Now, that may sound harsh but it's the reality. One of the biggest motivators to me along this weight loss/get healthy journey has been keeping a spiritual focus. It's a whole lot more about my relationship with God and my spiritual health than particulars that I eat or don't eat.
One Sunday my Pastor was talking about the fruit of the spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23I thought to myself as he went through the list, "I got this." Until he said that last one. I knew I had no self control, particularly in the area of what I ate. My evening "dish" of ice cream was more like a day's worth of calories, yet I still wanted more. I had to change my mindset.
Our bodies don't physically crave those things. Our minds do. Look at how Eve's desire changed once she went from seeing the fruit to entertaining the thought of what eating it would do for her:
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6It's no wonder the very first sin, the absolute fall of mankind, was a woman and what she decided to eat.
Does that mean we can no longer have ice cream or cookies or pasta, or whatever your "craving" may be? No. But for me it has meant having none until I have self control in the area of foods I like. I know I'm not there yet...the other day my co-host, Pastor Robin, was enjoying his hot cup of coffee and I could smell that creamy delicious french vanilla wafting across the desk. I wanted some soooo bad. (I've saved tons of calories by switching to drinking it black, but it's just not the same without the flavored creamer and sugar piled in!) I had to make a choice to not give in to that temptation and decide to be happy with the cup-o-joe I had. That's just a small example. I know I'd still do terrible damage if I had cookies or ice cream!!
Many diet plans tell you to have a cheat day or to have a small amount of whatever that item is that you enjoy so much. You have to find what is right for you. For me it's total abstinence on some things. This blog just tells you what works for me and it's my hope that it's an inspiration to you along the way.
It took a long time for me to finally get the motivation and determination to do something about my weight and health, and any time I can encourage someone else to do the same I love it, because I know what a positive difference it's made in my life. Please let me know if I can help you in any way. It's not about being thin, but about being healthy and able to serve God without the physical and mental baggage getting in the way.
First I have seen of this blog and was delighted to read it. Can't wait to read the previous ones. Thanks for sharing. I need all the inspiration I can get.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the self control. You eat something you have got to have and then you feel guilty about it afterwards. My problem is at night. I can go all day and do good but nighttime comes and it is so hard. Is there anything that you have found that maybe satisfies bit doesn't have lots of calories ? Maybe I need to just go to bed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, Cindy and Johane. For snacks in the evening there's a few I've found to be good. To take the place of ice cream, frozen bananas are cold, sweet and creamy! Take a ripe or even over-ripe banana, peel it, put it in a sandwich bag and throw it in the freezer. I like to let mine defrost for just a few minutes first so it's not too hard.
ReplyDeleteNuts and raisins are another great snack, but it's really easy to over-do it without portion control. Also Quaker Multi-Grain Fiber Crisps are yummy. Knowing they are high in fiber should help with the portion control, plus one serving is a lot so you feel like you've got a lot to snack on.
Celery is good any time. Dipped in salsa or with a thin layer of peanut butter are a couple of good ways to try it.
If you know you've already had too many calories during the day but you think you'll be tempted to snack, try brushing your teeth...then you won't want to ruin that fresh feeling. :)