***Christian Calorie Counters (CCC) Continues***

Greetings to all. This thread is being started to continue, not to abandon, the old thread, Christian Calorie Counters. Thank you Danceswithforks for that wonderful thread.

This thread is for the purpose of lifting up our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and in doing so, encouraging and motivating one another on their weight Loss and weight maintenance journey, and encouraging each other in life itself.

So please come and share your needs, share your successes, encourage one another, and help us motivate each other, all in the love of the Lord.

There is an ongoing challenge if you would like to participate. It starts on the first of every month and ends at the first of the next month. On the first of the month, you come to this thread and post your weight and your 3 core measurements (chest, waist, hips). Then throughout the month you collect points for different categories of the challenge. Each week you post your points for that week. The points are then updated on the thread:
Christian Calorie Counters Challenge Roster & Updates. You go to that thread just to view the list, but stay on this thread for the purpose of posting stats and points, and above all - fellowship with each other. You do NOT have to take part in the challenge in order to be a part of this group.

Gooooooooood Morning, CCC'ers!!!

It's a cool and cloudy autumn day here, and the skies look like a smattering of rain is possible, so my two little doglets are curled up all cozy inside, refusing to go out! Heh heh heh .... I felt that EXACT same way in bed this morning, so who am I to pick on them? Smart doggies. I was all comfy under the covers, snuggled with various cats (Sally, Miss Cricket, Emily and Gracie ... we were having a "Girls Morning In") ... but then I had to get up to pee. Darn all that water and staying hydrated, hee hee hee hee! Anyway, I was so proud of myself for being out of bed by 9am!!! (Yay for sleep-in days! Yay for sleep-in days!)

I don't have much of an agenda for today ... the house is all tidy and clean, our laundry is reasonably caught up, the bills have been paid... so perhaps I will run a few errands. Believe it or not, I'm "low" on Veggies (which means that I am out of mushrooms and down to my last cucumber and onion, and have only tomatoes, radishes, spinach, celery, broccoli and acorn squash to choose from ... LOL!) and need to get some more Walden Farms zero-calorie salad dressing (Bacon Ranch and Balsamic Vinaigrette) and more I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray.  And I was thinking about running by the Health Food store and picking up more fiber with probiotics and looking at calcium supplements. Hmmm..... to get dressed and go out, or stay home and BE a vegetable???

My wonderful DH goes out of town on Sunday to Arizona .... hopefully he'll be back in less than a week, but the trip could spread out for as long as 4-5 weeks. Now how exactly is he supposed to pack for that, I wonder? You can see why it is virtually impossible for us to plan things ... we never know what his schedule will be like and I never know where he will be! Just one of the many joys of being a military wife, I suppose. Still .... this will be his first trip out of town for work since returning from Iraq 2 months ago .... and his frist trip while I've been dieting. He's been such a wonderful support and encourager .... what will I do without my live-in diet buddy?

I finally finished off the Kashi 7 Grain Honey Puffs (yay ... that took forever) and started the Kashi Heart to Heart cereal this morning. It's sort of like Cheerios, only some of the cereal pieces are small donut shapes and some of them are small little hearts! It feels a bit more substantive than the Honey Puffs. I also have Kashi Go Lean (a nice assortment of twig shapes) .... so maybe I will switch off each morning so I don't get stuck in a cereal rut.  My unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (almond milk) is still going beautifully with cereal .... and at 20 calories for a 1/2 cup, who can beat that!?  To keep things interesting, I keep a bag of frozen raspberries in the freezer, and once a week or so, I plop in 3-4 frozen raspberries as a special perk-me-up treat.  And I add a 1/2 banana once a week or so, too.  Accompanying my cereal this morning was a lightly toasted Thomas' Light Multigrain muffin and a slice of Kraft Sharp Cheddar Fat Free Cheese .... 298 calories total!

Someone asked how I like to prepare fresh salmon and fresh tuna ... well, first of all, let me remind you that I live in California and I'm very, very weird. Hee hee hee ... with THAT disclaimer, let me say that if I go to the store and buy a beautiful piece of fresh salmon or a fresh bluefin or yellowfin tuna steak .... I take them home, slice them very thin, sprinkle them with lemon juice and ponzu sauce .... and eat them as sashimi!!! (Yep, raw!!!!) Yum yum yum yum yum!!!! And I will ONLY buy fresh tuna or fresh salmon at the Fish Market or Whole Foods ... I just haven't seen super-fresh sushi-grade fish at regular grocery stores. Seriously, I have never personally cooked tuna or salmon .... though I enjoy pepper-seared tuna out in restaurants, and lemon pepper grilled salmon in restaurants.  The only time I eat cooked tuna at home is Bumbleebee white albacore .... and the only time I eat cooked salmon at home is either salmon jerky or smoked salmon!

Have a super day!

=^..^= MOLLY

Mandy I will have to try that recipe.It sounds very good and very low fat. I'm surprised it is that low fat it sounds somewhat wholesome!! I also think that my family would eat it.

Chrissy, I want you to know I will remember you in prayer. I pray you will have peace and comfort that only our Lord and Savior can give. God Bless you.

Pam, Thank you for the tip for Tilapia. I actually have some in the freezer. That sounds good. It would probably work also on Swordfish.

Again I thank all of you for the fellowship and the prayers for Samuel. I hope to get more of an update tonight at church. Also if I may ask, pray for me I am trying to come up with some kind of fundraiser here in town to help Samuel's family.

I just wanted to say that for the last few days (Tomorrow will be a week) I havent felt like eating much at all.  I'm the type of worrier who is sick on their stomach in stressfull situations.  I have only been eating little bits here & there & hardly no full meals.  After reading your post & prayers for Cooper & I, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace.  I am sitting at my desk here at work having lunch-I havent been able to do that since Friday.  I have strong faith, but sometimes when you just cant see things getting any better, you lose a little bit of that faith.  God put me in this forum today for this reason, I belive.  Thank you SO much!  Have a blessed day!

"Veggie Side Effects"

I have been asked if I have encountered "side effects" or "tummy problems" from eating my daily requirement of veggies. (The RDA recommends 7-9 servings of fruit and veggies, at a minimum, every day.)  The simplest answer is "Yes and No."  When I first started on my Veggie Quest, I noticed that I'd get pretty gassy from broccolli and cabbage... so I took Beano. After about a week or so, my body adpapted beautifully and I didn't notice any extra gassiness.  What I also noticed is, because I'm getting about 40 grams of fiber a day, I do need to ensure that I am drinking enough water to stay properly hydrated, and so that the plumbing works smoothly.  On most days, I am very regular .... twice.  But I am glad, because I know that all that fiber is (1) keeping me full; (2) helping to haul toxins and fat out of my system; and (3) keeping my colon cleansed and healthy.

It's pretty simple, really ... (here comes an absolutely non-scientific explanation) ... "Water fuels the fiber carts that haul fat and toxins out of our bodies." So much of dieting is perceived to be a list of things we CANNOT have .... and, instead, I'm choosing to focus on intentionally ingesting those things that will HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT! Seriously, I'd rather eat vegetables and drink water, than give up garlic-crusted grilled sirloin steak, or toasty english muffins with butter and melted cheese, or avocado on my grilled portabella mushroom tacos .... so I have my yummy food, and I drink my water, and eat my veggies.

Eat your veggies.... drink your water .... fuel the fiber carts that are hauling your fat away, peeps!

=^..^= MOLLY

Chrissy...I'm so glad that you were uplifted and are feeling a bit better now.  I'm glad we could be here for you!  Please keep us informed on how your Cooper is doing.

Molly...thank you for the veggie info.  You really are so good at this stuff!  So, really I need to drink more water.  I do know that, I just need to do it!  Kind of like the exercise.  :)  I drink an average of 64 ounces a day but I guess I'm supposed to drink 1/2 my body weight.  Yikes!

This will be my new motto..."Water fuels the fiber carts that haul fat and toxins out of our bodies."

Hey, all! i wanted to update you on the awesome week I have been having! I haven't been able to post since Sunday since I'm a college student and my weeks are PACKED (supposed to be writing a paper right now lol) but I wanted to share.

First off, for inspiration: I have had htis song stuck in my heda all day: "I walk in POWER and I walk in VICTORY, I walk in the WAYS OF JESUS CHRIST> For Jesus gave me power over Satan, He gave me power over me and my surroundings. I walk in power, I walk in victory, I walk in the ways of Jesus Christ."

So anyway, monday night I had the most awesome prayer time. I literally felt like I was tapped into the power of the Lord - one of those times when He was giving me the words to pray. Basically, he reminded me that He has the power and grace more abundantly than I'll ever need just free for me when I wanted it. His strength is ever-present and available for my taking. Additionally, my body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and nothing (not even this nasty stomach infection that causes the binges) can live there without His permission. So, basically, it MUST leave! In addition, Satan has no place speaking to His daughter, whom He loves, without his permission. The Lord, the power who created the Heavens and hte Earth is on our side, guys! He loves us more htan we can ever know, and is here to help us on these journeys, struggles, and in overcoming strongholds. I wanted to share how awesome I was feeling.

Remember, "We are more than conquerors through Christ." God bless! thank you for your continued prayers! No Binge All this week!!!! :)

Hello everybody!  WOW!  Lots of changes!  Am I shocked!  But anywho... glad Pam has kept this going.  Will miss you Dances!

I have been mia lately.  We have company in right now and I have been visiting and before that I was getting ready for company.. who understands that??  LOL!  A few I hope.  And doing school.  But I wanted to share this email I got today.. I love it!!!  Haven't had time to read and catch up but I am hoping to soon! 

Here's the email:

Christians
by Maya Angelou

This is Beautiful, enjoy.

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her."

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'"
I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Pretty is as Pretty does... but beautiful is just plain beautiful!

TODAY IS BEAUTIFUL SISTERS DAY

AND YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL SISTERS!!! 

Thank you Angela!  I'm copying that, sending it to all the gals I know and then posting it on myspace.  I love that!

Molly, God bless you for opening up your home to all of us.  ha ha ha ha.  I bet you never thought you'd be ask to share your bathroom as well as your kitchen.  I love the "water is the fuel...." 

Snorman, I have to get back to drinking a gallon of water a day.  I actually was doing it for a while.  The first day is hard but then your body gets used to it and you start to crave the water more.  However, once you go off that first day is still hard.  Let's do it together!  Hold me accountable for a gallon of water tomorrow and I will hold you accountable for whatever amount you feel you need to drink....deal?  Anyone else want in on the "Fuel Mules"? (Fuel=water, Mule=us stubborn people who would rather drink anything other than water)

MOLLY'S SCRUMPTIOUS ONION SOUP (CROCKPOT)

64 oz (8 cups) Swanson Low Sodium Beef Broth  (120 calories / 24g protein)

4 medium yellow onions, chopped or sliced (185 calories / 6g fiber / 4g protein)

1 tbs minced garlic, or 3-4 fresh garlic cloves (15 calories)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce (5 calories)

1/4 tsp black pepper

2-3 bay leaves

TOTAL CALORIES: 325 (Now divide into your choice of serving size ... If you divide it into fourths, that's 81.25 calories per serving... If you divide it into 6 servings, that's 54.2 calories per serving. If you just divide it in half, that's 162.5 calories per serving.)

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. (Don't eat the bay leaves!)  Preparation time: about 8-10 minutes, including chopping the onions.

HEALTH NOTES: Because you've made this with low sodium beef broth, this soup has a nice amount of protein ... 28g if you ate the entire thing, 14g if you ate just half. And because of the onions and garlic, you get some great vitamins to boost your immune system as well as lots of flavor and fiber!

SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve several cups in a large, flat bowl, topped with one slice of toasted organic flax seed bread (50 calories) and one melted slice of Kraft Fat Free Swiss Cheese (30 calories).

Guess what I'm having for dinner???

=^..^= MOLLY

Yeah Mandy!  I'm in fuel mules group with you!  :)  I guess I am supposed to be drinking about a gallon a day (current weight = 250, so 1/2 of that is 125 ounces)  I have this cup that holds 32 ounces and keeps the water cold.  I've been drinking 2 of those a day so I just need to double that!  I'll let you know how I'm doing tomorrow (if I'm not too busy running to the bathroom that is!)  ha-ha.

thanks for the extra push!  I need it.  :)

Mandy I will also be a fuel mule groupie. This is one area I struggle with. I weigh nearly 200 pounds so I guess I need to drink 100 ounces. Maybe if I pretend it is a diet coke I can do it!!!

I was a good fuel mule yesterday. I drank 160 ounces of water. By the way, when we say water, I am assuming that we mean plain water, or with lemon slice added. Today, so far, I have had only 80 ounces. I better get to it!

YAY! FUEL MULE's!  I think that water should just be water.  Any objections?  I know I drink 16 oz. of coffee a day (gimme a break I just quit smoking and am trying to lose weight.....not my coffee....can't.....let.....go.....) and I don't count it as water.  However, I did take the time to measure out how much water I am getting when I am munching on my ice cubes (helps me to stay away from night time binging)

So ice cubes count....lemon water counts......what about crystal light drinks or artificially sweetened drinks?  I don't drink them but I know a lot of people trying to lose weight who do.  What do think, Fuel Mules?  Count as water?

No! Absolutely not! I do not believe you can count crystal light or any similar drinks as water because of all the chemicals they contain. If you did that, you would have to count almost all drinks other than juice. No, water is water, and that is what the body needs.

By the way, I am finishing the day with 112 oz Water

Original Post by mandango:

So ice cubes count....lemon water counts......what about crystal light drinks or artificially sweetened drinks?  I don't drink them but I know a lot of people trying to lose weight who do.  What do think, Fuel Mules?  Count as water?

My diabetic nutritionist says I can count them (as long as they are decaffeinated.) My board-certified endocrinologist says I can count them (as long as they are decaffeinated.) And my board-certified internist says I can count them (as long as they are decaffeinated.) Oh, and the exercise physiologist at the Fitness Center says I can count them (as long as they are decaffeinated.) 

So I count them! (smile) After all, the mere addition of aspartame, sucralose, or saccharine does not magically evaporate all of those hydrogen molecules that make up water, do they?  I count decaffeinated tea, low sodium chicken bouillon made with water, crystal light, and no sodium/no calorie flavored carbonated waters.

I found this helpful article from the CNN website ...  

Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to satisfy your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake, while the remaining 80 percent comes from water and beverages of all kinds. For example, many fruits and vegetables — such as watermelon and cucumbers — are nearly 100 percent water by weight. Fresh vegetables and fruit are an excellent source of fluids. 

This means that we can actually count some of the water contained in our foods, but since I wouldn't have any idea how to account for that, I pretty much just count actual water, and clear beverages.

=^..^= MOLLY

The program that I follow, recommended by my endocrinologist, was written by a cardiologist and registered dietician, both trained at the Mayo Clinic. I will check with that program and see what they say about water.

You know you're growing old when..

You've come to the annoying realization that your parents were right about almost everything.

The bag boy volunteers to help load groceries into your car-in the "ten items or less" lane.

You've stopped supporting your children, and started supporting your parents.

You've found yourself discussing the weather.

You remember your kid's names, just not always the right one.

You have nightmares about forgetting to move the garbage cans to the street for the garbage collector.

Your high school yearbook is now home to three different species of mold.

You buy "age-defying" makeup and "anti-wrinkle" creams and believe they work.

You've realized that all those geeky people in Bermuda shorts walking around Disney World include you.

You recognize Led Zeppelin songs that have been turned into elevator Muzak.

You've had three opportunities to buy every single Disney Animated Classic-"for the last time in a generation"

Wal-Mart and Target seem to share your fashion sense.

The only way you know to stop a virtual pet from beeping involves the patio and a sledgehammer.

You know what Earth Shoes are.

Your weight-lifting program seems to have no effect on your muscles, but the veins on the backs of your hands are bulking up quite nicely.

Good morning :) Fuel Mules, I can account for a minimum of 128 oz of water daily. I have 2 -16 oz bottles. While I'm drinking one, the other is in the freezer getting "crusted" so it'll be icy cold when I empty the other. I keep alternating, and thru the day, have 8 of these bottles! When I don't meet that quota, I suffer...thirst,adema, lethargic, constipation...so drink, drink, drink!!! I laughed so at that list, Pam....wow, how'd we get so advanced in years anyway?? Have a Blessed Day, everyone!

Good morning all!  I just wanted to tell you about my evening yesterday after having joined this group.  As I mentioned yesterday, after reading your thoughts and prayers for me & Cooper, I did feel a sense of peace and that peace stayed with me on my way home from work.  As I was driving home, my cell phone rang & it was my Grandmother.  She called to tell me that we have a new baby in our family!  Little Asia Dannielle was born yesterday at 4:15pm!  Praise God!!  She also told me some news of my brother & my cousin (Who is Asia's Dad).  These boys (25 & 20) havent been living right.  My Grandmother told me that Danny (Asia's Dad) had been coming to my Grandparents for the past few weeks and talking about wanting to be baptized!  He said that as soon as the baby is old enough, he would like the two of them to be baptized together.  She also mentioned that my brother, Jason, had been comming to them talking about the Bible.  He has been reading it quite frequently, but didnt like the version that he had.  So, my grandparents went to church yesterday afternoon to talk to the pastors about baptizing Danny & Asia and bought all 3 of them brand new bibles.  How wonderful is that?!  My Dog Cooper is showing some progress.  his meds seem to be helping him somewhat, but we have having alot of trouble getting him to take them.  Please pray that God will show us a better way to get the meds that he so despratly needs into his body so that his pain will go away.  Have a blessed day & thank you so much!