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.

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