme, I squeeze it every 20 seconds through the pyloric sphincter, a strong ring of smooth muscle at the end of my food-passing canal, into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. It typically takes me several hours to work through an entire meal, and if it's really big or fatty, I have to put in overtime.

The only time I ever stop is when your brain releases the stress hormone cortisol. That "fight-or-flight" response either shuts down digestion completely, making me feel full of butterflies, or speeds it up to the point that you feel sick. That's what stress will do to you, though.

When I'm completely empty, you'll feel those contractions as hunger pangs, which I jump-start by releasing ghrelin into your bloodstream. Your brain sends me signals to make me secrete this hormone, known as the "hunger hormone."

You might hear those contractions, too--an empty stomach amplifies the rumbles. The other noises I make are just normal digestion. I'll sound off for 10 to 20 minutes while I'm digesting food, and then again every one to two hours until you down your next meal. Sorry I don't always have the best timing (I forgot you had that big presentation at work last week). But I'm not alone in the noisemaking; your small intestines get rowdy too: As food makes its way to the large intestine, it pushes air and liquid around in your bowels, and that causes all those gurgling sounds.

If you really want me to quiet down, steer clear of the break room on Krispy Kreme days. Your brain releases ghrelin to tip me off the second you see or smell food, so I can get my juices flowing in preparation. And I especially like sugar. In fact, I have some of the same sweet-detecting proteins that are in your tongue. I use them to help regulate insulin production and appetite. I can't exactly "taste" sugar the same way your tongue does, but sweetness does make me rev up the release of hormones that make you feel happy.

And please remember: While you might notice the difference between diet and regular, I can't. I'll react to artificial sweeteners as if they're the real thing: by wanting more. That's why every time you down a Diet Coke, you get a hankering for a brownie.

When you eat too much, I definitely feel it. I try to help kickstart the release of leptin, the hormone that tells you you're full and induces nausea. It's my way of saying "Stop!" So give me a chance to say it before you wolf down seconds. A third of what you eat is processed in about 20 minutes, so if you take the time to chew and enjoy your meal, you'll push yourself away from the table before you overdo it. That's good, because too many supersize meals can desensitize my stretch receptors, the ones that let your brain know I'm maxed out, and then it'll take a lot more food to make me feel full next time.

The good news is that unlike your boss, I respond well to sensitivity training. Eat smaller meals for a while, and I'll get used to more reasonable portions again and feel full on less food. Just don't cut back too far. I'm no fan of being empty, and when you don't feed me enough, I have no choice but to let loose more ghrelin. That can send you running for the junk-food aisle--and neither of us wants that. Let's strike a bargain: Don't let me get empty, and I'll go easy on the "Feed me, Seymour" dramatics. Just keep small, healthy meals coming throughout the day so I stay busy.

You can help by choosing foods that take me longer to digest. That includes protein: fish, chicken breast, lean beef, eggs, and skim milk. Fiber-filled foods, especially those mixed with water, like brown rice and oatmeal, tend to stick around a while too. In a pinch, other carbs will do, though I generally go through them a lot faster. They subdue ghrelin, but only temporarily--and when it bounces back, it's with a vengeance, making you more ravenous than you were before you ate. Even worse is overloading on fats. They are the least efficient at suppressing ghrelin, so try to avoid giving me a whole lot of them on a regular basis, unless you want to hear me grumble about it.

Unfortunately, I stink at math, so it's up to you to count calories. It's all the same to me, whether you fill me up with French fries or salad, because I react to volume, not density. I don't know how much fat is in those fries, but I do know they aren't going to keep me happy for as long as, say, some fresh fruit.

And while we're on the subject, I know you've been thinking about Alli, that over-the--counter diet aid. Well, let me make up your mind for you: Fat substitutes and fat-blockers, including olestra-filled foods like Wow potato chips and Alli, go right through me. Mess with them and you may be able to finish War and Peace on the john. These products work by preventing enzymes from breaking down fat, so it gets eliminated with other waste instead of ending up on your thighs. But urgent bowel movements, diarrhea, and gas with horrible oily spotting come with the territory. I think you've got better things to do with your time.

Well, thanks for -listening. I think we make a pretty good team, you and I. I'll keep expanding to meet your needs, sterilizing your grub, and churning it into your intestines if you keep me full of protein and fiber, stop eating when I'm full, and steer clear of crazy fad diets. Maybe this year we can even enjoy swimsuit season together.

Oh, and if you don't mind, grab a snack soon. It's getting a little lonely down here.

Sources: David E. Cummings, M.D., professor of medicine in the division of metabolism, endocrinology, and nutrition at the University of Washington; William Chey, M.D., professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan Health System; Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., the author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet; Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab and the author of Mindless Eating (mindlesseating.org) and Why We Eat More Than We Think.

CORE (Low Energy Density Eating) Resources

A couple websites that have great resources are:

www.skinnyweek.com (Type CORE in the search box for lots of low energy density recipes)


http://www.freewebs.com/hwc1973/index.htm (Tips, recipes and ideas)

Low Energy Density Eating

The following article is from Mayo Clinic - the source reference is at the bottom for full credit....

Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories

Choosing foods that are less concentrated with calories — meaning you get a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories — can help you lose weight and control your hunger.

Feel full on fewer calories. It sounds like a diet gimmick. But in reality, the concept of energy density can indeed help you feel satisfied with fewer calories. By consuming fewer calories, you can lose weight over time and keep it off long term.

All foods have a certain number of calories within a given amount (volume). Some foods, such as desserts, candies and processed foods, are high in energy density. This means that a small volume of that food has a large number of calories.

Alternatively, some foods — such as vegetables and fruits — have low energy density. These foods provide a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories.

Two factors play an important role in what makes food less calorie packed and more filling:

• Water. Many fruits and vegetables are high in water, which provides volume but not calories. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90 percent water and has just 39 calories in a half-fruit serving. Carrots are about 88 percent water and have only 52 calories in 1 cup.

· Fiber. High-fiber foods — such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains — not only provide volume, but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer.

Energy density: Volume versus calories

Butter is high in energy density and provides just a small portion for those calories. Grapes and strawberries, on the other hand, are low in energy density. These foods have large volumes in relation to their calorie content.

Your best food choices

Changing lifestyle habits is never easy, and creating an eating plan using this concept is no exception. The first step is knowing which foods are best.

• Vegetables. Most vegetables — salad greens, asparagus, green beans, broccoli and zucchini, for example — are low in calories but high in volume. Each vegetable serving is about 25 calories, and typical serving sizes are 1 cup raw, a half-cup cooked or 2 cups leafy vegetables. Some vegetables are starchy — such as corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squash — and contain more calories, about 70 calories in a half-cup serving.
• Fruits. Practically all types of fruit fit into a healthy diet. But some fruits are better choices than others are. Whole fresh, frozen and canned fruits without added sugar have about 60 calories a serving. Limit fruit juices and dried fruits, as they're concentrated sources of natural sugar and therefore have a higher calorie content.
• Carbohydrates. Most foods in this group are either grains or made from grains, such as cereal, rice, bread and pasta. The best type is whole grains because they're higher in fiber and other important nutrients. Examples include whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-grain cereal.
• Protein/dairy. This includes foods from both plant and animal sources. The best choices are those that are high in protein but low in fat and calories, such as legumes — beans, peas and lentils, which are also good sources of fiber — fish, skinned white-meat poultry, fat-free dairy products and egg whites.

Eat sweets and high-fat foods in moderation since many of these foods are high in calories but low in volume.

Make it work for you

Starting a healthy diet that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains makes room in your diet for some of your favorite foods in small quantities: a piece of chocolate cake or a small scoop of ice cream, for example. When you're not feeling desperately hungry and deprived, as you might on some diets, you can enjoy a small portion of dessert without guilt.

Here are ideas to make this eating plan work for you:

• Increase the ratio of fruits and vegetables in your meals. For example, add blueberries to your cereal in the morning. Or top your pasta with sauteed vegetables and tomato sauce. Decrease the meat portion on your plate and increase the serving size of vegetables.
• Experiment with new foods and combinations. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Toss some mandarin orange and peach slices into a salad. You may find some new tastes you love that fit within your eating plan.
• Start with soup or salad. Begin lunch or dinner with a broth-based, vegetable-filled soup or a large salad with a small amount of low-fat or fat-free dressing. These foods take longer to eat and curb your hunger. Next, serve whole grains, an extra portion or two of vegetables and a small serving of lean protein for your main course.

By eating larger portions of foods less packed with calories, you squelch those hunger pangs, take in fewer calories and feel better about your meal, which contributes to how satisfied you feel overall.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00195