Food Tracking and Living A Healthier Lifestyle

Much like balancingeverything I very much dislike food journaling. The thought of writing down everything I put in my mouth makes me nauseous. I know that it works and is a great way to reflect on my poor eating habits but it is just another chore for me to do. So balancingeverything recently started her weight loss blog and shared this tip. I love it and have made my own!

This is for an 1800 calorie day, which is the amount recommended to me by a Registered Dietitian for healthy weightloss of 1-2 pounds per week. You can also go to MyPyramid and find out your serving allowances for each day. This is a great article about making smart choices for weight loss.

The American Heart Association is a wonderful resource for learning about heart attack, stroke and the benefits on daily exercise. You can also learn about your BMI and ways to live a healthy lifestyle.

I'm also reading Gwen Shamblin's book entitled The Weight Down Diet. It is a Bible based approach to weight loss but more importantly overcoming overeating and turning to God to fill us up. Believe it or not it all comes full circle; eating, contentment, peace, joy.

-1 Corinthians 3:16
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

-1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

-Romans 13:14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

-1 Kings 19:7-8
The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank.

A Beautiful Day

Our Friday started out gorgeous, which was much needed after so much rain. We went to the market and got fresh veggies, as well as new hats for the boys. The market was bustling and full of Sicilianos needing groceries. These pictures were after we got back and had some rest. Joshua is sitting in our jungle of a yard.

Avoidance

It may be easy to avoid but physical balance and health are a very important piece to the life puzzle. I have struggled with my weight for quite a while now. Not my whole life but it started in high school. I can't even blame this weight on my boys. I weigh less now than I did before they came along. It is a huge commitment, so much time and energy, struggles with food, addiction, emotions and hormones. But my doctor, the one who prescribed my high blood pressure medicine, really thinks I need to lose some weight. Don't you think that would motivate me? If only... I highly dislike being told what to do and how to do it. This makes weight loss a bigger challenge. My husband has lost about 45 pounds in the last two years or so and that makes him an expert. I love him so much but he needs to take a class in how to talk to his wife about weight loss. I keep hoping that one day I will wake up and magically want to go to the gym! Or even more importantly, that I'll want to eat nutritious, satisfying foods. I just read this article about having a hungry soul and it really hit home. I wish that I could turn it all over to God but the control freak in me has a tough time with letting go. I guess I need to figure out WHY I eat. Maybe I need therapy. That wouldn't surprise me. Maybe I need to go to the gym. Hmm.
How do you keep physically in balance? What are your challenges? I can't be all alone in this battle, can I? Oh, the picture is me in 1993.

TGoF .1

WOW! Is it Friday already? My week went by really fast. Spring has sprung (and will hopefully be here to stay) here in Sicily. It is a gorgeous day and we had some great playtime with friends this morning.

I am going to continue my weekly post "Thank God on Friday". You can post yours in the comment section or on your blog and then put your address in the comments to share.

Lord God, I am so thankful for/that
#1 YOU! Your grace, love and the joy that you bring into my life!
#2 my wonderful, supportive, handsome husband!
#3 my family's health.
#4 my boys are thriving, loving and potty training.
#5 awesome Christian friends that are supportive, giving and "local" family.
#6 the internet, seriously! For connecting with family and friends, as well as learning resources.
#7 the Bible, I really need a hands on guide to life.
#8 we have freedom to worship you.
#9 we don't have to be scared on a daily basis for our safety (just watched Slumdog Millionaire).
#10 while our country is in a recession we are still amazingly rich and spoiled by worldly standards.
AMEN!

We are starting "My ABC Bible Verses" by Susan Hunt;
A soft answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Colossians 3:20

Have a wonderful weekend! Looking forward to reading what you are thankful for!

TGoF!

I'm thinking this will be my regular Friday post. TGoF! Thank God on Friday! I also challenge any readers to this with me. List ten things that you are thankful for, other than the obvious. Really think about your list. Here is mine...

I am thankful for/that
#1 God was holding my husband in His hands on Sunday when he crashed his motorcycle.
#2 we live in a country (even outside the US) in which we are able to worship our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, not in fear but with joy.
#3 my boys are healthy, happy and thriving.
#4 my husband has a secure job.
#5 the internet. Honestly, it is a necessity living here.
#6 my patience is getting better.
#7 Joshua is finally figuring out the potty thing.
#8 I have amazing friends.
#9 a great family (even my in-laws!).
#10 God puts up with me and all the junk I do and still loves me for me!

Some verses to think about...

Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
Psalm 35:18
I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.
Luke 22:19
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I love BibleGateway.com! Search all the versions of the Bible by keyword, chapter or verse.

Have a blessed day! Enjoy your Easter holiday!

P.S. Thanks to the Company Girls for stopping by and saying hi!

Update to 3/14 Post

It amazes me sometimes how other marriages can be a blessing. Saturday I was a little bummed that I couldn't go to stamp club because my husband was out enjoying his own hobby. Well, some of the other women's husbands (THANKS CHRIS AND TERRELL!) were outside next door and offered to watch my boys. Nikolas slept most of the time and Joshua loves playing with the older boys. So, it worked out great! I owe them one!

Compromising and Balancing in a Marriage

I'm sure that this will be the first of many posts on the subject of marriage. My husband loves to ride his sport bike (a bright green Kawasaki zx6r, for those that care). Once again living overseas has its limitations in purchasing things he needs, especially for this [ridiculously expensive] hobby. But he finally got a trailer to tow the bike to the track. And was finally able to go spend the day at the track with the boys today.

I, on the other hand, was really looking forward to going to Stamp Club with the girls. My friend Mary is a Stampin' Up Consultant. Every month we get together and learn new techniques and do projects. This is one of the highlights of my month. I love crafting and more than that I love fellowship with the girls. I couldn't find a sitter, which is partly my fault for waiting to call them. I'm bummed!

But my husband rarely gets to visit the track. I know how much he loves riding. So, I make the sacrifice for him. My happiness is so important to him and I really want to give him back the things he does for our family. And not be bitter about missing something that is important to me. My husband's happiness is so much more important to me.

1The Song—best of all songs—Solomon's song! The Woman!

2-3Kiss me—full on the mouth!
Yes! For your love is better than wine,
headier than your aromatic oils.
The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook.
No wonder everyone loves to say your name!

4 Take me away with you! Let's run off together!
An elopement with my King-Lover!
We'll celebrate, we'll sing,
we'll make great music.
Yes! For your love is better than vintage wine.
Everyone loves you—of course! And why not?

~Song of Songs 1:1-4 (Message)

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ~Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)

A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
~Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for bringing this man into my life. He is all earthly things to me, he gives me joy, he challenges me. In loving him, I am loved. In understanding him, I am understood. Help me to honor him, to share all things with him, to be one flesh with him. Amen.
(Bible Verses for Busy Moms from Meredith Corporation)

I Must Share This!

I have found a great way to balance the house! Home Sanctuary is new favorite place!

I love it but...

I love reading. Books, magazines, blogs. I love to fill my mind with new information or romantic notions. I try to read a book (not including a Bible or Bible study) at least ten minutes a day. If I commit to ten minutes, then I can usually get enough time to finish a chapter.

Here is my current book list for your enjoyment...
1. California (4 short Christian fiction stories)~Billerbeck, Leonhardt-Koehly, Laity & Yapp
2. Adobe CS4 Master Premium for Dummies ~This book is thick and I probably won't ever finish it but it is full of information for the Adobe programs that I (TRY) to use.
3. John 3:16 ~Nancy Moser, technically I haven't started this one yet but I might when I'm done here.

I also am doing two Bible studies and hopefully one more soon.
1. First Place 4 Health's Begin With Christ -This is a weight loss study that I am leading.
2. A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George -This is great and I highly recommend it!
3. I'm really hoping that my husband will be able to re-prioritize so that we can do The Love Dare study together.

As I am writing this, I'm really thinking that I need to put more book time on my schedule! Happy reading!

Beat The Family Up!

What!? Beat your family up? I don't mean physically beat them. I mean beat them up in the morning. Get up before the kids. I have just started the Bible study "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. She suggests making an appointment with God at the beginning of every day. Here are some verses that she references about when to pray...

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation. ~Psalm 5:3

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ~Mark 1:35

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ~Matthew 6:6

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

And how to pray...

Blessed are they who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart. ~Psalm 119:2

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ~Hebrews 11:6

Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts. ~1 Chronicles 16:9

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. ~1 Chronicles 28:9

So to summarize; Pray with your whole heart with faith in our God, that He will provide all your needs. Start your day with God and know that He is with you all day and you can pray to Him all day. Give Him all your needs, worries and troubles. Praise God with your whole heart and mind.

MIA

So, I've been missing in action for a little bit. I've been leading a Bible study and participating in another. My husband is also going to school, so I don't get as much time to kill on the computer. But I have been trying to balance everything and even keep the house clean. A clean house is low on the priority list for me, personally. I wish I had just a little bit of the compulsive-cleaner-itis that some of my friends have. But something I've done to help balance and also get some prayer time is journaling. I have a couple of beautiful journals that have been sitting on the shelf for quite a while now. I sit down and open my journal and think of all the things I'd like to say but I don't know where to begin. I found a great writer, Alyssa Avant that helps people learn to journal. Check out the site and let me know what you think! Have a blessed and balanced day!

A little more about me...

My name is Emily. I turned 30 in August. I have been lots of things; dental assistant, massage therapist, receptionist, customer service. I never thought I'd figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Enter stage left-Jason.

My husband, Jason, is in the Navy. We met online in July 2004 while he was deployed to Afghanistan. We moved in together shortly after he arrived back stateside. We traveled and had a ton of fun until it was time for him to deploy again, this time to Iraq.
Shortly after he deployed I found out that I was pregnant. I had moved home to stay with family while he was gone. We talked by email every day, at least once. Lots of IMing and texting.

He got home six months later, six weeks before Joshua would arrive. We moved into a small apartment near the base. On march 23rd, Jason proposed. Of course, I said yes. Joshua arrived by scheduled caesarean March 24, 2006. We got married July 4th. It was simple and patriotic. We were surrounded by friends and family. It was wonderful.

In December 2006 we moved to Sicily. Yep, in Italy. Gotta love the Navy, eh? Very shortly after arriving here we found out we were pregnant. In October 2007, we we welcomed Nikolas. Two boys, 18 months apart. Haha. No, not really.

It has been crazy and wonderful and amazing. I never imagined I could feel so much love. Being a mom and a wife must be the best two things to be.

I'll continue on later. I need to drink my Theraflu and get to bed.

Step One

I imagine the first step to getting my life balanced is learning what is most important. Making priorities and keeping them in order. As a Christian, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ should always be number one. My husband is next but some people would argue that your children should be in this spot. But your children aren't going to divorce you or have an affair. Your marriage takes a lot of hard work. I do believe your children are your first ministry but your marriage is your first responsibility.
So, Jesus then your marriage with your children close after that. Not everyone's priorities are the same, nor are the same for your entire life. Every person has many seasons in their life. Some seasons a career is near the top of the list, sometimes its children or finding a spouse.
Right now, my home is higher than a career because I'm not currently working outside the home. I plan on returning to school in the next year or so and at that time I'm sure that will require more balancing. I also have responsibilities to my women's Bible study group. I serve on the board and this spring I am leading a study. I also have Stamp Club, which is very important girl/craft time away from the kids.
I also do a lot online. I Squidoo, blog, CafePress & Zazzle I am an affiliate for Compelling Creations. I am an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts.
Somewhere in there I need to exercise and have some time to relax and rejuvenate. I also need to clean and cook and do laundry. How do people manage it all? That is what I plan to answer on this journey in this new year.

Here is some scripture to help you prioritize.

~Proverbs3 5-12 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this.

~1 John 2:17 (NIV)
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

~2 Corinthians 3:5 (CEV)
We don't have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all that we do.

~Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.