So, I'm basically back to Square One! My weight has a "set point" like a thermostat and if I don't continually exercise I go right back to that. Exercising has been difficult since my knee injury three years ago. The knee is better but now I have severe hip bursitis. I have been in physical therapy twice. It works for awhile and doesn't. All summer I've been thinking about what to do. It is important to me to become healthier and to do my part to live as long as possible for my wonderful family that YHVH has given me late in life! I've decided that the best thing for me to do is to jump back in to blogging. That gives me a little bit of accountability and a way to make a commit. So here I am. Never give up!
In the past I have balked at meal planning, but now I think I'll give it a hand. Because my family honors the 7th day Sabbath, my meal planning has changed some. It takes some planning to prepare ahead of time, our festive meal for Friday night as we celebrate the beginning of Sabbath and also make one or two meals for lunch and dinner on Sabbath at home or to take with us to our fellowship/worship meeting. And sometimes I forget about items in the refrigerator and they need to be thrown out! Such a waste! Planning will help reduce and hopefully eliminate this.
Today I've been looking online for some free planning calendars. So far, I found these at The Project Girl. Vertex42 has a variety and if you like using Excel you can download the files there to use, OR you can use the pdf files and print them right out. My favorite resource for homeschooling forms and calendars, Donna Young, has some options as well.
For now I am going to print out some and see which works best for me, then I'll either download and available Excel file or figure out how to make one myself.
If you have done menu planning, I would like to hear from you. What helped? What didn't? Anything you would avoid, do differently, etc?
Showing posts with label Journey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journey. Show all posts
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Friday, July 4, 2008
Facing The Past... Looking To The Future
Sorry for the poor quality of this picture. This is me summer 1988 - 20 years ago! There is something I have always liked about this picture in spite of the big '80s glasses! I still had hair and lots of it (it's pulled back, was down to shoulder blades), I had life struggles, but was still young, free and pure. That spring I had faced a lot of "issues" and I was able to lose a lot of weight. Recently I had begun working as a pediatric medical assistant after graduating from technical school and life was moving forward.
That summer things began to change. A Christian woman, who I thought I could trust, introduced me to a young Christian man to date. At 22 I had never dated and honestly, looking back, I wish I never had. My husband and I feel that we will pursue the idea of courtship, NOT dating for our own children. Old fashioned, yes. But we feel it is more in line with God's plan for His children than the world's. This man betrayed me, broke me and abused me in many senses of the word. Because of all kinds of circumstances, I felt very isolated from both friends and family and was unable to find balance. Shame forced me to work hard to solve the situation on my own. Some things are never meant to do in our own efforts. I needed my Heavenly Father's love and guidance but I was so busy trying to work it out on my own that I dug my own hole deeper.
Thank you Jesus, that you are so patient with me. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman who does not force us, but gently nudges us and encourages us to grow. It still brings up feelings of panic to write this and I do not write it as a "victim" or to dwell on the past or to play a sympathy card. I write this so that I can face FORWARD and continue on My Journey To Wholeness.
18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Today I post this picture as a reminder, that God did not make me broken, fat, unhealthy and out of shape. My body will never be "perfect" this side of Heaven. However, this picture reminds me that when He and I work together, good things can happen.
For the last month or so I have been doing a lot of walking with Leslie Sansone and I have added an exercise section with links on the right hand side. I even joined her walk club for a year. It's a good deal for $29.99 you get the membership with all it's online benefits plus the Walk Away the Pounds Book with a walking DVD. Truthfully I would be losing weight faster if I was also dieting, but I have decided not to ever do that again. I am focusing on eating healthier and less, but not dieting. The walking is awesome. I am already feeling an underlying energy that I have not had in a long time and my body is missing it on the days I take a break!
With God all things are possible.
I will survive.
He is making me WHOLE!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
2008
Alie Edwards shared on her blog about choosing ONE WORD for the 2008 to signify your goals creatively and otherwise for the new year. There is a list of words if you are looking for inspiration.
It shouldn't surprise you that my word for the year is WHOLENESS. I will be using that word to screen everything that comes into my life. Does it contribute to it? Does it prevent it? Will it be helpful? It is amazing what you can say no to, when you have an effective screen!
When I chose "My Journey to Wholeness" as a blog name, it was with a purpose and concept in mind. For me, the changes I am making are not just about the large amount of weight I need to lose. They are about being complete, being the person that my Heavenly Father created me to be in the first place and allowing Him to heal me in all areas - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. He created us as complex and marvelously wonderful beings and I don't see how it would be possible to extricate one facet of one's self to work on without it effecting the others. When I work on physical health it causes changes in my emotions, in my mind, possibly even spiritually and when I work on my emotions it is easier to make positive changes in my physical health. What binds it all together is my relationship with God. His Word (the Bible) is my primary guide book for my life, all of my life, including the physical aspects such as my body.
Now that the holidays have passed, I hoep to writ emore here. It helps me sort through things, keeps me focused and encouraged and I love the input I hear from you all.
So, I am wondering? Did you make any New Year's resolutions? Did you set goals? Below is an extract from my Wellness Wednesday post for January 2, 2008.
Happy New Year Everyone! I always love the change of the year as it seems like a fresh start. Have you seen those Valerie Bertinelli commercials for Jenny Craig where she is in near tears because she no longer has to make a resolution to lose weight? I know exactly how she feels! It has been on my perpetual resolution list!
Did you make resolutions this New Year's Eve? I did not. This year we had a wonderful sermon on December 30th which talked about having a Godly perspective. Hubby and I sat down and prayed together and then made a list of goals for the year. We prayed that our goals would have the proper perspective, that God would give us discernment in whether or not they were realistic and that the goals and/or the end result of the goals would be glorifying to God. It was a very satisfying process and nice to share that with Hubby.
Some of the goals are fairly ambitious, due in part to the fact that we are hoping to sell our trailer at the end of the year. There are a lot of things to do in preparation for that. Some of the goals are small and some of them are mundane and practical. Health is a shared goal for 2008.
In addition to making goals, we wrote down and prayed about the steps we would take to attain those goals. Goals are meaningless without a plan.
My personal health goal this year is to be under 300#. Today I weighed in at 320#. I think this is a realistic goal for someone who is not actually dieting but re-learning how to eat healthy. Naturally I hope that I will lose more, but I am going to work towards that 20# as a goal.How I will attain that goal:
1. Draw closer to God through prayer and reading His word, focusing on who He created me to be vs who the world says I am or should be.
2. Continue blogging for Wellness Wednesday and also at My Journey To Wholeness so that I have some accountability and encouragement. I also plan to pray for each and everyone of you who comments on these posts. We are in this journey together!
3. Work towards having a whole foods "repertoire" of meals to adapt or replace the old unhealthy menu.
4. Organize my pantry and settle into a rhythm of purchasing products for my kitchen and home.
5. Experiment with healthy whole foods, recipes and natural household products, including making some of my own.
6. Add walking with my Leslie Sansone DVDs when the weather does not permit.
7. Become more physically active, playing with my children.
It shouldn't surprise you that my word for the year is WHOLENESS. I will be using that word to screen everything that comes into my life. Does it contribute to it? Does it prevent it? Will it be helpful? It is amazing what you can say no to, when you have an effective screen!
When I chose "My Journey to Wholeness" as a blog name, it was with a purpose and concept in mind. For me, the changes I am making are not just about the large amount of weight I need to lose. They are about being complete, being the person that my Heavenly Father created me to be in the first place and allowing Him to heal me in all areas - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. He created us as complex and marvelously wonderful beings and I don't see how it would be possible to extricate one facet of one's self to work on without it effecting the others. When I work on physical health it causes changes in my emotions, in my mind, possibly even spiritually and when I work on my emotions it is easier to make positive changes in my physical health. What binds it all together is my relationship with God. His Word (the Bible) is my primary guide book for my life, all of my life, including the physical aspects such as my body.
Now that the holidays have passed, I hoep to writ emore here. It helps me sort through things, keeps me focused and encouraged and I love the input I hear from you all.
So, I am wondering? Did you make any New Year's resolutions? Did you set goals? Below is an extract from my Wellness Wednesday post for January 2, 2008.
Happy New Year Everyone! I always love the change of the year as it seems like a fresh start. Have you seen those Valerie Bertinelli commercials for Jenny Craig where she is in near tears because she no longer has to make a resolution to lose weight? I know exactly how she feels! It has been on my perpetual resolution list!
Did you make resolutions this New Year's Eve? I did not. This year we had a wonderful sermon on December 30th which talked about having a Godly perspective. Hubby and I sat down and prayed together and then made a list of goals for the year. We prayed that our goals would have the proper perspective, that God would give us discernment in whether or not they were realistic and that the goals and/or the end result of the goals would be glorifying to God. It was a very satisfying process and nice to share that with Hubby.
Some of the goals are fairly ambitious, due in part to the fact that we are hoping to sell our trailer at the end of the year. There are a lot of things to do in preparation for that. Some of the goals are small and some of them are mundane and practical. Health is a shared goal for 2008.
In addition to making goals, we wrote down and prayed about the steps we would take to attain those goals. Goals are meaningless without a plan.
My personal health goal this year is to be under 300#. Today I weighed in at 320#. I think this is a realistic goal for someone who is not actually dieting but re-learning how to eat healthy. Naturally I hope that I will lose more, but I am going to work towards that 20# as a goal.How I will attain that goal:
1. Draw closer to God through prayer and reading His word, focusing on who He created me to be vs who the world says I am or should be.
2. Continue blogging for Wellness Wednesday and also at My Journey To Wholeness so that I have some accountability and encouragement. I also plan to pray for each and everyone of you who comments on these posts. We are in this journey together!
3. Work towards having a whole foods "repertoire" of meals to adapt or replace the old unhealthy menu.
4. Organize my pantry and settle into a rhythm of purchasing products for my kitchen and home.
5. Experiment with healthy whole foods, recipes and natural household products, including making some of my own.
6. Add walking with my Leslie Sansone DVDs when the weather does not permit.
7. Become more physically active, playing with my children.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
In The Beginning...
The genesis of my health problems was my family's brokenness and the death of my brother. My Grandma Johnson dealt with her grief and my pain by saying, "Here, have a donut!" "Would you like some candy dear?" Yes, I am responsible for my own choices, but what 6-7 yo would not go for a donut or candy when offered? Not too many would refuse.
Shortly after this period I began my first diet. I was either 7 or 8 years old.
These two events began a long struggle, one which I hope to terminate! The first battle is with using food to comfort. The second is with dieting. Every diet I have been on has contributed to the enormous size I am today! Diets do not work! Sure, you can take off weight with them, but unless you change the entire way you eat and live, the weight will come right back on. And as most of us who have been on this roller coaster ride know, when the weight comes back on, it brings friends.
Throughout my adolescence, not only was I plagued by the need to diet, but also by an unrealistic view of my actual body size and shape. At the time I felt as if my body was a ghastly 300#. Today I weighed 323#. I look at the pictures of me at 120, 150, 175, 200, 250... and I wish that I weighed that now! Not only did I perceive my body incorrectly, but eventually I came to a point where dieting would trigger bouts of anorexic symptoms. To this day, I can start out with good intentions and end up eating 500 calories a day in order to make it "work". It becomes a competition. I starve. I binge. I hate myself. It's a viscious cycle.
Somewhere along the way, I decided to set aside the Cinderella thinking (or the grass is greener, it will be better when... etc) and focus on the problem. I am a child of the King of all the Universe. Why should food conquer me? Why should an inanimate object gain so much attention in my life that it distracts me from truly important things, that it limits my ministry possibilities, that it takes me away from fun with my children, that it shortens my life? Not that I ever wanted to die early, but being a late in life Mama changed my perspective a little. My children inspire me to do better and live healthier and longer. However, I will not diet again. Diets destroy me. Instead I am seeking healthy habits to implement and learning as I go. A slow and steady weight loss is better than gaining each year as I have in the past!
When I was 11 years old, I asked Jesus to be my savior. (If you would like to know more, please ask or click on the Ready? button above.) I truly believe "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) So, my first step on the journey was to submit to Christ and ask for His help. It took me several years to learn how NOT to eat for comfort. Food is an integral part of our culture's celebrations and is often used as a reward. Food comforts not only in times of depression, stress and sorrow, but also in times of success and happiness. This is not easy to undo. After some time I have learned to go pray, drink water, find something I enjoy doing etc. instead of eating. I am glad to say that the times I seek comfort to fill my emotions have decreased and occurences are rare. Still, it is a continual struggle and I need to be on guard.
After learning not to comfort myself with food, the next step was to control portions. My husband, though not obese, also struggled with this. We both load up on carbs that taste good... and if we are honest, "feel" good. His greatest weakness is ice cream; his second is cheese. My greatest weakness is fried potatoes and eggs (yolks only), no kidding! I would rather have that than candy, but good pastry/pie comes in a close second. We are gradually helping each other rethink what goes in our mouths. And, I have to admit that sometimes I am too exhausted to make a whole meal and put it all together, so we end up eating 3 or 4 portions of the main dish instead of one portion, plus veggies, plus salad etc.
Our children have really made us think a lot about what goes into our food. The fourth step was to eliminate high fructose corn syrup. Step five eliminated MSG. And step six was to start eliminating animal products which used hormones and antibiotics. Step seven introduced organic foods. Currently I am considering an 8th step, eliminating wheat and possibly also gluten altogether. I have not decided yet.
My steps:
1. Submit to Christ who strengthens me.
2. Eliminate eating for comfort reasons.
3. Portion control.
4. Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup.
5. Eliminate MSG
(Steps 4 & 5 included eliminating processed foods)
6. Eliminate animal products which use hormones and antibiotics (including yogurt, milk etc)
7. Eat organic fruits and veggies and local as much as possible.
8. Reduce/eliminate gluten/wheat.
Every Wednesday I post a "Wellness Wednesday" post on my Stitches of Grace blog (link at left). I will continue to do this and may double post, placing that information over here as well. I will check in with my weight. Scary, yes. I can no longer diet. I will no longer diet. But, I must reduce my weight. The blogs provide some accountability for me.
This blog will contain more than just my weekly post at Stitches of Grace. I learn by reading and then "regurgitating" what I learn through notes and sharing. So, this will be my format to share and hopefully I will learn from the rest of you as well. Okay, so far the rest of you is probably 2 people. But that's okay, God knows who should be here. If you would like to join me on this health journey, let me know and I will post a link to your blog in my "Joining Me On The Journey" section on the left hand side.
If you made it this far. Thanks!
Shortly after this period I began my first diet. I was either 7 or 8 years old.
These two events began a long struggle, one which I hope to terminate! The first battle is with using food to comfort. The second is with dieting. Every diet I have been on has contributed to the enormous size I am today! Diets do not work! Sure, you can take off weight with them, but unless you change the entire way you eat and live, the weight will come right back on. And as most of us who have been on this roller coaster ride know, when the weight comes back on, it brings friends.
Throughout my adolescence, not only was I plagued by the need to diet, but also by an unrealistic view of my actual body size and shape. At the time I felt as if my body was a ghastly 300#. Today I weighed 323#. I look at the pictures of me at 120, 150, 175, 200, 250... and I wish that I weighed that now! Not only did I perceive my body incorrectly, but eventually I came to a point where dieting would trigger bouts of anorexic symptoms. To this day, I can start out with good intentions and end up eating 500 calories a day in order to make it "work". It becomes a competition. I starve. I binge. I hate myself. It's a viscious cycle.
Somewhere along the way, I decided to set aside the Cinderella thinking (or the grass is greener, it will be better when... etc) and focus on the problem. I am a child of the King of all the Universe. Why should food conquer me? Why should an inanimate object gain so much attention in my life that it distracts me from truly important things, that it limits my ministry possibilities, that it takes me away from fun with my children, that it shortens my life? Not that I ever wanted to die early, but being a late in life Mama changed my perspective a little. My children inspire me to do better and live healthier and longer. However, I will not diet again. Diets destroy me. Instead I am seeking healthy habits to implement and learning as I go. A slow and steady weight loss is better than gaining each year as I have in the past!
When I was 11 years old, I asked Jesus to be my savior. (If you would like to know more, please ask or click on the Ready? button above.) I truly believe "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) So, my first step on the journey was to submit to Christ and ask for His help. It took me several years to learn how NOT to eat for comfort. Food is an integral part of our culture's celebrations and is often used as a reward. Food comforts not only in times of depression, stress and sorrow, but also in times of success and happiness. This is not easy to undo. After some time I have learned to go pray, drink water, find something I enjoy doing etc. instead of eating. I am glad to say that the times I seek comfort to fill my emotions have decreased and occurences are rare. Still, it is a continual struggle and I need to be on guard.
After learning not to comfort myself with food, the next step was to control portions. My husband, though not obese, also struggled with this. We both load up on carbs that taste good... and if we are honest, "feel" good. His greatest weakness is ice cream; his second is cheese. My greatest weakness is fried potatoes and eggs (yolks only), no kidding! I would rather have that than candy, but good pastry/pie comes in a close second. We are gradually helping each other rethink what goes in our mouths. And, I have to admit that sometimes I am too exhausted to make a whole meal and put it all together, so we end up eating 3 or 4 portions of the main dish instead of one portion, plus veggies, plus salad etc.
Our children have really made us think a lot about what goes into our food. The fourth step was to eliminate high fructose corn syrup. Step five eliminated MSG. And step six was to start eliminating animal products which used hormones and antibiotics. Step seven introduced organic foods. Currently I am considering an 8th step, eliminating wheat and possibly also gluten altogether. I have not decided yet.
My steps:
1. Submit to Christ who strengthens me.
2. Eliminate eating for comfort reasons.
3. Portion control.
4. Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup.
5. Eliminate MSG
(Steps 4 & 5 included eliminating processed foods)
6. Eliminate animal products which use hormones and antibiotics (including yogurt, milk etc)
7. Eat organic fruits and veggies and local as much as possible.
8. Reduce/eliminate gluten/wheat.
Every Wednesday I post a "Wellness Wednesday" post on my Stitches of Grace blog (link at left). I will continue to do this and may double post, placing that information over here as well. I will check in with my weight. Scary, yes. I can no longer diet. I will no longer diet. But, I must reduce my weight. The blogs provide some accountability for me.
This blog will contain more than just my weekly post at Stitches of Grace. I learn by reading and then "regurgitating" what I learn through notes and sharing. So, this will be my format to share and hopefully I will learn from the rest of you as well. Okay, so far the rest of you is probably 2 people. But that's okay, God knows who should be here. If you would like to join me on this health journey, let me know and I will post a link to your blog in my "Joining Me On The Journey" section on the left hand side.
If you made it this far. Thanks!
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