How to make progress towards your goals

There are 16 weeks until the end of the year. 115 days to be exact. This is plenty of time to make progress towards your goals.  How do you find inspiration to go on, no matter what happened thus far in 2021? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Look ahead. Remember that time you got in your car to drive somewhere but you kept looking at the rearview mirror? You don't, correct? If you proceed to do what I described, you will cause an accident. You can't make progress towards your goals while looking back at your past. I know. 2020 was a difficult year. If you must look back, take time to learn from your hardships. Once you do, make peace with what was and press on to what's ahead. Every time I see my kids distracted while walking, I tell them "pay attention to where you are going." I believe you and I can use the same warning. Look ahead. There's more and you can rise stronger.

2. Defined steps. Each goal requires a next step. When I wrote my 2021 goals, I decided to write down the steps required to achieve them. One of my goals for the year was to redesign my blog. The required step was to find a design I liked. The next step was to buy that design. Once I bought the design, the next step was to install that design. After these three steps, my goal was accomplished. I still have some goals in progress. I am writing a book. My next step today is to schedule 45 minutes to simply write. Each step will get me to my goal of completing the book. Define your steps my friend. What is your next step?

3. Reliable accountability. Let's face it, it is difficult to show up day and after day and do what needs to be done to achieve your goals. You get tired. Things go wrong. You have a bad day, a bad week. Because we were made for community, reliable accountability is the answer. The right accountability group can help you be accountable for your ability. It is not about having someone call you at 6 am to remind you to work out. It is having friends who will walk with you and remind you to develop your potential. The next question I often get is, where do I find these people? They are doing what you want to do. If you want to run, they are part of your town's running group. When I wanted to study the Bible, my accountability partners were members of my community's Bible Study. When I decided to lose weight, I found accountability with WW. I encourage you to find someone to account for your ability to reach your goal.

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Chevron Houston Marathon Week 7

I have learned not to forsake God given gifts while preparing for a marathon. We have 155 days to go and today I want to encourage you and I to focus on what we have instead of what we lack. Here's a little bit of my story. I started running in 2008 after years of walking.

I found out I was expecting shortly after I signed up for my first 5K. I didn't have the speed and experience my peers had. I didn't have the proper attire (I wore cotton for years before I learned there were better material out there) or the proper shoes. What I did have was Persistence to finish what I started.

My first 5K. I was 10 weeks pregnant and 28 years young.

My first 42K. 3 kids and 34 years young.

6 years and 3 kids later, I ran my first Chevron Houston Marathon. I added 37 kilometers to the 5 I was familiar with. I had Faith that God was going to help me reach the dream of being a marathoner.

Faith and Persistence are things you can't buy in the running store. You can't buy Confidence either. Every time someone reminds me of what I don't have (incredible speed, the latest gear, the practice of the latest cross training fad, etc) I remind myself of what I do have.

You and I have all the motivation we need to finish the Marathon with confidence. We all have the discipline to get up, day after day and train. We all have the Persistence to get through difficult runs. We all have the Patience to trust the training and stick with the plan laid in front of us.

I'm proof that the longer you stick with focusing on what you have, the easier the process will be. Comparison is lethal to marathon training. It takes away your peace and it paralyzes your ability to know how valuable you really are. My challenge is to focus on where I am today and press forward to my goal of running a strong Houston Marathon in January.

I wonder if you too can change your perspective and focus on the Faith, Persistence, Patience, Confidence and Discipline you already have. Let me know if it works for you!

• Register for the Chevron Houston Marathon here

In other news:
• Watch my latest Periscope here, I'm reviewing the book "Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders

Previously in this Series:
• Weeks 1 - 6

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How to do Meal Prep: 5 steps

Other keeping a Food Journal, I find that Meal Prep really helps me to eat better and more efficiently. Here is what works for me:

1. Buy the containers and the food you want to prep - it is important to have everything you need for success. I try to use what I have but as most normal people do, I keep losing containers. I recently went to Aldi and found containers for $0.86 each. Hard to beat!

 2. Cook everything at once - I park in the kitchen until everything is ready. The meals that work for me are rice, beans and veggies. They are quite easy to get it done in less than 2 hours. Those 2 hours saves me 4 days of cooking. I think that's a very good investment!

I tried to prep oatmeal but the kids didn't like it. Oh well!

 3. Store everything in your refrigerator - I personally do not freeze my meals but I believe I could. The goal is to go ahead and put it where you can easily access it.
4. Eat the meals - I sometimes cook a different menu for my kids so I need to intentionally eat the meals that I prep. It is important to remember why you prepared the meals ahead of time during these times. For example, I'm attending a banquet tonight. I can waste thoughts of calories feasting in the banquet or I can eat the meal I prepared ahead of time and have a better chance to succeed tonight. I believe I'll choose success.

The wonder containers I bought for $0.86 at Aldi. 

5. Take them everywhere you go - I know a person who takes her meals with her everywhere she goes. It sounds inconvenient but what that person never had a major health or weight problem. I bought an insulated lunch bag so that I can do just that. The benefits of taking your meals with you is that you will always have access to good nutrition. You will always have a great source of energy when you need it.

I hope these tips gave you a better idea of how easy meal prep can be. If you haven't already, follow me on Periscope. For one of my latest videos, watch here.

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From Procrastinator to Proactive

I see Procrastination as the delay of responsibilities. It is a bad habit that needs to be broken any way we can. Here's another way to think about it: What stands between you and the success you want? Be sure to get Procrastination out of the picture and you will get there.

It was in college that a professor told me what "Procrastination" meant. The word, which is pronounced [proh-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn] is the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention. The kind professor went on to explain how Procrastination would harm us in college. That simple but powerful 30-minute class stayed with me for years. I learned that taking immediate steps towards my goal helped me get a degree.

Whether success means a degree, healthy habits or a clean closet, don't delay your responsibility. For some of us success means making a phone call to say "I was wrong, I apologize." Don't delay making peace if it's up to you (Romans 12:8).

The Bible is a book of action where I find inspiration to leave procrastination behind. Laziness is condemned in the book of Proverbs while following after wisdom is encouraged. The book of 2 Timothy is also a great one to find inspiration to get things done. Paul writes "be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)." What does that mean to you? God has given you dominion as a mother, professional, pastor, etc. How can you be ready in season and out of season? Get procrastination of out of way and you will be ready.

Action Item: Identify what stands between you and success and do it now.

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Reevaluating my Goals

I wanted to take advantage of being in the middle of the year to reevaluate my goals. I think that rewriting this letter could be beneficial:

My 2011 Letter

The idea is to write a letter the future you is writing to the current you. It lists the successes you are currently incorporating in your life, the changes you want to make in the future and the winning strategies that will help you make the changes. According to my original goal, I have 6 weeks to arrive at a BMI OF 24.9 or less. Sometimes I wonder if I can. Most times I am telling myself not to give up and keep pushing forward. I hope you have time to reevaluate your goals.
Action Items:
• Read your goals;
• Reevaluate them;
• Write down new Strategies to reach them.

Related Posts:
• 7 Steps Toward Success
• Goals: Starting Fresh
• The New You is Calling
• Goals for 2013: Why?
• Reaching Fitness Goals
• Reassessing my Goals
• Exercise: Pre-planning Works
• 3 Ways to be More Productive

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Mind Inventory

I found this book in the thrift store for $1.99

It has been a great addition to my reading schedule. Although I'm only on chapter 2, I have learned a lot of great things I am incorporating in my life. Here are a few quotes and thoughts:

"Our thoughts cause us to have certain attitudes and perspectives; they affect our relationships; they determine how productive we will be personally and professionally; and they greatly influence the overall quality of our lives. We absolutely must understand the power of thoughts!"  
• I think that it is also imperative to understand how our thoughts have been influential in our personals lives. I think that once we start this process we can cut down on negative thoughts and increase on positive ones.

"Success in every aspect of life begins with a thought; so does failure. If you think you cannot do or attain something, chances are you will not be able to. Your mind has that much influence over your life." 
• I often talk to  people who say they could never run. I can't help but agree with their thought pattern. Before I become a runner I trained myself to think that I was a runner. I strongly believe that my mind influenced that area of life. I also remember being in College and thinking that I was going to get a Master's Degree. Marching on stage to receive my degree was influenced by the way I started thinking 7 years ago.

Here are some things to do:

• Develop healthy thought patterns - identify unhealthy thought patters and change them. Whatever it takes (counseling, writing positive thoughts down and saying them out loud,  etc) the development of healthy thought patters is important if you want to have a more fulfilling life.

• Discipline your mind to think in new ways - when you start disciplining your mind, you'll find out that you will have to challenge every "I can't" and ask yourself where that thought is coming from. I also try to find out how does God think about me and my situation and I challenge myself to think in this new way.

• Your mind can be a junkyard or a treasure chest - take an inventory of your mind and see if you have more junk than treasures there. No matter how the junk got there, it needs to go. For most of us, it is important to realize that...

• You can choose your own thinking - Thoughts and attitudes just don't fall on our heads. We can choose our own thinking - thus, the retraining of thoughts is very important. You and I can retrain our minds one thought at a time. Start by the area where you are having the most challenges at the moment.

This week I have been following this advice: "determine beforehand that you will keep a positive attitude in the midst of every negative situation that presents itself to you." It has made my days and circumstances so much easier to face. I am challenged to turn my problems into opportunities and find creativity in times of distress instead of another reason to complain.
I am a firm believer that the Word of God is the place to go in order to achieve solid, positive mind material. God is positive and so are His Words. I am challenged to focus most of my positive thinking in Words of Life.

QUESTION: Have you paid attention to your thoughts lately? How can you retrain them? 

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Exercise: How do I Start?

Think about your high school graduation. Believe it or not, all assignments, all books you did not wanted to read and your attendance led to you holding your diploma. I can think of the same thing happening during my college years. There were assignments that to me did not make sense but everything came together when I graduated with my B.A.

Exercising as a habit is similar to the education process. I see it as a means to a goal. Every time I lace my shoes, every mile conquered, every time my heart rate is raised in a healthy way, I am reaching my goal. My long time readers know that my goal is not a skinny pants size but a lifetime of optimum health.

I see investing in nutrition the same way, a means to my goal of being a healthier person. I do look very different than I did 10 months ago but it’s all part of the process, not my goal. A good question at this point is: how do I start? I’m a good person to answer this question because I’ve given all kinds of excuses from I don’t like to sweat to it will mess up my hair to I don’t have time.

1. Changing (or renew) your mind • your mind is the battlefield. That’s where you win and lose many battles. Here’s what the Bible encourages us to do in Romans 12:2

The Kids & I at my first 5K of 2011

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

2. Involve God in your Journey • I’ve been blogging for years that the God who created my body knows what’s best for me, even when it comes to exercise. When I involved God in my journey, I found more strength and encouragement. I believe God wants our health to prosper. I believe God can even help me get organized enough to fit exercise in my schedule. He’s a prayer away.

3. Redefine your Goals • If you read my entries from 2005 you’ll read a desperate woman trying to go back to the weight of her youth. Because I accepted the challenge of renewing my mind and involving God in my life, the goals I had changed. I realized that a healthier me can serve others better. I realized that a healthier me can contribute more to the good of others. I clearly saw that I was largely responsible for inflicting harm to my health by the habits I had. New goals meant a new exciting journey which needs recalibrating every now and then.

I hope you don’t think so people are magically built or made to exercise on a regular basis. You can do it. We all have 24 hours but we all make different choices. I knew that when I was concerned about my hair. What really helped me was changing my mind, involving God and redefining my goals. What has helped you to keep exercise as a habit in your life?

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Weight Watchers Wednesday

Hope you enjoyed the video! Here are a couple of meals I've had this week:

Peppermint tea, banana, peanut butter, rice cake

Oatmeal with cinnamon & banana, decaff with 1/2 cup of 1% milk

lentil soup with kale

Shepherd's Pie

What small steps will you take towards a better health? Tell me one.

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Time Management for the New Mom

I highly enjoyed managing my time from high school til I launched into the professional world. When I became a mom, time management became a whole different challenge. We haven't covered this topic in my mom & baby group yet but I decided to do my own research online. Here are advices I found: 

* Aim to accomplish one item in your list a day. Here is the whole article

It seems to me that when you have a newborn and you are learning as you go, this is very realistic. Having one thing accomplished instead of zero made me feel great this week!

*Have a plan, get organized, ask for help more

This one was my favorite of the two articles. We do keep a notebook and a pen in each room of the house. We also keep a notebook for the baby where we write feeding times as well as pee and poo (the doctor always asks about that and unless this sleep deprived mom writes it down my memory won't make me justice). Ideas as well as needs come in and out of our minds so unless we write it down we run the risk of remembering too late. Thank God we've been pretty organized as far as baby supplies go. I went the extra step to pack a diaper bag for the car, one for me to take out and one for church. The nursery is pretty organized as far as the needs of a newborn and we'll incorporate things such as toys as the baby grows.

We've been getting a lot of help and I want to help others in my situation as well when the occasion arises. It's amazing to see how God has blessed us with generous friends.

My time management plan needs to include exercising and food logging besides the mundane tough important tasks of life such as laundry and cleaning. Because God blessed us with someone to come and clean for us for a month, I've been tackling organization projects as I can while I don't have to take over the whole cleaning myself. I still believe I'll have a housekeeper one day. 

This whole organization thing reminds me of what's important: making sure my husband and son are well. Other things in life can't take the place of the most important relationships I have in life. We manage our time well so that relationships will continue to be the priority.

Does anyone out there have any time management tips they care to share? Have a great week everyone!

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Motivation Boost

Motivation... motivation... People search for it, many find it. Many more just need a BOOST!If you just need a boost on your motivation, let me say that exercise is the answer. Why exercise? Here are the reasons:

"Exercise reduces stress, it enhances the immune system and it postpones the aging process.Reduced Anxiety and DepressionDepression and anxiety can lead to a feeling of isolation. By partaking in aerobic sports, one can choose to join a running club, swimming club, gym or any other sports club. These activities get you out an about and can put you in positions where you HAVE to speak to people.Stress ReductionDo you feel like the whole world is collapsing on top of you? I think everyone does at one stage or another. If you keep positive, it will pass. Aerobic exercise is a great way to keep positive. When you are stressed, it is important to get enough sleep. Exercisers actually go to sleep faster, are more refreshed when they wake up, and have sharper memories. Exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, bringing extra sugar and oxygen, which can help when concentrating. And once again, the little endorphins can make you happier, making you feel like maybe it will all be OK after all.Aerobic exercise offers a distraction. For an hour or so each day, you can put yourself in a position where you are too busy worrying about the prospect of having to run another two miles before you can stop.Burning excess fat and toning up can boost anyone’s confidence. Clothes fit better, and you receive compliments from friends, which often is enough to begin to lift the heavy cloud of a mild depression. " by Ciara Carruthers

Exercise has boosted my motivation time and time again. Eating correctly is good but the boost you get from exercising is incomparable. Another fact, the lighter you are, the easier it is to exercise. Hang in there and give exercise a try for a while!

Motivation: Challenge vs Reality is a two part article I wrote in the Spring, feel free to read it:Part I herePart II here

Coming up on Simply Cintia this week:

Don't miss the last part of my article series!

Thursday - Power of Positive Confession

My Goals for the week of August 31 - September 6:

{1} To burn at least 2,000 calories; (850 to go)

{2} To get protein and dairy daily in my diet.

{3} Focus on behavior change, not on the numbers on the scale.

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Time to Plan!

What if there were calories and points displayed by the food in the next party you attend? Wouldn't that be awesome? I wonder if we would eat the same quantities as we normally eat. I've heard of people doing that but only during healtn education classes in my gym. For the rest of my life, I'm the one who needs to be trained to 'shop for food.'Every time I go to a party or luncheon I think before I start filling up my plate. I think about what kind of fuel does my body needs. I have to remind myself not to keep going back to the table to get more food. I need training in eating slower. I'm a fast eater. I have a few eating out opportunities coming up (church picnic, visiting relatives, Brazilian party). I need to do some extra studying and planning for all of these. I know that as far as the church picnic, I need to take a healthy dish that I can eat. I'm not doing desserts again so maybe I can take fruit salad... We'll see. Traveling is always challenging. I haven't started planning for my next trip but I know we will need healthy snacks for the road. I know we'll eat out some, eat in some. I plan on contributing with something I can eat and I plan on taking not only my gym shoes but my exercise outfit so I can do some serious running and walking. For the Brazilian party, I will also take a Brazilian dish without meat, so I will be able to enjoy Brazilian foods that are meat free. I have some planning to do in order to succeed through it all. Yesterday I brought watermelon and popcorn to work. I packed it on my little plastic sandwich bags and they were awesome snacks, delicious! The hard part was to smell popcorn all day til it was actually time to eat it :) next time I'll leave it in the kitchen. Have you done some planning lately? Or do you always hope you won't eat to much and leave it at that? Planning has worked for me. If I'm attending a party I make sure I'm not starving when I get there. That helps a lot! It's Wednesday people, let's keep working but also enjoy this day that the Lord has made. I will be glad today!

Goal Updates and More Details for You and Me:

{1} To burn at least 2,000 calories - 12.6 miles out of 26 miles to go! 2 out of 3 trainings for 5K to go! 804.6 calories to burn out of 2,000

{2} To get protein and dairy daily in my diet. I ran out of soy milk... Have been eating black beans!

{3} Focus on behavior change, not on the numbers on the scale. Haven't touched the scale for 2 days, 19 more to go.

{4} Make Saturdays my treat days. Pedicure, here I come!

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He Loves Doughnuts, I Love Organic Granola

Behavioral change is a 'trip'. There are no short cuts, you just have to work at it one day at the time. Lately I've been thinking about the candy jars that are displayed at my dinning room. Most people would think DANGER! But they are not affecting me. Here's the story: my husband is not crazy about cakes and pies but he likes the ocasional hershey's bar and lafy tafys! I don't like either so the candy doesn't bother me. I actually bought it for him so he can have his treats whenever he likes it. I don't want him to suffer just because my lifestyle has become different. I guess we are blessed in a way where we enjoy different treats. If we have sorbet, I never touch it. If I have chocolate covered strawberries, he never touches it. I like pies, he likes vanilla ice cream. My husband usually asks for a treat when we are in the store (usually brownies) so I buy the mix and make it for him. I freeze some of it so he can have it whenever he feels like it. Behavior change in my case was individual. I started eating more fruits and vegetables and my husband is still a meat eater. I am trying my best to leave all desserts alone and my husband still has sweets every day. He loves doughnuts, I eat organic granola with soy milk. Each family is different. For some, it's easier if the whole unity starts eating healthier and exercising. In my case, I had to go at it by myself but with his blessing. It is possible to get emotional support while eating two different ways. At least that's my experience. My latest challenge is to leave my scale alone. We no longer have a love/hate relationship. I'm the one who can't leave the poor thing alone. Out of sight, out of mind has worked for me before, so I have successfully "hidden" it from myself as well as writing about it here (that's where my accountability comes from). Today is day number one. I plan on weighing myself again on September 1. For some people this is an awefully long time but I want to give it a try. I met someone who completely relies on her good behavior and no longer weighs herself. I want to get to a place where I weigh myself once a month maybe. One day I will no longer have to write down everything I eat because I will know myself and I will be totally free to live life while still eating mostly fruits and veggies. That seems like a good dream and aspiration to have.

Goal Updates and More Details for You and Me:
{1} To burn at least 2,000 calories (training for 5K, walking, getting back to the elliptical, weight training, etc). 20.8 miles out of 26 miles to go! 3 out of 3 trainings for 5K to go!

{2} To get protein and dairy daily in my diet. I ran out of soy milk. We have plenty black beans!
{3} Focus on behavior change, not on the numbers on the scale. Haven't touched the scale for 1 day, 20 more to go.
{4} Make Saturdays my treat days. This Saturday I will... get a pedicure.

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Buy & Justify

“Anything we buy we justify.” I heard Lisa Bevere saying that yesterday and I totally agree. We can justify every purchase we have at home. When it comes to healthy habits we can justify our actions or the lack of them also. Let’s say that buying means acquiring good health.
I can buy ‘daily workouts’ – I can justify getting out and working out because it’s going to give me resistance, heart health, lung health and an overall feeling of wellness.
I can buy ‘eating within my limits’ – I can justify it by saying that my body only needs so many calories to function and lose weight therefore gaining heath. I can be sure to eat delicious meals within my limits.
I can buy ‘relaxation’ – I can justify it by saying that stress and weight gain go hand by hand. Relaxing is a free, healthy way to combat stress and weight gain. My body needs to relax in healthy ways.
I can buy ‘meditation’ – I justify it by saying that a Christian woman meditates on the word of God day and night. She not only reads it but meditates on it. Joyce Meyer says that if you know how to worry you know how to meditate. What if I meditate, day and night, on God’s promises for me when it applies to my health and wellbeing? There would not be a lot of room left for negative self-talk.
What are some healthy things you can ‘buy’ and ‘justify’?

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Holiday weekend

This weekend has lots of potential for success. With guests coming over there's always the question of what to do in order to stay in check with my well being. This is what I'm thinking right now:

I have a plan to exercise. I will follow that plan. Even if all I can do is to go out for a walk. I'm gonna stick with it and I'm gonna rest on my rest day. I have an eating plan. I will follow that plan. I will eat the correct amount of fruits and vegetables. I will drink plenty water and I will carry a banana around with me for a healthy, sweet snack in times of need.

I plan on cooking things I too can eat. I might not eat meat with everyone but I can benefit from sides that are comprised of vegetables and fruits.

I will not be obsessed about cleaning. If you read my peace treaty, you remember that 'I can't keep my house spotless at all times but I can create shortcuts for myself.' My house is clean but I'm determined not to obsess over too much cleanness. I have been set free to enjoy family and not to obsess over what they're gonna think if they see the dust on my ceiling fans. I'm sure that dust is not gonna be on my mind when I live my last day on earth. People are more important than obsessive cleaning.

I will be a good listener. I've know for years I need to listen more. God speaks when you listen. People sure appreciate you when you just listen. I don't have to be quick to offer the smartest comeback – I was really good at that. I can remember to be like Jesus. He truly cared. He listened. He offered love no matter what. I believe that listening means loving because love is not selfish, rude or unbecomingly. That's what I need to have in my mind.

I don't know what challenges you face as you go into your holiday weekend. The issue is greater than food intake. Your environment needs to be set up for success too. Thanks to God for allowing me to be more than conqueror in all things. Thank God for mercy and grace. Where would I be without His grace? If I fail after trying to do all these things I just mentioned, guess what? I am forgiven. I have another chance. Thank God for Jesus Christ!

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Desafio Pessoal

Uma segunda-feira feliz para ti! O meu fds foi bom. Ontem teve um picnic enorme la na igreja. Teve hamburguer, cachorro quente e todo mundo trouxe algo. Eu levei milho. Como nao tinha hamburgers vegetarianos, eu so comi saladas – o que foi otimo. Bebi agua e ignorei as sobremesas. Teve uma competicao pra melhor sobremesa. Eu sai de perto daquela mesa. Tive que decidir semana passada que eu nao ia comer sobremesa e gracas a Deus consegui resistir a tentacao.
Eu estava lendo o meu diario esse fds. No dia 31 de Janeiro de 2007 eu fiz uma lista de coisas que eu gostaria de fazer esse ano. Uma foi ser vegetariana. Outra foi parar de comer sobremesas. Quando comparei as duas coisas eu vi o seguinte: Ser vegetariana tem sido uma mudanca de vida. Eu substitui a carne por outras fontes de proteina. Quando saio, eu procuro comer proteina antes, so pra ter certeza de que vai estar incluido na nutricao que eu preciso. Na maioria das vezes (como ontem) eu nao preciso anunciar que sou vegetariana. A maioria das pessoas nao ligam porque estao ocupadas com o proprio prato delas.
Pra mim, tem sido dificil parar de comer doces. Ontem, depois de ler meu diario, descobri que eu nao substituo doces com nada. Carnes foram substituidas com feijao, mas os doces foram substituidos com o que?
Ontem eu nao comi na igreja, mas a vontade nao passou quando cheguei em casa. O que eu fiz foi tomar suco de laranja que fiz. Aquela docura da laranja saciou a minha vontade de comer algo doce.
Pensei no seguinte: pra substituir doces, eu acho que frutas seriam otimas. Eu vou ter que carregar passas ou frutas secas comigo pra cima e pra baixo, ou eu vou ter que carregar bananas ou outra fruta doce comigo. Um desafio maior pra mim, seria pesquisar receitas de frutas (saladas de frutas e nozes, etc) e faze-las quando alguem me convidar pra jantar.
Nao sei se isso faz sentido pra voce, mas faz pra mim. Parar com algo e dificil. Substituir e mais facil e faz mais sentido pra mim.

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Conheça a minha comida essa semana

Pro café da manha eu como várias coisas diferentes. Essa semana eu comi ovos mechidos, fruta e café com leite, mas ultimamente, tenho comido aveia. Faço a minha com nozes, leite desnatado, açúcar mascavo, banana e linhaça moída.
Como aveia antes de ir pra academia quando vou de manhã e me sustenta bastante.
Almoço essa semana tem sido bem variado. Ontem tive sopa de legumes (muito bom!). Hoje vou ter salada verde com dois pedacinhos de pizza vegetariana que meu marido fez pra janta ontem. Ele fez tudo caseiro, ficou bom porque o gosto dos ingredientes estava bem fresquinho.
Janta? Acho que vou comer arroz com feijão hoje. Coloquei banana na aveia e eu trouxe maçã pro trabalho pra ter bastante frutas.

Estou aprendendo a não sair de casa sem minha própria comida. Ultimamente eu tenho convidado amigas que querem almoçar comigo pra vir aqui pro trabalho, trazer o próprio almoço delas e a gente come juntas. Comida de restaurante é tão gordurosa, tão cheia de sal e na maioria das vezes tem tanta caloria escondida. Cozinhar minha própria comida tem sido um habito muito saudável. Certamente tem contribuido pra uma vida mais saudável.

Outra coisa que legal é a minha panela chamada slow cooker (cozinha devagar) vc põe os ingredientes e deixa lá por 8, 9 horas. Quando vc chega em casa do trabalho a comida está pronta. Cozinhei uma sopa nela, e ficou muito gostosa. Só tenho que lembra de usar mais

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A change has come over me!

This is an unusual success story. Someone who went back to basics (literally), lost the weight and gained health and healing. The post was on The Diet Blog and it's called Raw Transformation. Take the time to read it.

I admire people who decide to go on a raw diet. It does have a lot of benefits for their health. The first thing someone like me would wonder is, what about chocolate cake? What about cheese? What about bread? Human beings are more flexible than they think they are. I find that's true for me. At this point of my life, going raw is not something I need or would like to do but I admire those who choose this lifestyle. It's proven to bring healing and health.

As I approach the official half point of my weight loss journey, I'm trying to think of ways to celebrate the many victories along the way. I don't want to measure victories through the number of pounds lost because it would be unfair. I want to celebrate God's love for me and my endurance. Why endurance? Because starting a weight loss program on January 1st is easy. I started in July 2007 and I went through Thanksgiving, Christmas in my home country, birthdays and a major stressful time at work which lasted more than 2 months. On January 5th I became a full-time vegetarian - all by the grace of God. God gave me endurance to keep losing the weight and staying healthy. I did gain weight through this journey but I lost it right back. God is good. I thank Him for giving me endurance and for allowing me to learn many lessons along the way. That's what I want to celebrate. I won't celebrate it with food. I'm thinking about either going on a hike or donating the amoung of pounds in food to a local pantry. I'm still trying to come up with other ideas. I'll see my health educator next week, so I should have more news then. Have an awesome weekend.

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Motivation: Challenge vs. Reality Part II

After many attempts to stay motivated to lose weight I could not find motivation in a pair of jeans, in myself, other people or a piece of paper (AKA diet). God has given me direction and showed me how to stay motivated in my journey.

God: His plan, His Now Word, His Goal for Me
I was at the bottom of a pit when God healed me and gave me His plan for a healthy, abundant life. I was depressed and feeling bad about myself while putting on a happy face at work and at church.
I received a word from God as an individual, which has guided me until today in my weight loss journey. As a human being in this journey, I get tired, weary and discouraged. Seeking what I call a ‘now’ word from God also motivates me to stay encouraged. God knows the end from the beginning, therefore He knows and He has the power to give you guidance to stay encouraged. I’m talking about specific things you can do in order to finish your weight loss journey well.
Another great thing I learned from Lisa Bevere’s book ‘You are not what you weigh” is that God, as your Creator, knows how much you are supposed to weigh. Fashion cannot and should not dictate how much you are to weigh. God can. Knowing that piece of information has been really encouraging. I often write and say that I can do all things through Christ. Through Him I can reach His goal for me. Talk about having a great assurance!

Planning
The Bible tells us to write the vision and make it plain. I notice that when faced with a busy week, I tend to write down when I am going to exercise. By doing that I am preparing my mind and therefore my body for action. Planning takes me from wishing I was doing something to actually having a concrete plan of doing it.
It’s unwise to start a company without a business plan. Because of the plan success is possible. Just ask Bill Gates or Donald Trump about that.
A simple illustration I heard further encouraged me to plan. I love cakes. I specially love wedding cakes because they are so beautiful. They only reason why my wedding cake was so beautiful on my wedding day, it was because someone followed a recipe. When I first started on my weight loss journey, I walked daily. I walked in the park, I used a pedometer… I walked. Recently I’ve been using a new recipe. I walk, run or work on another aerobic workout but I added a new ingredient: weight lifting. Ask God what is the recipe to get to the size He wants you to have. Make sure you follow the directions!

Prayer
I pray for a lot of people. I don’t pray for myself that much. As I was walking and reflecting on the subject of motivation, I realized it is okay to talk to the Lord about your weight loss journey. Pray that you will hear His voice. Present your plans to Lord and they will succeed (Proverbs 16:3). Include God in that area of your life. Jesus came to be Lord of all areas of our lives, our eating habits is an area we all tend to leave Him out (I know I did). Pray for yourself. I know you pray for others but start praying for yourself. This week I need to pray that God will give me the grace to exercise at least 3 times. God hears and answers our prayers. He cares about everything, your exercise habits too!

Seeking Peace
I’ve established that being busy can wreck your weight loss efforts. In my case, that busyness and the lack of exercise can lead to the lack of peace. You might feel anxious, afraid. You might get the shakes or whatever. Your stomach may hurt. When I’m anxious I have chest pains. These symptoms do not come from God. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. We are to pursue peace. We are to crave it, to seek hard after it.
Worrying and being anxious can mess up the most gorgeous of days. As I was walking in a day like that, I noticed how beautiful it was outside. I felt like I needed to enjoy that day. Psalm 118 says ‘This is the day that the Lord has made.” The other part of the verse is not ‘let us worry about our projects at work, scream at our family members because they’re not as organized as we are, feel condemned because we overate and be mad in it.” The psalmist encourages to rejoice and be glad in it.
Joy and gladness work with motivation, not against it. Do a joy check when you are feeling down.

Confession
A couple of weeks ago, during my search for motivation I dragged myself to the gym. I was really tired but I needed to be there. I was so tired I thought I couldn’t finish my aerobic exercise in one of the machines. My mind desperately started to seek for motivation. I found it while remembering God’s plan for me and confessing it. I opened my mouth and said: “I am not what I weight, I weight what God wants me to weigh and I can do it through Christ who strengthens me.” There’s power and strength in the Word of God. I want to encourage you to confess His word. Make it personal too!

We are all unique. God knows that. It was difficult for me to find motivation based of someone else’s experience. God has a plan for you, He knows just how to encourage you and He will lead you to people to help you. The key is to rely on Him as your all in all.

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Dicas pra Mulher Ocupada

Bom fds pra todos/as! Estou entrando em um tempo bem ocupado (no trabalho) pra mim e vai ser ótimo se Deus quiser. Minha nutricionista me deu umas dicas boas pra eu continuar saudável:

*Lembre-se de usar sapatos confortáveis – Eu trabalho perto de um lugar ótimo pra caminhar e andando pra cima e pra baixo faço um pouco de exercísio e continuo confortável.
*Tire uma folga pra vc durante o dia – Pelo menos uma hora pra caminhar, descansar, etc. Essa também é uma folga mental ;)
* Quem vai fazer as compras? - Se você tem que fazer as compras além de trabalhar, que tal simplificar a sua vida? Use a mesma lista até que vc fique menos ocupada. Simplificar a vida ajuda a manter a paz.
* Lembre-se de continuar planejando as refeições - Hoje eu trouxe frutas, iogurte e meu almoço pro trabalho. Também planejei as vezes que vou ter que comer na rua.

Vamos continuar preservando a nossa saúde, não importa o quanto a gente tem que trabalhar! Com carinho, Simply Cintia

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The “S-word,” the sWord and the sword

The S-word
Deep issues surface when you’re trying to change the outside the right way – at least in my case. Researchers have proved that one of the reasons why people overeat are connected to the “S-word.” Being overweight might be deeper than genes, it might be related to stress.
Stress is a piece of work. I’ve heard people saying that our bodies were created to deal with a certain amount of stress but it’s up to us to manage the amount of stress we face from day to day.
Stress causes different effects in different people. I noticed that my blood pressure goes sky high when I’m dealing (other than eliminating) with stress. I get nervous, feel tired and I’m in a vulnerable place where my old self could reach out to food instead of a practical and effective solution to the problem.

The sWord
The best way for a Christian to deal with stress is using the Word of God. Here’s the proof:
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 Whether you pray it, sing it, confess it or meditate on it, the Word of God is effective every time. When you use other methods, you are using your own sword and here’s what the sons of Koreh think about that:
“I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;” Psalms 44:6

The sword
I’ve used my own sword plenty of times. Last year I overbooked myself. I taught too many classes, I attended too many events. I didn’t have enough time for my 3 Rs (regroup, relax and rest). I took on too many responsibilities. I had to learn how to rely on God to show me which events to attend, if I needed to teach, you get the point. I learned my lesson.
It’s worth mentioning that there are many ways to fight stress that are legitimate and work. As for me, I want to be sure that the Word of God is the first weapon I use. For example, I enjoy exercising. It does wonders for my body and mind. I am thankful to God that I am at a point where I know I need to exercise several times a week to fight stress instead of eating a whole German chocolate cake.
I have decided to speak up and confess the Word of God when stress tries to creep in. I want to trouble my trouble, I want the lifestyle of more than a conqueror. Stress, you suck. I am gonna pay you no attention. I’m gonna fight and conquer because Jesus said I am to take His light burden and easy yoke.

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