Five Pounds Update
Happy Monday, everyone! I thought I would give a little update on my Five Pounds. I've been going to my aerobics classes, eating Lean Cuisines for lunch and sometimes dinner, and cutting out the fast food except for my once-a-week Chick-fil-a. For better or worse, I don't own a scale, but I think the five pounds are gone or are pretty close to being gone. My clothes fit right again, but what's better than that is I don't feel guilty about my eating habits. Sweet freedom!
Yesterday I had some french fries and - I won't lie - they were very, very, very delicious. My mouth was elated. But this morning I woke up with a stomach ache and I realized it was because I had eaten fried food for the first time in a while. I think my system is happier not having to deal with that and my mind is happier knowing I'm not being mastered by food. It's a win-win situation!
Thankfully, my husband is doing this with me. We take turns being tempted by McDonald's, but the other talks some sense into the weaker brother or sister. Then we do a fist-bump and congratulate ourselves on resisting. Curtis has definitely lost his five pounds. I know some of you were hoping to see his picture, but he wants to wait until April, which is when his Biggest Loser contest at work is over.
So yesterday I went to the Lean Cuisine web site to see if there are any good meals I've been missing out on. (Here's my hit list: chicken carbonara, sesame chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, roasted garlic chicken pizza, and the southwest style chicken panini.) Let me just say that Lean Cuisine has got it goin' on. You can send motivational e-cards to your friends dealing with their five pounds. Check this one out.
Is that perfect, or what?
posted by Amanda @ 10:48 AM
49 Comments
49 Comments:
I started the Weight Watchers points diet in Jan. I have been eating Lean Cuisines for lunch.
I have lost 8 pounds and feel much better. I love the southwest style chicken panini!!! I tried Chicken Parmesan this weekend,and it wasn't too good. But, you might like it. Weight Watchers' website has some great receipes if you get tired of the Lean Cuisines. Happy Healthy Eating!!! Question for Beth: I know you walk your dogs and jog. Do you always do this in the mornings? I have a very hard time getting up...not a morning person. Just wondering if the exercise in the morning might help.
Have a great day in the LORD!!!
From
Healthy Eating in Alabama
Amanda,
You are so cool for being so open about losing weight! I couldn't even look at the scale this morning at the doctor's office-it completely frightens me!!! Keep up the good work and I am glad that your husband is in on the game too! It is so hard to not eat what they (men) eat, especially when they don't gain weight as quickly as we do. My mom came to visit me 5 years ago once we had been married a few months. Much to my dismay, we had to have a talk about not eating the same platefull that my husband usually does! Wow-what a bubble burster! Needless to say, 5 years later, both of us have to watch each other on portion control!
By the way, Chick-Fil-A is such a great way to cheat on the diet! I really don't consider it cheat food-its comfort food!
Thanks for the cute blog!
love,
sarah
Pinehurst NC, but a Texas Girl at heart (gig em' aggies!)
Congrats to you and Curtis!! My husband and I need to have a Biggest Loser contest at our house! :) Thanks for the encouragement and inspiration! Keep it up!
Amanda,
As I sit here reading your blog, I am eating my Lean Cuisine, Margharita pizza is quite wonderful too! Thanks for the encouragement today!
you go girl! You are the motivation here...and we are waiting for Curtis' picture....do we really have to wait until april? p.s. the pilates ball card reminded me of boomama!
Amanda,
I am sooooo proud of you. I'm on weight watchers and have lost 27.2 pounds, but it's taken me 11 months. It's gone VERY slow because I LOVE to eat food. I have to say, though, that I've had one particular cheerleader cheering me on through this whole thing. Also, my WW leader is a Christian and gives words of truth at each meeting. Even though she isn't allowed to use the name of Christ the words of encouragement and truth come straight from God's word. Encouraging words to keep going and how proud they are of me has kept me from giving up. I have 2.8 pounds to go to get to my goal of 30 pounds. I think it's a really great thing that you let us all know your struggle and your accomplishment with this five pounds. I really believe that accountibility along with encouragement help to get us through things that we may want to give up on. I also learned a HUGE thing from your mom this weekend. I think it's going to change my life. And that is to say, when you think you can't do this any longer or you might get weighed down (no pun intended) with something say out loud "The LORD God omnipotent reigneth over..." what ever the situation may be. You go girl, and if you feel like you need prayer, encouragement or reminders of words of truth from God's word, you let us know. We are all here to "encourage one another to love and good deeds while it is still called today." Hebrews 10:24
Here is one more verse that your mom gave this weekend. Well she just gave Rom. 5:5, but I was encouraged by verses 3 and 4 as well. "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we KNOW that suffering produces PERSEVERANCE; (keep persevering, Amanda) perseverance, CHARACTER; (imagine how God is molding your character to look like Jesus') and character, HOPE! And hope DOES NOT disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, WHOM HE HAS GIVEN YOU."
I haven't had my prayer time yet so I'm really glad that I read your post because I'm going to pray for you to KEEP IT UP!
I love you sister,
Kristi :)
My aunt went on this diet one time where she would hold her cat every time she stepped on the scales. If she gained a pound, she starved the cat. She went through like 6 or 7 cats. tee hee hee!!!
God, forgive me.
I think food is definitely my "pit" or master... I cannot seem to get in control of it. I am from the south and am a serious emotional eater... and I have LOTS of emotions girls!!! I eat when happy, sad, lonely or bored!!! I would really like some input from some of you on how to master this. Thanks!!! Oh and congrats for you, Amanda!!! Pick up a 5 pound bag of sugar and rejoice in your accomplishment!!!
Congratulations, Amanda! Thank you for sharing these issues with us!! Praise God for it being and win-win situation! What joy!! I am glad to know that I am not the only one wanting 5 pounds to exit the premises!! Especially being a college student, this is GREAT for me to hear...so much pressure!! This blog is absolutely wonderful and it makes my heart happy everyday!!! Your baby is precious and I can't wait to see more pictures in the future!! Hope you ALL have a Marvelous Monday, including all the LPM staff, and Beth!!! :)
P.S. I CANNOT wait to get back to houston in year to go to bible study agian on tuesdays..something I so look forward to!!
Miss Amanda, you are doing a great job! I DESPERATELY need to start back on my weight loss regimin. I lost 25 pounds 3 years ago and have gained 20 pounds of it back over the past year and half :( I need to get back to my morning exercise time too! I really do enjoy my early mornings, just need to get back in the habit. I don't seem to have the time for more than my bible study homework in the early morning hours .... hehehehe :)
It is so funny that Curtis is having the biggest loser at work. My husband Ernest and the other staff guys did that last year. They tortured each other with sweet treats all the time.
Great job Amanda! How great is it to put on clothes and have them feel good?? I am right there with you trying to eat healthy and excercise...hang in there! You will be so glad that you stuck with it if you decide to have another baby! I have lost all the weight from my third and second child, I am now working on the weight that I never lost from my FIRST child (seven years ago!)! :) Oh well, we are never too far gone, right?!!
I need to lose 30 pounds, of which I've lost around 6. So, 24 pounds...seems small enough, but my goodness, is it ever difficult! I work evenings at Panera Bread for goodness sake. It takes EXTREME discipline to not enjoy a carmel latte everyday. Even with skim milk. Ugh. My little boy who was part of the cause of my weight gain, is turning two soon. Will the baby weight ever come off? And why oh why is it so hard the second time around!? Thanks for sharing your struggle.
My husband recently lost about 40 pounds due to an illness (weight he needed to lose, but not that quickly!). He is feeling so much better now (just diagnosed with diabetes and medication/diet is helping solve many health problems of past 2 years). He came home the other day and announced that his work was having a weight loss contest. He was bummed because he thinks he could have won it a couple of months ago! Oh well!
Seriously, Beth and Amanda, thank you so much for this blog. Just discovered it today and am thrilled. I have been to 3 conferences in the last 4 years and planned to go to the Tyler simulcast and/or the Shreveport/BC LPL. Ended up having three other things for the day of the simulcast so had to give my ticket away, and then the LPL conference was sold out. On top of that, I had to cancel the Daniel bible study at my church (well, not the study itself, but the fact I was taking the bible study) due to time constraints. Guess this is my year without Beth. Not happy, but I'm sure God is getting me ready for something. I pray I know it when I see it! :)
God bless you Beth. You are awesome and have been a huge influence in my life. Jesus the One and Only was my first and still my favorite.
God bless!
Amy in Longview TX
Amanda!
That ecard was great! I love it! I just had my second baby last year, and I have lost all my weight and then some. (Hang on..) Apparently a newborn and a toddler are excellent weight loss! HOWEVER, I just stopped nursing, and a little over a week later, I am climbing back up the scale! (Yes, I own one)
So, thanks for the encouragement, because now I realize I am back in the battle! Congrats to you! And, I hope to post my own success soon!
Holly
Congrats Amanda! I struggle with this daily! My husband is doing a weight-loss challenge so I know how supportive I need to be, it's just so hard sometimes. Anyways...we too enjoy the Len Cuisines. The Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce is my FAV!
Amanda,
The Brick oven style chicken recipe pizza is so yummy!!!! It's my favorite!
Hey--I just wanted to say to Stephanie (and anyone else) that I was the same way with eating for a looooong time. Maybe this isn't you...but I finally realized that for me, the food was something more than just binge-ing (sp?) with my emotions. For me it was a total insecurity thing--the devil had me in SUCH a pit of lies. One day I'd be stuffing my face because I thought it was a lost cause ("too far gone")...and for the next week I'd STARVE myself to make up for it.
He had me believing that I was worthless because the number on the tag in my jeans wasn't as small as the "other girls". (Who are they anyways?!) Countless nights I found myself standing over the toilet--hoping that I had the nerve to go through with it, and praying that I didn't. It was only by the grace of God that I wasn't able to give myself the eating disorder my flesh SO desired.
I just want to say that there is HEALING from that. But it starts in the thought life. I have to ask God EVERY day to help me to make every thought captive to Him, and to fill my head with the thoughts of His TRUTH and LOVE. But I also have to CHOOSE to BELIEVE what He says about me. Find the truth in the Word, and pray those scriptures OUT LOUD-oh what power they have!!
Beautiful Jesus, inhabit the praises of your people! Thank you for Delivering us out of EVERY pit and for calling us your FRIEND!!
Abby... thank you for your words of encouragement... Are there any specific promises or Scriptures that you claimed?
Wow, Amanda, good for you girl! I'm with Mandi, I lost my second child weight but I'm working on that gained with my first. :) Currently in my freezer in Alpharetta, GA: 1. Lean Cuisine Roasted Veggie Pizza and 2. Grilled Chicken Fiesta. My absolute favorites are the spa cuisine dinners...lemongrass chicken and another one with couscous, chicken and spinach. YUM! I won't allow myself to buy more until I finish the two already calling my name. I'll be praying for all of my sisters' weight "stuff" and y'all please pray with me about mine, ok?
Amanda- I am right there with you in trying ot keep off hat extra baby weight!! My daughter is 22 months and you'd think all the chasing we do would just melt the pounds away. If I had your e-mail I'd be sending those lean cuisine cards to you and hoping to get them back!!! :-) Just for those moments of weakness!! Congrats on losing the weight (and for not buying a scale- that is the hardest) You should bring Jackson back to Tues. night bible study for a visit (like when we were doign Psalm of Ascents) he is such a cutie!!
Love ya- Jackie
Amanda,
You give me such encouragement to lose my unwanted pounds. Congrats on losing the 5 pounds!! I know about fast food and it is hard but I love the motivational e-card!! I will keep that in mind. I started eating better and I am believing God to lose 50 lbs. It will be hard but with God ALL things are possible. Have a great week!!
Love Ya,
Patty
Good for you! I'm just getting re-motivated to lose those last 8-10 lbs to get me back down to my wedding-weight of three years ago, and my hubby and I are keeping each other accountable also. Sure helps!
Just stopping by from BooMama's... get ready for an onslaught of visitors! :grin:
Congratulations on that five pounds lost! I've been on Weight Watchers since January 1 of last year and have lost 58 lbs -- have also eaten a LOT of Lean Cuisines. ;) You MUST try the spa cuisine Salmon with Basil one. It's my absolute favorite and only FOUR POINTS!
Keep up the good work!
i didnt read the blog for a couple
of days and see that ive been missing out on the fun:). what a hoot. i had to google howard dean...no clue who he was!!!
amanda--congrats on the five pounds. i hear it takes a full year for your uterus to get back to normal size after having a baby (not sure if its medically proven or a wives tale). maybe the shrinking is helping:)not to take away from all your hard work and will power. you go girl! does it also help to know chic-fil-a is a christian based company and you are just furthering the kingdom:)
my guess for the celebrity look alike illustration is: we dont need any more drama queens. we all need to look like the ultimate drama king JESUS (that is what beth called him in one of the daniel lessons:) lol.
just saw session 11 of daniel tonight....sooo great!!! beth, you were so on, the message came across so powerful , loud and clear!you looked great too (as usual) i mean this in the most loving way...what a drama queen:)You radiate your KING!!
much love,
a jersey girl
Amanda, I think it is wonderful that you are sharing about losing weight. This is such a tender topic for us ladies. I, too, am currently trying to shed some extra pounds, and find it so encouraging to connect with others.
By the way, welcome to bloggityville. I look forward to visiting here again. Living Proof Ministries has been such a blessing in my life personally and to other women in my life. Blessings!
I'm proud of you...I think I'd have to do the same thing for the Chic-a-fila though because I don't think I could live without it for more than a week...if I lived near one. I've been deprived for four years. Being military we're in a state that doesn't have one. In fact, the closest ones opened up two states away...yes, I have gone and filled up on two years worth of waffle fries, chicken and biscuits, and original sandwiches. I even took a picture with the "cow". Fortunately, I had twin two-year-olds with me so the man in the costume thought it was all for them.
Your Mom just left here (Seattle) and my friends were so blessed by the weekend that our board meeting this morning turned into a what-God-has-said-through-Beth Moore-this-weekend session. It was wonderful for the few of us that were unable to attend because between the 7 of them sharing, I feel like I learned everything they learned. It was also so amazing to hear God reaffirming things He has been speaking to my heart through what they learned at the conference...down to the same scriptures!! God Bless and Keep You.
Love,
Ariele
Congrats on the five pounds!! You have far more willpower than I. And McDonalds is my fave, I hate trying to resist it. Way to be disciplined!
good luck on your diet!
Linked to you from BooMama...and I'm glad you have a blog! I can't wait to hear more!
Stephanie..
Something the Lord brought to my mind 4 years ago as a college freshman is in the passage from Luke 16. You can't serve two masters...Yet I was thoroughly convinced that I could, and tried with every fighting bone in my body to do so. I longed to please and be accepted by people, more than I longed to please my God. I didn't know the truth from a lie. The enemy knew just where I was most vulnerable, and he went straight for the jugular. He draped his rope so tightly around my emotions, that with one yank he had me questioning my own knowledge of the truth that I had witnessed for years as a child of God.
Somewhere along the way something in me said "ENOUGH. Either you stop this NOW and start BELIEVING YOUR GOD, or you will self-destruct so fast you won't know what hit you."
I don't know much, but I do know that YOUR GOD IS FOR YOU. HE LOVES YOU AND WANTS YOU TO BE FREE. (It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! Gal 5:1) I had to learn to let God be the ONE and ONLY satisfier of my soul. I tried for years to beat the addictions myself. But that is a power that was not mine to have. It's GOD'S to give...and oh does He give it so PERFECTLY when we ask Him. We have not because we ask not!
It is a conscious effort for me to daily take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). If it goes against the truth of the Word of God ('you are fearfully and wonderfully made!' Ps. 139), it is not of Him and does not have the right to make a place in your belief system! Stop it before it gets there!
Experiencing freedom and being FULLY ALIVE in Christ is the biggest blast I've ever had in my life. I pray this freedom also for you and that He would continue to speak volumes to you on this matter. "For nothing is impossible with God!" (Luke 1:37)
(please feel free to email, as I am afraid I have already written too much for the blog, yet just barely begun to speak on what my heart is learning!)
Hi there... I am here from Boomama, who is in a frenzy of excitement after discovering your blog! Great to meet you. I will hbe back!
Hi, Beth and Amanda! I linked over from BooMama. I met her through the LBY online Bible study we did last year. Welcome to the blogdom!
Lucy, your comment on the scale and the cat totally made my morning!!! I'm going to pet rescue today for some kittens!Ha
Love you all
Sandy
I just tried a new Lean Cuisine meal yesterday -- butternut squash ravioli!! It was so GOOD!!
Other favorites are the sesame chicken, spaghetti, brick oven pizza, and roasted potatoes with broccoli.
Hey Amanda,
I have lost 33 pounds in 8 weeks following menu's my nutricionist makes up for me. I am not deprived at all. I had already lost over 130 pounds now I am on the road to my last 100 pounds. I cannot believe the concept and easy it is to drop the weight when you don't mix certain foods, which in turn keeps the matabolism going.
Just to let you know, I have done all of your mother's Bible Studies over the years which have been life changing for me. God Bless you both.
Good luck with the weight loss. Need any help let me know!!
Abbey is 100% on the money. My desire to please and be accepted by people got me nothing but an eight year lortab addiction. Truth is the only thing that set me free and the only thing that will ever keep me free. Glory to God, I've been free for a little over five years. If He can pull me out of that pit (not to mention the pits He's pulled me out of that I didn't even realize I was in!), He can pull ANYONE out of ANY pit!!!
Congrats Amanda...I'm on the same journey. I just lost 15 pounds and the Daniel Fast our church did was a big help! :)
I'm here via BooMama who is a dear friend of mine. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know!! And, can I just say that she probably is still having trouble breathing this morning after yesterday's post. :)
Thanks for all the encouragement, ladies! And congrats to all of you who have been losing your weight, too! R1versedge, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have a Chick-fil-a close by. I have to drive 15 minutes and I'm always thinking they should open up one closer to me! But it's for the good of my waistline that it's not as close as McD's. We did without it for 5 months in England and that was rough. Also, I'd like everyone to know that my gym is smack dab in the middle of a Chick-fil-a and a Grandy's. All you can smell is fried chicken when you're coming and going. Torture!
oh girl...fried chicken and sweet tea...every southern girl's dream...AND worst nightmare!! :) heavens to besty--is it ok to say that i eat the skin too?! you go girl...you deserve extra brownie points for that gym location. ..oh sorry..didn't mean to say the "b" word.. ;)
It's funny because my oldest son works for Chick Fil A and talk about tempatation. Hey mom, we just got in new milkshakes, wanna try one? They are good! He always wants to bring me breakfast from there, like today, chicken minis!! I only ate 2 and I am proud of myself! Amanda, that would be torture to have that in the middle of your gym!
I just found your blog today (thanks BooMama) and am looing forward to reading. Keep up the good work!pv
I just found your blogsite...you are an answer to prayer! Thank you! I just wanted to share my "New Year's Diet Resolution, ha" with you...I have been doing the "fat free Ornish diet" you can find Ornish online...he's cool...anyway, I have already lost 4 pounds. I just thought I would share, I am a struggling mom, Christian, friend...and thank you for your site...you can check out mine if you like :)
www.cosbyfamily1.blogspot.com
Tamara
Hey Amanda,
I went to my WW meeting today and was down another .2 lbs. Yea! I couldn't wait to tell you. Only 2.6 lbs to go! WOO HOO! And, I didn't see that card thing from lean cuisine until this morning. How stinking perfect is that? I thought it was sooooooo sooooooo sooooooooo cool! So perfect.
Hi,
Just found your blog and I am so excited that you have joined! My husband and I are also trying to lose a few pounds. I have about 5 lbs to go! He is on a church staff and they all weigh in on Wednesdays!
Also, some staff wives at our church are meeting weekly and going through the Patriarchs. We just met this morning and watched session 2, which was amazing! We all commented that we don't remember hearing anyone teach on Abraham's intercession for Sodom in such a way! One of the ladies is going to India in April and using this study as a basis for the teaching she will be doing while there.
LPM has blessed me in countless ways! Thank You.
Guess what, Amanda! We don't have a Chick-fil-a near me either. I think they use to have them in Washington way back when I was in High School and I think I ate there once or twice. Or, maybe that was when I lived in Indiana. I don't remember. (Blond)! But, I know that Oregon doesn't have one. If I ever get to a place that has one again, though, I'm gonna have to eat there. With all the advertising you're giving them they should give you AT LEAST a free meal, don't you think? Personally I think you should get a years worth of free meals, but that's just me.
Love you!
God is so wonderful!! I have been on and off trying to lose some weight for about a year and I went to this venue called Taste of the Town in the Woodlands, TExas and entered a drawing to win a 90-day membership to Sedona fitness for Women; It's owned by a woman who goes to my church, Fellowship of the Woodlands, and ... I WON! YES! I won a 90-day membership. I started going last week and LOVE it!! It's got the circuit training thing in the middle.. like Curves, but there's also classes, treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines.... there's even a little flat screen TV in front of EACH machine!! And the vanity with all the hair products and equipment.. WOW! Oh! I haven't told you about the best part.. The sauna!! Girl!! the Sauna rocks da house!!! It's so wonderful. It's a dry heat sauna and is so much more effective than the standard ones. It's like going to the spa every time I work out. I've only been going a week.. but on Sunday we went to a Superbowl party and I saw a picture of myself and I was pleased to see my double chin going away... and a skinnier neckline. The lean cuisine meals are quite yummy... totally hit the spot. I like the "Spa" meals. Amazing.
Amanda-
I'm doing WW points to lose wegiht for a kidney transplant. I hav eto say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Lean Cuisine foods over Weight Watchers (horrors, I know).
LC has two new flavors I just found- Sesame Chicken Stir Fry and a Vegatable EggRoll with rice. They both taste like "real" chinese food! Woohoo!!
While I have "more than 5" I'm with ya in spirit :) We all have our things to do, right?
I can totally relate to this post...I've lost 30 pounds since November, but it's been a battle all the way..I'm not a morning person either...I try to exercise (LOL)if you can call it that during my breaks.
Hey AMANDA! HEB had Lean Cuisines on sale! 4 for $10.00; I loaded up last night! I can't wait to try the Salmon one! I love Salmon.
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