Wow...so much I want to say this week but I'll try to keep it short and sweet. I'll start with the fact that I gained one pound back this week- but you know what? I am still full of joy and focusing on the fact that I still made some good food choices among the not so good ones and I never looked in the mirror and thought "I look so gross" so that is a win for me! In addition to that, God took particular interest in reminding me how much He loves people in pretty much every aspect of life this past week. I can't duplicate Josh Kouri's sermon from this morning but I can link you to the church website and highly encourage you to sit through it once it is posted this week! This week my heart is heavy with the burden of God's love for humanity. One of my favorite parts of Josh's sermon today, which I will now take and share with you is that humanity is a two sided coin. One side being dignity, the other, depravity. We have this awesome built-in, chosen and dignified aspect of being people that allows us in our most depraved state to still be witnesses to a Holy, Awesome, Creator of the Universe. Just chew on that until you can watch the sermon for yourself.
The coolest part about this sermon for me was that God has already been deeply moving me to loving and reaching out to everyone that comes across my path with and eagerness to be a reflection of His deep love for them. Then through a completely divine appointment Aldo and I learned about Send Out Cards(https://www.sendoutcards.com/139875/) and we fell in love with this awesome tool of building and enhancing relationships. I am so excited to see what God is going to do with that!
I love that God brought me to this place of completely appreciating who He created me to be and since I have embraced His love for who He made me to be, doors have been opened in an untold number of areas in my life, making way for me to accomplish things and experience life in a way that I never have...regardless of how much I weigh. I'll throw up a link to today's sermon when it comes up or you can keep tabs on http://www.frontlinechurch.tv
Weighty Issues
I think weekly posts are easier haha! I haven't fallen off the wagon just yet, yay! I do believe I have decided to believe a few things regarding this journey...
1. If you aren't willing to deal with your fears and emotional wounds, you will never maintain a healthy lifestyle.
2. Don't set goals. WHAT?!
3. Minutes turn into hours, hours into days and days into weeks, months and years.
If you are at a point of obesity, I am telling you that you have issues, apart from your weight, that need to be dealt with. If you don't believe me, you are in denial. If you, like me, are eager to lose weight and be healthier, start with your emotional health. You and I can never begin to celebrate ourselves at a lower weight or smaller size if we can't celebrate ourselves as we are. I don't believe you can maintain any success in regards to your health if you don't have your best interests at heart. So, find a counselor and make an appointment. 3rd party individuals who are trained to coach you into a healthy mentality will be incredibly beneficial on this journey.
Now you want to know why on earth I would go against every one who has advice regarding these issues and say "Do NOT set goals". Let me elaborate. If you are making these efforts for a class reunion, vacation, significant other(or anyone besides yourself for that matter)...etc...they won't last. If you need goals to keep moving forward set very small and short term goals. In example, set a healthy caloric intake for today. Only focus on that day, that hour, that minute. It can become overwhelming when faced with months of skipping indulgences and "enjoying" life. Every day allow yourself some success, however small it may be and regardless of your failures that day. Rejoice in those days that you meet every goal. Instead of rewarding yourself with a cookie or a martini- reward yourself in healthy ways- buy some new workout pants, take a minute off of your exercise routine for one session. Get away from letting what you eat and drink determine your happiness and/or enjoyment.
When you make choices by the minute, it is easier to make the right or healthy choice. Slowly those minutes turn into an hour of good choices, those hours of good choices turn into days and etc. If you allow yourself to be devoid of a timeline for this transition, you allow yourself to become healthy without the emotional cost of "failing" when that day or event comes and goes and you weren't quite ready for it. Don't just lose weight or reach a certain size- become healthy...emotionally and physically.
That is what I am choosing to believe in on this journey. Maybe someday I can prove myself right ;)
Falling down and getting up
Day 2 was okay until I tried to be a fun mom. Toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, salmon, lentils and brown rice for dinner....a blanket fort and 4 cookies later- I'm feeling a little guilty. I think even one cookie would have been fine but four?? Well tomorrow is a new day and I think the important question here is: why do I need to eat to have fun? I think I need to find some fun dessert/appetizers that are really healthy to help transition out of that habit. Tomorrow I'm starting off with some Wii Fit to kick start activity and begin training for that insane idea of a half marathon. See you tomorrow!
Day 1
I didn't want to set unattainable goals but I did that today thanks to my friend Sheryl. I'm going to train with her to run a half marathon in Dallas in May- holy cow! Anyway, I decided to begin, I would just change my food choices and amounts so that is what I practiced today. I chose a soup and salad when dining out for lunch and had soup with a slice of whole wheat bread for dinner. I also decided to ditch soda which means I have a killer headache as I head to bed! I am also majorly craving sugar right now so in keeping with my idea of thinking about what I was eating I chose to have two slices of bread with nutella instead of a dessert. So, you are thinking those aren't huge changes... But I'm taking this a day at a time and I'm going to bed proud of my choices today. I feel good and that's what is most important to me!
Resolutions...
Alright... I am doing this. I feel like I am really ready and I WANT to see myself the way I feel about myself. So I'll just throw this picture up, taken today by my mother-in-law.
I generally pose myself in a more flattering way for photos but this candid just plain tells it how it is. Believe me I already knew and it is a great "before" photo, don't you think?
