Struggling with weight

MY FIRST GUEST POST!!!!!

****************** DAVE POIRIER ****************

Who happens to also be my dad :^) Be inspired!!!

I'm writing this because my daughter (Crystal) suggested that I may be able to help others by gleaming from my experience of dealing with excess weight. I didn’t even realize how much of a weight problem I developed over the years. It was as if I was living in denial. I was just like the frog that boiled to death and didn’t even know it. Put a frog in water, and when the water temperature is increased, ever so slightly, the frog will eventually boil to death without a chirp.

Another thought that comes to mind is when I used to smoke. I would say, “I really like to smoke.” Then one day I realized, I didn’t like it when I first tried it. Funny, the first time I tried a smoke I coughed and hacked through the whole experience. Eventually I turned addict, and denial set in. Slow weight gain can act the same way. Eventually you’re eating your way to an unhealthy lifestyle, and potentially an early grave.

Truth is, I’ve always had a problem with weight and for awhile I kind of controlled it by smoking (curved my appetite). Smoking is a TERRIBLE habit, and it took all I had to give it up. But it's worth it! It was about ten years ago when I quit, and like so many others before me, I began packing on the weight. I gradually put on about 50 lb growing from 190 to 240. In my mid 40’s the doctor put me on blood pressure medication, and most recently was introduced to a C-Pap machine, a unit helping you breath at night. The real issue was keeping my wife up all night with loud snoring, also caused from large deposits of fatty tissue in my nasal and throat passages. Everything was weight related! It was time I woke up from the denial.

(Me, back in the day)

Like the frog or the confident smoker, I didn’t see myself as being THAT overweight. I was blind, looking in the mirror, still seeing myself as if I was in high school. Now that’s funny! Here’s a guy 50 lbs over-weight, approaching 50, and thinks he’s still all that hunk! Then my youngest began to struggle with excess weight. As the years went by, the problem continued to grow and I didn’t know what to do. The situation affects the family dynamics, long with my marriage, and we still struggle with the best approach with what to do. So, we pray……continually.

It was praying and asking on behalf of my daughter when God answered. "Son," He said, "how can you expect anything from your child that's not operating in your own life first?" That’s it! Soon after the Lord spoke this to me, my employer had enlisted Weight Watchers to help employees lose weight. I jumped at the opportunity!

BEFORE and AFTER: Going for a run w/Brandon

So, now I'm 40 lbs (soon to be 50) lighter, off the blood pressure meds, off the C-Pap machine, all after changing my diet! WW is teaching me healthy ways to eat and how to listen to my body's hunger signs. I'm no longer addicted to food. They promote a lower fat, low carbohydrate intake while increasing protein and fiber. Regular exercise is also important (1/2 hour of exercise a day). I didn’t do that right away. So if your new to it, it's ok. I started very gradual, running further and further every week. And now I'm running 6 miles consistently! I never thought I'd be doing that at 50! If I can do it, you can do it too!

If you're struggling with getting healthy I HIGHLY encourage you to begin changing your diet and eating whole foods that are natural and nutrition-dense. This is what your body needs.

WW also introduced me to a varied number of supplements that I found beneficial and take on a regular basis:

1. Psyllium husk – (2) table spoons every morning – See http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-psyllium-husk.html , or read about it on Dr. OZ.
2. Chia seeds – Great fiber super supplement, put in all kinds of food, reduces points for yogurt from (2) to (1) point because of the extra fiber. See: http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/lindsey-duncan-nd-cn/chia-ancient-super-secret
3. Astaxanthin (10 gm) – (1) a day. Great antioxidant.

2012 brings in a new era at the Poirier household. My wife has embraced most of the new changes and has 110% supported the healthy lifestyle approach (it works best when everyone’s in the same boat). Our general practitioner has given my youngest approval to join WW this year and we find that the new insurance will cover some of the cost. So, here's to a year surrounded by God’s favor (2 Peter 3-11)!! Be blessed!

Radical love

(something supernatural part 2)

You see, it is not enough for us to obey God on our own - we need to become a contagious force for change and bring others with us in our quest to win back this world for God. Radical people will do radical things - especially those who have the burning zeal of God within them like the prophets, judges and kings and queens throughout Bible history. Radical people aren't afraid to do what needs to be done, even if it hasn't been done before. And they know that, in order to accomplish the task in front of them, they will need the help of others working toward the same goal."

The Cry of Mordecai By Robert Stearns

Being radical doesn't mean being stupid, but it may make you look like you are. Ha ha! Really. I find the closer and deeper I get with Jesus, the more He speaks about doing things that outside the "norm". Even the Church starts to turn their head a little bit. But it's that kind of zeal and radicalism that is going to lead an End-Time Army. It's not going to be the spectators that sit and judge what is happening in the Church Sunday morning. It's not going to be the Church that kept things "seeker-sensitive" instead of SPIRIT-SENSITIVE. It's not going to be the individual who cares more about the things in this world or is easily anxious about the burdens of life. No. It's going to be the Church that is radical in their love for Jesus. Why? Because it' the very warning Jesus gives to the Church in Matthew 24. Many hearts will grow cold and far from love because of the increase of wickedness - and thats not just wickedness in the world, that is also wickedness in the Church.

How crucial is radical love for Jesus in this hour?

It IS crucial!!! His love cries with urgency. We are able to love God because He first loved us. The love of God cries out to us, wooing us to love Him back!

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

John 2:17-19

The bigger picture IS the last hour. The "last hour" is not an actual hour. God does not live in time or space. Rather, it is an urgency to live ready for the return of Christ! We are living in the last hour because we are awaiting our Groom's return. And every day, every minute is one moment closer to His return. He has been preparing His Bride to be a part of an End-time Army for centuries. Who is so radical enough in their love for Him that they would say "YES!" We are in the hour in which we should always be living - readily awaiting the return of Christ.

But what keeps us from that disposition? It is our love for the things in the world - the desires of the flesh, the desires of our eyes (heart) and the pride of life. Even fear is a form of pride. Fear chokes us sometimes when God is ready to catapult us forward! Some times it takes an act of radical love for us to be free to live in the Spirit and be obedient no matter the cost. God will give you a revelatory gift when you choose to not love the things of the world. He will be more nearer and speaking more than ever when you give up everything else. And that is not even a fair swap at its greatest! For He truly gave up everything for us, and we could never out-give Him.

I encourage you to give Him all you got. Let's be radical in our love for Him!

Love,

Crystal

Some cross reference for look-up on the end-time hour - 2 Tim 3:1; James 5:3; 2 Pet 3:3; Jude 18

For PART 1 of Something Supernatural click here.

something supernatural (Prayer at Moriah)

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of things God is doing? I mean, I love it. I love when there's so much revelation on the table you can't stand it. I love when there is an ocean of knowledge God is unleashing. I love talking to God and knowing He is speaking back. I love feeling in love.

I was in great expectation going to Camp Moriah (Poplar Bluff, MO). For those who don't know, Mt. Moriah was where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar. It's also believed to be where the first and second temple of the Lord was built. Moriah means, "God is my teacher", and "ordained by God". That, in and of itself, was so powerful to me. Yet, the Lord made it quite clear to me that "it" was not going to come how I would expect it. What was "it"? Well, to be quite honest, I didn't really know.

here's the thing.... Do you ever read the Word of God and leave baffled by the fact all of its promises and supernatural encounters are not consistently operating in your life? When I read the Word, it seriously challenges me to my core. I think a lot of the Church, along with myself, suffers from the fear of man. Truth be told, that if we believed that God was "faithful and just to perform His Word", then a lot of us would living a whole lot different. It's a wonderful thing to be a mother, meet God in my comfortable home, maybe even fellowship a little during the week with other believers, but simply, I believe God wants so much more for us. So much more! If our love for God was greater than our love for the world (acceptance, approval, being comfortable, sin), revival would probably be breaking out all across the churches of America.

I believe the "it" I was looking for WAS God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God who defeated the Philistines. The God who delivered Israel from the hand of Pharoah. The God who consumed the water on Elijah's altar and brought fire on all the prophets of Baal. The God who brought a great cloud by day, and fire by night. The God who would save Daniel in a lions' den and keep 3 men alive in a sweltering furnace. I wanted to see the God whom promised I could see Him face to face, promising even a greater glory than what Moses experienced in the wilderness. I wanted to see the God who would save my soul by sending His Son as the perfect sacrifice for my sin. The God who would fulfill every Word spoken, never to return void. The God who gives dreams and visions to mere men. The One who can make the lame walk, the blind see and the dead rise! Oh how the Word of God challenges me! Does it not you? Why don't you tear out the page between your New and Old Testament so that you can be reminded that God has not changed. That it was never intended, by God, for man to separate the two. We serve the same God. We change! But He does not. I cannot help but think I am missing God if His Word is not being performed in my life. I needed an encounter.

Here's something I learned while out in Missouri, an encounter that I so desired does not come without a cost. yeah....yeah....yeah...we've all heard it before. But when are we going to wake up to its reality? The cost is you! Its when you give up everything. You give up your being to the obedience of Jesus. It sounds lovely behind the pulpit, but trust me, your flesh will feel like its being murdered. For myself, I am aware more suffering is to come (if i want more, that is). I am thankful to be back in a real bed, using a real bathroom, having access anytime I want to a shower. But God literally plucked me from all natural means and comfortable reality to make me realize what he really desired from me. - And what the cost would be for His Glory.

TO BE CONTINUED....

i plan to share a lot more. and I really pray that those who read are not only blessed, but also provoked by the Holy Spirit to run after God. I genuinely believe that if you are reading God wants to do something supernatural in your life. I will be praying for my readers - for our pearls will not be thrown to swine.

What's for dinner?

I find it really interesting that America really has none of its own traditions when it comes to what we should be eating. Apart from the typical cheeseburger and home-fries, American food has never really found its niche for the perfect meal. The Italians found their love in pastas and breads, while the Greeks found it in greens and cheeses. And a good 'ol Mexican meal brings on its choices of what to put in your burrito or taco, along with the French widely known for their butters, creams and pastries. And don't forget the array of asian meals that always include a rice or noodle at every meal. I guess what it means to be American is to throughly enjoy embracing all cultures and traditions because one thing we do, and we do it well, is eating. I love how Michael Pollan puts it, "Yet I wonder if it doesn't make more sense to speak in terms of an American paradox - that is, a notably unhealthy people obsessed by the idea of eating healthy."

I recently had someone email me a question about being vegetarian. As some of you know, I went from being a person who ate everything put in front of them to pesco-tarian (no meat, but eats fish) to vegetarian to carnivore and then to vegan. And I'm not even going to mention where I am currently at, and for very good reasoning. With all those changes and decisions came logical reasoning, but simply kept changing with the more education I got on food. Also what a lot of people don't know or understand is, sometimes, I would only choose to eat like that for a season. So much contributes to what I personally will decide what to put out for dinner. Do I need to cleanse? Do I have enough money for groceries (because local organic meat is expensive)? Am I low this weak on omega-3's? How's my protein? Iron? Is this meal gonna provide the energy I need to exercise? And what I choose to eat while I'm nursing my baby may be completely different than when I'm not. Do you see where I'm getting at? Sometimes there really is no "right" answer when it comes to what we should choose to eat for dinner. But what you do choose should fit your lifestyle. It should compliment how you live. If your active vs. being someone who stays in the house all day, those two people's meals should be completely different from one another. You have to find what works for you and your family.

I love Michael Pollan because he is able to describe it again in this way - "Our culture codifies the rules of wise eating in an elaborate structure of taboos, rituals, recipes, manners and culinary traditions that keep us from having to reenact the omnivore's dilemma at every meal."

"And so we find ourselves where we do, confronting in the supermarket or at the dinner table the dilemmas of omnivorousness, some of them ancient and others never before imagined. The organic apple or the conventional? And if the organic, the local one or the imported? The wild fish or the farmed? The transfats or the butter or the 'not butter'? Shall I be a carnivore or a vegetarian? And if a vegetarian, a lacto-vegetarian or a vegan? Like the hunter-gatherer picking a novel mushroom off the forest floor and consulting his sense memory to determine its edibility, we pick up the package in the supermarket and, no longer so confident of our senses, scrutinize the label, scratching our heads over the meaning of phrases like 'heart-healthy,' 'no transfats,' 'cage-free,' or 'range-fed'. What is 'natural grill flavor' or TBHQ or xanthan gum? What is all this stuff, anyway, and where in the world did it come from?"

I think what is most important about choosing what to put on your dinner menu is that you've thought about it:) You wouldn't pick up any mushroom from outside and just assume you can eat it. Some are very nutritious, while others are very poisonous! Well then....you shouldn't assume everything put on the shelves of our grocery stores is nutritious as well. Look at your life. What's a typical day? Are you active? Are you nursing? Do you have children? Listen to your body and find out what it needs. Putting on weight? Then make some adjustments. Getting dizzy spells? Then check your sugar. Are you getting enough protein so your sugar can burn slower? Are you nursing? Then you need to keep that iron high. Find out what is in your food and apply it to how you live. There is no magic answer to what EVERYONE should be eating but there is an answer to how YOU should be eating. So, what are going to eat for dinner tonight?

Resources: The Omnivore's Dilemma By Michael Pollan (pg. 3, 4, 5)

The Lord's Table

Did you know that God has something to say about what you eat?

"If you will listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to His commands and obey His laws, i will never make you sufffer any of the diseases I made the Eqyptians suffer, because I am the Lord who heals you." (Exodus 15:26)

It amazes me that Adam and Eve were created in a garden. A garden full of everything they needed - full of every juicy and vitamin-rich fruit and every savory and nutrient-rich vegetable and grain. Everything came from the earth and everything went back into the earth. It was the ideal ecosystem ever! - And its because it was God's design and God said it was good.

Now we have food that has been altared and doesn't break down. Most of the food that comes from the earth has been toyed with and made to last for years on our shelves. So, we're given choices. Do we seek God to eat right in a world gone wrong? Or do we just sit back and eat what's put on our plates? i believe God has something to say about it all. Eating healthy is as much importance as any spiritual discipline. We like to point fingers with all the ungodly wrong in the world, but we rarely acknowledge a society obsessed with eating - and eating unhealthy.

My hope is that you would be provoked. My hope is that a light would come on in your heart and mind, so that you may begin to question what you put into your body. God does have something to say. I hear people say this a lot," it's all in moderation..." The saying personally urks me. Because, technically, if thats what you believe, you can eat anything you want and have no consequence....as long as its in moderation, right? No! if God has something to say about what we eat, then I believe whether in moderation or not....there are going to be foods He wants us to eat and does not want us to eat. We need a healthy look at food. Food is not bad. it was created for the very purpose to keep us living....for a long time. God wants us to eat! It's what we eat and how much we eat that he has something to say.

As I started this blog, I had a few people contact me with some personal questions and seeking some genuine heart-felt change in their diet. A couple of them were desperate for change, but, in desiring to do things God's ways, had really no idea where to start. Three people, in particular, I encouraged to do a Bible study called The Lord's Table, which can be found at settingcaptivesfree.com. (Thank you Kathy for referring myself to such a study). two out of the three have gotten back to me since starting it and have shared some wonderful revolutionary testimonies of how God is speaking to them. With their huge success stories, I want to encourage others to do the study as well. Whether you think you have an addiction to food or not, its a wonderful study to get in the habit of exposing ourselves to good food designed by God. it's a 60-day study that will take you into a daily devotional of impacting your eating life. It gives open opportunity for God to speak to your diet. Then at the end, it will lead you into a fast that will help you have self-control for your future.

i realize I may be writing to the choir of people who are already on their own health journey. But even as I look at my own weaknesses (its hard for me to say "no" when its right there in my face) i see there is always room to grow. and it certainly never hurt to continually seek God on the things i choose to eat. we forget He has something to say. The more I know what He desires, the more I want to eat His way. I encourage you to let God be a part of your diet. Let's not make these decisions on our own...

Short and Sweet: My Story from the Beginning

So what really prompted me to start blogging about healthy living?

Picture to right is before my health journey.

Is it really greener on the other side? My answer...YES! Over-time, starting mostly in high school, food became a comfort. When I was bored...I would eat. When I was lonely or depressed...I would eat. When I went out with friends...I would eat. I don't think I rarely ever felt hungry because I ate to much to really know its true feeling. Once I got to college, most of my activity and mobility came to a halt as I crammed in late night studying and was consumed by classes and work. With the combined powers of over-eating, eating junk, not getting enough sleep and no exercise, it didn't take more than a year for me to gain a whopping freshman 40. As I entered my second year I felt more and more lethargic and less and less happy about who I was becoming. It was then at my all time high of 210 pounds (and also when I started dating my husband) that I realized I had a problem and if it didn't get cleaned up then my future was going to pay.

In this blog, i desire to not only share my journey to weight loss, but to living a healthy life. Diets don't work because they substitute calories for nutrition. They might give immediate results, but put your body in a even more unhealthy state than when you started. This blog is not about being skinny or trying to get down to your ideal weight. This blog is designed to help others like myself...mothers and fathers, our children, young women and men who desire long life. Over the past four years I have learned so much more beyond using food as my god, but I have also learned how to be a good steward of the body God has given me. Over time I would like to share with you and others about this journey, without information that can seem overwhelming. This is why I plan to start slow and I promise to never say or recommend something I haven't already tried or seen proven true. I also will try to sight any resource I have come across that I may have gotten my information. Of course there are things I will not be able to sight only because I have come to learn them over-time and have studied them leisurely.

Picture to left is after 2 years of getting healthy.

What we put in our bodies can determine how long we want to live! "Ignorance is bliss" is the good old saying, but the truth, ignorance can kill us. Here are three basic biblical principles I will continually hit:

1. Eat foods God created for you.

2. Don't altar God's design.

3. Don't let any food or drink become your god.

My small disclaimer is that this blog is not being written to prevent or cure any specific disease. But my prayer is that you will be inspired....inspired to live healthy lives, so you may able to enter into the ultimate measure of God's blessings.....LONG LIFE!

If you would like to follow this blog I would love to hear your comments and your own experiences or even questions. I appreciate any disagreements or constructive criticism to be sent directly to my email. The blog is designed to help people, so anything that could cause discouragement I would try to refrain from commenting. May this be a humbling experience for all of us!

Love,

Crystal