Self Instruction

This was in my inbox this morning, and it really spoke to me. Although I am not a musician, this blog by Dr. Noa Kageyama has a lot of good information on being better at what you do.

What Is More Effective -- Praise or Criticism?

The answer it turns out, is neither.

"At the end of the day, we don’t really need tons of mental self-fives for hitting the difficult notes, nor self-imposed verbal punishments and expletives for missing notes.

"Because in the practice room, as on the practice court, it’s less about whether we are perfect or imperfect. It’s more about making sure we’re growing and learning from day to day.

"So what we need is more self-instruction. And to stay relentlessly focused on maintaining a problem-solving, solution-focused mindset."

Does God criticize us? Praise us? Not really. Instead He models how to do something, through His Son, and through His Word. Praise God!

Lord, I Need You

This song by Matt Maher, Lord, I Need You, really speaks to me. Whenever I am feeling low, I like to listen to it. It reminds me just how much I need God, and how I am not in control, He is. I hope this song blesses you as much as it does me.

"Lord, I Need You"

Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus, You're my hope and stay

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

You're my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Low Carb Chocolate Cupcakes & Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

These cupcakes are really good. They need to be stored in the fridge because of all the eggs they contain. They will last up to a week in the fridge, although they will get a little dried out. I have not tried freezing them yet.

Low Carb Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
8 eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted, but not hot
2/3 cup sugar free honey (I get this at Walmart, next to the regular honey)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients and whisk. Add wet ingredients and mix well (you can use a mixer or mix by hand). Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each with 1/4 cup of mixture. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Frost. Makes 18 cupcakes.


Low Carb Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup palm shortening, regular or butter flavored (I like Spectrum brand)
1/2 cup sugar free honey
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp butter flavor extract (omit if using butter flavored shortening)

Whisk well in mixer until well combined, scraping down sides as needed. Makes enough to frost one double layer cake or 18 cupcakes. I like to fill a plastic bag and use a large star tip to make roses, starting in the center and spiraling out.

1 cupcake with frosting = 2.12 g net carbs

You Are an OVERCOMER!

This amazing video features the stories of four people who have overcome powerful things that could have kept them down. I watch it every time I work out, it keeps me motivated.
 
Mandisa "Overcomer"

Staring at a stop sign
Watching people drive by
T Mac on the radio
Got so much on your mind
Nothing's really going right
Looking for a ray of hope

Whatever it is you may be going through
I know He's not gonna let it get the best of you

[Chorus:]
You're an overcomer
Stay in the fight ‘til the final round
You're not going under
‘Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it's hopeless
That's when He reminds You
That you're an overcomer
You're an overcomer

Everybody's been down
Hit the bottom, hit the ground
Ooh, you're not alone
Just take a breath, don't forget
Hang on to His promises
He wants You to know

[Chorus]

The same Man, the Great I am
The one who overcame death
He's living inside of You
So just hold tight, fix your eyes
On the one who holds your life
There's nothing He can't do
He's telling you

(Take a breath, don't forget
Hang on to His promises)

[Chorus]

You're an overcomer
You're an overcomer
You're an overcomer

So don't quit, don't give in, you're an overcomer
Don't quit, don't give in, you're an overcomer
Don't quit, don't give in, you're an overcomer
You're an overcomer

These were really good! Tried them last night.

Chocolate Brownie Mug Cake (Low Carb & Gluten Free)
Yield: 2 servings

Warm and comforting, this is the quickest way to low carb brownie bliss there is!
Ingredients
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp almond flour
• 1 tsp coconut flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar substitute
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 square Lindt 90% chocolate, chopped
• 2 Tbsp pecans, chopped (optional)
 
Instructions
• Melt the butter in a small microwave safe  bowl (about 30 seconds in microwave). Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour batter into 2 small greased mugs or ramekins. Microwave for 1 minute. (add another 30 seconds if necessary). Serve with whipped cream or sugar free vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Approximate nutrition info per mug: 230 calories, 23g fat, 3g net carbs, 6g protein

Recoving When You Mess Up, Exercising Self-Control

I seem to remember reading that there is a link between poor money control/bad spending habits and being overweight. I tried to find it online, but every search term I tried just brought up that poor people are more likely to be overweight. I think that money habits and eating habits are definitely linked.

Something that helped me to ditch soda was realizing that at just one fountain drink a day, that's $1 a day (conservatively), $365 a year, and over the last 24 years that equals $8760. And that's conservative. Plus add in lost interest, if I had more than one soda, drinks at fast food restaurants, etc. I've easily blown more than $10,000 on soda over the last 24 years! Imagine if that had been Starbucks coffee at $4 a pop!

The past is gone, it can't be changed, you just have to move forward from here. Remember, God's mercies are new every morning. Don't beat yourself up about it, just resolve to exercise the self-control God gives us:

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Something I have been thinking of: if I know that something is bad for my body, then eating it is like poisoning myself. So when I think, "I deserve a treat, I should get a soda" ... I try to switch that thinking ... "I deserve health, I don't eat poison, my body is not a trash can, go away Satan!"

I pretty much do not eat out anymore. If I let someone else control what goes into my food, then I have a good chance of getting glutened or carbed. No one else cares about what I eat they way I do.  When we ate at IHOP recently, I requested the omelette made with real eggs instead of the eggs with pancake batter in it. I got the one with pancake batter, but didn't realize until later when I felt horrible. And then I had carb cravings. Plus it is way cheaper to make steak at home than to order it out.

I think the key is planning ahead. Setting aside time to bake "bread" or make desserts. Cooking 10 pounds of chicken at once, and freezing the extra. Thawing meats ahead of time. Using the slow cooker (pot roast, chili, pork roast). Washing the lettuce and chopping the celery when you get home from the store.

We have to learn to put our needs first, so that we are healthy and have energy to help others. Like when you're on a plane, and they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on before you put your child's on. God's Word says that our body is the temple of the Lord, so we need to treat it with respect and reverence.

Just my two cents :)

Kelly's No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

This cheesecake is wonderful. Smooth, creamy, rich, and sweet. Small portions are advised. You can halve the filling recipe, but don't halve the crust, or you won't have enough. You can also skip the crust and have a cheesecake "mousse" or "pudding."

CRUST
2 cups almond meal or flour (88 g fat, 40 g protein, 24 g net carbs)
1/4 cup xylitol, powdered (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 24 g net carbs)
OR 1/4 cup erythritol, powdered (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 3 g net carbs)
1/4 cup melted butter (46 g fat, 0 g protein, 0 g carbs)

Note: measure sweetener before powdering (a magic bullet or coffee grinder works well), and you may need a little more butter, I used 6 tablespoons to hold it all together

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch springform pan, mix all ingredients well. Press crust evenly into pan, using nonstick-sprayed hands or the back of a spoon. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned around the edges. Remove and cool. To speed up cooling, you can place it in the freezer or fridge.

FILLING

3 cups heavy whipping cream (264 g fat, 15 g protein, 20 g carbs)
3 Tbsp vanilla extract (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 5 g carbs)
2 droppers stevia (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 0 g carbs)

In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip together until stiff peaks form. Remove from mixer into a large bowl and put in fridge to keep cool.

6 x 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (465 g fat, 81 g protein, 56 g carbs)
3 Tbsp vanilla extract (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 5 g carbs)
3 Tbsp lemon juice (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 3 g carbs)
2 cups xylitol, powdered (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 192 g net carbs)
OR 2 cups erythritol, powdered (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 20 g net carbs)
PLUS Stevia to taste if using erythritol (0 g fat, 0 g protein, 0 g carbs)

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, blend together until smooth and creamy. Remove whipped cream mixture from fridge, and add the cream cheese mixture. Mix well, as gently as possible. Depending on the depth of your springform pan, all of the mixture may not fit in the crust. Don't worry, store it in the fridge and it makes a wonderful cheesecake mousse/pudding.

If your fridge is too warm, you can store this in the freezer.

Nutrition totals for the entire recipe:
With xylitol: 863 g fat, 136 g protein, 329 g carbs
With erythritol/stevia: 863 g fat, 136 g protein, 136 g carbs

Nutrition totals for 1/12 of the recipe:
With xylitol: 72 g fat, 11.5 g protein, 27.4 g carbs
With erythritol/stevia: 72 g fat, 11.5 g protein, 11.5 g carbs

If you remove the crust, you save a lot of carbs, but you give up the protein.
Just the crust with xylitol: 134 g fat, 40 g protein, 48 g carbs
Just the crust with erythritol/stevia: 134 g fat, 40 g protein, 27 g carbs

And finally, you can use the cheesecake mousse on a fat fast. Halve the filling recipe, and then divide in 12 portions. Per serving: 315 calories, 31 g fat, 4 g protein, 5 g carbs, 88.6% fat.

Joy's Eating Rules

 

My rules are my guidelines. Like a path for my feet. God's Word says that He will direct our paths, so I am changing HOW I eat to honor Him. These rules change as I learn more about my body and how it responds to different foods. I have a significant amount of weight to lose, and I need to change my focus from eating my emotions to focusing on God's Word and taking my problems to Him. Your rules may be different.

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20

RULES AS OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

1. EAT LOW CARB - UNDER 20 NET G PER DAY

When I avoid carbs and sugars, and especially grains, I feel so much better. Joint pain - gone! Acne - gone! Pitting edema (my ankles) - gone! Tired all the time - gone! I have so much energy eating this way.

2. EAT ONLY WHEN HUNGRY AND STOP WHEN SATISFIED

Originally I was eating just 3 meals a day with no snacks. I think I wasn't eating enough, however, as my weight loss stalled. So now I am only eating if I am hungry, so snacks are okay if I need them, but I have to follow rule #3 below. If my body is the temple of God, then I need to feed it nourishing food.

3. EAT MINDFULLY AT THE TABLE

Because I have a tendency to inhale my food while I read or watch TV, and then still feel hungry, I need to focus on what I eat so that I actually taste it. I am trying to remember to give thanks to God before everything I eat, but this is not a habit, so I'm still working on this.

4. TREATS MUST BE EATEN WITH A MEAL OR SNACK (SMALL PORTIONS)

I can not eat treats all day long and expect to lose weight, or to honor God.

5. ARTIFICIALLY SWEETENED DRINK MIXES ARE A TREAT

Too many of these definitely stalls my weight loss.

6. ONLY ONE TREAT PER DAY (SMALL PORTIONS!)

I need to quit treating my body with sweets, and start treating my soul with the Word. I may switch this to only 3 times a week if I am still stalling in a few days. Small portion looks like half my clenched fist (approximately 1/2 cup) or a drink mix.

7. IF IT DOESN'T TASTE GOOD FROM THE VERY FIRST BITE, QUIT EATING IT!

My body is the temple of the Lord, not a trash can. And continuing to eat something that doesn't taste very good is not going to improve the flavor.

Flax Sandwich Bun Recipe

Original recipe found on Where Your Treasure Is.

These buns are so good, they taste very much like real bread. They're just way thinner. I made some small changes to this recipe, I halved the garlic powder. 1 teaspoon is way too much garlic powder, especially if you are using these as bagels. Also I changed how they are mixed.

My kids like these toasted with cream cheese. They make wonderful sandwiches, the best hamburger buns I've had since I went gluten free, and great BLTs.

FLAX SANDWICH BUNS

1-1/8 cup flax meal
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
6 eggs
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Once well blended, add eggs, oil, and water. Stir well, scraping down sides.Pour into 12 greased yorkshire pudding pans/muffin top pans OR onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet. The dough is not runny, so you'll need to spread it with the back of a spoon. Bake for total of 20 minutes, switching pans after 12 minutes if you have two pans for even baking. Cool on a baking rack.

Store in fridge if not using right away. Be sure to slice them with a serrated knife for best results.

Nutrition Info: Makes 12 buns. Per bun: 1.5 net carbs, 8.25 g protein, 12 g fat

Variation: I'm going to try cinnamon and xylitol instead of garlic powder to make "bagels." I'll update once I've done this.

Scriptures About Food

 

All Scriptures New King James Version

Job 23:12 ~ I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.

Matthew 6:25 ~"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 

 

John 4:34 ~ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

John 6:27 ~ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Romans 14:15 ~ Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 

 

Romans 14:20 ~Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 

 

1 Corinthians 8:13 ~ Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.