tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14459242729313032332011-10-29T18:57:20.294-04:00My Journey from Chubby Cheeks to Classy and ChicRachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-33046050829473206262011-10-10T12:48:00.005-04:002011-10-10T13:01:00.889-04:00Meal planning is one of those things I know I need to do, but I am so lazy about it. I need to meal plan to save money for our family (currently just Husby and me), and I need to meal plan so I'm prepared to make good decisions.<div><br /></div><div>When I know we're eating tacos for dinner, and I know I have all of the ingredients at home, I'm less likely to purchase some type of convenience food at the last minute.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't have a very good system in place for meal planning. It usually consists of me sitting down on Sunday and thinking of a few meals I know how to cook and I know we like. I need to take my meal planning a step further and think about the nutritional value of what I'm preparing. Also, I need to think through how leftovers of that meal will work out calorically (is that a word? spell check says no, but I'm keeping it anyway) with the new meal I would prepare the next day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you meal plan? Do you have a good system in place? I'd love some pointers!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Previous Days:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-4-memorize-scripture.html">Day 4: Memorize Scripture</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-5-try-fasting-about-it.html">Day 5: Try Fasting About It</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-6-support-system.html">Day 6: Support System</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-7-accountability.html">Day 7: Accountability</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-8-food-journal.html">Day 8: Food Journal</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-9-why-am-i-eating.html">Day 9: Why am I Eating?</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3304605082947320626?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-10661767405861079022011-10-10T12:45:00.003-04:002011-10-10T13:01:21.928-04:00This is a biggie. Why am I eating? If I would ask myself that every time I eat something, I'd probably start shedding pounds. Most of the time I eat isn't for nutrition. <div><br /></div><div>I'm an emotional eater.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sad. Oooh, I'm hungry. I bet ice cream will make me happy and not hungry.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm bored. Oooh, I'm hungry. Eating a bag of potato chips would give me something to do.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm angry. Oooh, I'm hungry. I could work out my aggression on some chicken wings.</div><div><br /></div><div>See the pattern?</div><div><br /></div><div>Why am I eating?</div><div><br /></div><div>A simple question that could go a long way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why are you eating?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Previous Days:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-4-memorize-scripture.html">Day 4: Memorize Scripture</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-5-try-fasting-about-it.html">Day 5: Try Fasting About It</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-6-support-system.html">Day 6: Support System</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-7-accountability.html">Day 7: Accountability</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-8-food-journal.html">Day 8: Food Journal</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-1066176740586107902?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-43223255847102981032011-10-10T12:36:00.003-04:002011-10-10T13:01:42.572-04:00Most people who have been successful with weight loss will tell you they kept food journals. A food journal can be a very eye opening thing. "What? You mean I ate 4,000 calories today? I had no idea." <div><br /></div><div>A food journal can also be a fairly simple thing. You could just write down what you ate. Sometimes, that's eye opening enough. Or you could write down the calories, fat grams, carbs, protein, etc. If you're trying to lose weight, that would probably be the most helpful.</div><div><br /></div><div>I need to get into the habit of keeping a food journal again, and I need to use it as a tool for modifying my eating habits. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you like all things digital, an excellent, free resource is <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/">My Fitness Pal</a>. It has tons of foods already in its database, and you can add new ones. You can also track your exercise, weight, and measurements. There are mobile apps for smart phones as well, so you can track your food and exercise on the go.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you keep a food journal? What system do you use, paper or digital?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Previous Days:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-4-memorize-scripture.html">Day 4: Memorize Scripture</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-5-try-fasting-about-it.html">Day 5: Try Fasting About It</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-6-support-system.html">Day 6: Support System</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-7-accountability.html">Day 7: Accountability</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-4322325584710298103?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-10140399712753013122011-10-10T12:19:00.003-04:002011-10-10T13:02:04.362-04:00Day 6 was about a support system. Accountability is linked very closely to that support system. In addition to needing people who will encourage me, I need people who will help me see where I'm slipping. I need people who will ask me the tough questions, expecting answers. People who will ask me what I ate for breakfast (sadly, I started out with candy corn and peanuts this morning). People who will ask me how many times I went to the gym last week (twice? I think.). Then they'll take their questions a step further. When I answer that I ate candy corn and peanuts for breakfast, they'll ask me what changes I need to make so I'll make a better decision next time.<div><br /></div><div>I've been afraid of accountability in the past, mostly because I didn't really want to give up my addiction. I hated it when I would ask someone to hold me accountable and the person had the nerve actually to do it. I tell ya. Some people.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm at a point now where I know I won't overcome this sin without accountability. Similar to my support system, I'm going to be praying about a couple of people who can hold me accountable. They need to be people I trust, people I know love me and are holding me accountable because they want me to be more like Christ.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you have people in your life who hold you accountable? What does that look like in your life?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Previous Days:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-4-memorize-scripture.html">Day 4: Memorize Scripture</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-5-try-fasting-about-it.html">Day 5: Try Fasting About It</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-6-support-system.html">Day 6: Support System</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-1014039971275301312?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-86712762180917761502011-10-10T12:06:00.003-04:002011-10-10T13:02:20.907-04:00"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." ~ Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)<div><br /></div><div>One of the challenges I've had with trying to lose weight over the years is the fact that I try to do it all on my own. I don't really like to talk to people about my diet and exercise program (blogging doesn't count, because I'm not looking at you right now). I think it's because I'm embarrassed that I'm so overweight, and I'm even more embarrassed when I'm not sticking to my diet and exercise program. I don't like to talk about things that embarrass me. Do you? Probably not. I doubt anyone really enjoys it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The thing is, I need people on this journey with me. I need people encouraging me. So do you! We've talked a lot about community in church over the past couple of months, and I've been reminded more and more how important it is to do life with other people - especially the tough parts of life. For me, my sin issues with food are a tough part of my life.</div><div><br /></div><div>I need to pick my support system with prayer and thoughtfulness. Because this is such a sensitive area in my life, I don't want my support system to be just anyone. I want other believers to come alongside me and encourage me with God's Word. I need people to remind me who I am in Christ, to preach the Gospel to me regularly, and to pray for me. Those will be very special people. I think I know who they are. I just need to pray for the courage to talk to them. That can be the hardest step!</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you have a support system? Who are those people in your life? How have they been an encouragement to you?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Previous Days:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-4-memorize-scripture.html">Day 4: Memorize Scripture</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-5-try-fasting-about-it.html">Day 5: Try Fasting About It</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-8671276218091776150?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-91255744892279989492011-10-10T11:57:00.003-04:002011-10-10T13:02:39.037-04:00Wow, I have been slack! I knew I was a little behind, but I didn't realize I was 5 days behind. If you actually read this blog, I apologize in advance. There is a chance you're going to get 5 posts from me today.<div><br /></div><div>The phrase "when you fast" is spoken by Jesus twice in Matthew 6:16-17. The fact that He said "when" and not "if" indicates that it's something that should be a part of our lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm going to be honest about two things: 1) I don't know a lot about fasting. It isn't a topic I've studied much in Scripture. 2) I haven't had much success with fasting in the past, meaning I don't typically last the whole time I've set aside for fasting. I usually give in to the hunger.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think point number two is connected to my problem with food. Eating something - anything - was more important to me than what I was fasting about.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not going to do it today, but I would like to try fasting on occasion about my sin issues with food. I want to use that time to connect with the Lord, to remind myself that He is more important than my food addiction. I think it could be a very beneficial time for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is fasting a part of your walk with the Lord? Have you ever fasted specifically about food issues? I'd love to hear from you!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Previous Days:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-4-memorize-scripture.html">Day 4: Memorize Scripture</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-9125574489227998949?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-71768751883353825452011-10-04T17:18:00.004-04:002011-10-04T17:38:34.257-04:00<span class="Apple-style-span">When I think of temptation, I think of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness, constantly being tempted by Satan. Each time Satan tempted Him, Jesus quoted Scripture to resist the temptation.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he talked about putting on the full armor of God so we can stand firm against the devil. Our weapon is "the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word" (Eph. 6:17). I don't think that means get out my biggest, heaviest Bible and throw it at what is tempting me (although, for some temptations, that might work!). I believe God is calling us to memorize Scripture so we'll have it accessible to us at all times. Temptation doesn't just present itself to us when we have our Bibles with us.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">"Thy Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." ~ Psalm 119:11 (I memorized that one in the King James Version when I was little.) Having Scripture memorized and recalling it during times of temptation guards us from sinning.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">So what are some good Scriptures to memorize when waging the weight loss war (did you like that alliteration?)? </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">"For<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-29147A&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference A&quot;&gt;A&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> freedom Christ has<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-29147B&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference B&quot;&gt;B&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> set us free;<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-29147C&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference C&quot;&gt;C&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-29147D&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference D&quot;&gt;D&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> a yoke of<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-29147E&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference E&quot;&gt;E&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> slavery." Galatians 5:1</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">"Or<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-28470C&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference C&quot;&gt;C&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-28470D&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference D&quot;&gt;D&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.<sup class="xref" value="(&lt;a href=&quot;#cen-ESV-28471F&quot; title=&quot;See cross-reference F&quot;&gt;F&lt;/a&gt;)" style="font-size: 0.65em; line-height: 0.5em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; "></sup> So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (The immediate context of these verses is sexual immorality, but I believe they apply to any sin involving the body.)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">"My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips." Psalm 63:5</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">These can get you (me!) started. Do you have any verses you keep hidden in your heart for times of temptation?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I recommend Beth Moore's book, <i>Praying God's Word</i>. She has a chapter devoted to overcoming food-related strongholds. It applies to all eating disorders, not just overeating.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Previous posts in this series:</span></div><div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-7176875188335382545?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-37541526682643918362011-10-03T09:20:00.001-04:002011-10-04T17:39:01.064-04:00I need to pray about my weight loss when I spend time with the Lord in the morning, but it doesn't need to stop there. I need to pray throughout the day, particularly when I'm faced with temptation.<div><br /></div><div>For example: I'm standing in the kitchen with a chocolate chip cookie staring at me. I really want the chocolate chip cookie. Rather than just grabbing the cookie and gobbling it up (is anyone else craving a cookie now?), I stop and pray and ask God for wisdom about eating the cookie.</div><div><br /></div><div>He may convict me on the spot and remind me that I don't need that cookie. He may help me realize that I'm not hungry, or I have a shiny apple two feet away, or a tall glass of water would hit the spot, etc. He may encourage me to walk away and find something to occupy my mind for a while (I'll talk more about that later). Or, He may give me a peace about eating the cookie. I bet you didn't think I'd say that, did you? I don't think there is anything wrong with eating a chocolate chip cookie. Eating a whole plate of chocolate chip cookies is where I have a problem!</div><div><br /></div><div>Because I believe that God has already freed me from sin and given me power to walk in that freedom, I know He'll give me strength to resist temptation and wisdom to make good decisions. All I need to do is ask.</div><div><br /></div><div>"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." ~ James 1:5</div><div><br /></div><div>Previous posts in this series:</div><div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3754152668264391836?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-13015690111996843962011-10-02T14:30:00.002-04:002011-10-04T17:39:21.479-04:00On day 1, I acknowledged that my obesity is a spiritual issue. If I'm going to battle my obesity and fight for my health, I need to start each day with the Lord. He is the one who will win this battle for me. In fact, He's already won it for me. I just need to remind myself of that! I need to dig deep into His word and remember that I don't have to be enslaved to food. He has already freed me from slavery to sin. <div><br /></div><div>If I'm going to have the strength throughout the day to resist temptation, I need to start the day with the Lord. Then I need to talk with Him throughout the day. I need to recall to mind Scripture that I've read (there won't be any to recall if I haven't read any!), and I need to ask for help from the Holy Spirit.</div><div><br /></div><div>For other Christians who have fought, or are fighting, this battle with food, do you have any passages of Scripture that you turn to for help?</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-1301569011199684396?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-71275789976506270822011-10-01T09:00:00.004-04:002011-10-01T14:29:59.582-04:00"My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips." ~ Psalm 63:5<div><br /></div><div>I'm in the women's Bible study at my church. We're going through <i>Breaking Free</i> by Beth Moore. She included Psalm 63:5 during one of her lessons on being satisfied with the Lord. I felt convicted right away. If I were satisfied with the Lord to a greater degree than I find temporary satisfaction in food, there's no way I would be obese. </div><div><br /></div><div>Rather than seeking satisfaction in the Lord over the years, I have sought satisfaction in food. I have used it for comfort and joy, and it has become a sinful addiction in my life. I am enslaved to it. I think about it all the time. I crave it. I live for it. Some of you probably know what I'm talking about, because you also think about food all the time, crave it, and live for it.</div><div><br /></div><div>"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." ~ Galatians 5:1</div><div><br /></div><div>Being enslaved to food is not what Christ wants for me! He wants so much more for me. He wants me to live an abundant life (see John 10:10), not an enslaved one. He already paid the price to set me free from slavery to sin.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is so much hope for me (and you)! A food addiction is just like any other sin. Christ died to free me from it. The Holy Spirit resides in me and gives me the power to overcome it. It does not define me or the direction of my life. God is gracious, and I know He is going to use this time to sanctify me and draw me into a deeper relationship with Him, one in which He is all-satisfying.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-7127578997650627082?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-78123356197911497392011-09-30T14:00:00.005-04:002011-10-10T13:00:31.062-04:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvRma3TU4zc/ToYIuLdORfI/AAAAAAAAAeY/-WmBxriSik8/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvRma3TU4zc/ToYIuLdORfI/AAAAAAAAAeY/-WmBxriSik8/s320/IMG_0314.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658219571279971826" /></a><div><br /></div>It's been a while since I've posted. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it's been a while since I've done much of anything that would help me lose weight. I'm hoping the month of October will be different. <div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.thenester.com/">The Nester</a> mentioned a while back that she and several other bloggers are hosting a "31 Days" blogging event-type thing. That means a whole lot of people are going to be blogging about a whole lot of things for 31 days. I decided to join in.</div><div><br /></div><div>My blog series is 31 Days to a Less Chubby Me. My approach won't be one of an authoritative voice on losing weight. Seriously, have you seen me lately? I am no authority on this subject. My approach will be to share 31 things I'm going to try, not even necessarily over the physical 31 days of October. Sometimes, trying to make too many changes at once results in making no life-long changes at all. </div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps you'll join me on this journey over the next 31 days. Even if you don't jump in and try anything for yourself, I'd love it if you'd pray for me. I know I need to make some changes in my life, and I'm hoping to springboard those changes through this blogging series.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-acknowledge-my-obesity-is.html">Day 1: Acknowledge My Obesity is a Spiritual Issue</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-2-start-my-day-with-lord.html">Day 2: Start My Day with the Lord</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-3-pray-about-my-weight-loss.html">Day 3: Pray About My Weight Loss Regularly</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-4-memorize-scripture.html">Day 4: Memorize Scripture</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-5-try-fasting-about-it.html">Day 5: Try Fasting About It</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-6-support-system.html">Day 6: Support System</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-7-accountability.html">Day 7: Accountability</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-8-food-journal.html">Day 8: Food Journal</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-9-why-am-i-eating.html">Day 9: Why am I Eating?</a></div><div><a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-10-meal-planning.html">Day 10: Meal Planning</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-7812335619791149739?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-26416236857289478772011-03-29T12:56:00.002-04:002011-03-29T12:58:47.988-04:00I updated the My Fitness Pal ticker at the top of my blog so that it will show how many pounds I have to go rather than how many I've lost. I think I knew in my head that it was a lot of weight. Still, somehow seeing it in the form of a ticker shocked me a bit. I've known I needed to lose "a whole person". It clicked just now that I need to lose "a whole overweight person". By God's grace and help from the Holy Spirit, I can do it!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-2641623685728947877?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-87502358660296579722011-03-29T10:56:00.002-04:002011-03-29T11:08:01.420-04:00I have not been trying to lose weight. I haven't been doing anything that would make that happen. I haven't been drinking enough water, eating the right foods, or exercising. Yet I still have regular thoughts about wanting to be a healthy weight, about not wanting to be so fat. <br /><br />Kids openly picked on us for being fat one night. Did that motivate me? No.<br /><br />I'm in the size clothing that I remember oh-so-vividly saying one day, "I hope I'm NEVER that big." Does that motivate me? No.<br /><br />I'm on blood pressure and cholesterol medicine, and I'm only 29. Has that motivated me? No.<br /><br />I'm uncomfortable in groups of people because I feel how big I am compared to them. Is that a motivator? No.<br /><br />What's it going to take? When am I going to get this under control?<br /><br />I've thought a lot lately about the spiritual aspects of my obesity, the fact that it's sinful for me to be out of control with my eating habits, giving in to glutony on a regular basis. I keep hoping that it will grieve my heart that I'm grieving God's heart by sinning continually in this way. It hasn't happened yet. <br /><br />Pastor Charlie taught a great message out of 1 Corinthians on Sunday (they're always great). Toward the end of the message, he talked about self-control. He said that most of the time we think of self-control as having enough will-power not to do something. That's not the whole picture. A large part of self-control is wanting something else more. He talked about athletes training for the Olympics. They aren't tempted by a chocolate cake because winning a gold medal is of far greater value to them than the cake.<br /><br />So I've been contemplating some things that are of greater value to me than out-of-control eating. Here are four things:<br /><br />1) glorifying God with my body and my actions<br />2) having a healthy body so I can live a long life with my precious husband<br />3) being able to have children some day without complications caused by my obesity<br />4) traveling comfortably (airplanes just weren't made for obese people)<br /><br />Please be praying that I'll think about these things as I'm tempted to overeat, as I'm tempted to be sedentary rather than exercising, as I'm tempted to drink soda rather than water. Please be praying that I'll stay focused on the big picture. If I can gain the four things I listed above, giving up my unhealthy eating habits isn't really a loss at all.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-8750235866029657972?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-35235308381390556312011-01-15T14:02:00.003-05:002011-01-15T14:14:13.955-05:00Yep. That's up 6 pounds since the last time I posted. Good grief. Oh, well. At least it's still down 11.2 pounds from when I posted in April.<br /><br />You may have noticed the weight loss ticker at the top of the page. It says I've lost zero pounds because it's synced up with my My Fitness Pal account. I learned about My Fitness Pal when I was perusing <a href="http://www.monicawantsit.com/2011/01/calorie-counting-2011.html">someone else's blog</a>. It's free, and it's easy to use. I can track the food I eat as well as the exercise I do.<br /><br />One of my favorite things about My Fitness Pal is that at the end of the day it says something to the effect of "You will weigh X in 5 weeks if every day is like today." That number either goes up or down. After a day filled with not-so-good choices, I was shocked to see that I could gain over 12 pounds in 5 weeks if every day were like that day.<br /><br />Joseph and I went to the gym today. We did cardio for 10 minutes and then did a round of weight machines. When we got home, we played Just Dance on the Wii for about 15 minutes. We we were worn out after just 15 minutes of dancing! Some people may be skeptical about a video game being a workout. I challenge them to play Just Dance!<br /><br />We had a little incident last night that made me sad and gave me a little extra motivation today. We were picking up dinner to go at a Chinese restaurant, and there were two little kids playing as their mom prepared our food. They made fun of us for being fat. They held their arms out like gorillas and called us fat people. That made me really sad. It's been years since I've really been picked on like that, and I hope it never happens again. We live in a cruel world, not at all what God intended. Moments like that make me long for a sin-free world. Maybe I won't be so chubby when we get there. :O)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3523530838139055631?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-79392289913990781442010-08-12T15:17:00.002-04:002010-08-12T15:20:39.216-04:00Sometimes I forget to eat. In those moments, I feel like there is hope for me. Not because I want to stop eating altogether. That certainly wouldn't be healthy. There is hope because I didn't think about food for an hour. If I can stop thinking about food for an hour, then there is hope that food won't consume so much of my thoughts. When I get to that point, I don't think my weight will be much of an issue any more.<br /><br />I know I haven't posted in a while. I'm not attended Weight Watchers any more. Financially, it just wasn't a good fit for our family. Joseph and I are still trying to make better decisions about food.<br /><br />I had a doctor's appointment the other day, and I weighed in at 283.0. That means I'm down 17 pounds. No complaints here!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-7939228991399078144?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-32199937343103868902010-07-01T17:52:00.002-04:002010-07-01T17:58:37.227-04:00OK, folks, I'm all about honesty here. I am SHOCKED that the scale read 287.0 today. I went in fully expecting to have gained at least 5 pounds. I'm a little bloated, and I've been eating pretty much whatever I've wanted for the last week or two. So, to hear that I've lost 2.4 pounds nearly floored me.<br /><br />I've asked Joseph to be in prayer with me. I don't want to develop a complex that I can eat whatever I want and still lose weight. I know that isn't true. My bad choices most certainly will catch up with me.<br /><br />Joseph was sweet today and reminded me that although we've made some bad choices lately, we're still doing better than we were. That was a good reminder for me. We're making progress. That was our biggest goal.<br /><br />I'm down a total of 13.4 pounds. Weighing in at 287, I'm almost where I was when we started dieting last fall. Maybe in a couple of months I'll be where I was when we stopped dieting. I'm 1.6 pounds away from my 5% goal of 15 pounds (that's 5% of my starting weight). It's exciting to be so close!<br /><br />Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement. They're much appreciated!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3219993734310386890?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-27558272897431919242010-06-10T12:11:00.000-04:002010-06-10T12:12:08.710-04:00YAY!! I lost 4.2 pounds this week (likely from debloating ... haha!). That brings my total weight loss to 11.2 pounds. I'm excited! Thank you for the encouragement!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-2755827289743191924?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-71695278471443214262010-06-04T18:01:00.002-04:002010-06-04T18:11:53.231-04:00Joseph and I celebrated an anniversary today. One year ago today, Joseph asked me to be his girlfriend (hehe). (I said yes.) He asked me after we had eaten lunch at Moe's, one of our favorite little restaurants. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Moe's, think Mexican food, Subway style. You go down the line and tell them what you want on your meal. It's GREAT! In honor of our anniversary, Joseph and I decided to eat lunch at Moe's today.<div><br /></div><div>The Billy Barou is my favorite Moe's entree. It's basically chicken nachos ... a pile of tortilla chips, chicken, shredded cheese, black beans, lettuce, and a whole lot of queso. MMMM!</div><div><br /></div><div>I knew from previous research that the Billy Barou is pretty fattening ... as in 94 or 96 grams of fat fattening. I didn't know how many Weight Watchers points were in it, though. So, before we went to lunch, I did the research. Moe's website has one of the BEST nutritional guides I've ever seen. You can add and remove ingredients and watch how it affects the overall nutritional value of the menu item. I love it. Once I built a Billy Barou the way I enjoy eating it, I plugged in all of the info to calculate the WW points ... a whopping 38! With my extra points I'm allowed to use during the week, I could have eaten it. I just didn't feel right about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>That led me to do more research. I plugged in several different menu items and calculated the points values for them. I discovered that a chicken rice bowl (minus the chipotle ranch dressing) was 10 points. That's still a lot of points in Weight Watchers world, but it was definitely more doable.</div><div><br /></div><div>I felt good going to Moe's knowing that I was armed with the knowledge to make a sound, educated decision. I could eat the Billy Barou if I wanted. I would just have to take the 38 points. Or I could eat one of several other options for fewer points. I ended up choosing the rice bowl, and I'm really proud of my decision. I was actually full about halfway through it, which means I didn't even consume all 10 points! </div><div><br /></div><div>I wrote all of the information down in the back of my Dining Out Companion (unfortunately, Moe's isn't featured in the book, but there are several pages for notes in the back of the book). Now we'll be prepared if we choose to go to Moe's again. I feel good about that!</div><div><br /></div><div>Side note ... I was up .4 pounds this week. Based on where I am in my cycle (sorry if that was TMI!!), I'm not worried at all about .4 pounds! I'm glad it wasn't 10!!</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope you all have a great weekend!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-7169527847144321426?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-8589143559764940412010-05-27T12:50:00.002-04:002010-05-27T12:53:45.823-04:00I'm pretty shocked! I can't lie. My Weight Watchers group didn't meet last week, so today was the first time I've weighed in two weeks. During those two weeks, I haven't been the best at staying on track. I've stumbled a lot. Alas, I lost 3.8 pounds (bringing my total weightloss to 7.4). No complaints here!<br /><br />Joseph and I are meeting with a personal trainer tonight. No, we didn't win the lottery, and we won't be meeting with a trainer on a regular basis. The gym we joined gives new members an hour with a trainer to go over how to use the equipment properly and whatnot. I'm hoping he'll be able to give us some good advice on how to work out most effectively so we can lose weight and tone our muscles.<br /><br />Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement! I really appreciate you!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-858914355976494041?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-24042917916545707352010-05-15T17:52:00.003-04:002010-05-15T17:58:58.574-04:00Joseph and I just returned from the gym. We've kind of sort of joined Pivotal Fitness. It offers everything we want/need, and we don't even really have to leave our neighborhood to reach our destination. Their facilities are really convenient for us.<div><br /></div><div>We met with one of their managers yesterday after work, and we talked a little about our goals. It's a little difficult for me looking at someone and saying "I need to lose 150 pounds", but I know I'll never reach my goals if I'm not honest about them. If I had said something ridiculous like "I need to lose 20 pounds", he probably would have called me on the carpet anyway!</div><div><br /></div><div>The manager told us it's a good idea to do about 7-10 minutes worth of cardio, then weights, then another 30-45 minutes of cardio. He said we'll achieve a better workout that way. So that's what we did today! Well, we did 7 minutes of cardio, weights, and then 20 minutes of cardio. I wussed out and didn't feel up to pushing myself through those last 10 minutes. Maybe next time we'll do 25 and then 30 the next time. We'll reach that point!</div><div><br /></div><div>I feel really good right now. I know I just did a good thing for my body. I know I just honored the Lord with how I spent my time, because He has charged me with the task of caring for my earthly body. I also was able to spend some good, quality time with my husband. All in all, a good hour!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-2404291791654570735?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-37584266675254767342010-05-13T18:13:00.002-04:002010-05-13T18:28:20.283-04:00I'm trying not to be discouraged about gaining .8 pounds. I'm sure I'm just bloated or something. It could even be a difference in the clothes I was wearing. It still stings a little. I know I messed up a few times over the week (sigh ... Billy Barou, I still love you), but I still felt like we were successful overall.<div><br /></div><div>We've kept up our streak of cooking dinner every night. We're up to almost 2 weeks straight! Again, as I've mentioned before, this is REALLY good for us! I acknowledge that has been a positive change. The only times we ate fast food were when we ate healthy options from Chick-fil-a (the chargrilled chicken and fruit salad ... so good and only 7 points for the salad, crunchy, yummy granola, and fat free honey mustard dressing).</div><div><br /></div><div>We also went to the gym and worked out 4 times. That was 4 times more than we've been in the last, hmmm, oh, I'd say at least 6 or 7 months.</div><div><br /></div><div>So we're doing OK! I can shed that extra weight in no time if I stick to the plan this week. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of my goals this go 'round is to be more forgiving of myself. Not forgiving to the point of making excuses to do anything I want, but forgiving enough that I can make a mistake and move on. If I gave in to temptation and ate snacks at community group, I'm going to acknowledge where I could have planned ahead and try to learn from it.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the past, I've let my mistakes pile up on me and turn into excuses to make more mistakes, which just ultimately resulted in me giving up on the diet completely. I don't want to do that this time.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I was walking to my car after work today, I had an idea that I might pursue. I think I'm going to make a weight loss box. It will contain things such as pictures and lists of reasons I want to lose weight. When I'm feeling discouraged and want to quit the diet, I'm going to pull out my box and remind myself why I'm dieting in the first place. </div><div><br /></div><div>If I go through with my plan for the box, I'll post some photos and whatnot that will give you a glimpse inside the box (Doesn't that sound thrilling? I don't mean that sarcastically ... I love it when people offer me glimpses inside boxes!).</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3758426667525476734?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-51722502119910427502010-05-06T20:37:00.003-04:002010-05-06T20:46:36.226-04:00I attended a Weight Watchers meeting today and had my first week weigh-in. I've lost 4.4 pounds. Not too bad, huh? (Joseph has lost 6.8! I'm SO proud of him!)<div><br /></div><div>I confess that I didn't stick to the WW plan 100% this past week. Joseph and I talked about it some, and we felt like stressing over sticking to the plan just wouldn't work for us. We knew that if we grew unhappy about our diet (lifestyle change?), we would just quit after a few weeks. We don't want that to happen.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>So we decided to focus on one big change last week: planning ahead and preparing our meals at home. I'm convinced one of the main reasons we've both gained so much weight over the last year is because we relied pretty heavily on fast food. As of tonight, we will have prepared dinner at home 5 nights in a row, which is really good for us! We've also been packing lunch boxes every day with snacks and lunches. That works well for us.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think our week 2 focus is going to be exercising. We went to the gym this evening, and we have passes for 4 more days for free. If it seems like something we could continue easily, I think we'll join.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep us in your prayers, please. We want to stick with it this time! Thanks!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-5172250211991042750?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-1885647974012363462010-04-30T22:04:00.003-04:002010-04-30T22:19:55.531-04:00I just thought I'd hit you in the face with that number, because it certainly hit me in the face when I saw it. That's my current weight (well, at least as of about 11:45 AM yesterday). Shocker - serious shocker. <div><br /></div><div>I remember watching The Rosie O'Donnel Show several years ago. She was commenting on her current weight and the fact that it was the highest it had ever been. Rosie shared how every time she reached her new highest weight, she would look at the scale and say something to the effect of, "Woah, that's a new high. I'm never weighing more than this." Then she would diet, lose weight, stop dieting, gain weight, step on the scale and say, "Woah, that's a new high. I'm never weighing more than this."</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't relate with Rosie O'Donnel on very many things, but I certainly can relate to her in this area. That's my life! That's my cycle! I've done this more times than I care to remember. Just read this blog if you need proof. In <a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2009/08/numbers.html">this post</a>, I shared my starting weight of 286 on that particular diet journey. In <a href="http://chubbychelley.blogspot.com/2009/09/4-week-mark.html">my last post</a>, on September 19th, I shared that I was down to 272.5. I was really excited because I was down 13 1/2 pounds in 4 weeks. Well, approximately 8 months later, I've gained 27.5 pounds. Scary, huh? At that rate, I'm going to have my own 1 hour special on TLC.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I'm starting another leg of the weight loss journey. Joseph (MY HUSBAND) and I are trying Weight Watchers. It's a diet plan that works, and I think it will be flexible enough for our lifestyle. It's convenient, too. A group of us are attending meetings in the building where I work once a week during lunch (the meetings are once a week during lunch - I don't only work once a week during lunch). I attended my first meeting yesterday, and I was encouraged by how doable WW seems to be this go 'round.</div><div><br /></div><div>My first goal is to lose 5% of my current weight, which rounds out to about 15 pounds. That's totally doable! I'm trying not to think too much about my ultimate goal. I haven't even set it yet. I'm just working on the first 15 pounds. Truthfully, I'm just working on doing better than I have been - on not gaining any more weight! With the Lord's help, a little encouragement, and some good old fashioned discipline, 300.4 WILL be the highest number I ever see on the scale!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-188564797401236346?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-52785360059559119792009-09-19T00:33:00.002-04:002009-09-19T00:37:38.805-04:00I had my 4 week follow-up appointment today at the Bariatric Clinic.<br /><br />Weight: 272.5 (-13.5)<br />Blood Pressure: 136/85 (down a little)<br /><br />So, I'm feeling pretty good about things. It was a great end to a pretty discouraging week.<br /><br />Joseph and I are going to get our walk on tomorrow. We're going to spend the day in Downtown Charleston taking lots of pictures. It should be a good time. :O)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-5278536005955911979?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-34410864154969671672009-09-18T10:03:00.002-04:002009-09-18T10:06:34.654-04:00I searched for the nutritional information on one of my all time favorite meals, a meal I have been known to consume 3 or 4 times in a week because I love it that much. Because I have such a love for the meal itself and the restaurant that makes it, I feel I cannot "out" them on my blog, but I will share the nutritional information:<br /><br /><br />1540 calories<br /><strong><em>91 grams of fat<br /></em></strong>2375 mg sodium<br /><br />HOLY STINKIN' COW!! NO STINKN' WONDER I'M CHUBBY!!<br /><br />91 grams of fat is 4 1/2 days' worth of fat on my current diet. <strong>4 1/2 days!!</strong> I used to consume that in one meal!! Multiple times a week!!<br /><br />I was in so much shock that tears came to my eyes, and I had to share it with you.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3441086415496967167?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-34142208625755306512009-09-12T22:56:00.003-04:002009-09-12T23:05:04.328-04:00Today was our weekly day off, and I'm pleased to announce that overall it went better than our last day off. We went to Denny's for breakfast again, and we were pleased that we made "healthier" choices. Since we were heading out of town for the day, we packed a healthy lunch that we could eat in the car. At the birthday party this afternoon, we allowed ourselves to indulge a little without going overboard. We did stop for fast food on the way back tonight, but we went splitties on it, so we didn't feel too bad. Both of us noticed that we did much better today at stopping eating when we were full. That's a big deal for both of us! So, while I know we didn't make perfect choices all day, I still feel like I can go to bed tonight with a pretty clear conscience.<br /><br />Because today was our day off, we had our official weigh in for Game On. To date, Joseph has lost 11 pounds, and I've lost 7.1 pounds (yes, that .1 matters!!). Not bad for 12 days, huh? I'm really proud of both of us!<br /><br />Thank you all for your prayers. We feel them!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3414220862575530651?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-85293583914423379712009-09-11T11:59:00.000-04:002009-09-11T12:00:18.529-04:00"You look like you've lost weight." Sigh ... :O)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-8529358391442337971?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-53549469954680162912009-09-08T22:31:00.003-04:002009-09-08T22:52:05.688-04:00I wasn't sure how to spell that sort of gagging noise I make playfully when I know I've eaten too much, so I went with "blehk". It will do.<br /><br />I mentioned in a previous post that we took our Meal Off Friday night and our Day Off Saturday. We followed that up with a meal for which we got no points on Sunday night, a whole lot of spaghetti on Monday afternoon (it really did make my headache go away ...), and our Meal Off for this week on Monday night (that was actually a good decision).<br /><br />Joseph and I chuckled as we reflected back over the weekend, because our Meal Off on Friday and one of our meals on Saturday were both buffet style. For two champion eaters like ourselves, we were in dangerous territory. I think we were both a little surprised at how quickly we got full at the Golden Corral buffet on Friday night. I started with a salad, and then I limited myself to one "main" entree (mmmm ... pot roast ... sooo good). By the time dessert rolled around, I was full. Did that stop me from eating dessert? Nope. That sure was good carrot cake (it wasn't from Golden Corral).<br /><br />We went out to breakfast Saturday morning. Joseph did such an incredible job resisting the temptation to eat pancakes at a church dinner Wednesday night that I suggested we go out and eat pancakes for breakfast on our Day Off. So, we went to Denny's. They have new options for the build your own Grand Slam. I was proud of our choices! We chose things like whole wheat pancakes (they were actually really good!), yogurt, fruit, and oatmeal. We were still really full when we left (and we didn't even get to be in the Clean Plate Club!), but we felt good about the fact that we weren't full on things like bacon and sausage.<br /><br />I think our biggest downfall as we headed toward the buffet at the wedding reception was that we were SO hungry. It's really hard for me to limit myself when my stomach is saying (in a Fat Albert voice, of course), "Hey, hey, hey! Look at those yummy chicken tenders! Oh, and croissants! Oh, my! A chocolate fountain! You could stick your whole head under that and fill me with chocolately goodness!" No, I didn't stick my head under the chocolate fountain. I do have a little self control left. I did, however, eat a piece of cake that I didn't really like that much just because it was cake. I know ...<br /><br />I'm telling you all of this because Joseph and I had a conversation earlier about the fine line between Woo Hoo and Blehk. Woo Hoo is that moment when you're full and feel so good. As dieters, we didn't have that Woo Hoo feeling all week. I know for me, when I started to feel that Woo Hoo feeling, I didn't want to stop. I wanted to scrape all of the pot roast off my plate, because it felt so good to eat it. I wanted to eat 4 chicken tenders and 2 of those yummy croissant sandwiches, because it felt good satisfying my craving to overeat. I wanted to gorge myself on spaghetti, because it was the best spaghetti I've made in a long time, and it felt SO good eating it.<br /><br />Then I found myself on the other side of the line. I was no longer in Woo Hoo. I had entered Blehk, and it felt gross. My stomach was no longer trying to persuade me to eat. My stomach was right down angry at me! I was uncomfortable and even felt a little sick at times.<br /><br />So, part of this journey for me is learning not to cross the line. It's learning to enter Woo Hoo and then put the fork down. It's learning that feeling good after eating healthy, well portioned meals is much better than overeating and feeling Blehk.<br /><br />I'm not naive enough to think that I'll reach that point quickly. I've been a Woo Hoo/Blehk eater for a long time. I do know I'll get there some day, though, and that will be a good feeling.<br /><br />******<br /><br />For those of you who are curious, Joseph and I weighed in Saturday (we're supposed to weigh in on our Day Off). I lost 4.4 pounds, and Joseph lost <strong>6.9 pounds!</strong> I'm so incredibly proud of Joseph. He has been such an inspiration and encouragement over the last 9 days. Having him by my side going through this process with me has definitely made it much more doable.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-5354946995468016291?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-31720296287455550742009-09-03T23:09:00.002-04:002009-09-03T23:29:38.871-04:00Warning: This post has the potential to be very whiny.<br /><br />I knew it would hit me at some point - you know, that "I really just want to go back to the old way of doing things, because I like the old way of doing things" feeling. It hit me tonight, almost out of the blue. I actually had a pretty good day (truthfully, I've had a pretty good week). I had even just said that I thought our dinner this evening was my favorite meal we've had all week (fish and veggies; entire meal, entree and 2 sides, only 210 calories and 3 fat grams!!). Joseph and I had fun just hanging out and laughing after we used our "100 free calories" to indulge in fat free puddings (YUM!!! and only a wee 60 calories for a sweet treat). Then we went to Walmart, and things started to go down hill.<br /><br />It wasn't Walmart's fault at all. I actually enjoyed going to Walmart. Joseph and I always have a nice time "running errands" together. Things started going down hill because I'm tired. When I get tired, I get cranky. Combine tired with being sore from the gym and craving everything in sight (cupcakes, candy, and chips, oh my!), and the result is a very whiny Rachelle. Bless Joseph's heart. He was so patient with me as I whined on the way home, whined as I put on my sneakers, and whined as I walked toward the gym like a reluctant 5-year-old going to her room.<br /><br />Once we got to the gym, though, I was glad we went. While I was still tired and took it at a little slower pace, I knew that going to the gym was a good decision.<br /><br />I'm still cranky, tired, and a little whiny, but something is definitely different. I haven't walked into the kitchen in search of a food pacifier. I haven't eaten a pint of ice cream or a can of Pringles. The stash of Little Debbie cakes is still untouched. I'm not sitting at Sonic ordering tater tots and a Route 44 Diet Dr Pepper with Vanilla. Instead, I'm acknowledging my state of whininess (hehe, is that a word?), praying that God will help me through it, and blogging about it. Aren't you so glad I gave up Little Debbie cakes and pints of ice cream so I could fill cyberspace with my whininess (hehe, still funny to me)?<br /><br />Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Tomorrow night is our Meal Off, and Saturday is our Day Off. Explanation: In the Game On Diet, you are allowed one meal off a week and one day off a week. During the meal off, you may eat whatever you want (yep, whatever you want). During the day off, you pretty much don't have to follow any of the rules. You don't have to drink 3 liters of water, you don't have to eat a certain way, you can drink soda, etc. We're looking forward both to the meal off and the day off, but neither of us wants to sabotage our week's progress by overdoing our times off. So, if you'd like a specific way to pray for us, please pray 1) for self-control and 2) that treating ourselves a little during these times would simply be a treat we can enjoy and it won't make it harder for us to stick to our diet plan. Thank you all, my loyal readers. :O)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3172029628745555074?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-43773266190505574892009-09-01T23:43:00.003-04:002009-09-01T23:54:04.742-04:00I chose to draw you in with a catchy title. I hope it worked. Well, I'm assuming it must have, because you're reading this.<br /><br />Calling this afternoon The Perfect Storm may be a tad dramatic, but it definitely had all of the right elements to destroy my diet. There are a lot of things that lead me to make poor eating decisions. Things such as lack of time, feelings of frustration, being stressed, or sensing that I'm no longer in control. All of these things were present this afternoon, and it would have been incredibly easy to cheat on my diet.<br /><br />But I had a plan! Yes, a plan! On Sunday, Joseph and I planned out all of our meals for the week. So, this afternoon when I was extremely tempted to grab fast food (one of my biggest downfalls), I was able to avoid that temptation. I knew what I was eating for dinner. The food had been purchased, and it would be quick and simple to eat at home. It felt really good avoiding the temptation to eat fast food! I'm sure it felt better than the momentary satisfaction I would have had gorging myself on fried delicacies.<br /><br />Just a few highlights of our victories yesterday and today:<br /><ul><li>We scored 94% yesterday and 100% today on the Game On diet.</li><li>Both yesterday and today, I drank 120 ounces of water!</li><li>Joseph and I went to the gym together last night and tonight.</li><li>Joseph and I, inspite of being hungry, have stuck to our meal plan faithfully for two days!</li></ul><p>These may seem like small victories, but they add up quickly! I'll keep you posted on our progress, including a report of how much weight we've lost. We report our weight on Saturday, because that will be our day off (more on that another time).</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-4377326619050557489?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-28013836984236959212009-08-30T22:47:00.001-04:002009-08-30T23:39:29.173-04:00Joseph and I are starting the Game On Diet tomorrow. We'll be competing against our friends Matt and Crystal. I'm really excited!<br /><br /><br />If you'd like a thorough run through of the diet, you can go to <a href="http://www.thegameondiet.com/">http://www.thegameondiet.com/</a>. Basically, we earn points for doing things like eating healthy meals (we're doing a different meal plan than the one outlined in the book), exercising at least 20 minutes daily, drinking 3 liters of water daily, breaking a bad habit, developing a good habit, and getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. We can lose points for things such as unauthorized snacking or conspiring with another player (i.e. "If we both eat a brownie, it'll be OK."). The only time actual weight loss comes into play is for the weekly bonus. If you lose at least 1% of your total body weight, you can earn a lot of bonus points for the week. I'm really excited because this seems like a fun way to stay motivated, especially for competitive people like myself.<br /><br /><br />Joseph and I are already on the right track for a strong first week. During lunch today, we planned out our meals for the whole week. Then we went to the grocery store and purchased everything we would need. After that, we came back to my apartment and prepped everything. We portioned out some of our food to ensure we're eating a proper serving. Check out my refrigerator:<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375960460508533442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GLVMtVV_MRk/Sps_jkcoEsI/AAAAAAAAAEE/o_B-u967yvQ/s320/IMG_3002.JPG" border="0" /><br />The grapes are counted out and in plastic containers so they're easy to toss into a lunchbox. The yogurt is already portioned out so that it just needs the frozen fruit added in the mornings.<br /></p><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375962379430738658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GLVMtVV_MRk/SptBTQ_VOuI/AAAAAAAAAEU/GwRxJarQ3Ys/s320/IMG_3003.JPG" border="0" /><br />The cheese and salsa are even portioned out into little cups so they're easy to toss into a lunchbox. (Lunches will include a southwest chicken wrap.)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375963088063407346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GLVMtVV_MRk/SptB8g2hpPI/AAAAAAAAAEc/vPR5uEm-3zA/s320/IMG_3004.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Even the chicken for the wraps is portioned out into little baggies. :O)</div><div></div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375963687769489922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GLVMtVV_MRk/SptCfa7mQgI/AAAAAAAAAEk/d4W3DPienrk/s320/IMG_2998.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><p>I couldn't leave out a picture of the freezer. It looks so nice and organized! Joseph did that for me. He really is the BEST boyfriend EVER! I'm looking forward to doing this diet/game with him. I know he'll be a great partner.</p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GLVMtVV_MRk/SptDLo7-91I/AAAAAAAAAEs/ISl7viY1lKI/s1600-h/IMG_3009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375964447443449682" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GLVMtVV_MRk/SptDLo7-91I/AAAAAAAAAEs/ISl7viY1lKI/s320/IMG_3009.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">This is us, totally excited about starting our diet/game. I'll keep you posted on how we do. Please keep us in your prayers as we make some much-needed changes in how we approach eating. Alrighty, I must go to bed in the next few minutes if I'm going to get in my 7 hours of sleep! Gotta get those points!!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-2801383698423695921?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-75577820996918911072009-08-29T10:07:00.000-04:002009-08-29T10:09:42.538-04:00OK, I did it yesterday ... I got in 100 ounces of water before bed! I need to do that again today. The challenge: it's Saturday! I get so distracted doing things on Saturday that I don't pay attention to what I eat or drink. OK, mini game plan: consume 20 ounces of water before I walk out of the door for Rachel's shower in 35 minutes. I can do it!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-7557782099691891107?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-66562665177669689082009-08-28T11:24:00.000-04:002009-08-29T10:07:44.042-04:00I am really struggling with the white trash in the kitchen.<br /><br />HAHA! I knew that would get your attention!<br /><br />White Trash is a snack/dessert that consists of Chex cereal, chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. You may know it as Puppy Chow. I’ve already had 2 servings of it! I threw my plate away to remove the immediate temptation of helping myself to a 3rd serving. Here’s hoping that actually works! I love that stuff!<br /><br />Now, moving along from my temptation to my goal.<br /><br />I’ve been struggling all week (insert my whole life) with drinking enough water each day. My goal is 80-100 ounces daily. Ultimately, I would like to hit the 100 ounce mark each day. One day, my work day was almost over, and I realized I had only consumed <strong>4 ounces</strong> of water! That left a mere 96 ounces to consume before bed. Needless to say, I did not reach my goal that day! I haven’t reached it a single day this week.<br /><br /><strong>I will reach it today!</strong><br /><br />I’m trying to break it down throughout the day:<br /><br />20 ounces by 10:00<br />40 ounces by 12:00<br />60 ounces by 2:00<br />80 ounces by 4:00<br />100 ounces by bed<br /><br />I put this plan together around 11:00, so I’m trying to get in 40 ounces within an hour. Hey, I can do it! I just have to make myself do it! Ah, I just finished off the first 20. Only 37 minutes left to finish 20 more! I’ll keep you posted! (Because I’m sure you’re on the edge of your seat wondering if I’ll meet my goal today!!)<br /><br />**UPDATE** I finished 40 ounces by 11:56! I had 4 minutes to spare!!! Do you think I can finish 20 more by 2:00? I do!<br /><br />**UPDATE** I finished 60 ounces by 1:57! Gotta go ... hehe ...<br /><br />**UPDATE** I finished 80 ounced by 3:25!! Not to sound boastful, but I'm really proud of myself! I think I just needed to make drinking water a challenge - rather than just challenging. (Yes, I see a difference in those two things!)<br /><br />I feel I must also confess: I had a 3rd serving of white trash. It was right there when I went to get my water out of the refrigerator, and I gave into the temptation. Sigh ... you win some, you lose some. :O)<br /><br />**UPDATE** I did it! I got in the 100 ounces of water before I went to bed!! YAY!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-6656266517766968908?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-51878438480448005322009-08-27T16:25:00.000-04:002009-08-27T16:52:42.592-04:00What is it about comfort food that makes it so incredibly tempting? OK, I know the answer is in the question: comfort food is comforting.<br /><br />I've been doing semi-OK with my diet this week (I'm going to write a separate post for that), but I fell off the wagon today. I felt YUCKY, and I found myself justifying purchasing two different kinds of cookies from the Walmart bakery and a slushie from Sonic. (With the slushie, I felt like I was making a somewhat better choice over ice cream, and I chose the apple juice slushie, which at least gave me some Vitamin C! HAHA!) <br /><br />There's a chance I've set myself back a couple of days just because I felt I had the right to consume extra calories. Did I? <em>Maybe ...</em> but probably not. It's all a matter of getting myself to the point where I'm thinking of the big picture. Today as I was walking around Walmart and driving toward Sonic, I was only thinking of the pain and discomfort I was feeling. I wanted something to help soothe those feelings, and food is my longtime friend. If I had stopped and thought about my goal of losing 20 pounds by the time we fly out to Montana in mid-October, maybe I would have only purchased 1 box of cookies instead of 2 (hey, I'm not perfect!), and maybe I would have purchased a Route 44 water instead of a slushie AND a Diet Dr Pepper with vanilla.<br /><br />So, here's hoping I can learn to find some balance between my desire to consume comfort foods and my desire to lose weight!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-5187843848044800532?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-43418483685087819312009-08-23T22:55:00.000-04:002009-08-23T23:07:45.129-04:00One of my new favorite things to do with Joseph (a.k.a. the love of my life) is "splitties". This comes in two forms: 1) We share one entree, split in half or 2) We order two entrees and each eat half. We're working on choosing the former more often so that we're eating less food, but the latter option is GREAT! I love being able to choose two items from a menu. :O)<br /><br />We shared one entree from Oriental House the other night, and it was perfect. Typically, we both order our own entrees, and they're typically the same entree. We both end up being SO full afterward, and we've said several times that we should just order one entree and split it. So we finally did. We both enjoyed our dinner, and we didn't feel over-full afterward. We'll definitely split entrees more often.<br /><br />And for those of you who might be wondering about my cheesecake, Joseph and I split it, too! Again, perfect! If I had eaten the entire piece, I would have likely felt sick because it is so rich. Instead, I shared the joy of my cheesecake with the one who brings so much joy to my life. You certainly can't go wrong with that. :O)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-4341848368508781931?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-34107661428101158992009-08-22T22:54:00.000-04:002009-08-22T23:04:37.050-04:00There is a piece of vanilla bean cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory sitting in my refrigerator. When I got up this morning, that was one of the most exciting things on my agenda (birthday cake was high up there as well ... yes, I do know I'm on a diet). Oh how things can change in just an instant. On the way to The Cheesecake Factory, I got really upset about something, and I've been upset since then. So I haven't touched my cheesecake. <br /><br />Typically, I'm an emotional eater. If I'm sad, lonely, depressed, joyful, celebratory, or pretty much any other emotion, I want to eat. So it always catches me off guard when I lose my appetite completely, especially for something I wanted so badly and had been looking forward to for a couple of weeks. I usually know that means I'm upset for real (you know, as opposed to all of the other times when I'm upset for fake ... ).<br /><br />Perhaps this could be a new dieting strategy for me. Every time I really want something I shouldn't eat, I'll just have someone upset me tremendously. Then I won't want to eat it. I'm not sure what this strategy will do to my emotional health, but I sure will look good.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-3410766142810115899?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-85270848497600491342009-08-22T06:03:00.000-04:002009-08-22T06:24:08.298-04:00This made me laugh a lot, so I just thought I would share. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up around 5 to roll over or something. I moved my left hand a little and realize there was a "ball" of something sticky between two of my fingers. <em>What is that?!</em> I wondered. Hehe, it was a gummy bear!! Do you think I have a problem? haha! :O)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-8527084849760049134?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-71020110698553677422009-08-21T12:52:00.000-04:002009-08-21T13:50:51.032-04:00I went to the Bariatric Clinic today for my first appointment. Overall, it went pretty well, and I'm feeling hopeful that I can reach my goal of a healthy weight.<br /><br />**Side note: For those of you who think it's wrong to use weight loss medication, I challenge you to rethink your position. What if I told you I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and I found a doctor who could prescribe a medication that would cure me of the illness? It's very likely that you would encourage me to pursue treatment. Well, I do have a terminal illness: obesity. I need treatment before carrying around essentially what equals to a second person kills me.**<br /><br />So, here are all the numbers as of this morning around 10:30:<br /><br /><strong>286</strong> - my weight in pounds. Hmmm ... I'm wondering if you just gasped because of my weight or because of the fact that I just posted my actual weight on the internet. I'll admit, I was pretty shocked when I heard the number. I had a ballpark estimate of my weight, but that number exceeded my estimate. Well, there's no point dwelling on the enormity of the number, or the fact that it immediately made me think of all the "fat people" in the before shots on Slim Fast commercials. I simply will acknowledge the number as my starting point for success and move on toward my goals.<br /><br /><strong>49.1</strong> - my BMI<br /><br /><strong>53.9</strong> - my percentage of fat<br /><br /><strong>140/90</strong> - my blood pressure that has started creeping up and up ...<br /><br /><strong>20</strong> - the number of fat grams I am allowed in a day<br /><br /><strong>1200-1400</strong> - the number of calories I am allowed in a day<br /><br /><strong>80-100</strong> - the number of ounces of water I must drink in a day<br /><br /><strong>2000</strong> - the maximum milligrams of salt I may consume in a day<br /><br /><strong>5-7</strong> - the number of days a week I must exercise for at least 30 minutes at a time<br /><br /><strong>20</strong> - My first goal: the number of pounds I would like to lose by the time Joseph and I leave for Montana on October 11th. I can do it!<br /><br /><strong>2</strong> - the number of Krispy Kreme donuts I ate as I drove away from the Bariatric Clinic ... Hey, this blog is all about honesty! I am a work in progress!! :O)<br /><br /><strong>9/18/09</strong> - the date of my next appointment at the Bariatric Clinic ... I can't wait to see how much progress I've made in 4 weeks! I should probably lay off the Krispy Kreme donuts ... hehe.<br /><br />I covet your prayers and encouragement as I embark upon this journey! Thank you in advance!<br /><br />~ Chubby Chelley ~<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-7102011069855367742?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-11891295344618566232009-08-20T22:20:00.000-04:002009-08-20T22:22:39.090-04:00I'm sure I can credit Krispy Kreme with at least a few of the extra pounds I need to shed. Gosh, I love Krispy Kreme! To celebrate that I'm going on a diet, Joseph and I just went to Krispy Kreme and got hot 'n ready glazed donuts. So good! The diet hasn't begun officially, so the donuts were completely sanctioned. I was still rather amused, though, and thought I would share. :O)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-1189129534461856623?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445924272931303233.post-16342035468781868562009-08-20T19:26:00.000-04:002009-08-20T19:42:39.226-04:00I've been on this journey more than once - the journey toward "a better me," "a healthier me," "a sexier me." Yes, I just said sexier. If you found that offensive, you may need to get over that. This blog will be a tad bit different from my other blog (rachelleville.blogspot.com). I plan just to shoot it straight and share how I'm feeling.<br /><br />So why a blog for this journey? Because I need something different this time, something public. I also thought it might be helpful just to get it off my chest when I'm craving a whole box of Swiss Cake Rolls, the thought of going to the gym makes me angry, or I'm in tears because I can't button my jeans.<br /><br />What led up to this point? My insatiable appetite and hunger. I got here one bite at a time. Some people have health problems or big bones. Not me. I just like to eat. I really like to eat. OK - I really, really like to eat. I always have. I've been chubby since I was a child.<br /><br />I don't want to be chubby any longer. For many reasons:<br /><br />1) Being so terribly overweight is dishonoring to God.<br />2) I'm starting to notice at the ripe young age of 28 that my weight is affecting my health.<br />3) One of these days, I want to wear a certain white dress, and I want to look HOT in it!<br />4) I'd like to be able to walk up a flight of stairs and still be able to carry on a conversation when I reach the top.<br />5) I'd like to be able to stand next to my gorgeous little sisters and not feel ginormous.<br />6) I really want the man of my dreams to be able to give me a piggyback ride some day ... and to be able to carry me across the threshold of our dream home.<br /><br />There are more reasons. I'm sure I'll share them throughout this journey.<br /><br />I'll also share my progress and my plan(s) of attack.<br /><br />I became Chubby Chelle one bite at a time. I'm determined to lose the chub one bite at a time ... they'll just be healthier bites (with a Swiss Cake Roll here and there ... You don't really expect me to give those up, do you?).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1445924272931303233-1634203546878186856?l=chubbychelley.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Rachelle Kirkpatrick Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10397423271615420894noreply@blogger.com1