Living in the moment — very yoga. So even though I’m missing practice with my teacher to tend to Vegas today, I can practice yoga principals and asanas at home. As the tree frog says: “Practice Anytime. Anywhere.”

I’ll be completing Day 1 of Yoga Journal’s 21-Day Challenge this afternoon. Will keep you posted.

Menu idea :

Grilled tilapia 4-6 oz
Grilled asparagus
Green salad

Kale sautéed in olive oil with fresh peppers, fresh cherry tomatoes, & ground chicken breast

Boiled egg whites (3 chopped)
Grilled chicken breast (chopped)
1 tbl olive oil mayo
Mix together serve with lettuce cups

Today is day 2 — make it about you!

My love for food is slowly returning and it’s not alone. Riding shotgun is sweet temptation of delectably delicious desserts.

I stopped by Corner Bakery for a quick lunch on my way to an appointment. I usually order a salad, but I figured since I hadn’t really eaten all week (except for the amazing pasta last night), that I could splurge  calories on half a panini and side of caesar salad. Usually, I have trouble resisting the display of cookies and sugary sweets that Corner Bakery is known for, but temptation had yet to grace me with her presence.

Corner Bakery display                        Source: Corner Bakery

It wasn’t until after dinner (half a turkey and provolone sandwich), that I thought breaking into the Girl Scout cookie stash. I mean, I had a horrible week being sick. I totally deserved a treat, right? Normally I would have rewarded myself with a couple of frozen Thin Mints and happily been in sugar heaven, but tonight I just drank more water and then played with the cat.

My cat is just like me. She’s always hungry (and is on a special diet), so I try to distract her with play in order for her to focus on something else other than food. It works most of the time. I thought that maybe I could distract myself from thinking about cookies, if I focused on playing with her. It worked…. until I wrote this blog entry.

Now, I want those Girl Scout cookies. But I’m going to be good and not eat them. Besides, I’ve already brushed my teeth. Toothpaste and Thin Mints do not mix. Although they are both minty so maybe…

No. I will be strong and resist the urge to stuff my face with delicious chocolatey minty goodness.

Today marks the start of our 21 Day Nutrition Challenge! It takes 21 days to make or break habit, so we are all picking something to ADD or OMIT from our diet for 21 days.

I have chosen to go “carb-free” for 21 days. By ‘carb’ I mean all things starchy and processed- pasta, pizza, oats, bread, chips, rice, tortillas, etc. I will allow sweet potatoes to be my healthy exception during these next three weeks, in moderation.

We are also on Day 15 of our 35 Day Push-Up Challenge! On Day 1, we did 1 push-up. Day 2, 2 push-ups… We are increasing each day until Day 35, our last day of this FIT session. I personally have made it my goal to do my push-ups in full ‘Kaia’ form, doing my sets unbroken if possible! 

Both of these challenges are tough, but they are a great way to keep me mentally focused on my fitness & health! If you haven’t been participating in our push-up challenge, start NOW! It’s never too late.

As for our 21 Day Nutrition Challenge, please share your choice in comments! Here are some great ideas I’ve heard from our Kaia girls: No alcohol, No chocolate, No fast food, No meat… Adding a green smoothie each day, having hot lemon water (instead of coffee), or adding greens to every meal. Take the time to choose your challenge and GO FOR IT!

-Megan

“Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” – General Patton

The definition of maturity states this:
Maturity: The state of being full grown or developed.
I think this just really speaks to the fact that if we want to fulfill all that God has planned for us and become the person he has intended us to be, we must fully rely on him.

My challenge for you today is just to include God in all that you do. If we want to become fully grown and developed in Christ, we must make him our number one priority and include him in all aspects of our life.

-Carly Hamilton-

Today, my hunger continued to grow. I actually was looking forward to tasting food. Hot tea for breakfast. Jamba juice smoothie for lunch. And wait for it… prosciutto and mushroom fettuccine in a marsala cream sauce for dinner. I didn’t eat a huge portion of it, but it was more than I had eaten all week and it was delicious!

I didn’t take a photo, but if I had, then this is where I would post it. Instead, just close your eyes and imagine your favorite pasta dish. Did you see it? So scrumptious, right?

I was so full with pasta that when the waiter proceeded to ask if we wanted dessert, it was easy to politely decline. So 12 days into my “No Sweets Challenge” and it’s been a breeze. My health on the other hand, is another story. I’m just happy to finally being able to feel better.

Challenge day 1!

Here’s a sample meal plan for you — (note : this is simply a suggestion and a sample.  I am in no way prescribing specific meals to you, my job here is to equip you to make healthier choices every day).

Meal 1 :
Egg white omelet with spinach and tomatoes (4 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg beaters with 1/2 c spinach and half of a tomato diced) seasoned with black peppers and a pinch of sea salt
Hot tea – no sweeteners

Meal 2 :
6 almonds
1 scoop protein powder in water
Celery

Meal 3 :
2 cup green salad with boiled egg (white only), 1/2 of an avocado, and 4-6 oz of a lean white protein (chicken breast, ground white turkey, white fish such as swai or tilapia)
Salad can be dressed with balsamic vinegar (1 tbl)

Meal 4 :
Greek yogurt (0% fat)
2 oz blueberries or blackberries

Meal 5 :
Grilled swai filets (6-8 oz) on wilted spinach with fresh dill, fresh lemon and a green salad with celery and 1tsp sunflower seeds.

Meal 6 : (if needed)
Protein shake (25 gm protein)

Try to time your workouts to be roughly an hour prior or an hour post meals. Drink a protein shake following your workouts and utilize your amino acids if you choose to take them.

Meals should be spaced out evenly throughout the day with your last meal 2 hours prior to bedtime if possible.

Day 1 Challenge 1 : “Crazy 100′s”
4 minutes – time yourself
As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of the following :
25 jumping jacks
25 plyometric lunges (or step out lunges for low impact)
25 standing mountain climbers (high knees in place)
25 burpees

Post your results!  Share recipes and meal ideas here or on our Facebook Page!

This Challenge is designed to take your nutrition to the next level, by stimulating your body to burn stored fat for energy while sparing your lean muscle mass.  This is NOT a “cleanse” or a “diet” – it’s a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and it is not a quick fix. 

Over the next 3 weeks you’re going to witness something incredible in yourself : DEDICATION.

The first step is perhaps the most difficult, but it is the most important.  Commitment.  You MUST commit to yourself, to the challenge, and to the people who are on this journey with you!  You have to be doing this for the right reason : for YOU.  Do it because it’s the right thing for YOURSELF, not because someone else told you to.

The 3 components are as follows :
♥Diet (not “A” diet)
♥Exercise (not negotiable…exercise is an integral part of this)
♥Supplementation (LSF will provide suggestions, but you are not *required* to purchase anything)

Ready to get started? Great!  Let’s do it…

Getting Started :
♥DECIDE on a start date…be firm on your start date, and remember that your initial commitment level will determine your ultimate success!
♥”Like” Lifesaving Fitness on Facebook…it’s where we will be posting and sharing the Challenges, successes, recipes, etc.
♥The day before you begin take it easy – get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water, and eat as you have been eating.  The night before you begin the challenge you are to eat a dinner rich in protein but ALSO rich in simple carbohydrates (we will discuss the difference in simple and complex in just a little bit).  Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, white rice, or semolina pasta are perfect examples.  Keep it reasonable, this is not a license to free-for-all at the pizza buffet.
♥Take your “before” pics – these are really just for your own edification so that you can see what’s happening to your body.  So, have fun and take them in that “goal” bikini that doesn’t quite fit you yet…it will soon enough!
♥Measure the following : waist circumference (measure around your mid-section at navel, under your clothes, pulling the tape snug but not cutting yourself in half), right and left bicep, right and left thigh, and hip circumference. (You will take measurements and photos on days 8, 15, & 21)
♥The first morning of your Challenge you should wake up and tell yourself that today begins a journey to a healthier you!  (The first 3-5 days are going to be the hardest – your energy levels WILL decrease as you cleanse your body of the glycemic drive which we ALL have.  STAY WITH THE FIGHT – it DOES get better and it DOES get easier…days 7-21 you should see your energy soar!)

The 1st Component : DIET :
♥Women : 5-6 meals a day, smaller than you’re probably used to but nutritionally dense.
♥Men : 6-7 meals a day, smaller than you’re probably used to but nutritionally dense.
♥Macronutrients – Count THESE not calories
♥What the heck is a “macronutrient?” Macronutrients, or “macros,” as you’ll see us refer to them are the smallest component of your diet – Protein, carbohydrates, and fats (YES FATS). You’re going to want the appropriate ratio of these 3 macros every day – the largest portion of your calories should come from PROTEIN each day, followed by CARBS and lastly, FATS.  The ideal protein:carb:fat ratio is different for EACH person, and is based on your personal goal.  Protein grams should be 0.3-1.5 gm/lb of body weight for women and 0.5-2.0 gm/lb of body weight for men. (A 100 lb female would therefore take in between 30-150 gm of protein each day, and a 100 lb male would take in 50-200 gm of protein each day.)
♥Carbohydrates : during the 21 day challenge, you want to limit your extra carbs…get the majority of your carbs from leafy green veggies, green beans, etc.  Don’t freak out – you’ll be getting plenty of carbs  Staying between 40-100 gm per day
♥Fats : you NEED fat in your diet…just make sure it’s the right kind – omegas 3.6.9 – you’ll get these fats from nuts, avocados, and fish.
♥HOW do I know how much protein I need?  What is your ultimate goal?  Are you trying to add muscle mass as you challenge?  You’ll need to get closer to the higher end of your protein intake to do this.  Most people need to be between 0.5-1 gm/lb to maintain muscle mass that they’ve worked hard to gain.
♥A ratio example : Calorie % from protein : 47% (160 gm), Calorie % from fat : 32%, Calorie % from carbohydrates : 21% (72 gm)
♥WATER – 1 gallon a day at least.  That is it.  Not negotiable  drink more when you work out, but never drink less.
♥Oh yes, and no alcohol.  If you drink alcohol during the challenge your results will be really slow.  But if you do it, don’t beat yourself up about it.  It’s not that big of a deal.

The 2nd Component Exercise :
♥30 minutes of activity AT LEAST – EVERY DAY.  Yes, EVERY DAY – this is the single most important part of the 2nd component —– SCHEDULE your workout like you would any other important meeting.  This is your “YOU” time…the time you get to spend thinking only about yourself.  The ultimate selfish time
♥Complete the 21 Challenges – they will get progressively more difficult as the 3 weeks progress, but stick with it and I promise you’ll feel great about yourself afterwards.
♥Start (if you’re not already) lifting weights…3 days a week lift weights – get in a BODYPUMP class, hire a trainer, or buy yourself a shake weight ;0) but just lift some weights…your body will thank you for it and you’ll burn way more fat by building muscle.
♥On the days you lift weights, follow your weight session with a longer cardio session.  At least 45 min if you can, or an hour if you’re able is even better.  Get in a group fitness class – trust me it’s way better than an elliptical  It is imperative that you cardio AFTER lifting weights as you’ve reached your anaerobic threshold and everything after that is gravy…burning pure fat stores.  Heck yes.

The 3rd Component Supplementation :
♥The only 2 NON-NEGOTIABLES here are : multi vitamins and a protein shake (whey, soy, blend, etc).  You can drink any protein you like but I personally prefer Gaspari Myofusion.  The ratio of protein and carbs makes this one awesome.  Dymatize ISO-100 is good too, but not as tasty
♥Additional supplements to consider : Omega 3.6.9 capsules, ZMA fuel (taken at night, helps you recover), a pre-workout supplement like Purus Labs’ Condense (my personal favorite), a thermogenic like Purus Labs’ Fat Smack (my other favorite), and an amino acid supplement (I personally choose ALR Industries HumaPro and Optimum Nutrition’s Amino Chews – lemonade flavor is AMAZING).  You may also want to look into a fiber/probiotic supplement, Milk thistle, and a calcium/vit D supplement ESPECIALLY women.

Check back tomorrow as we have challenge number 1 and 3 sample menus!!

A striking metaphor Paul uses is the one of weak infancy towards the not unified. He is appealing to the weak, helpless dependency of younsters. Worse yet, these poor chaps are weak and apparently stuck in water, going nowhere, getting tossed by waves. Deep Paul. Deep.

I would like to encourage you all to think about this type of maturity Paul is advocating for.
What does it mean to be this the mature prisoner (vs 1), who approaches life with humility, gentleness, patience and (of course) love (vs 2)?

I guess another way of phrasing that is how are we promoting unity? How are our lives a visible representation of one God reigning over all and living in us? How does this unity spill out into our teams, homes, classes, friends and fellow believers?
My challenge is that we try and show the kind of maturity that not only keeps our heads out of the water but also gets us moving somewhere. That we embrace the humility and love it takes to be unified and therefore mature.

-Steve Berkenpas-

Until then, I will leave you photos of my adorable cat. You’re welcome.

Spuds

Photo Source: Me

Ephesians 3:16-19 is a great prayer that we as Christians can use for our own prayers. Paul wrote this prayer for the people of Ephesus, but if we just remove the pronouns and replace them with people’s names this prayer can be very meaningful. Prayer doesn’t always have to be elaborate; sometimes it’s just as simple of praying scripture for people.
If I wanted to pray a prayer for Joe but didn’t know exactly what to say, I could plug in his name throughout verses 16-19. For example: “Dear God, I pray that out of your glorious riches you may strengthen Joe with power through your Spirit in his inner being, so that Christ may dwell in his heart through faith. And I pray that Joe, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all Your holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that Joe may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of You. Amen.”

My challenge for us today, is to pray for one person in our lives. Whether we know they are struggling, or if we think their life is going smoothly, select one person to pray for. This prayer can be improvised or it can be said using Ephesians 3:16-19, just make sure you fully mean what you are praying.

This verse is a bold statement because it is a play-on-words. Paul takes his imprisonment and changes it around to reflect Christ. Paul was in custody of the Roman government however he considered himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus rather than a prisoner of Rome. But why would Paul refer to himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus? Does that not have negative connotations?

In Romans 6:22 Paul describes the Christians life when he says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God.”

So why does Paul describe the Christian life as a form of imprisonment or slavery? Is this not an oxymoron? Once we were slaves to sin and now we are free but our freedom also equals being a slave/prisoner to Jesus?

When I looked up prisoner and slave in the Merriam-Webster dictionary I found these definitions:

Prisoner: “A person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody.”

Slave: “A person that is completely subservient to a dominating influence.”

Think that Paul is trying to emphasize that he wasn’t just a prisoner in jail for the sake of Jesus but that he was also a prisoner or slave to the will of Jesus. When we become a slave to the will of God we let go of our own plan. We learn to submit and when we submit to God is when we truly find freedom.

My challenge to you is to reflect on your life and ask yourself if you have been a prisoner/slave to Jesus Christ? People are either a slave to sin and selfish worldly desires or they are a slave to Christ. What do you want to be?

-Amber Brown-

We’ll start with the part no one cares about to force you to read the whole post – HA!  (I’m going to ignore the existence of the scroll bar for this one).

I am now a few days into week 28, which means a few things.  First, that the last “trimester” or 12 week period between me and this little guy is finally here!  Second, that he has been in my belly for exactly 26 weeks out of 38 total, or I am 28 weeks along – and I only say this because it’s super confusing, so you’re welcome!  Yeah, they count the weeks out of 40 from the first day of your last cycle before becoming pregnant, but in reality, you didn’t actually become pregnant until 2 weeks into that time period.  Regardless, the important thing is that there are exactly three months left – which will go by CRAZY fast!

As far as eating, I’ve DEFINITELY had a lot of sugar cravings and have given in on occasion, but in general have little to no changes in my appetite or what types of foods I eat.  No indigestion, no changes in digestion, etc., so I’ve remained fairly strict on most things.

Now, lastly, as far as CrossFit goes, I’m still going about 4 times a week (which is a lot for me right now as I get really tired and have a lot to keep up with lately), and although things like running and pull ups have become much more challenging, I’ve been able to keep most of my lifts (aside from cleans and snatches) at the same weight as I was prior to the pregnancy, which has helped a lot with maintaining the strength in my hips and pelvic muscles and mitigate things that most people struggle with during these later stages of pregnancy, like hip and back pain.

There are several things I’ve noticed that I haven’t really experienced (yet) that may or may not have to do with my lifestyle choices, such as really low increases in fat stores, little to no water retention and swelling, no pain in my hips or back, little to no digestive issues, etc.  I’ve been so blessed to be able to maintain most of my usual activities as well thanks to my strength and energy levels remaining high and stable thanks to a high protein diet and CrossFit

Here’s a typical day for me (yesterday, in fact!)…

Breakfast – I usually have a cup of black tea with a splash of cream and some honey when I wake up…this is something I’ve become aware of as an addiction so I’m working to lessen how often I go after this as a sugar fix.

Mid-morning – I have been loving fritattas with ham or prosciutto lately and find it super easy to throw one together on Sundays and cut up pieces for the week.  Around 9AM, I’ll get super hungry and go after something with protein – this is one of the best options for me since it’s already cooked for the whole week!

Lunch – This occurred much later than usual yesterday since I had my breakfast around 9 and did an 11AM WOD with some heavy lifting and hand stand holds.  I polished off a big salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers topped with some organic cottage cheese and chopped ham.  It wasn’t huge, but it was extremely delicious!

Snack – Since I eat kind of small meal sizes now (can’t fit much in there with the little one taking up all the room), I snack fairly often.  I was running around all day cleaning, mopping, organizing, just “nesting” in general, so I needed another infusion of calories before the evening, so I snacked on a homemade parfait of full fat Greek yogurt (love how sour it is!), blackberries, and a sprinkling of dark chocolate.

Dinner – After accompanying Chris to the afternoon WOD and watching him lift for the first time in several weeks (he’s been down with the flu and strep throat), we came home to make one of the Spaghetti Squash recipes below, and it was DELICIOUS!  Enjoy!

I’m a big fan of these recipes because (1) they are easy, (2) Chris loves them, and (3) you can easily throw them in a disposable pan and freeze them for when you are going to have a baby and not want to cook at all, which is exactly what I plan to do;)

Basil Pesto Spaghetti Squash

What you need:

1 Medium to Large Spaghetti Squash

3 Chicken Breasts, cut into strips or chunks, or a 1/2 chicken shredded up

For the Pesto…

1 Large handful of fresh Basil leaves

1/2 Avocado OR 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 cup of Pine Nuts, lightly toasted (or you can sub some cashews which will be nice and creamy as well)

1 Lemon

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

What you do:

Roughly chop your basil and add that, along with the juice and zest of the lemon, the nuts, cheese or avocado (or both!), and about a tablespoon of olive oil to your food processor and pulse until you see everything come together and there aren’t any big chunks left.  Run the processor on low and slowly add another 1/4 cup or so of olive oil to thin out your pesto (could take more or less, but you’re going for a thick saucy consistency), then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Season your chicken with salt and pepper and start a pan over medium high heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the seasoned strips and fry on high for about 1 minute on each side.  Set aside.

Cook the spaghetti squash to your liking – I do mine in the microwave on high for about 20 minutes – and shred the flesh into a oven safe dish.

Add the pesto and stir together.

Here you may stir in a handful of raw spinach or some lightly steamed broccoli if you wish.

Top with a bit more shredded parm if you wish and pop under the broiler for about three to five minutes.  (You can totally skip this step if you want.

Serve topped with chicken, or you may add the chicken in chunks into the squash mixture for more of a “casserole” type dish.

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

This is done exactly as above, but there is an alternate sauce and I would definitely recommend some broccoli and/or spinach in with this one.

What you need:

For the Alfredo sauce, you’ll need a half cup of organic heavy cream, and four to six ounces of chopped or shredded soft cheese – we used Fontina, but mozzarella or another soft cheese would work, it would just mellow out the flavor and Fontina was perfectly floral and salty for this dish.

Salt and Pepper

Garlic Powder

What you do:

Put the cream into a sauce pan and place over low heat.  Add the cheese and about a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.  Stir over the heat to melt the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Just like with the pesto, add the sauce over your completed spaghetti squash, add in some chopped or shredded chicken, the raw spinach and lightly steamed broccoli (or really any green veggie), and place under the broiler to get the top nice and golden brown.

Chicken Spaghetti Squash

What you need:

2 cups shredded Chicken

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash

2 Cans Tomato Sauce

1 Can of Diced tomatoes

Dried Oregano

Dried Basil

Fresh Parsley

Garlic and Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper

Optional chopped vegetables: carrots, zucchini, onion, broccoli.

What you do:

Pre-cook and shred the chicken or buy a roasted chicken and shred and set aside.\

Pre-cook and shred the Spaghetti Squash

Over medium heat, warm the tomato sauce with about a tablespoon of the dried herbs, and about a teaspoon each of the garlic and onion powder, and the chopped vegetables.

As it warms, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add a little chicken stock to thin it out if you want, but we like it thick.

When your vegetables are soft enough (I like them to still have some body, so it takes about 10 minutes), add the chopped chicken and leave it on the heat for another five minutes to get the chicken warmed through.

Pour over the spaghetti squash and serve!

Well, there are (as you can see) pretty endless options for spaghetti squash meals, so don’t stop here, but I hope you try at least one of these that I’ve shared and enjoy it!

And just because I want to, here’s a few update pics of my giant baby belly!

28 Weeks!

A Life of Gratitude: Free Kindle Book & Giveaway

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By Shelley Hitz

About the Book:

A Life of Gratitude: How to Overcome Self-Pity and Negativity

During a season of transition in my life, I found myself overwhelmed with negative emotions like self-pity and a complaining spirit. It was as if a dark cloud had descended over me. I prayed and asked God for wisdom on how to overcome these negative emotions. As I did, I sensed Him leading me to do a 21 day gratitude challenge.

Over the course of the 21 days, God began to change me as I spent intentional time being grateful for all I had been given. I did this through writing in my journal each day and also sending a hand-written thank you note to someone different each day. This also led me to writing out 21 prayers of gratitude and compiling 21 stories of gratitude.

I want to share what I learned with you in the pages of this book which includes:

• 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge
• 21 Prayers of Gratitude
• 21 Stories of Gratitude

What to Expect On Each Day:

• Read my personal stories, struggles and reflections.
• Read one scripture and one quote about gratitude.
• Apply one personal application step from the challenge.
• Read one prayer of gratitude
• Read one story of gratitude

Get Accountability and Encouragement

Along with the 21 day challenge, I also started a private Facebook group to provide accountability and encouragement for myself but also for others who decide to join me in the challenge. You will get access to this group as well. It has been amazing to see God at work in each of our lives.

Will you join me on this journey to gratitude?

Download on Kindle

FREE on Kindle 2/27/13 & 2/28/13)

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Shelley Hitz

Shelley Hitz is an award-winning and international best-selling author. Her openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing through her books will inspire and encourage you.

Shelley has been ministering alongside her husband, CJ, since 1998. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley’s main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements.

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v. 14 “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us”

Think about all the segregation, division, built up anger, and hostility that has been built up in our world, walls that have been created between countries, between cultures, between religions, even between friends creating unnecessary division. And really what benefits can we see coming from these actions? In your personal life how have these walls benefitted you? Or have they just created more drama and anxiety in your life?

Jesus has abolished that dividing wall and made us all one through the cross. Instead of finding pleasure in things outside of who God is, it is important to find our pleasure in God. As Christians we have been given the most beautiful gift of all, Jesus himself; therefore we need to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37).

Remember that Jesus preached peace, and proclaimed it so that through him all of us could access one spirit. We need to remember that Jesus is in control of our every situation, and that our paths have been prepared beforehand by God to be our way of life (Ephesians 2: 10).

My challenge for you is to find a wall in your life, whether it is towards a person, situation or idea. Approach it and break down that barrier. It probably won’t be easy, but remember that Jesus came before us and put hostility to death so that we could all be “one” through the cross.

-Nicole-

That truth may hit all of us in a different way.

For some of us, that’s a relief – Good, then the fact that I keep messing up is going to be okay…

For others of us, that’s just hard to believe – Really, Lord? I feel like everything I do matters so much, that the weight of the world is on my shoulders…

For others, this is actually disappointing news – I thought I was more important than this, that I was the master of my own destiny…

We do matter. And what we do matters. But why it’s happening is explained in the heart of this passage:
God is “so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much,” (v. 4)… God bursts to take the exact shape of the life that we are in and turn it into the exact shape that He has planned for us. Why?
(v. 7) says that it is “So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”

Take time to do this today:
Make a list of things about yourself that demonstrate grace and kindness. Be honest. Be generous.
As you read over that list, recognize that God is the one who put those things in you so that He can show future ages His incredible ability to change a life when it is united with Christ!

And be humble. “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

It’s not about us.

-Deb Adams-

Verse 7: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”

The most overwhelming thing in Ephesians 1 is the sheer magnitude of blessings that God puts on the table. If this chapter was to be an object lesson and you were to sit at a table, just out of reach, I imagine God, through Jesus, would place each of the blessings on the table. At the end of this, you are sitting, overwhelmed by the shear perfection of what is being offered and faced with the question: do I reach out and accept these blessings, or do I sit dumbfounded and paralyzed by them?  How is one supposed to turn away from such a table?  It seems that we so often do; maybe because we don’t feel worthy of such unnecessary gifts, maybe we don’t fully buy into the realness of such blessings because the realness of Jesus is questioned in our inner lives. The most difficult thing to understand is that none of these blessings are real or can be experienced without the crucifixion. Jesus is the cost that God bears to forgive us, love us, adopt us…

In this chapter there are no demands, there is simply the Prayer of Paul thanking those who are faithful to Christ and prayer that we may be given the wisdom and revelation to perceive the greatness of what God brings to the table. This is our inheritance.

My challenge is to read this chapter seeing what God is bringing to the table. Let it overwhelm you. The purpose here is not deed or duty; it is sitting in front of the table, dripping with blessings and really seeing them. Is this something that you prevent yourself from experiencing or is it unfathomable?

-Casie Gano-

We will be using the next 21 days to read through Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.  This is an opportunity for everyone to engage in scripture together in community while working through their individual faith adventures.  Each day one or two people will be posting on this blog about their reflections on that day’s scripture. We invite you to join with us and feel free to respond with your own thoughts either on Facebook or in the comments section below the post. We are excited to engage with everyone over the next 21 days and feel free to invite your friends to do the same. Below is the reading schedule for the Challenge.

February 24: Ephesians 1
February 25: Ephesians 2:1-9
February 26: Ephesians 2:10-21
February 27: Ephesians 3:1-13
February 28: Ephesians 3:14-21
March 1: Ephesians 4:1-14
March 2: Ephesians 4:14-32
March 3: Ephesians 5
March 4: Ephesians 6
March 5: Philippians 1:1-18
March 6: Philippians 1:19-30
March 7: Philippians 2:1-11
March 8: Philippians 2:12-30
March 9: Philippians 3
March 10: Philippians 4
March 11: Colossians 1:1-23
March 12: Colossians 1:24- 2:-5
March 13: Colossians 2:6-15
March 14: Colossians 2:16-23
March 15: Colossians 3
March 16: Colossians 4

-Jordan-

My Cat         Photo Source: Me

Whereas yesterday was filled with incredible temptation of delectable desserts; today was the exact opposite. I wasn’t feeling well and barely had an appetite for any type of food, let alone my favorite sugary treats. I didn’t have one craving for anything sweet today, which made it pretty easy to pass up the cupcake and gelato booths at the mall while I was running errands earlier in the day.

So, the plus side of not feeling well = not having any sugar cravings. Yay!

The downside of not feeling well = not feeling well. Boo!

Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better, but still not have any cravings for decadent desserts.

Need a recap? Check out my earlier entries below:

Day 1: Breaking Bad… Habits

Day 2: Today, day two

Day 3: Temptation, thy name is Girl Scout Cookies!

The 2013 Girl Scout Cookies                                                             Source: http://www.sporcle.com

Today has been filled with temptation. Ooey, gooey sugary temptation sweetly calling my name almost everywhere I went. Even as I’m typing this, all I can think about is how much I want to be eating a cookie right now. Not just any cookie, a Girl Scout cookie. I like them all, but Thin Mints are my absolute favorite. Especially frozen. So amazingly delicious… but I digress. Let me start from the beginning.

The day started out well enough. I got up early to throw ingredients into the slow cooker to make refried beans for part of tonight’s menu (I tried a recipe from 100daysofrealfood.com and it was delicious!) and then hit the gym to make up for yesterday’s poor eating choices. It was a healthy and productive morning.

And then lunch time rolled around. I stopped by a new cafe my friend, Heather, has been raving about. Everything looked so delicious. I wanted to eat all of it. Especially the grilled cheese. And the three layer chocolate cake. And the homemade chocolate chip cookies. I was immediately drawn to the dessert display. Delicious looking cakes perched on pretty cake stands. Homemade cookies neatly stacked eagerly awaiting your tastebuds. For a brief moment, I forgot about my 21 day challenge and almost asked for a chocolate chip cookie to be added to my order. Thankfully I remembered just in time. I was a little annoyed with myself for having quickly forgotten about the challenge. It made me realize that I’m so used to eating sweets that it has become like second nature to add them to my meal time.

Nom nom noms!                        Photo Source: Me

Delicious treats calling my name!            Photo Source: Me

Later in the day I went to the grocery store to get the rest of the ingredients for dinner. As I pulled into the parking lot I noticed that a girl scout troupe had set up camp at the entrance of the store to sell their delicious cookies. I was torn. Part of me squealed with delight, because I LOVE THIN MINTS. The other part of me inwardly groaned because even if I bought a box or two, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy them for another 18 days. Would I be able to have them in the house and not eat them??

I quickly walked past the Girl Scouts while they were busy with customers and darted into the store to get my shopping done. I would make a decision on the way out. As I was finishing my grocery shopping, I noticed the store had free samples in the bakery area. I quickly made my way there to see what they were handing out. Sometimes they put out samples of their freshly baked french bread (so good!) or cranberry orange scones (doubly delicious), so I was excited to see what deliciousness I could partake in. It was samples of their chocolate chip cookies (one of my favorites). I was excited for half a minute and then remembered my no dessert challenge and reluctantly turned away.

I finished my shopping and was immediately approached by a Girl Scout upon leaving the building. I looked at all the cookies – I had only been buying Thin Mints for so long that I didn’t even know what other flavors still existed – and made a decision. I bought a box of Thin Mints (which I promptly threw into the freezer once I got home) and a box of Tagalongs (which I hid out of sight). I think I can last 18 more days without eating the cookies.

At least I hope I can.

Who does that? Apparently *points thumbs at self* this lady. Maybe I had a dream about swimming in eating lots of chocolate. Mmmm chocolate…

Anyway, I chewed on a piece of gum while I talked myself out of digging through the freezer in pursuit of a chocolate ice cream sandwich for breakfast. I decided to make a smoothie instead. Thankfully the idea of a homemade smoothie was just as appealing as a sweet frozen treat.

I had just set up our new Vitamix the day before, but hadn’t used it yet, so a smoothie was the perfect opportunity to give it a try. I followed a simple berry smoothie recipe that was included with the blender. I didn’t have any frozen raspberries so I just doubled up on unsweetened frozen strawberries. The result was delicious,  and even though it was more tart than I prefer, it kept me from thinking about going in search of chocolate. Success!

Triple Berry Smoothie

The rest of the day went by smoothly without any more sweet cravings. However, that doesn’t mean I was successful in making healthy decisions for myself. I had a late lunch, so by the time I finally got around to eating, I was super hungry and miscalculated the space in my stomach and ended up overeating. At that point, eating another bite of anything, even delicious sweet chocolate, was far from appealing.

Dinner time rolled around and I promised myself that I would eat light to make up for the gluttonous lunch. Yeah, that didn’t work out as planned. But hey, I didn’t have any sweets and went to yoga earlier today, so that kind of counts right? Alright, maybe not.

At least there’s always tomorrow.

Photo credit: me

For those who might be interested in the smoothie recipe I used, here it is:

Triple Berry Smoothie by Vitamix

Dietary Interest:  vegetarian, gluten-free, high fiber, low cholesterol, low fat, low sodium

I am still on my 21 day challenge on discovering and making presence, engagement, and network. I am making more engagement and I have a larger network now. It is presence that I am constantly working on every day.

I saw presence yesterday while watching the  Balancing Act of the African Acrobats. Every member of the team has immense energy and confident. They know what they were doing and the audience felt their presence.

I still have six more days. I have a lot to share. And I will.

Jef Menguin

Sprinkle Cupcake Gelato at Sucre in NOLA

I have a confession to make.

No, it has nothing to do with Bryan Cranston (although I am a fan of his). I am a serial failure at will power challenges. I have never been able to successfully complete a fast or diet.  I have fallen off the will power wagon so many times that I eventually stopped getting back on it. So why try again? Because I want to break a bad, albeit delicious, habit. The older I get, the more aware I am of how well (or poorly) I take care of my body and I want to do my best to create healthy habits.  I know I have the ability to stick with my goals, I just haven’t quite found it yet. I thought it might be easier if I blogged about my journey and therefore had to be held accountable to someone (yes internet, I mean you) other than myself. Because not only do I not give myself enough credit, I also tend to let myself get away with giving up too easily.

Today is the first day of my 21 day challenge of not consuming any sweets or desserts. I chose this challenge because I have a pretty mean sweet tooth. Sugar can be like a drug to me, and at times I feel addicted to its sugary seduction.  I’ve been pretty good lately about not having any sweet cravings during the day, but at night it’s a totally different story. It’s as if my taste buds put out an APB* on all sweets and I feel like I NEED to ingest chocolate, cake, (or even better, chocolate cake), ice cream, Girl Scout cookies, or any other type of delectable sweet in order to satiate my cravings.

Thankfully, today passed uneventfully without so much a craving. Then I ate dinner. Immediately post dinner I was filled with a craving for dessert. I found myself thinking of what we have in the house that I could eat. Then I remembered that I’m doing this challenge and made a conscious decision to chew a piece of gum instead. I read somewhere that in order to successfully break a bad habit, you need to substitute something else for the behavior. I decided that I would eat a piece of sugar-free gum or drink of cup of tea whenever I started craving something sweet. So far, the gum did the trick and my craving is now dormant…. for now. It’s quite possible in twenty minutes, I’ll want to bake chocolate chip cookies just so I can eat one… dozen or so. I have a feeling I might go through my entire pack of gum sooner than anticipated.

Fingers crossed, I’ll just forget about sweets for the night. A girl’s allowed wishful thinking, right?

My Challenge: Do not eat any sweets of any kind for 21 days.

My Goal:  To break free of my dependence of sweet things throughout the day, especially after every meal (double especially after dinner), therefore creating a healthier lifestyle.

*All Points Bulletin

All photos are personal.

Tempura Ice Cream

I started the 21 Day Challenge with My Fit Foods again Sunday. It wasn’t because I went off my “diet” and have to start over. The company is having a contest, both local and nation-wide, in which customers compete to lose the most weight on the 21 Day Can’t Fake Fit Challenge. Everyone who wants to participate went to one of the locations and weighed on Saturday. You can win My Fit Foods gift cards if you lose the most weight (percentage-wise) at your store and win a trip to Cabo if you lose the most weight nation-wide. While I don’t have my eyes on any prizes, I wanted to start over so I’m on pace with other customers. The Uptown location is giving away additional prizes, like passes to gyms (don’t worry, Cassie and Brent, I’ll never go anywhere else!) and gift certificates. I may or may not have eaten a chocolate chip bundtini before I weighed in to tip the scale a little higher.

I’ve completed 14 days of the challenge, including three days on the second-time-around meal plan. For dinner tonight, I ate roasted salmon and grilled vegetables (only 200 calories!) and yesterday, I had a truly delicious salmon stir-fry for lunch. I’ve gotten used to the liver cleanse, but I haven’t weaned myself from coffee yet. The My Fit Foods guide to the 21 Day Challenge says the following about caffeine:

• caffeine raises blood sugar and cortisol levels
• chronically high cortisol affects insulin levels and causes a rise in hunger as well as fat storage
• both regular and decaf coffee have been linked to increased risk of heart disease
• a diuretic, caffeine slows the body’s metabolism
• coffee is highly acidic

But the main admonition against caffeine is that it is an artificial stimulant, like sugar, soda, and tobacco, and the 21 Day Challenge is all about learning how to get energy from all-natural, non-processed foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables and “good” carbs (foods low on the glycemic index) so you don’t have to rely on stimulants to get through the day. That makes sense to me because I absolutely used (yes, past tense) caffeine, sugar, carbs, and chocolate for energy. I definitely have a coffee addiction.

The dark side of getting off caffeine is the withdrawal headaches, which I have not been willing to tolerate. I have too much to do! Caffeine constricts blood vessels in the brain; withdrawal headaches are the result of blood flowing back into your brain! Who knew??? (Probably anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking!) I am trying to go from two large mugs of coffee in the morning to one, but it hasn’t happened yet. Since the rest of the time my body is running on actual, good-for-me food, a cup (large mug) of coffee – or two – is okay with me.

The biggest shock is that I am not craving sweets. My picture is in the dictionary next to the entry: sweet tooth. I have been ice cream, cake, and cookie free for two weeks, and I don’t feel like I’ve made a huge sacrifice. I can think about ice cream, and it’s just, “Huh, a bowl of ice cream” instead of half an hour debating whether to stop at Baskin Robbins or Randall’s to get my peanut butter and chocolate or cookie dough ice cream fix. I like to eat one snack-size York Peppermint Patty after lunch or dinner – the mint and chocolate are just enough to satisfy me. I didn’t think I would feel this way so soon. I really thought it was going to be very hard to give up foods I love and have depended on for the last four months.

Come back tomorrow to read Part 2 of my caffeine conundrum. 

Mario Mendias, a personal trainer, started cooking for his clients in 2006. He founded My Fit Foods in 2007, making healthy eating easy for busy professionals in the Houston area. When it started, My Fit Foods had a limited menu – turkey pasta, turkey chili, lean lemon turkey, and a chicken or  beef dish thrown in for good measure. Although I liked the food, I got tired of eating the same things every week.

Six years later, the menu has grown to include gumbo, chicken enchiladas, and cobb salad as well as a nice selection of snacks. You can also get vegan, vegetarian, and dairy/gluten/soy free meals. I have liked everything I’ve eaten, although the gluten-free, low sodium, no soy, wheat, or oil, hormone-free milk protein cookie doesn’t really do it for me.

I’ll write more about the My Fit Foods five foundational ingredients of living a healthy lifestyle (Fuel, Cleanse, Protect, Strengthen, and Rejuvenate) later this week, but after a week on the program:

• I have more energy. Though I’m not yet waking up, feeling refreshed, I don’t feel sleepy during the day.
• My energy remains consistent throughout the day – I don’t know if my blood sugar levels really are stable, or if it’s just a placebo effect, but I’ll take it.
• I feel more alert and mentally sharp, not as foggy and forgetful.
• I’m doing fine without a bowl of ice cream every night!
• I get hungry for a snack or a meal because I’m actually hungry – my stomach is growling. (Isn’t it weird that we call it that??)
• The structure of having the meals planned for me is terrific – I don’t have to think about what I’m going to eat, so I’m not always thinking about what I’m going to eat.
• I don’t feel deprived.
• I’m starting to eat to live instead of living to eat.

I spent a lot of time wondering what I was going to have for lunch or dinner (breakfast was easy – cereal or waffles – yep, I’m a 9-year-old trapped in a 43-year-old’s body.) Angels and devils waged battle inside my head, and the devils usually won (bye- bye skinless chicken breast, sweet potatoes, and broccoli, hello Southwell’s cheeseburger and french fries!)

When I’m hungry, I go to the refrigerator and grab the meal on my menu plan, pop it in the microwave for two minutes (if necessary) and then I eat it. I did not expect how good it would feel to be free from the decision-making and the inner food police, chiding me for making another “bad” choice. I feel like there’s space for me to think about new things, to do tasks I’ve put off. It’s not just the elevated physical energy – it’s the increased mental and emotional energy, too.

So. Tomorrow I weigh at West U Fitness. I haven’t decided if revealing my weight on this blog is empowering or defeating, but it doesn’t matter (as much) to me whether or not I’ve lost weight. Feeling better and wanting to continue is good enough for me.

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