Losing & Winning-Part 1

Last Fall, I started a weight-loss challenge opportunity at my church. I learned the idea from another friend and decided we could do it too. It involves accountability and cash! My husband prefers to call it gambling at church, but since I have not been approached by the elders yet, I am assuming we are not offending anyone at this point.

If you want more details about how the group works, email me. The next two days I thought I would share my collection of Tips and Scriptures from the Fall and our current Spring session. Each week, after we weigh on Sunday, I send out results and a little inspiration for the week.

I hope you can find something over the next two days that can be beneficial for you! And feel free to share something that works for you in the comments section!

Tips of the Week:
* Drink 2 liters of water a day.
* Eliminate sodas from your diet.
* Stop eating when you feel satisfied.
* Keep a food journal.

Scripture of the Week:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13


Tips of the Week:
* Brush your teeth right after each meal, especially dinner. This will help curb your appetite for late-night snacks.
* Check out www.realage.com for lots of neat tips.
* For a sweet snack try Slim Fast Optima Peanut Butter Crunch snack bars. 120 Calories, 4g fat 21 g carbs AND it tastes like a Butter Finger. A good alternative if you need a little chocolate snack every once in a while!
Instead of munching while you prepare dinner, chew a piece of sugar free gum.
* Use a smaller plate to cut down on portion sizes.
* Don't eat after 7 or 8 pm.

Scripture of the Week:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6 (NIV)


Tips of the Week:
* Eat at least 25 grams of fiber each day.
* Watch your sodium intake, especially with processed foods.
* First thing when you jump out of bed, throw down 25 sit ups, 25 push ups, and a glass of water. Adrenaline baby!
* Pop in a double-dipped chocolate covered Altoid for those sweet cravings.

Scripture of the week:
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18


Tips of the Week:
* Stick to the outside aisles at the grocery store; the inside aisles are mainly processed food.
* Walk for 30 minutes every day. No excuses.

Scripture of the Week:
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NIV)


Tips of the Week:
* Eat high-volume foods; choose foods high in water and fiber and low in calories. Try fruits, veggies, air-filled foods such as puffed cereal vs flat flakes. Other swaps include 6 cups of popcorn with Parmesan cheese instead of cheese and crackers, fresh fruit with 1/4 cup of nuts instead of a dried fruit and nut mix, and 1/2 usual amount of rice plus veggies instead of regular serving of rice.
* Boost protein; protein takes about 4 hours to digest vs carbs taking about 2 hours.
* Replace meals with bars or shakes; look for at least 3 g of fiber, 10 g of protein, and 3 g or less of saturated fat. As a meal, most have 220 calories, so pair with small salad or piece of fruit. Tips provided by Prevention magazine.

Scripture of the Week:
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."[a] Matthew 17:20 NIV


Tips of the Week:
1. Stay slim with soy which is high in fiber and low in calories. Try foods that are fortified with soy or add soy milk to shakes or coffee. Also, try edamame-yummy!

2. Like to drink juice? Try increasing your pitcher size and the water amount you add in order to dilute the juice. Get the taste without as many calories!

3. Don't forget that almost anything counts as exercise. Make your moves count; take the stairs vs the elevator, jog up the stairs, do some walking lunges or tree push-ups while your kids play at the park, do sit-ups at every commercial break of your favorite TV show, and the list goes on! What do you do?!

Scripture of the Week:
"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding." Job 37:5


Tips of the Week:
* Eat slowly, then stop and assess after 20 minutes. It takes the brain 20 minutes to register to the body that it has had food, or that it is satisfied. If we eat really fast, we can get an awful lot of food in during that period of time before it registers that we have eaten. Therefore, if you eat more slowly, you consume less food by the time the brain and tummy get in sinc!

* Hold your belly button in towards your spine, while continuing to be able to breath. Maintain this hold throughout the day when you think of it. It really works in strengthening the core and helps your posture too!

* Throw your kids up and catch them about 5 times. They love it and it is great for your arms.

* Stretching is a very important and often over-looked part of exercise. It is also very good for fatigue and stress.

Scripture of the Week:
"After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church." Ephesians 5:29


Tips of the Week:
www.whfoods.com
www.foodnews.org
Great places to visit!

Scripture of the Week:
"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. Isaiah 40:31 (New International Version)