[sprout]

to
First Place
The Bible Based Weight Loss plan Used Successfuly by over 1/2 million people

In order to get a 'handle' on this wonderful program, please look into getting the book 'First Place' by Carole Lewis. It is an easy read and outlines the complete program.

The First Place Program includes a series of 9 commitments which are:

1) Attendance: Attending a meeting for a period of 13 weeks.

2) Encouragement: Make a commitment to reach out to another person doing the program every week

3) Prayer: Learning to pray every day at the same time, will help you keep Christ in first place.

4) Bible Reading: This commitment is essential for spiritual growth

5) Scripture memory verse: In this program we memorize a Scripture verse each week. God's Word in your heart will strengthen your daily life and spiritual relationship

6) Bible Study: First Place offers a number of studies that are 10 weeks long - they are not intense but will help build your spiritual fitness as you build our physical fitness.

7) Live-It Plan: Through this commitment,you learn balanced eatng habits.The food exchange lists for this program are similar to one recommended by the american Diabetic Association.

8) Commitment Record: This is where you keep a record for 7 days of food eaten; you also check of daily the following that you did: prayer / Bible Study / Scripture Reading / Memory Verse / Encouragement / Exercise: Aerobic - Stength - Flexibility

9) Exercise: This commitment is based on 1 Corinthians 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit livis in you?

So come all that would like to grow in their faith and lose some weight

[sprout]

I would like to comment on how we could make this program work for us here:

The 9 Commitments are a biggy in this program. So could we do this program together for '13 weeks' using all 9 commitments. I think so.

1) Attendance - well we won't be meeting as a group weekly - but all that come here could follow this commitment by posting here one day a week for sure - and more would be better.

2) Encouragement - I don't see that as a problem here as I belong to a few of the other 'threads' and the encouragement is great -

3) Prayer - don't see that as a problem either - I believe that all of us talk to our Savior regularly - we might need a little bit of encouragement some days to put Christ in First Place - starting off our day with Him first - but we do pray - and we hold up each other in prayer which is great

4) Bible Reading - this could be difficult - don't want to be negative but I know for myself sometimes after I am up and 'running' the idea of taking time to sit for 15 minutes and read the Bible really doesn't enter my mind - but it sure does when things go wrong. So this is one that I know I work on each day making it a point to take a book of the Bible and read through it - allowing myself up to 15 minutes of 'just reading'

5) Scripture Memory Verse - now I must say this is a difficult one for me - I know I could do it but haven't since I was a child. I happen to have 3 of the First Place Bible Studies which come with a CD of all the verses outlined in the study set to music - makes a good way to learn the scripture as well as an aid for exercise time. On saying that if someone did not actually do the First Place Studies, they could set a Scripture verse to learn each week - or as a group we could set one for us all to work on together here at 3FATCHICKS

6) Bible Study - I know most of us are so busy with our families and things we do for our church ect - another Study - but it could be worked in - just for 10 weeks.

7) Live It Plan - this is another biggy. When I put this plan out on the table besides the Diabetic Plan and even Weight Watchers I must say they looked pretty close to me - all well balanced.

8) Commitment Record - this is another big one - at group meeting for First Place you would hand in this record to the person that was leading the class. I think for us here if we woudl make use of the commitment record and then being accountable when you do the 'attendence commitment' just let the group know whether you were able to complete all on your chart.

9) Exercise - this has been a problem for me - I am not active enough and that is most of my problem - that and just plain having to much of the good stuff put into my mouth. So I find that having to be accountable for my exercise - at least until it becomes a habit is good.

So what do you think - it is a new month - we can do it - and the discussions / encouragements / would be great.

On saying all of the above I would like to share one Scripture Verse here:

Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

[sprout]

If you are interested in doing a Study together I would like to suggest the one called

Everyday Victory for Everyday People

You can find this at your local Christian book store, at the First Place web site and I am sure you can find it elsewhere on the internet also.

I have this study and am going to be starting it myself tomorrow - March 2 -
and I will be glad to share some of the questions / thoughts as I go through it.

[RebaR]

Sounds great... you can find the bible studies at different places, like amazon.com at cheaper prices... I'll try to remember the other sites I know. I've previously led a local group and I tend to use a local Christian bookstore- the owner is a friend and goes to our church... I am currently in "Choosing Thankfulness" but I have "Everyday Victories for Everyday People". I've done it before...

Reba

[sprout]

Thanks for your post - as I mentioned I have 3 of the studies and hopefully eventually will get them all - think they are great.

What do you think about the commitments - difficult to do? Do you think we can modify it somewhat for here - what about group questions?

[RebaR]

Which commitment(s) are difficult for me?? in all honesty, that varies from time to time...I've been doing First Place off and on since 1989 or so....

right now, the exercise isn't too hard- I'm taking a water aerobics class that meets 2x a week for an hour each time. My doc told me to get in a minimum of 150 minutes a week, but I have a goal of 180 minutes or more a week... and it hasn't been too bad... it's getting into the habit of it!

The hardest for me right now are the spiritual components... for the last few weeks I've not been doing my Bible study, and reading... My memory verse is the verse for the week of the bible study. Prayer- lately they've been the quickies - though sometimes I journal them. For several reasons, February is a difficult time for me and Satan has been attacking in some areas... and rather than draw me closer, I've just kinda quit... I did find my Bible study book last night... and looked at the day I'm on... now I need to do it... this has also been a busy month for me...I've traveled the last 3 weekends... Atlanta for the ballet and art museum, then a chaperone on the youth retreat...then Birmingham for the Living Proof Beth Moore conference....

I am also involved with another online First Place group and through them have a CR that's on my computer... with that group, to meet the CR commitment, CR's are submitted online or mailed to a group leader (I'm a co leader with one of the groups). The attendance commitment is met by sending in the CR and posting at least once a week. Encouragement by posting or emailing or snail mailing a member of the group.

The Live it is basically the diabetic diet...only we don't call it a diet because it is a healthy way of eating for our lifetime. It encourages eating in all the food groups. Sometimes I have a hard time getting in the fruits, veggies and milks.... for some reason, the meat, breads and fats are no problem!

Group questions could be posted and answered... one good thing about an online group, you can come online at any time for support... a regular group meets once a week...

Can it be done online? yes it can!

Reba

[sprout]

Day is just getting underway - am up, showered, clothes separated and ready for the washer, trying to get my teen daughter out of bed and into the bath so that I can start the laundry.

When the laundry is started I will be putting on my WATPS CD and do the 1 mile one. Then I am going to spend 30 minutes reading scripture, answering some Bible Questions and praying. Then the day starts with schooling my daughter.

I will see about coming back later in the day and posting some questions / comments re the Bible Study I am workng, and 'reporting' re my commitment record.

Reba: I must admit that the committments you mentioned that were difficult sure can be. Guess it all boils down to discipline. How about sharing what you are learning in the study you are doing, and how about some thoughts on what your menu for the day looks like. Sharing of good recipes is also nice.

[sprout]

I am going to put up here what the commitment record would / should like - if you want to copy it and forward it to a new post when you have completed it - then you can say that you have followed that commitment.

Day_________________________________

Breakfast:________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ______________________________
Lunch:____________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ______________________________
Supper____________________________________________ _______________
__________________________________________________ _______________
Snacks:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ______________________________

Meat servings:_____________ Bread Servings:_______________
Veggy servings:____________ Fruit servings:________________
Milk servings:______________ Fat Servings:________________
Water:___________________

Prayer:___________________ Bible Study:___________________
Scripture Reading:______________ Memory verse:______________
Encouragement:________________

Exercise: Aerobic:______________Strength:___________
Flexibility_____________________

[sprout]

Let's see if we can memorize the same verse together each week. Here is for this week

Memory Verse for week of
March 2 to March 8, 2006

Matthew 4:4 It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'

[sprout]

Having read the First Place book a number of times I would like to share the following from it as I thought it was worth noting. So here goes the quote.

Page 15
To help us sort through the confusion surroundng weight loss, we turned to Dr. Dick Couey, a professor of health science at Baylor University and a physiologiest who has studied nutrition and how it relates to the biochemistry of the cell. On a regular basis, Dr. Couey gives his opinion about the safety or effectiveness of certaindiets. His criteria for a good diet includes the following:

1. The diet must contain 45 known nutriets in their proper amounts. It must contain enough carbohydrate, fat and protein (especially nitrogen); 9 amino acids; 13 vitamins; 19 minerals, and sufficient amounts of water.

2. The diet should contain at least 1,200 calories per day. Caloric consumption below 1,200 could possibly cause damage to your body ad permanentl lower its basal metabolism.

3. The diet should emphasize behavior modification techniques to overcome poor eating habits or problem eating. It should also stress ways to make lifestyle changes in order to facilitate weight maintenance and thwart further weight gain.

4. The diet should not only stress good eating practices but also emphasize regular physical activit, sress reduction and other healthy changes in lifestyle. In addition, Dr. Couey recommends a Christian emphase to help motivate participants to properly care for their bodies.

'Be careful about choosing other nutrional programs' concludes Dr. Couey,. 'Many of these programs are designed to help you lose weight; however, they may lacke the proper amounts of nutrients which can damage the health of the cells.'

Page 16

Dr. Couey includes a caution about selecting a diet program:

Fat diets usually don't work because they are not designed for permanent weight loss. Habits are not changed, andthe food selecton is so limited that the person cannot follow the diet for more tha two or three weeks. Although dieters assume they have lost fat, they have actually lost mostly muscle and other lean tissue mass. In a matter of weeks, most of the lost weight is back. The dieter appears to have failed, when actually the diet failed. The whole scenario can add more blame and guilt to the psyche of the dieter, which is very unfortunate.

[sprout]

Bread group: remember this group does not just include bread. In this group are bread, cereal, rice, pasta, potatoes, corn and peas. Do watch when you eat a serving of these that you check off the proper box on your commitment record.

Meat and fat: Peanut butter falls in the meat and fat category so if you have this to eat check off the appropriate in both places.

[bmlath4379]

Something that I would like to mention about First Place is that if you don't want to go off and bye the book (the actual program, not the Bible Study). You could just get the Food exchange pocket guide to begin with to see how everything works, but eventually if you decide to stick with the program you should really get the First Place book by Carol Lewis. But to start out with the pocket guide is really helpful.

[sprout]

Thought I would see how this is going to work at posting this commitment record - want to be held accountable while doing this program. So here goes.

Day March 2, 2006

Weight: 298

Breakfast: 2 slices brown toast, dry, individual pad of peanut butter and one of strawberry jam, 1 bottle of water

Lunch: tossed salad, root beer (ohoh)

Supper steak, baked potatoe, sour cream on potatoe, brocoli and carrots, 1 bottle water

Snacks: no snacks today

Meat servings: 6 servings Bread Servings: 4 servings
Veggy servings: 1 servings Fruit servings: 0 servings
Milk servings: 0 servings Fat Servings: 4 servings
Water: 4 glasses

Prayer: yes Bible Study: yes
Scripture Reading: yes Memory verse: Matthew 4:4
Encouragement: yes

Exercise: not today

[sprout]

I have a walking chart on my computer that I fill in when I have done what needs to be done. I have updated it for today and it now shows:

Total miles walked since January 1/06 = 11 1/2 miles

[sprout]

The First Place Programs is done in a group go for 13 weeks. I thought that since we are 'doing this online' lets do it for periods of 3 months .

So as this thread was started re March 1 - this 'session' will go till end of May - at that time we will reflect to see how we have done. Then we will start another 'session.'