Do you ever get the idea that we are a race of mindless eating machines? Everywhere we go we’re inundated with free samples, complimentary candy dishes, domed Plexiglas plates of the cookie of the day at the grocery store and free mints when we leave the restaurant. There’s no end. And what’s worse, we all seem to want to help ourselves. Oh wait, maybe that’s just me!
I confess, I do this – stuff food in my mouth without even weighing the cost – or should I say the calories. By the end of the day I’ve probably consumed several hundred calories of mindless eating with foods that weren’t planned.
The weight loss group I used to attend refers to these unplanned impromptu foods as BLTs – or bites, licks and tastes. It’s mind-boggling the amount of empty calories we consume over the course of a day without even thinking about what we’re doing.
When we first begin any weight loss program it’s natural that we weigh and measure everything we eat. We record our calories in our food journal and we can tell you to within in a few calories how much we’ve eaten for any particular day.
Once the honeymoon is over though, we tend to get a little more relaxed and slack off on our diligence and our commitment to tracking our calories; which is exactly how I got myself into so much trouble earlier this week.
My lack of commitment which translated into simple laziness combined with the fact that I was sleep-deprived and the two together equaled an ugly combination; a recipe for disaster. I slipped, I fell, and I wallowed around in the sludge of frosting, cake and donuts and then ended up hating myself when I went to bed that night.
It’s such an unhealthy feeling to go to bed feeling that way again after having kicked all those habits months ago. Once you fall it’s surprisingly easy to roll around in your failure – if even for a short while because the self-induced pity party – table for one, seems justified.
The healthy thing to do is drag yourself away from the pity party and begin anew. I’ve got to force myself to weigh and measure food portions again. I’ve got to record everything I eat and keep careful records of exactly what I’m eating and make a conscious effort to bypass any and all BLTs.
We may think we’ve graduated and are above the elementary steps necessary for weight loss, but speaking for myself, occasionally I need to go back to kindergarten and start fresh.
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. ~Confucius
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:32-33 (NIV)
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you for the simple reminders that I’m oftentimes lazy and I need to think more before I act. Help me to get back on track by doing the basic things I know that work when it comes to weight loss. Help me Lord Jesus because I am frequently so weak willed. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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I went to my group support meeting last night after having missed last week because of vacation. Once I heard what the topic of discussion for the evening’s lesson was to be, I started to get a little hot under the collar.
I felt like someone must have ratted me out about my fall from grace the previous night as the theme for the class was “Temptation.” Seriously, did someone call the group leader and tell him to read my blog post from yesterday? Or worse … has someone placed a hidden camera in my kitchen and chronicled my slide off the Weight Watcher wagon and posted it on You Tube?
Once I settled my racing heartbeat last night and opened my mind and my spirit to receive the teaching, it became abundantly clear – I’m not the only person who’s ever given in to temptation. Regardless of whether we are food addicts, drug addicts, alcohol, shopping, sex or gossip addicts – we all are tempted with our own special brand of kryptonite.
I suppose if I were an eternal optimist I would be rejoicing in the fact that at least I’m normal. But somehow, that news doesn’t make me happy.
The fact that I was convinced I was rock solid in my convictions to eat only healthy things and the mere fact that I gave in so quickly when confronted with cake and donuts just reinforces the knowledge that I’m still so far from cured. I’m still very weak when faced with the mother of all temptations. I have not arrived yet!
I know many say that “once an addict, always an addict” but for some reason, I thought I was above that logic. Clearly I’ve got some pride issues I need to confront, because none of us are perfect. I really was convinced I was stronger.
With each shameful fall comes the knowledge that we are never in control and we must continually turn our will over to the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Him I can do nothing – especially resist temptation, and certainly I cannot lose weight without His help.
Failure doesn’t mean you are a failure… it just means you haven’t succeeded yet. ~Robert Schuller
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NIV)
PRAYER FOR TODDAY: Lord, I thank you for the constant reminder that under my own strength I can do nothing. Thank you for getting my attention and opening my eyes and for helping me to understand that none of us are immune to temptation. Help me to learn from this experience; grow stronger and always keep you the focus of all my efforts. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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I have to remind myself that I’m not superhuman or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, see through steel walls with my x-ray vision, or run faster than speeding bullets. I have my own special kind of kryptonite that renders me as a weak as a new born babe. No, it’s not some kind of mystery meteorite flung from the outer reaches of deep space, but my energy and strength are zapped from me being in the presence of baked goods.
Last night as my marriage small group reconvened after a brief summer hiatus, we celebrated with a smorgasbord of snacks, 95% of which contained massive amounts of sugar in the form of frosting, fillings, icings, chocolate and general overall dessert kryptonite.
Because my husband and I host these group meetings at our house, when people filter out from the meeting, they quietly say their good-byes leaving all snack donations to the mercy of the hostesses. It becomes our responsibility to clean up in whatever fashion we see fit and last night – just got plain ugly for me.
Somehow it just seems wrong and a crime against all things dessert to cast knives that collect all that excess gooiness liberally slathered from knife point to hilt carelessly aside in a sink full of soaking bubbles without first wiping excess slathered gooiness into one’s mouth. Again, that would be me, my job and my responsibility.
And of course it’s a proven scientific fact that those few broken cookie bits and pieces left lying carelessly in the bottom of a cookie box, are virtually calorie free so what’s the harm in snorfing those down.
The frosting smooshed to the tops and sides of the plastic lid hardly bears discussion as that’s clearly un-American not to grab a finger full of that frothy temptation. And I can’t even openly discuss what happened with the glazed donut holes without breaking out in a cold sweat. Let’s just say that replaying the depth and scope of that carnage and debauchery will probably give me nightmares for quite some time to come.
Bottom line, even the strongest, seemingly most reformed hard core food addict succumbs to temptation once in a while when faced with their own special brand of kryptonite, and I am far from immune.
I failed the test last night - miserably. But today I got up looked myself in the mirror and rather than giving in to the urge to hurl insults at my reflection … I simply stopped and thanked God because if you would have seen the amount of food left at my house last night you would know, like I know – that it could have been so much worse.
Even though I slipped, I didn’t fall so far that I know I can ever get back up again. Today is a new day and even with all that excess sugar slowing me down today, I will prevail. I will succeed. I may not be superhuman, but I serve a mighty God who is better than any fictional superhero. One who not only can restore me, but He forgives me, as well. Thank goodness!
All men are tempted. There is no man that lives that can’t be broken down, provided it is the right temptation, put in the right spot. ~Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, 1887
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, once I again I’ve seen firsthand that I cannot fight this battle under my own strength. I confess that I’ve stumbled and ask forgiveness and pray for mercy and strength to pick myself up and start all over again. Help me not to dwell on my failures but to receive your grace and strength to learn from this misstep and do my best to move forward. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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I talked by phone with an old friend of mine yesterday. We live a couple of states apart and we rarely see one another, but we try to catch up via telephone or email on a regular basis.
I love my friend but she’s one of those spacey kinds of girls that have always got a get rich quick scheme in the works. Basically, she’s in to shortcuts – especially when it comes to dieting and weight loss.
Being many years older than me, she’s a veteran of the weight loss wars. She’s experienced a modicum of success in the past, but as with most of us of a certain age, she’s been flirting with menopause for quite some time now and she’s packed on an extra 40 pounds.
For as long as I’ve known her she’s called me regularly to gush about her latest sure-fire plan to lose weight. Yesterday’s conversation was no different. This month she’s into some sort of diet pill that she got from a very expensive weight loss clinic, protein drinks and working out in the gym again.
It’s not that I don’t want to be supportive of her weight loss schemes, but for as long as I’ve known her she’s never experienced any long lasting success with weight loss. Like most people, she loses 20 or 30 pounds only to go off the diet and regain all her weight plus extra, so I kind of tend to get that eyes rolled back in the head, glazed over look of cynicism with regards to her weight loss efforts because I’ve heard it all before.
As much as I love my friend, she’s one of those people who consider herself to be very spiritual but she doesn’t have what I would call a relationship with God or Jesus Christ. Not wanting to sound overly judgmental (but I’m sure I’ll come off as exactly that) she has a tendency to only turn to God in times of crisis when she’s in desperate need.
I’ve tried to share with her the difference Christ has made in my weight loss journey, but she files me in the category of bible thumper and mentally shuts down when I insist on sharing. I’ve filed her in my friends who are difficult to witness to category, but I continually pray for her and trust that at some point God will get a hold of her and she’ll come around.
Most of us know diet pills and restrictive diets don’t work long term. The only way to achieve long lasting lifetime success is by making long lasting life style changes in our eating, our habits and our attitudes.
Having a relationship with Jesus Christ is no guarantee that you will be successful at losing weight, but having Him along to help me when I am weak, to lift me when I am down and to rejoice with when I have success, means I’ve got a friend on my journey who gets me and who supports me when no one else does.
Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles. ~Walter Cronkite
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you for the gift of friendship. I pray you will grant me wisdom and patience when sharing the love of Christ with friends. I do ask that you would touch my friend and help me be able to share with her without her shutting down. Give me a boldness to tell of the goodness in my life when I share the Gospel. Thank you for success and the many blessings I am experiencing by your grace. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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While I was on vacation this past weekend we were staying in a hotel that offered free continental breakfast every morning. Being married to a man who is the embodiment of the “If it’s free it’s for me,” philosophy of life, you can bet your bottom dollar that we take full advantage of free anything – especially meals.
If I haven’t gone on record as saying that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day – let me say it now – breakfast absolutely is my favorite meal of the day. Unfortunately it’s also one of the toughest meals of the day to keep low calorie and healthy, especially when dining out. And when it’s free and continental that usually implies pastries, muffins and bread of every variety; all of which are my very own special Achilles heel foods.
While my travelling companions loaded their plates with piles of eggs, bacon and/or sausages, biscuits and gravy, I was contemplating filling the extra compartments of my purse with blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls. I know free and continental implies you eat it there – but I’m given to the notion that I can only eat so much in one sitting and I’m sure I’ll need that muffin later in the morning.
In my defense, I really did do my best to avoid the breakfast meats and breads, opting for eggs, one piece of whole wheat toast and fruit. But there’s something so inherently wrong with the very idea of passing up fresh cinnamon rolls when the smell alone is enough to fell even the most stalwart of health conscious individuals. But resist I did.
Over the course of four mornings and four free breakfasts, I did swipe two muffins that I did consume at a later point throughout my day. I’m not gonna lie to you – I did nibble on a small piece of a cinnamon roll, but I made allowances by eating lighter the rest of the day. I refuse to exchange one type of bondage for another. I have been liberated from the guilt I once felt with regards to food.
I am making progress and eating better and this trip showed me that I can go on vacation without making everything about my next meal. I carefully selected healthier choices and split everything I ate at each meal with someone else, so I consumed half of what I normally would eat. I balanced smaller meals with activity and exercise; although with my knee limitations, I wasn’t able to walk as much as I would have liked to.
Progress is progress no matter how small. As long as I’m moving forward rather than backwards, I see this as a successful vacation in the fact that I didn’t gain 7 – 10 pounds which is the average for the typical vacationer. Those are numbers I’m no longer willing to live with. I’m happy to report I maintained my weight loss with no gain during this vacation and that’s a statistic I’m great with! God is so very good!
Vacation used to be a luxury, but in today’s world it has become a necessity. ~Author Unknown
1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 2 Corinthians 5:1-3 (NLT)
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you for the opportunity to get away to rest and restore my mind, my body and my spirit. I thank you for the pleasure of spending time with people I love who refresh me and make me laugh. Thank you for the victory of not over-indulging while I was away. Thank you for all that I’ve learned about myself and my food addictions in the last few months. Help me continue to move forward and make progress and put into practice all that you are teaching me. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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