"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.
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