“Upon Whom the Ends Have Come” | Sabbath School Panel by 3ABN - Lesson 1...

More Battles Than I Even Imagined

"The LORD will fight for you, 

and you shall hold your peace." 

NKJV

"The LORD himself will fight for you. 

Just stay calm."

NLT 

 "This verse is interpreted to mean that Christians should remain calm and trust in God's faithfulness, even when they don't understand what's happening. It's also about replacing fear and outrage with joy and awe at God's majesty." ~Google search of this verse, explanation 

 This has been a favorite verse of mine for quite some time. I'd say at least 15 years or longer. I always had thought that God fighting for me in a me against them situation, but over the last several months I have come to understand that God is more than capable to help me fight against myself. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. When our sinful nature tries to dictate what we do, what we say and even what we eat. If we will surrender ourselves to God - He sends the Holy Spirit to fight for us. There have been many times when situations have come about that I have had to lean heavy on the Holy Spirit and allow Him to bring to my mind that I don't eat that anymore. And it has even surprised me at how quickly it pops into my mind - that is why I know it is not me that is fighting the battle anymore. And I am thrilled to have this awesome support! 

So yes - The LORD will fight for us - we can stay calm - whether it is a situation where someone is being ugly to us or when temptations come our way - the LORD is more than capable to fight the battles for us!! 

It's been 6 Months

 Today marks the 6 month anniversary of my healthy journey. Little did I know that when I named my blog that it would have so much truth to it. It has been a journey to the real me. It has taken a lot of ups and downs throughout the years, but I can see how God has guided me so I could arrive here today. 

So first I am sure you are wondering - how much weight did I lose over the last month- 6 pounds!! And that brings the total up to 44 pounds!! I could not have done this without God giving me the victory. I know I have mentioned that it seems like every time I turn around there is something else that happens, and I know it is the adversaries attempts to kill, steal and destroy. 

In about 1992 I read this book: 

I learned one of the most important things about dieting from this book. Fat is what makes you fat! It's true. This author does a really good job explaining all of it. And a very cool thing is that you don't have to worry about calories any more. Just understand the fat content of foods and make wise choices according. Since then I have learned that there are healthy fats that we do need. So don't cut your fat out too low. 

When I asked Bing how many fat grams that this book recommended for men and women - this is what I got as an answer: 

25-35 grams per day

The T-Factor Diet recommends a low-fat intake of 25-35 grams per day for both men and women1. It emphasizes consuming 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, along with whole grain products, to partially replace fatty foods and promote satiety2. The diet shifts focus from counting calories to tracking fat grams3. In comparison, dietary guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend a daily fat intake between 20% and 35% of total daily calories4.

 

If I remember correctly, it was like 20- 30 grams for women and 30-40 for men. There is a copy of the book at a local thrift store- the next time I go I will check and I will share if numbers are different. 

All I know is that your body does need healthy fats. There are some important vitamins that they body is able to use easier if there is good fats. 

Just in case someone may not know what healthy fats would be, here is a list: 

• Nuts 
• Seeds - chia seeds, flax seeds  
• Avocados
• Olives 

A bit of a warning on the seeds- Flax seeds need to be ground up or they will just go right through you with no benefits from the flax seeds. I would also buy the seed and grind the yourself with a coffee bean ginder- because once they are ground they tend to go rancid pretty quickly. And Chia seeds- it is best to mix them with water and let sit for a bit so they absorb the water and makes it safer to use them. I put them in with my overnight oats, along with water and a bit of soy milk, and raisins or date pieces. Yummy! These seeds give your body the Omega 3 that it needs so it's recommended to get at least 1 tablespoon of them a day. This is a fat the body needs. 

With fruits and veggies and beans - I don't worry about their fat contents at all because it is such a small amount. 

It is so much easier to just watch the amount of fat than it is to count calories. And when you cut out dairy and sugar and meat - it makes it all even that much easier. 

So 6 months in and I am still thrilled that i finally listened to the convictions of the Holy Spirit and made the changes that I have made. When you let God control the journey - you end up where God meant for you to be - the real you! :O) 

“In the Psalms: Part 2” | Sabbath School Panel by 3ABN - Lesson 9 Q2 2025

Multiple Trial Runs Through the Years

 I have attempted to lose weight a half dozen times or more over my adult life. And it would end up where I would lose some weight - maybe 50 pounds at the most before I fell off the wagon and then slowly gain the weight back. 

Back in 2017 I attempted to lose 50 pounds before I turned 50 years old, only to lost about 36 pounds or so before some major stress hit and knocked me off the wagon. Over the last 7 or 8 years I have tried several times but got knocked off. And in 2024 I came to a place I did not think I would ever be able to lose very much weight. I even went through my clothes and got rid of everything that was more than 1 size down. 

As I was thinking about all these failures, I realized that the biggest issue was that I had not fully committed to the lifestyle approach. I had made several trial runs, but I wasn't all in.  But even though I wasn't all in God had used each and every time to teach me different lessons that I needed to learn. Those lessons helped equip me for what I needed to make the choices I made this time. To fully commit to taking care of me. Of putting my main focus on health and losing weight as a happy bonus. 

Have you attempted to reach some goals and just keep failing at it? Don't give up. Use the knowledge that you glean each time to help propel you to success.  Sometimes trial runs are all we need to finally have success. :O) 

***The next blog post should be a 6 months Update. See you soon. 

You Won't Regret It

In the early part of 2017 I set a goal to lose 50 pounds by the time I turned 50 years old. I felt this was a reasonable goal since it gave me a couple of years. 

It seemed like everything was going along smoothly till the "Keto" movement hit. Several of my facebook friend got into selling "Pruvit" products which meant they had to make a huge production about the weight they were losing. Now keep in mind neither of these ladies really had that much weight that they needed to lose. Even some ladies at my church were complementing them about "ALL" the weight they had lost. Meanwhile the 30 something pounds I had lost didn't seem to be noticed. :0( 

God tried to help me by giving me a special message one morning while in my quiet time I shared with Him my frustrations. 

"I know you are frustrated but keep working towards your goals - you won't regret it." 

August 24, 2017

Boy, do I wish I could have been at the place where I hadn't placed so much emphasis on weight loss so I could have worked passed all the distractions. Had health been my #1 goal with weight loss as a happy bonus, then I could have ignored all the hoopla and focused on me and my health. 

I also wish I had listened to God's message back then because I would have been so much closer to my goal at this point had I listened. But I had a lot to learn in the years that followed. All the lessons that had helped me get to where I am today. 

But wouldn't you know it just months into my new way of eating and taking care of myself and another diet craze hits. And at first, I felt those negative feelings rising up in me. But I took a couple of deep breaths, and I refocused on why I am doing what I am doing. It isn't about fast weight loss. Yes - weight loss is a happy bonus for me, and I am thrilled about it but I am looking out for my overall health. Not some lose weight fast object which for the long term does NOT work. I will not allow other peoples supposed quick weight lose discourage me. I am losing weight in a very healthy way. I get to eat real food. No paying big bucks for packaged food - highly processed package food at that. I am eating the awesome foods that God created for us to eat. The foods that naturally provide the nutrients that we need.  

So sadly, I have to say I did not reach my 50 by 50 goal. But that is a past failure, and I am moving forward. I am setting doable goals for myself along with journey and I have meant each goal ahead of time so far. So, my overall goal from when I started a little over 5 months ago was to lose a total of 93 pounds. Well really, I did not shoot that high at first but when I realized that it is God who gives the victory, and I can depend on Him to help me through each trial and temptation -that is when I set my sights on this goal. When I reach this goal of losing 93 pounds I will be like my high school weight, I believe. :O) As of today, I have lost 42 pounds- which means I have 51 more pounds to go. I realize it may take me till next June to reach this goal - and that is alright. A shorter-term goal is to lose 56 pounds by the time I turn 56 years old - later this year- as you can see, I am 14 pounds away from that goal. I will certainly post when I reach this goal- I believe it will be before I turn 56, maybe by a couple of months. But that is alright because also have a goal that I have set for the end of 2025. 

Remember if you are working towards goals and struggling - you may be frustrated but keep working towards those goals. You will NOT regret it!! :O) 

“In the Psalms: Part 1” | Sabbath School Panel by 3ABN - Lesson 8 Q2 2025