January 29 - Day 2
Scripture Affirmation:
The God of hope fills me with joy and peace as I trust in Him.
"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
Action: Build the habit of having water with you at all time. Determine the amount of water your body needs.
Body weight / 2 = targeted ounces of water per day.
For me, 104oz.
Build the habit of physically serving my husband in a special way. Determine the amount of time I will give to the nightly neck-rub. 15 minutes of focused time. (no baby, computer, tv, reading)
Afternoon Entry:
I didn't read this until now and I should have read it this morning. I got busy with choring and did not have my water bottle with me until almost lunch time. I came downstairs hunting for it and I WAS THIRSTY! I got 20oz down in a flash and have been drinking like that ever since. My body is really craving the water now that it's getting it. I'm at 80oz already today. I had a couple of cups of caffeinated coffee this morning, so I want to be sure to get in a couple extra bottles (20oz) of water, too.
The affirmation above is filled with words that swell my heart. Hope, peace, trust, completely, joy, confident, overflow, power. These are all words I crave in my life...just like my body is craving this water. I can't get enough of the fact that the Lord holds out HOPE to me in the midst of so many areas in my life that feel like struggles. He offers me peace in the midst of the crazy chaos in my days right now. He calls me to TRUST HIM instead of relying on myself and my own foolish coping hangups. He promises me JOY and PEACE when I simply trust HIM instead of myself. He tells me I will OVERFLOW with CONFIDENT hope and He will show POWER in my life! Oh, how I am desparate to overflow with His goodness rather than my own fears and weaknesses. My God is a God of HOPE and He FILLS me...ME...with His joy and peace as I keep moving forward....trusting HIM.
Evening Entry:
160oz water, less 40 to account for 2 cups of caffeine. :)
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
The Vice-Busting Diet
Reading a new book The Vice-Busting Diet by Julia Griggs Havey
Introduction:
"Deprivation is not living without certain foods but living with them and being depreived of your true health and happiness."
"I simply looked at my life and decided to change one negative habit (sin) at a time. I didn't do anything too drastic and I didn't do anything that I couldn't stick with for the rest of my life. And I gave up the fairy tale that simply losing weight would solve all my problems and give me everything I wanted. Instead, I focused on taking steps to do what I could do today--because today, right now, was (and is) all we have."
Definition of a Diet Vice: any habitual action that is keeping you from reaching and maintaing a healthy weight. (i.e., specific foods, portions, activity choices)
Chapter 3:
"For any of your goals to become a reality, you must focus on all the benefits of beign fit and living a healthy lifestyle before you begin to take action. Doing so on a regular basis will provide more strength, motivation, and desire to succeed."
"When you take the time to do one thing at a time, you will improve the quality of each task. You can achieve a major goal by looking at the smallest achievable goals that you can accomplish."
"Actions are the daily tasks you can complete while workign toward your ultimate goal. You can't change your weight today without first changing what you do."
"You may think the scale is a way to keep score--it's not! Okay, it may be a way to note your progress, but it is the least important way. If the scale were the best way to keep track of your progress, you could fool everyone and use unhealthy and dangerous ways to lose weight."
"Think about only working on developing positive habits. And there are two parts to that: positive, which means it must be healthy; and habits, which means you want your actions to become permanent."
"Putting your focus on only your actions, not your weight, and only on one action at a time is one of the aspects of this program that differentiates it from any other diet plan."
"The key to getting over the hump is persistence and patience. You can't speed up time, and you also must be persistent with your intial actions. That means not letting excuses get in the way of doing what you need to do."
"The key to success isn't a matter of following the right eating plan; it is a matter of getting rid of the wrong eating plan."
This is an interesting book. Her premise is simple and it caught my eye because it deals with changing habits and making longterm lifestyle changes. She isn't touting a quick-fix or a formula that involves secrets or key ingredients. She tells you to look at what you do right now and change it. I love the biblical concept behind her method that you put off the old (sinful) self and put on the new (redeemed) man. You do this by identifying the vice (or sin) and replacing it with the virtue that will bring about the actions and results that honor the Lord. She doesn't present it this way in the book. I haven't yet read any mention of faith or the Lord. But, the underlying principle is there and it convinces me that this "method" of weight loss works because it's based on that truth. As the last quote above shows, our righteousness is not about following a list of rules but living in the grace the Lord has granted. We allow him to purge us of the wrong plans in our lives (sin) and replace them with His grace and power to make those choices that bear fruit. This applies to all areas of our lives, including how we care for our bodies.
I'm going to give this the 21 day commitment she suggests and see where it leads. Along with her suggestions for the gradual, simple changes to my physical body, I'd like to add in a simple change for the area in my life that the Lord is also dealing heavily with me; my marriage. From the inside out, I want to see the Lord shine His healing into my life.
One aspect of this program is speaking daily affirmations to yourself. The affirmation she lists seems harmless enough, but I can't help thinking how much more effective it will be to speak God's truth to myself daily instead. I'm going to pray and hunt for the right words to keep me properly focused on His truths and their power to change me.
Tomorrow I'll begin with her Day 1, listing my actions and whatever notes and insights I gain from that day's and each subsequent day's reading.
Introduction:
"Deprivation is not living without certain foods but living with them and being depreived of your true health and happiness."
"I simply looked at my life and decided to change one negative habit (sin) at a time. I didn't do anything too drastic and I didn't do anything that I couldn't stick with for the rest of my life. And I gave up the fairy tale that simply losing weight would solve all my problems and give me everything I wanted. Instead, I focused on taking steps to do what I could do today--because today, right now, was (and is) all we have."
Definition of a Diet Vice: any habitual action that is keeping you from reaching and maintaing a healthy weight. (i.e., specific foods, portions, activity choices)
Chapter 3:
"For any of your goals to become a reality, you must focus on all the benefits of beign fit and living a healthy lifestyle before you begin to take action. Doing so on a regular basis will provide more strength, motivation, and desire to succeed."
"When you take the time to do one thing at a time, you will improve the quality of each task. You can achieve a major goal by looking at the smallest achievable goals that you can accomplish."
"Actions are the daily tasks you can complete while workign toward your ultimate goal. You can't change your weight today without first changing what you do."
"You may think the scale is a way to keep score--it's not! Okay, it may be a way to note your progress, but it is the least important way. If the scale were the best way to keep track of your progress, you could fool everyone and use unhealthy and dangerous ways to lose weight."
"Think about only working on developing positive habits. And there are two parts to that: positive, which means it must be healthy; and habits, which means you want your actions to become permanent."
"Putting your focus on only your actions, not your weight, and only on one action at a time is one of the aspects of this program that differentiates it from any other diet plan."
"The key to getting over the hump is persistence and patience. You can't speed up time, and you also must be persistent with your intial actions. That means not letting excuses get in the way of doing what you need to do."
"The key to success isn't a matter of following the right eating plan; it is a matter of getting rid of the wrong eating plan."
This is an interesting book. Her premise is simple and it caught my eye because it deals with changing habits and making longterm lifestyle changes. She isn't touting a quick-fix or a formula that involves secrets or key ingredients. She tells you to look at what you do right now and change it. I love the biblical concept behind her method that you put off the old (sinful) self and put on the new (redeemed) man. You do this by identifying the vice (or sin) and replacing it with the virtue that will bring about the actions and results that honor the Lord. She doesn't present it this way in the book. I haven't yet read any mention of faith or the Lord. But, the underlying principle is there and it convinces me that this "method" of weight loss works because it's based on that truth. As the last quote above shows, our righteousness is not about following a list of rules but living in the grace the Lord has granted. We allow him to purge us of the wrong plans in our lives (sin) and replace them with His grace and power to make those choices that bear fruit. This applies to all areas of our lives, including how we care for our bodies.
I'm going to give this the 21 day commitment she suggests and see where it leads. Along with her suggestions for the gradual, simple changes to my physical body, I'd like to add in a simple change for the area in my life that the Lord is also dealing heavily with me; my marriage. From the inside out, I want to see the Lord shine His healing into my life.
One aspect of this program is speaking daily affirmations to yourself. The affirmation she lists seems harmless enough, but I can't help thinking how much more effective it will be to speak God's truth to myself daily instead. I'm going to pray and hunt for the right words to keep me properly focused on His truths and their power to change me.
Tomorrow I'll begin with her Day 1, listing my actions and whatever notes and insights I gain from that day's and each subsequent day's reading.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday January 10, 2012
Today's Good Things:
Up at 5:30am
10 minutes of standing pilates this morning (whew!)
Shower with no interruptions :)
Bible and journal
Followed my menu plan decently
Date night - voted!
20 minutes pilates this evening (total body and flexibility)
Today's Not So Good Things:
Couch schooled and delegated most of the day due to morning nausea and afternoon headache. (I thought I was over this stuff)
No afternoon walk
Today was decent considering how I was feeling. I am having such a hard time in the first part of the day. Nausea, headaches, and just overall ickiness. It doesn't feel the same as my regular morning sickness, but it's enough to keep me from the Get Up and Go that I need right now. So much for the second trimester push. I remember struggling like this last time, too. Feeling so frustrated that my second trimester wasn't the great, energetic, Get It Done time it normally is. I'm not sure if this is related to my blood sugar struggles or simply being pregnant.
I'll list my food choices for the day. I haven't been doing that because I was simply following the menu I made. But, lately I've been substituting a lot and not always as careful since I'm not testing. I think reporting here will add some accountablity.
Breakfast: 2 slices ww toast, buttered and peanut buttered (my favorite way)
Morning Snack: 2-3 oz cheddar cheese, 7 reduced fat triscuit crackers
Lunch: 1/2 large cheese quesadilla, 3 oz turkey breast, carrot sticks with about 1 tbs sour cream dip, 2-3 tbs salsa
Afternoon Snack: orange, diet soda
Dinner: Baked haddock with cracker crumb topping, 1/2 baked potato with butter, 1/4 cup overcooked vegies (blech), water
Evening Snack: 3 sugar free mini chocolate candies (that was my date-night alternative to the ice cream everyone else shared.) ;-)
I need to up my vegies, but I did a great job making my choices at dinner tonight. I resisted some major tempations including ice cream for dessert. Probably it helped that I wasn't feeling very well and nothing much sounded very good.
So, I'm super happy that I got in my morning and evening exercise today. I'm really hoping I can feel well enough to push myself out the door for a walk tomorrrow. Another unusual day as I go to meet with another mother from my hs group for a bible study in the morning. That means I'll be playing a bit of catch up the rest of the day. David is working late tomorrow, though, so that will buy me some time to do it.
Almost bedtime and I'm happy to say that getting up early and getting in some simple exercise has helped me get tired at the right time. No more staying up until 11pm or even midnight for me! Whew!!
Note for Brandy: The pilates workout video I use is 10 Minute Solution: Prenatal Pilates the instructor is Lizbeth Garcia. I don't even know if it's available anymore. I bought it about 3 babies ago at Best Buy, so it could already be obsolete, yk? Also, pilates has it's founding in the new age ying/yang type stuff so you'll hear plenty of references to those ideas as many of the exercises are named "hugging the tree" and other goofy things like that. I just ignore it, but I know it is offensive to some.
I have always like pilates while pregnant because it is a gentle workout, but very effective. I always FEEL the workout later and know I'm using my muscles in a big way. But, it isn't a difficult thing to do, especially in 10 minute segments. I will admit, though, that I'm so out of shape that the 10 minute standing pilates had me completely out of breath this morning. ACK! It also works hard to strengthen your core and feels SO good on my lower back as they focus on those areas. I often use the pilates moves I like best just to work with my sciatica and lower back pain when it's at its worst. It's been a great tool for me over the years.
Up at 5:30am
10 minutes of standing pilates this morning (whew!)
Shower with no interruptions :)
Bible and journal
Followed my menu plan decently
Date night - voted!
20 minutes pilates this evening (total body and flexibility)
Today's Not So Good Things:
Couch schooled and delegated most of the day due to morning nausea and afternoon headache. (I thought I was over this stuff)
No afternoon walk
Today was decent considering how I was feeling. I am having such a hard time in the first part of the day. Nausea, headaches, and just overall ickiness. It doesn't feel the same as my regular morning sickness, but it's enough to keep me from the Get Up and Go that I need right now. So much for the second trimester push. I remember struggling like this last time, too. Feeling so frustrated that my second trimester wasn't the great, energetic, Get It Done time it normally is. I'm not sure if this is related to my blood sugar struggles or simply being pregnant.
I'll list my food choices for the day. I haven't been doing that because I was simply following the menu I made. But, lately I've been substituting a lot and not always as careful since I'm not testing. I think reporting here will add some accountablity.
Breakfast: 2 slices ww toast, buttered and peanut buttered (my favorite way)
Morning Snack: 2-3 oz cheddar cheese, 7 reduced fat triscuit crackers
Lunch: 1/2 large cheese quesadilla, 3 oz turkey breast, carrot sticks with about 1 tbs sour cream dip, 2-3 tbs salsa
Afternoon Snack: orange, diet soda
Dinner: Baked haddock with cracker crumb topping, 1/2 baked potato with butter, 1/4 cup overcooked vegies (blech), water
Evening Snack: 3 sugar free mini chocolate candies (that was my date-night alternative to the ice cream everyone else shared.) ;-)
I need to up my vegies, but I did a great job making my choices at dinner tonight. I resisted some major tempations including ice cream for dessert. Probably it helped that I wasn't feeling very well and nothing much sounded very good.
So, I'm super happy that I got in my morning and evening exercise today. I'm really hoping I can feel well enough to push myself out the door for a walk tomorrrow. Another unusual day as I go to meet with another mother from my hs group for a bible study in the morning. That means I'll be playing a bit of catch up the rest of the day. David is working late tomorrow, though, so that will buy me some time to do it.
Almost bedtime and I'm happy to say that getting up early and getting in some simple exercise has helped me get tired at the right time. No more staying up until 11pm or even midnight for me! Whew!!
Note for Brandy: The pilates workout video I use is 10 Minute Solution: Prenatal Pilates the instructor is Lizbeth Garcia. I don't even know if it's available anymore. I bought it about 3 babies ago at Best Buy, so it could already be obsolete, yk? Also, pilates has it's founding in the new age ying/yang type stuff so you'll hear plenty of references to those ideas as many of the exercises are named "hugging the tree" and other goofy things like that. I just ignore it, but I know it is offensive to some.
I have always like pilates while pregnant because it is a gentle workout, but very effective. I always FEEL the workout later and know I'm using my muscles in a big way. But, it isn't a difficult thing to do, especially in 10 minute segments. I will admit, though, that I'm so out of shape that the 10 minute standing pilates had me completely out of breath this morning. ACK! It also works hard to strengthen your core and feels SO good on my lower back as they focus on those areas. I often use the pilates moves I like best just to work with my sciatica and lower back pain when it's at its worst. It's been a great tool for me over the years.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Active Patience
I was updating my notes from the book I'm reading. As I was doing so, I felt this topic warranted it's own post. I am struck by the truth it holds and the simple way it challenges me in this journey. Here are some quotes and my thoughts I wanted to get down.
"The testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing."
James 1:3-4
James 1:3-4
"...we often think of patience and waiting as an empty time--a time of doing nothing. But waiting can be a very important, even critical, time in our development.
Patience benefits our souls as much as it ever does our bodies. Remember, the Apostle Paul charged us to 'run with perseverance the race that is set before us' (Heb 12:1). Even in the midst of running a race, patience is key. Without patience, endurance and perseverance, discouragement sets in. And with discouragement comes defeat. Patience is not a passive time. Patience is a time of growing.
I'm encouraging active patience--patience that comes with taking the first step in the direction you know you need to go--perseverance. Paul didn't say to 'sit on the sidelines with your patience.' He clearly said to join the race.
You have joined the race. Patience will help you get to the goal line because it will help you put one foot in front of the other at a steady pace instead of sprinting out fast, wearing yourself out, and not finishing the race.
'...when you do one thing right--at the right time--the next thing works even better, and you, one day, will become what you want to become.'
People who lose weight and keep it off don't need to be extreme. Patience keeps them steady."
I find amazing encouragement and a bit of chiding in these words. I admit, I want to be skinny now. Well, truth be told, I'd be happy if it was yesterday. ;-) I confess, I get so upset and irritated when I work so hard for great results and they don't come fast enough. It's true, I hate being told I need to "just be patient". However, I find great empowerment in this concept of Active Patience. It is true that when I think of patience, I equate that with sitting still and doing nothing. Yet, that is so far from the truth. Patience IS perseverance. Patience is ENDURANCE. Those are ACTIVE words. Those things require me to work and to work HARD. And, they hold hope and promise for a reward.
Honestly, I have such a great mountain to climb, I need all the Active Patience the Lord will grant. Yet, I can already see that the testing of my faith in this area is certainly creating an endurance I've never known. I can't remember the last time I have had to work so hard for so long, inching my way to my goal. This endurance that I am learning will one day have it's full effect. One day I will be mature and complete, lacking in nothing, and it will be because of the Active Patience the Lord created in me during this time. Therefore, I will not wish away this challenge. I will not envy those who are progressing faster than I am or have already met their goals. I will rejoice that the Lord has chosen yet another area in my life to refine and change so that I may develop the maturity and become complete in Him.
How truly grateful I am for the Lord's continued work in my life. He never stops transforming my life.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A Lesson from John the Baptist
A Lesson from John the Baptist:
John ate to live; he did not live to eat. John was busy serving his master; and his master was not his own hunger. Food was his servant, not his friend...
The above quote is from the book I've been reading. I added some more notes tonite. Great thoughts on exercise, food, habits, and walking in the Lord's strength.
You can find the link on the page titled My Tools.
John ate to live; he did not live to eat. John was busy serving his master; and his master was not his own hunger. Food was his servant, not his friend...
The above quote is from the book I've been reading. I added some more notes tonite. Great thoughts on exercise, food, habits, and walking in the Lord's strength.
You can find the link on the page titled My Tools.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Updating My Reading Notes
I added some great quotes from the book I'm reading. I started part 2 earlier this week and have been greatly challenged. If ever you want to find this page of quotes other than following the link noted in this post, click on the My Tools button near the top of my blog to get there.
Here are a couple thoughts you'll find there:
"Little is much if God is in it. Learn to live a simple life and eat accordingly."
"Daniel looked beyond food. The Bible says he did not let food defile him; but he also did not let food define him..."
"Instead of working toward perfection in weight management, the people who suceed inch toward progress."
"There are no shortcuts to successful weight management and good health -- physical or spiritual health."
Here are a couple thoughts you'll find there:
"Little is much if God is in it. Learn to live a simple life and eat accordingly."
"Daniel looked beyond food. The Bible says he did not let food defile him; but he also did not let food define him..."
"Instead of working toward perfection in weight management, the people who suceed inch toward progress."
"There are no shortcuts to successful weight management and good health -- physical or spiritual health."
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Spiritual Path to Weight Loss - Quotes
The following are quotes from the book, The Spiritual Path to Weight Loss: Praising God by Living a Healthy Life by Gregory L. Jantz, Ph. D.
"If food meant love, who wouldn't want bushels of it?" p. 10
"Food is not the problem, and therefore, food is not the cure." p. 11
"The antidote to dieting is to live a truly authentic, balanced, healthy life as a person who is growing into the individual that God has created you to be." p. 11
"When one works on the development of the whole person, food will assume its natural role." p. 20
"She thought she was doomed to a second-rate life. Ann thought her weight was her cross to bear in life. Just something she had to live with. She thought she would always be the caterpillar and never the butterfly." p. 22
"God loves you right now. Before you've thrown out your Twinkies and stocked up on carrot sticks. Before you've walked a mile or climbed a single stair. God loves you just the way you are right now." p. 25
"People who lose weight permanently don't even know how to spell the word blame anymore; they are that far removed from pinning the rap on others. They simply recognize what happened and know that now is the time to get unstuck." p. 29
"To lose weight, you have to slow down, re-evaluate the facts, and slowly change the course of your life." p. 47
"Don't let your body stop you from experiencing all of life, no matter what shape your body is in." p. 48
"...we humans have a tendency to crucify ourselves between two thieves: the regret of yesterday and the fear of tomorrow." p. 49
"Be too grand for worry, too hopeful for despair, too kind to hurt another, and too committed to healthy weight loss to give up." p. 50
"Have you ever said, 'I don't have time'? What you really meant was, 'I've not yet made it a priority. It's not important to me. I have ohter things I'd rather do.'
People who lose weight and keep it off know that the process takes time. It's a process that cannot be rushed." "...weight loss is a journey of progress, not perfection."
"Do you want to be a sunflower, born of the warm, summer ground in a heartbeat, but wilting a few weeks later? Or are you willing to discipline yourself to become an oak tree--sturdy, strong, healthy, and built for the long haul?" p. 52
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 2
The Example of Daniel
"Little is much if God is in it. Learn to live a simple life and eat accordingly."
"Daniel could have taken the King's buffet as his right. After all, Daniel was a captive; he deserved some reward for his suffering. For many of the people I see, the desire to have a reward or comfort for their pain is a powerful reason to overeat. When all else is wrong in their life, it is easy to make a donut their best friend."
"He knew that the man who controlled his appetite was the man whom God honored."
"Daniel looked beyond food. The Bible says he did not let food defile him; but he also did not let food define him...Since the delicacies in the king's rations had been offered to idols, Daniel knew they were not good for his soul. Therefore, they were not good for his body." p. 58-59
"Daniel's real triumph wasn't in the fiery furnace. It was gained, first, at the banqueting table. If he hadn't triumphed over his appetites, he never would have had faith to face the furnace." p.61
"...people who lose weight successfully do not rely on the stuff most diets are made of. They are looking at mroe than the food they eat or don't eat. They are looking at the overall good for their bodies, minds, souls.
Instead of working toward perfection in weight management, the people who suceed inch toward progress.
No longer do such people feel trapped and immobilized by weight. Instead they begin to see themselves as individuals for whom the issue of weight is only one component of a complete, balanced life." p. 60-61
There are no shortcuts to successful weight management and good health -- physical or spiritual health. The balanced life takes time. And it all begins with one step in the right direction.
...take that step in the right direction by asking yourself, 'What is best for my body, mind, and soul?'" p. 67
Never again do you need to be controlled by external forces to lose weight. You don't need to be controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit who has been assigned to you as a comforter and friend for all the areas of your life--including your weight. p. 81 (See Philippians 4:8)
The questions people who lose weight effectively ask themselves are, What does my body need today? What kind of food shall I eat? What sort of exercise is most appropriate? What kind of activity level is best for me? p.85
Exercise is not about feeling guilty for what you can't or choose not to, do. The guiltier you feel, the less exercise you will do; the less exercise you do, the guiltier you will feel; and your guilt cycle will produce depression, confusion, and anger to the point where your entire system may simply close down. The solution: Do what is right for you. (i.e. that which is enjoyable and fitting for your lifestyle so that you will want to continue doing it.) p. 87
Every activity you do counts toward your total health.
People who lose weight effectively know that weight loss is all about personal freedom and liberation, never a set of rules set down by others. People who learn to live a healthy, balanced life say goodbye to extreme behavior in every area of their lives--including what they do for their daily activity.
Don't make a big plan. Make a small plan that you will stick to, and then add to the small plan when you've made it a habit. Remember, you are walking a spiritual path, and any path is to be taken one step at a time. pgs. 88-89
A Lesson from John the Baptist:
John ate to live; he did not live to eat. John was busy serving his master; and his master was not his own hunger. Food was his servant, not his friend...
When you are serious about losing weight, you will demand of yourself that you develop a new relationship with food--which may actually mean taking a fresh new look at life in general. That's because the energy you spend focusing on food, on eating, and on dieting is energy that may be taking away from other areas of your life
This is what we can learn from John the Baptist: Food is sustenance. We need food to live....throughout the Bible the message about food is this--do not put your faith in food. Food will not love you. Food will not heal your pain. Food will not help you manage your anger.
It's time to put food in it's place in your life. p. 91-93
Thinking thin doesn't work because it's not a thinking problem. It's a whole-person problem. People who lose weight understand they need a paradigm shift of the highest order. A paradigm shift is when you look at some familiar thing completely differently. p. 94
Losing weight is not only about what you put in your mouth. It's about what you put in your heart and soul as well. There are "junk food" thoughts just like there are "junk food" cupcakes. These are thoughts that do not nourish us; they may look attractive, but they have no real value. Envy is high on the list of junk food thoughts. p. 108
We can't cultivate the flowers in our own garden when we are hanging over the fence wishing we had the fowers in someone else's garden. p. 119
Your body needs time to lose the weight so that it's fat you lose and not muscle or water. Weight that comes off quickly goes back on even quicker and usually brings a few more pounds with it to keep it company.
Building a healthy body is like building a healthy soul. It takes time. p. 122
Active Patience
"If food meant love, who wouldn't want bushels of it?" p. 10
"Food is not the problem, and therefore, food is not the cure." p. 11
"The antidote to dieting is to live a truly authentic, balanced, healthy life as a person who is growing into the individual that God has created you to be." p. 11
"When one works on the development of the whole person, food will assume its natural role." p. 20
"She thought she was doomed to a second-rate life. Ann thought her weight was her cross to bear in life. Just something she had to live with. She thought she would always be the caterpillar and never the butterfly." p. 22
"God loves you right now. Before you've thrown out your Twinkies and stocked up on carrot sticks. Before you've walked a mile or climbed a single stair. God loves you just the way you are right now." p. 25
"People who lose weight permanently don't even know how to spell the word blame anymore; they are that far removed from pinning the rap on others. They simply recognize what happened and know that now is the time to get unstuck." p. 29
"To lose weight, you have to slow down, re-evaluate the facts, and slowly change the course of your life." p. 47
"Don't let your body stop you from experiencing all of life, no matter what shape your body is in." p. 48
"...we humans have a tendency to crucify ourselves between two thieves: the regret of yesterday and the fear of tomorrow." p. 49
"Be too grand for worry, too hopeful for despair, too kind to hurt another, and too committed to healthy weight loss to give up." p. 50
"Have you ever said, 'I don't have time'? What you really meant was, 'I've not yet made it a priority. It's not important to me. I have ohter things I'd rather do.'
People who lose weight and keep it off know that the process takes time. It's a process that cannot be rushed." "...weight loss is a journey of progress, not perfection."
"Do you want to be a sunflower, born of the warm, summer ground in a heartbeat, but wilting a few weeks later? Or are you willing to discipline yourself to become an oak tree--sturdy, strong, healthy, and built for the long haul?" p. 52
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Part 2
The Example of Daniel
"Little is much if God is in it. Learn to live a simple life and eat accordingly."
"Daniel could have taken the King's buffet as his right. After all, Daniel was a captive; he deserved some reward for his suffering. For many of the people I see, the desire to have a reward or comfort for their pain is a powerful reason to overeat. When all else is wrong in their life, it is easy to make a donut their best friend."
"He knew that the man who controlled his appetite was the man whom God honored."
"Daniel looked beyond food. The Bible says he did not let food defile him; but he also did not let food define him...Since the delicacies in the king's rations had been offered to idols, Daniel knew they were not good for his soul. Therefore, they were not good for his body." p. 58-59
"Daniel's real triumph wasn't in the fiery furnace. It was gained, first, at the banqueting table. If he hadn't triumphed over his appetites, he never would have had faith to face the furnace." p.61
"...people who lose weight successfully do not rely on the stuff most diets are made of. They are looking at mroe than the food they eat or don't eat. They are looking at the overall good for their bodies, minds, souls.
Instead of working toward perfection in weight management, the people who suceed inch toward progress.
No longer do such people feel trapped and immobilized by weight. Instead they begin to see themselves as individuals for whom the issue of weight is only one component of a complete, balanced life." p. 60-61
There are no shortcuts to successful weight management and good health -- physical or spiritual health. The balanced life takes time. And it all begins with one step in the right direction.
...take that step in the right direction by asking yourself, 'What is best for my body, mind, and soul?'" p. 67
Never again do you need to be controlled by external forces to lose weight. You don't need to be controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit who has been assigned to you as a comforter and friend for all the areas of your life--including your weight. p. 81 (See Philippians 4:8)
The questions people who lose weight effectively ask themselves are, What does my body need today? What kind of food shall I eat? What sort of exercise is most appropriate? What kind of activity level is best for me? p.85
Exercise is not about feeling guilty for what you can't or choose not to, do. The guiltier you feel, the less exercise you will do; the less exercise you do, the guiltier you will feel; and your guilt cycle will produce depression, confusion, and anger to the point where your entire system may simply close down. The solution: Do what is right for you. (i.e. that which is enjoyable and fitting for your lifestyle so that you will want to continue doing it.) p. 87
Every activity you do counts toward your total health.
People who lose weight effectively know that weight loss is all about personal freedom and liberation, never a set of rules set down by others. People who learn to live a healthy, balanced life say goodbye to extreme behavior in every area of their lives--including what they do for their daily activity.
Don't make a big plan. Make a small plan that you will stick to, and then add to the small plan when you've made it a habit. Remember, you are walking a spiritual path, and any path is to be taken one step at a time. pgs. 88-89
A Lesson from John the Baptist:
John ate to live; he did not live to eat. John was busy serving his master; and his master was not his own hunger. Food was his servant, not his friend...
When you are serious about losing weight, you will demand of yourself that you develop a new relationship with food--which may actually mean taking a fresh new look at life in general. That's because the energy you spend focusing on food, on eating, and on dieting is energy that may be taking away from other areas of your life
This is what we can learn from John the Baptist: Food is sustenance. We need food to live....throughout the Bible the message about food is this--do not put your faith in food. Food will not love you. Food will not heal your pain. Food will not help you manage your anger.
It's time to put food in it's place in your life. p. 91-93
Thinking thin doesn't work because it's not a thinking problem. It's a whole-person problem. People who lose weight understand they need a paradigm shift of the highest order. A paradigm shift is when you look at some familiar thing completely differently. p. 94
Losing weight is not only about what you put in your mouth. It's about what you put in your heart and soul as well. There are "junk food" thoughts just like there are "junk food" cupcakes. These are thoughts that do not nourish us; they may look attractive, but they have no real value. Envy is high on the list of junk food thoughts. p. 108
We can't cultivate the flowers in our own garden when we are hanging over the fence wishing we had the fowers in someone else's garden. p. 119
Your body needs time to lose the weight so that it's fat you lose and not muscle or water. Weight that comes off quickly goes back on even quicker and usually brings a few more pounds with it to keep it company.
Building a healthy body is like building a healthy soul. It takes time. p. 122
Active Patience
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