This week's topic is…

Recipe Swap

Do you have a favorite low-fat/low-cal/healthy recipe that your family loves?  I hope you'll join us next week and share.  I'm always on the hunt for new recipes!

I haven't mentioned it lately.  But since we're talking recipes this week, now is the perfect time.

On the right side of my screen, you'll notice a button for my affiliate advertiser E-Mealz, a great meal planning tool.  They take the guess work out of what's for dinner with an easy meal plan that includes an ingredients list and a directions list all on one easy to read page.  Plus their meal plan comes with a shopping list for the store of your choice. 

They even try to match up the sales with the plan.  For those of us trying to lose weight, they have low fat, low carb, gluten free, and WW(called portion control).

Now in all honesty, I don't use these menu plans exclusively any more.  They are more of a jumping off point for me.  We are rather picky and don't always like all the dinner choices.  So that's when we make family favorites.  But I love that every week I get a great choice of new recipes that includes the WW points.  It takes the guess work out of tracking my meals.  Yay!!!

So I've said all of that to tell you about this week's recipe, which came straight from an E-mealz meal plan.  It was an instant family hit!

Apple-Pecan Pork Chops

1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin chops, trim all fat

1 T light margarine

3 T brown sugar

2 c diced apples

1/4 c chopped pecans

Salt & pepper to taste

Season chops w/salt & pepper.  Melt margarine in a large skillet and add the apples, cooking for 2 minutes.  Push the apples to the side and add th epork chops.  Cook the pork chops for 4 minutes.  Then turn the pork chops over and cover with the apples.  Add the pecans and brown sugar.  Cover and cook for 4-8 minutes or until the pork chops are done.  Makes 6 servings.

I don't know the whole nutritional value of this meal.  But for you fellow WWers out there, I do know it is 6 PP per serving.  Add a salad with another vegetable and you've got a great meal!

BTW, I am Southern to the core.  I say pecan w/a long e…not pecan w/a short e.  I know people prefer the 2nd pronunciation.  I remember a long discussion when I was a child between adults about the proper pronunciation being w/the long e.  I don't really think that's proper.  But I say it that way in their honor…and to keep the tradition alive.

Before I leave, let me tell you the scale was not nice to me this week!  I gained .6 lbs.  I'm not entirely sure how this happened.  I was diligent about my diet and exercise, including getting up early to work out before long days away from home.  

I will not let that gain deter me!  Instead I will keep working at it.  And I know next week will be better!

How are you doing with your weight loss goals my friend?  Do you have a healthy favorite recip?  Why don't you join us for Weight Loss Wednesday and share?  Remember…we're all in this together!

It's easy.  Write a blog post about this week's topic and link back to this post.  Then register with Mr. Linky below.  Please know, though, that I reserve the right to delete any link that does not conform to the spirit of Weight Loss Wednesday.  You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wlwed. 

Also please remember to visit some of the other participants as well.  It's very encouraging to know you are not alone in this journey.

For the next few weeks, our topics are going to cover a series.  We are going to go through each meal, including snacks, and talk about some of our favorites.  Sometimes the biggest challenge to eating well is knowing what to eat.  I love to know what others are doing.  It always gives me great ideas.

Appropriately enough, we are going to start with breakfast.  Have your breakfast habits changed since starting on this weight loss journey?  What are some of your favorite breakfast meals?  What do you do when you're in a hurry?  I hope you'll come share with us.  Afterall breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

In the meantime, remember….

Quitting is not an option!

I am very excited to tell you about a new project!!! 

For years I have been a member of East Metro Atlanta Christian Writers (EMACW).  This is a great group of writers who made me feel at home and assured me that I was a writer even though I didn't believe them.  Many of them have become close friends that I treasure deeply.  And now I am excited to give back to them!

They have graciously asked me to head up one of their newest projects:  East Metro Atlanta Christian Bloggers (EMACB).  This will be a group for Christian Bloggers in the Atlanta area to come together for education, fellowship, encouragement, and support.  Although our group is a Christian group, Bloggers don't have to write completely Christian subject matter to be a member. 

We are having our first meeting on Saturday, February 11th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  We will be discussing what it means to build a community online and how we can use that to further our message.  The meeting will be held at Georgia Piedmont Technical College – a state-of-the art facility conveniently located 25 miles east of Atlanta off Interstate 20 at Exit 92 in Covington, Georgia. The 2500 square foot Conference Center is located on the first floor. We’ll be waiting to greet you when you arrive.

So if you are a Christian Blogger in the Atlanta area, I hope you will consider joining us.  It will be a great time to connect with other bloggers.  My hope is that you will leave refreshed and invigorated for the task God has given you.

If you need more information or directions, please either leave a comment or email me, aliciathesnowflake@gmail.com.

This week's topic is…

Support

It's hard to be successful at anything without support. Who is your support system in this weight loss journey? Are you doing it with a friend? Or what about your husband?

I love this week's topic.  Really I do.  And I hope that you'll write about it.  But I have something on my heart that I really want to share.  So I am going to do that instead.  If I can work in the topic too, then that's great.  So we'll see.

Last year I won a copy of Made to Crave(affiliate link) by Lysa Terkeurst from my sweet friend, Ginger @ Here's My Cup Lord.  Earlier this month as I was trying to get past my plateau, I decided to finally pull it off the shelf and actually read it.  It is well worth the read and has won a part in my morning devotion time.

All of it is good, but I read something in particular that want to share with you…

"I am a Jesus girl who can step on the scale and see the numbers as an indication of how much I weigh and not as an indication of my worth." (page 75)

Did you read that my friend…really read it?

Go back and read it again.  Or better yet, I'll write it for you again…

"I am a Jesus girl who can step on the scale and see the numbers as an indication of how much I weigh and not as an indication of my worth." (page 75)

This was a lesson I had to learn way back in the beginning of my weight loss journey. 

My value is not determined by a number on the scale. 

And neither is yours my friend.

Our value is determined by our relationship with God. 

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  Romans 8:16-17

You are a child of God…not the fat girl.

You are a child of God…and not a number on a scale.

You are a child of God…and you have value.

I know some of you are in just starting in your weight loss journey or you are restarting after a fall of the wagon.  I know it's hard to look in the mirror and see yourself and be happy with what you see.  But God is.  And He wants you to know that.

You are good because everything God made is good (1 Timothy 4:4). The writer of Ecclesiastes even says that God made everything beautiful in its time. My friend, that includes you.  You are beautiful just the way you are.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalm 139:14

Do you know that my friend?  Do you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made?

Yes, you may need to lose weight.  Yes, you need to get healthy.  But that doesn't change who you are…a beautiful daughter of the most High King.  May that truth ring in your heart more than any number on the scale.

Speaking of the scale….

drumroll please…

I lost 1.8 lbs this week.  Putting my total weight loss at 31.4 lbs!  Yay!!!!  I finally made it over that 30 lb hump!  I am going to celebrate by buying a new pair of jeans…that is one size smaller.  That will put me down two sizes into a size that I haven't worn in 10 years.  Yay!!!!

So I want to say thank you…to you my dear readers and friends.  You are my support system.  Knowing I had to come back to you and be honest kept me giong through the last year during times when I wanted to quit.  So thank you!  May each of you know just how much you mean to me!

How are you doing with your weight loss goals my friend?  Who is your support system?  Why don't you join us for Weight Loss Wednesday and share?  Remember…we're all in this together!

It's easy.  Write a blog post about this week's topic and link back to this post.  Then register with Mr. Linky below.  Please know, though, that I reserve the right to delete any link that does not conform to the spirit of Weight Loss Wednesday.  You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wlwed. 

Also please remember to visit some of the other participants as well.  It's very encouraging to know you are not alone in this journey.

Next week's topic…

Recipe Swap

Do you have a favorite low-fat/low-cal/healthy recipe that your family loves?  I hope you'll join us next week and share.  I'm always on the hunt for new recipes!

In the meantime, remember….

Quitting is not an option!

It is very dreary outside my window this morning.  I've lost track of how many days it's rained.  I'm ready for some sunshine.

Apparently I'm not the only one.  A friend posted on Facebook this morning that she wasn't coping well without the sunshine.  But I loved her mother's response that despite the dreary gloom, she could see daffodils blooming in her yard.

It reminded me of a scripture I read this morning…

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  Psalm 42:11

Life isn't always easy.  And unfortunately there are times when the problems don't seem to stop.  The bills are overwhelming.  Problems crowd on everyside.  It seems like it has rained for days without a break of sunshine. 

These times can leave us hopeless.

Where are you God?

Don't you care about what happens to me?

Why is everything in my life going wrong?

It's easy to let those times rule our emotions.  But the truth is we all have a choice.  We can't control the circumstances, but we can control our attitudes. 

We can choose to focus on the rain. 

Or we can choose to focus on the daffodils.

I love the response of the Psalmist…that even though his soul is downcast and disturbed, he is going to put his trust in God.  He is even going to take it a step further.  Not only is he going to put his trust in God, he is also going to praise Him.

We can make the same choice.

Yes, it has rained for days here.  But I am thankful that my family was able to stay inside and rest this weekend.  Yes, problems can be overwhelming.  But I know God's goodness and I have seen Him provide for us time and time again.

God's goodness is all around. 

We just have to take the time to see the daffodils.

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day…despite the rain.  I thank You for the warm, dry home over my head.  And I thank You for always watching over us and taking care of the problems.  You, alone, are God and I will forever praise You.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

My sweet friend, Barbie, at My Freshly Brewed Life hosts Fresh Brewed Sundays where you share a simple scriptuer with a simple insight.  I'm all about simple these days.  So I thought I would join her.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.  Selah  Psalm 68:19

I'm so thankful for this great big God who daily bears my burdens.  They are too big & too heavy for me.  But knowing that the God who created the universe has it all under control gives me an unspeakable peace and allows me to keep going.

I pray today, my friend, that you know that peace.  If you don't, please spend a few minutes in prayer.  Ask him to take your worries and your burdens and fill your heart with a quiet assurance that He has it all under control.  No problem is too big.  No burden is too heavy.  He can handle it all.

Blessings to you today, my friends!

May you have a joyous Sunday!

This week's topic is…

Exercise

What are you doing for exercise? Is it working for you? Do you need to make changes to your exercise routine? Or if you are not exercising, how can you start? What realistic fitness goals can you set?

I am a girl…through and through.

I have never liked to get dirty or sweaty.  I don't mind seeing other people get dirty or sweaty.  I just don't want to get sweaty myself. 

You can imagine that this has extended to my lack of love for exercising.  But I long ago realized that if I was going to lose any weight, I had to get over this little pet peeve of mine and start exercising.  So I started walking.

Then I realized I wanted to do more than lose fat.  I wanted to tone whatever muscles I still had in my body.  That was when I discovered Pilates.  I have a lot of muscle pain…especially in my back.  So I was hoping the Pilates would stretch those muscles and give me some relief.  I had no idea I might actually enjoy it.

Now I look forward to my work out sessions.  I love the feeling of sore muscles.  I love pushing myself to the limit.  And I love that I can exercise in bare feet.  I know that's strange, but I don't really like big clunky tennis shoes. 

I work out in the morning while my son is doing his school work.  Being a freshman in high school now (how did that happen?!?!), he doesn't need me all the time.  Since the kitchen table is near the living room, I am close by in case he does need me.  It works out perfectly!

Can I tell you another secret?  I also don't like being cold.  And you know work out clothes aren't very warm.  So I've come up with a solution. 

After I get out of bed in the morning, I put on my work out clothes.  Then I put my warm pajamas over my shorts. When I have time later in the morning, I start working out still wearing my pajamas.  As I heat up, I take off the pajamas.  I know it seems a little silly.  But it keeps me from being cold…which keeps me happy

I do need to get back to walking.  But that is so hard in the winter when it gets dark so early.  As I have said before that is something we generally do as a family in the evening.  We have walked a few times in the evening before we leave town, where our office is located.  There is a track near our office.  If we walk right after work, it isn't too dark (or cold) yet.  We also try to walk sometime during the weekend.

All this exercise must be working.  I lost an additional 1.4 lbs this week for a total of 29.6 lbs lost.  As grateful as I am for that 1.4 lbs, I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever reach 30 lbs.  Guess I'll have to work out a little bit more this week.

So I have learned that sweat isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I even had one day last week where all of my work out clothes were dirty.  I considered that a minor success!

What about you my friend?  Have you started exercising?  Remember you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength!

How are you doing with your weight loss goals my friend?  Why don't you join us for Weight Loss Wednesday and share?  Remember…we're all in this together!

It's easy.  Write a blog post about this week's topic and link back to this post.  Then register with Mr. Linky below.  Please know, though, that I reserve the right to delete any link that does not conform to the spirit of Weight Loss Wednesday.  You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wlwed. 

Also please remember to visit some of the other participants as well.  It's very encouraging to know you are not alone in this journey.

Next week's topic…

Support – It’s hard to be successful at anything without support. Who is your support system in this weight loss journey? Are you doing it with a friend? Or what about your husband? I hope you’ll join us next week as we support one another!

In the meantime, remember….

Quitting is not an option!

I love Marriage Monday because it supports my belief in strong marriages.  But today the topic is a little different. 

"Today, let's get re-acquainted as women—without spilling any ink about our marriages. The prompts listed below are designed to help us to get to know you as a unique daughter of God.  Think of your post as a quick pencil sketch of your current life."

Sounds like fun!  Let's see how it goes.

I am…..a child of God.
I want…..my son to grow in the fullness of God.
I have…..a happy home.
I wish…..life wasn't so hard at times.
I hate…..discord and arguing.
I miss…..my husband when he is at work.
I fear…..being alone. (where did that come from?!?!)
I feel…..blessed.
I hear…..my son doing his vocal warm up exercises.
I smell…..nothing at the moment.
I crave…..time alone in the Word.
I search…..for recipes.  I love new recipes.
I wonder…..how I'll get everything done this week.
I regret…..not being a better mother.
I love…..my husband and my son.
I ache…..for people who are hurting.
I care…..about people.
I always…..have a cat sitting next to me when I am home.
I am not…..a good housekeeper.
I believe…..in the Word of God.
I dance…..very little.  I'm just not very coordinated…or graceful.
I sing…..to songs I love…until my son, the music critic, asks me to stop
I cry…..at everything.  It can be happy or sad.  Or I can be mad.  It doesn't matter.
I don’t always…..do the right thing.  I understand Paul's words, "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."  Romans 7:15
I fight…..for my family.
I write…..to encourage others in God's Word.
I never….mow the grass.  Yes, I am spoiled.
I need…..to go to work today.
I am happy…..with my life. 

That was harder than I thought it would be!

To join in the fun, visit the lovely and talented e-Mom @ Chrysalis.

I'm going to leave you with a verse that has really spoken to me lately.  I hope to write about it soon.

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.  Psalm 37:25

Blessings to you my sweet friends!

This week's topic is…

Changes

What are some changes you have made in your life that have really made a difference?  Is it eating more fruits?  Or cutting out carbs?  Or throwing out all the Christmas chocolate?  What changes are helping you in your weight loss goals?

I do not like vegetables. 

There I said it.  And it's the truth. 

Why does Weight Loss Wednesday always seem like such a confessional to me?!?!?

Anyway yes, the truth is I really do not like vegetables.  I have never been a big fan of them…not at all.  I like carrots, corn, and potatoes.  Oh and tomatoes.  I love those…but only ripe from the garden.  Having grown up on a farm, I can't stand the little red balls they pass off as tomatoes in the grocery store. 

For a long time I didn't like lettuce.  But over time, I have forced myself to eat it.  I can now tolerate lettuce in a salad.  Because I know they are good for me, I do choose to eat quite a few salads.  I do avoid iceberg lettuce.  Besides not having any nutritional value, it also doesn't have any taste.  So I stick with boston, bibb, or butter.

Making a point to eat fruits and vegetables is difficult for me.  I just don't think to do it.  Instead I tend toward more carbs.  I also eat nuts and cheese.

So this year I have decided to make a conscious effort to eat more fruits and veggies.  Last week my goal was to eat at least 2 servings a day.  Yes, I know that is still low.  But the point is to build from there. 

This week the goal is to eat 3 a day.  Yesterday I did well with that.  Today wasn't so good.  I will definitely try harder tomorrow.

In addition to eating more vegetables, I am trying to eat a wider variety of vegetables.  Lately we have had roasted cauliflower, zucchini, and acorn squash.  I've also enjoyed a couple of bowls of butternut squash soup.  Yummy!

I am also drinking more water.  Although I usually drink a lot of water, now I am trying to cut out any other beverage besides milk, which I love.  But I can cut out my other two loves…sweet tea and coke.  The coke is especially difficult for me.  But I am going to try.

The good news is that these changes are helping.  Today when I weighed, I had lost 3.4 lbs, which is the amount I had gained over Christmas.  That puts me at a total of 28.4 lbs.  Since I am now back on track, I think I will be able to reach the elusive 30 lbs next week.  At least that's the goal!

How about you my friend?  What changes are you making towards your weight loss goals?  Why don't you join us for Weight Loss Wednesday. and share.  Remember…we're all in this together!

It's easy.  Write a blog post about this week's topic and link back to this post.  Then register with Mr. Linky below.  Please know, though, that I reserve the right to delete any link that does not conform to the spirit of Weight Loss Wednesday.  You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wlwed. 

Also please remember to visit some of the other participants as well.  It's very encouraging to know you are not alone in this journey.

Next week's topic…

Exercise – What are you doing for exercise? Is it working for you? Do you need to make changes to your exercise routine? Or if you are not exercising, how can you start? What realistic fitness goals can you set? I hope you'll join us as we discuss this important topic.

In the meantime, remember….

Quitting is not an option!

I have a confession to make…

Life is overwhelming at the moment.

Between teaching my own son and our co-op classes, my work schedule, a new blogging commitment, and the stress of owning a business, I am feeling more than a little overwhelmed right now.  To be honest, I would like to crawl back into bed and forget the day all together.  But that is not an option. 

Then this morning as I was reading my devotional, this verse popped out to me.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:41-42

Like many women, I relate to Martha.  There is a lot to be done…always.  Dishes, laundry, school, meals, exercising, work.  It seems like the list could go on forever.  And I am a doer.  I don't hesitate to help someone with something or do it when no one else is.  After a while, though, I find my batteries dead and my desire gone.

Can you relate?  Are you tired and overwhelmed?  Let's listen to what Jesus had to say…

Jesus said the doing wasn't the most important thing. 

Instead sitting with Jesus was the most important thing.

It wasn't that Martha was completely wrong.  Jesus knew things needed to be done.  But He said Mary was doing the better thing. 

Yes, all the doing is important.  But it's not more important than sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Unfortunately when I am extremely busy, that is the what tends to get lost…time in the Word…time in prayer…time with Jesus.  I don't mean to ignore Him.  I say a few words in prayer and I go about my day.  Then the next thing I know I am tired and exhausted…and overwhelmed.

But I think there's a deeper reason why I end up overwhelmed…I am trying to do it all in my own strength.

I can't get anything done that way.  If I am not spending time with Jesus, His strength cannot fill me.  His strength cannot prepare me for the task ahead. 

So won't you join me today my friend?  Let's make a new commitment to spend time in the Word…regardless of our busy schedules?  Let's be like Mary and choose what is better…spending time with Jesus…soaking up His presence…trusting Him with our to do lists…and allowing His strength to fill us.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33

What verse has spoken to you recently?  Will you take a moment to leave a comment and share how it has impacted you?

This week's topic is…

Introductions

Since it's the beginning of a new year, let's start fresh.  Tell us about yourself.  Why are you trying to lose weight?  What is your inspiration?

For my introduction, I thought I would share the purpose behind Weight Loss Wednesday.

Last February, I posted about going to Weight Watchers.  It wasn't an easy post.  But I knew it was time to be real about my weight.  Others posted about their own struggles as well and Weight Loss Wednesday was born.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:12b

The purpose of Weight Loss Wednesday is to create a community of three strands where we share encouragement and provide accountability for one another in our weight loss journeys.  It isn't a place for criticism or guilt.  It is a place to simply share victories and struggles, thoughts and emotions. 

This is done through a weekly blog meme dedicated to our weight loss journey.  You write a post about that week's topic and link up on Wednesday.  It's easy peasy.

Since that day last February, I have lost 29 lbs.  It hasn't always been easy.  But I have appreciated having a place to come every Wednesday to share my journey with others.  So I have continued to host Weight Loss Wednesday even though there were times I wanted to quit.  Knowing others were there has kept me going.

Along the way, I have learned some important lessons about myself.  Mostly I have learned that I am stronger than I thought I was.  Going back to Weight Watchers was probably one of the hardest things I've done.  It felt so completely overwhelming to make a lifestyle change.

I see the look on the faces of new members now and I remember that feeling.  I remember feeling so tired all the time.  I remember feeling helpless and hopeless and thinking that I could never change. 

But I have learned that you can move a mountain with one step.  All it takes is that commitment to get started.  Then that commitment becomes one change which becomes another change which becomes another change.  Pretty soon the mountain is moving and the weight is coming off.

So as I face a new year, I'm ready to get serious about my weight loss again.  I hope you'll join me.  Together we can make a difference in our lives!

How about you my friend?  Are you ready to make a difference in your life?  Are you ready to make a change.  Then join us for Weight Loss Wednesday.  Remember…we're all in this together!

It's easy.  Write a blog post about this week's topic and link back to this post.  Then register with Mr. Linky below.  Please know, though, that I reserve the right to delete any link that does not conform to the spirit of Weight Loss Wednesday.  You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wlwed. 

Also please remember to visit some of the other participants as well.  It's very encouraging to know you are not alone in this journey.

Next week's topic…

Changes – What are some changes you have made in your life that have really made a difference?  Is it eating more fruits?  Or cutting out carbs?  Or Throwing out all the Christmas chocolate?  What changes are helping you in your weight loss goals?

In the meantime, remember….

Quitting is not an option!