Do I look Fat????

This is a question my husband hears weekly from me but I'm getting better. For a lot of us weight gain and loss is an issue!!! Here are my tips for weight loss that have worked for me and many others. Just so you know, I break all of the rules, I am not perfect!

1. Sugar is Sugar is Sugar!! When I say sugar you may picture a bowl of refined white powder but sugars are in everything! When you eat bread the Carbohydrates turn into sugars in your body. Sugars and fats are the easiest things for your body to burn for energy so if you cut them out for a while you body will take it's energy from your fat stores. Once you have got your weight to where you want it you can add back in healthy sugars and Carbs like Oat meal and whole grains even then you need to watch how much you consume.

2. Calories!!! A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. If you give you body more units of energy than you burn, it stores it as fat! I don't believe in counting every calorie I eat during the day but I did for a little while until I understood just how many calories I was consuming. For instance, one of my favorite lunches was a whole box of Mac and Cheese with two Veggie Hot Dogs in it!!!! I know right! That gave me 1,390 calories!! That is almost my entire recommended daily value of calories for a person my size! I did this with a lot of my "favorite" meals and now can no longer eat any of them because I just can't stomach eating that many unneeded calories. If you want to find out how many calories you favorite meals are go to Nutrition Data.com

3. High water / Low sugar fruits. Apples, oranges, bananas and other sweet fruits are so yummy and trick us into thinking we are eating "healthy". Sorry to burst your bubble but, most of those fruits have been breed to have more sugars and less nutrients so that they will be more appealing to the customer! The fruits that I speak of are tomatoes, cucumbers, Bell peppers, and many more! These fruits have less calories and sugar and a lot more nutrients!

4. Dark Leafy Greens, what can I say it's what we are made to eat. You don't even have to count these calories, have as much as you want just don't cook them to death and chew well so you get all of the goodness!

5. Remember that the world is working against you! Sorry! Everywhere you hear advertisements for junkie food and even things that seem good for you like 100% fruit juice(sugar). I try to look at it like Satan is trying to get me to mess up this wonderful body my Heavenly Father gave me and I'm not going to let him.

6. Read the word of Wisdom everyday! There are promises in there that will encourage you and give you strength!

So those are my tidbits, do with them what you will.
Please leave a comment when you read this, I would like to get an Idea of who is reading this blog and I would love to hear any tips that have worked for you. If it is OK for me to comment on your comment please say so. Thanks!

My Goal...

I'm worried that I may have offended people, not just those that have commented to me but others who remain silent.

In my Last post I wrote,

"The Lord says in section 89, "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine." This makes it clear to me that Heavenly Father does not want me to eat animals except for in the dire times that he lists."

I offered up this scripture as Heavenly Father telling us that it would please him if we would not eat animals unless we are in times of winter, or of cold, or of famine. I stand by that. However, I don't believe that anyone should "Convert" to a vegetarian diet by my interpretation alone. Please read section 89 and fast and pray about it. I did and my answer was over whelming (Story for another time) No one can tell anyone how to live their life, because we have free agency we can choose our own paths. I started this blog as an outlet to bear my testimony of what I know to be true. If you have a strong testimony of anything (Christ, the Church, prayer, fasting, or family) It burns in you to share it, right? That is exactly what I am doing, and I feel really good about.

I do not feel good about the idea of offending anyone or making any one feel uncomfortable so I will not use a comment from anyone in my posts because I no longer think it is a good idea. Unless you'd like me to, then you can say so in your comment. If anything in this blog is not to your liking then you can dismiss it as Samantha's rantings and move on :) I love to bear my testimony and this is a very comfortable way for me to do it. I love this Gospel, I love this Church, and I know with all my heart it is true!

Here is a pretty picture of flowers to lighten the mood!

Debate Sparked :)

Jewelianna said...
Bruce R McConkie says in 'Mormon Doctrine' -There is no prohibition in Section 89, for instance, as to the eating of white bread, using white flour, white sugar, cocoa, chocolate, eggs, milk, meat, or anything else, except items classified under the headings, tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor. As a matter of fact those who command that men should not eat meat, are not ordained of God, such counsel being listed by Paul as an evidence of apostasy. God has created "meats," he says, "to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." (1 Tim 4:3.)If some particular food or drink disagrees with an individual, then that person should act accordingly without reference to the prohibitions in this particular law of health. (for more of her comment go to the comment section of the previous post)

Bruce R McConkie's book is his opinion and his opinion only. It is not doctrine.

The Lord says in section 89, "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine." This makes it clear to me that Heavenly Father does not want me to eat animals except for in the dire times that he lists.

The second scripture I see misunderstood is Section 49 Verse 18. It reads, "And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;" This scripture is often offered up to me as evidence that I am actually wrong for not eating animals. The words are tricky in this verse and I will try my best to get the true meaning across. First it says, "And whoso forbiddeth" So that is referring to the person doing the forbidding. "to abstain from meats." a person who abstains from meat would be me, a vegetarian. So that first part is actually saying, Whoever forbids a person from being a vegetarian. If you know your grammar you now that the commas separating "That man should not eat the same" from the rest of the sentence mean that the sentence was interjected and should be able to be read clearly with or with out the interjection. So, With out the interjection the scripture reads, "And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats is not ordained of God." So if some one were telling another person "you need to eat meat", they would not be ordained of God. Now put the interjection back in "that man should not eat the same" That part is speaking about the forbidder. It's saying that not only is forbidding a man not to eat meat not ordained of God but the forbidder should not eat meat either. If you can explain this scripture in a different way I would love to hear it! Or section 89 as well.

I Just want to add that I know the Church of Jesus Christ is true and I know that The prophet is a true prophet and so were the ones that passed before him. I also know that just like me they are not perfect and they do make mistakes. I love this Gospel and I love the people of this church. I am so grateful to be part of two wonderful families with people who care so much about me and my little family.

Thanks Julie for your comments, I really appreciate your open mind and your kind heart!

Why do I abstain from eating animals?

I have gotten a lot of comments from people lately that lead me to believe they don't understand the answer to this question. I'm going to bear my testimony as simply as I can.

First I know that animals have spirits and it is immoral to take their life just so that I can have pleasure. Second, I think the way animals are mass produced for our consumption is not only cruel but is devastating for our planet. Third, it has been shown in numerous studies (If you would like examples go to the Cancer Project.org website, the link is to the left) cutting the consumption of animals out of your diet reduces the risk for Cancer , and heart disease and so many other unpleasant things. Forth, I know that my body is a gift from God and that it is my job to care for it in the best way possible. There are many promises in Doctrine and Covenants Section 89 that I would love to obtain. I am in no way perfect and I still have a lot of work to do concerning the things I put into my body, however, I know that I will never again consume another animal unless it is to save my life and even then I would do it with dignity and respect to one of Heavenly Fathers creatures. I write these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

P.S. The comment I have heard most often from SO many people is "Moderation in all things". This comment really confuses me because if I were to do everything moderately then I would smoke a cigarette a day and only one beer a day, only cheat on my husband occasionally... I'm kidding obviously but that statement can only be true if moderation is defined as the "right" amount which could be none at all such as smoking, drinking, and adultery. I've said my two cents and I would LOVE to here your comments. I really would like to here from anyone who has their own two cents. I love sparking debates and learning new things from others.