30 Day Eating Change Results

You guys asked for it.  Sorry it has taken so long to find time to type this up!

I went 30 days following Britt's eating plan for me.  If you've read any of my posts you know it isn't all about numbers, but here are the results:

In 4 weeks I lost12 lbs and a lot of fat.  I did this through a basic diet that required no extra costs outside of a normal grocery budget.  I also did it while traveling 2 of the 4 weeks to Las Vegas and Orlando.  Yeah, I lost 12 lbs while eating out over half my meals.  We were also waste-deep in buying a new home and moving which adds stress and anxiety.  Stress and anxiety typically causes me to eat more and gain weight.  

More pictures:

It's all about principles.  It isn't about starving yourself or calorie counting.  Calorie counting only exists when you are eating something that is not good for your body.  Once you understand how certain foods affect your body you can maximize every meal.  I had no steady meals, less workouts than normal, and easy access to stuff like this:

So, how did I do it?  Well, it wasn't by eating the stuff above.  This is it:

1. Limit sugar intake.

2. Eat as raw and natural as possible.

3. Eat as many veggies as possible (especially while eating meat)

4. Limit bread intake

5. Don't drink calories (this includes so-called "no-calorie" drinks that aren't water)

RANT I have to say something real quick about no-calorie drinks.  I am a marketing/product manager that works with government agencies.  Government agencies dictate how companies should communicate ingredient/chemical calories.  So, chemists develop chemicals with specifics chemical components to manipulate the regulations so the marketing department can make claims about low-fat, no-calorie, no-sugar, etc.  If you are drinking something that is not water but claims no-calories it is because a chemist invented a chemical that they put in the drink.  This chemical has went through the required testing procedure but there is no way of knowing for sure that this new chemical won't eventually have negative consequences on your body.  Think about aspartame in diet pepsi.  Diet pepsi is now advertising that their drink is aspartame free.  So, they have been selling an aspartame-laced drink for decades that we now know causes problems.  Now, they have replaced it with a new sweetner/chemical that some chemist invented so they can continue to make the same marketing claims.  Please understand.  They don't know how the new sweetner/chemical will affect you.  They will say they do, but they don't.  Also, why the heck aren't people up in arms about this?  Pepsi is openly admitting that what they have been selling for decades is dangerous by promoting that it is now aspartame free.  Where in the world are my protesters? :)  RANT OVER

If you want specifics you can see the meals I ate in my first 7 days.  

If you want to do the same you must use a customized plan to meet your needs.  There are obviously rules that work for everyone.  However, you should consult with Brittany to develop a custom plan to meet your unique needs.

To my Fellow Worker-Outers:

I love working out.  I love the challenge.  For years I tried my to lose weight through intense workouts.  In non-winter months I average 3-6 hours of intense workouts per week.  That doesn't include the constant hiking and bike riding Britt and I love to do.  I burned a ton of calories, but never saw the lasting results.  Don't get me wrong, working out is very important.  Building muscle will help you burn fat and improve your heart health.  It prevents disease and promotes stable mental and physical health.  However, what I now know is that you can't outwork bad eating.

80/20

I mentioned the 80/20 rule in previous posts.  I believe the 80/20 rule applies directly to working out and eating.  80% of your weight loss goals should be based on your eating and 80% of your foods should be good fuel for your body.  20% of your weight loss goals should be based on your workout regimen and 20% of your food intake can be non-fuel.  Meaning- sugars, bread, non-water, and meats like bacon or red meat.  I like the idea of a cheat meal once a week to keep your body honest.  Once again, I am simply describing to you my findings for myself.  You should consult with a wellness coach like Brittany and a doctor before making big changes.

Meal Preparation

Britt has been amazing in this for me.  She has made most of my meals when I wasn't traveling.  It has been a huge time commitment for her.  I believe eating normal groceries is essential for lasting success.  However, other friends have used the meal service and seem to be having great success!  The reason why I don't like to recommend the meal service is because it is more costly and if you rely too much on them to supply everything and you eventually start making your own food you may be forced to give up for budget reasons.  

If you can't do you are doing a diet or eating change that you can't imagine doing forever the statistics are against you that you will keep it up and see lasting results.

Grace

Grace is such a beautiful thing.  Grace is not mercy.  It is not forgiveness.  Among other things, it is God's effort to help you.  It is available to all His children.  For me, I rely on God's grace to help me in my eating, cravings, and mindset change.  I thank Him (by Grace through Faith) for changing my mind and taste buds towards things that my body needs but my taste buds don't like.  I thank Him for eliminating my desire to eat things that poison my body and don't promote a healthy and fit body.  I thank Him for reminding me that the bad things are not going to benefit me.  His Grace is there for me in my time of need.  As one pastor put it, He takes away my "want to."

You can do it and He wants to help!

By His Grace

Eating Change Day 7

Day 7
What a different experience this has been. I feel good.  I'm not dizzy, tired, grumpy, or counting down days to some made-up "end goal day."  I'm not saying "reboots" or cleanses are bad.  Don't hear that.  I'm just not in that mindset anymore.

I've been posting my daily weight because I know people need that to get interested.  Honestly, I don't really care what the scale says.  Yeah, it is a hard baseline.  However, it can be manipulated so easily.  I could dehydrate myself and remove most of the solid food from my body and lose another 7.  But, doesn't it sound silly when you think about that?  The world tells us that number signifies health.  However, when we really think about it we know that's not always true.  That number becomes so important that business people create plans and marketing efforts solely around that number.  You see it as a success because of the number.

I have found that we don't know what "good" feels like until we feel better.  Many people are walking around in pain and they don't even know it.  It is a different kind of pain.  It's joint pain. It's stomach pain. It's blood pressure.  It's cholesterol.  It's mental cloudiness.  It's these weird "diseases" we have invented over the last couple years.  I'm not going to name any of them so I don't offend anyone.  People don't know how their food is affecting them until they change.  You can look at someones number and know they weigh more or less than you.  However, you don't know how they feel.  They may not know how they feel.  We all are okay until we aren't.  There's a big range between okay and not okay.

When I was a Sophomore or Junior in High School I weighed about 270 or so lbs.  I remember having a very vivid dream where I was running down the street by my old middle school and sprinting up this little hill.  I remember not being winded, taking long strides, and feeling really free.  I'm not sure where that dream came from, but it has always inspired me.  I think it felt like what it would be like to run like my friend Matt Hammersmith (stop, hammer time).  Running like that has a number associated to it.  However, it also has a feeling.  Eating well and feeling well is the same thing.  I could have went on a twenkie diet and monitored my calories and lost 7 lbs in 7 days.

So, after 6 full days (weigh-in in the morning) I am down 7 lbs.  I have another very long physical working day. So, I'm going to eat more carbs and calories than normal.  So, probably won't see any weight loss tomorrow.  Sorry!



Eggs, toast, and apple with peanut butter for breakfast.



I made a almond milk, 2 banana, and two spoon fulls of peanut butter shake.  I know, it has tons of sugar and unnecessary calories.  GET OFF MY BACK! :)



We felt like eating out after church.  I typically get soup and a sandwich.  Switched the sandwich for a caesar salad (caesar dressing isn't very good for you).  Also, tore up the multi-grain bread and put it in the LOADED BAKED POTATO soup!  Please note:  This soup is the opposite of good for you.  Tons of sodium, whipping cream, white potatoes, bacon, etc.  It didn't make me feel great but it was what I wanted.  If you are doing something more urgent then don't eat this kind of thing.  I did it because of what I explained above.



I worked hard all afternoon and ate the below for dinner.  I finished my soup (bad for me) and ate this really interesting lasagna type of meal.  It had wheat noodles and used fried (in coconut oil) sweet potatoes for the crunch.  It had a homemade tomato sauce, kale, and cheese.  It was pretty good!



So, this is my last daily post.  I'm going to do one more post showing the before and after shots and final weigh in.  I appreciate you following along.  I hope I have encouraged you as much as some of you have encouraged me.  I'm going to try to do a weekly blog if I remember.

By His Grace!

Eating Change Day 6

Day 6
Waking up to losing more weight always feels good.  However, I want to remind those reading that my plans may be different than your goals/needs.  Here's a reminder of my plans:

1. Improve eating for the long term- this means substantially more greens.  Britt practices 90/10 (I think it's more like 95/5).  That means 90% of the time she eats something good and typically raw. 10% of the time she eats something sugary or processed.  As of right now, my plan is to be closer to 80/20.  I was probably 20/80 before this change.

2. Jump start my body and force my body to change its cravings-  When you eat a ton of greens your body will start to crave them.  I HATE vegetables.  Always have.  However, everyday my taste buds are changing.  Thank Jesus He is helping me in this area big time!  He wants to help you too!

Your goals may be different.  You may need to lose extreme weight.  My diet would work for you but I am not being as strict as you should be because I am generally healthy and want to do something I can do forever.  If you have a specific timeline you may want to consider a more strict plan.

Last note:  These blogs are descriptive in nature.  Not instructive.  I try to give you the things I am learning about myself along the way.  I can tell you that eating natural/raw foods is the best route for everyone.  However, if you want to do something similar it would be best for you to contact Britt at Go Nourished and work with her to build a custom plan for you based on your unique needs.



Down one more pound. So, that is almost 7 lbs in 5 days (Monday morning is 7 days for scale).



I have a long day of work ahead of me.  So, britt made banana pancakes.  If you've never had them you should try them.  They are just eggs and banana blended together.  They taste great and don't have any flour!  I put syrup on them but someone more serious should do honey or peanut butter or peanut butter honey! :)

I also had a piece of toast and eggs with cheese since I'm addicted and all...

I was working on the house all day so I didn't have time to stop for a long lunch.  Britt made me a turkey, cheese, spinach, and hummus sandwich with TWO pieces of bread!!  This is the most bread I have had in a while.  I actually felt a little bloated from it.  I also had some peanut butter with my apple.



Unfortunately, I didn't stop working until about 7:30pm.  So, my dinner was a lot later than what I like.  I was REALLY hungry.  Britt made me a burger with cheese with homemade guac on top.  Blueberries on the side and some veggie chips to eat the guac.  The guac and veggie chips tasted SO good.  She also made a veggie slaw (I think that is what she called it).  It had broccoli, asparagus, and kale.  Note to Britt- Put that "veggie slaw" on the "do not serve" list. Love and appreciate you!



Did I say how much I loved the guac and chips?  Man, it was good but it has a ton of (good) fat.  The only issue is no matter how they market it no good tasting chips are really good for you.  So, if you're like me and you're normally a two-basketer at the mexican restaurant then we need to learn to manage our serving size.  Please remember, when it's green you should eat as much as you want.  You shouldn't have to manage serving sizes for any veggies.  So, if you're on a "portion control" diet consider just eating good stuff and not having to worry about portions.

I have one more post tomorrow and then I'm going to switch to weekly posts.  I appreciate everyone following along and I appreciate those that have reached out and told me that I am impacting you.

If you are a Christian remember that God's Grace is available to you to reach your goals and be a healthier you.  You can access what is available by simply accepting His help and thanking Him regularly because you know He is there with you helping you every step of the way.  When you feel like you screwed up speak your Righteousness through your Faith in Christ.

By His Grace.

Eating Change Day 5

Day 5
At the start I was writing these blogs so I could keep track of my purpose and remember where I started.  Now, I am doing it for the people it is helping.  I have been contacted by people nearly every day encouraging me and telling me how I am impacting them.

To those of you considering doing something similar please consider doing something you could do forever.  Also, start now.  Don't plan for some day in the future.

So, I warned you about this.  After traveling for two days and eating out two times I didn't lose any weight.



I was really excited about not gaining weight while traveling.  This was my "practice" for traveling later this month.  I will be traveling again next week as well.

I have to admit it was hard not losing weight since I didn't cheat at all and ran over 6 miles in the last two day.  Unfortunately, my body is used to pretty intense exercising.  If you haven't been exercising you will see faster results.

I started the morning with a green juice.



Juice helps me change my appetite towards greens.  It is also a nice boost in calories and sugar.  More greens keeps my mind clear and strong for work.



I also ate toast and eggs and cheese.  If you've been following you know I eat this every morning.  I never get sick of it... It tastes so good to me.  It think it is because I love bread and this is typically all the bread I get.  I used to eat a LOT of bread every day.  One of these days I'm going to make oatmeal.

Britt and I had to leave our house for the afternoon because our home was getting inspected.  We decided to go to the salad buffet so we could manage what we ate.  I had spinach salad with chicken, cheese, peppers and eggs.  I also had some fresh fruit.  I decided to use a vinaigrette.  



I was at the library all afternoon; so no snacks.  Luckily, I don't have a habit of buying cans of pop or candy from the machine.

My body is pretty well adjusted to the food.  I don't feel tired, light-headed or hungry like I do with other diets.

For dinner britt made me grilled chicken with cheese and tomato sauce.  She also mashed some sweet potato, and kale.



We are pretty busy this weekend with all our house stuff so I'll try to keep you updated!

By His Grace!

Eating Change Day 4

Day 4
I wasn't able to weigh in today because I am out of town.

I had a late night so I planned on sleeping in.  I woke up early anyways so I decided to workout.  It was about 10 degrees outside so for the first time in 10 years I decided to run on a treadmill.  I ran 3 miles.  Running is boring enough without starring at a wall...

For breakfast I had eggs, toast with butter, and fresh fruit.

 

As I said in a previous post, this traveling was what I was most worried about.  Also, day 4-5 are always when my weight loss slows.  So, I ate way more than I do at home to keep my stomach as full as possible.  I also didn't eat as much greens as britt has been feeding me.

I am eating out twice but I have a plan.

If you are reading this thinking about how it relates to you please understand these really important points:

1. I want a life solution. Not a 10, 14, 21, 30 (or whatever else you see on facebook) reboot/solution.
2. I'm going to eat out at some point in my life.  Sure, if you are in an urgent situation be more strict with your diet change.  However, reprogramming my brain is just as important as losing weight.  Probably more important.  That means I need to change the way I decide what I eat when we go out to eat.  This goes back to what I wrote about eating out always being a treat for me in my mind.

Anyways, brace yourself because I probably won't lose weight these days.  Don't lose focus on what is important.  Feed your body what it needs.  Help your body be healthy inside and it will "look" healthy outside over time (see britt for example).

I ate the below food in two separate meals.  One at 11:30 and one around 3:30.  I did that because of Britt and I's unique plans for the evening (looking at houses and eating out).


Britt included this in what I can eat:



They are an excellent replacement if you like chips.  I really liked them.  I think I ate too many...

After looking at houses we went through a Burger King (we never do this) to get the kids chicken nuggets and apple sauce.  That was the worst.  My mouth was watering smelling the grease and burgers.  I can't wait for the day that my body doesn't crave that anymore.  By the way, I probably ate a burger from a fast food restaurant 10 times in all of 2015.  So, this wasn't a big hurdle for me.  If you are in a little deeper you should consider not putting yourself in this position.

Britt and I ordered some sushi.  I had two rolls and some spicy mayo (love spicy mayo).  So, it was the first time I had white rice and the first time I had anything like mayo.  Sorry, forgot to get a picture (I am really getting tired of being "I take pictures of my food- guy")

Once again, I am not cleansing or trying to prove I can lose 20 lbs in 10 days (done that before).  I am reprogramming and changing my life.

By His Grace

Eating Change Day 3

Day 3
So, traditionally, day 3-5 are my hardest days during a cleanse.  I always feel crappy because my body is detoxing from all the junk I put in it.  Unfortunately, I have to travel today and tomorrow (day 4).

72 hours in and the weight scale says I'm down about 6lbs.

Please note:  I am drinking as much water as humanly possible (120-150oz) and not having any type of irregular bowel movements.  Everything is normal.  Just eating different and already fitting into my clothes better.












Traveling is the worst for me.  First, it is hard for me to not look at eating out as a treat.  I also typically have my meals paid for me when I travel.  So, I may get the extra app, beer, or bigger meal.
Britt packed a HUGE bag of food to help me stay strong.  I had to wake up around 5:30 so I didn't have time for a workout.  I made 4 eggs, some cheese, and a piece of toast with coconut butter spread.  It was good.  I didn't have time to make juice.

I was so thankful when I got to work to see there were no m&m's in the snack jar.  Not that I am drawn to them.  Just didn't want a distraction.

I had a really busy morning so I didn't have a chance to have any snacks.

I ate an early lunch because I had a lunch meeting.  Britt made me a turkey meatloaf that was probably my favorite meatloaf I've ever had (take that pettisville meats).  I ate a pound of blue berries (tasted SO good) and two string cheeses.  I also at as many carrots and hummus as possible.  I had to eat VERY fast but I finished when I got back a couple hours later.



I ate the turkey meatloaf pretty much all afternoon. It was so good.

I had another meeting after work and then got to my hotel.  I stay at a doubletree which means warm chocolate chip and nut cookies.  I was proud of myself because I refused it.  The lady even said "are you sure?"  Thank Jesus "yes, I'm sure" was easy.  When I got to my room they had written me a letter and left MORE chocolate.  One of the pieces was dark.  I thought "shoot, britt eats dark chocolate!"  However, britt is in a better place than me.  So, I just ignored it too.  May seem small to you but exciting to me!

Britt made me enough food for a week away (just gone over night), but it was going to be a hassle to try to make it for dinner.  So, I decided to do my first eating out.  You HAVE to plan/strategize ahead if you're like me.  All day I had in my mind "just go for the caesar salad!"  I even asked people around me if they knew someone that had a good one. So, I got a caesar salad with grilled chicken and hummus with baked pita.  Now, you have to understand that bread used to be my biggest weakness.  Britt has encouraged me to do a lot less (tortilla chips, toast, bun bread, pita chips) but still be okay eating some.  So, I had about 10-15 pita pieces with as much hummus on them as possible.  I also ate the hummus with the provided celery.  It was another victory!



I won't be able to weigh in tomorrow because I am still traveling.  We'll see Day 5 if my eating choices influenced the scale.

His Grace Alone!

Eating Change Day 2

Day 2


I woke up at 5:45am for a crossfit inspired workout.  I typically do crossfit inspired exercises with weights 3 days per week and do intense running (steps, hills, sprints, 5k runs) with body weight exercises 3 days per week.  This is harder in the winter.

I weigh in before showering every morning.  So, after 24 hours I am down 4lbs.  This is due to my high-calorie intake and poor eating over Christmas and last weekend while watching football.  My weight loss will slow down after 3-5 days.

I made a veggie and fruit juice again this morning.  I drink about 20oz of juice per day along with my big meals.  I also eat almonds for a snack.

I had eggs with cheese and asparagus and a piece of toast for breakfast.

For lunch, I had a spinach salad with black beans, chicken, and other veggies.  I used salsa as a dressing.


I couldn't eat the entire salad above.  Also, it takes a LOT of time to eat.  The two things that stand out the most is that I haven't eaten everything on my plate once (that never happens) and it takes me 2-3 times longer to eat.

I started getting a little light-headed because of my lower caloric intake (very busy day and couldn't eat enough).  When I felt that way I would eat almonds and drink juice.  Both the almonds and juice have a ton of calories.  The feeling would go away almost immediately.

For dinner, britt made me two pieces of tilapia and put black beans and cuscus on it.  She also made the greens on the side and some cheese.  I mixed it all together and it was really good!



I play basketball on Tuesday nights, so I did that for about an hour.  I felt great!

I am struggling with a little congestion and runny nose that started in December.  That will be gone soon!

I am considering incorporating a cheat day or cheat meal eventually.  For now, I'd like to get my mind and body right by giving it as much good stuff as possible.  I want to do more research, but I believe a high calorie day with some bad foods is good mentally and physically.  I believe our bodies adapt to lower caloric intake which slows fat loss.  My theory is that having a high calorie day will confuse my body and keep it honest.  It is a method commonly used by Olympians, professional athletes, and body builders.  I'll keep you updated on what I find and if I think it is beneficial.

By His Grace

Weight loss for the fed up fat guy

Past:

Well, I tried just about everything.  I did the juice fast, I tried "reboots", I tried portion control, I tried counting calories, I tried paleo, I tried intense exercise.  All quick fixes to a life-long problem.

I am going to describe my day to day results in this blog.  It will typically be short.  This one is long because I want to provide some background.

I have went up and down in weight many times over the last 10-11 years.  I have been as low as 205 and as much as 282.  Every summer I lose weight from my winter depression, travel, and poor eating choices.  This summer I managed to get down between 238-245.  Like clockwork, I went up to 252 from thanksgiving to new years.  I do this every year... So, I am up about 10 lbs right now compared to the beginning of November.  I did the same thing last year and the year before and even gained another 10 lbs to get to 265 before spring.

If you are looking through this blog post and see how long it is then please read this and feel free to stop:  We thrive on our weaknesses.  We have unknowingly connected who we are to our misfortune, sickness, unhealthiness, or pain.  We sometimes hold on to our weaknesses as a merit badge.  My son, Jack, loves sticky things.  So, he is dramatic about any sores on his body because he wants that band-aid.  I don't have it all figured out, but I know that I hang onto my weight as my crutch for what makes me, me.  I have chosen through the Grace of God to thrive on his strength and ability in me to become a better me.

If you want help improving your health and quality of life please like the Go Nourished page on facebook.

Britt's Transformation:

Its been awesome over the past 5 months watching my wife transform her body through changing her eating.  However, the fact that I couldn't convince myself to flip the switch has been frustrating.  Previously, Britt, like me, did all the diets and training.

We have both prescribed to the notion that natural foods are the best medicine for our day-to-day needs.  Growing up in one of the most obese areas in the U.S., we didn't have the healthy eating alternatives that larger cities have.  So, processed foods, starches, and meat were pretty much all anyone knew.  We both knew that eating less processed foods and more greens was the way to go.  We just weren't convinced enough to do it.

Britt started researching and reading every book she could get her hands on regarding the topic of natural eating.  She started by testing her research on herself.  She learned that is really isn't about calories.  This was a huge shift for me because I always thought "calories in, calories out" was the formula for weight loss or gain.  I still think there's some fact to that, but I now believe that concept has been developed based on "normal" eating tendencies. For example:  If your body is used to a 2500 calorie diet and you eat 2500 calories worth of greens and natural foods and drink 1000 calories of juice your body will respond differently compared to eating 3500 calories worth of processed foods.  The reason why is because your body can break the calories down and use the calories differently.

Britt developed an eating plan that she started at the beginning of August 2015.  Please note:  Britt did not increase her workout regimen during this time.  In fact, I would say her workout regimen decreased because of the thanksgiving and Christmas season.  Plus, we don't get out as much during the winter.  See her results below:

As you can see, Britt has saw awesome results!  She has started a company called Go Nourished. Please find her on facebook if you are interested in help.

Day 1.

It's the first day but it doesn't feel like all the other first days I've done.  Typically, I am excited but eagerly anticipating the results and end.  Whether is was a 3, 5, 7, or 10 day "change" I always couldn't wait for the results and the end.  This day 1 was different because it felt like the first day of forever.  

Britt and I discussed the things I wanted to keep in my diet before we started.  Toast in the morning was one of those things.  So, I started with 4 eggs (yeah 4 eggs!) with cheese on them (cheese?  your diet includes cheese? whhhaaattt!?) and a piece of toast with butter on it.  I also made a big glass of vegetable and fruit juice.  It included kale (a lot of kale), green apples, cucumber, 2 oranges, avocado, and a banana.  Yeah, I know that's a lot of sugar.  Get off my case! :)

I had almonds as an optional snack.  For lunch, I had a bowl of green veggies, chicken, and shreaded sweet potato (get meal lists and recipes from Go Nourished).  Britt seasoned it to my liking.  PLEASE NOTE:  I DO NOT EAT VEGETABLES, EVER.  YOU LIKE VEGETABLES MORE THAN ME.  ANYONE CAN DO THIS!  Here is a picture:

  

I drank my juice throughout the day but I couldn't even finish the above bowl.  Compare that to me typically eating a HUGE lunch.  The greens were SO filling and the chicken really helped.  

For dinner, I had mashed sweet potatoes, steak, and asparagus.  Picture:

  

I had a boring night at home that would typically turn into a snack-a-thon.  It was different tonight. I felt full and satisfied.  

I also felt the Grace of God working in my life.  I don't have to fight to stay on this "diet".  I have prepared myself by thanking Jesus for his help and thanking him for taking away my desires for the foods that are killing me.  His Grace is sufficient for me.

If you can relate to this but want to see my results then wait a couple weeks.  I'll keep you updated.  If you know in your heart this is what you need but you don't know how to start please reach out to Britt at Go Nourished.  She'll help you through the whole process.

Only by His Grace.

Ava's Monthly Photographs

When I had Jack I decided to document the first year of our kiddos lives via a photograph. Here are Ms Ava's monthly photos

Ava {1 month} ... When I am awake I am very alert. I think I am bigger than what my age says. I try to hold my head up all by myself but get tired after a while. I am a great sleeper at night. I wake up 1-2 times a night. I am a little more picky than my brother was but mom chalks that up to me being a girl 

Ava 2 Months:
I am getting so big! I now smile when I am talked to and coo. I eat roughly every 2.5 hrs and wake up once a night. I love watching my brother play. I am trying to roll over but haven't figured it out yet. My arm tends to get stuck  I am a happy baby! I weigh 13.2lbs and am 23.75 inches 

Ava 3 months:

I am such a good girl! My favorite thing to do is smile. Although I was pretty grumpy during this photo. I love life. I am changing my sleep schedule during the day and have decided to be awake in the morning. I practice sitting up in my bumbo and love watching people. I have come so close to rolling over, I just cant get my arm out. I wake up once at night around 3 am. 

Ava's Birth Story Part 1

On Monday June 16th, 2014 I was one week over due. The fear of induction was very real. I had a fantastic team of midwives who were doing everything in their power to prevent any type of medical intervention. They gave 2 weeks after my due date and if Ava wasn't born they had "no choice" but to induce me. But on that fateful morning I woke up to searing hip pain. I just knew that this was my day, and that my body was going to have a baby. I had an appointment scheduled that morning for a routine stress test and ultrasound to make sure everything looked and sounded okay with the baby. My appointment was at 11:00 am but my contractions started at 6am and were 10-15 minutes apart. They hurt. With every one I braced myself for the next. I called the Dr.'s office to inform them that I believed that I was in labor and I didn't want to come in for the appointment, but they insisted. I met with my midwife and she told me that I wasn't progressed very far physically. This was shattering because I knew that my body was trying to do something. They hooked me up to the monitor for the stress test and my contractions were confirmed. Patty (midwife) said as I was leaving the office that she would see me tonight. She also told me to go home and sleep. This was the best advice ever!

My contractions picked up and went down to roughly 5 minutes apart in the afternoon. My patience was wearing thin. I called my mom earlier in the day and told her to start her drive out to south bend, and I felt like this was in vein because me contractions weren't getting very close very fast. So, we slept and waited for them to get closer. At 8 pm I started bouncing on a yoga ball and it happened, my contractions picked up,  and they were intense. I decided to go to bed and see if they would slow down or continue on the fast pace. Around 9:00pm I called Ryan upstairs and told him that I thought I needed to go to the hospital. (Sidenote: make sure you pack your hospital bag BEFORE you go into labor). I started to scramble for clothes and things for the baby and stuff them into a bag. With every step my body screamed at me. I knew I needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Sidenote: I had to go to the hospital at 2 minutes apart because I had GBS ( you have to have an antibiotic).

So, we called the sitter for Jack and we jumped in the car. We got about 3 minutes away from the house and I realized that I forgot the camera. Ryan has never drove so fast to get to our house in his life. That camera was a necessity even if I had Ava in the car it was coming with us. So, we got on our way back to the hospital. My contractions were still very time able at 2 minutes apart. When we got to the hospital it took FOREVER to get up to the labor unit, and once there I was quizzed on why I thought I was in labor. My midwife then stepped into triage and stopped the 100 questions and told them to get me a room because I was clearly in labor. I got into the room and my midwife checked me immediately. By this point I thought for sure Ava was on her way out turns out I was only 5cm but 90% effaced. Really I thought, I am only half way there! Boy was I devastated!

The nurse started the IV of antibiotics and this meant I had to sit there for 1 hr. During this time I had progressed to 7cm. I was in pain but I had a goal, I wanted to have my baby with no medical intervention what so ever (other than the required antibiotics for Ava). My mind raced and I knew that the window had officially closed to any type of medication once I got to 8cm about 1.5 hrs later. I had progressed so fast once I got to the hospital. I was so excited that my body could do it! This experience was amazing compared to Jack's birth. The midwife came in and asked if I wanted my water broke, as I began to ask what the benefit was it broke on its own. At that point Ms. Ava was ready to join us. Sidenote: our midwife was AMAZING she virtually never left my side!

HCA Weight Loss Experiment- Day 1

I started my HCA weight loss experiment on July 30th at 257lbs.  I am taking 3 capsoles per day (as recommended) which is approximately 1800mg of HCA.  The total "Garcinia Cambogia" is 3000mg but 60% is HCA which is what I am focusing on.  It also includes Potassium and Calcium that total at 200mg per capsol (600mg per day).

On July 30th I had a pretty typical day except we had friends over for dinner so britt made a homemade pizza and they brought a peach cobbler.  I had a large helping of the peach cobbler.  I went for a 3 mile trail run at night with a lot of hills.  I woke up on July 31st and did a CrossFit workout (Fran) and an ab workout.  When I weighed in after my workout I was at 254.6 which is the lowest I have been in a few weeks and a weight loss of 2.4lbs since I started.  I don't expect that kind of weight loss every day obviously, and I did do two very hard workouts, but after the peach cobbler I would have typically lost a maximum of 1lbs or probably no weight loss at all.

So far things are looking good!

HCA Weight Loss Journal- Why I'm doing it

I have been working hard for 2.5-3 years to finally once and for get down to a healthier weight and feel better.  I started by running and juicing almost 3 years ago.  I managed to lose weight that way but never kept it off.  I would typically take months to lose the weight and then gain it back while on a business trip or during the holidays.  Britt and I have slowly evolved our eating so that our body craves healthier foods.

I started training for a 5k in March 2014.  I had a very busy work schedule so even though I was running regularly I gained weight from about 246lbs to 266lbs from March-June 1st.  After my 5k I had an opportunity to stay home for a few months so I rededicated myself to healthier living and found a workout partner, Josh, who was as motivated as I was to get in better shape.  We started doing a mix of long runs, short runs, body weight exercises (push-ups, squats, burpees, sit-ups, etc.), and CrossFit inspired weight training.  Josh and I averaged working out 5-6 times per week in June and he lost about 10lbs and I lost about 5lbs.  I don't want to discredit josh, but I had been working out before we started and he was just starting so he seemed to be able to lose weight quicker even though we were doing the same workouts and eating similar foods.  Josh and I continued this through July and I lost an additional 5 lbs or so and Josh lost an additional 3-5lbs or so.  So, July 30th 2014 I was at 257lbs.  5 lbs per month, not bad.

However, I started getting frustrated because it felt like I was hitting a plateau.  So, I decided to do some research to find if I could find a "natural" supplement that has very low or "no" risk but can help accelerate fat loss without sacrificing muscle.  I was specifically looking for something that was clinically tested and approved as a natural weight loss supplement.  I ran across an article on the Forbes website (see below) that described HCA as a natural supplement to help burn fat and suppress your appetite.  It is made from a plant grown in Southern Asia.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2012/10/01/7-new-weight-loss-supplements-that-really-work/

It is never good to rely on just one blog post since anyone can write it, but Forbes seems like a reliable source so I decided to research it further.  I read about the clinical study and found that it is legit.  I then ran across the Dr. Oz recommendation for "Garcinia Cambogia" and I thought it was probably worth a try.

Please note: I have never done anything like this.  The only supplements I have ever taken are vitamin C, B12, and a pill for joint movement.  I typically don't take any medicine and I am generally very healthy.  I probably take a handful of Tylenol a year, and that is it.  Needless to say, I was skeptical but I felt safe trying it since the risk seems almost non-existent.

So, I plan on posting as much as possible to provide a record on my results.  As I said, I have been focusing on losing weight long enough that I have a really good gauge on my body.  I spent 2 months straight of working out 5-6 days per week and an escalated diet regimen prior to starting this experiment.   I started at 257lbs (I gained a lbs while on a recent business trip) and will record my daily loss or gain so others can determine if they would like to invest in this supplement.  My diet will include daily natural juice that we make out of fruits and vegetables.  In general, I will keep a very similar diet to what I have done over the last two months so I can gauge the success or failure of the supplement as accurately as possible.  I will post my first day results in a separate blog post.

Cheers to better health!

A Healed Man's Guide in Sick Living

I have been physically ill for 5 days yet completely transformed for almost 15 years.  I don't get sick often, and when I do I am almost always healed within 24 hours.  I went through something over the past 5 days that I would typically keep to myself because I don't believe in glorifying the enemies work, but God spoke to me about how I can encourage others that are going through a difficult time.  I hope you enjoy and are encouraged.

I hate sickness.  Sickness ruined some of the best parts of my childhood.  My mom was sick for 5 years when she battled cancer.  My Grandma battled depression and mental issues so we saw a roller coaster of problems from an early age.  My family wasn't anti-doctor but we didn't see him much.  Like most, we had at-home remedies that worked for most illnesses.  I continued to see sickness when I lost my aunt to cancer and then my uncle shortly after.  Did I mention I hate sickness?  

I love healing.  I experienced healing for the first time when I was 11 years old.  I had warts all over my hands and some on my other parts of my body.  I went to the doctor for help and instead of freezing them off they gave me a medicine and a grinding pad.  My job was to grind down the warts every day and put the medicine on top.  I was so self-conscious that I would grind at them until they bled and put the medicine on them while in tears.  

One night my sister went to a new church in town called "Abundant Life."  My mom didn't like it since there were articles in the paper about it being a cult.  I had gone to the Lutheran church and established good principles and believe Jesus loved me but nothing more.  

My sister came home one night after church and heard me crying about my hands and warts.  My hands hurt so bad that I was struggling to switch to the other hand after grinding on it.  So, she sat in front of me and helped.  She took my hands and put the medicine on (like I did every night) and did one thing under her breath that I don't think I was aware of, she prayed.  

When I woke up in the morning my warts were gone.  Not just the ones on my hands I was treating so I could confidently give my friends high-fives, the ones on my arms too.  They were all gone.  As I am typing this I can still see faint scares from the warts.  They are like the symbol of the rainbow to me; they remind me of God's goodness, compassion, and healing power for his Children.

Shortly after, my mom passed away.  The last 6 months before she passed were awful.  She had no energy and she was typically a very active person.  Her body was so frail from the treatments that she couldn't be touched without bruising.  On my 12th birthday she crawled out to the couch crying so she could laid on the couch for my birthday.  I think part of the tears were her realizing it was her last birthday with me. She died 9 days later.

Did I mention I hate sickness?  The next year my dad married a wonderful woman, Mary Martz.  She started taking us to a church called Oasis in 2000.  

Going to Oasis changed everything for me.  I started to learn that God was a good God.  I finally started hearing people say that God didn’t want my mom to die.  This was news since one year earlier I heard all about “God’s Sovereign Will” and how God needed my mom more than my sister and I did.  What they were teaching made sense to my heart since I never agreed or embraced the other concept.  I didn't embrace it because my mom crawled to my bed a few nights before she passed away and laid next to me crying telling me that she was going to die.  After she left I prayed a confused prayer to God and He replied with a physical hug that I could feel and when I asked why He thinks that it is best that my mom had to die He told me that He didn't want that.  I don't think I was mature enough to hear more.  At 11 or 12 that is often times all you need to hear.

I really started to learn about healing when I was 15 and Lucas Miles became my youth pastor.  He taught us about Biblical healing and how to pray for people.  This lined up with my hearts direction and the belief system I had already established.  We started praying for people and seeing them healed.  We went on a trip to Mexico and I saw some awesome things.  One story that sticks out to me was a man I saw walking on the street.  He was walking with a cane and had a major limp.  You could tell his one leg was a lot shorter than the other.  We asked him to talk to us and through the interpreter we learned that he broke his leg 8 years before and didn't have the money to get it taken care of.  God told me that his leg had to come out and grow.  So, we talked to the man about God, he decided that God could do it and we prayed for him.  After a short prayer the man stood up and walked away without a limp and without his cane.  Glory to God.  We saw things like this over and over.

I have personally experienced healing in my life physically, emotionally, and spiritually hundreds or even thousands of times.  When someone in my family is sick, we pray for them and they are healed.  We expect it and we thank God for providing it through the cross.

I started to get sick Wednesday February 26th and thought it was because of some sleeping issues I have been having.  However, I work up Thursday morning to some serious issues.  My throat hurt, my body hurt, and I had a fever.  I started praying immediately.  I did everything I ever do.  I prayed, I ate the right things, I spoke in tongues, I listened to teachings, I asked Britt to pray for me, I spoke certain ways, I listened to worship music, I walked out my healing, etc.  Over the span of 2 days I listened to over 10 hours of teaching.  I slept for 25+ hours.  When I ate, I at the right foods.  When I spoke, I spoke to Jesus.  I did all the stuff I have ever done when I experience healing.  It wasn't happening.

When I woke up even sicker on Friday I was in shock.  Very rarely do I get worst.  90% of the time I am healed overnight (because that is what my faith expects even though instantaneous healing is biblical).  Britt had a very busy day.  She had to go to work all day and babysit at night.  I was set on getting some work done and getting well.  Half way through the day I realized that I needed to start acting healed and get out the house.  Somehow I drove to get a sub and get my suit at the drycleaner.  I came home and was completely out of energy.  I fell asleep and woke up a few hours later.  When I woke up my throat was so swollen that I could barely swallow.  I was still tired but I said to myself "If I go back to sleep and don't get up my throat is going to close and I am going to die."  I know there are people that have been through a lot that can tell me about suffering, but this was the worst I had ever been.  I went downstairs and decided I would read the bible until I got well.  At this point my throat was nearly closed, I hadn't eat much in 2 days, I was dizzy, my body was so sore I could barely move, I had a fever with cold sweats, congestion in my nose, and I could feel pressure in my ear like I was getting an ear infection. I decided that if I prayed for the congestion to go and my throat soreness to go that everything else would get better.  My nose congestion left almost immediately after I prayed for it and my throat pain left a few hours after reading the bible and praying.  I then decided I would praise God for what He had done.  I listened to two worship songs and by the end of the second song I could feel something go from my right ear down into the right side of my throat and make my throat unbelievably sore again when I swallowed or drank anything. So, I was back on the couch.  I decided I was going to the doctor but Britt was gone the rest of the night.  

So, Saturday morning I went to the immediate care in South bend.  After 2 hours of waiting with every sick person in south bend, the nurse called me back.  I thought, here's another chance to get healed and show the doctor’s office what God can do.  In the back of my mind I was thinking "I'm so ready to get some medicine and be done with this crap."  The nurse listened to about half the stuff I was having issue with and did a strep test.  The doctor came in 15 minutes later and asked me what was going on.  I told him 2-3 things and he did the doctor thing.  When he finally looked in my mouth he looked for 2 seconds had me close it and he started laughing.  He said I had a serious bacterial infection in my throat (strep throat), double ear infection, and influenza.  He gave me a laundry list of medicines to take.  I looked at the list like I do at the Word of God.  I thought "here is an easy way to buy my healing."  

I haven't taken medicine for anything in a very long time.  At least a decade.  I was under the impression that this medicine would cure me like God does when I receive His healing that was purchased for me on the cross.  So, my $100 purchase at CVS for medicine is equal to God’s purchase on the cross…  

Much like being saved, healing isn't meant to be an ongoing thing.  It is a decision and receiving.  That's why it is in the word "sozo" which is the Greek word for salvation, saved, etc.

When I took the medicine I had a smile on my face because I was expecting to be able to go out that night to Politos for pizza.  Not so fast my friend (Lee Corso), I felt exactly the same.  In fact, my ear infection got worse.  After two days of taking the medicine I have gradually gotten better.  I can walk, I don't have fever, I can stay awake, but other than that it certainly didn't cure me.  

I still hate sickness and I know there are very few that are willing to read this far.  Being a marketer, it is difficult to give the key points I wanted to get across at the bottom, but here goes:  

1. God has been teaching me that there are things in this world that hurt us.  God told me a while ago that I shouldn't drink pop.  This last week God specially told me that drinking pop is like drinking poison for my body.  I'm not going to drink pop anymore.  Well, I will drink it as much as anyone is okay consuming poison.   Relate this to Paul talking to Timothy in 1 Tim. 5:23.  Tim was having stomach issues.  Paul used wisdom and the Holy Spirit to find out that the water of the area was what and causing the issues.  So, paul told tim drink some wine every now and again and it will fix your issue.  Why?  The water was bad and the wine has stuff in it that will kill the bad stuff that was in the water.  Is paul saying we should only drink wine?  No, I’m sure some people should never drink wine.  That’s why the letter is to timothy and not you.  However, there are some things that you drink/eat/say/think/do that need to be replaced or followed by something else so you don’t have to be continually going to Jesus for healing.  I think about brother hagin about this.  Bro Hagin once said that he stopped drinking coffee or tea (I don’t remember which) because God told him to.  Brother hagin knew about healing and had one of the greatest healing ministries in North America.  However, he also understood wisdom.  Listening to God and your body is wisdom.

2. I refuse to let hate, anger, anxiety, stress, etc. into my life.  I do live this out by using wisdom to stay out of difficult situations and letting the love of Christ work in my heart.  Love never fails.  I saw a sports related documentary where a young kid was abducted by his karate coach and raped after flying him to California.  They found him and brought this young boy back.  The boy’s dad found out what really happened and when the guilty man was being transferred through the airport the young boy’s father shot the man in the head and killed him.  They interviewed the man 30 years later and asked him if he felt remorse.  The man responded and said "if they dig him up I'll shoot him in the head again."  The man was now crippled and almost completely lost his ability to speak.  There is biblical evidence that this anger and hatred that goes unforgiven causes the physical illnesses that this man was experiencing.  I try to not hate anything or anyone.  I don't even hate the New England Patriots after everything they've done to my Miami Dolphins :).  I'm still working on the Jets. :)

3. Never stop believing.  I'm glad that I went through this medicine process because I have learned that medicine isn't always a quick fix.  It is a support that people should take when needed to support their faith, add longevity to their life, and show their loved-ones they care about their future.  Mixing it with faith can be a powerful thing, but learning faith before it is too late is essential.  Paul explains in Hebrews 11 that many die without seeing what they believed for, but there is no reason to not believe.  Believing (faith) is what makes us different from the world.  It's what reminds us that we aren't God, but He loves us and wants His best for us.  He isn't holding back from us, and we can continue to expect his goodness to happen in our lives.

Ryan

Why do bad things happen?

Why do bad things happen?

There is one thing that we can all agree on.  Bad things happen.  After that it gets a little fuzzy.

 I was raise around a great group of people and an extraordinary family.  My mom got cancer when I was 6 and passed away when I was 12.  She was a single mom with an ex-husband that was dedicated to his family.  My sister and I saw struggle, but my mom did an amazing job to keep it from us as much as she could.  After my mom passed away people explained to me that everything happens for a reason and God won’t give us more than we can handle.  I hadn’t been taught the full gospel of Grace at that point, but something in my heart told me that what people were telling me wasn’t true. 

You see, the love that my parents gave me and the influence that people like my grandma had on me encouraged my belief system.  I knew Jesus came to save us and I was pretty convinced that God was a loving God.  At that age I simply refused to believe that the Love that I saw from my parents and family was greater than the Love that God had for us.  These people and this message in my life influenced who I am today and gave me the drive to announce for the rest of my life to anyone that would listen that God was a good God and God didn’t want bad things to happen to us. 

For me, the next logical step was the Word.  I began going to a church that taught out of the bible more than I had ever seen before.  I have always been analytically minded and have the type of wiring in my brain that doesn’t allow conflicting concepts in.  So, after reading about Jesus for myself I decided that he was good.  I quickly realized that the people that showed me love only had the capacity to share this love because they had seen a small glimpse of this God through their relationship with Love (God).   

Once I established my roots in the fact that God was good, and loving I started focusing on who I was to Him.  I found quickly that I was justified because of Jesus and my righteousness was established because of what Jesus did and not because of anything I can do (self-righteousness).  Now it was time to evaluate the things people had been telling me. 

I first looked at “everything happens for a reason.”  I found that most base this theology on Roman 8:28. So, I read all of Romans (and the rest of Paul’s writings).  Here it is:

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

What is Paul saying here?  First, let’s ask a few questions.  Does God cause bad things?  Jesus made it pretty simple in John 10:10 when he said that “the Enemy…Kills, Steals, and destroys” and Jesus came to give us “life more abundantly.”  We can also look at history and ask why there was a flood and what happened with Ananias and Sapphira?  The Bible makes it clear that humans made such bad choices that God had no choice but to destroy them or the whole world would be overtaken by evil.  Did God cause that?  Are we all puppets to reach God’s ultimate plan?  Is God so small that he only has one path to a master plan?  I believe God is big enough that he can do what Paul is explaining here.  God can take what the enemy intended for bad and bring good out of it (for who?) for those that have chosen Him.  Furthermore in Genesis 6:5-7 the bible says that God regretted making man because of the choices of man.  If man was making choices for themselves then did God change since then? 

I started to ask “what is the root of these inconsistencies?”  I found out that when the King James Bible was printed they translated it specifically to promote God’s sovereignty.  Now, I believe that God is sovereign by definition.  However, I don’t agree with most Christian’s interpretation of sovereignty.  Sovereignty doesn’t mean that you cause everything that happens.  It means that you are supreme over all.  God gave us free will.  Why? Because Love can only operate under freedom.   Furthermore, we know that God is Love and we know that Love is not self-seeking, yet we attribute bad things to God because we believe He needs them to happen to achieve His ultimate plan at the expense of His Children.

The second thing people told me that I want to touch on in this blog is “God won’t give us more than we can handle.”  If you want to point to anywhere in the bible where this is discussed you must understand it in context and not connect it to someone’s bad fortune.  In the Bible this concept means that God gives us the capacity and the ability through his gifting and strength to achieve the dreams he has put on our hearts.  This is the hands and feet stuff that Jesus talked about. 

God revealed something to me last year about this topic “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.”  God told me “the only reason why people have the ability to accept this concept is because of the country you live in.”  He went on to paint a picture for me of a story I heard about a couple years ago.  The story I saw explained that there was an epidemic in parts of Africa where millions of babies were being born and eventually dying because their mothers were being raped by men with AIDS.  When God brought this up it wrecked me.  He showed me pictures of this and reminded me that he doesn’t want that.  I started to think about this and realized if there was any American missionary that went to Africa and told them that God won’t give them anything they can’t handle they would laugh in their face.  The fact is that this world does give us more than we can handle, but we have a great God that heals, restores, and gives life to those that call His name. 

God is not a murderer, hit man, or the elf on the shelf.  He is a loving father and the purest definition of good.  He loves you deeply and isn’t interested in being a getaway driver for the enemy.  The enemy has stolen enough from us.  It is time that we stand up to the enemy and say “we aren’t going to accept your lies anymore.”  We need to say “we are the children of God and through the blood of Jesus we have concurred death and have authority in this world.”

He passionately loves you.

Happy Happy Happy

I would like to talk about one of the biggest lies ever told. It is killing relationship after relationship. Generation after generation. 

Happiness: happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

I have a super honest statement to release on this ole blog:

 My husband doesn't make me happy.

Boom. I said it. Continue reading.

My husband's actions allow me to choose to be happy. The things that he does allow me to illicit a feeling of "positive or pleasant emotions" but I had to choose to get there. I had to want to be in that mindset. I have had days where Ryan has literally done everything he can possibly think of to make me happy. I choose not to be. I choose to be grumbly, mean, and downright rude. In those moments I made a choice. Some might call it waking up on the wrong side of the bed. It was a complete and utter choice.

 You see happiness is not derived from someone else. No one will ever make you happy. Happy is a CHOICE. One of the biggest lies floating around the world is that we can make others happy if we __________ (fill in the blank). 

Lose weight. Color your hair. Buy a better car. Live in a big house. Make a lot of money.

Its a lie. Its a big fat lie. It will kill you. 

Your inner worth needs to be defined by you. Stand in knowing that you are 100% worthy in God's eyes. Be content in that. Then live your life experiencing happiness rain or shine. Don't divulge in the way other's treat you as a means to feel good and happy. Choose to be happy.  

change your thinking. change your life.