1/2 Pound at a Time

So I guess a 1/2 pound loss is better than nothing but it is a little discouraging. I will take it and move ahead. Next week WILL be better. Not that last week was bad but it was a rough week with sick kids and sick husbands. Maybe now everyone is on the mend and we can all start to feel better. I know attitude can play a big part in this and mine has been bad the last week. It is just really hard to stay positive when everyone around you is negative.

Fun and Informative

Ok - I think I have found a new favorite website to explore - http://www.hungry-girl.com/
This is a great site with lots of recipes, food finds and food comparisons. It has weight watcher points calculations and even food reviews. I have signed up for her newsletter and will be visiting the site often.

Spreading it Around

Well now Stephen is sick. He came home from school early yesterday with a headache which progressed to a fever by the evening. He is feeling better now but is staying home anyway. I sure hope Skylar doesn't get it, but the chances are good she will. At least it doesn't last long.

Too Much to Bear?

We had a rough night last night. Brian got to feeling really bad. He had a fever and his heart rate was around 120 for several hours. We ended up in the emergency room for a couple of hours. With his heart history, we just can't ignore any problems he has in that area.

They told him he has a virus that is causing all of it. They told him to double his heart medicine for a few days and to call his regular doctor. So we got home at 11:30 last night, and I was up at 5 to get ready for work. Needless to say my head just isn't in the game today.

I have done a lot of praying since last night. It is hard to understand why we have to go through the trials and sufferings that we do. Is seems unfair that a young (yes early 30's is young) family should have to endure heart problems, but nothing about this life is fair, right?

I have always heard that God will not give you more than you can bear. It is one of those things you are told all of your Christian life, so you assume it is in the Bible. Well I got to looking for it this morning, and was a little amazed to find that those words aren't there. I found this article though that did give me some comfort.

Too Much to Bear?

When life’s difficulties seem unbearable God’s grace and comfort will be equal to your need. His presence will bear you up, Christian friend, and his supernatural help will be sufficient. Our hardships may be quite different from Paul’s but we can certainly identify with him when we face seemingly overwhelming trials in this fallen world. God hasn’t promised us an easy path, but he has promised to be with us. “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear…” (Heb.13:5-6 NKJ).

So I continue to pray for Brian's health and comfort from the Lord, because without Him to lean on this truly would be too much to bear.

Feeling Better

Well I was sick earlier in the week but now I am feeling better. After eating nothing but saltines and water on Monday needless to say my Tuesday morning weigh-in was a bit skewed. It showed I had lost 8 pounds since last Tuesday -and if you recall last Tuesday's weigh-in was skewed by water retention. So maybe by next week everything will get evened out.

Today is Valentine's Day and my sweetheart got me the most thoughtful gift. He made up a basket of goodies for me. It included weight watcher cakes, flavored coffees, splenda coffee flavorings, hot chocolate, a heart shaped coffee mug, a candle and a picture frame that plays music. I really appreciate how much thought he put into getting me something to help me along. Which really makes me feel like a heel because I had intended to buy him something Monday when I had the van, and I ended up going home sick so I didn't get to the store by myself.

Finally...

Mother nature has been cruel. I have battled with a 3 pound gain all week. I knew it was water retention because I gained 1.5 pounds one day and another 1.5 the next and my fingers were swollen, but it didn't help my motivation any. In fact I was so frustrated by it I didn't want to record my Tuesday morning official weight - not that not recording it makes it any less true. So I have really done good this week and hit my points right on everyday. I have also kept up my 30 minute ride on the stationary bike every other day, and today the 3 pounds are gone. Hopefully all of this hard work will pay off next Tuesday when I step on the scale.

Tell Me Why

Why do we feel the need to celebrate every occasion with food? Every holiday, birthday, even just a night out is always centered around food. We have a Valentine's Banquet coming up at church, and I have opted not to go this year because I am really trying to stay on track with what I am eating and I have such a hard time making the right decisions when so much delicious food is placed right in front of me. The menu sounds wonderful and there will be some healthy options but I don't feel like I would be able to stick with the healthy options when there is so much to choose from.

Edited to add:

After discussing with a close friend, the issue of what to say to those who say to come to the banquet anyway, she offered the following scriptural response:


Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way. Romans 14:13

Upon further study I found the following commentary on that scripture at www.blueletterbible.org :

Not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way: We might stumble or cause our brother to fall in two ways. We can discourage or beat them down through our legalism against them, or we can do it by enticing them to sin through an unwise use of our liberty.

So to those who support my decision not to come, and continue to encourage me in my weight loss journey - thank you for not being a stumblingblock!!!