Lemon Chicken Crock Pot Style

• 6 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
• 1 teas dried oregano
• 1/2 teas seasoned salt
• 1/4 teas pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teas chicken bouillon granules
• 2 teas minced fresh parsley

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper and oregano in to a rub. Apply the rub to the chicken. Put the oil In a skillet and brown the chicken over medium heat.
Now it’s time to move it all to the crockpot. Put the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon into the skillet and turn up the heat. Bring it a boil. Pour the mixture into the crockpot over the chicken. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on low. Baste chicken. Add parsley. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer.

Integrity Quote

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.

                                                        ~ W. Clement Stone

 

I saw this quote on Teresa Cline's blog.  Just had to print it to remind myself-it's OK to say no.

 

I think as women we have a problem with saying no.  It's our motherly nature to help others. Solving problems, filling in the gaps, saying yes to whatever is asked of us.

 

There is a balance in life that we need to maintain if we are to be the best we can be. We have to take time for ourself. Our quiet time with the Lord, time to relax & wind down in our craft rooms (smile)-is a must if we're going to be wives, mothers, employees, etc.

 

Take a few minutes for yourself today.

 

 

Habits of Health

Want to share with you the basics I'm following on Take Shape For Life.  I want to always remember them myself. 

I want to remember I'm changing for the rest of my life!  It's taken years and years of bad habits to get in poor health, high weight, lack of energy & poor self esteem.

I've started all over -from my foundation up!

Psalm 103:2

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

 

 

Six of these beginning Habits of Health spell out the acronym BeSlimTM - a tool I created at Take Shape for LifeTM - to help you understand the behaviors essential to maintaining a healthy weight.

"BeSlim"

• Breakfast
• Exercise
• Support
• Low-fat meals every three hours
• Individual plan
• Monitor

Breakfast: By now, you should be working on beginning each day with a healthy breakfast - an important routine that's critical for long-term weight loss, according to the National Weight Control Registry.

Exercise: As your weight has decreased, perhaps you've started adding more activity, like using the stairs or taking the dog for a walk. If you haven't, you should at least be taking the stairs as one of your Weekly Habits of Health. We'll learn more about exercise later.

Support: I'm a big believer in seeking help on your journey to optimal health. While I can serve as your immediate mentor, having a live coach such as a health care professional or a trained health coach can add tremendous value.   Contact me for help finding one near you.

Low-fat meals every three hours: You're now working your way into the habit of eating smaller meals every three hours - a very powerful Habit of Health. And low-fat, low-glycemic eating has been shown to be a key factor in long-term maintenance of weight-loss.  Your permanent eating strategy includes meals that:

• Are low-glycemic
• Satisfy your hunger
• Control your caloric intake
• Contain low amounts of healthy fats
• Keep to a three-hour eating schedule

Individual plan: We spent much of the 30-Day Challenge building a customized plan for you, and when you are past the initial weight-loss stage, you will build a permanent plan that gives you control over your energy intake and provides you with long-term strategies for life.

Monitor:  Check your weight weekly. Keeping an eye on your energy balance - with journal in hand - helps you make sure you're not loading fat.

Remember, stick to your habits, and don't be afraid to Stop-Challenge-Choose if you feel yourself tempted by a Habit of Disease. Every little victory counts.

In health,

The numbers are in!

Hello everyone in the blogging world!

I've been on Take Shape For Life 17 weeks.  Started 10/22/12. 

My starting weight was 261.8 and as of 2/18/13  it was 215.  That's a total of 46.8 pounds!! Woohoo

Even better are my measurements.

                     Start                    as of 2/18/13      Total inches lost

Bust               48.5                    45                       3.5
Upper stom     44                      38                        6
Waist              43.5                   37.5                     7
Hip                  53                     47                        6
Thigh              29.5                   25                        4.5
Calf                17                      15.5                     1.5
Arm                16.5                   15                        1.5

TOTAL INCHES 30 INCHES!!!!

I simply cannot believe it.  God is so good!  He lead me right to this program. He's given me the will power and strength to endure.  I feel like I'm going to make to the end!

There are so many little things I'm starting to notice. I can feel my collar bones starting to emerge!
I can cross my legs a lot more comfortably.  I can go up and down the stairs at work and not even be short of breath.

And EXERCISE!
Walking is of course, the easiest to do.  We have a couple of walking tracks near where I live and when it wasn't freezing cold-I've walked laps.
I've started a zumba class! That's definitely something I could have never done at my starting weight! 
We've been painting our den, kitchen and spare bath. We've sanded the floor boards. Now THAT was lots of exercise! Climbing up and down step ladder, bending, squating, sitting in floor, brush strokes-boy-it adds up!

It's all about moving more and I'm doing that.

Here's my new photos of myself:

Week 13-reached 40 pds lost!

Here are my pictures from week 12. Wearing size 18 pants and 1X shirt (fit like a XL)

I haven't been blogging well lately. Wanted to track weekly on here.  The pics are from week 12. My weigh ins are on Mondays.  January 21st I was at 223.4.  Yesterday at 222.4!!  That was right at 40 pounds so far!  

I'm feeling GREAT and still following plan.  I can't keep up with the inches yet. I have little pieces of paper at work & home with measurements and dates!  I'll gather them together soon and try to get a tally recorded here.

I've been walking 3-5 days per week at our local Jack Dalton Park.  My hubby has gone with me a few times, my furbabies, and my BFF.  Sometimes it's just me. It's a great way to clear my thoughts and be with God.  

I've read chapter 11 in our workbook.  It's about moving more.  Learning to incorporate any movement in every day life.
I'm adding:  squats while I'm waiting 2 minutes for my medifast to cook in the microwave, side to side wiggling while I'm blow drying my hair, more stair climbing at work to get my water, walking around while I'm on the phone (headset).

My health coach has tracked my losses and says I'm averaging 2 - 2.4 pds per week.  Totally awesome!  I'm looking forward to being at goal (148)

I can't close without telling you all the credit for my weight loss goes to my Lord and Saviour!  He's giving me the strength and grace and wisdom to pursue this lifelong goal.  Without him I am nothing.

I praise God with all that I am!  I thank him for leading me to my health coach-Alisha Reynolds.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 NIV

Have a blessed and happy day! Stay warm!

Survived Birthday Party!

My husband and I traveled to Richmond for my granddaughter's 1st birthday.  I'm always concerned when I am out of my daily routine that I won't eat like I should and make poor choices.

It was such a joy to see Brianna and play with her! She is one of the many reasons I started this life journey.  I want to be able to get in the floor, get back up, pick her up, dance with her in my arms, be silly and still be able to move! LOL

SUCCESS!!  We had a great time. She enjoyed her day so much and around 5pm, she laid her head on my shoulder and went limp!  Asleep with no fuss, no runting for a good position.  She was tuckered out.

I still had energy and was able to continue to my -including the drive home-till 11:30 last night!

My son fixed me a New York strip steak, I had brought my frozen broccili to microwave and had my lean and green meal while everyone else was eating hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad and cupcakes.  I played with Brianna while they all got their plates full. He had two different areas to eat, so the "young" people ate in the front of the townhouse and the grand parents and baby ate in the back. Worked out well.

Enjoyed seeing Brianna shove the cake in and lick her hands until her Dad said ENOUGH!  She's never had sugar and I don't like her eating it now!  Good boy!  He doesn't want her to be overweight and addicted to sugar and I don't blame him.

Here are some pics from our day.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made.
    We will rejoice and be glad in it.

What a perfect verse to start my first week of graditude.  I am thankful for my son, daughter in law and granddaughter!

Weigh in was today:  226-own another 2 pds.  Total lost 36 pds!  Woohoo!!

Love & hugs!
Karen 

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold all things have
become new.

~2 Corinthians 5:17

It's a new year~have you made the decision to accept Christ in your heart~in your life?

When you do~just like the scripture says~you become a new creation!

You are no longer in control~you'll allow God to be in control.

I hope you'll consider receiving the free gift of life today!

The Pencil Parable

 <섌ţ></섌Ţ> <섌ţ></섌Ţ> 

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL FIVE IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX :

1. EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK .

2. YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4. IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5. TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

We all need to be constantly sharpened.  This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities.  Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish.  Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you and then allow yourself to be guided by the hand of God.

I thought this parable was so inciteful, I wanted to share it with you. 

Goodbye 2012

Today is a day of reflection and preparation.

Reflect on the past year.  Good and bad.

I have been so blessed!  God continues to surprise and delight me! 
He's graciously provided many miracles. 

The first and most precious is my new granddaughter-Brianna.
2nd I've found a church home that I love.
3rd Donnie is going with me to church!
4th God spared my Dad when he had a minor stroke in October. He's fully recovered.
5th God showed me the diet plan that is changing my life.  One day. One meal. at a time.

Those are just the biggest! LOL  There are so many I simply couldn't list them all here.

But I do have a plan for 2013.  I'm going to spend a year documenting my thankfulness to God with scripture.
A Christian website I'm a member of is starting it.

http://inspiredstamps.blogspot.com/



I can't wait to start!!  I'll post on this website what I create and what the weekly verse is.
I think it will make a ton of difference in my life.

****************************************************************************** 

This week's weigh in was very humbling.  I have wanted to lose weight for so long. Even now, I keep thinking this is too good to be true and one day I'm going to wake up and be 262 pounds again. 
God is so good!  This morning the scale happily said 228.6. 

I am in awe of the doctor that did the Take Shape for Life program.  The medifast foods are tasty and so easy to use for my life.

AND I'm happy to report my husband (who needs to lose weight as much as I do) ate my lean and green meal last night!  cube steak, cauliflower mashed potatoes and cabbage.  We had the new medifast gravy.  It was delicious!

RECIPE ALERT*****

Cauliflower Mashed "potatoes"
steam whole head of cauliflower with a chicken bouiliion cube, drain well.
Add to it: 2T cream cheese, 2T smart balance butter, Mrs Dash table seasoning (my favorite), pinch of onion powder and garlic powder, pepper.

Important part:  use a hand emersion blender to mix it up. 

Enjoy!

*****************************************************************************

Tomorrow I have a special post about a pencil.  I don't want to forget it.  Has very good encouragement.

Until then......Thank you Lord for all your blessings in 2012!

You never can tell when you do an act
just what the result will be;
But with every deed you are sowing a seed,
though its harvest you may never see.
Etta Wheeler Wilcox

Mark Twain said...

I saw this quote on the Spellbinders blog & thought it speaks well to my life long journey of trying to lose weight.

 “20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do, more than by the one’s you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

I want to encourage anyone that is needing to make a life change to do it now.  Enjoy every day to the max. We don't know what tomorrow will bring.

I hope everyone has a marvelous Christmas!

Jesus is the reason for the season!