Coming Forth as Gold

A few weeks ago, we were sitting in church, and our pastor made a statement that has stayed with me ever since. He said "God can use my problems to CHANGE ME." Sounds like such a simple statement, and yet, it really resonated with my soul and caused me to ruminate on it for a few weeks.

I've always dreaded the "problems" that I've had in my life, whether it was my perfectionism that caused me anxiety, my issues with food and weight, or my need to be liked by everyone. I've always viewed these problems as weaknesses, a thorn in my heel, and issues that I need to somehow manage in order to get by and live life as balanced as possible. I mean, don't we all try to do that? Pacify our problems so that they don't take over our lives? So we can still function normally, and at times even ignore that these problems exist? I've done this time and time again, and it has only resulted in anxiety, depression, emotional eating, and painful loneliness. 

But ever since our pastor made that simple comment above, that God can use our problems to change us, I've had an entirely different view of my problems. I've even viewed them as blessings; avenues that God has allowed me to take in order to change me from the inside out.  I just keep thinking of Job 23:10, (even though Job went through WAY more than I have), and how God has seen my problems, "tried" me, and that I will come forth as gold. 

You might think that is being a bit too positive, but hear me out. All my life, I've tried to stay quiet about my problems and my issues. I've hidden my struggles with food for the past 14 years. I've told people one thing, and I've done another. I've isolated myself in depression and loneliness over not being liked, not having friends, and just never being "enough." I've wallowed in self pity for years, and I can honestly say that in this past year, God has done SO much work on my heart, has tried me, has loved me...and is refining me to the point that one day, by His grace, I will come forth as gold. These negative thoughts about myself have been replaced with empowering ones, and I know that God is doing a work in my life. 

Being open about my struggles with food and weight have actually turned into a blessing. Honesty has allowed me to CHANGE my habits, overcome the binge-restrict cycle that I have followed since I was 13; and, the best part, it has allowed me to reach out to dozens of people that have experienced the same struggles I have. I have had the opportunity to pour into other peoples' lives, share my vulnerabilities, and be a support to them, just as I have received support from those around me. 

I really believe that the problems I have experienced are being used by God. He is using me to grow me and change me, and in the process, to help and encourage others. I am beyond blessed to be doing what I do and a dietitian and a health and fitness coach, and to have such a loving Father that would allow me to be used in this way. If I hadn't gone through what I have, I wouldn't be half as relatable to those I serve. 

There are days I still struggle, get depressed, fight anxiety, and eat emotionally. But, I know that God is refining and pruning me, and for that I am grateful. He never gives up on us! We can never mess up TOO much for Him. We can't "out-sin" His forgiveness and grace. God is in the business of showing us the grace and mercy that we do NOT deserve. His love is simply amazing. 

This is why, I will continue to view my problems as a means of God changing and refining me. Of His transformative power working in my life. All the hardships in my life are for a purpose, and God will use them to glorify Him! 

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10

Changing Things UP!

Good morning everyone! It really feels like Monday today, even though it is Tuesday, and for that, I am grateful! This long weekend was just what I needed, to not only rest but also get a ton of stuff ready for my bridal shower coming up. I am getting married in 62 days and can't believe all the things that still need to get done. But I know that everything will happen in time, and in a little over two months, I will be in Hawaii with my hubby and we will be beginning a new phase of our lives together. I can't wait! So many things have changed about my food and fitness routine in the past couple weeks. I am really trying to discover what works best for me, my body, and my mind. I've dialed back the intensity of my workouts and have been doing a lot more light walking. I also ordered PiYo, which came in the mail yesterday! It was perfect because it arrived on a Monday, and the program calendar starts on a Monday with their Align fundamentals workout, so I did that yesterday.

I am looking forward to this program because I feel that it is exactly what my body needs at the moment; some hard core toning work without jumping up and down and killing my knees. I've had so much knee soreness and pain lately, even thought I haven't been running nearly as much. My cardio has been walking, elliptical, very SLOW and SHORT runs (like 5.0 mph for 10 minutes or so), walking, and more walking. Did I mention...walking? I've been walking outside, on the treadmill, and on my breaks from work. It's really helped keep me active and motivated with my steps (I bought a Fit Bit a few weeks back and love it!) and it's been easy on my knees. This is me taking a nice sunny walk last week on my 10 minute break at work!

Like I said, I bought a FitBit and it has been really fun to use! I love seeing how many steps I've taken and how active I've been. This morning's workout set me up pretty good, all before 7am! I did a 40 minute elliptical workout and did a slow 12 minute run. I plan on doing the PiYo lower body workout tonight when I get home from work!

Food wise, I've been letting myself have a little too many treats and sweets lately, which is ok in moderation, but not ok every day! I'm trying to move forward and have been keeping things pretty healthy the past few days. My fiancé and I did get Pinkberry this past weekend on Valentine's Day, but hey...we were celebrating!

As many of you know, I've been on a journey of no more calorie counting. I can't help but think that maybe I need that structure back in my life, especially with my wedding coming up and all the stress eating/not eating that tends to happen around this time! I've been playing around with the idea of keeping track of myself again, but I'm not too sure about it yet. But that's another post for another time...

Lastly, I bought this new journaling Bible that I am IN LOVE with. I am a huge margin writer, underliner, and highlighter when it comes to reading my Bible. I love that this Bible leaves room for me to write!

Life has been great lately. Things have been good, and I am looking forward to my wedding in just a couple short months! But things have also been stressful. Which is normal when you are going through any exciting time in your life. I've just learned that I can't rely on my own strength to get through. I definitely need Jesus and the people around me. Don't think you have to do things all on your own...we have a God who loves us and wants to strengthen us, as well as a God who puts people around us to help us through our stressful and exciting times!

Well, I am off to work and to conquer this busy day ahead of me. I plan on writing up some meal plans and recipes this week, so I will hopefully make the time for that soon! Happy Tuesday everyone!

"Lead me to the Cross"

 

This is my song today. This is my prayer today. That God would lead me to the cross where Jesus died. That I would recognize how much God loves me and gave His own Son for my forgiveness. That His love pours out and is immeasurable...more than I could ever imagine. That what I am means nothing without Jesus Christ saving me. That, just as Luke 9:23 says, "Whoever wants to be my [Christ's] disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me [Him]."

How could I pick anything or anyone besides Jesus? How could anything take His place in my life. I pray that God "rids me of myself," all my selfish desires, and all the clutter that gets in the way of my relationship with Him. Because it isn't worth it. I belong to HIM. I want to be rid of myself. I want to be filled with more of Jesus, less of me. I want my faith, hope, joy, and love to be increased in Him. I want Him to be shown through all I do today. I am asking Him for His strength to help me lay myself down, surrender myself to Him, and truly belong to Him each and every day through my words, thoughts, and actions. Amen. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdq9Q8wJdjc

Psalm 27

Psalm 27

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? 2 When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. 6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.

7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! 8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” 9 Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! 10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.

11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. 12 Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. 13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

I have been reading this passage over and over for the past week. So many thoughts have been bouncing around in my head about it. Every time I read it, I gain new insight and understanding into what the psalmist (David) is trying to express. I love that about God's word, it is alive and active! Never gets boring and never stops being relevant. My fiancé mentioned this passage to me last week at a point where I was feeling pretty down about different things going on in life. Even though I have read this passage countless times growing up, it came alive to me this past week to a point where I could just not get enough. I began mediating on it and rereading different verses and began to see and understand more and more how God is always with us and how I should not live in fear. I thought I would try to write out my reflections on this passage in the hopes of organizing them in my mind, and maybe motivating some of you to read it as well! This passage was a great comfort to me, and I know it will be to anyone else who reads it as well!

The first part of the psalm immediately starts out by saying the Lord is our light and salvation. Light shows us the way to go, and the Lord does just that. He clarifies our way and decisions. All we need to do is go to Him and remain in His light. The verses go on to say that the Lord is our fortress and protects us, so why are we afraid? I am such an overthinker/worrier and am constantly afraid of some "what-if" that ends up not even happening. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things in life that are perfectly legitimate things to be afraid of. But with the Lord at our side, we can stand in confidence (v. 3). It may feel like we are at war and that we are surrounded by constant attack, worry, hopelessness, or any other negative association with this world. But God is at our side, and we can remain confident in Him!

I love how David expresses how much he desires and longs to be with God. I want that longing for God and only God. In verse 4, he says that the ONE thing he asks for and seeks is to live in the house of the Lord and delight in Him. The more we know God, the more we will delight in Him, and the more we will WANT to know Him. I've realized that the best way to know God is to ask God to open up my heart to His presence and goodness, immerse myself in His word, and stay in constant communication with Him.

One of the most profound parts of this psalm for me was verses 7-8, where David says that his heart has heard God's call, and his heart responds back to God saying "Lord, I am coming." I love this. I realized that David's close relationship to God (he was, after all, known as a man "after God's own heart") made it possible for him to hear the Lord's calling, and for his heart to respond to his God. Our hearts can be so distracted and full of many other things in this world that we can hardly hear the soft call of God to come to Him, spend time with Him, and rest in His presence. I want there to be CLARITY in my heart. I want nothing to stand in the way of God's communication and call to my heart, so that when I hear it, I can respond as David did: Lord, I am coming! To me, this means not spending time or energy on anything that will draw me away from God, and cause me to fall father away from Him and His love. This also means trusting in God, going to Him in times of trouble, and believing that He is who He says He is, and He will be there and comfort me always, just as verse 9 says about how God has always been David's helper.

David also asks God to "teach him how to live" (verse 11). I realized that so many times, I am unwilling to learn new things, especially if they mean a disturbance in my everyday routine and life. David had a teachable heart. He constantly wanted to learn from the Lord and be willing to grow. This has become my prayer, that the Lord would grow me and strengthen me, and teach me how to live for His glory and purpose, not my own. David ends this psalm by saying he is confident he will see God's goodness in the land of the living. He is confident that God is good, all the time. He wants to wait patiently for the Lord, because His timing is perfect (hey, it's a cliche because it's TRUE). I love that he uses the words "brave" and "courageous." He calls us to be those two things, which means it actually is possible to be brave, courageous, and not live in fear. This goes right back to how he starts his psalm about not living in fear and not being afraid, because God is with us. Only the Lord can enable us to be brave and courageous, because He is our light, and will lead us to His goodness.

Oh, how I love the Word of God! The more you dig into the Word, the more alive it becomes. I pray that this desire never dies in my life, and I also pray that all of you can experience the joy of relationship with the Lord as well!

Zucchini Stew & My Last Day of "Freedom!"

Well, today was my last day of unemployment. Everyone keeps saying it's my last day of freedom, which I accept. I won't be able to spend hours at the gym anymore, cook long drawn-out meals for myself, read a book a day, or go see 10am movies for $7. But, I am beyond blessed to have gotten this job and am so excited to start my career as a Registered Dietitian! I woke up around 5:30 this morning and immediately got up to get a head start on my day. I had things that I had to get done today, such as cleaning my closet and organizing my clothes, so I didn't waste any time! As I've mentioned before, one of my goals this year is to read through the entire Bible in one year. I finished the book of Genesis today, so one book down and 65 to go! I especially love Genesis 50:20, when Joseph reconciles with his brothers that sold him into slavery and says, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (Genesis 50:20 ESV)

I love this verse because it basically sums up God's redemptive work in our lives. There is a lot of evil and hard situations in the world we live in, so we definitely need the grace of God to get us through the life He has given us on earth!! But what is meant for evil towards us, God can redeem and work out for our good! I've experienced this countless times in my own life. When things are going horribly or I have no idea why something is not working out, I remember that God means for things to turn out for good according to His plans and purposes! It fills me with peace and comfort, because even though I may have no idea what I am doing, God always knows, and His plans are way better than mine! Just check out the following verses!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8, 9 ESV)

After my quiet time, I had a quick pre-workout meal before going to the gym. I had my favorite halloum cheese again melted in one of my grain-free tortillas! Check a few posts back for the link to the recipe I used by Against All Grain!

I still felt a little hungry after my cheese sandwich, and I didn't want to run low on fuel during my workout! So I had a few of our many macadamia nuts before heading out the door!

My workout was pretty good today! Which is great because I'm definitely going to have to tweak and adjust my workout schedule once I start my new job tomorrow!! This morning, I did 3 miles on the elliptical, and 12 miles on the bike (which is the equivalent of 4 miles for my 150 miles by valentines day challenge)! I'm at a total of 83/150 miles so far.

After my cardio, I did some deadlifts, the lat row machine, and the tricep machine! I'm excited because I've definitely been feeling stronger and needing to up my weight, which is a sign of progress! The minute I got home, before losing motivation, I also did my TIU Love your Booty routine for the Love Your Body challenge I am doing with Tone it Up!

After my workouts, I made some egg tacos and used my last two grain-free tortillas to wrap them up. I was so sad I was out of tortillas, but I'll definitely be making these again on a regular basis because I just loved them!!

It was almost 9:30 after my breakfast, but I was still not feeling motivated to clean my room. I decided to do the quick TIU Beach yoga routine instead before showering and attacking my closet.

The yoga routine is 20 minutes, challenging, and gave me the right balance of relaxation and motivation to get to my closet. But, after my shower, I skyped with one of my best friends that moved away a week ago, which was a definite necessity since I miss her like crazy! Then, I finally turned my attention to the clothes! It felt so nice weeding out things that I've had since high school but NEVER wear, and organizing all of my shoes and outfits. It also helped me see that I really DO have ample clothes for a business casual wardrobe, and will not be needing to go shopping for work clothes...drat! :)

After packaging up by clothes to give away, I looked at the time and it was almost 1pm! I reheated the remainder of my turkey chili and sliced up some cucumbers into little "chips" to dip into my hummus. I was STUFFED by the end of this meal! Something about the protein, fat, and veggie combination in that chili makes it a nutritional punch and fills you up, setting you up for an energetic afternoon instead of a slump! Check a few posts back to see my easy peasy turkey chili recipe!

After lunch, I decided to spend some time out of the house. I wanted to do something fun on my last day as a free woman, so I decided to head to my local Peet's coffee shop and enjoy some time outside while reading and sipping on my favorite Masala Chai tea! The weather has been beautiful here, so I wanted to enjoy every minute of it! And I was even able to wear my cute green shorts in January...and what could be better than that!??

I spent over 2 hours at Peet's reading, journaling, and doing some Bible study homework. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I didn't want to tear myself away, but knew I had to get home. After cleaning up my room a little more, I got to cooking dinner with my Mama! My family makes an amazing zucchini stew that is usually served over rice, but since adopting a more grain-free diet, I've eaten it just by its lonesome without the rice, and have never looked back! I don't even miss the rice because the zucchini, beef, and tomato sauce give so much flavor to this dish that is still tastes delicious even on its own. It is the perfect bowl of comforting goodness, which is why I put it on the menu for tonight! I wanted to make a meal that was warm, nourishing, and would make enough for leftovers for me to take to work tomorrow. This meal was just that!

Zucchini Stew (makes 6 servings)

2 T olive oil

1 cup diced onions

1 lb ground beef (we used the grass fed 85/15 from Trader Joe's)

6 medium-sized zucchini

1 15 oz diced tomatoes

3 T tomato paste

1 t salt

1/2 t red pepper

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t all spice

Start by heating up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the ground beef and chop it up into tiny pieces until it is cooked through.

While the beef is cooking, wash and slice up your zucchini into thin disks!

Once the meat is cooked all the way through, add the zucchini, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings! Mix all the ingredients together, then leave the pot over medium heat for about 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. There should be enough liquid in the pot since zucchini release a lot of moisture, but if the mixture ever gets dry, add a bit of water to it!

Once the zucchini cooks through and gets mushy, the dish is done! It should resemble a stew-like consistency.

We thoroughly enjoyed this meal tonight; my parents added rice to theirs, but I enjoyed the stew as is! I hope you all get to try this dish this winter; it's perfect for cold and cozy nights! Not to mention it is gluten/grain free, paleo, and Whole 30 approved!

Well, my last evening as a free woman is coming to a close! Now I have to pack my lunch for tomorrow (that's going to take getting used to!) and run a few errands before bed! I need to find a purse that is cute, professional, but still big enough to hold my nalgene water bottle, notebook, and any other necessities I may need at work. It's definitely hard to find a purse with all of those qualities, but I am determined!! I hope you all have a wonderful night! The next time you hear from me, I will be a working girl! :)

Workout Revelations and an Easy Lunch Idea!

Happy Thursday everyone! I can't believe it is almost the weekend, and almost mid-December! This month is flying by. I leave for a 2-week Hawaiian cruise with my parents in exactly 8 days and am getting more and more excited as the days go by! I'm planning on writing next week about how to have a healthy vacation (yes, even a healthy cruise!) and what my plans are during the vacation! I have been successful on 2 cruises in the past and actually came home having lost weight! So believe me, it IS possible! Today started out like any typical day. I had hoped to sleep in but woke up at exactly 5:55am and could not get back to sleep. But I did some early morning quiet time with Jesus, which I love, so it was worth it! I got ready for the gym and had my 2 carrot cake squares (check previous posts for the recipe!) while Pinteresting. Check out the cute pin I found a couple days ago! I want all of those disney workout shirts!!!!

After having my pre workout meal, I headed to the gym for a double Elliptical and Bike workout, with some toning exercises. I have been having a workout revelation lately. As many of you know, I am a runner, but about 2 months ago my hip and knee starting giving me problems. The hip pain has resolved, as it was most probably an overuse injury. But pain in both my knees continued until I finally saw an orthopedic surgeon at the end of last month who believes I have many different "runners knee" type symptoms, as well as cartilage breakdown and possible meniscus tears in both knees. She told me to hold off on running for a couple months, and I am planning on starting physical therapy at the beginning of January! In the meantime, the list of approved exercises she gave me was very short: elliptical, stationary bike, toning workouts for my quads, hamstrings, and calves, with no squats or lunges (or bending in general) allowed! These limitations have caused me to become extra creative in and outside of the gym! I used to believe running was the best form of cardio, not to mention I absolutely loved running in general. But, I realized this week that, even though it has taken a while, I am actually enjoying my current workout regimen! I usually split up my cardio time between the elliptical and bike, and then either do some machines for toning at the gym, or come home and do a "body blasting workout" (BBW) of my own creation. My BBW is similar to my arm blasting workout (check a few posts back) but I have incorporated some leg movements to work my lower body in the most low-impact way possible. I'll try to post more about what this workout entails, but for now let's just say that I have definitely been feeling the burn! Between deadlifts, leg lifts/raises, and donkey kicks on the ground, not a day has gone by without my lower body being just as sore as my upper body! I've been absolutely loving all the toning work I've been doing. I've also realized that my time on the elliptical has been serving as a warm up for my new-found cardio love...the BIKE! I sweat like no other on that machine and always play around with the resistance to challenge my body. Wearing my heart rate monitor has also shown me that my heart rate on the bike is just the same, or sometimes even higher, than my heart rate would be when I would run. This shows that I am still getting a great cardio workout without any impact on my joints. Anyways! Long story short, or maybe it was still long :)...I am thoroughly enjoying my workout routine, even though I am anxious to get to the physical therapist in January and hopefully get back into running soon, while still incorporating the exercises I have been currently doing.

After my workout, I headed to Trader Joe's to get a few things. I was already hungry before my workout (should have had that 3rd carrot cake square!) but didn't want to get too full before working out. I picked up a few essentials for us at the store, then headed home to make my egg white, chicken sausage, kale, and pepper scramble. I had zero patience while cooking my breakfast and had a banana while I waited! :)

After breakfast, I did a few things around the house (laundry, cleaning, etc.) and headed to the mall to get some quest bars! I'm in love with the new double chocolate chunk flavor and want to stock up before our cruise! I know the cruise has food available at all times, but I just love these bars so much I have to take a few with me!

Around 12:30 I started getting hungry for lunch. I wanted to whip up something quick, easy, healthy and delicious. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge and wanted to put it to good use! I love how versatile rotisserie chicken can be! I sautéed some broccoli in olive oil while I chopped up a sweet potato to pop in the microwave. I usually bake my sweet potatoes, but I was in a hurry so I used the microwave! I shredded some of the chicken breast off the rotisserie, and added that as well as the microwaved sweet potato into the skillet with the already sizzling broccoli! To season, I just used some garlic powder and salt-free cajun seasoning. You could also add buffalo hot sauce, sriacha, or even BBQ sauce to this bowl, but I just wanted to keep it simple and tasty! The combination of these foods tasted delicious and I was very full and satisfied afterwards!

And now I am off to the mall again to meet up with one of my best friends! I just love the mall during Christmas...and might pick up a few more quest bars...haha :)

I hope you all are having a great Thursday so far!

Arm Blasting Workout and Dining Out Tips!

I am finally going to share with you what I have been calling my "random" or "arm" workouts! I am seeing the doctor soon and canNOT wait to figure out what is causing all of this pain in my knees and hips! In the meantime, I have been trying to keep myself busy and active in the most pain-free way that I can. I also thought I'd share my meals on a day where I did not have the chance to cook all my foods and dined out instead! There are ways to eat healthy and still enjoy your meals while dining out! Read on to find out how! :) This morning, I woke up and started my day with Jesus! Everyone spends time with Jesus in a different way, but I feel that I am at my best in the mornings and want to begin the day with God before I do anything else. I spent some time reading and reflecting on 2 Corinthians 3-4 and wrote down some verses that stood out to me. I especially loved verses 17-18 in chapter 3 where Paul writes that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM! Which means we can be free from anything that is weighing us down once we accept Jesus and have his Holy Spirit living in us. Because wherever His Spirit is, there is freedom; freedom from habits, worry, guilt, shame, (ahem, text anxiety) or any other feelings or situations that have a hold on us. I just love the freedom that God always promises His children, and the peace that inevitably comes with that freedom!

After my quiet time, I made some breakfast, which consisted of my usual scramble with kale, peppers, and a side of avocado. Yum!

I studied for a little while after breakfast and then decided to do my short workout that I have been doing lately since I have been out of commission. This workout got my heart pumping and my arms burning! I finally jotted the exercises down today (picture below). I do each exercise for 1 minute and the whole list for 2 rounds, for a total of 20 minutes. The faster you do the moves, the more calories you burn. In just about 6-7 songs, this workout is accomplished!

After I was done, I was drenched and out of breath! And produced a nice little calorie burn!

After studying some more, I decided to take a break and get out of the house to walk around my local mall. I knew I wouldn't be having lunch until later, as I was meeting my cousin around 1:30. I decided to pack a small snack with me to eat at the mall. Even though I know the mall has food and I could have gotten a snack from there, I definitely didn't want to give in to the smells of sugary pretzels, salty popcorn, or sweet cinnamon rolls! I know my body pretty well, and knew I would get hungry at the mall. I always make sure I have a small snack with me at all times so I can have something to fall back on while I am out and there are limited healthy options! SO! I packed one of my gingerbread cake squares (recipe posted!) and some grapes.

This was the PERFECT snack while I was walking around and enjoying all the Christmas decorations!

After spending some time at the mall, I drove back home and studied some more (surprise, surprise). When it came time for lunch, I decided to walk down to the restaurant where I was meeting my cousin. I bundled up (yay for fall weather, FINALLY!) and took the short 10 minute stroll down to the restaurant.

The restaurant we went to had a wide variety of foods ranging from salads, sandwiches, wraps, pastas, and grilled BBQ options. For lunch, I had a salad with a ton of yummy veggies and some tri-tip! I asked for the dressing of the salad on the side to regulate how much dressing I was using. This place usually brings their salads swimming in dressing, and I definitely didn't want that. The tri-tip portion was HUGE, so I could only stomach a few slices! This was a great meal that left me feeling comfortable and full. They brought out two breadsticks with my meal as well, but I didn't even feel like eating them. Protein with veggies is such a satiating and satisfying combination, which is why I usually stick to these options while eating out.

For dinner, my parents and I decided on Cheesecake Factory. I usually get the same old chicken lettuce wraps, salmon, or salads every time I go to Cheesecake, but this time I wanted something different. This is also a very important factor when going out. Try new things! This way you will have a variety of healthy options instead of feeling stuck with only one healthy dish per restaurant, which can get mundane. It is always possible to tweak meals and ask for special orders while going out! Your health is important, so don't be too shy to ask (politely of course)! :) My friend gave me the suggestion to try the turkey burger, so I got it lettuce wrapped with a side salad! It was DELICIOUS!

Overall, this was a great day for healthy choices. I was able to get a short workout in even with my injuries. And I did not let eating out stop me from making healthy choices! To summarize my tips below:

*I have a healthy snack on hand while I am out, just in case hunger strikes...

*I have mostly protein and vegetables when dining out...

*I ask for sauces and dressings on the side, and...

*I am always up for experimenting and trying new things!

Boredom with food is such a sad place to be, especially if you are a foodie like me! That is why variety and FUN are so important when it comes to making healthy choices.

I hope you all have a wonderful night and get a chance to try the arm blasting workout!

Just keep walking, just keep walking...

Happy Tuesday everyone! I have been such a bad blogger lately, but I am determined to get back at it! One reason being I miss writing and it is such a stress relief for me during this crazy time of studying! And also because I want to try some new recipes soon and get back in the kitchen! It's been hard to cook lately since my schedule has been taken over by studying for my RD exam. But I'm hoping to get back to the cooking and baking soon!

Update on my hip/knee situation: Basically, all I have been doing for the past week is walking, walking, walking. My new shoes have been working out really well for me!

I still have some aches and pains, so I am continuing my walk/stretch/ice regimen for a couple more weeks. I'm hoping to maybe be able to start running by December...Christmas present to myself?? Here's to hoping!

My days have been pretty routine lately. Basically, I have been waking up in the mornings, having my quiet time, then heading to the gym. This song has been in my head for days and days, and I have had it on repeat all morning! I highly recommend it :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VRUU8UBXCk

Yesterday morning, I woke up and made some banana peanut butter waffles. My dad had the day off, so I decided to make us some breakfast before heading to the gym!

I walked for 30 minutes, then did the TIU shoulder routine (I've posted this before, it's great! Just look back a few posts for the video!)

I came back home, showered, and hit the books with studying for my RD (registered dietitian) exam. There is so much information I need to know, and I am feeling pretty overwhelmed! But I am studying the best I can and praying for focus! Around 11am (I know, early, right?) I made a quick lunch for my dad and I. I seasoned some canned in water tuna with some olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper, and garlic powder. It tasted great in our flat out bread! We also had a side of carrots with eggplant hummus (my favorite kind from Trader Joe's!)

After lunch, my dad and I headed to Peet's to have some tea and study/read. It was so nice having my dad to hang out with yesterday. I am usually home alone during the days studying and just keeping myself busy. It was such a blessing to have some company! I got the Masala Chai tea and munched on an apple later on in the afternoon. I knew I'd get hungry before dinner since we had lunch so early, so I planned ahead and brought a juicy and delicious apple!

  

I also had a small handful of nuts when we got home from the coffee shop. I was still feeling hungry and knew I wouldn't make it until dinner. 

  

I was contemplating just staying home for dinner so I could continue my studying, but my parents convinced me to get out and spend some time with my family, which I'm so glad I did! Life is all about balance, and I knew that I would just burn out if I continued studying through the night instead of getting out. We went out to one of my favorite restaurants, Pita Jungle! This place uses such fresh and healthy ingredients, and I can always count on their food tasting delicious. I got the broiled chicken pita wrap!

 

After dinner, I studied some more but could not keep my eyes open after 9pm! I know, grandma status. I finally decided to sleep around 9:30. I tend to listen to my body when it comes to sleep and not fight it, because if I do, I've found that I miss my window of opportunity for good sleep and end up staying up all night and being very restless!

So that was my day yesterday! I am hoping to do some baking and cooking soon and get back on here to share some recipes with you guys! I hope you all have a fabulous day! :)

Rest Day: Daily Manna 10/17

Soooo this Daily Manna is being written a day late, but that's okay! It's also probably not a very exciting one, because yesterday was a rest day. I am not a fan of rest days! I know I may be a rare breed but I literally wake up in the mornings excited for my run and my workout! But, I knew I had to take a rest day yesterday because of my hip/knee (and possibly today too...icing my injuries at the moment). My pain has progressively gotten worse over the past week, to the point where my entire right leg feels like dead weight. I regretfully decided to take a rest day yesterday, so this is what my day looked like! I woke up early per usual, since my internal clock believes the day will go to waste if I wake up after 6:30am. However, I've always been okay with this because it makes me feel very productive. I am a morning person through and through. After my quiet time, I decided to channel my usual morning energy from my workout to some study energy! I took my mom to work and was at a coffee shop by 7:30am with my RD study book studying away.

As you can tell, I was very sad to be taking a rest day, but decided that my Mickey and Minnie shirt would obviously make me feel better! :) I also thoroughly enjoyed my new and improved pumpkin bread recipe! I am trying to decrease the amount of protein powder I am using and increase the almond flour to help with how fluffy the baked good is coming out, and boy was I successful! I'm going to do the same thing with my brownies today and see if it will make them equally as moist and fluffy! And I can hopefully post these new and improved recipes soon!

ANYWAYS! I got to coffee bean and studied straight for about 2 hours...

I then decided to take a break for my apple and 100 calorie pack of almonds!

I read some of my book during my break as well ("Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis) and then continued to study until about 11am. My brain was definitely feeling tired at this point. I went to Chipotle to grab lunch for my friend, my mom, and myself! I then headed to my mom's work to have lunch with them!

Lunch was kind of disappointing. I haven't had the meat at chipotle for a few weeks every since I tried the barbacoa (which usually tastes great) and had an awful experience with it. But I also don't like just getting beans and rice because, even though it tastes great, it doesn't fill me up as much as the protein. I decided to be brave and try the bowl with 1/2 barbacoa and 1/2 chicken...which was a bad idea since I got sick again...ohhhhh Chipotle. SO good but so bad...I guess I will have to stick to my beans and rice and make sure I have substantial protein and go easy on the grains during the day!

I ended up staying at my mom's work and studying there for a while longer until my brain just could not take it anymore! I had my snackie snack while reading some of my Bible. I love having some Bible time mid-day. My quiet times in the morning are so special to me, but sometimes I need that little reminder during the day of God's promises and how much He loves and cares for me! :)

We had an early dinner last night and I forgot to take a picture of it even though we went to one of my favorite pizza places! Yes, I said pizza! I love this place and the gluten in the crust is definitely worth it to me! They make their pizza so fluffy and fresh and delicious. We usually start out with a yummy and light salad, followed by our pizza! My mom and I shared a "personal" sized veggie pizza, which is actually enough for about 3 people! I had two slices and definitely savored every bite of each slice! I've realized that, if I space out my gluten enough, it doesn't bother my tummy as much. But if I have too much of it in one day, or all day for a few days in a row, that's when the problems occur. I am happy to report that last night's dinner did not bother me and I enjoyed every single bite! I promise to take pictures next time, because the pictures definitely portray how yummy this pizza really is!!!

Currently, I am icing my hip and knee, which is really helping with the inflammation and pain. I was planning to take a rest day today as well, but I am contemplating going to the gym to do an easy elliptical workout and some weights. I guess I will see as the day progresses!

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and weekend! :)

Take My Thoughts Captive

Lately, I have been trying to be more intentional about my thoughts. My thought life is very jumpy and inconsistent. I tend to have full-faith about things one moment, then be crippled with anxiety and worry the next. I turn to the Lord during these times, but it is very difficult to keep my eyes and mind fixed on God when there are constant distractions and problems coming my way. Anyone else? I feel like life is always going to throw us waves, and I would love to just swim in the storms that come at me knowing the Lord is with me even in the turmoil. I think having this type of peace starts with have captive thoughts. I use this phrase a lot and it is often a staple in my prayers during times of worry, anxiety, or feelings of defeat. This concept of "captive thoughts" was first brought to my attention while reading 2 Corinthians 10. Verses 3-5 jumped out at me:

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

I've memorized this verse because it has become a constant companion for me in times of distress. I love the promise that God equips us with weapons to demolish our strongholds. Strongholds are anything that take us "captive" and consume us whether it is work, school, family, striving for good health, worry, anxiety, etc. Many of these things aren't bad by themselves (for example, being healthy is great! Having a good job to support your family is wonderful!) But, anything, even good things, can become a stronghold if they take the place of God is our lives. Psalm 18:2 states, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (emphasis mine). God is the only one that can secure us as our fortress, deliverer, rock, shield, and stronghold. But isn't it so like us humans to get swept up in our thoughts, problems, and lives that we turn these into our focus, our motivations for security, and essentially our strongholds? These thoughts, as 2 Corinthians states, can set themselves up against the knowledge of God. Thoughts like "if I have that job, car, dress, significant other, etc, my life will be so much better and complete" can often turn our motivations upside-down and cause us to focus on "worldly-things" instead of "God-things."

But! Thank the Lord He has equipped us with weapons to demolish these strongholds! We can tear down these "arguments" and "pretensions" in our heads that place worldly things before our relationship with God. When worries and anxieties come, which, let's face it, they inevitably will, we can turn to the Lord and ask Him to equip us with weapons that demolish these thoughts. We can put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:13-18 states,

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

These verses seem pretty dense, but they are basically telling us to take up the armor that God freely gives us through His promises, forgiveness, grace, and WORD. The more we know about God, the more we can use these weapons against our destructive thoughts. And how do we know more about God? By taking the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" and becoming so familiar with who God is, what He promises, and what He has done for us, which is all recorded in His word!

Knowing more truths about God will help us focus on who HE is in times of anxiety and worry. When these times come, we can ask him to take all of our thoughts captive and make them obedient to HIM! God has equipped us with the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), and we can use this power. We can ask God for wisdom and believe that He will give it to us (James 1:5). Galatians 5:1 states, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." God set us free to be and live like we are a FREE people, not to still be captive to destructive and anxiety-driven thoughts.

However, we cannot have captive thoughts that are obedient to Christ without the help and power of the Holy Spirit. We must ASK God to help us in our thought-lives. We must acknowledge that the Lord's thoughts and ways are greater than any of our worries, problems, or even aspirations and dreams. Isaiah 55: 8-9 state: "“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." We have to trust that God has a better plan for us because His ways are higher than we can ever imagine! Trust me, this is SO hard for me. It is difficult to focus on what God is doing at times when things just seem so overwhelming you can't fathom how it will all work out for your good. But the Bible even has something to say about that :) Romans 8:28 states: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

I am trying so hard to be more intentional about what I think about. We simply have to believe what the Lord says. Believe that we can demolish strongholds by asking for the weapons that God has promised to us. Believe that we can ask God to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. And lastly, believe that God will work all things together for our good! :)