***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.

Yay! My new treadmill gets delivered tomorrow morning!!!!!

=^..^= MOLLY

Good morning everybody! I am getting ready to go to work in just a few minutes. I'm a little bit worried about leaving the house, though, because, last night at 10:15, my blood sugar crashed, and I finally got it back up, and this morning It was pretty low again. I pray that the Lord will keep my blood sugar up at a good and safe level. I've done my part, and now I trust the Lord to do His.

Molly - enjoy that treadmill. What kind are you getting? I have a really good one, but it has a weight limit of 250 pounds. So I haven't been able to use it for quite some time now.

Good Morning All I hope Saturday morning finds everyone well today. Pam I will remeber you in prayer today. I pray you are without pain and your blood sugars stabilize. I will also ask our church family to pray for you. We are going to a church fall festival today at Cove Lake. I know what is is to have chronic illness, alot of people do not understand. When I was working full time my co-workers would always give me a hard time when I had to be in the hospital. I had a stroke when I was thirty years old and 1 month before that had a blood clot in my lung that nearly killed me. I really understand and God has put a burden on my heart for you. I know that he can you will give you peace.

Molly I really enjoyed "What's in a Name" I have not looked all the scripture up yet but I plan on doing that in the car today on the way to Cove Lake. I hope you enjoy your treadmill today. I hope to get some walking in today at the picnic. I better get going my family is ready to go and I am not dressed!!!

I did my official weigh in today since my DH leaves town tomorrow ....

LOST THIS WEEK: 3.8

LOST TOTAL: 35.4 POUNDS IN 8 WEEKS (4.4 PER WEEK AVG)

STARTING WEIGHT:  369

CURRENT WEIGHT:  333.6

STILL TO LOSE TO HIT 10% LOST: 1.5 POUNDS

STILL TO LOSE TO HIT FIRST GOAL OF 40 POUNDS: 4.6 POUNDS

STILL TO LOSE TO "WIN" MY HAWAII TRIP: 14.6 POUNDS

STILL TO LOSE FOR ULTIMATE GOAL OF 119 POUNDS LOST: 83.6 POUNDS

=^..^= MOLLY

Jennifer - Thank you so much. I am home now, and in incredible pain. I just took a couple more pain pills, and am going to hit the sack. Enjoy the fall festival today. I hope the weather is nice where you are. It's raining here. I thank the Lord for it too, because I'm sure we probably needed it, and it is a slow steady rain. Did your co-workers really give you a hard time, or did you mean they kidded you? I was removed from my office position when I got sick, and when I was able to come back, I was put into a field position. I was not able to keep doing that even part time, so I went to PRN, but I found out that I enjoyed working directly with my clients more than working in the office anyway. So, for me, it was a blessing in disguise.

Wow Molly! That is awesome girl! Keep up the good work. I am going to have to start doing whatever you're doing. Since I am the size I am, I ought to be able to lose that fast too.

TONIGHT'S DINNER

200 calories   lean sirloin, grilled in strips

160 calories   one cup of quinoa

 75 calories    5 tablespoons of Pinjur sauce (tomatoes~eggplant~peppers)

100 calories    mustard greens / collard greens / turnip greens / spinach

535 calories   TOTAL

What's Quinoa? I wrote all about it on my journal ... it's a wonderful, high-protein South American grain. The specific variety we like is the Inca Red.

What's Pinjur Sauce? Common in areas of eastern Europe such as Macedonia, Pinjur is a sauce that is used as a topping or a cooking ingredient to be added to foods. Typically made from eggplant mixed with garlic, olive oil, and seasonings, Pinjur may also contain roasted peppers, chopped nuts such as walnuts, and fresh herbs.  We buy ours at Trader Joes.

MY NIFTY NEW TREADMILL

So far, I love my new treadmill. I've been on it twice today so far, burning 100 calories each time. And my DH has used it, too. I still need to get on it once more today, because my beginning goal is to burn 300 calories a day. Once I work up to 500 calories burned a day ... that's a pound a week! My hope is that will offset things once my weight loss slows down.

It does seem to have all the "bells and whistles" that I need ... I can adjust the incline, the speed, it has a built-in fan, and it lets me program in my weight so it can tell me how many calories I've burned.  We had a challenge finding an affordable treadmill with a 350-lb. weight capacity ... but we did. (And, yay me, I've already lost 35 pounds so I'm now 333 pounds!)

=^..^= MOLLY

Molly - What brand is the treadmill that you bought? I'm glad you and DH are enjoying it.

It's a ProForm 1200 treadmill, from Sports Authority.

=^..^= MOLLY

Where is everybody? I was going to possible work today, but last night, I was told that I could if I wanted to, but didn't need to if I didn't want to. So because of how I felt, I decided to stay home.

I have dinner in the oven. I am baking brisket at 250 degrees. It will take 4-6 hours probably. I will probably fix a whole wheat spaghetti dish I saw on the food network yesterday. You fix it in a frying pan, first sauteeing some onion, garlic, and some diced carrots in olive oil. Then after about 5 or 6 minutes, you put in the spaghetti and toast it fro a few minutes. While you're doing the first part, you slow boil about 5 or 6 cups of chicken broth in a separate pan. Then after doing the above, you ladle in a couple ladles full of broth to the spaghetti. After that is absorbed, you ladle in some more, and after that is absorbed, you ladle in the rest of the broth. By the time that is absorbed, you have a very creamy spaghetti dish. When you sautee the onion, garlic, and carrots at the beginning, you canalso throw in bacon or pancetta if you'd like, but you need to account for that if you are counting fat or calories. Now, doesn't that sound good? The with that, we may have a garden salad. This is all depending on how I feel later, when it is closer to time to cook all of that.

Molly - I will have to look and see what kind I have, but it may be one very similar, just not as good a weight limit.

Pam ... that sounds yummy! What do you season your brisket with?

(sigh)

It's a beautiful Autumn day here, the sun is shining, and I seem to have my respiratory bug back ... coughing and a sore throat and the overall "oogies." Drat, drat, drat. I stayed in bed until 10am and took a long hot shower before venturing out for my usual breakfast of Kashi Go Lean/Almond Breeze and Flax Seed Toast with a protein. 

I will try walking on the treadmill some, but don't want to start coughing with this bug and my chronic asthma, ya know?

My DH leaves in about an hour for the airport ... he'll be out of town for the next four days. I get so bummed and sad when he's gone ... I am SUCH a noodle about these things. And, these will be the first four days since my diet started without his calming, moderating, supporting presence.... EEEEK! 

This also means I need to go to the dentist all by myself on Wednesday to finish getting my roots scraped. That was such a dreadful experience last time (with him) that I am not at all looking forward to doing it on my own.

=^..^= MOLLY

Molly - I seasoned that brisket with Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Mrs Dash Mesquite Seasoning. Do you think that'll go good on it?

Just a Sunday evening check-in from your favorite mousie! 

My DH took me bargain hunting at The Avenue (clothes store) yesterday, and I bought some clothes that should fit nicely in another month or two.... one cute pair of khaki shorts (clearance), a pair of navy knit pants (clearance), a lime green sleeveless shirt (clearance ... but it won't fit til spring) ... and a long-sleeve green t-shirt (6.99) that fits now. I am delighted to report that my 6x and 5x clothes are all too big (though I can still wear the big tops/sweater/elastic waist stuff) .... and I am happily wearing my 4x items (30/32 equivalent.) So, it was pretty exciting to buy some 26/28 sized items (with elastic waists, of course!) 

Well, my DH has now gone out of town and I was on my own today. 12 servings of veggies and 300 calories burned on the treadmill ... yay! And I remembered to feed the dogs, too! (They really appreciate that!) I expect he'll call later tonight once he gets settled into his hotel .... but I will miss snuggling with him tonight.

My project for tomorrow is to go grocery shopping ... I want some more fresh veggies, and I am making an Ahi tuna poke for dinner... yum yum yum! (8 oz of tuna is just 240 calories!) Whole Foods, here I come. (Which is sort of fitting, since we call it "Whole Paycheck" and tomorrow is payday... LOL!)

Tomorrow starts Week Number Nine of my new lifestyle .... WOO HOO! Let's eat some veggies and burn some calories and get healthier, shall we?

=^..^= MOLLY

Hello everyone!! What a busy weekend! I have not done well with the diet this weekend. Saturday at the Fall Festival temptation was there and I caved! I had chili along with a hot tamale and dessert. The strange thing is I began to feel bad afterwards and I thought my blood sugar was high so I checked it and it was very low. It was 62. I think I felt so bad because I have not been eating that way for a while and my blood sugar just did not know what to do. Pam I was telling you about how I was treated at my job because of illness. First of all I was in the hospital and no one called until I was out for a while then they called and asked if I wanted to take a layoff and I refused then a few days later the big boss called and said it would be in your best interest to take the lay-off or you will be fired. I was working as a pediatric nurse you would think the medical community would have compassion!!

Molly Congrats on buying the new clothes, let us celebrate with you as you get into them. I have several outfits that I have never worn on display in my room to remind me to keep going, maybe I should have taken them to fall festival with me so I would not have fell of the wagon!!

In update to Samuel's condition God continues to answer prayer. He is doing well, although he had problems with blood pressure for a few days. He is on 4 b/p meds, 3 of which he is getting max. dose. Please continue to pray.

Well I better go for now. GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE.

Jennifer - I went through an almost exact situation a few years back, also. I was told to either resign or be fired, after I had been in the hospital for an extended stay. I chose to resign, and then they fought me on unemployment, but I won. It was a medical facility also.

To start off your Monday . . .

Psalm 51:12 – Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  

Isaiah 43:18-19 -  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 40:31 - but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

=^..^= MOLLY

Thank you so much Molly for sharing those scriptures with us. I especially find the first one very meaningful for me.

Spiritual Food â?? 5 Days â?? 5 Points

Exercise â?? 0 (I gotta do better than this!)

Fruits/Veggies â?? 54 Servings â?? 54 Points

Skipping Dessert â?? 5 Days â?? 5 Points

Water â?? 784 Ounces â?? 98 Points

Sunshine â?? 2 Days â?? 2 Points

Total Points for Week Two: 166 Points

Total Points so far for October: 330 Points

I really hate the idea of weighing in this morning, cause I look really puffy this morning. I think I will wait for a while, give my diuretics a chance to get started working a little bit.

I have not been making good food choices for the last few weeks, and I haven't exercised at all. Not even my 5 minutes on the stationary bike. So I know my weight is up, and probably not just from fluid. I just can't seem to get motivated. I am beginning to have the thinking, "What's the use?" When you can't exercise cause you can't breathe and you hurt too much, then it becomes easy to get lax on making good food choices, too.  But I am not making excuses, nor blaming anybody else. I take full responsibility for all of it.  I just don't know if I care anymore. Must not, or I would care what I ate. Sorry guys, just down. I'll shut up now.

Pam, Please do not get discouraged,keep going! Everyday you make better choices you are helping yourself. I get down sometimes too, last week I also thought of quitting but this is a new week, a chance to start again. The Lord has given us a beutiful day let's do this for his glory! I took your suggestion on the green tea. It is actually very good. I also bought some diet raspberry white tea. Do you know if it has the same benefits?

This is the day that the Lord hath made let us rejoice and be glad in it.