Losing unhealthy habits, gaining healthier ones

Scripture: O turn to me, and have mercy upon me; give Your strength to Your servant. Psalm 86:16
Prayer: Lord, I trust You and I allow You to make me BETTER physically, spiritually and mentally.

I was watching the reality TV series, “Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On,” and heard Chynna Phillips say this: “My body wants the best food it can have, and it deserves that. It may take a little more time for me to do my shopping, but it’s well worth it.”

I wrote it down in my journal.

Do you ever do that? Do you write down inspirational quotes, or tear them out of magazines, then post them on your wall? I find this to be helpful and motivating.

Have you ever noticed that when you are making strides to be in better health, you notice the healthy habits of other people? That reality show follows the 80s musical group as they try to make their comeback on the music scene. Chynna Phillips is now in her early 40s, and is in great shape. Close-ups of her on the show reveal that her skin is clear. Her health is not a coincidence; good health was instilled in her at a young age. In an interview, she said throughout her childhood, there were little to no processed foods in her home. She obviously continued to make positive strides, as evidenced by her quote above.

I’m on Day 41 of my self-improvement journey. I remain thankful to have emerged out of the muck of months of sluggishness and overindulgence in food, particularly sugar and carbohydrates. After doing some reading on sugar, I am now convinced I was addicted. I had to have it in various forms every day, and my mood was affected by sugar intake. I was strung out.

I am fighting to take back my health, to feel and look better.

I am so grateful to the Lord for allowing my eyes to be opened as to what I was doing to myself. I thought food was comforting me, but the more I turned to it, the more I wanted. My prayer is to see food as what it was created for: nourishment, sustenance. Yes, enjoyment is in the equation, yet within boundaries.

What about you? Are you lamenting the state of your health? Please know that you are not alone, but more importantly, know that it is within your power to CHANGE. As the title of this blog indicates, we are Inspired2Lose – not only weight, but lose the habits that are harmful to our optimum health.

· Lose the habit of not drinking enough water by keeping yourself hydrated.
· Lose the habit of not getting enough sleep heeding when your body is running out of fuel and ready to rest.
· Lose the habit of slothfulness by firing up your music, strapping on your shoes and getting your heart rate pumping with a vigorous walk or bike ride.
· Lose the self-sabotage behaviors, such as keeping candy stashes, or allowing negative thoughts about yourself to replay in your mind.

We have good reason to rejoice today. Our bodies were awesomely created! Let's do our best to take better care of ourselves. You're not alone in this journey...

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us awareness of the condition of our health. Thank You for empowering us to change for the better. Please help us, and strengthen us on our health journey. Amen.

Escribemama@gmail.com

Who Am I to Talk about Good Health?

Scripture for the day: "And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt...so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorifying and] boast in the presence of God." I Corinthians 1:28-29
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I survived the road trip!

This was a major hurdle, because as I mentioned in the previous post, this was not a trip just anywhere. It was to my birthplace, a small town with many great relatives and lots of childhood food memories.

But in addition to that, there were several gas station stops on this 12-hour drive. On Sunday, I was in a convenience store in St. Louis, and at 11 a.m., found my eyes fixed on a king-size Snickers candy bar. It looked so thick and fat in the brown wrapper. I could almost envision my teeth sinking into the mound of chocolate, peanuts, and nougat. I shook myself back to reality, telling myself: "Even your old self didn't indulge in a candy bar this early in the morning. Get your juice and get it together, woman!" I stayed on my plan, journaling every food and bit of exercise.

Now that I've been home a couple days, it feels good to get back into my routine.

About 2 weeks ago, I re-joined the local Y after a 2-year hiatus due to budget constraints. They had a special going, so a family membership seemed like a good idea. Had to convince myself it was an investment in our health. Funny how we don't think twice about spending money on junk foods, or gourmet ice cream, or going out to eat, but we think of all kinds of reasons why we can't afford things that are conducive to our well being.

Anyhoo, this week I ran into a seasoned man who I've had the pleasure of taking many exercises classes with. Was my face a bit red when, after light conversation getting re-acquainted, he said something to the effect that here I was again, and I knew what to do to get more fit because, after all, I'd done it a couple times before.

I suppose he was alluding to my fluctuating weight over the years. I could have been offended, but I knew he was right. I DO KNOW what to do. Heck, many of you reading this who have issues with food or weight KNOW what to do. I'd venture to say that MOST people with weight or food issues KNOW what to do. We are practically experts because we have lost and gained, lost and gained.

Yes, we may fall down, let ourselves go, or fall off the chuck wagon. But thank God for Jesus. It is by His strength that we "get back up again," as the song by Donnie McClurkin goes.

Who am I to talk about good health? At last weight a month ago, I tipped the scale at 283, having regained at least 40 pounds in the past 3 years. Yet I can talk about it because I have tasted and seen serious weight loss several times. I yearn for better health, and now I am doing my best to get it again. I am endeavoring to be better, more fit, for my very life.

This is Day 33 of my health and fitness journey. Looking in the mirror today, I don't like that my belly hangs. Rather than dwell on the negative, I meditate on the positives: building discipline, exercising again, opting not to eat after 8 p.m. Oh, and gorgeous, God-made veins are re-surfacing. THAT'S what I choose to focus on.

I give God the glory for bringing me -- us -- this far. Let's continue on, praying for strength, praying that He will use us, transform us, so we may encourage others.

I want to live, and I believe you do, too, or you wouldn't have read this far. I hope and pray this blog is an encouragement to you, as I encourage myself in this journey.

Let's keep in mind this wonderful, assuring scripture: "And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt...so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorifying and] boast in the presence of God." I Corinthians 1:28-29

Thank you for stopping. Please leave a message below, or contact me at: escribemama@gmail.com

Staying on Track While Out of Town

"Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going."

I don't know who wrote this, but this is great inspiration today. I had to leave town unexpectedly yesterday for family business, and there is temptation at every turn. I am praying to the Lord for strength, and hanging on the habits I've tried to form the past couple weeks.

Ahh, Kansas. I spent many childhood summers in my grandparents' comfy and cozy home. Yet I realized today that so many of those fond memories are connected to food. Big breakfasts at my great-grandmother's house, then eating another breakfast at grandmother's house (because if you turned down food, it was like rejecting them). Homemade from-scratch Mexican food such as warm tortillas, chile con carne, tamales, beans and rice, cinnamon rolls, or "sopa." We'd play outside all day, and evenings typically included aunts and uncles stopping by to take my sister and I out for ice cream.

Perhaps it is because I am consciously restricting carbs and sugar, but yesterday at an aunt's house, I noticed the candy dishes loaded with chocolate. Today I noticed my grandparents' 2 refrigerators (one was in the kitchen, the other on the back porch) were stocked with 3 different kinds of ice cream, cake, and several stashes of sweets. The healthy food options were limited.

I keep reminding myself that this journey isn't simply about how I look, or a great outfit I'd like to fit into. I am in a battle for my life.

Ok, that sounds drastic, but in order to break out of this cycle, I must think of it that way. This health and fitness journey requires prayer. Effort. Determination. And sweat.

Bought some new tennis shoes today, and hit the Emporia Recreation Center. What a great little place for the community to come get healthy, for only a small fee. Felt so good to challenge my muscles in biking, walking, and the elliptical after the 12 hour drive yesterday. Drank lots of water, ate an apple and vegetables. A traditional Mexican meal is planned tomorrow, so I'd rather save my calories from the day for that.

When temptation is around us, we must choose to do right by our bodies. When traveling, we need to applaud ourselves for working out and eating sensibly instead of lazing around, snacking and watching television. Remember to use non-food rewards to pat yourself on the back: buy something to exercise in, such as a new pair of shoes or an outfit; give yourself a foot massage; buy a fun journal to keep track of your food intake and exercise; or take a hot bubble bath (my favorite).

I don't believe God wants to be as hard on us as we are to ourselves. I like what a friend said to me recently. I was down about my weight after running into an acquaintance who was excited to have Bariatric surgery. My friend said, "I believe God allowed you to have an encounter with her to motivate you, not to condemn you."

She's right. The God we serve is an awesome, loving, merciful God. I am so grateful to Him for blessing me to be on this journey, for allowing my spiritual eyes to be opened as to what I was doing to my body. It is comforting to know that I'm not in this alone, that He is with me and is for me. I am also glad for you readers out there. Please know that you are not alone.

What about you? What role did food have in your childhood? Was food flowing freely in your household, where you could eat at your every whim? Or were you restricted from food? How has this affected you in adulthood?

We can do this. We are on this healthy journey together. Let's encourage one another!
Contact me at escribemama@gmail.com. I welcome your comments.

Get in the Game...of Life

Welcome to Inspired2Lose, where we encourage one another in our attempts to lose unhealthy habits as well as create lifelong good habits.

I realized this week that it feels good to be back in the game.

A few weeks ago, I was desperate. I was tired of lying to myself that I didn't care what I ate or that I was not exercising. Maybe the aches and pains in my body were part of my wake-up call. Or maybe it was because my clothes were becoming increasingly snug, or perhaps it was my puffy face with lackluster eyes staring at me in the mirror.

Emotions and excuses were my pass to eat. I felt so many things were out of my control, and thought eating was the one "sure thing." Within the past year, I was in a career transition: Downsized after 16 years making a damn good salary, I wasn't sure what I was going to do to earn a living. I had a couple ideas, but it meant starting over. I took on a new job, which was a lot of adjusting and pressure to perform well. On top of that, a close loved one was dealing with health issues. It seemed so much was out of my control, and I increasingly turned to food as comfort and avoidance of issues. Bouts of anxiety led to nibbling, gnoshing, stashing and hiding food, and gobbling whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

I was far gone, deep in overindulgence.

You know how the average person will eat after they feel a hunger pang in their stomach? I knew something had to change when I considered this, and realized I didn't know when was the last time I had felt a hunger pang. That's not good, because I read somewhere that your organs need a chance to rest from digesting food. My organs seem to have been speaking to me in a weary voice: "Please, we are doing all we can, but you've got us on overload and working overtime!"

Now it's been a couple weeks of prayer, journaling (food log), and increased discipline. Yes, even after only a couple weeks, I feel so much better. I want to do right by my body and put whole, nourishing foods in my body. I want to be active. Instead of watching people live their lives on reality shows and as I went about my day, I decided that I want to "get in the game," so to speak. That is, the game of life. I want to live. And I am so thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus for showing me the way, and giving me the mind to try yet again to get this thing right.

And I believe you want to live, too, or you wouldn't be seeking inspiration from this blog. Let's walk, jog, bike, swim, stroll this journey together. There will be times when we don't feel like eating healthy, or feel like getting exercise. It's ok to feel that way, we just don't want to stay in those feelings, or it could turn into a rut, then a valley that we may have trouble getting out of.

Do you have comments or ideas for topics we should cover here? Contact me at escribemama@gmail.com.