Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. Like most of you, I indulged myself during the time-frame of mid-November (cruise time!) through Christmas. The end result was a weight regain of 7 lbs. The old me would have been very distressed about this, but I now take these things in stride. EVERYONE gains some weight around the holidays. The true test is what happens afterwards.

At the end of December, I began my low-carb eating again, and I’m happy to report that I’ve lost 3 lbs since then. It wasn’t easy, but I never really gave up my low-carb mentality (even when I was eating more carbs during the holidays). I’ve remained true to my turkey bacon-and-cheese breakfasts the whole way through. My husband said I was to blame if there were not enough turkeys for everyone else for Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

I’ve had my struggles over the last few days and wanted to “stress eat” very badly. I actually prayed while driving home one evening, after a particularly stressful day, for the Lord to help me not to turn into McDonalds for an ice cream cone. He came through, of course. The line at McDonald’s was LONG, so I drove by easily. 

I also asked the Lord to provide me with a sign that He was with me now, and especially over the next few days as we have an upcoming bariatric Center of Excellence survey. I returned to my office after lunch to find a note on my desk with a header of “Jesus Calling.” A Hug From Heaven! Can you believe that? It contained a beautiful verse announcing “Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present Help.” I was so moved, I actually had tears. Thank you Lord for the reminder. 

Whether my struggle is with weight regain or just the day-to-day operations of the office, God is with me. He is with you as well. Turn to Him, lean on Him, let Him guide you and help you remain at peace. As I begin 2015, I know all will be well. I will continue to keep you informed of my progress and my tips along the way as I continue my weight-loss journey. I ask that you keep me in your prayers, because we all need prayer.

Refocus on the Pay Off

I’m checking in again after two more weeks….and what a couple of weeks it has been. I sincerely hope that you are all well and that flood waters did not cause anyone serious damage. My home remained dry but I have seen signs of the devastation it caused in my mom’s neighborhood. I see people who have lost belongings….people who must now refocus their energies and monies in a way they never believed possible before last week. Even in this tragedy, neighbors are helping each other….rising above their circumstances and moving forward. 

I find that I must also rise above my circumstances. I’ve let obstacles get me off track with my food choices and exercise goals. I, too, must refocus my energies and attempt course correction. To me, course correction comes from admitting my weakness, praying to God for strength, and having faith that He will supply me with that strength.

Admitting my weaknesses does not mean just saying “I’m weak, Lord.” It means taking serious accountability for my choices. Every day I have the choice to eat in a healthy manner and to exercise. I am responsible for my actions….every choice I have made to date has put me in my current position…no one but me can change my behaviors. Temptation is always there and I have to learn to deal with it---because it certainly knows how to deal with me. That is they way that addictions work. So, I’m asking everyone to pray for me during the next two weeks. I’m going to focus on finding something fun to do that involves exercise. I want to rediscover the fun in exercise by doing something that makes me laugh—while I sweat. I think that dancing might just pay off:

The pay off for my body:  Enjoyable activities keep me motivated and means I’ll make time for it.

The pay off for my mind:  I’ll start to view exercise as play and not mindless work.

The pay off for my soul:  The silliness and child like fun will boost my spirit.

The next time I write, I’ll let you know what I tried and if it worked for me.

FYI----my house is back together and area rugs are on my new tile floors. Painting is next and will commence in a few weeks. I’m going to put on upbeat music and have a painting party----I’ll get my “painting groove” on. Oh  yeah…I’ve got moves…LOL