Lose to Gain....today's thoughts; I want to loose weight so I'll be able to wear my Grandmother's rings again, I want to be able to fit in any seat belt and not have to worry about being embarrassed because it won't stretch far enough to latch when I grab a ride with a friend. I want to be able to routinely sit in a booth at restaurants without the table digging into my belly. As I mentioned in an earlier post it was all the little things that I've been continually coming up with when I think about what I will gain when I lose weight that inspire me to really work hard at loosing weight and eating healthier. Sure reversing diabetes and being healthier in general will be great but those goals are just too far away. I need a bunch of little attainable goals that won't take too long to get here, to keep me going day by day.
I'm not much of a planner. A friend in our MTC group challenged us all to come up with an eating plan. My first thought was no way, that never works for me. But it kept turning over and over in my brain and I finally came up with the following "Plan". I'm going to try to really think about whatever I choose to eat, I'm really going to try to stop eating just because it's there and really weigh and make a decision based on do I really really want it? is eating whatever it is worth waiting a little longer to wear those rings or fit in those booths? or is there something else I can eat that will be just as satisfying and help me reach my goals sooner rather than later? I'm also going to try to eat healthier versions of the food I love. For instance I've switched to super thin crust pizza with more meat toppings instead of deep dish single topping pizza. Lose carbs, add in protein, a better choice and I don't feel deprived of one of my favorite foods. I'm also trying to cut down on how often I have pizza, even thin crust is probably not a great idea for weight loss if you have it 4 or 5 times a week. One of the power verses I've listed to the left is 1 Corinthians 10:23, The Good News Translation puts it this way - “We are allowed to do anything,” so they say. That is true, but not everything is good. “We are allowed to do anything”—but not everything is helpful. For me knowing I can have anything to eat I really want helps me to make better choices most of the time. A few chocolate chips instead of a king size candy bar or a bowl of fruit and low fat yogurt with a few walnuts instead of ice cream with chocolate syrup are better choices. My personality is such that if you tell me I can't I'm going to bend over backwards to prove I can.Telling myself I could never have a candy bar again would not work for me, but by really thinking about if I really really want it, most of the time I can walk away and choose something a little better for my "Plan"
I began to wonder where I got my basic aversion to planning. My friend put together a month long meal plan, when she was telling me about it my eyes got big, I mean seriously that will work? Then we start talking about going to the grocery store. Of course she has a list and buys weeks at a time. She looks at me and says "let me guess you don't do that". She's right I don't do that, I tend to buzz in and get what's needed to fix whatever it is I decided I'd fix in the time it takes me to drive from my office to the grocery store I pass on my way home. Needless to say she and I are not exactly wired the same way but that's OK, God made both of us and we're both wonderfully made. I also started wondering when I stopped making plans. Part of it is a busy busy life, I can't tell you how many times a day I have to recalculate even the loosest of plans. I decide I'm going to fix xyz for dinner tonight and my husband or son call and tell me they've got plans and won't be home for dinner. I'm planning on getting off at a decent hour and enjoying a nice family dinner and end up working until 8. Need I tell you if I put in an 11-12 hour day at the office I am not cooking when I get home.
I think there is a lot of wisdom in the Willie Nelson lyrics - He ain't wrong, he's just different but his pride won't let him do things to make you think he's right. It doesn't matter if you're a planner or not a planner, someone that just has to walk away or someone that needs to know you can if you really really want to - God made us all, and He loves us all. I take a lot of comfort in the fact that even if I don't plan God has it all under control and He has a plan much better than anything I could come up with anyway, after all He sees my whole life, yesterday, today and tomorrow nothing is a surprise to Him.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11
No comments:
Post a Comment