Walking and Health

The first week of a diet is both exciting and not-exciting.  You’re starting a new weight loss program and your excited about jumping right in and following all the rules.  You begin counting calories or whatever it is your diet is based on whether it’s calories, or carbohydrates, or a high fiber, or low sodium, or low fat, or no fruits, or points for Weight Watchers.  You not only count, but you write it down to really stay on top of it.  The first week is actually very exciting if the program is new and if you’re getting immediate results on your scale or feeling the differnce in your clothes. 

The down-side of the first week of starting a weight loss program is that you find yourself longing for all the comfort foods that are heavy in fat and not good for you. These foods are the culprits that got you into your current need-to-shed-the-extra-pounds situation.  You have to maintain focus and discipline through this first week.  After that, it is still going to remain a challenge to stay on your weight loss program, but keep in mind that if you made it through the first week without too many deviations, then you can do it the next week and the next week.

My weight loss journey is now at day seven.  It’s been a week and I have lost five pounds.  I feel good that I stuck with my program.  I am ready to tackle the next week, and I’m going to reach my goal of 40 pounds, even if it doesn’t happen in the number of days as I originally planned.  This week I feel good about the choices I made while I was eating out in the real world. I attended a dinner for my parents who celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary.  I also attended a brunch at BJ’s Restaurant, for my nephew’s 19th birthday.  There was a lot of temptation and I had to resist and politely say no to cake and brownies and other goodies that were available.  I also had to choose other items on the menu that I normally wouldn’t even consider.  I got a healthy baked fish dinner instead of my usual “choose the biggest item on the menu so you’ll get nice and full” attitude that I used to have before my weight loss journey. 

The first week is always a challenge, but it is gratifying to see sacrifices made on your weight loss program were well worth it when the scale shows your success and your clothes feel better.  Just wait until next week with another two to three pounds less.  The “are you losing weight” comments from others will start to flow.  That’s when you realize your hard work, focus and discipline are rewarded with praise from the people you love and from a feeling inside that you are doing the right thing for your physical and spiritual well-being.  Keep at it and don’t lose focus. 

My goal is to lose 40 pounds in 46 days.  This may seem a little aggressive, but I have broken it down by weeks.  The first week of any weight loss program, especially for a larger person, is the best weight loss week of the entire program.  In most cases, you will be focused on your new program, excited to make a change in your life, ready to boost up your metabolism with exercise, and just overall enthusiastic about starting starting something new.  In most cases, the weight will come off easily this first week.

Here is my goal and a breakdown of the first week.  Should   I fall short or exceed my weekly target, I will modify my goals accordingly to still reach or exceed 4o pounds of weight loss by the end of the 46 day journey. 

Week One:

1. Lose 10 Pounds 
2. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
3. Reduce my BMI by 2 points.
4. Exercise at least minutes per day/five days per week.
5. Maintain a 1200 per day calorie intake.
6. Follow the Food Pyramid Plan to maintain good nutrition.
7. Pray at least five times per day pre-planned and anytime I feel the need at any hour or at any meal.
8. Have at least one snack per day of almonds.

Why am I calling this the Amen-Almond Diet?

I need to follow a strict diet and I plan to create my own diet that meets the nutritional recommendations of the Food Pyramid and yet does not become boring.  We all need a little spice in our lives.  In my research, I noticed that there were many foods that, in the past, were not good for you.  However, the powers-that-be are reconsidering these once taboo foods and are now making them available as nutritional and even fat burning foods.  Take for example, nuts.  Research shows that people who snack on nuts rather than other snacks have a tendency to be slimmer than those who don’t.  Also, when you eat nuts as a snack, your resting metabolism tends to be higher than those who don’t snack on nuts.  Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids and eating 10 to 20 pecans daily can help to reduce heart disease.  But, the nut that provides many other health benefits is the almond. 

Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E. They are also rich in monounsaturated fat , one of the two “good” fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol. According to Wikipedia, claimed health benefits of almonds include improved complexion, improved movement of food through the colon (feces) and the prevention of cancer. Recent research associates the inclusion of almonds in the diet with elevating the blood levels of high density lipoproteins and of lowering the levels of low density lipoproteins.  The function of lipoprotein particles is to transport lipids (fats) and cholesterol around the body in the aqueous blood, in which they would not normally dissolve.  So, almonds are full of good protein.  The body tends to digest protein slower and this helps keep you feeling more full for a longer period of time.  One last benefit to note, a controlled trial showed that 73g of almonds in the daily diet reduced LDL cholesterol by as much as 9.4%, reduced the LDL:HDL ratio by 12.0%, and increased HDL-cholesterol (i.e., the good cholesterol) by 4.6%.

Also, in the bible almonds are mentioned more than ten times.  The one that I particular thought fit in to this diet undertaking is described here.   In Numbers, Levi is chosen from the other tribes of Israel by Aaron’s rod, which brought forth almond flowers. According to tradition, the rod of Aaron bore sweet almonds on one side and bitter on the other; if the Israelites followed the Lord, the sweet almonds would be ripe and edible, but if they were to forsake the path of the Lord, the bitter almonds would predominate. 

 So I will try to follow this diet to the best of my ability and I know that no matter what, God will be with me to provide sweet almonds and loads of encouragement.  I hope you will join me in my quest to lose weight. Personally my goal is to lose weight and get fit in order to become a healthier person for myself and my kids, and more importantly, to have a healthy vessel in which God can work through. 

May God Bless you today and always.

Our Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Help me draw into a state of humbleness with childlike reverence to do your will.  Help me and those who wish to take up this challenge.  We will look to you for guidance and support in our efforts to become healthier individuals.  Feed us spiritually so that we may shed pounds and selfish feelings of the flesh.  Thank you Lord. Amen.

My husband and I are both working together to get us back in shape.

Picture of me and my husband prior to Day 1 of the Amen-Almond Weight Loss Journey.

I will use this picture as my starting point and will provide updates as my weight changes.