Eat well, exercise, drink water, sleep, & repeat! and the weight stays on.

I have not blogged in a while. It has been a rough week. I have lost the drive to really push. Don't get me wrong I am not eating the wrong things, just not to motivated to workout. When I do work out I don't lose weight, when I don't workout I do. But when I do work out I feel better and have more energy, and when I don't...I don't. Don't judge. It would make sense for me to work out to feel better and then the weight will come off...easy for you to say when you aren't facing the fact that I HAVE worked out for far toooooooooooooo long and the weight HAS NOT dropped. I have been on this plateau way tooooooo long. It has been three months and I have only lost 5!! lbs. What?!?! I do what is right and have stayed the course. Why isn't it dropping.

Tears are forming in my eyes right now as I think about how hard I have tried. I guess the past two weeks I have kind of given up with the doing anything extra.

Somebody help me!! I need to get out of this body!! I really need someone to come over and make me do it. I just don't have the strength right now to do it when there are so many things to do around the house. I rather not eat anything than exercise. Not good I know...

French Proverb

"Gourmets dig their graves with their teeth."

Had a great week last week. This week is going pretty good also. Have lost weight and am almost at my next mountain peek! Been walking a lot lately, but haven't had a chance to do the elliptical because my knee is acting up on me. Aggravating to be ready to do something only to have to stop for mechanical problems! This journey is hard enough, now this has added insult to injury! But I keep on plugging.

Been writing down everything I eat and all my exercise. It has helped me a great deal. Was tempted last night while shopping to buy some Keebler Grasshoppers; Dark Chocolate minty goodness! I figured "2 a day wouldn't hurt me! I have been good!" but then I remembered a line from the book I am reading called, "Made to Crave", that stated any reward that isn't beneficial to your health or healthy living isn't a reward at all, it is a stumbling block. I knew if I bought them I would eat more than just "2" a day. In fact I am pretty sure the whole box would have been gone before I got home. I was desperately craving chocolate!! So I didn't buy them. I reassured myself that, "I don't deserve what those would do to me!" I would have became a chocolate monster and ate every single one of them. Let me restate that; I would have inhaled every single one of them. I wanted to right there in the store!! It took every ounce of will-power I had, which wasn't much - Praise God, He stepped in and gave me strength - to put those cookies back on the shelf and walk away. It would have tasted good for a second or three, but this morning I wouldn't have felt good and the shame would be overwhelming. Instead, I feel pretty good and my body is still on the right path. And I truly didn't miss out on anything! I went home and had a small Andés Mint instead. It satisfied my tastebuds and didn't ruin everything I have been working towards.

A wise person stated - "We never repent of having eaten too little." - I try to keep that in mind because I was made for more than this!

Wrong Question - Part II

So you know the real reason you need to start losing weight and you have the some of the knowledge to do it.
I say "some" cause you need to get some more knowledge on what is healthy for your body. Some exercises may be too strenuous for your body. For me I just started walking. Once a week I walked a mile. Then two miles. Then twice a week. Then three times a week. I also cut back on eating. I started paying attention to portion sizes. It was extremely hard the first three weeks really. I felt deprived and hungry. But I wasn't really hungry, I just thought I was, so I learned to drink water instead of eating more food.
That worked for me. I went and got a wonderful trainer to teach me exercises and to keep me accountable and encouraged. Along with a trainer I got a nutritionalist who is teaching me how to eat. You may not be able to do that, but the internet is filled with great healthy info.
Find a person to keep you accountable. Preferably someone who has been through it. Someone whose been through it can give you tips and they know the struggles. They can sympathize with you. But it is good to have someone who will also tell you like it is and not give in to you.
You have found your motivation and the answer to why. Write it down and keep that in your mind everytime you want to cheat or quit. Don't quit. Don't give-up. It will come off. It will be a slow process at times, it may even stall, but it will come off. 1 pound at a time. 2 lbs a week is good!! and any weightloss a week is good!

Now....just DO IT! Go ahead, start walking....

Wrong Question - Part I

This is a message God gave me yesterday that I just started preaching out loud to myself when no one else was home. Please note God gets all the glory for this. He gave this to me to empower me. I pray it will do the same for you.

When someone asks me "How did you lose weight?", I have learned that they are asking the wrong question. Because honestly, when you think about it, everyone knows HOW to lose weight. Everyone. Two words. Diet & Exercise. That is how. You aren't going to be able to do it any other way and have success losing and keeping it off! It just ain't gonna happen.

So then what is the question that should be asked? I am convinced, from my past experiences that it should be "Why did you lose the weight?" or to make it more personal, which is what needs to be done, one should ask, "Why do I need to lose the weight?". Why do you need to? Why do you want to? What is your reason? Is it to look good? Is it to be healthier? Maybe you need to go deeper. What is the real reason you look at people who are thin or have lost weight and feel that longing to be like them? Is it so you can feel better physically? Is it so you will be around to see your kids graduate? Get married? Is it to be able to see your grandkids not only grow up but play with them before they do grow up? Or could it be even more personal, like, so you will fit into your spouse's arms? Maybe you need to lose the weight because you know you are not able to physically do what you are called to do. Are you not able to fulfill your purpose because of too much extra weight or you aren't physically in shape? 

What is your "Why?" Until you are able to answer that question openly and honestly you will continue to try and fail at losing weight or getting in shape. Think about it. Pray about it. Ask the One who knows all things to reveal it to you.  And be ready to do some hard looking at your life. 

When you have the answer read Part II.

Encouragement for the Soul

“I freed a thousand slaves.  I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” Harriet Tubman

I was a slave to my food addiction, but I didn't know it.  I would do whatever it wanted me to do. I never said no, but always thought I was in control. Some control, I coward in front of cake. I whined for lack of chocolate. I was no match for the power of food, and had no idea what a stronghold it was to me.

However,

I am freed in the name of Jesus Christ, who is my strength!! I don't have to bow to my addictions anymore. I no longer have to feel ashamed and weak. I am not strong in my own strength but in the Creator of all things, Jehovah God. He is my strength; He is my provider; He is my healer. He has broken my chains of slavery, for I was in bondage to food, and has set me free. 

Free to live my life on purpose! With a purpose! For a purpose! Praise be to Him alone!

-Just had to share that! 

Struggle

As the title denotes, I have really been struggling! And then lying to myself that I am not. I am! I don't want to give up. I just really don't know what else to do. In doing nothing I kinda have given up. Been slipping on my diet. Just a small bit everyday, but it is everyday. I tell myself that it isn't that bad, but it is. It starts with a little bit and grows from there. I also tell myself not to be so hard on myself, I will get back on course, but I haven't gotten back on course and it has been over two weeks!! I lie and say, Tomorrow, I will get back on it Tomorrow....but tomorrow never comes.

Please pray tomorrow comes soon!

Party!! what to have that I can eat...

My son Timothy graduated tonight. So we had a small party for him. That is probably the hardest part for me in my weightloss journey (wlj). I never know what kind of food to fix or serve and celebrations call for cakes! There needs to be a healthier solution. I did get cupcakes so there were single servings. I ate 3/4th of it. But I had fried chicken and potato salad also! It was quick to buy and easy. I didn't have time to fix anything myself,so I took the easy way out.
Everyone liked it, and Tim was blessed and had a great time. I can't believe how grown up he is!
What would be a good alternative to cake?