Since I won't be around this weekend to update you, here's my plans. I'll let you know how it panned out when I get back. Expect a lot of writing from me Monday evening. :)
Friday I am staying home and cooking and packing lunches. I am also dying my hair blue so it will be nice and bright on race day. :) At 1 pm the computer guy is coming over to pick up my Mac to repair the modem and put in a new battery. I can't afford a new computer and need to keep this one working. The modem has been fine since the day I bought the computer several years ago. Today, while it was connected, it just dropped the connection and refused to reconnect.
(Along with this, my iPod Mini is acting up. It won't hold a full charge anymore and plays for less than an hour before dying and needing to be recharged. More money to spend as I need to send it in an have them replace the battery.)
Saturday is my carbing up day for the race Sunday. That means I can pretty much eat whatever I want at the lunch potluck. :) Saturday evening Brad is coming over. I'm ordering a large pizza (with cheese in the crust) with CinnaStix, and I asked him to bring some chocolate muffins (one of my favorite pig out foods). We will share these, saving a couple slices of pizza for my Sunday morning breakfast.
Sunday I have to be up sometime between 4:30 and 5 a.m. and be on the 6 a.m. bus to take BART into the City. The race starts at 8, but the earlier you get there the better starting position you get. After the race I'll walk back to the polo fields to get my t-shirt, then head to the 29 Sunset bus to a BART station, and take BART back home. When I get home I'll take a shower and probably change into jammies. Then I'll relax the rest of the day and eat any leftover high carb food. Monday I go back on Atkins again.
Yesterday my calories were okay. FitDay says 1791 eaten and 1806 burned. So about even. Today I made it to the gym. About 37 minutes of weights, 30 on the elliptical (the one with the moving arms), and 30 on the stationary bike. FitDay says 346 calories burned.
I bought a new toy today - Harbinger gloves for lifting weights. The weights are often uncomfortable to hold and I see people wearing these. Hopefully they will help with comfort. They look like this only they are gray and black. Oh - I was able to do 11 reps with the 15 pound dumbbells today. :) Yay! Go me!
I also ran into the personal trainer who's been doing my body composition tests and set up an appointment for next Friday. That will tell me if my weight gain is muscle, fat, or both. I'm looking forward to it with trepidation!
I had a headache last night and today. It could be stress, but my carbs have been near the range that I get headaches. At 40g I lose all cravings and gain near daily headaches. I need to stay above that. 40g is clearly not healthy for me if I'm getting headaches.
Today I received a gift from Terry Durst from General Conference. I have no idea why she sent it. It just arrived out of the blue with the note, "From your Sister in Christ." It was a book from my Amazon wish list - The Mormon Murders. I'll read it when I finish The DaVinci Code.
I can't believe we're nearly halfway through the 40 Days of Purpose. Today was day 19 and I have so many thoughts to share, but I don't want to exceed two entries here a day and this is #2. Perhaps one of these days I can go back and hit some of the highlights. I'm learning so much from this book. Except for it using way too many Bible paraphrases, I love it.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, fat, obese, overweight, race, exercise, fitness
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
It's dead, Jim
Well, the modem on my computer died this morning. Dead as a doornail. The computer guy will come to pick it up Friday, it will probably be gone a week or more, and it will cost $100 plus the cost of the modem, which he wouldn't quote me a price on. My savings account stands at about $5. Whoopee. It also needs a new battery and this would be a good time to do that.It has to be fixed, but I have no idea how I'm going to cover rent, food, and this repair. :-p
At any rate, after leaving work tomorrow you won't hear from me again until sometime Monday evening when I come back to work. (I'm off Sunday for the race.) So no posts Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Sorry. I do have a lot of stuff I want to post, but it won't be posted this weekend.
I'll also have pictures of the race on my digital camera that I won't be able to upload to my computer, much less get them online. Eventually I will put a page up. It'll just have to wait a couple weeks until I get the computer back and have the time to do all the work.
It also means no ability to fiddle with my foods at home, so I'll keep a paper journal and update anything I need to when I get back.
I so wanted to drop a message early Sunday morning before the race, but now I can't!
I'll miss posting here! See you all on the flipside.
Technorati tagged: computer, computers, technology, iMac, Macintosh, Mac, Apple, life, diary
Graphic courtesy the Mac Gallery.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Thursday's plan
Walked to work today from the BART station. FitDay says 81 calories. Woot! As long as I can walk and/or work out and keep my calories at 1800 or less, I should be okay. Yesterday FitDay says I ate 1806 calories and burned 1992.
I didn't have enough meat last week for five lunches, so I have nothing packed for this Thursday. This would make it a good day to use that Denny's VIP card I have for a free entree and drink.
I stopped at Denny's to make sure the card would work, and they said yes. So Thursday I will go to my doctor appointment, then pop over to GNC at Southshore Shopping Center and pick up three carbohydrate gel packets, continue on over to Denny's for lunch, then walk to work (about a 15 minute walk from Denny's). Dinner will be a tuna salad from Subway.
Denny's no longer has their low-carb menu, but I looked over their low-fat menu and there were a few low-carb items, so I'll get one of those.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
I didn't have enough meat last week for five lunches, so I have nothing packed for this Thursday. This would make it a good day to use that Denny's VIP card I have for a free entree and drink.
I stopped at Denny's to make sure the card would work, and they said yes. So Thursday I will go to my doctor appointment, then pop over to GNC at Southshore Shopping Center and pick up three carbohydrate gel packets, continue on over to Denny's for lunch, then walk to work (about a 15 minute walk from Denny's). Dinner will be a tuna salad from Subway.
Denny's no longer has their low-carb menu, but I looked over their low-fat menu and there were a few low-carb items, so I'll get one of those.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
A reminder about commenting
Originally posted December 7, 2005. I'm bumping to the top with more added.
For those who don't know, the comment section on Blogger is generally under the posts, not above. I've noticed quite a few people posting above the post they are commenting on, meaning their comment gets attached to a post on a totally different subject.
Please, try to be mindful of what post you are commenting on. Always scroll down. :)
Thank you.
-----
Due to continued use of the post above the one the person is reading to comment, I played with my template to insert a line between the comments on one post and the title of the next post. Hopefully this will help people be more mindful of which post they are commenting on.
Technorati tagged: blog, blogs, blogging, weblog, commenting, comments
For those who don't know, the comment section on Blogger is generally under the posts, not above. I've noticed quite a few people posting above the post they are commenting on, meaning their comment gets attached to a post on a totally different subject.
Please, try to be mindful of what post you are commenting on. Always scroll down. :)
Thank you.
Due to continued use of the post above the one the person is reading to comment, I played with my template to insert a line between the comments on one post and the title of the next post. Hopefully this will help people be more mindful of which post they are commenting on.
Technorati tagged: blog, blogs, blogging, weblog, commenting, comments
40 Days of Purpose, Thoughts on Weeks 2 and 3
I've been doing some thinking about this 40 days we are going through at church right now. As we get further in I am beginning to see the bigger picture.
Week 1 is just introduction stuff, though there's lots of good stuff there to find. Week 2 I enjoyed the heck out of. It's on "worship," but I tell you, Pastor Warren has shown me a whole different way to think about worship. It's so much more than just singing or church. It's a 24/7 lifestyle that all Christians should be living. Worship can even be found in the daily mundane things we do each day.
Week 3 is harder for me to be interested in. "Fellowship" is more than hanging out with coffee and donuts after the service. Okay, no problem there. But much of it seems to be focused on really basic things - like belonging to and being involved with a local church. I'm finding that rather boring because I have no difficulty in this area - I am the church Webmaster, bulletin-maker, attendance-counter, and clerk. At my old church I was first in the choir and then in the sound booth. I'm plugged in.
And yet I understand the need for week 3. A lot of people feel they don't need the church and that they can be a "lone ranger" Christian. Week 3 makes a compelling case that this is not so, a conclusion I wholeheartedly agree with. Too many people love ideal people from a distance, rather than real people up close, in a local congregation. If this is you, then you need to read days 15-21 in The Purpose Driven Life. It will challenge you if you open to growing.
So...a necessary focus, but irrelevant to me. At least Week 2 on worship made me think about things differently. I found that week challenging. I helped me grow. Week 3 isn't really doing that for me, though it will for others.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, 40 Days of Purpose, Saddleback Church
Week 1 is just introduction stuff, though there's lots of good stuff there to find. Week 2 I enjoyed the heck out of. It's on "worship," but I tell you, Pastor Warren has shown me a whole different way to think about worship. It's so much more than just singing or church. It's a 24/7 lifestyle that all Christians should be living. Worship can even be found in the daily mundane things we do each day.
Week 3 is harder for me to be interested in. "Fellowship" is more than hanging out with coffee and donuts after the service. Okay, no problem there. But much of it seems to be focused on really basic things - like belonging to and being involved with a local church. I'm finding that rather boring because I have no difficulty in this area - I am the church Webmaster, bulletin-maker, attendance-counter, and clerk. At my old church I was first in the choir and then in the sound booth. I'm plugged in.
And yet I understand the need for week 3. A lot of people feel they don't need the church and that they can be a "lone ranger" Christian. Week 3 makes a compelling case that this is not so, a conclusion I wholeheartedly agree with. Too many people love ideal people from a distance, rather than real people up close, in a local congregation. If this is you, then you need to read days 15-21 in The Purpose Driven Life. It will challenge you if you open to growing.
So...a necessary focus, but irrelevant to me. At least Week 2 on worship made me think about things differently. I found that week challenging. I helped me grow. Week 3 isn't really doing that for me, though it will for others.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, 40 Days of Purpose, Saddleback Church
Monday, May 15, 2006
Today's junk
Did okay today. Made it to the gym, but sometimes your get up and go just got up and went and today it did. I think after yesterday's hard workout my body just couldn't give 100% today. Still, I did 22 minutes of weights, 30 on the elliptical (without arms) and 30 just walking on the treadmill at 3.5 mph. FitDay says 278 calories.
Then I took the bus out to Edgewater to Starbucks and ordered a Venti coffee. They were making the coffee at the time but didn't have it ready so they said it was on the house and they'd call me when it was ready. Cool! Free coffee! :) I had a short time to work on my Purpose Driven Life lesson for the day - on belonging to a local church - while I waited for my coffee and then waited for it to cool.
I bought some PowerAde today for the race on Sunday. I still need to buy the carbohydrate gel packs. Maybe on Thursday since there's a GNC in Alameda and I have to be in Alameda on Thursday for a doctor appointment and the GNC is a straight shot down on the bus.
I'm still bloated from Friday/Saturday. My size 10 shorts fit perfect. :( I'm right back where I was about 10 pounds above goal. I can't even get below 146 on a good day, never mind bad days like this where I'm afraid to get on the scale. I hope it's muscle, but how can that be when my clothes don't fit any better even on the best of days? How can I gain fat while watching carbs and calories? I've decided my body hates me and wants to be fat. Yesterday's calories were 1644 with 309 calories burned in exercise.
Tomorrow is groceries because Wednesday I'll be at the gym again and Thursday is the doctor. Friday I hope to dye my hair blue so it will be brightest during the race. I already bleached it.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Then I took the bus out to Edgewater to Starbucks and ordered a Venti coffee. They were making the coffee at the time but didn't have it ready so they said it was on the house and they'd call me when it was ready. Cool! Free coffee! :) I had a short time to work on my Purpose Driven Life lesson for the day - on belonging to a local church - while I waited for my coffee and then waited for it to cool.
I bought some PowerAde today for the race on Sunday. I still need to buy the carbohydrate gel packs. Maybe on Thursday since there's a GNC in Alameda and I have to be in Alameda on Thursday for a doctor appointment and the GNC is a straight shot down on the bus.
I'm still bloated from Friday/Saturday. My size 10 shorts fit perfect. :( I'm right back where I was about 10 pounds above goal. I can't even get below 146 on a good day, never mind bad days like this where I'm afraid to get on the scale. I hope it's muscle, but how can that be when my clothes don't fit any better even on the best of days? How can I gain fat while watching carbs and calories? I've decided my body hates me and wants to be fat. Yesterday's calories were 1644 with 309 calories burned in exercise.
Tomorrow is groceries because Wednesday I'll be at the gym again and Thursday is the doctor. Friday I hope to dye my hair blue so it will be brightest during the race. I already bleached it.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
How Abnormal Are You?
| You Are 24% Abnormal |
 You are at low risk for being a psychopath. It is unlikely that you have no soul. You are at medium risk for having a borderline personality. It is somewhat likely that you are a chaotic mess. You are at low risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is unlikely that you are in love with your own reflection. You are at low risk for having a social phobia. It is unlikely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement. You are at low risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is unlikely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer. |
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Failure
Well, I totally failed this weekend.
First, my Thursday totals as promised: 1978 calories and 360 calories burned in my workout.
I get my lunches packed on Thursday night so I figure I have some extra time on Friday and I'll be good and go to the gym. I take it easy, burning only 235 calories.
Then Brad takes me to Safeway to get heavy items like cat litter and diet cola that are hard to drag onto the bus. Instead of feeding him dinner in return, I suggest going out and he suggests Fuddrucker's and I say okay. I stay on plan for the meal, though I am famished. I have their low-carb burger (meat with no bun and a side salad). I'm still hungry so I get their salad. So far so good.
Then it went downhill. I just couldn't take it anymore. I had a huge chocolate brownie topped with walnuts and followed that with a scoop of coffee ice cream. Then I suggest Starbucks. On the way there we stop at this cute little shop and I get some kind of carby thing that I forget the name of, which I ate when I got home, and a piece of cheesecake made with Ricotta cheese that I ate the next day (it was DIVINE!). At Starbucks I get a chocolate chocolate chip Frappuccino and a chocolate and cream cheese muffin. I feel guilty, but my desire for sweets in general and chocolate in particular has been sated.
Sabbath isn't a whole lot better, but I stick with low-carb foods (except for the leftover cheesecake), and simply eat way too much of everything.
I'm now in the long process of detoxing, which will be undone next Sabbath as I carb up for the race.
I made it to the gym today. FitDay says 309 calories, but I sure did sweat like a pig, and I am SO tired - I ran 1 mile in 12 minutes, then set the incline to the max and walked 1/2 mile in 12 minutes. My workout towel was pretty damp at this point. I topped the workout off with 20 minutes on the recumbent bike. I managed to struggle through four reps of arm curls with the 20 pound dumbbell, but couldn't do more. I wonder if I'm really ready for that. I'm also really struggling with the 40 pound barbell, whereas the 30 pound one is much easier.
I've gained at least 5 pounds from my dietary indiscretions, but I'm not stepping on a scale for confirmation! My stomach is sticking way out - bloat from water from too many carbohydrates. Instead of my cute little tank top, I wore a large t-shirt to the gym to help cover my tummy. My "street clothes" today are a large skirt with an elastic waistband and a shirt large enough to hang below my waist.
In off-diet news I started The DaVinci Code today (well, actually, I read the first couple paragraphs in the "thank you" section before chapter 1 yesterday). I borrowed pastor's copy until the one I ordered arrives. So far I'm not terribly impressed.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
First, my Thursday totals as promised: 1978 calories and 360 calories burned in my workout.
I get my lunches packed on Thursday night so I figure I have some extra time on Friday and I'll be good and go to the gym. I take it easy, burning only 235 calories.
Then Brad takes me to Safeway to get heavy items like cat litter and diet cola that are hard to drag onto the bus. Instead of feeding him dinner in return, I suggest going out and he suggests Fuddrucker's and I say okay. I stay on plan for the meal, though I am famished. I have their low-carb burger (meat with no bun and a side salad). I'm still hungry so I get their salad. So far so good.
Then it went downhill. I just couldn't take it anymore. I had a huge chocolate brownie topped with walnuts and followed that with a scoop of coffee ice cream. Then I suggest Starbucks. On the way there we stop at this cute little shop and I get some kind of carby thing that I forget the name of, which I ate when I got home, and a piece of cheesecake made with Ricotta cheese that I ate the next day (it was DIVINE!). At Starbucks I get a chocolate chocolate chip Frappuccino and a chocolate and cream cheese muffin. I feel guilty, but my desire for sweets in general and chocolate in particular has been sated.
Sabbath isn't a whole lot better, but I stick with low-carb foods (except for the leftover cheesecake), and simply eat way too much of everything.
I'm now in the long process of detoxing, which will be undone next Sabbath as I carb up for the race.
I made it to the gym today. FitDay says 309 calories, but I sure did sweat like a pig, and I am SO tired - I ran 1 mile in 12 minutes, then set the incline to the max and walked 1/2 mile in 12 minutes. My workout towel was pretty damp at this point. I topped the workout off with 20 minutes on the recumbent bike. I managed to struggle through four reps of arm curls with the 20 pound dumbbell, but couldn't do more. I wonder if I'm really ready for that. I'm also really struggling with the 40 pound barbell, whereas the 30 pound one is much easier.
I've gained at least 5 pounds from my dietary indiscretions, but I'm not stepping on a scale for confirmation! My stomach is sticking way out - bloat from water from too many carbohydrates. Instead of my cute little tank top, I wore a large t-shirt to the gym to help cover my tummy. My "street clothes" today are a large skirt with an elastic waistband and a shirt large enough to hang below my waist.
In off-diet news I started The DaVinci Code today (well, actually, I read the first couple paragraphs in the "thank you" section before chapter 1 yesterday). I borrowed pastor's copy until the one I ordered arrives. So far I'm not terribly impressed.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Sabbaths and Sundays, Common Arguments, #5
If the spirit of the law is simply "one day out of seven," how come the priests were not commanded to rest one of the other days? They took turns serving in the temple for a certain term. During that term they would work harder on the Sabbath than any other day, yet there is no law telling them to rest Sunday or Monday or every seventh day. If God had meant "every seventh day after six days of work," we'd find some kind of law for the priests.
Additionally, the Sabbath is the only day God blessed. If the Sabbath were any seventh day, there would be no need for God to bless a specific day. Also, He would have told the Israelites to keep whatever day was convenient for them, rather than telling them a specific day to keep.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Sunday, Sabbath
Saturday, May 13, 2006
40 Days of Purpose, Day 14
I really enjoyed this lesson because it's one I lived through and I know that "the dark night of the soul" does end and God does eventually show up again. This lesson is "When God Seems Distant." It's about those dry times when you can't feel Him.
Its point is that faith is more important than feelings, and that God is there whether or not we can feel Him. The fact of His presence and the feeling of His presence are two different things and should not be confused.
When I went through this time a couple years ago after Kathi's rejection of me and my being booted from ExWitch, I made the classic beginner's mistake. As V. Raymond Edman said, "Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light." I doubted. I probably wouldn't be a Christian today if God hadn't stepped in and pulled me back from the edge. I gave the goddess a foothold, and got myself in so deep that I couldn't get back on my own.
I failed that test. When God drew me back to Him, I swore then that it would not happen again. I hope it does not, but I hesitate to say, "I will not fail," when I am not in a similar situation at the moment.
This Purpose Driven Life lesson makes the point that we don't grow during the good times; we grow in the valleys. It makes the point that in any relationship there are times of distance and this is true of our relationship with God as well. Our worship is the deepest when we trust Him despite our feelings of abandonment. Our trust in those times IS our worship. He will never leave us or forsake us. That is the promise. Our feelings can lie.
How do you get through these times?
1) Tell God how you feel - He can take anything you say.
2) Focus on God's unchanging nature.
3) Trust in God's promises, not your feelings.
4) Remember what He's already done by dying on the cross. Even if He never did another thing for you, He's worthy of your praise and worship for this alone.
This is an excellent reminder lesson for those who have been through the "dark night" before. If you haven't, study this lesson well for you will one day face it, and I pray that each and every person out there will not fail the test as I did. If you have already failed like I have, commit to passing the test the next time.
Thank You God for loving and dying for me. Help me to trust and follow You no matter what.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, 40 Days of Purpose, Saddleback Church
Its point is that faith is more important than feelings, and that God is there whether or not we can feel Him. The fact of His presence and the feeling of His presence are two different things and should not be confused.
When I went through this time a couple years ago after Kathi's rejection of me and my being booted from ExWitch, I made the classic beginner's mistake. As V. Raymond Edman said, "Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light." I doubted. I probably wouldn't be a Christian today if God hadn't stepped in and pulled me back from the edge. I gave the goddess a foothold, and got myself in so deep that I couldn't get back on my own.
I failed that test. When God drew me back to Him, I swore then that it would not happen again. I hope it does not, but I hesitate to say, "I will not fail," when I am not in a similar situation at the moment.
This Purpose Driven Life lesson makes the point that we don't grow during the good times; we grow in the valleys. It makes the point that in any relationship there are times of distance and this is true of our relationship with God as well. Our worship is the deepest when we trust Him despite our feelings of abandonment. Our trust in those times IS our worship. He will never leave us or forsake us. That is the promise. Our feelings can lie.
How do you get through these times?
1) Tell God how you feel - He can take anything you say.
2) Focus on God's unchanging nature.
3) Trust in God's promises, not your feelings.
4) Remember what He's already done by dying on the cross. Even if He never did another thing for you, He's worthy of your praise and worship for this alone.
This is an excellent reminder lesson for those who have been through the "dark night" before. If you haven't, study this lesson well for you will one day face it, and I pray that each and every person out there will not fail the test as I did. If you have already failed like I have, commit to passing the test the next time.
Thank You God for loving and dying for me. Help me to trust and follow You no matter what.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, 40 Days of Purpose, Saddleback Church
Friday, May 12, 2006
Sabbaths and Sundays, Common Arguments, #4
The Pharisees accused Jesus and His disciples of breaking the Sabbath, but there is not one law from the Bible that Jesus broke. The only laws He broke were the Rabbinical ones defining what "work" was. There were 39 of them. When the disciples were going through the grain fields on the Sabbath and plucking the grain to eat, the Pharisees felt the disciples were breaking the laws against harvesting (picking the corn or wheat), threshing (shucking it or rubbing in between their palms), among others. They did not break one single law from the Bible in doing this.
As for His healing miracles, Jesus said it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath - this includes all kinds of work done to save lives, physically or spiritually. This is the reason no Sabbath keeper argues against essential services continuing, and the reason pastors can work that day and still be "guiltless." The priests worked in the temple that day and were held guiltless. When He healed, He was doing redemptive work which was fine.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Sunday, Sabbath
The White Trash Test
I am 32% White Trash.
The white trash in my blood will not keep me from becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but it will keep me from a good haircut and any sort of fashion sense.Technorati tagged: white trash, diary, life, quiz, quizzes
Thursday, May 11, 2006
I just keep gaining
Back up to 147.2 today, same weight as two days ago. I know some of my weight is muscle, but I can't have gained five pounds of muscle, and how could I have not lost any fat, but I guess I haven't. This is extremely depressing.
Worked out today. Was able to do 3 sets of 10 reps each with the 15 pound dumbbell for the second time (the first time was Monday), so I know I'm getting stronger. Did about 37 minutes of weights, tried to do 100 sit-ups but lost count so I don't know how many I actually did, and did one hour of cardio on the crossramp elliptical (without the moving arms). Whew! I'm wiped! FitDay says 360 calories.
I'm having bad carb cravings - I want a cheeseburger (with the bun!) and french fries. And something chocolate. Lots of lots of something with lots of chocolate, like a big ol' chocolate muffin from Safeway (they have the best ones). I have a planned binge Sabbath after next before the race, but that's nine days away and I don't think I can hold out that long.
Calories yesterday were a disappointing 1859. But I had 82g of fat, so at least the extra calories upped my fat instead of something else. Calories today will be ever higher, as they usually are on Thursdays because I'm up late doing laundry. My tentative menu today has about 2000 calories. I'll update tomorrow with my actual total for today.
I have two weeks of the Metabolife left, so I'll finish those out. I started taking the green tea pills today.
My Carb Options soup mix that I ordered on E-bay arrived today. It's no longer made, but I like keeping it in my locker for those times when I'm really hungry. I lost the auction, but was given a "second chance" and jumped at it. This is the powdered chicken noodle soup, 4 carbs per packet and only 25 calories. I got a whole case - 12 boxes. :) None of the Carb Options products appear to be made anymore, and the Web site is gone. Thank God for E-bay, eh?
Besides the soup I also bought a case of the Atkins brownie mix (12 packets), 60 Atkins Almond Brownie Advantage bars, and two cases (24 cans) of the Atkins strawberry shakes. Still waiting for all those.
I also ordered some stuff off netrition.com - three packets of Dixie Diners chocolate donut mix, two boxes of the Nutlettes cereal, and two boxes (I think) of the sugar-free, sugar alcohol free chocolate bars. The chocolate bars used to be made by Carb Sense/Mini Carb, but changed their name and changed the packaging of course.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Worked out today. Was able to do 3 sets of 10 reps each with the 15 pound dumbbell for the second time (the first time was Monday), so I know I'm getting stronger. Did about 37 minutes of weights, tried to do 100 sit-ups but lost count so I don't know how many I actually did, and did one hour of cardio on the crossramp elliptical (without the moving arms). Whew! I'm wiped! FitDay says 360 calories.
I'm having bad carb cravings - I want a cheeseburger (with the bun!) and french fries. And something chocolate. Lots of lots of something with lots of chocolate, like a big ol' chocolate muffin from Safeway (they have the best ones). I have a planned binge Sabbath after next before the race, but that's nine days away and I don't think I can hold out that long.
Calories yesterday were a disappointing 1859. But I had 82g of fat, so at least the extra calories upped my fat instead of something else. Calories today will be ever higher, as they usually are on Thursdays because I'm up late doing laundry. My tentative menu today has about 2000 calories. I'll update tomorrow with my actual total for today.
I have two weeks of the Metabolife left, so I'll finish those out. I started taking the green tea pills today.
My Carb Options soup mix that I ordered on E-bay arrived today. It's no longer made, but I like keeping it in my locker for those times when I'm really hungry. I lost the auction, but was given a "second chance" and jumped at it. This is the powdered chicken noodle soup, 4 carbs per packet and only 25 calories. I got a whole case - 12 boxes. :) None of the Carb Options products appear to be made anymore, and the Web site is gone. Thank God for E-bay, eh?
Besides the soup I also bought a case of the Atkins brownie mix (12 packets), 60 Atkins Almond Brownie Advantage bars, and two cases (24 cans) of the Atkins strawberry shakes. Still waiting for all those.
I also ordered some stuff off netrition.com - three packets of Dixie Diners chocolate donut mix, two boxes of the Nutlettes cereal, and two boxes (I think) of the sugar-free, sugar alcohol free chocolate bars. The chocolate bars used to be made by Carb Sense/Mini Carb, but changed their name and changed the packaging of course.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Playing on fear
Have you seen the new Science Diet pet food commercials? It states that cats and dogs often shed from poor nutrition, and tries to get people to switch to Science Diet brand pet food. Nothing wrong with that. So far, so good.My gripe is with the timing of the commercial. I don't know about your pets, but after holding onto their coats all winter, both my cats are shedding like crazy, and it isn't due to poor nutrition; it's due to warmer weather. All I have to do is pet either of them and fur goes flying everywhere.
So here SD is trying to make pet owners think that sudden shedding at a time pets normally begin shedding is a nutritional problem. They didn't air this in the middle of winter. They wait until it's warming up around the country.
Before you switch pet foods ask yourself if there could be another reason for your pet's shedding.
Technorati tagged: cat, cats, dog, dogs, pet, pets, feline, felines, cat food, dog food, pet food, Science Diet
Logo courtesy of Science Diet.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Gaining 1/4 pound a week
Yep...just ran the numbers on FitDay today and over the last two months I have gained an average of 0.2 pounds a week. Looking at only the last month it's even worse - 0.3 pounds a week gained. And over just the last two weeks 1 whole pound gained a week (!).
ARGH! I've cut my calories so I should be losing (but am not) and it's not muscle because I can only get to the gym twice a week to do weight training. Plus my jeans aren't any looser. I really don't understand how I can be gaining. I've begun walking the last leg to work, yet still I gain.
The hunger is still there today. I think the Metabolife has stopped working and it's time to try something else. My lunch did nothing to alleviate my hunger. And I am craving bad carbs. My body is screaming for them now. At Starbucks earlier I wanted to give in and get one of their carby snacks, but settled for just an unsweetened iced green tea.
So I'm dealing with two problems. Hunger for any food, good or bad, and craving for bad food in particular.
Was able to walk to work from BART. Took 27 minutes today and FitDay says 81 calories.
Should be able to make it to the gym three times next week, but two of those days are consecutive, which will mean I won't be able to push myself as hard as I'd like on the weight training the second day.
Yesterday's calories were 1764 and today will be higher. Oh well.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
ARGH! I've cut my calories so I should be losing (but am not) and it's not muscle because I can only get to the gym twice a week to do weight training. Plus my jeans aren't any looser. I really don't understand how I can be gaining. I've begun walking the last leg to work, yet still I gain.
The hunger is still there today. I think the Metabolife has stopped working and it's time to try something else. My lunch did nothing to alleviate my hunger. And I am craving bad carbs. My body is screaming for them now. At Starbucks earlier I wanted to give in and get one of their carby snacks, but settled for just an unsweetened iced green tea.
So I'm dealing with two problems. Hunger for any food, good or bad, and craving for bad food in particular.
Was able to walk to work from BART. Took 27 minutes today and FitDay says 81 calories.
Should be able to make it to the gym three times next week, but two of those days are consecutive, which will mean I won't be able to push myself as hard as I'd like on the weight training the second day.
Yesterday's calories were 1764 and today will be higher. Oh well.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
My favorite movies
Found this cool toy on Diddiditwife's blog.
My favorite movies:
Create your own Movie List @ HotFreeLayouts!
Technorati tagged: Bible, movies, God, Jesus, Christ, Narnia, Passion of the Christ, religion, faith, movies, Star Trek, Star Wars, exorcism, Emily Rose, The Exorcism of Emily Rose
My favorite movies:
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Technorati tagged: Bible, movies, God, Jesus, Christ, Narnia, Passion of the Christ, religion, faith, movies, Star Trek, Star Wars, exorcism, Emily Rose, The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Calories are DOWN, but weight is UP
I'm absolutely ranvenous today. Maybe it's because my calories were so low yesterday - only 1488. Not bad, eh? I'll somehow get through today without going over the edge, but no 1500 calories for me today!
Walked the last leg to work today and finally used MapQuest to find out the distance from the BART station to work - 1.5 miles! Yippee! I've walked a lot of miles lately. :)
Weight this morning was a whopping 147.2! Ack!!! That's over the maximum I'm allowed (147). All this dieting and I am making NO progress. I think I need to set up an appointment to see a trainer and have a body composition test done. But I'm afraid I'll have gained fat! Double ack! I'm doing so horribly. :(
Finished The DaVinci Code: A Quest for Answers today that Jane gave out at church on Sabbath.
Had time to stop at Starbucks and work on my Purpose Driven Life lesson for the day. It's a pain to take notes, but it does help me get more out of it.
A cool thing on the low-carb front - today I received a note from Jimmy Moore by snail mail thanking me for being such a faithful reader of his blog (the pleasure's all mine!), and enclosed was a card for one free entree at Denny's, drink included. Jazzin'! There's a Denny's on my way to work, a 10 minute walk from the BART station, and last I checked they had a low-carb menu, though that was a while ago. Hope they still have it!
New people hired at work and in the process of training; that's why the overtime ended. As I stated in that post, it makes me both happy and sad.
Today was a mail run into the City; tomorrow is groceries, and then I will hit the gym on Thursday. I try to space my workouts with two days between when I can only go twice in the week, and then stuff everything else around it.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Graphic courtesy of BirthdayCards.com.
Monday, May 08, 2006
TheFatManWalking.com, take 4
Just a quite update on Steve. He's in New Jersey, expected in New York by May 9th!
---
Want to walk to NYC with Steve?
Meeting Place: Leaving from the north walkway of the George Washington Bridge at 6pm on May 9th.
MEDIA ADVISORY May 8, 2006 [...]
Pedestrian and automotive safety has become a primary concern as Steve travels through New Jersey and into New York tomorrow. The George Washington Bridge is a highly congested area, especially so during his anticipated time of crossing and it would be unfortunate if traffic was impeded however unintentionally in any way. Further, the Port Authority has indicated that for security purposes photography will not be permitted on the property.
In the interest of safety Steve will not be able to conclude his walk with a brief press conference as originally hoped. Again, your understanding is appreciated.
---
He's also lost about 100 pounds on his journey, starting at 409 and now around 308. He had gotten down to 280, but then put some weight back on. I hope he can keep it off once this is over and he flies home. You can do it, Steve!
Way to go, Steve! Keep up the good work and congratualations on completing this HUGE endeavor!
Technorati tagged: fat man, fatmanwalking.com, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
---
Want to walk to NYC with Steve?
Meeting Place: Leaving from the north walkway of the George Washington Bridge at 6pm on May 9th.
MEDIA ADVISORY May 8, 2006 [...]
Pedestrian and automotive safety has become a primary concern as Steve travels through New Jersey and into New York tomorrow. The George Washington Bridge is a highly congested area, especially so during his anticipated time of crossing and it would be unfortunate if traffic was impeded however unintentionally in any way. Further, the Port Authority has indicated that for security purposes photography will not be permitted on the property.
In the interest of safety Steve will not be able to conclude his walk with a brief press conference as originally hoped. Again, your understanding is appreciated.
---
He's also lost about 100 pounds on his journey, starting at 409 and now around 308. He had gotten down to 280, but then put some weight back on. I hope he can keep it off once this is over and he flies home. You can do it, Steve!
Way to go, Steve! Keep up the good work and congratualations on completing this HUGE endeavor!
Technorati tagged: fat man, fatmanwalking.com, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Squeezing into my jeans
And it's a tight squeeze. More on that in a moment.
I did really good calorie-wise yesterday after Saturday's disaster. I ate only 1414 calories, and without too much hunger. Today I'm higher, but I went to the gym, so "breakfast" was bigger because I had to make extra of the protein shake so there would be some left for after my workout. FitDay says I burned 338 calories in my workout. I did 35 minutes of weights, 30 on the stationary bike, and 30 on the elliptical (the one without arms). Whew!
After my workout I had the usual fight with my new size 8s. The older ones are looser because the fit is different, but these are meant to fit tight and I have to tug and pull to get them on, and pull the waistband up past my hips so I can button them. Once they are stretched out they are a dream, but when newly washed, it's a workout just to squeeze into them.
I suspect I'm doing so poorly at my diet because I'm not cycling calories and Saturdays are so high that it doesn't matter how good I do the rest of the week.
*sigh*
Must
do
better.
Must
lose
fat
gain
muscle.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
I did really good calorie-wise yesterday after Saturday's disaster. I ate only 1414 calories, and without too much hunger. Today I'm higher, but I went to the gym, so "breakfast" was bigger because I had to make extra of the protein shake so there would be some left for after my workout. FitDay says I burned 338 calories in my workout. I did 35 minutes of weights, 30 on the stationary bike, and 30 on the elliptical (the one without arms). Whew!
After my workout I had the usual fight with my new size 8s. The older ones are looser because the fit is different, but these are meant to fit tight and I have to tug and pull to get them on, and pull the waistband up past my hips so I can button them. Once they are stretched out they are a dream, but when newly washed, it's a workout just to squeeze into them.
I suspect I'm doing so poorly at my diet because I'm not cycling calories and Saturdays are so high that it doesn't matter how good I do the rest of the week.
*sigh*
Must
do
better.
Must
lose
fat
gain
muscle.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Fat, fat, fat
This weekend:
Friday I bought The Purpose Driven Life Journal, and copied most of the entries in my blank journal into it. Finished that project on Saturday. Keeping up on the readings so far and taking notes as I go along. Friday night I Pay-Per-Viewed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Quite dark and quite long (2 1/2 hours). Voldemorte comes back to life and now has the power to hurt Harry.
Saturday at church Jane gave me an old denim skirt of hers. It's a size 8 and fits perfectly. :) I gave away my old one because it was too big and the slit up the front made it too revealing anyway. I'm glad to have a more modest one that fits my new smaller body. :)
Way overdid it food-wise yesterday. Yours truly has a tad of a hangover today and is dealing with the residuals of eating too many sugar free Oreos last night. Went out to dinner with Brad and Regina and Abraham to celebrate my 10th birthday as a Christian. Had two glasses of wine (one white, one red) and an Atkins-friendly meal with just a couple cheat bites. Not too bad and I wouldn't be unhappy if it ended there.
But it didn't.
When I got home I had some more wine and it was too much for me. So now I have a bit of a hangover. I also (for the second time) ate most of a box of sugar free Oreos and only left about 4 cookies. I have no idea how many calories and carbs I ate yesterday, but I just threw 3000 calories and 200 carbs up on FitDay for the hell of it. Trying to drink lots of water and tea today to help flush my system. I probably won't want my glass of wine tonight. Blech. Sorry if I disappointed anyone. Sometimes I do slip and fall on this journey of life.
At any rate, I feel like I undid weeks of hard work with yesterday. :(
Was able to walk the last leg to work today and it's really nice out. I hope the Bay To Breakers race in two weeks is as nice! The walk today took me 25 minutes, and FitDay say 75 calories burned. It'll take A LOT of walks to work to make up for last night! Stopped at Starbucks for a double espresso. What a rip off! $1.65 for this tiny little amount of beverage. :-p
Should be able to make it to the gym tomorrow. Looks like I'll get two workouts in this week.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Friday I bought The Purpose Driven Life Journal, and copied most of the entries in my blank journal into it. Finished that project on Saturday. Keeping up on the readings so far and taking notes as I go along. Friday night I Pay-Per-Viewed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Quite dark and quite long (2 1/2 hours). Voldemorte comes back to life and now has the power to hurt Harry.
Saturday at church Jane gave me an old denim skirt of hers. It's a size 8 and fits perfectly. :) I gave away my old one because it was too big and the slit up the front made it too revealing anyway. I'm glad to have a more modest one that fits my new smaller body. :)
Way overdid it food-wise yesterday. Yours truly has a tad of a hangover today and is dealing with the residuals of eating too many sugar free Oreos last night. Went out to dinner with Brad and Regina and Abraham to celebrate my 10th birthday as a Christian. Had two glasses of wine (one white, one red) and an Atkins-friendly meal with just a couple cheat bites. Not too bad and I wouldn't be unhappy if it ended there.
But it didn't.
When I got home I had some more wine and it was too much for me. So now I have a bit of a hangover. I also (for the second time) ate most of a box of sugar free Oreos and only left about 4 cookies. I have no idea how many calories and carbs I ate yesterday, but I just threw 3000 calories and 200 carbs up on FitDay for the hell of it. Trying to drink lots of water and tea today to help flush my system. I probably won't want my glass of wine tonight. Blech. Sorry if I disappointed anyone. Sometimes I do slip and fall on this journey of life.
At any rate, I feel like I undid weeks of hard work with yesterday. :(
Was able to walk the last leg to work today and it's really nice out. I hope the Bay To Breakers race in two weeks is as nice! The walk today took me 25 minutes, and FitDay say 75 calories burned. It'll take A LOT of walks to work to make up for last night! Stopped at Starbucks for a double espresso. What a rip off! $1.65 for this tiny little amount of beverage. :-p
Should be able to make it to the gym tomorrow. Looks like I'll get two workouts in this week.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
My last 12 hour day
Today is my last 12 hour shift at work. I'm happy and sad at the same time - happy that I will now be able to work out every Sunday, and sad that overtime is ending just as my rent goes up. Dad said he sent me some money this month; that should help.
Technorati tagged: life, diary, work, overtime
Technorati tagged: life, diary, work, overtime
Guess I have to learn about The DaVinci Code after all...
This weekend at church Jane was giving out books to rebut The DaVinci Code. The book is titled: The DaVinci Code: A Quest for Answers. If I'm going to read the rebuttal, I guess I need to understand what it's rebutting. ;) I'll either read the book or see the movie - haven't decided yet, but I did buy a used copy off Amazon today.At any rate, the movie can be a decent surrogate if need be. I did the same thing for Harry Potter. I didn't want to read the first book, but I wanted to understand the phenomenon it was, so I saw the first movie (which was so good I've seen the next two).
I wasn't planning on having anything to do with the DaVinci Code, but I guess it's been decided for me. Personally, I think it's crazy that I need to be involved, but it's even crazier that grown adults think the DaVinci Code has anything to do with truth. I don't remember much from my college church history classes, so perhaps this rebuttal book will help. What is it that makes otherwise rational adults believe anything that claims to discredit Christianity? Why do they feel it needs to be discredited? What are they afraid of if it's true?
If you've read the book or plan to see the movie and believe its premise, do yourself a favor get the whole story. None of us should be afraid to seek the truth. There are several rebuttal books. Read one. In fact, if you plug "davinci code" into Amazon, the rebuttals come up, not Mr. Brown's book. In order to get Mr. Brown's book to come up you have to put the article "the" first.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Dan Brown, religion, faith, DaVinci Code
Picture courtesy DaVinciQuest.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Are you a lion or a witch?
| 21 - 50 |  Your instincts are good overall, but you are easily tempted to focus on yourself at the expense of others. You can be impulsive and not think through the consequences of pursuing what you want. You are Edmund, who mocked Lucy when she first told of visiting Narnia, who later fell prey to the temptations of Turkish Delight, before realizing his mistakes and becoming Edmund the Just. | |
| 51 - 75 |  You do a lot of good for other people, but often are stymied by fear of repercussions or what others will think. You pursue your own needs and goals but also make time for others. You are Mr. Tumnus, the faun who intends to kidnap Lucy for the Witch but realizes he shouldn't. | |
I got 56 (out of 120), just a few points above Edmund. I will point out that in another Narnia test about which character I was, I did come out as Edmund.
Are you a lion or a witch?
Technorati tagged: Narnia, Chronicles of Narnia, diary, life, quiz, quizzes
Sabbaths and Sundays, Common Arguments, #3
Claim: Jesus rose on Sunday so that's why we celebrate on Sunday.
Yes, Jesus rose from the grave on Sunday. I won't argue that point, though I know some people will argue for a Saturday afternoon resurrection. Anyway, my point is that we are not told by Jesus, the apostles, or any other Biblical writer, that the day of rest and worship is to change because Jesus rose on Sunday.
Jesus talked to His disciples many times after His resurrection. That would have been the perfect time to say, "Look, I know you have always rested and worshipped on Saturday. But I give you a new commandment. The Sabbath shall now be Sunday." Surely the Gospel writers would not have failed to write down something that important! If Jesus or any of the writers of the New Testament writers had ANY such command, I'd be resting Sunday! In the absence of any Biblical mandate, however, I have to conclude that the Sunday Sabbath is the tradition of men.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Sunday, Sabbath
Friday, May 05, 2006
Sabbaths and Sundays, Common Arguments, #2
Oftentimes Christians try to say that only nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. Therefore, we only have to keep those nine. What one can we ignore? The Sabbath of course. But what they are overlooking is one of the most obvious features of the New Testament.
The Sabbath is talked about a great deal in the Gospels. Why, if the Sabbath had been done away with, are there so many mentions? Why mention something that has been done away with, mention it often, and mention it with no direct command from Christ to stop celebrating it?
The Gospels were written between about AD 60 (Mark) and 90 (John). It is generally recognized that far from being mere biographies, the Gospels were handbooks for the early church. If the Sabbath had been done away with by Jesus or the apostles, it would seem likely that the Sabbath would be de-emphasized in the writings, and likely Sunday given some "boost."
Yet we don't find that. We find numerous references in these writings to a practice that some say was no longer observed. Why mention the Sabbath so much if it didn't matter anymore?
The Gospels were all written after the epistles, and if the Sabbath had already been abandoned by then, why include so many instances of it in the writings? It would have been irrelevant to the early church, so why make so much mention of it? It was mentioned so much precisely because the church was still keeping it. In the stories of Jesus the early church saw how the Sabbath should be kept and the original meaning that Jesus brought back to it.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Sunday, Sabbath
More nonsense - Spong is Wrong
More nonsense from "Christian" Bishop John Shelby Spong and a very savvy reply from a woman I know named Dolores, who is a liberal Catholic. In this particular instance, I agree with her wholeheartedly.Spong said:
The whole sacrifice mentality that permeates Christian theology needs to be raised to consciousness and expelled from Christianity. However, it is so deep that many feel that Christianity will die if it is ever separated from this idea.
I believe that the future of Christianity rests on our ability in the Christian Church to escape the language of sacrifice and punishment and begin to think in terms of finding in Jesus the power to live fully, the grace to love wastefully and the courage to be all that we can be.
Dolores' response:
Predictably, Bishop Spong wants the easy way out--whitebread Christianity, with all of that nasty, rough fiber (and all of its nutrients) comfortably milled away.
What is Love without sacrifice? The worthless affection of a fair-weather friend.
Jesus was no child--he made his choice to consent as a grown man, knowing exactly what he agreed to. He had his opportunity to back down. He came close (being tempted in all things--not that it would have been a sin, because he had the right to refuse if he so desired) but out of love for us he chose to go through with the sacrifice.
To be perfectly honest, I do not want a God who has not experienced my suffering. It means a great deal to me that Jesus valued me at such a high price! Without sacrifice, the greatest teachings of Christ devolve into substanceless platitudes, for they have no courage to back them up.
And what a paltry follower of Christ would I be if I had no will to sacrifice in my turn? How could I forgive anyone without sacrifice in my heart? Because I find forgiveness hard! I have to crucify the vindictive part of me every time. How few good deeds would I do if I waited only for easy ones! Why should I send money to tsunami victims if I am not rich? Why should I bother to listen to an annoying friend pour out her troubles to me? Why do work that I can wriggle out of? Why exert myself to patience, or service, or time-consuming compassion?
Every good thing about me carries an element of sacrifice. Not that my faith is a hardship--not at all! For the seed that dies in the earth brings uncounted new seeds to life. I always gain more than I lose from sacrifice, no matter how unlikely that may appear at the time, how difficult to believe. For the cross finds its completion in the resurrection. Christianity does not stop with sacrifice, it passes through sacrifice to something better, something miraculous and unexpected. One sacrifices expecting nothing in return, yet the return overflows beyond the wildest of hopes!
Part of the draw to Christianity for me was precisely because this God could understand me. He cares enough to live as one of us. He knows human life better than the goddess ever could. When I read that Jesus is God, it all began to click for me. Here was a God who understood me, understood my pain, loved me enough to live on earth like one of us. I don't suffer physical pain alone - God truly knows that pain, and therefore shares it with me.
Learning that Jesus is God enabled me to take a huge step forward to believing. Knowing He understood made all the difference in the world.
Love without sacrifice is a make-believe love that is really no love at all.
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Spong, religion, faith, John Shelby Spong
Picture courtesy Grace Cathedral.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Janis' Success Story, take 2
This is a follow-up to Janis' first story, originally published in Low Carb Central's Newsletter:
I read the article on your history and can truly relate, especially to the part where you talked about a HUGE bowl of popcorn instead of dinner. Girl... we were sisters in our past lives! I'm also the same in the approximate numbers of carbs and calories I can consume. I "say" I maintain at 40 carbs and 1450 calories but usually stop at 30-35, often less, since I take bites of some of the regular foods I make for my husband. It is tough to stay that low but like you I don't seem to have a problem and truly enjoy those things we can have these days without feeling guilty.
You may remember that you published my story in one of your newsletters. I have a follow-up for you. After all my years of fighting my genetics and trying to get my cholesterol down even more than I worried about my weight, you know I succeeded. Yesterday my husband and I went to Milwaukee Heart Scan for much dreaded heart scans. Because of my family genetics and many early and fatal heart attacks I had great concern about arterial plaque. Much to my surprise my results showed NO plaque what-so-ever. Because I'm still a smoker (shame on me) they said that is HIGHLY unusual at my age (58). Thought you'd enjoy hearing that since I attribute part of it to low carbing.
Submitted by: Janis
Looks like low-carbing is still working for her and keeping her healthy better than the failed low-fat diet ever could!
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat
I read the article on your history and can truly relate, especially to the part where you talked about a HUGE bowl of popcorn instead of dinner. Girl... we were sisters in our past lives! I'm also the same in the approximate numbers of carbs and calories I can consume. I "say" I maintain at 40 carbs and 1450 calories but usually stop at 30-35, often less, since I take bites of some of the regular foods I make for my husband. It is tough to stay that low but like you I don't seem to have a problem and truly enjoy those things we can have these days without feeling guilty.
You may remember that you published my story in one of your newsletters. I have a follow-up for you. After all my years of fighting my genetics and trying to get my cholesterol down even more than I worried about my weight, you know I succeeded. Yesterday my husband and I went to Milwaukee Heart Scan for much dreaded heart scans. Because of my family genetics and many early and fatal heart attacks I had great concern about arterial plaque. Much to my surprise my results showed NO plaque what-so-ever. Because I'm still a smoker (shame on me) they said that is HIGHLY unusual at my age (58). Thought you'd enjoy hearing that since I attribute part of it to low carbing.
Submitted by: Janis
Looks like low-carbing is still working for her and keeping her healthy better than the failed low-fat diet ever could!
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat
More anti-low-carb insanity
More anti-low-carb insanity from people who have never looked at the subject and believe the media uncritically. It's clear they have never read a single book on the subject - or a single study. Some probably get their information from the PCRM ("Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine"), a vegan nut group affiliated with PETA.
Anyway, take a look at this recent low-carb bashing I stumbled across.
Woman goes back to low-fat diet, anti-low-carbers rejoice
Of course I had to say something. People are welcome to do the diet of their choice, but when they start telling lies about low-carb (that they honestly believe are true), then I can no longer remain silent. People hate me for it, but truth is truth and I call it like I see it, with facts and studies to back up my claims.
Don't mess with me, lol - I've put some research into this! Atkins is NOT about unlimited meat, cheese, and eggs. In fact, a study showed that most people on a low-carb diet double their vegetable intake.
And the one question that no one has yet been able to answer: I eat a pound of vegetables a day on Atkins. What's unhealthy about that?
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, low fat
Anyway, take a look at this recent low-carb bashing I stumbled across.
Woman goes back to low-fat diet, anti-low-carbers rejoice
Of course I had to say something. People are welcome to do the diet of their choice, but when they start telling lies about low-carb (that they honestly believe are true), then I can no longer remain silent. People hate me for it, but truth is truth and I call it like I see it, with facts and studies to back up my claims.
Don't mess with me, lol - I've put some research into this! Atkins is NOT about unlimited meat, cheese, and eggs. In fact, a study showed that most people on a low-carb diet double their vegetable intake.
And the one question that no one has yet been able to answer: I eat a pound of vegetables a day on Atkins. What's unhealthy about that?
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, low fat
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Getting ripped!
Had some new photos taken yesterday and got them up today. They can be found in this post.
Made it to the gym today. I did 35 minutes of weights, 30 on the elliptical (the one without the moving handles), 15 on the pedal stairmaster, and 15 on the stationary bike. I rocked! FitDay says 346 calories.
Calories yesterday were only 1543, so I'm doing pretty good on that front. Protein is still way too high though. Need to get serious about working on that.
I'm getting ripped! Yippee! The 15 pound dumbbell is definitely getting easier, and when I flex my biceps I can actually see a little valley between the muscle and the rest of my arm - just a little indent that says, "I'm making progress! I'm getting fit!"
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Made it to the gym today. I did 35 minutes of weights, 30 on the elliptical (the one without the moving handles), 15 on the pedal stairmaster, and 15 on the stationary bike. I rocked! FitDay says 346 calories.
Calories yesterday were only 1543, so I'm doing pretty good on that front. Protein is still way too high though. Need to get serious about working on that.
I'm getting ripped! Yippee! The 15 pound dumbbell is definitely getting easier, and when I flex my biceps I can actually see a little valley between the muscle and the rest of my arm - just a little indent that says, "I'm making progress! I'm getting fit!"
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
I'm 10 today!
I'm 10 - finally double digits! I've waited 10 years for this, lol! Seriously though, today marks 10 years since I decided to follow Christ. If becoming a Christian is being "born again," then that means I now have two birthdays to celebrate. :)I remember those first days as a Christian, going to InterVarsity. I said I was a new Christian and they asked how long I'd been Christian. I said, "One week."
Wow. One week. And here we are at 10 years. How did that happen? Where did the time go?
I shed the trapping and views of my old religion slowly. One necklace at a time, one viewpoint at a time. At one time I thought I could be Christo-Pagan! God made it clear to me pretty quickly that it wasn't possible and I had to make a choice.
Things happened so quickly. I felt my world was spinning out of control. In May I became a Christian, met Charles face-to-face, and took down my altar. I wrote a poem about my conversion, and had my first doubts about my new beliefs.
God let me get away with so much - things that I wouldn't dream of doing today. I look back and think how young and stupid I was. Most of the time I would only get a metaphorical slap on the wrist, if I got anything at all. I think God knew how young I was and cut me a lot of slack. I would go to the Ancient Ways Festival, get drunk, do things just to piss Him off.
Still He forgave and drew me to Him - slowly, lovingly, never faster than I could go, but never slower either. The breakneck pace of those first few months just about wore me out. I think I might have been less tired if I'd spent less time fighting Him and more time just following. I was the epitome of a problem child.
I invite you to peruse the archives here, from May 1996 and the surrounding months. There is a dropdown list of archives on the left.
Technorati tagged: party, birthday, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, religion, faith, Witch, Witchcraft, Wicca
I've been burned!
No, not burned by a person - sunburned. :) But only my right shoulder. I think it's because my shirt yesterday had no shoulder strap on the right side, and as I walked to work from the BART station the sun was on the same side of me the whole time. My first sunburn of the season! Woohoo! I think I can safely say the wet season is finally over. :)
I was able to walk yesterday. The day before, too. So I'm getting some exercise at least. Today I made it to the gym.
Been keeping my calories under control as well. On Sunday calories were 1579 and Monday they were 1648. Average calories over the past week (excluding Saturday) are 1658. Average over two weeks is almost the same. You would think I would lose weight on that as my resting metabolic rate is only 1610. But no. I'm still hanging out at about 145 and my jeans fit the same as ever. *sigh* I swear my body hates me. Maybe it's as simple as my fat being too low (55g average) and protein being too high (147g average). Too much protein can effect insulin and stall weight loss.
Oh yeah, I got through Beltane just fine. :) No anxiety. Of course, I was at work and there were alarms during my shift, so I had distractions.
Finally, I had some new full body pics taken yesterday. Below you'll find two of the best.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
I was able to walk yesterday. The day before, too. So I'm getting some exercise at least. Today I made it to the gym.
Been keeping my calories under control as well. On Sunday calories were 1579 and Monday they were 1648. Average calories over the past week (excluding Saturday) are 1658. Average over two weeks is almost the same. You would think I would lose weight on that as my resting metabolic rate is only 1610. But no. I'm still hanging out at about 145 and my jeans fit the same as ever. *sigh* I swear my body hates me. Maybe it's as simple as my fat being too low (55g average) and protein being too high (147g average). Too much protein can effect insulin and stall weight loss.
Oh yeah, I got through Beltane just fine. :) No anxiety. Of course, I was at work and there were alarms during my shift, so I had distractions.
Finally, I had some new full body pics taken yesterday. Below you'll find two of the best.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Why Low-Carbers Need to Stay Out of the Donuts
Ever gone face first in a box of donuts while low-carbing? Or binged on pizza, or french fries or...? Well, here's bad news. Those binges are very unhealthy. Dr. Michael Eades, who himself watches his carbs, explains why in his Protein Power blog.
Once people become low-carb adapted--as I hope we all are--then the same thing happens if they go face down in the donuts. They don't have the enzymes on board to deal with the sudden influx of glucose, and, as a consequence, their blood sugar spikes higher than it would on a person eating the same amount of carbohydrate who is already carb adapted.
This paper shows that these carb spikes are not benign.
Low-Carb Caveat
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, Protein Power, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, food, binge
Once people become low-carb adapted--as I hope we all are--then the same thing happens if they go face down in the donuts. They don't have the enzymes on board to deal with the sudden influx of glucose, and, as a consequence, their blood sugar spikes higher than it would on a person eating the same amount of carbohydrate who is already carb adapted.
This paper shows that these carb spikes are not benign.
Low-Carb Caveat
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, Protein Power, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, food, binge
Queen Victoria
While doing one of my daily devotional readings recently, I came upon the following item. I decided to share it here since it is about my namesake, Queen Victoria.Once during her reign, Britain's Queen Victoria listened to a chaplain preach a sermon about the second coming of Christ. Those near the royal box noticed that the queen's eyes were filled with tears.
When the service ended, she asked the see the chaplain alone. Seeing her great emotion, he asked why she was so moved. She replied, "Because of what you said about the coming again of the world's rightful King, I wish to still be here when he returns that I might lay my crown at His blessed feet!"
Technorati tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Sunday, devotional, religion, faith, Queen Victoria
Picture courtesy of RBC Ministries.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Atkins obituary
A positive obituary on Dr. Robert Atkins. I know he died in 2003, but I came across this today.
Robert Atkins, who revolutionized dieting, dies
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obituary
Robert Atkins, who revolutionized dieting, dies
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obituary
The Gospel of Judas
In case you have only heard the news reports about it, here's your chance to read an English translation of it.
The Gospel of Judas (.pdf file)
Jesus does an awful lot of laughing - something that isn't talked about in the real Gospels.
And casting the other 11 disciples as evil...?
And this line "But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me" proves it's gnostic.
And it's short and there's an awful lot missing. If this was real - well, God can preserve His word if He so chooses.
Technorati tagged: Bible, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Gospel of Judas, religion, gospels
The Gospel of Judas (.pdf file)
Jesus does an awful lot of laughing - something that isn't talked about in the real Gospels.
And casting the other 11 disciples as evil...?
And this line "But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me" proves it's gnostic.
And it's short and there's an awful lot missing. If this was real - well, God can preserve His word if He so chooses.
Technorati tagged: Bible, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Gospel of Judas, religion, gospels
Buy something today!
Today you get treated to one of my rare political posts.
Buy something you wouldn't normally buy. Show your support for those who immigrated legally, rather than came here illegally.
Let's show these lawbreakers that they cannot hold America hostage!
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Illegal immigrants and their allies gathered Monday for marches, prayers and demonstrations on a planned national day of economic protest, boycotting work, school and shopping to show their importance to the country.
Full story here.
For my part I stopped at Starbucks and bought sparkling water and a Dannon yogurt, then went across the street to the gas station convenience store and bought a 32 oz. Diet Coke. Less than $5 spent, but if we all spent $5 more than planned today, we could show these illegals that we do not support breaking the law.
The best blogging I've seen so far on this is by Haggis Hunter:
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm an immigrant myself. I don't care where anyone comes from, nor does it matter what color or religion people are. As immigrants, we're all here as guests. I just happen to believe that guests should be invited into your home, and not just climb in through the windows and make themselves at home.
[...]
...(S)tart enforcing the law. I know that enforcing existing laws is a radical idea, but if we got serious about businesses hiring only legal immigrants, there would be no reason for people to come here.
All I can add to that is AMEN.
Technorati tagged: illegal, illegal immigration, protest, protests, Bush, politics, political, immigration, Mexico, border security
Buy something you wouldn't normally buy. Show your support for those who immigrated legally, rather than came here illegally.
Let's show these lawbreakers that they cannot hold America hostage!
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Illegal immigrants and their allies gathered Monday for marches, prayers and demonstrations on a planned national day of economic protest, boycotting work, school and shopping to show their importance to the country.
Full story here.
For my part I stopped at Starbucks and bought sparkling water and a Dannon yogurt, then went across the street to the gas station convenience store and bought a 32 oz. Diet Coke. Less than $5 spent, but if we all spent $5 more than planned today, we could show these illegals that we do not support breaking the law.
The best blogging I've seen so far on this is by Haggis Hunter:
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm an immigrant myself. I don't care where anyone comes from, nor does it matter what color or religion people are. As immigrants, we're all here as guests. I just happen to believe that guests should be invited into your home, and not just climb in through the windows and make themselves at home.
[...]
...(S)tart enforcing the law. I know that enforcing existing laws is a radical idea, but if we got serious about businesses hiring only legal immigrants, there would be no reason for people to come here.
All I can add to that is AMEN.
Technorati tagged: illegal, illegal immigration, protest, protests, Bush, politics, political, immigration, Mexico, border security
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