Newbie! Help!

[Patricia/SD]

Hello,
I'm a new member. I just received my new member kit in the mail yesterday and I am registered for the December group on Outlook Ministry.

Can someone give me some advice on where to start? I don't know anything about the program - am overwhelmed with all the information. I started reading the Choose to Change book, but how do I learn about the Live-It Plan and how in the world can I eat all that good stuff in one day???? :eek: I don't know how to figure exchanges that aren't on the list.

I believe my group in December is Everyday People Everyday Victory (or may have it backwards). I have the book. Can someone help me catch up in time??? Thank you and God bless.

[Kathy/IL]

Exchanges are just another way of counting food. This newsletter has an article by Kay Smith that, IMHO, really helps explain exchanges. http://firstplace.org/PDF/FirstPlaceNewslettermar04.pdf

Blessings!
Kathy/IL

[Pat/TX]

Patricia,

Welcome to First Place. I can already hear the excitement in your voice! Take advantage of that excitement and spend these next couple of weeks familiarizing yourself with your member kit. You were on the right track to begin by reading Choosing to Change. That's the first step in putting Christ in first place in your life. When you finish that book, look at the table of contents to your member guide. Don't be overwhelmed by it. Your first session in Outlook, you will receive weekly reading assignments from that book. Look up the chapter on the Live-It plan. There you will find lists of commonly eaten foods in the various food groups. Before you start your December session go through those lists with a highlighter pen and mark those foods you and your family like to eat. That will make it easier for you to find the foods when you have to start figuring exchanges. Don't try to learn it all at once, though. You will totally overwhelm yourself. The article that Kathy mentioned is a very good one to get started. Once you understand the concept of an exchange, then you'll be ready to determine exchanges on more complex foods.

In the beginning, keep it simple. Plan menus around foods in their most natural state. By that I mean baked or broiled meat, steamed, canned, or frozen vegetables, and fresh fruit. Stay away from casseroles and box mixes like Hamburger Helper, etc. The foods in their natural state are healthier for us..anyway! LOL

If you do this reading and marking of your member guide by the time your session of Outlook starts, you'll be ahead of the game.... Oh, one more thing...You might want to read the chapter in your guide about choosing a goal weight and a calorie level. You'll have to do that at the beginning of the session.

I wish you well and hope you'll check back with us and let us know how you are doing.

Pat/TX

[Patricia/SD]

Thank you Kathy and Pat!! I feel more relaxed now. I thought I would have to read the member guide BEFORE my group started. :eek: One question I seem to need an answer for now is "Do I have to give up my Cafe Vienna?" I drink one cup in the morning and one cup at night and I use half a serving each time. Would it be considered "cheating" if I drink it or does it get counted somehow? Thank you so much.

[Pat/TX]

Patricia,
I haven't seen the nutritional facts panel on Cafe Vienna, but if it has sugar in it you will definitely have to watch out how much you drink. I like to have sugar-free chocolate milk mix in my cup of coffee in the morning. It's a free item, so I enjoy that little treat with my Cheerios! When you get started in Outlook, you'll be able to bring that question to your group and someone there will be able to help you figure out how to count your Cafe Vienna. One of the beautiful things about First Place is that there are no forbidden foods. Granted, some foods are better for us than others, and there are definitely certain foods I try to avoid because they make me gain weight. However, as long as I count the exchanges toward my daily allotment, I can basically have most foods. Now, candy, cookies, and gooey desserts will gobble up your exchanges so fast your head will whirl! And you'll be out of exchanges without getting any good nutrition for your body. That's not good. One of the important things to remember is that we are trying to transform our bodies into magnificent temples for the Holy Spirit. We mustn't build His temple with junk food!

On that note, I'll let you get back to reading.

Pat/TX

[Patricia/SD]

Thank you so much, Pat for taking the time to answer my questions. I'm very excited about the program and yesterday while I was reading Choose to Change I thought a lot about First Place. I thought about how when I ordered the materials, I would wait until December to begin my Live-it plan. It occurred to me that it wasn't even about losing weight. I wanted to learn about eating healthier, but I also wanted to see what God said about putting Jesus first. Yes, I do think I'm ahead of the game already and I'm excited. :) Thanks again.

[Pat/TX]

You are very welcome!

Pat/TX