Three Weeks Left!

Just a reminder! We have three more weeks left to our current weight loss challenge. Monday nights final weigh in is Nov. 7th and the Wednesday group will be on Nov. 9th.

Just a Symptom

So I'm going to say something and you may not agree. Maybe your struggling with your weight and your weight has changed your life for the worse. Perhaps you use your weight as an excuse to continue unhealthy behaviors. Have you ever caught yourself thinking "It is what it is, I can't change".
Hopefully I have your attention.
I used my weight as an excuse for a very long time. So long in fact, I would consider myself a professional excuse maker. I've heard and used most of the excuses.
In the last few years I've been teaching people about a symptom of depression. I know I used the D word and people get so bent on that. There not depressed, There life is perfect. So what if my husband isn't around much or my wife nags me constantly to lose weight. Here is another D word for you: denial, and I'm not talking about a river in Egypt. Wake up and start working at making your life better. Take a long hard look at your life and ask yourself how it can be better. Then "Do Work Son".
Your weight, your struggling relations, your lack of "Want To", are all symptoms of something darker inside. Past traumatic events, abuse, depression, all left unhealed. I created our Christ First Weight Loss ministry to help those who suffer from these issues. Together our support groups help us understand how to make the changes we need, in order to restore our lives: Spiritually, Physically, Emotionally, and Mentally. It's time to cure whats causing your symptoms. Call Today 815-235-2824.

Expect a Miracle

Team Weight Loss Challenge

We began to discuss other options for motivating each other to succeed with our weight loss efforts. We decided that each group (Monday & Wednesday) will each split into two competing teams. This way each group is competing against people they know and see on a weekly basis. This will be a percentage lost contest. We will add up the entire teams efforts to determine the winning team from each group.

What’s the prize? Well, after some discussion amongst the Wednesday group members a very fun idea emerged. The losing team has to cook and serve a healthy 4 coarse meal to the winners. That in itself will be a challenge to keep under 600 calories.

This challenge will begin August 22nd (Monday Group) and August 24th (Wednesday Group). It will end on Nov. 7th (Monday Group) and Nov. 9th(Wednesday Group).

If you are a member of Christ First you will be assigned to a team. Please be sure to make arrangements for your first weigh in if you are unable to attend class next week. Your team is counting on you.

Mark Your Calendars

We will be starting the new book the second week of August. Contact the church office to get signed up today. 815-235-2824.

Starting New Book

 

Starting in August we will be using a new book for our Christ First Weight Loss program. I had a opportunity to share my story with Carole Lewis and she included it in her new book Hope 4 You. This book will be a 13 week study. We will be reading one chapter a week.

My Hope 4 You, is that we can help find that lasting freedom your looking for. Several year ago when I began this journey I had no hope. I was defeated and I had turned to food for comfort. I was always depressed and I only dreamed of a life of happiness. Our Faith based weight loss program can give you the tools to restore your hope, grow your faith and live life to the fullest. Expect a Miracle, God will deliver.

MyPlate

Out with the Pyramid, In with the Plate
What You Need to Know about USDA's ''MyPlate''

Sometime during your life, youve probably seen that colorful triangle containing a variety of foods and how many servings you need to eat each day. Perhaps you learned about it back in health class, saw it displayed on the cafeteria wall, or glanced at it on the back of your cereal box one morning. That familiar food pyramid (introduced in 1991) was supposed to be our nutrition survival guide in a one-size-fits-all world.

But let's face itmany people found the pyramid to be confusing, and felt that it didn't really help individuals know how to plan a healthy diet, one meal at a time. And maybe more importantly, nutrition (and how many servings of food you need each day) is far from one-size-fits-all.

So in May 2011, the USDA finally ditched the pyramid concept in favor of a brand new shape: a circle, or rather, a plate...

Read Entire Article

New Study: Made to Crave

We are about to start a new study entitled made to crave. This new study uses video along with a book and workbook. Each week we will watch the video and do a lesson together. The workbook also has daily devo activities to keep you on track all week. If your interested in joining us for this study, please contact our church office at 815-235-2824 and get signed up today!

Out of Control

http://kevineckert.blogspot.com/2011/04/out-of-control.html

Losing Weight

So what does it take to lose weight?

You already know how to lose weight...At it's simplest, you need to burn more calories than you eat, right? And exercising and eating healthy is the healthiest way to do that, right? But, successful weight loss doesn't start with your body--it starts with your mind.

As we've all discovered, the mind is a powerful thing--it can take you to success or failure, depending on your attitude. What you think about yourself can make the difference between reaching your goals and quitting before you even get close. So how do you get your mind right to make exercise and healthy eating a part of your life? Below are some key ingredients you can rely on to reach your goals.

Commitment

You already know you have to commit to being healthy, but what does that actually involve? It's more than just shouting from the roof tops "I'M COMMITTED TO BEING HEALTHY!" Being committed means you have to wake up every day and decide you're going to make healthy choices. Being committed is a choice and something you have to reinforce every day. So how do you do that? Use these tips to help you commit to your goals:

· Place Christ First. Realize that without Christ in your life as a support and a guide, you will fail. Relying on yourself will result in failure. You need to seek Gods support and Guidance along this journey. Placing Christ at the center of all our choices will help us make the right ones.

· Plan and Prepare. The night before, plan your workout for the next day and get all your stuff (gym bag, clothes, etc.) ready to go. Decide what and when you'll eat and get your meals ready. Make it as easy as possible to follow through with your plans. I like to put my workout clothes on even when I don’t feel like working out. It helps me remove any excuses my mind comes up with.

· Motivate Yourself. Remind yourself throughout the day of your workout plans--send yourself a reminder or have a friend call and ask about your workout, so it's always in the front of your mind. My number is 815-218-0286. Call Me!

· Hold Yourself Accountable. What will happen if you skip that workout? You need to have consequences so that missing your workout isn't an option--maybe you can't watch your favorite TV show until you exercise. On the other side, you can also reward yourself for working out--just make sure you don't reward yourself with food.

· Remember Your Goals. As you're getting ready for the day, remember what your goals are. Keeping Christ First? Weight loss? More energy? Whatever it is, that workout is an important step in reaching it. Remind yourself of the big picture--what you do today counts!

Discipline

Such an ugly word, I know, but discipline is a part of successful weight loss and just another way of saying self-control. Think of how you practice self-control in the other parts of your life. Each day you fulfill your obligations to work and family, even when you'd rather just lie in bed and sleep late. That takes discipline. The same can be true of exercise. Of course, it's easy to make yourself go to work because there are consequences if you don't--you won't make as much money or you could lose your job. But if you don't workout, the consequences aren't as immediate, are they? Try these ideas to get more disciplined with exercise:

Make Exercise a Habit. Part of being disciplined is creating a habit. You may not want to brush your teeth every night, but you do it anyway because you always do it right before bed...it's a habit. You can do the same thing with exercise by keeping your workouts on specific days and times each week (if you can). Knowing that every Monday at 6 a.m. will find you at the gym will make it that much easier to show up for your workouts.

Know the Consequences. You already know what happens if you don't brush your teeth--cavities, gum disease, painful dental experiences, etc. But what are the consequences of not exercising? Make a list of all the things that could happen to your body and mind without exercise such as weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, to name a few.

Get Some Help. One sure way to show up for your workout is to have someone waiting for you. One option is a personal trainer--someone who will hold you accountable for your workouts while educating you all at the same time. Another option is to get a workout buddy and have consequences if you don't show up. Having that support will make exercise more enjoyable AND keep you on track. (How about when you don’t show up you have to work an extra hour at the pantry or make an extra donation). Make the weekly fitness sessions at St. John UCC a habit.

Make a Deal With Yourself. Don't feel like working out? Promise yourself you'll just do a warm up. If after 10 minutes you still don't want to workout, you can quit and go home. The majority of the time, you'll keep going...trust me.

Honesty

Being honest with yourself about what you'll really do is a tough one. Many people fail at weight loss because they set their sights too high, planning so many workouts and diet changes, it's impossible to follow. This is where a little self-awareness comes in and what that means is figuring out what you'll really do to reach your goals. Take some time to ask yourself some crucial questions before embarking on another failed journey. Ask yourself:

How much time will you really spend exercising? Forget the guidelines and decide what you'll actually do...then plan your workouts accordingly. If you're not going to spend an hour doing cardio, don't set that as a goal--set a goal you can reach!

Are you willing to do what it takes to reach your goals? If you want to lose weight, are you willing to change your eating habits? What if that means spending more time cooking and shopping? Preparing your meals in advance? Saying no to those daily lunches out with co-workers? What if it means you have to keep track of what you're eating and work on your bad habits? Decide if you're really willing to commit to doing that every single day.

Can you accept failure? A big part of weight loss is falling off the wagon...and it WILL happen. It happens to all of us! What happens if you flub up one day and give into those unhealthy pizza cravings? What if you eat that extra piece of pie? Are you willing to accept your slip-up and get back on track or will you just quit at the first mistake? Be honest with yourself about this one because willingness to persevere in these circumstances can mean the difference between success and failure.

Flexibility

Maybe this has happened to you: You start an exercise program--you're working out, eating healthy and feeling great. Then, Something Happens--an injury, an illness, a mean boss heaping more work on you. Whatever it is, it throws you off and before you know it, you've completely stopped working out.

It's important to realize that these kinds of things will happen on a regular basis. Your job is to be prepared and, to do that, you have to be more flexible. You need to be willing to...:

· Change your workouts when necessary. If you suddenly have to work late, decide you're still going to exercise...just in a different way. This might mean squeezing in some stair walking or short, brisk walks whenever you can. Decide you'll do something, even if it's just a quick walk.

Do shorter workouts. Many people quit exercise when they don't have time to do a full workout. Remember this: Something is always better than nothing. If you only have 10 minutes, use it! It might mean getting up early and lifting weights for 10 minutes before work. Stay committed, but give yourself permission to do what you have time for until things calm down.

Be creative. Yes, there are guidelines for exercise, but when time is short, stop worrying about the rules and do what you can. This might mean combining cardio and strength workouts, spreading out your workouts throughout the day or making your household chores a workout, if that's all you have time for. I know a mom who runs around the ball field while she watches her son play baseball--now that's creative!

Consistency

Consistency is what comes from all that discipline, commitment, honesty and flexibility we've been talking about. Why? Because being consistent with your eating and exercise is the only way to reach your goals. Exercising heavily for 3 weeks and then quitting for a month isn't going to work. Sticking with your food plan even when away from the comfort of your home or regular routine is part of consistency. Now you know what to do, get to work.

Also start looking at new goals for the next 12 weeks. Are you ready to turn up the heat on your workouts? Are you ready to remove some unhealthy food options from your weekly menu? Maybe you’ve struggled with giving God time in your life each day (devotions). Actively work towards establishing healthy habits and the next twelve weeks will be such a blessing, I can’t wait.

The Horse & Water

For the last three years I have been on a weight loss journey. I've had the opportunity to share this journey with many people. Along the way I have learned from others and at times I've been able to share my experiences too. This last year I've worked with over 100 different people concerning Health and Nutrition. I've offered what worked for me and I've been able to pass on what has worked for others as well. This journey is a little different for everyone. Some need a kick in the pants while others need more encouragement. Kirsten and I do our best to give each person we work with, what they need. One fact remains the same. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

Kirsten and I used to include a Fitness time in our Christ First classes every other week. We ask our participants to workout 3-6 times per week so we stopped working out in our Christ First class time and we added the workouts after the classes every week. We have workouts on Monday and Wednesday from 6-7pm each week. For the most part our Christ First weight loss participants don't attend these free workouts. We have great attendance but not exactly what we had hoped for. We are totally happy some of our Christ First members do enjoy the fitness classes and you know who you are. Those of you who don't ,but desperately need to, just stand there at the waters edge looking at there reflection. DRINK THE WATER! We created these workouts for you. To help you restore your bodies to Gods perfection. Show up and move. I see your Nutrition & Fitness journals and the absence of exercise is frustrating me. Our groups have been talking about running/walking a 5k together and I want you to be with us. You can do it. Stop making excuses and get to work. We all mess up and eat poorly and are lazy from time to time. I'm not losing the way I once did and I'm to blame for it. No one can make me do what I need to do. I (you) need to decide to do it. When we decide to change and we begin to "Expect a Miracle" from God, That's when God steps in and rewards our faith. We begin to change from the inside out and our lives will be forever transformed. God will be able to use us to share His love with others. How can we do that if we don't love who we are? Drink the water, do the work and join me on a journey of restoration.

Week 6 Godfit results.pdf

dl.dropbox.com/u/930241/Week 6 Godfit results.pdf

Week 5 Godfit Results

Week 3 Godfit Totals

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/930241/Week%20three%20GodFit.pdf

First Week of GodFit Complete

I’ve tallied all the teams point and currently “3’s Company” is in the lead. Great work!

To see how you and your team did click here.

All You “Should” Eat

 

Food for thought. I was walking into the church last week and I saw an advertisement geared towards those who seek food in the large unlimited proportions. Some would say the glutinous. This marketing strategy is quite effective and many churches across the globe us it to entice people to a fundraising event. Our church is providing space to a fundraiser for a group that will be holding there annual “All You Can Eat” Pancake Dinner. They have massive piles of pancakes for just few dollars. I love a good fundraiser but just chuckled at the sign. I wanted to put one of our weight loss signs next to it saying, “Then Join Christ First Weight loss” and break free from the chains of food addiction. Or come the Christ First and find out how much you “Should” eat.

I know most wont go to this event and practice gluttony but in the past I was that guy. I’m sure some of you can relate. My mentality was to get my $’s worth, and boy did I. But in the long run it was my family and friends who paid the price of my food addiction. It is sad but true, but there was hope for me and you too can change.

If you plan to support this group by attending the Pancake supper, do so responsibly. Don’t eat all you can, Eat all you should. I can get you nutrition facts but honestly your better off making a donation rather then eating at the pancake supper. It’s fat and carbs folks. Avoid the temptation.

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

New Journal Pages

Several of you have requested the ability to print your own Journal pages just incase you spill coffee or have a family emergency that keeps you from class. Here is the link to our Journal pages.

Reordering Nutrition info in Sparkpeople

Go to Sparkpeople.com log on and click on the “my nutrition” button. Then to the right of the large word Nutrition you will see a button entitled “change Nutrition Goals” You will then see a list of nutrition option. delete the nutrition options that are out of sequence to your paper journals. Then click on “add another nutrient to track”. Ad them back in in the order of our paper journals. Also add fiber and sodium if you haven’t yet. This will make copying your info to the paper much smoother. Hope this helps.

Recipe: Pizza Pizza Muffins

1 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
1 large egg
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup sliced olives
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat together milk, oil, and egg; set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir chickpeas into dry ingredients. Stir tomato and olives into dry ingredient mix. Stir in liquid ingredients until just blended. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Spoon into a muffin pan with 12 sections that have been coated with nonstick baking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Let sit 10 minutes before removing from muffin pan.

Calories: 210; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 44 mg; Sodium: 561 mg; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 7 g

Recipe by David Feder, RD; photo by Gary Dolgoff

GodFit Challenge Logo

Are you and your teammates ready for the challenge. It’s time to shed those pounds. Get your team signed up today.

Review: Bob Harper’s Inside Out: Cardio

This is my first review in a series of three, of Bob Harper’s latest DVD series Inside Out Method. I really love this workout. It is one of the hardest workouts I have ever attempted. I nearly passed out and 15 minutes after this 60 minute workout I’m still shaking. This workout isn’t for the faint of heart. If your just starting out this DVD isn’t for you. I’d try the Biggest loser Jump Start or some Sweetin to the Oldies. When your ready to feel the burn and fatigue shakes step into this serious workout DVD. This DVD will have some regular weekly rotation in my workout schedule. Mark my words it will kick your butt. If you give it a try let me know what you think.

GodFit Challenge

 

So by popular demand Kirsten and I have decided to create a new Weight Loss Challenge. This challenge will be open to anyone who is a member of our Christ First Weight Loss groups. There is still time to get enrolled in our next session so call the church today and sign-up. 815-235-2824. This GodFit Challenge will be like the GetFit Challenge we have had in Freeport in the past. It will also have an emphasis on daily devotions as well. points will be awarded for journaling, eating fruits and veggies, dinking water, cardio, strength training, group attendance and body weight % lost. Prizes will be awarded for the top three teams. More info coming soon.

A holy outlook on health and fitness - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

A holy outlook on health and fitness - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

Exciting New Year

I’m so excited about this new year. We have a great new devotional we will be starting. We will also be adding a new Saturday morning weight loss group. Kirsten and I will be making the Wednesday night workouts a weekly event as well. I’m also super excited about introducing a new GodFit Challenge to our groups and friends. This God Fit challenge will be like the FHN GetFit Challenge of years past. We will award points in a similar fashion. We will also award points for daily devotions. I’m excited about developing this new challenge. A lot is happening and I’m looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2011. Are you ready for a new beginning?

Get signed up today.  Call Kirsten at the church office for more info: 815-235-2824

Check out our January Schedule