Eating Pie and Liking It!

This morning I am sitting in a coffee shop drinking coffee, eating a blueberry pie (reminiscent of those from my school lunch) and blogging.  There is a certain amount of freedom in those blueberry wonders because it signals to my brain that I am no longer following dieting norms.  I guess because I have experimented with so many diets in the last few years I am on to my, hopefully, LAST experiment...that being, normal eating with a lot of quantity and QUALITY control.

My life is changing because I just don't feel that nagging anxiousness anymore of deprivation.  The result of this change of mindset is that I have lost 9 lbs just recently.  A lot of what I do is a step of faith, believing that today can be better than yesterday and that tomorrow is looking pretty good too!  My husband tells me I am like a little kid because everything is a reason to rejoice, sing and kind of spend a little time in wonderment.

What I am doing is devoting more time to what I like best---ME!!!

I know that sounds selfish, but really if I am not happy, who around me can be?  When I settle into happiness everyone benefits, most especially my husband.  I think part of my eating problems in the past were because I wasn't taking the time to think about me.  Sometimes (a lot of times) my work schedule dictated where I ate, when I ate and how fast I ate.  Other times, it was my friendships that made the decision, not wanting to be singled out for non-participation in "happy hours".  Don't think by happy hour I necessarily mean alcoholic beverages.  "Happy Hours" include, oozing cheese, lemon cakes, fried food and pretty much anything that glistens and smells great.  Think about it, when was the last time you and your girlfriends got all excited over chatter and salad.  If  you have experienced that, maybe you just have a better class of girlfriends  :-)   .

When I was young my grandmother used to watch the Golden Girls with her sisters, each one taking a character, working out life's problems over the inevitable cheesecake du jour.  What I find today is that I became enslaved to this Golden Girls mentality too.

Today instead of sliding into a comfy seat to eat cheesecake, I'd like to spend my problem solving in reading the bible, taking it into my being and hopefully face the world head on.  Instead of a cake server, I am using verses.

Oh, and about that blueberry pie, I don't keep any sweets in my home, but every once in a while God tells me its okay by Him if I enjoy a dessert.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet to my tongue is your promise, truly sweeter than honey in my mouth!

Once a Prisoner--Now Free!

Photo by Adrian van Leen, RBGSTOCK.com 

Have you ever thought just how imprisoning is food, and health?  I prayed for years for strength to make it through just one more diet.  Knowing that my success was based upon my obedience to that diet.  Sometimes I restricted carbohydrates, sometimes fats, sometimes fats and carbohydrates, and sometimes I have attempted to flat out fast. I read books from a variety of authors. Each time I ventured into these diets I felt elated, so joyful to be on the right track.  Many people wrote about creating a "perfect vision" of a healthy new me.  As would rise in the morning I 

 I can't honestly say I prostrated my self before God physically, but spiritually I thought I had.  In desperation I began to seek out clues as to what drives me to eat things and do things that in the long run cause more harm than good.  I can stand today with confidence 

I am learning to stay focused on my walk in the Lord Yeshua.  Part of that journey is overcoming my problem with weight (well, that's what I thought).  Actually, my problem is allowing myself to be controlled by things other than God.

Soup Hits the Spot!

Photo Credit Agnes Scholiers , RGBSTOCK.com 

Watching your weight is challenging.  For me, it is the problem of finding flavors that hit the spot and leave you satisfied.  Also, I have a problem with time, preferring wholesome cooking, but not always having 3 hours to dedicate.  Last night, in a pinch for time I made a delicious pot of soup. So simple, that even beginning cooks with just a few pantry items can enjoy soup just like "mom made".




Ingredients                                                          Seasonings                                                      
1 Box of Chicken Stock (32 oz)                          1 1/2 tsp Garlic POWDER
1-2 Chicken Breasts (cut into 1" chunks)             1 1/2 tsp Onion POWDER
1 small can Diced Tomato (~14.5 oz)                  1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2 Celery Stalks Diced                                          Pinch Black Pepper
1 Bellpepper Diced                              
1 small can Garbanzo Beans (~14.5 oz)

Combine all ingredients in a soup pot or saucepan.  Cook for approximately 45 min at a low to medium heat.
Serve!  It's that simple and this delicious soup is nutritious, fast and easy for clean up!

Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; just as I gave you green plants before, so now I give you everything —