I can hardly believe this is the last day of April! In my part of the country, this month has taken us from the last of wintery weather to a full-blown, beautiful spring with trees, shrubs and tulips in bloom. It's funny, but in the midst of all of the new growth I'm seeing all around me, here and there I'm seeing dead leaves on the ground.
Most of the leaves dropped last fall and were raked up and disposed of long ago. However, a few leaves clung tenaciously to the trees all winter, despite cold winds and lots of snow. A hard winter could not dislodge the leaves, so they stayed put until a week or so ago when new leaves began to emerge, finally pushing those dead leaves off the tree.
Those dead leaves are like some of our most deeply-ingrained bad habits. There are some habits that we can shake off fairly easily, but then there are those OTHER habits . . . habits that can't just be shaken off. For many of us here, we've tried to drop some bad eating habits, only to find them clinging fiercely to us until we think we're stuck with them forever.
The good news is that we CAN get rid of the bad habits - AS we replace them with healthy new habits. Replacing an old, unhealthy habit with a new, healthy one is the only way to make a permanent change. And how do we develop new, healthy habits? Practice :-)
Each day that we make a healthy choice instead of our former unhealthy choice, we are doing two important things at the same time: we are strengthening the new habit and weakening the old habit. Making this change takes time - a minimum of three weeks is needed before new habits begin to take hold (and old ones begin to loosen their grip). Solidifying those new habits will take more time yet, and maintaining them will require ongoing diligence - but it's worth it!!
Who's committed to an on-plan day today?
P.S. I am going to be in Dallas this weekend for a Take Shape for Life conference at the Marriott DFW Airport North. If any of you in the Dallas area are free on Friday night, there will be a meeting at 7 PM that's open to the public. I'd love to meet you! For more information, check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=88024457216&h=dq77X&u=WOnrl&ref=nf
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Don't Feel Like It? Do It Anyway!
I want to share with you part of the devotional from Our Daily Bread (RBC ministries publication). I thought it was really good and very applicable to those of us on our Take Shape for Life/Medifast journey to weight loss. The devotional addressed the issue of how we approach doing unwanted tasks.
The author, Dennis Fisher, stated that when faced with an unwanted task "my wife and I have a motto we repeat to each other: 'I don't feel like it--but I'm going to do it anyway.' There is something about recognizing our lack of motivation and then choosing to be responsible that helps us follow through.
God's value on faith and obedience can be seen in the parables of Jesus. Christ spoke about two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard. The first said no, but 'afterward he regretted it and went' (Matthew 21:29). The second said yes but did not follow through. Then the Lord ask His listeners, 'Which of the two did the will of his father' (verse 31). The obvious answer is the one who finished the task.
Our Lord's illustration underscores a key spiritual principle. God is interested in our faith and obedience--not just our good intentions. Next time you are tempted to shirk your duties, why not say, 'I don't feel like it,' and then ask God for the grace to do it anyway."
This devotional certainly has a wider application than just this weight loss journey of ours, but I thought about the times when I don't feel like staying on plan, or about the times when I don't feel like exercising. My take-away from this devotional is that I need to do it anyway. In doing so, I honor the Lord."
Who's committed to an on-plan day, whether you feel like it or not?
The author, Dennis Fisher, stated that when faced with an unwanted task "my wife and I have a motto we repeat to each other: 'I don't feel like it--but I'm going to do it anyway.' There is something about recognizing our lack of motivation and then choosing to be responsible that helps us follow through.
God's value on faith and obedience can be seen in the parables of Jesus. Christ spoke about two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard. The first said no, but 'afterward he regretted it and went' (Matthew 21:29). The second said yes but did not follow through. Then the Lord ask His listeners, 'Which of the two did the will of his father' (verse 31). The obvious answer is the one who finished the task.
Our Lord's illustration underscores a key spiritual principle. God is interested in our faith and obedience--not just our good intentions. Next time you are tempted to shirk your duties, why not say, 'I don't feel like it,' and then ask God for the grace to do it anyway."
This devotional certainly has a wider application than just this weight loss journey of ours, but I thought about the times when I don't feel like staying on plan, or about the times when I don't feel like exercising. My take-away from this devotional is that I need to do it anyway. In doing so, I honor the Lord."
Who's committed to an on-plan day, whether you feel like it or not?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Close Call
I ended up being gone all yesterday afternoon, babysitting my two-year old twin grandchildren while my daughter had some tests done at the hospital. It was fun, but busy! My daughter couldn't have anything to eat after midnight Sunday night, so on her way home from the hospital she went through a fast-food drive-through that serves south-of-the-border food (I'm trying really hard to not say anything that will trigger an off-plan binge . . . ). Even though I wasn't particularly hungry when she got home, one smell of her food had me ready to dive right in. When I looked at my watch and realized that it HAD been a while since I ate, I grabbed a crunch bar and some water. It was not quite what I REALLY wanted to eat - because what I REALLY wanted at the moment was whatever my daughter had in her little white bag :-), so I had to make the hard choice to do the right thing.
I think that if I hadn't been prepared, I might very well have gone through the same drive-through that my daughter visited. But I didn't :-)
Triggers can hit us at the most unexpected moments, and no matter how strong we think we are, they can easily trip us up. We may not think we're hungry, but then we smell something and suddenly our best intentions can quickly go out the window.
Committing to doing the right thing, even when it's hard, is an important first step. But the best intentions in the world can be derailed if we aren't prepared for the unexpected. As you look at today's calendar, are you prepared for today? What about the unexpected - have you planned for that, too?
I've heard Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen (Dr. A's Habits of Health) say that if we aren't prepared, the fast food industry will get us just about every time. After yesterday's close call for me, I fully believe it!
So, there are two questions for today: are you committed to staying on plan? Are you prepared?
Have a great day!
I think that if I hadn't been prepared, I might very well have gone through the same drive-through that my daughter visited. But I didn't :-)
Triggers can hit us at the most unexpected moments, and no matter how strong we think we are, they can easily trip us up. We may not think we're hungry, but then we smell something and suddenly our best intentions can quickly go out the window.
Committing to doing the right thing, even when it's hard, is an important first step. But the best intentions in the world can be derailed if we aren't prepared for the unexpected. As you look at today's calendar, are you prepared for today? What about the unexpected - have you planned for that, too?
I've heard Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen (Dr. A's Habits of Health) say that if we aren't prepared, the fast food industry will get us just about every time. After yesterday's close call for me, I fully believe it!
So, there are two questions for today: are you committed to staying on plan? Are you prepared?
Have a great day!
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Power of Commitment
Yesterday I experienced all over again the power of a commitment. I think we often underestimate commitments, especially when we make them public.
Yesterday morning I wrote about dog-sitting our granddog and how that was going to force me to reprioritize a few things, including making sure I got outside to walk her a couple of times each day. By the time we got home from church and dinner with friends, it was pouring rain (I mean POURING rain), so I thought to myself, "Oh good, it's raining and there is NO way I'm going to walk in this downpour." I checked a few e-mails, caught up on Facebook and was just starting to contemplate the idea of a nice, long Sunday afternoon nap when I looked outside. The rain had stopped and the sun was out . . . I was then faced with a choice. What I REALLY wanted to do was just take a nap, figuring I could put the dog out on the tie-out stake so she could do her thing and I could do mine.
However, I remembered that I wrote about the need to reprioritize and I remember talking about taking the dog for a walk. Had I not made that commitment publicly, I am pretty sure that my slovenly side would have won out and I would have been stretched out on my sofa for an hour or so. I just couldn't figure out how to do that and come back here today to encourage other people to do the right thing, even if it was hard :-). So I laced up my shoes, grabbed the dog leash and walked FAST (the dog tends to want to go at her own pace) for a full 45 minutes.
Do you know what? It felt GREAT to be outside and moving! I came home SO glad that I'd gone for a walk and not talked myself out of it.
We often make quiet commitments to ourselves, and when we break those commitments (and we all do), we are pretty quick to forgive ourselves. However, once we make the commitment public, we're much more likely to follow through because now other people know what it is we've said we'll do.
This isn't the time for me to talk about why we're much more likely to keep commitments to others than we are ourselves (that's a topic for another day!). But this is the time to say once again that that's why I post a blog every morning. You are encouraged to post a comment with your own daily commitment, because it is a simple but powerful tool that can help you stay on plan. When we commit to our friends here that we're going to do something, we have a little more incentive to actually do it :-)
So who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Blessings!
Cheryl
Yesterday morning I wrote about dog-sitting our granddog and how that was going to force me to reprioritize a few things, including making sure I got outside to walk her a couple of times each day. By the time we got home from church and dinner with friends, it was pouring rain (I mean POURING rain), so I thought to myself, "Oh good, it's raining and there is NO way I'm going to walk in this downpour." I checked a few e-mails, caught up on Facebook and was just starting to contemplate the idea of a nice, long Sunday afternoon nap when I looked outside. The rain had stopped and the sun was out . . . I was then faced with a choice. What I REALLY wanted to do was just take a nap, figuring I could put the dog out on the tie-out stake so she could do her thing and I could do mine.
However, I remembered that I wrote about the need to reprioritize and I remember talking about taking the dog for a walk. Had I not made that commitment publicly, I am pretty sure that my slovenly side would have won out and I would have been stretched out on my sofa for an hour or so. I just couldn't figure out how to do that and come back here today to encourage other people to do the right thing, even if it was hard :-). So I laced up my shoes, grabbed the dog leash and walked FAST (the dog tends to want to go at her own pace) for a full 45 minutes.
Do you know what? It felt GREAT to be outside and moving! I came home SO glad that I'd gone for a walk and not talked myself out of it.
We often make quiet commitments to ourselves, and when we break those commitments (and we all do), we are pretty quick to forgive ourselves. However, once we make the commitment public, we're much more likely to follow through because now other people know what it is we've said we'll do.
This isn't the time for me to talk about why we're much more likely to keep commitments to others than we are ourselves (that's a topic for another day!). But this is the time to say once again that that's why I post a blog every morning. You are encouraged to post a comment with your own daily commitment, because it is a simple but powerful tool that can help you stay on plan. When we commit to our friends here that we're going to do something, we have a little more incentive to actually do it :-)
So who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Blessings!
Cheryl
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Reprioritizing Priorities
As I noted yesterday, our daughter graduated with her BSN yesterday. It was a wonderful time of celebrating with her and her family, and most of our immediate family. To thank their daughters (4 & 6) for their patience while mom was in school (and dad will finish his MBA in August), my daughter and her family left around 4:30 AM today and are heading to Disney World.
To help them out, we have the granddog :-) while they're gone. We picked up the dog in the pouring rain, which meant I had the, ahem, joy of riding all of the way home with a wet dog on my lap. I had just about forgotten about the distinctive smell of a wet dog, but it all came back in a flash!
One of my biggest challenges lately has been getting in the regular exercise I need, and I have fallen into the dangerous trap of thinking (and sometimes saying) that I'm too busy to exercise. Guess what? For the next 11 days, I have a dog that will need to be walked a couple of times a day, and she really doesn't care if I'm busy or not! And guess what else? I'll make the time to walk her, because it's in my best interest (and the interest of my carpeting) to make sure she gets a good walk in.
It's funny how we suddenly find times for things when they become a higher priority for us. We can make (and find) a million excuses to do or not do something, until a switch is thrown and that something becomes a priority for us. It's frustrating for me to acknowledge this, because in my head I KNOW I need to exercise, but I put it off and put it off, until a 15 lb. ball of fur reprioritizes my schedule.
So I am committing to getting some exercise today, and once Coco goes back to her home, to continue to make time to do it.
Is there something that you need to reprioritize today? I hope one thing that's already high on your priority list is a commitment to an on-plan day, right? :-)
To help them out, we have the granddog :-) while they're gone. We picked up the dog in the pouring rain, which meant I had the, ahem, joy of riding all of the way home with a wet dog on my lap. I had just about forgotten about the distinctive smell of a wet dog, but it all came back in a flash!
One of my biggest challenges lately has been getting in the regular exercise I need, and I have fallen into the dangerous trap of thinking (and sometimes saying) that I'm too busy to exercise. Guess what? For the next 11 days, I have a dog that will need to be walked a couple of times a day, and she really doesn't care if I'm busy or not! And guess what else? I'll make the time to walk her, because it's in my best interest (and the interest of my carpeting) to make sure she gets a good walk in.
It's funny how we suddenly find times for things when they become a higher priority for us. We can make (and find) a million excuses to do or not do something, until a switch is thrown and that something becomes a priority for us. It's frustrating for me to acknowledge this, because in my head I KNOW I need to exercise, but I put it off and put it off, until a 15 lb. ball of fur reprioritizes my schedule.
So I am committing to getting some exercise today, and once Coco goes back to her home, to continue to make time to do it.
Is there something that you need to reprioritize today? I hope one thing that's already high on your priority list is a commitment to an on-plan day, right? :-)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Making Dreams Reality
This is an important day for our family, as our younger daughter graduates from college with her BSN this afternoon. She went back to college almost three years ago to pursue her second bachelor's degree (first one was in psychology, plus she completed all of the course work for a master's in social work), so today is the culmination of a long academic journey. She likes to joke that after all the schooling she's had, she finally has a marketable degree :-). Melissa will be 29 this summer, has been married almost 9 years and has two children (ages 6 and 4). Her husband is completing his MBA, so their lives have been crazy for the last couple of years.
I am so incredibly proud of her, and proud of my son-in-law, because they had a dream and have worked hard to see that dream fulfilled. There were times when it was very stressful, and times when she wasn't having a lot of fun, but she held on to her dream and kept putting one foot in front of the other, and today she graduates and is ready to begin her new career in nursing.
That reminds me a lot of our own weight loss journey (you just knew that eventually I'd tie this back to our weight loss, didn't you? lol).
We started this journey because we had our own big dream - a dream of getting to our goal weight. The big dream of getting to our goal weight has lots of other, smaller dreams, wrapped inside - a dream of getting off medications, of wearing a small size, or maybe a dream of doing something we haven't been able to do in a long time, like ride a horse.
Sometimes the journey towards that dream is a difficult one, and sometimes it's not a lot of fun. I know that I didn't wake up every morning of my journey joyful that I got to do 5&1 another day, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other because I had a big dream and I kept focused on that.
And that's how you're going to reach your own goal, one on-plan day at a time. Keep your eyes on your dream - don't let go of it! Unlike some dreams that may or may not happen, I can promise you that if you stick to the program, you WILL reach your goal and see many of those long-held dreams become reality. Go for it!
I am so incredibly proud of her, and proud of my son-in-law, because they had a dream and have worked hard to see that dream fulfilled. There were times when it was very stressful, and times when she wasn't having a lot of fun, but she held on to her dream and kept putting one foot in front of the other, and today she graduates and is ready to begin her new career in nursing.
That reminds me a lot of our own weight loss journey (you just knew that eventually I'd tie this back to our weight loss, didn't you? lol).
We started this journey because we had our own big dream - a dream of getting to our goal weight. The big dream of getting to our goal weight has lots of other, smaller dreams, wrapped inside - a dream of getting off medications, of wearing a small size, or maybe a dream of doing something we haven't been able to do in a long time, like ride a horse.
Sometimes the journey towards that dream is a difficult one, and sometimes it's not a lot of fun. I know that I didn't wake up every morning of my journey joyful that I got to do 5&1 another day, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other because I had a big dream and I kept focused on that.
And that's how you're going to reach your own goal, one on-plan day at a time. Keep your eyes on your dream - don't let go of it! Unlike some dreams that may or may not happen, I can promise you that if you stick to the program, you WILL reach your goal and see many of those long-held dreams become reality. Go for it!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Getting What You Want, and So Much More
Yesterday morning I talked about the importance of identifying what we really want and why we want it. I hope you're all making time to do that, because it really will help you as you continue on your journey towards your weight loss goal and beyond.
What's really wonderful is that as you move towards what you really want, so many other things happen, too, as we take our lives back one day at a time.
Yesterday morning I received an e-mail from a friend of mine who has lost 100 pounds (and counting) on Take Shape for Life/Medifast. She's not at her goal yet, but she's making steady progress. Her e-mail included a photo of her on a horse - something she hasn't been able to do for a very long time. Her big "why" didn't include horseback riding, but here she is, 100 pounds lighter and able to do something that she loves to do once again. It brought tears to my eyes as I looked at that picture, and the look of joy on her face was amazing.
Last night I listened to my 6-year old granddaughter play in her very first piano recital (she played "Jesus Loves Me" in a duet with her mom, who is also her piano teacher). Tears filled my eyes as I listened to my daughter and granddaughter playing together, and I was thankful that I could be there. I then thought about all of the other "firsts" that my granddaughter will experience, God willing, and realized that by losing 126 pounds, I will most likely be there to share those firsts with her. By losing the weight and reversing my diabetes, I have greatly increased the likelihood that I'm going to live longer, and healthier.
When I started this program, one of my goals was to be able to dance at my grandchildren's weddings. That is still a long time off (they are 6, 4, and 2-yr. old twins), so I have to keep making healthy choices and choosing to pursue optimal health. That means that I will have to continue to do some things that don't come naturally to me, like exercise, and that means that I will have to continue to make healthy choices, whether I feel like it or not. And guess what? I don't always feel like making healthy choices!.
Like you, I have to recommit every day to making those healthy choices, whether I feel like it or not, because there are things that are more important to me than eating sludge or vegetating on the sofa. Praise God, I have gotten my life back, and then some, but it requires commitment every day to not let it all slip away through mindless eating and careless habits.
Today, as you commit to staying on plan, you are moving one day closer to the goals you've set for yourself. But don't be surprise if you find other wonderful things happening for you along the way!
What's really wonderful is that as you move towards what you really want, so many other things happen, too, as we take our lives back one day at a time.
Yesterday morning I received an e-mail from a friend of mine who has lost 100 pounds (and counting) on Take Shape for Life/Medifast. She's not at her goal yet, but she's making steady progress. Her e-mail included a photo of her on a horse - something she hasn't been able to do for a very long time. Her big "why" didn't include horseback riding, but here she is, 100 pounds lighter and able to do something that she loves to do once again. It brought tears to my eyes as I looked at that picture, and the look of joy on her face was amazing.
Last night I listened to my 6-year old granddaughter play in her very first piano recital (she played "Jesus Loves Me" in a duet with her mom, who is also her piano teacher). Tears filled my eyes as I listened to my daughter and granddaughter playing together, and I was thankful that I could be there. I then thought about all of the other "firsts" that my granddaughter will experience, God willing, and realized that by losing 126 pounds, I will most likely be there to share those firsts with her. By losing the weight and reversing my diabetes, I have greatly increased the likelihood that I'm going to live longer, and healthier.
When I started this program, one of my goals was to be able to dance at my grandchildren's weddings. That is still a long time off (they are 6, 4, and 2-yr. old twins), so I have to keep making healthy choices and choosing to pursue optimal health. That means that I will have to continue to do some things that don't come naturally to me, like exercise, and that means that I will have to continue to make healthy choices, whether I feel like it or not. And guess what? I don't always feel like making healthy choices!.
Like you, I have to recommit every day to making those healthy choices, whether I feel like it or not, because there are things that are more important to me than eating sludge or vegetating on the sofa. Praise God, I have gotten my life back, and then some, but it requires commitment every day to not let it all slip away through mindless eating and careless habits.
Today, as you commit to staying on plan, you are moving one day closer to the goals you've set for yourself. But don't be surprise if you find other wonderful things happening for you along the way!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
What Do You REALLY Want, and Why Do You Want It?
Good morning!
I have a question for you this morning: What do you really want? Let me rephrase it: What do YOU really want? Or, what do you REALLY want?
How you answer this question as it relates to your weight loss and your health, will be a determining factor in whether or not you ultimately reach your weight loss goal (and beyond).
Losing weight is hard work, and if you have a lot of weight to lose (like I did), getting to your goal is going to require months and months of focus and commitment. It's hard to stay focused and committed unless you have a clear vision of what it is you want.
I asked, "what do YOU really want?" because it will come down to you. This isn't about what your husband, your parents, your family or your friends want for you, because if you're doing this for anyone other than yourself, it's hard to stay focused over time. Do YOU want to lose weight? Do YOU want to get healthy? If a deep "yes" resonates in your soul, then you're on your way!
Then I asked "what do you REALLY want?" That's an important question because we want a lot of things, and sometimes we want "sludge." So we need to know what it is that we REALLY want. We also need to know WHY we want it.
If what you REALLY want is to lose weight and get healthy, you need to think about WHY you want this. I'd encourage you to spend some time really defining your WHY, and dream big! If your WHY is big enough, then you'll do what it takes to make it happen.
Some of the people I work with have a big "why," and they amaze and inspire me as they figure out what they need to do to lose the weight. One friend was getting ready to leave for a weekend camping trip, was literally on her way out the door, when the UPS truck pulled up with her first order. She grabbed the free week of food she received, got in their truck, and stayed on plan throughout a weekend of camping. A week later, she's down 8 pounds and excited. What's her why? She and her husband are avid tandem bikers and she wants to lose weight so that they can bike faster and longer.
So WHAT do YOU REALLY want, and WHY do you want it? Once you know that, you're ready to have an amazing, on-plan day!
I have a question for you this morning: What do you really want? Let me rephrase it: What do YOU really want? Or, what do you REALLY want?
How you answer this question as it relates to your weight loss and your health, will be a determining factor in whether or not you ultimately reach your weight loss goal (and beyond).
Losing weight is hard work, and if you have a lot of weight to lose (like I did), getting to your goal is going to require months and months of focus and commitment. It's hard to stay focused and committed unless you have a clear vision of what it is you want.
I asked, "what do YOU really want?" because it will come down to you. This isn't about what your husband, your parents, your family or your friends want for you, because if you're doing this for anyone other than yourself, it's hard to stay focused over time. Do YOU want to lose weight? Do YOU want to get healthy? If a deep "yes" resonates in your soul, then you're on your way!
Then I asked "what do you REALLY want?" That's an important question because we want a lot of things, and sometimes we want "sludge." So we need to know what it is that we REALLY want. We also need to know WHY we want it.
If what you REALLY want is to lose weight and get healthy, you need to think about WHY you want this. I'd encourage you to spend some time really defining your WHY, and dream big! If your WHY is big enough, then you'll do what it takes to make it happen.
Some of the people I work with have a big "why," and they amaze and inspire me as they figure out what they need to do to lose the weight. One friend was getting ready to leave for a weekend camping trip, was literally on her way out the door, when the UPS truck pulled up with her first order. She grabbed the free week of food she received, got in their truck, and stayed on plan throughout a weekend of camping. A week later, she's down 8 pounds and excited. What's her why? She and her husband are avid tandem bikers and she wants to lose weight so that they can bike faster and longer.
So WHAT do YOU REALLY want, and WHY do you want it? Once you know that, you're ready to have an amazing, on-plan day!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Self-Control
Good morning everyone! I hope you're ready for a great, on-plan Wednesday!
As I've shared before, I've been involved with a Beth Moore Bible study since last September, studying the fruit of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control). Yesterday was our last study on the very favorite topic of everyone - self-control :-). The lessons on love, joy and peace, etc. were all great and I learned a lot, but there wasn't a lot that necessarily "stepped on my own toes." Our study of self-control was, no surprise, challenging, but also very insightful. Beth talked about self-control in every area of our life, including what goes in and comes out of our mouth.
In writing about controlling what goes into our mouth, Beth noted that "the temporary comfort of food cannot begin to match the inevitable long-range guilt and self-defeat." Wow, did I ever identify with that statement! As I read that, I reflected back on years and years of trying to deal with a myriad of emotions by eating and remembered again how it back-fired every single time. It was a vicious, and never-ending cycle of defeat.
One of the things I learned on Take for Shape Life/Medifast was how to bring under control what went into my mouth. I learned the importance of eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. This is important because this keeps our blood sugar stable so we don't experience the drops that leave us famished and reaching for the nearest food, and it keeps out metabolism burning at a higher rate because we're constantly fueling the furnace. Eating frequent, small meals is something that I still do every single day.
Eating small, frequent meals in and of itself wouldn't necessarily have broken the cycle of emotional eating, however. Emotional hunger is an entirely different thing, and it can be ravenous long after we've met our physical hunger needs. When I made the decision that I was going to stay on plan, no matter what, I soon realized that food could no longer be a source of comfort for me. If I was stressed, eating a Medifast oatmeal wasn't going to eliminate the stress! I realized pretty quickly that I would have to deal with the "stuff" in some other way besides "stuffing" myself.
When I was tempted to slip into emotional eating, I did a couple of things. First, I prayed, because I understood that I didn't have the strength to do this on my own; I looked to my Heavenly Father and asked for help, and He was faithful in answering that prayer. I then found something else to do. Sometimes it was to go for a walk or get some exercise, but often I would log online and connect with some of you. I'd read the blogs, I'd check out the discussion boards, and I spent time reading success stories and looking at the success photos.
What I didn't realize at the time is that, as I chose to do other things, God was teaching me how to gain control in this area of my life. Beth Moore says that "self-control stops." That's a pretty simple statement, but I think Beth does a great job of summing it up. Self-control stops.
I tell people all the time that when I ordered my first 4-week package, I was hoping that maybe I'd be able to lose a little bit of weight. I had no idea that God had so much else in mind, including a lot of emotional and spiritual growth. And He taught me what it means to gain control over what goes in my mouth.
Who's planning to have an on-plan day?
As I've shared before, I've been involved with a Beth Moore Bible study since last September, studying the fruit of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control). Yesterday was our last study on the very favorite topic of everyone - self-control :-). The lessons on love, joy and peace, etc. were all great and I learned a lot, but there wasn't a lot that necessarily "stepped on my own toes." Our study of self-control was, no surprise, challenging, but also very insightful. Beth talked about self-control in every area of our life, including what goes in and comes out of our mouth.
In writing about controlling what goes into our mouth, Beth noted that "the temporary comfort of food cannot begin to match the inevitable long-range guilt and self-defeat." Wow, did I ever identify with that statement! As I read that, I reflected back on years and years of trying to deal with a myriad of emotions by eating and remembered again how it back-fired every single time. It was a vicious, and never-ending cycle of defeat.
One of the things I learned on Take for Shape Life/Medifast was how to bring under control what went into my mouth. I learned the importance of eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. This is important because this keeps our blood sugar stable so we don't experience the drops that leave us famished and reaching for the nearest food, and it keeps out metabolism burning at a higher rate because we're constantly fueling the furnace. Eating frequent, small meals is something that I still do every single day.
Eating small, frequent meals in and of itself wouldn't necessarily have broken the cycle of emotional eating, however. Emotional hunger is an entirely different thing, and it can be ravenous long after we've met our physical hunger needs. When I made the decision that I was going to stay on plan, no matter what, I soon realized that food could no longer be a source of comfort for me. If I was stressed, eating a Medifast oatmeal wasn't going to eliminate the stress! I realized pretty quickly that I would have to deal with the "stuff" in some other way besides "stuffing" myself.
When I was tempted to slip into emotional eating, I did a couple of things. First, I prayed, because I understood that I didn't have the strength to do this on my own; I looked to my Heavenly Father and asked for help, and He was faithful in answering that prayer. I then found something else to do. Sometimes it was to go for a walk or get some exercise, but often I would log online and connect with some of you. I'd read the blogs, I'd check out the discussion boards, and I spent time reading success stories and looking at the success photos.
What I didn't realize at the time is that, as I chose to do other things, God was teaching me how to gain control in this area of my life. Beth Moore says that "self-control stops." That's a pretty simple statement, but I think Beth does a great job of summing it up. Self-control stops.
I tell people all the time that when I ordered my first 4-week package, I was hoping that maybe I'd be able to lose a little bit of weight. I had no idea that God had so much else in mind, including a lot of emotional and spiritual growth. And He taught me what it means to gain control over what goes in my mouth.
Who's planning to have an on-plan day?
Monday, April 20, 2009
So Much for Conventional Wisdom
Happy Monday morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week! Our weekend was really busy, but wonderful, and we're flying home today. After our flight lands in Detroit, we'll have a 2-1/2 hr. drive home, so it's going to be a long day of traveling.
I want to share with you one funny thing that happened this weekend - funny, but it pointed out how very much we are bucking the national trend.
When we got to our Take Shape for Life conference and checked in, we were given a T-shirt in the size of our choice - at least that was the intent. The problem was that the company who provided our T-shirts provided T-shirts in the usual assortment of sizes. For them, the usual assortment of sizes meant not too many in size small, and sizes running through 2XXL. Since this was a conference of Take Shape for Life health coaches, guess what? We ran out of size smalls pretty quickly and we didn't have any takers for the largest sizes (although we were told they made great sleep shirts).
How sad that a company would just assume that any event they provided T-shirts for would mean lots of shirts in large, XL, and even 2XXL! That said a lot to me about the state things in this country, and it emphasized in a very unexpected way just how different Take Shape for Life/Medifast is. On this program, people not only lose weight, but they KEEP it off! You've gotta love it :-)
This program is bucking the national trend and produces results that fly in the face of conventional wisdom. I lost 120 pounds in under 11 months, even though conventional wisdom says that post-menopausal women can't lose weight. I am in smaller sizes now than I was even in my 20's (when I was at a healthy weight), even though conventional wisdom tells women my age that they will never be the size they were in their 20's. Conventional wisdom says that once you have a health condition and are put on medication, you will always be on medication and will probably need an increasing amount of medication to manage your condition as time goes by, but physicians are lowering dosages and taking people OFF of medication once they get on this program.
And conventional wisdom says that most of the individuals attending any given event will need large, extra-large, or even extra EXTRA large T-shirts; once again this program proved conventional wisdom wrong :-)
If you have any pre-conceived concepts about this program that are getting between you and your goal, get rid of them, because this program defies conventional wisdom. You don't even have to believe that the program works, you just have to do it!
Blessings!
Cheryl
I want to share with you one funny thing that happened this weekend - funny, but it pointed out how very much we are bucking the national trend.
When we got to our Take Shape for Life conference and checked in, we were given a T-shirt in the size of our choice - at least that was the intent. The problem was that the company who provided our T-shirts provided T-shirts in the usual assortment of sizes. For them, the usual assortment of sizes meant not too many in size small, and sizes running through 2XXL. Since this was a conference of Take Shape for Life health coaches, guess what? We ran out of size smalls pretty quickly and we didn't have any takers for the largest sizes (although we were told they made great sleep shirts).
How sad that a company would just assume that any event they provided T-shirts for would mean lots of shirts in large, XL, and even 2XXL! That said a lot to me about the state things in this country, and it emphasized in a very unexpected way just how different Take Shape for Life/Medifast is. On this program, people not only lose weight, but they KEEP it off! You've gotta love it :-)
This program is bucking the national trend and produces results that fly in the face of conventional wisdom. I lost 120 pounds in under 11 months, even though conventional wisdom says that post-menopausal women can't lose weight. I am in smaller sizes now than I was even in my 20's (when I was at a healthy weight), even though conventional wisdom tells women my age that they will never be the size they were in their 20's. Conventional wisdom says that once you have a health condition and are put on medication, you will always be on medication and will probably need an increasing amount of medication to manage your condition as time goes by, but physicians are lowering dosages and taking people OFF of medication once they get on this program.
And conventional wisdom says that most of the individuals attending any given event will need large, extra-large, or even extra EXTRA large T-shirts; once again this program proved conventional wisdom wrong :-)
If you have any pre-conceived concepts about this program that are getting between you and your goal, get rid of them, because this program defies conventional wisdom. You don't even have to believe that the program works, you just have to do it!
Blessings!
Cheryl
Sunday, April 19, 2009
A Question for You
I have a question for you on this Sunday morning. Are you on a diet to lose weight, or are you on a program to get you healthy and keep you healthy for the rest of your life?
It may sound like a redundant question, but it's an important one, and your answer may, in part, determine whether or not you're successful on this program.
Most of us have been on one diet or another for years - perhaps as long as a couple of decades, or even longer. None of them worked for very long, if they worked at all, because if they had worked, you wouldn't be on Take Shape for Life/Medifast now. There are a lot of different reasons why diets don't work (and they don't), but I want to focus on one important reason this morning.
Diets bring with them a "diet mentality" - a mentality filled with deprivation and denial, and the final goal of a diet, and the measure of success, is reaching your goal. All fine and good, if you get there. But then what? Diets are designed to help someone lose weight, but they are completely inadequate for helping people figure out how to maintain their weight loss. That's why over 85% of people who lose weight gain it all back, and often more, within two years.
Take Shape for Life/Medifast is NOT a diet. This is a program designed to help people get to a healthy weight and teaches them how to stay there for the rest of their lives by developing what Dr. Andersen calls the habits of health. Embracing the habits of health means we move from a diet mentality focused on deprivation and denial to a focus on getting healthy and staying healthy. We learn to shift our focus to all that we are gaining instead of looking at what we're giving up.
A diet mentality says "it's a holiday, my birthday, the weekend, I'm tired, I'm upset, I'm celebrating, I'm busy . . . so it's OK if I cheat because I'll get back on my diet on Monday, or after the stress is over, or after vacation, or ??" A diet mentality views cheating as "rewarding" ourselves, views the very foods that got us unhealthy in the first place as "treats" that we "deserve." And after one too many "rewards" and one too many "weekends or holidays", we realize that it's been weeks since we've been on plan and our head is completely out of the game. How do I know this? Because I just described how I approached every other weight loss plan I ever went on, the plans that brought me to 260 pounds (yes, I "dieted" my way there!).
Take Shape for Life/Medifast is designed to get us to a healthy weight and then teach us how to stay there for the rest of our lives. When we view the goal as an ongoing pursuit of optimal health, when we view reaching our weight loss goal as the beginning of a healthy new life instead of the end of a diet, we begin to view things a bit differently. Those off-plan foods aren't "treats" anymore - they are obstacles that will get in the way of what we really want - a long and healthy life, with the energy we need to do the things we want to do.
So I'm asking you this morning - are you on a diet or are you on a journey towards a healthy body and a longer, more vibrant life? Once you answer this question, and once you identify what it is that you really want, you'll know how to answer the next question: who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Blessings!
Cheryl
It may sound like a redundant question, but it's an important one, and your answer may, in part, determine whether or not you're successful on this program.
Most of us have been on one diet or another for years - perhaps as long as a couple of decades, or even longer. None of them worked for very long, if they worked at all, because if they had worked, you wouldn't be on Take Shape for Life/Medifast now. There are a lot of different reasons why diets don't work (and they don't), but I want to focus on one important reason this morning.
Diets bring with them a "diet mentality" - a mentality filled with deprivation and denial, and the final goal of a diet, and the measure of success, is reaching your goal. All fine and good, if you get there. But then what? Diets are designed to help someone lose weight, but they are completely inadequate for helping people figure out how to maintain their weight loss. That's why over 85% of people who lose weight gain it all back, and often more, within two years.
Take Shape for Life/Medifast is NOT a diet. This is a program designed to help people get to a healthy weight and teaches them how to stay there for the rest of their lives by developing what Dr. Andersen calls the habits of health. Embracing the habits of health means we move from a diet mentality focused on deprivation and denial to a focus on getting healthy and staying healthy. We learn to shift our focus to all that we are gaining instead of looking at what we're giving up.
A diet mentality says "it's a holiday, my birthday, the weekend, I'm tired, I'm upset, I'm celebrating, I'm busy . . . so it's OK if I cheat because I'll get back on my diet on Monday, or after the stress is over, or after vacation, or ??" A diet mentality views cheating as "rewarding" ourselves, views the very foods that got us unhealthy in the first place as "treats" that we "deserve." And after one too many "rewards" and one too many "weekends or holidays", we realize that it's been weeks since we've been on plan and our head is completely out of the game. How do I know this? Because I just described how I approached every other weight loss plan I ever went on, the plans that brought me to 260 pounds (yes, I "dieted" my way there!).
Take Shape for Life/Medifast is designed to get us to a healthy weight and then teach us how to stay there for the rest of our lives. When we view the goal as an ongoing pursuit of optimal health, when we view reaching our weight loss goal as the beginning of a healthy new life instead of the end of a diet, we begin to view things a bit differently. Those off-plan foods aren't "treats" anymore - they are obstacles that will get in the way of what we really want - a long and healthy life, with the energy we need to do the things we want to do.
So I'm asking you this morning - are you on a diet or are you on a journey towards a healthy body and a longer, more vibrant life? Once you answer this question, and once you identify what it is that you really want, you'll know how to answer the next question: who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Blessings!
Cheryl
Friday, April 17, 2009
Speaking of NSVs . . .
Yesterday morning I talked a little about looking for and celebrating the NSVs (Non-Scale Victories) that come your way. I have to share with you a NSV that I just enjoyed yesterday - in fact, I'm still enjoying it!
Shortly before we left for Detroit yesterday, I went out to our mailbox to see if we had anything before we left town. Our neighbor was outside, working on some underground sprinkling issues by our condo. His wife came out and we chatted for a moment, then she went back inside. He then told me that last spring, when he first saw me, he didn't know who I was (I'd lost much of my weight over the winter, a time of year when we only see our neighbors in their cars, backing in or out of their garages). When he first saw me late last spring, he went inside and asked his wife if my husband and I had broken up, because he thought DH had taken up with a younger, thin woman :-).
I love it! My husband had a pretty big grin on his face when I told him, too.
It's amazing when I run into people I haven't seen in a long time, because they often don't know who I am. Since I've been at my goal for almost a year, I've pretty much settled in to the "new me," forgetting that not everyone I know has seen me since I lost weight. When people realize it's me, sometimes there is genuine concern that spreads across their face as they are first worried that I must have gotten really sick. After I reassure them that I'm healthy and that I meant to lose weight, I can see the relief in their eyes. It's still fun, and I love having the opportunity to share my story again.
So that's it for this morning! Nothing very motivational today, but I wanted to share my fun story with you. Life on this side of goal is good, and although there were many things I didn't eat while I was on my weight loss journey, I have no regrets! The short-term sacrifices were, and continue to be, worth it.
You'll get there more quickly than you can even imagine, one on-plan day at a time.
Blessings!
Cheryl
Shortly before we left for Detroit yesterday, I went out to our mailbox to see if we had anything before we left town. Our neighbor was outside, working on some underground sprinkling issues by our condo. His wife came out and we chatted for a moment, then she went back inside. He then told me that last spring, when he first saw me, he didn't know who I was (I'd lost much of my weight over the winter, a time of year when we only see our neighbors in their cars, backing in or out of their garages). When he first saw me late last spring, he went inside and asked his wife if my husband and I had broken up, because he thought DH had taken up with a younger, thin woman :-).
I love it! My husband had a pretty big grin on his face when I told him, too.
It's amazing when I run into people I haven't seen in a long time, because they often don't know who I am. Since I've been at my goal for almost a year, I've pretty much settled in to the "new me," forgetting that not everyone I know has seen me since I lost weight. When people realize it's me, sometimes there is genuine concern that spreads across their face as they are first worried that I must have gotten really sick. After I reassure them that I'm healthy and that I meant to lose weight, I can see the relief in their eyes. It's still fun, and I love having the opportunity to share my story again.
So that's it for this morning! Nothing very motivational today, but I wanted to share my fun story with you. Life on this side of goal is good, and although there were many things I didn't eat while I was on my weight loss journey, I have no regrets! The short-term sacrifices were, and continue to be, worth it.
You'll get there more quickly than you can even imagine, one on-plan day at a time.
Blessings!
Cheryl
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Celebrate Those NSVs!
One of the things my weight loss on-line community taught me was to celebrate all of the NSVs (Non Scale Victories) while I was on the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan. Those NSVs were important to recognize and celebrate when the scale was moving, and they were critical when the scale would hit a stall.
So often we put all of the weight (pun intended!) on the scale and allow that miserable thing to be the sole determinator of whether or not we're making progress. When the scale's downward movement comes to a screeching halt, or when it even has the audacity to show a gain (yikes!), it's really easy to get discouraged. Even though I stayed on plan and never cheated, the scale would have times of registering no weight loss, and I also saw a "gain" a few times, too. It was frustrating, and even maddening, because I knew there was no way I could possibly gain weight on a plan that had me under 1,000 calories a day. Had I relied on the scale alone to mark my progress, there are times it would have been easy to have decided to forget it, times I would have decided that this plan just wasn't working for me.
But, of course, I didn't dump the plan :-). I learned to watch for and celebrate other things that also told me I was losing weight, other things that reinforced the reality that the plan WAS working.
I measured myself every month and recorded my measurements. [Note: if you aren't in the habit of measuring yourself on a monthly basis, I really encourage you to start today!] In addition to losing 126 pounds on this program, I also lost 16.5 inches from my hips, 13 inches from my waist, and 11.25 inches from each thigh. Those numbers are a real measurement of the progress I made - just as much a measurement as the scale.
I took regular pictures of myself and watched the change in my face and my body. Sometimes I didn't see the change when I looked in the mirror, but I would see it when I looked at the photos.
Since I was diabetic when I started the program, another great NSV for me was (and still is) checking my blood glucose in the morning (I still do this periodically) and seeing the number in a normal range. This is a huge NSV for me, as is not having to take medication for high cholesterol or gastric reflux anymore.
I also looked for and celebrated other things: buying smaller clothes (this is a GREAT NSV!!), walking without my thighs touching, being able to take a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing and, one of my favorite NSVs, being able to easily fasten my seatbelt on an airplane.
My husband and I are flying to Orlando tomorrow morning and I can promise you that I will get a little thrill when I fasten my seatbelt. The last time I flew before starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I could barely get the seatbelt fastened and thought I'd have to ask for an extended. I struggled and managed to get it fastened, and while it was tight, I was so relieved that it finally clicked that I dealt with the discomfort rather than deal with the humiliation of asking for an extender. The next time I flew after that was when I went on the Medifast cruise a year ago. I was within 6 pounds of my goal and, remembering the struggle of a year earlier, I almost cried when I fastened my seatbelt and had several inches of extra belt. Talk about a wonderful NSV! I had my daughter take a picture of the extra belt :-).
Today may be a day where the scale is moving quickly for you and you're excited and motivated, if so, congratulations and enjoy - you deserve it! However, if you are in a stalemate with your scale, I would encourage you today to make a list of all of the NSVs you've enjoyed so far and celebrate each and every one of them. Make a list of the NSVs you're looking forward to and envision yourself celebrating them in a few weeks or months.
The scale will eventually catch up - it has to, but don't let it discourage you from staying on plan today.
Blessings!
Cheryl
So often we put all of the weight (pun intended!) on the scale and allow that miserable thing to be the sole determinator of whether or not we're making progress. When the scale's downward movement comes to a screeching halt, or when it even has the audacity to show a gain (yikes!), it's really easy to get discouraged. Even though I stayed on plan and never cheated, the scale would have times of registering no weight loss, and I also saw a "gain" a few times, too. It was frustrating, and even maddening, because I knew there was no way I could possibly gain weight on a plan that had me under 1,000 calories a day. Had I relied on the scale alone to mark my progress, there are times it would have been easy to have decided to forget it, times I would have decided that this plan just wasn't working for me.
But, of course, I didn't dump the plan :-). I learned to watch for and celebrate other things that also told me I was losing weight, other things that reinforced the reality that the plan WAS working.
I measured myself every month and recorded my measurements. [Note: if you aren't in the habit of measuring yourself on a monthly basis, I really encourage you to start today!] In addition to losing 126 pounds on this program, I also lost 16.5 inches from my hips, 13 inches from my waist, and 11.25 inches from each thigh. Those numbers are a real measurement of the progress I made - just as much a measurement as the scale.
I took regular pictures of myself and watched the change in my face and my body. Sometimes I didn't see the change when I looked in the mirror, but I would see it when I looked at the photos.
Since I was diabetic when I started the program, another great NSV for me was (and still is) checking my blood glucose in the morning (I still do this periodically) and seeing the number in a normal range. This is a huge NSV for me, as is not having to take medication for high cholesterol or gastric reflux anymore.
I also looked for and celebrated other things: buying smaller clothes (this is a GREAT NSV!!), walking without my thighs touching, being able to take a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing and, one of my favorite NSVs, being able to easily fasten my seatbelt on an airplane.
My husband and I are flying to Orlando tomorrow morning and I can promise you that I will get a little thrill when I fasten my seatbelt. The last time I flew before starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I could barely get the seatbelt fastened and thought I'd have to ask for an extended. I struggled and managed to get it fastened, and while it was tight, I was so relieved that it finally clicked that I dealt with the discomfort rather than deal with the humiliation of asking for an extender. The next time I flew after that was when I went on the Medifast cruise a year ago. I was within 6 pounds of my goal and, remembering the struggle of a year earlier, I almost cried when I fastened my seatbelt and had several inches of extra belt. Talk about a wonderful NSV! I had my daughter take a picture of the extra belt :-).
Today may be a day where the scale is moving quickly for you and you're excited and motivated, if so, congratulations and enjoy - you deserve it! However, if you are in a stalemate with your scale, I would encourage you today to make a list of all of the NSVs you've enjoyed so far and celebrate each and every one of them. Make a list of the NSVs you're looking forward to and envision yourself celebrating them in a few weeks or months.
The scale will eventually catch up - it has to, but don't let it discourage you from staying on plan today.
Blessings!
Cheryl
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Paying Up
Good morning, everyone!
It's everyone's favorite day of the year - April 15 - tax day ;-). Since we owe money this year, guess when we're paying our taxes? Yep - the checks will be postmarked today :-) When we've been entitled to a refund, we've filed our taxes as soon as we could, but when we owe, well, that's a different story! We started paying quarterly estimated taxes this year, so the balance of what we owe isn't too bad. I'm thankful that we paid throughout the year so that the pay up today it isn't quite as painful as it could have been.
When it comes to our health, a day of reckoning generally comes, too, because our bodies, like Uncle Sam, have a way of keeping track of what's coming in and what's going out. When I was diagnosed with diabetes in September of 2005, I realized that my years of morbid obesity, bad habits, and a genetic predisposition had finally caught up with me. I had been "investing" in this for years, and the bill finally came due.
Sometime we think we can avoid the long-term ramifications of bad habits, but most of the time they eventually catch up with us. To be sure, there are always the exceptions - people who live healthy and die prematurely of a heart attack, someone who smokes 2 packs a day and lives to be 100 - but those are exceptions, not the rule.
The wonderful news is that our bodies were created with a wonderful ability to heal, and it's amazing to see how fast concerning health conditions can begin to reverse themselves when we begin to take care of ourselves. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol - conditions often resulting from being overweight - can and are being reversed as people get on this program and begin to lose weight. It's exciting!
Don't let anything get in the way of getting healthy, because you're worth it!
It's everyone's favorite day of the year - April 15 - tax day ;-). Since we owe money this year, guess when we're paying our taxes? Yep - the checks will be postmarked today :-) When we've been entitled to a refund, we've filed our taxes as soon as we could, but when we owe, well, that's a different story! We started paying quarterly estimated taxes this year, so the balance of what we owe isn't too bad. I'm thankful that we paid throughout the year so that the pay up today it isn't quite as painful as it could have been.
When it comes to our health, a day of reckoning generally comes, too, because our bodies, like Uncle Sam, have a way of keeping track of what's coming in and what's going out. When I was diagnosed with diabetes in September of 2005, I realized that my years of morbid obesity, bad habits, and a genetic predisposition had finally caught up with me. I had been "investing" in this for years, and the bill finally came due.
Sometime we think we can avoid the long-term ramifications of bad habits, but most of the time they eventually catch up with us. To be sure, there are always the exceptions - people who live healthy and die prematurely of a heart attack, someone who smokes 2 packs a day and lives to be 100 - but those are exceptions, not the rule.
The wonderful news is that our bodies were created with a wonderful ability to heal, and it's amazing to see how fast concerning health conditions can begin to reverse themselves when we begin to take care of ourselves. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol - conditions often resulting from being overweight - can and are being reversed as people get on this program and begin to lose weight. It's exciting!
Don't let anything get in the way of getting healthy, because you're worth it!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A Solid Investment
A story on the front page of my local newspaper yesterday morning caught my attention. The article discussed the average monthly cost of treating a diabetic, and concern was expressed at the number of diabetics who are cutting down on their medication, including insulin, to try and save money. Can you guess what the average cost is? According to the article, the typical monthly bill to treat diabetes runs $350 to $900 for those without insurance, a price tag that’s risen as newer, more expensive medicines have hit the market. Emergency care and a short hospitalization can easily top $10,000, and long- term complications can cost far more.
I just shook my head as I read this article, because for less than $300 a month, a diabetic on Take Shape for Life/Medifast could very likely reduce or possibly even get off their medication. For less than $300 a month, someone could turn around pre-diabetes and never even become a diabetic.
Once again, Take Shape for Life/Medifast seems like a great investment to me :-). For a few short months and around $300 a month, we can get to our goal weight AND get healthy. Can anyone put a price tag on what good health is worth to them? We have a program with a proven track record, supported with ongoing research from Johns Hopkins. There is absolutely no question that this program works . . . as long as we work the program :-)
So who's committed to investing today in a healthier tomorrow? The long-term benefits of your commitment today are incalculable - and you're worth it!
I just shook my head as I read this article, because for less than $300 a month, a diabetic on Take Shape for Life/Medifast could very likely reduce or possibly even get off their medication. For less than $300 a month, someone could turn around pre-diabetes and never even become a diabetic.
Once again, Take Shape for Life/Medifast seems like a great investment to me :-). For a few short months and around $300 a month, we can get to our goal weight AND get healthy. Can anyone put a price tag on what good health is worth to them? We have a program with a proven track record, supported with ongoing research from Johns Hopkins. There is absolutely no question that this program works . . . as long as we work the program :-)
So who's committed to investing today in a healthier tomorrow? The long-term benefits of your commitment today are incalculable - and you're worth it!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Choosing Contentment
Happy Monday morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend! It was a fairly busy one for me, but it was all good. The weekend ended on a fairly chaotic note as four small grandchildren went on an Easter egg hunt that was confined to the living room and dining room of my daughter's house. There was a lot of noise and excitement, and one of the twins was content to just eat what she found, on the spot, rather than put it in her basket and look for more. We kept having to point out more things for her to find and encouraging her to keep looking. She had a lot of fun, but was definitely not into the "finding" as much as the others (especially the two oldest granddaughters).
You know, that's not such a bad thing. What I saw in Olivia was contentment with what she had and where she was in that moment. She was thoroughly enjoying the candy she had in her mouth, but we hardly gave her time to enjoy it because we were urging her to look for something else.
That is so typical of how most of us (and I mean "us"!) live our lives. We get so busy looking for that next thing, hoarding everything in our basket to enjoy later, instead of stopping and appreciating the moment we're in.
Stopping and enjoying the moment we're in is challenging when we don't particularly like the moment we're in. That is certainly true for this weight loss journey :-). I liked what it was doing for my body and my health, but it was a challenge for me to stay focused and find contentment in the moment. I was focused, and I needed to be, on my goal, but sometimes I was so focused on looking ahead that I was in danger of missing what was happening at the time.
This weight loss journey is about so much more than just losing weight and getting healthy, as important as that is. It's also about changing our hearts and minds in how we relate to food, and how we use (or misuse) food to deal with the stuff of life. If we don't change our relationship with food in a very fundamental way, this will ultimately become another diet and we'll find ourselves reverting to toxic former patterns.
Changing our we relate to food requires us to sometimes shift our focus from "tomorrow" so we can reflect and evaluate on "today." I was challenged to find contentment in the "today" of my journey, and eventually, to my amazement, I did, and it made all the difference.
So my encouragement to you today is to choose contentment in today's journey - whether you're just beginning, somewhere in the middle, or closing in on your goal. Being content with today can be a key factor in helping you stay on plan today.
Who's with me today? :-)
You know, that's not such a bad thing. What I saw in Olivia was contentment with what she had and where she was in that moment. She was thoroughly enjoying the candy she had in her mouth, but we hardly gave her time to enjoy it because we were urging her to look for something else.
That is so typical of how most of us (and I mean "us"!) live our lives. We get so busy looking for that next thing, hoarding everything in our basket to enjoy later, instead of stopping and appreciating the moment we're in.
Stopping and enjoying the moment we're in is challenging when we don't particularly like the moment we're in. That is certainly true for this weight loss journey :-). I liked what it was doing for my body and my health, but it was a challenge for me to stay focused and find contentment in the moment. I was focused, and I needed to be, on my goal, but sometimes I was so focused on looking ahead that I was in danger of missing what was happening at the time.
This weight loss journey is about so much more than just losing weight and getting healthy, as important as that is. It's also about changing our hearts and minds in how we relate to food, and how we use (or misuse) food to deal with the stuff of life. If we don't change our relationship with food in a very fundamental way, this will ultimately become another diet and we'll find ourselves reverting to toxic former patterns.
Changing our we relate to food requires us to sometimes shift our focus from "tomorrow" so we can reflect and evaluate on "today." I was challenged to find contentment in the "today" of my journey, and eventually, to my amazement, I did, and it made all the difference.
So my encouragement to you today is to choose contentment in today's journey - whether you're just beginning, somewhere in the middle, or closing in on your goal. Being content with today can be a key factor in helping you stay on plan today.
Who's with me today? :-)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
It May Be Saturday, but Sunday is Coming!
Happy Saturday! I know this will be a busy day for many of you as you prepare for Easter tomorrow. It's a busy one for me, too, although tomorrow's dinner will be at my oldest daughter's house instead of mine. She's asked me to bring a couple of different salads, so my part is very easy this year. Since I'm bringing salads, I also know that there will be some healthy "green" for me and the other members of my family who have all lost weight on Medifast :-)
On this day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I can’t help but wonder what Jesus’ disciples were feeling that Saturday morning. Their beloved leader and teacher was dead and buried, and all of their hopes and dreams died with him. They had left their fishing nets, their families – everything – to follow Him, and now He was dead. I don’t think words can even begin to describe the depths of their despair and sense of hopelessness. They didn’t know that Sunday was coming, and that with the sunrise their entire lives, and the world, would change forever. Their reality on that Saturday was one of no future, and they may have wondered if they would be the next ones nailed to a cross.
But Sunday DID come, and they heard the words they never expected: “He is not here, He is risen as He said!” What a difference 24 hours made in their lives! Jesus was alive – and is alive forevermore!
We all have Saturdays – days when it feels like there is no hope and we can’t envision a brighter tomorrow. We can find ourselves trapped in circumstances and it feels like there’s no way out and we lose hope. We may be discouraged by the economy, family situations, health issues, or even a frustratingly slow scale.
Hang in there! It may be Saturday, but Sunday IS coming!
Blessings!
Cheryl
On this day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I can’t help but wonder what Jesus’ disciples were feeling that Saturday morning. Their beloved leader and teacher was dead and buried, and all of their hopes and dreams died with him. They had left their fishing nets, their families – everything – to follow Him, and now He was dead. I don’t think words can even begin to describe the depths of their despair and sense of hopelessness. They didn’t know that Sunday was coming, and that with the sunrise their entire lives, and the world, would change forever. Their reality on that Saturday was one of no future, and they may have wondered if they would be the next ones nailed to a cross.
But Sunday DID come, and they heard the words they never expected: “He is not here, He is risen as He said!” What a difference 24 hours made in their lives! Jesus was alive – and is alive forevermore!
We all have Saturdays – days when it feels like there is no hope and we can’t envision a brighter tomorrow. We can find ourselves trapped in circumstances and it feels like there’s no way out and we lose hope. We may be discouraged by the economy, family situations, health issues, or even a frustratingly slow scale.
Hang in there! It may be Saturday, but Sunday IS coming!
Blessings!
Cheryl
Friday, April 10, 2009
Stick With the Experts
We met with our accountant yesterday morning and (to our relief) after paying the taxes we owe, my husband and I still have the shirts on our backs :-). I'm not very excited about writing checks to the state and federal government, especially since I think I could do a MUCH better of spending my money than they will, but am thankful that we don't owe more than we set aside, which had been my fear. A couple of hours after we met with the accountant, we met with a financial advisor to arrange the transfer of my husband's 401k plan from his former employer to another fund, so much of the day was focused on financial stuff. Ugh!
I hate dealing with finances. I mean I REALLY hate dealing with finances, and I don't know enough about navigating either the tax system or investment options to venture out on my own. I have to depend on the guidance and expertise of individuals who really understand finances and have a proven track record I can rely on.
There are lots of things I prefer to do on my own, and am willing to spend the time to figure them out, because I tend to be pretty independent. Over the years, however, I've learned that there are times when the smartest thing to do is get help from an expert.
That's one of the things I love about Take Shape for Life/Medifast. After years of trying to figure out the diet thing on my own and experiencing nothing but failure, I finally looked to a plan that had the expertise and track record I needed. I stopped trying to figure it out on my own and just did what the experts told me to do and voila! it worked!
The wonderful thing is that this is a proven plan that works for just about everybody - we just have to work the plan :-)
So are you going to work it today?
Have a wonderful Good Friday!
Cheryl
I hate dealing with finances. I mean I REALLY hate dealing with finances, and I don't know enough about navigating either the tax system or investment options to venture out on my own. I have to depend on the guidance and expertise of individuals who really understand finances and have a proven track record I can rely on.
There are lots of things I prefer to do on my own, and am willing to spend the time to figure them out, because I tend to be pretty independent. Over the years, however, I've learned that there are times when the smartest thing to do is get help from an expert.
That's one of the things I love about Take Shape for Life/Medifast. After years of trying to figure out the diet thing on my own and experiencing nothing but failure, I finally looked to a plan that had the expertise and track record I needed. I stopped trying to figure it out on my own and just did what the experts told me to do and voila! it worked!
The wonderful thing is that this is a proven plan that works for just about everybody - we just have to work the plan :-)
So are you going to work it today?
Have a wonderful Good Friday!
Cheryl
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A Different Spring
The landscapers for our condo association were out in force yesterday, cleaning up from winter storms and blowing a fresh layer of wood chips. Things look SO nice, and with daffodils in bloom across the street, it really does FINALLY feel like spring. With temperatures in the 50's predicted into early next week, I'm hopeful that we've seen the last of the snow for this season.
In the past, signs of spring would almost always propel me into another attempt to try and drop some weight before summer. I would have spent much of the winter carb-loading as a way of coping with the cold and lack of sunshine, and would usually be up about 10 pounds by the time winter was over. Spring would bring a renewed effort to start moving and eat healthier, and I'd usually lose 10-15 pounds between early spring and late summer, before the weight gain cycle started all over again. Even in my 20's and early 30's, I always weighed more in the winter than the summer and I just accepted the fact that my "winter pants" were a size larger than my "summer pants." I now understand that I had already gotten into the oscillating gain/lose cycle that eventually spun out of control.
This is the first spring in years that I haven't been on a weight loss plan of some kind or another. Last year I was closing in on my goal (reached it on May 22), but I was still focused on losing weight. It seems strange to not have to do that this year - strange, but wonderful. I don't have any "winter weight" to lose - amazing. The few pounds I picked up over the holidays are long gone, and I never changed sizes, so I'm closing in on a year of being in the same size - even more amazing to me!
So this spring finds me in a place that I've probably never been before in my adult life, and it feels really, really good, and I'm so thankful!
For everyone here who's still on your weight loss journey, this can be the last spring you'll ever had to be focused on losing weight. Can you even imagine it? It WILL be the last spring you'll ever need to lose weight IF you commit to staying on plan and moving steadily towards your goal. Can you imagine next year this time NOT worrying about how you're going to look in shorts and a swimsuit? It can happen - MAKE it happen! You're worth it, and I'm cheering for you!
In the past, signs of spring would almost always propel me into another attempt to try and drop some weight before summer. I would have spent much of the winter carb-loading as a way of coping with the cold and lack of sunshine, and would usually be up about 10 pounds by the time winter was over. Spring would bring a renewed effort to start moving and eat healthier, and I'd usually lose 10-15 pounds between early spring and late summer, before the weight gain cycle started all over again. Even in my 20's and early 30's, I always weighed more in the winter than the summer and I just accepted the fact that my "winter pants" were a size larger than my "summer pants." I now understand that I had already gotten into the oscillating gain/lose cycle that eventually spun out of control.
This is the first spring in years that I haven't been on a weight loss plan of some kind or another. Last year I was closing in on my goal (reached it on May 22), but I was still focused on losing weight. It seems strange to not have to do that this year - strange, but wonderful. I don't have any "winter weight" to lose - amazing. The few pounds I picked up over the holidays are long gone, and I never changed sizes, so I'm closing in on a year of being in the same size - even more amazing to me!
So this spring finds me in a place that I've probably never been before in my adult life, and it feels really, really good, and I'm so thankful!
For everyone here who's still on your weight loss journey, this can be the last spring you'll ever had to be focused on losing weight. Can you even imagine it? It WILL be the last spring you'll ever need to lose weight IF you commit to staying on plan and moving steadily towards your goal. Can you imagine next year this time NOT worrying about how you're going to look in shorts and a swimsuit? It can happen - MAKE it happen! You're worth it, and I'm cheering for you!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Fear and Discouragement
Good morning! I woke up this morning and *think* the cold germs may be packing up to leave :-). That thought plus the sun shining has definitely started my day on a positive note!
Part of my devotional readings this year include Beth Moore's "Believing God Day by Day" devotional book. The readings are short, but always thought provoking. Her April 5 reading was based on Joshua 1:9, "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." The context of this verse tells the story of the Israelites getting ready to cross the Jordan River into the land God has promised them. God encouraged their leader, Joshua, to move forward in confidence because He would be with them in this new land. Beth Moore noted that "God warned Joshua not to fall for two of the most effective deterrents to a Promised Land existence: fear and discouragement."
Fear and discouragement. Ever dealt with either of those feelings on your weight loss journey? I know I dealt with both feelings, and I know that many of you deal with those same feelings. We really want to get to our goal and live at a healthy weight, but fear and discouragement can often deter us from getting there.
We've failed before - it takes two hands to count all the different weight loss plans we tried, and failed. We're afraid that this will be just another plan to put on our heap of failures. We may be afraid to address the emotional issues we have that led to overeating and obesity.
Or maybe we're afraid to reach our goal. We've put things off for years because of our weight and reaching our goal would mean we would either be able to finally do those things, or admit that we never wanted to do them to begin with. A lot of us, myself included, hid inside our weight for a long time, wishing ourselves to be invisible. Losing weight means we're not so invisible anymore, because people will notice and compliment us. That can be a scary thing.
Then there's discouragement. We all want the weight off yesterday (I know I did!), and when the scale is frustratingly slow, we get discouraged. We get discouraged when everybody else is eating our favorite foods and we aren't. We get discouraged when family members and friends aren't very supportive.
Being aware of these potential traps is the first step in making sure that neither, or both, deter you from reaching your goal. Some of us are more vulnerable to one of these more than the other, but either one can trip us up if we aren't careful.
For me, one of the things that made the difference on my weight loss journey was knowing that God was with me, leading me each step of the way. I had fears and I had discouragement, but as I turned those things over to Him and trusted Him to lead me that day, I was able to keep walking towards my goal.
Don't let anything stand in the way of reaching your goal. Don't worry about what will happen down the road, and don't fret if things aren't as encouraging today as you'd like them to be - just take it one step, one on-plan day at a time.
Blessings!
Cheryl
Part of my devotional readings this year include Beth Moore's "Believing God Day by Day" devotional book. The readings are short, but always thought provoking. Her April 5 reading was based on Joshua 1:9, "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." The context of this verse tells the story of the Israelites getting ready to cross the Jordan River into the land God has promised them. God encouraged their leader, Joshua, to move forward in confidence because He would be with them in this new land. Beth Moore noted that "God warned Joshua not to fall for two of the most effective deterrents to a Promised Land existence: fear and discouragement."
Fear and discouragement. Ever dealt with either of those feelings on your weight loss journey? I know I dealt with both feelings, and I know that many of you deal with those same feelings. We really want to get to our goal and live at a healthy weight, but fear and discouragement can often deter us from getting there.
We've failed before - it takes two hands to count all the different weight loss plans we tried, and failed. We're afraid that this will be just another plan to put on our heap of failures. We may be afraid to address the emotional issues we have that led to overeating and obesity.
Or maybe we're afraid to reach our goal. We've put things off for years because of our weight and reaching our goal would mean we would either be able to finally do those things, or admit that we never wanted to do them to begin with. A lot of us, myself included, hid inside our weight for a long time, wishing ourselves to be invisible. Losing weight means we're not so invisible anymore, because people will notice and compliment us. That can be a scary thing.
Then there's discouragement. We all want the weight off yesterday (I know I did!), and when the scale is frustratingly slow, we get discouraged. We get discouraged when everybody else is eating our favorite foods and we aren't. We get discouraged when family members and friends aren't very supportive.
Being aware of these potential traps is the first step in making sure that neither, or both, deter you from reaching your goal. Some of us are more vulnerable to one of these more than the other, but either one can trip us up if we aren't careful.
For me, one of the things that made the difference on my weight loss journey was knowing that God was with me, leading me each step of the way. I had fears and I had discouragement, but as I turned those things over to Him and trusted Him to lead me that day, I was able to keep walking towards my goal.
Don't let anything stand in the way of reaching your goal. Don't worry about what will happen down the road, and don't fret if things aren't as encouraging today as you'd like them to be - just take it one step, one on-plan day at a time.
Blessings!
Cheryl
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Sleep . . . I Need Sleep . . .
Happy Tuesday morning! I was up WAY too late last night and am feeling it this morning, with nobody to blame but myself.
My cell phone has been giving me problems, including allowing me to receive but not send e-mails. The wonderful people at our local Sprint store tried different things to fix the problem, but finally decided the best thing to do was just give me a new, upgraded phone :-). (They could do this because my phone was under warranty.) So I spent a long time last night figuring things out and downloading some fun software.
That would have been fine, but I also discovered that my new phone has BeJeweled on it. I've never played it before, but I've heard other talking about how addicting it is. Well, they were right! How else would you explain a 56-yr. old grandmother of 4 - with a cold, no less and who just needs to rest - up until 1 AM playing a game on her phone? In the bright light of today, I can't believe I did that (but you should have seen my high score! lol).
While I was engrossed with my phone, my husband found a free game on the internet for HIS phone, so two adult, normally rational grandparents were up playing games on their phones. It doesn't get much sadder than that :-)
This morning I am reminded of how important it is to get a good night's sleep! In Chapter 17 of Dr. A's Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen talks about the importance of sleep. In this chapter, entitled "Sleep: Nature's Nurse," he outlines various ways that a lack of sleep affects our health. He notes that there is growing evidence linking a lack of sleep to increased inflammation, a higher risk of cardiovascular incidence, and even obesity. Dr. Andersen states that not getting enough sleep disturbs appetite regulation and cites a study which found that getting less sleep almost doubled the risk of obesity, even in young children.
Looks like if I want to stay on the road to optimal health, I need to make sure I'm making healthy choices about what I eat, exercising regularly, drinking lots of water, and resisting the urge to play BeJeweled until the wee hours of the morning :-).
Is there anything standing between you and your pursuit of optimal health today? If there is, is it worth it?
Blessings!
Cheryl
My cell phone has been giving me problems, including allowing me to receive but not send e-mails. The wonderful people at our local Sprint store tried different things to fix the problem, but finally decided the best thing to do was just give me a new, upgraded phone :-). (They could do this because my phone was under warranty.) So I spent a long time last night figuring things out and downloading some fun software.
That would have been fine, but I also discovered that my new phone has BeJeweled on it. I've never played it before, but I've heard other talking about how addicting it is. Well, they were right! How else would you explain a 56-yr. old grandmother of 4 - with a cold, no less and who just needs to rest - up until 1 AM playing a game on her phone? In the bright light of today, I can't believe I did that (but you should have seen my high score! lol).
While I was engrossed with my phone, my husband found a free game on the internet for HIS phone, so two adult, normally rational grandparents were up playing games on their phones. It doesn't get much sadder than that :-)
This morning I am reminded of how important it is to get a good night's sleep! In Chapter 17 of Dr. A's Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen talks about the importance of sleep. In this chapter, entitled "Sleep: Nature's Nurse," he outlines various ways that a lack of sleep affects our health. He notes that there is growing evidence linking a lack of sleep to increased inflammation, a higher risk of cardiovascular incidence, and even obesity. Dr. Andersen states that not getting enough sleep disturbs appetite regulation and cites a study which found that getting less sleep almost doubled the risk of obesity, even in young children.
Looks like if I want to stay on the road to optimal health, I need to make sure I'm making healthy choices about what I eat, exercising regularly, drinking lots of water, and resisting the urge to play BeJeweled until the wee hours of the morning :-).
Is there anything standing between you and your pursuit of optimal health today? If there is, is it worth it?
Blessings!
Cheryl
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sludge-Free Zone
Happy Monday morning! I hope your day is off to a great start!
I woke up yesterday morning with a cold, and it appears to have unpacked its bags and is ready for an extended stay - at least that's what my sinuses and sore throat are telling me. However, even though I am feeling less than 100%, there will be no eating of sludge to make myself feel better!
I know that tanking up on sludge won't help me get over this cold, plus there is simply no sludge in the house! Because I know what my triggers are, and because I don't trust me well enough to have it around and not eat it, I have declared my house a sludge-free zone :-). Because I'm feeling crummy, and because it's cold outside and snow is predicted, I'm not about to get in my car and go to the store to buy a bunch of stuff. As a result, even if I WANTED to eat sludge today (and I don't), I couldn't.
If you're struggling to stay on plan right now (and even if you're not), I'd encourage you to purge your house of anything that could be a trigger for you. Make your house a safe place to be, food-wise (and in every other way, too!).
You may be a mom with young children, but honestly, do your kids really need to be eating chips and cookies? If it's not healthy for mom, it's really not healthy for the kids, either :-). A recently-published study showed an alarming increase in the number of children with kidney stones, and it's believed that the kidney stones are linked directly to poor diets that are high in sodium and not enough water. This is a wonderful time to establish healthy eating habits for your entire family!
Plan for success today - get rid of anything in your house that could potentially get between you and your goal. Throwing it out won't be wasting food. Throwing out sludge is another step towards optimal health, so go for it!
Blessings!
Cheryl
I woke up yesterday morning with a cold, and it appears to have unpacked its bags and is ready for an extended stay - at least that's what my sinuses and sore throat are telling me. However, even though I am feeling less than 100%, there will be no eating of sludge to make myself feel better!
I know that tanking up on sludge won't help me get over this cold, plus there is simply no sludge in the house! Because I know what my triggers are, and because I don't trust me well enough to have it around and not eat it, I have declared my house a sludge-free zone :-). Because I'm feeling crummy, and because it's cold outside and snow is predicted, I'm not about to get in my car and go to the store to buy a bunch of stuff. As a result, even if I WANTED to eat sludge today (and I don't), I couldn't.
If you're struggling to stay on plan right now (and even if you're not), I'd encourage you to purge your house of anything that could be a trigger for you. Make your house a safe place to be, food-wise (and in every other way, too!).
You may be a mom with young children, but honestly, do your kids really need to be eating chips and cookies? If it's not healthy for mom, it's really not healthy for the kids, either :-). A recently-published study showed an alarming increase in the number of children with kidney stones, and it's believed that the kidney stones are linked directly to poor diets that are high in sodium and not enough water. This is a wonderful time to establish healthy eating habits for your entire family!
Plan for success today - get rid of anything in your house that could potentially get between you and your goal. Throwing it out won't be wasting food. Throwing out sludge is another step towards optimal health, so go for it!
Blessings!
Cheryl
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Happy Saturday!
Good morning! It's chilly where I am, but the sun is shining and it's going to be a good day!
Some days it's easier than others to say "it's going to be a good day." These are difficult times for many of us, with more economic uncertainty than some of us have ever faced (I'm on this list). My oldest daughter's husband is a chemical engineer and has been off work for two weeks. He just found out yesterday that his office is closing down and he is now without a job. Most of the chemical engineering jobs available unfortunately aren't in Michigan, so they may need to relocated to Texas or the East Coast - wherever he can find a job. My younger daughter will graduate with her nursing degree in three weeks and has yet to secure a job, as there are very few openings in Michigan. If she can't find a job, they will possibly relocate to Washington state, where her in-laws live.
I'm not very happy at the prospect that both of my daughters - and my four grandchildren - could end up moving hundreds, or even a couple thousand, miles away. Right now they live 30 minutes away from me and 4 miles away from each other, so the girls are close and I see them at least once a week.
So I have a choice today. I can either sit and worry, making myself miserable, or I can choose to trust God to work out His best for them. Because I believe that the God of the universe is also a very personal God who knows how many hairs I have on my head, I know that He knows about the situations my daughters and their families face.
In the past, times of uncertainty and possible anxiety would have had me carb loading in the worst possible way (I'll spare you the details!). In those days, it wasn't that I didn't believe God was in control of those situations. I believed it, but I didn't choose to ACT like I believed it :-).
Part of my weight loss journey was me reflecting back on my life, the good times and the difficult times, and tracing God's hand and His leading in every situation. Many things that didn't make sense at the time finally made sense and I marveled at the way He had woven the loose threads together.
I am currently involved in a Beth Moore Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit, and as she taught on faithfulness, she talked about God's faithfulness. One of her statements really hit me: "God has carried you 1,000 times; He's not going to drop you today."
That statement really spoke to me then, and it continues to speak to my heart. I don't know what's going to happen with my daughters, and I don't know what today will bring. But because I know that God isn't going to drop me (or you!), it's going to be a good day!
Whatever you have planned today, have a great, on-plan Saturday!
Blessings!
Cheryl
Some days it's easier than others to say "it's going to be a good day." These are difficult times for many of us, with more economic uncertainty than some of us have ever faced (I'm on this list). My oldest daughter's husband is a chemical engineer and has been off work for two weeks. He just found out yesterday that his office is closing down and he is now without a job. Most of the chemical engineering jobs available unfortunately aren't in Michigan, so they may need to relocated to Texas or the East Coast - wherever he can find a job. My younger daughter will graduate with her nursing degree in three weeks and has yet to secure a job, as there are very few openings in Michigan. If she can't find a job, they will possibly relocate to Washington state, where her in-laws live.
I'm not very happy at the prospect that both of my daughters - and my four grandchildren - could end up moving hundreds, or even a couple thousand, miles away. Right now they live 30 minutes away from me and 4 miles away from each other, so the girls are close and I see them at least once a week.
So I have a choice today. I can either sit and worry, making myself miserable, or I can choose to trust God to work out His best for them. Because I believe that the God of the universe is also a very personal God who knows how many hairs I have on my head, I know that He knows about the situations my daughters and their families face.
In the past, times of uncertainty and possible anxiety would have had me carb loading in the worst possible way (I'll spare you the details!). In those days, it wasn't that I didn't believe God was in control of those situations. I believed it, but I didn't choose to ACT like I believed it :-).
Part of my weight loss journey was me reflecting back on my life, the good times and the difficult times, and tracing God's hand and His leading in every situation. Many things that didn't make sense at the time finally made sense and I marveled at the way He had woven the loose threads together.
I am currently involved in a Beth Moore Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit, and as she taught on faithfulness, she talked about God's faithfulness. One of her statements really hit me: "God has carried you 1,000 times; He's not going to drop you today."
That statement really spoke to me then, and it continues to speak to my heart. I don't know what's going to happen with my daughters, and I don't know what today will bring. But because I know that God isn't going to drop me (or you!), it's going to be a good day!
Whatever you have planned today, have a great, on-plan Saturday!
Blessings!
Cheryl
Friday, April 3, 2009
Daily Decisions
This is the time of year in Michigan when closets are absolutely bursting, as it's time to bring out the spring and summer clothes, but too early to put away the winter stuff. Yesterday the temperatures reached the upper 50's, today's high is predicted for the mid 40's, and they're talking about 3-6 inches of snow next week - yikes! I check the weather report every morning before laying out my clothes for the day, because what was "just right" yesterday may be "all wrong" today :-)
We may allow the weather or other circumstances to sway our decision in what we're gong to wear on any given day, but to reach (or maintain) our weight loss goal, we can't allow anything to sway us from our resolve to make healthy choices.
For me, it's always easier to eat healthy when the weather is warm. When it's nice outside, I'm naturally more active, and when I'm active, I seem to crave salads and lighter foods. Drinking lots of cold water is also much more appealing when it's warm outside. When it's cold and snowy and the sun goes for days without showing up, my inclination is to carb load and drink gallons of hot coffee, all while I'm wrapped up in a blanket (I know, I'm pathetic! lol).
However, it doesn't matter if it's cold or warm, sunny or snowy, we have to choose to make healthy choices whether we feel like it or not :-). When we don't feel like it, it can really be a mind over matter decision, but I promise you this: you won't be sorry! I've often been sorry for wrong choices I've made, but never sorry for making the right choice.
The weather may determine what you wear today, but I hope nothing will deter you from staying on plan. Who's with me today?
We may allow the weather or other circumstances to sway our decision in what we're gong to wear on any given day, but to reach (or maintain) our weight loss goal, we can't allow anything to sway us from our resolve to make healthy choices.
For me, it's always easier to eat healthy when the weather is warm. When it's nice outside, I'm naturally more active, and when I'm active, I seem to crave salads and lighter foods. Drinking lots of cold water is also much more appealing when it's warm outside. When it's cold and snowy and the sun goes for days without showing up, my inclination is to carb load and drink gallons of hot coffee, all while I'm wrapped up in a blanket (I know, I'm pathetic! lol).
However, it doesn't matter if it's cold or warm, sunny or snowy, we have to choose to make healthy choices whether we feel like it or not :-). When we don't feel like it, it can really be a mind over matter decision, but I promise you this: you won't be sorry! I've often been sorry for wrong choices I've made, but never sorry for making the right choice.
The weather may determine what you wear today, but I hope nothing will deter you from staying on plan. Who's with me today?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Today Counts
I was interested to read a couple of weeks ago a story about a shopping mall in England. Researchers there posted colorful signs along the steps of the staircase that said: "Taking the stairs protects your heart." According to the story, the number of people who decided to take the stairs instead of the nearby escalator more than doubled in a 6-week period. The researchers said that every step counts and believe that long-term behavior will change only if the signs are regularly seen.
Most people know it's better for their health to take the stairs instead of the escalator, but most didn't make the change until they saw the sign. It's funny how little things can make such a difference!
We all know that staying on plan is the fastest and surest way to reach our goal, but life happens and it can be easy to lose sight of our goal if we don't recommit every day. We'd love to see our weight gone in an instant, but the reality is that it happens one day at a time, and every day counts!
So make today count!
Most people know it's better for their health to take the stairs instead of the escalator, but most didn't make the change until they saw the sign. It's funny how little things can make such a difference!
We all know that staying on plan is the fastest and surest way to reach our goal, but life happens and it can be easy to lose sight of our goal if we don't recommit every day. We'd love to see our weight gone in an instant, but the reality is that it happens one day at a time, and every day counts!
So make today count!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Don't Get Tricked Today!
Happy April Fools' Day :-)
When I was a kid, our family enjoyed playing tricks on each other on April Fools' Day. It was always in good fun and never mean-spirited, but it meant we needed to be on toes if we didn't want to get caught in the prankster's trap.
On this April Fools' Day, we need to be on our toes once again if we want to avoid falling into the food traps out there. Food is out there - everywhere! If we don't know what our personal triggers are and if we aren't prepared and know in advance how we'll deal with those triggers, we're vulnerable.
When I say "triggers," I'm talking about foods, situations or feelings that prompt us to overeat.
Trigger foods: candy, chocolate, salty foods, etc.
Trigger situations: watching TV, going to the movies, reading, being home alone
Trigger feelings: anger, stress, loneliness, boredom, anxiety
Once you begin eating in response to a trigger, your ability stop is very limited.
Identify the triggers – the foods, situations and feelings.
Decide that you’re going to learn to control them. You can do this!
* Choose only one or two triggers at a time
* Pick the triggers that exert the most control and those that do the most damage (number of calories, frequency)
Stop the trigger – don’t try to bargain with it! True control means that you—not the trigger—decides where, when, and what you will eat.
* Don’t go into a trigger zone on an empty stomach!
Practice controlling triggers.
* For situational triggers:
- Write a statement describing the trigger situation; use past tense
- Write a statement in the present tense describing the change
- Write down a list of alternatives
* For food triggers:
- Write down your favorite foods at different stages of your life
- Prepare to change your food preferences
- Eliminate the trigger food completely for at least two months
- Write down your decisions, e.g., “I no longer eat this food” or “I can now eat this because it longer has control over me.” Be honest with yourself J
* For feelings triggers:
- Write down several of your trigger feelings and state why you respond to the food in that way
- Describe how you feel after you eat in response to a trigger feeling
- Write down alternatives to eating when you get that feeling
I hope these ideas will help to keep you from being tricked into off-plan eating today :-)
Blessings!
Cheryl
When I was a kid, our family enjoyed playing tricks on each other on April Fools' Day. It was always in good fun and never mean-spirited, but it meant we needed to be on toes if we didn't want to get caught in the prankster's trap.
On this April Fools' Day, we need to be on our toes once again if we want to avoid falling into the food traps out there. Food is out there - everywhere! If we don't know what our personal triggers are and if we aren't prepared and know in advance how we'll deal with those triggers, we're vulnerable.
When I say "triggers," I'm talking about foods, situations or feelings that prompt us to overeat.
Trigger foods: candy, chocolate, salty foods, etc.
Trigger situations: watching TV, going to the movies, reading, being home alone
Trigger feelings: anger, stress, loneliness, boredom, anxiety
Once you begin eating in response to a trigger, your ability stop is very limited.
Identify the triggers – the foods, situations and feelings.
Decide that you’re going to learn to control them. You can do this!
* Choose only one or two triggers at a time
* Pick the triggers that exert the most control and those that do the most damage (number of calories, frequency)
Stop the trigger – don’t try to bargain with it! True control means that you—not the trigger—decides where, when, and what you will eat.
* Don’t go into a trigger zone on an empty stomach!
Practice controlling triggers.
* For situational triggers:
- Write a statement describing the trigger situation; use past tense
- Write a statement in the present tense describing the change
- Write down a list of alternatives
* For food triggers:
- Write down your favorite foods at different stages of your life
- Prepare to change your food preferences
- Eliminate the trigger food completely for at least two months
- Write down your decisions, e.g., “I no longer eat this food” or “I can now eat this because it longer has control over me.” Be honest with yourself J
* For feelings triggers:
- Write down several of your trigger feelings and state why you respond to the food in that way
- Describe how you feel after you eat in response to a trigger feeling
- Write down alternatives to eating when you get that feeling
I hope these ideas will help to keep you from being tricked into off-plan eating today :-)
Blessings!
Cheryl
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