Day 4

It suddenly occurred to me that I should begin to blog about my journey to become healthy. It would seem that if I commit to do this publicly it should hold me accountable, and perhaps even motivate someone reading this to begin his/her own journey as well. 
     So, today is Day 4 of Step 1, and is based on the book "Diabetes Miracle" by Diane Kress. Step 1 lasts for 8 weeks, which is good since I know there is an end and it will not last forever. My day 1 was on April 22, 2012. This means that Step 1 logically should end on June 17.  
     As luck would have it, on Day 2, someone brought some chips and dip to work and I made the mistake of eating TWO of those supposedly healthy blue tortilla chips. Did you know that 6 of those chips contain 19 carbohydrates?? 19!!  For 6 chips!!  So, those two innocent looking blue chips that I ate (surely they could not be too fattening) contained over 6 carbs which threw me over the carb limit.  And guess what?  The consequences of going over your carb limit on this plan is to ADD 3 DAYS to Step 1, which means it now ends on June 20, instead of June 17.  Ok, so that is a motivator to watch those carbs!!
     It turns out that there are many things I can eat on this plan other than carbs, so I am doing ok so far [except for those stupid chips]. And the really neat thing is that my Visalus Body by Vi shakes (the shake mix that tastes like a cake mix) work ideally into the program. Each shake has only 2 net carbs! Step 1 does not require these shakes, but, hey, they taste great, are filling, easily portable, and are super easy to make. Works for me! I drink at least two of these shakes each day, along with other healthy foods, and sometimes three shakes since a snack before bedtime is a requirement for Step 1. That's a new one for me... first time I ever heard that I get to have a bedtime snack! So maybe this isn't so bad after all....

A Turning Point in My Life (continued)

Down 15+ pounds since beginning my journey, my energy level has escalated, and I’m feeling great!  I like the taste of the products, find them filling, and actually look forward to drinking them.  Surprised me! Actually they taste like sweet cream cake mix, so what’s not to like?

I have to smile when I think about the Vi Shakes that I drink for two meals a day… Initially I was concerned since I was such a big eater, and feared that I would not feel satisfied. I have found this not to be the case, and am allowed snacks between meals if desired.  What makes me smile, though, is remembering my childhood when I was so busy playing with my friends that I really found being called home for meals to be an intrusion in my busy life. I recall wishing that food came in a pill so I could just swallow it and be done with rather than have to bother with sitting down to the table and eating. Well, these shakes are similar, don’t you think?  I just mix them with almond milk and whisk them down. They’re also portable so I can take them with me to have as a handy snack or meal wherever I go.

So that’s the good part for me, personally. The Faith and Fitness program is beginning to develop as I interact with people both locally as well as internationally. Our mission is the same regardless of our location – to feed the hungry children in our world.  We are able to do this through donations of $24, which will feed 60 nutritional meals to hungry children. That’s $.50 per meal which is a real bargain. If you care to join us in this mission, please contact me at dianashores@gmail.com and I will give you the link to make this happen, on our site, or show you how you can do this for your own church, mission, or non-profit organization which raising money for it at the same time. 

That’s it for now… more later.     Diana

Halloween 2010 – A Turning Point in My Life

It wasn’t planned, to begin this new chapter in my life on Halloween 2010.  Somehow it seems appropriate, though, and will be an easy date to remember.

Today is the day I pledge to become healthy.  I’ve gone the weight loss route before, and failed each time.  This time is different. I will not only lose weight, but will also become healthy in the process. I’m letting go.  I’m getting out of the way.  To explain what that means….  

In October 2009, I wrote and published an article about Brad Stiles, which you can read on my blog. Here is a paragraph from the article. It alludes to what I've been waiting for - to see where God is leading me.

" ‘In a recent interview with Dr. Lisa Van Allen, Brad described the lyrics to [his song] "Letting Go" as "moving forward, letting go of fear, and coming to the end of self-sufficiency by letting go of everything I thought Christ was, and how He viewed me. Instead of me living life for Christ, it is Christ living His life through me, through us. It's not I who lives, but Christ that lives within and through me. The dreams that He placed in my life are from Him. I want to walk in them. I want to get out of the way." Dr. Van Allen remarked, "When God calls you to do something, He brings in all the resources.’ "

To step back a bit, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching over the past 22 months, trying to understand what it is that God is calling me to do.  It began with a catalyst, as often happens, a crisis of sorts, if you will.  I was driven to seek answers, which led me back to church and subsequently to small groups (both within and outside the church), which led me to some wonderful new friends and support groups.

Paula Fields led me to Brad Stiles’ CD Release Concert (I resisted going until the last minute) and it was at his remarkable performance that I surrendered. Wow!  Just like that….  it was so natural, and my life changed forever in an instant. Well, that was only the beginning. During this time, Gator J. Gaynor from The Spirit, appeared and brought a love of music back into my life, and also brought me back out into the entertainment world.

Next, I felt compelled to write the article about Brad Stiles. I was driven… there really was no choice…  it simply had to be done.  As I began to formulate ideas for the article, it led to an interview with Brad, which, in turn, led me to Steve McVey and his book called “Grace Walk”, which led me to grace. After I read his book, I realized that I was actually embarking on a fascinating “grace walk”. The article also led me to Lisa Van Allen who later invited me to her course on “Fearless Living”, which began yet another new friendship, actually several.

This morning, Bill Nissen posted the following on Facebook: Philip. 2:3-4 (NASB-U) "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

This grace walk has been an amazing adventure as God continues to bring in all the resources, the latest of which is Bill Nissen.  I am getting out of the way as God calls me to do this. With Bill Nissen’s help, I will not fail.  To be continued…..