There are so many things that I admire about my father-in-law. It would be easy for me to detail his quiet wisdom, his compassion for others or his unbridled love and protection for his family. I could tell you all about his faith by his actions, not only by his words. I could tell you about his undying love for my mother in law because he shows me how much he loves her every time I am around them. Another thing that I really admire about him though is that he would never waive his accomplishments in your face, although there are many. My father in law has raised and continues to raise 14 children to know and honor the Lord. He has taught his family to work hard, but has also shown them the importance of having fun together. My father in law has taught me so much, not the least of these is about patriotism. I rarely hear my father in law talk about his service to our country and I am not going to embarrass him by telling you about all of his awards, but they are very, very awe inspiring. You see, my father in law is a great man. He has never told me how great he is with his words, but I feel so very lucky to know him. My father in law is one of the greatest men I know. I want to honor you today dad for your service to God, family and country. Very well done!
Today I weighed in with a loss of 6 pounds. For the first time in as long as I can remember I am under 350 pounds and that fires me up!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Courageous (353.2 pounds)
As I have said all along, I am losing weight for my long term health and not for the instant gratification of putting up big numbers every week (I do excited about big numbers though.) All that being said, I fully believe that the 1.6 pounds that I lost this week is every bit as much of a miracle as the 7.8 pounds I lost last week. I did have some moments of break through last week. I had my best tennis lesson I have ever had. I was able to go the full hour without taking a break and at the end I was not completely gassed. This week I was able to sit through a movie at the movie theater without eating popcorn which is the first time I can ever remember doing that. This week I cut the grass for the first time in a long time. This even may not sound like a big deal to you, but I didn't fit so well on the lawn mower before. There are moments of affirmation every week that sustain me.
Since I made mention of the movie I went to this week I want to tell you a little about it. I was invited by a dear pastor friend or mine to a pre-release viewing of the movie Courageous. Courageous is written and produced by Sherwood Pictures who have also written and produced the movies Flywheel, Facing the Giants and most recently Fireproof. With Courageous, for the fist time ever I was able to say "that was a good movie" without adding the qualifier "for a Christian movie." Don't get me wrong, I liked all of the other movies they have produced along with other Christian movies, but this is the first time I thought that the production was on par with other Hollywood movies. After seeing Courageous, I can highly recommend it. Courageous is a very funny movie with a great story and serves as a catalyst for action that can pay great dividends in families in our country and abroad. The film will be in theaters on 9/30/2011 and I would strongly encourage everyone to see it and to take friends with them, you will not be sorry. Do yourself a favor and watch the attached movie trailer and then do you friends and their families a favor and take them to the movie with you on 9/30/11.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Can you imagine carrying around 2 bags of softener salt everywhere you go? (354.8 pounds
I have reached a significant threshold. Today I can proudly say that since 1/31/2011 I have lost over 80 pounds! That is an average of 5.35 pounds per week or 3/4 of a pound a day! Can you imagine carrying around 2 bags of softener salt (2 bags of salt weight 80 pounds) everywhere you go?
This week for once I felt like I was losing weight, and I did; 7.8 pounds. I praise the Lord for all of this, because I know that with for me this is impossible, but with Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 says it best.)
Some people have asked me what I eat on a normal day. The diet I am on only allows for a very low carbohydrate intake (less than 20g per day.) To put this in perspective, 2 pieces of white bread has approximately 23g of carbs. Additionally, it is a low calorie diet. I usually take in between 1,000 and 1,200 calories a day. Some of you may think this is very little, and I will grant you before I started on this diet I expected to have huge problems with limiting calorie intake. The fact of the matter is that the food I eat is more than sufficient. Below I will outline 2 typical days in this diet as far as my meals go.
Sunday 5/15/2011
Breakfast - 1/2 Ole Omelet at Grandma's pancake house (split with Ruth.) My half consisted of 2.5 eggs, 1 ounce cheddar cheese, 2 ounces Chorizo, .25 cup Jalapenos, 1 Tbsp Salsa and 1 Tbsp sour cream. My half of this Meal was filling, but high in calories (647), carbs (8.5 grams). and fat (50.6 grams) but every once in a while we think it is important to have a treat.
Dinner - I really wasn't hungry for dinner, but it was important to eat. I had a Nelson's chicken half (239 Calories with 1g carb) and Shiitake Mushrooms fried in butter (224 calories with 3.1g carbs.) So for this day I had 1109 calories with 12.6 grams of carbs.
Saturday 5/14/2011
Breakfast - 3 Jennie-O turkey sausage links (180 calories and 0g carbs)
Lunch - 1 Nelsons chicken half (239 calories with 1g carbs)
Dinner - 2 Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Brats (320 calories, 0g carbs AND DELICIOUS) wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves (13 calories with 2.5g carbs) with 2 Tbsp sauerkraut on each (11 calories and 2.5g carbs.) I also had 1 cup raw broccoli (31 calories with 6g carbs) dipped in 3 tbs horseradish cheese dip (105 calories, 1.5g carbs.) For this day total I had 899 calories and 13g carbs for more than enough food.
As you can see, I am not starving myself, but rather I am being very particular on what I eat. Oh yes, and in addition I eat zero junk foods and zero sweets. Truth be told though, I really don't miss them much. At first I did, but not so much anymore. You see, I have chosen life over self gratification and I am starting to understand that a little. My God, my family and my friends are replacing those "guilty pleasures" and are much much more satisfying.
This week for once I felt like I was losing weight, and I did; 7.8 pounds. I praise the Lord for all of this, because I know that with for me this is impossible, but with Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 says it best.)
Some people have asked me what I eat on a normal day. The diet I am on only allows for a very low carbohydrate intake (less than 20g per day.) To put this in perspective, 2 pieces of white bread has approximately 23g of carbs. Additionally, it is a low calorie diet. I usually take in between 1,000 and 1,200 calories a day. Some of you may think this is very little, and I will grant you before I started on this diet I expected to have huge problems with limiting calorie intake. The fact of the matter is that the food I eat is more than sufficient. Below I will outline 2 typical days in this diet as far as my meals go.
Sunday 5/15/2011
Breakfast - 1/2 Ole Omelet at Grandma's pancake house (split with Ruth.) My half consisted of 2.5 eggs, 1 ounce cheddar cheese, 2 ounces Chorizo, .25 cup Jalapenos, 1 Tbsp Salsa and 1 Tbsp sour cream. My half of this Meal was filling, but high in calories (647), carbs (8.5 grams). and fat (50.6 grams) but every once in a while we think it is important to have a treat.
Dinner - I really wasn't hungry for dinner, but it was important to eat. I had a Nelson's chicken half (239 Calories with 1g carb) and Shiitake Mushrooms fried in butter (224 calories with 3.1g carbs.) So for this day I had 1109 calories with 12.6 grams of carbs.
Saturday 5/14/2011
Breakfast - 3 Jennie-O turkey sausage links (180 calories and 0g carbs)
Lunch - 1 Nelsons chicken half (239 calories with 1g carbs)
Dinner - 2 Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Brats (320 calories, 0g carbs AND DELICIOUS) wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves (13 calories with 2.5g carbs) with 2 Tbsp sauerkraut on each (11 calories and 2.5g carbs.) I also had 1 cup raw broccoli (31 calories with 6g carbs) dipped in 3 tbs horseradish cheese dip (105 calories, 1.5g carbs.) For this day total I had 899 calories and 13g carbs for more than enough food.
As you can see, I am not starving myself, but rather I am being very particular on what I eat. Oh yes, and in addition I eat zero junk foods and zero sweets. Truth be told though, I really don't miss them much. At first I did, but not so much anymore. You see, I have chosen life over self gratification and I am starting to understand that a little. My God, my family and my friends are replacing those "guilty pleasures" and are much much more satisfying.
Monday, May 9, 2011
I am tryin' to make the right choice (362.6 pounds)
A kids song from my childhood circulated in my head this week after I recalled a conversation that I had with a friend from my youth. You may know the song, it goes:
I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise
with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality.
I am learnin' to hear God's voice
and I am tryin' to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.
It can be fun at times to sit around and reminisce about days gone by. Sometimes, however, it can also be very sobering to recall some of the regrets you have had in life. My friend has lived a very hard life for such a young man. There were many events in his life (some by his choice and others beyond his control) that had him feeling guilty, remorseful and condemned. I was able to share with my friend a short chapter out of the book "Living The Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney of which these words really resonated:
Here's how to beat condemnation: Confess your sin to God...then believe in him. Exercise the gift of faith God has given you to believe that Jesus died for the very sins you are feeling condemned for. The punishment He received was for you. His resurrection is proof that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice. The sins of your distant past as well as your sins of yesterday were all atoned for; you need carry their weigh no more. You can't atone for your sin. That is why Jesus did it for you.
After re-reading that chapter of the book in preparation for sending it to my friend, my own heart was convicted. I like my friend struggle with the regrets of past failures and shortcomings. God used my childhood friend this week to remind me that ...There is therefor now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Yes, it may seem harder sometimes to "hear God's voice" and "make the right choice" like the children's song says but there is certainly easier without a load of sin and guilt to weight me down.
As far as my weigh in this week goes, I wish I would have lost more, but I will take the 2.4 pound loss for sure.
I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise
with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality.
I am learnin' to hear God's voice
and I am tryin' to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.
It can be fun at times to sit around and reminisce about days gone by. Sometimes, however, it can also be very sobering to recall some of the regrets you have had in life. My friend has lived a very hard life for such a young man. There were many events in his life (some by his choice and others beyond his control) that had him feeling guilty, remorseful and condemned. I was able to share with my friend a short chapter out of the book "Living The Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney of which these words really resonated:
Here's how to beat condemnation: Confess your sin to God...then believe in him. Exercise the gift of faith God has given you to believe that Jesus died for the very sins you are feeling condemned for. The punishment He received was for you. His resurrection is proof that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice. The sins of your distant past as well as your sins of yesterday were all atoned for; you need carry their weigh no more. You can't atone for your sin. That is why Jesus did it for you.
After re-reading that chapter of the book in preparation for sending it to my friend, my own heart was convicted. I like my friend struggle with the regrets of past failures and shortcomings. God used my childhood friend this week to remind me that ...There is therefor now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Yes, it may seem harder sometimes to "hear God's voice" and "make the right choice" like the children's song says but there is certainly easier without a load of sin and guilt to weight me down.
As far as my weigh in this week goes, I wish I would have lost more, but I will take the 2.4 pound loss for sure.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
More than half way to my 1st goal (364.0 pounds)
When I started the "New Directions" weight loss program at Elkhart General Hospital, they asked me what my goal weight was. Many of you know me well enough to know that it just ain't that easy for me, so I gave them 3 weight loss goals and they were:
1. To get down to 300 pounds (135 pound loss)
2. To get down to 220 pounds. At this weight my Body Mass Index would say that I am overweight but not obese. (215 pound loss)
3. To get down to 200 pounds. At this weight, my BMI would say that I am overweight, but I think I would be OK with that... In my mind, this is my ideal weight.
Well, after a short 13 weeks in the program, I praise the Lord that I am more than half way to my 1st goal. This week I lost 6 pounds and was very excited about the loss.
I want to take a moment to put in a quick plug for three things for those who struggle with weight loss (or even for those who have not yet chosen to struggle against it.)
First, I want to recognize the program I am a part of. The New Directions Weight loss program (www.egh.org/.../new_direction_weight_management/) based at Elkhart General Hospital has been great. All of the nurses have been helpful, friendly and encouraging. I am very pleased with this program.
Last, but certainly not least I want to express heart felt and loving gratitude towards my beautiful wife. Ever since I started this program, Ruth has stood beside me. Ruth not only encourages me, but she leads by example. Ruth eats the same meals I do, does not cheat on the diet, wears the BodyMedia, prepares healthy tasty meals and so many more things. Ruth has also seen the fruits of her labors with this diet; she has lost 17 pounds since the beginning of the diet! I cannot tell you how very thankful to the Lord God I am for my wonderful wife.
1. To get down to 300 pounds (135 pound loss)
2. To get down to 220 pounds. At this weight my Body Mass Index would say that I am overweight but not obese. (215 pound loss)
3. To get down to 200 pounds. At this weight, my BMI would say that I am overweight, but I think I would be OK with that... In my mind, this is my ideal weight.
Well, after a short 13 weeks in the program, I praise the Lord that I am more than half way to my 1st goal. This week I lost 6 pounds and was very excited about the loss.
I want to take a moment to put in a quick plug for three things for those who struggle with weight loss (or even for those who have not yet chosen to struggle against it.)
First, I want to recognize the program I am a part of. The New Directions Weight loss program (www.egh.org/.../new_direction_weight_management/) based at Elkhart General Hospital has been great. All of the nurses have been helpful, friendly and encouraging. I am very pleased with this program.
 |
| BodyMedia (I turned it on my arm so you could see it better) |
The second thing I want to give props to it an electronic device that I wear on my arm on my triceps called BodyMedia (http://www.bodymedia.com/). This nifty little device has been an immense help to me! BodyMedia via this arm band monitors the amount of calories I burn, the number of hours I sleep and how efficient that sleep is, it monitors how active I am, it has a built in pedometer to count how many steps I take each day, notifies my probation officer when I leave the house and many other things. Through the BodyMedia website, I journal all of my foods and it tells me how many calories I am am in a surplus/deficit each day. Since we know that to burn a pound of fat, you need to have a 3,500 calorie deficit all of this data that BodyMedia compiles has been super helpful. It is a little costly (approx $200 and $7 per month for the web service) but it has been worth every penny to me.
Last, but certainly not least I want to express heart felt and loving gratitude towards my beautiful wife. Ever since I started this program, Ruth has stood beside me. Ruth not only encourages me, but she leads by example. Ruth eats the same meals I do, does not cheat on the diet, wears the BodyMedia, prepares healthy tasty meals and so many more things. Ruth has also seen the fruits of her labors with this diet; she has lost 17 pounds since the beginning of the diet! I cannot tell you how very thankful to the Lord God I am for my wonderful wife.
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