Happy New Year!~Well, at least for me!

The last few weeks since school let out have very much been a challenge. The routine of long walks in the park and workouts at the Y while boys were in school got kicked to the curb. I went from motivated, physically excited to exercise, eating healthier and devouring Made to Crave.. . to the polar opposite. I did not make horrible choices, but without a real PLAN of eating healthier I am not sure that is good for me. Surprisingly I did not gain weight, but neither did I lose anything. With the downward spiral also came the depression that I will never lose the weight and be any healthier then at this moment. All Satan's lies. He doesn't want be to believe that I can be victorious, it's too hard, not fun, too expensive, you failed so many times, its unrealistic, family genetics...and the lies go on. So these weeks I have had every emotion you can think of, but also God has been showing me so much about Himself and myself and what could be. I am still doing this in the flesh! God is a God order not confusion and doubt. Glimpses of what He intended me to be~ Victorious Daughter of the King. As David cried out to Him so did I....so much to just vent to Him, be comforted and encouraged and Praise Him for in life. "Weakness is hard, but weakness doesn't mean defeat. It is my opportunity to experience God's power" Take a look at 2Corinthains 12:9-10 if it's not already familiar So where from here? Well , for weeks also I have been mulling over the idea of restarting Metabolism Miracle Diet by Diane Kress. A few years ago I was told about the book and plan from a friend who also struggled with her weight. She had a one on one consul with Diane and gained such new ideas and methods that it all made sense to try again. A few of us did the diet together, my husband even did it with me. I lost 40lbs!! My best weight loss ever! What happened?? I am not sure I have a answer really...life? temptation? laziness? Tired of denying myself things others can have.... No matter the reasons, I am full circle today and really at a different thought process due to Made to Crave. He is molding and shaping me inwardly and hopefully that will also mean outwardly. As I Iook ahead to next weekend Birthday weekend~ it's with mixed emotions. I need to take steps of faith that He is able and willing~ THIS IS NOT TOO BIG FOR HIM! So this week I am in the planning stages of A Happy New Year for me! I will be turning 43 yrs old and I don't want to keep feeling like I am 83 yrs old! I re-purchased the book, and added the cookbook to my Nook. I am working on purging foods I shouldn't eat and making lists of what I am able to replace it with. I am sitting down with boys and husband and figuring out the best times for me to exercise and let them know this IS happening and I need their support not complaining. I will post a link for the book that will explain more, but Met Miracle takes a very close look at your body and how it processes the foods that are carbs and sugars. You detox from carbs for 8 weeks so that you rest your liver and pancreas. I am not going into much here and now. But it will be a live change for me and my family in some areas. Only by God's grace and strength will I be able to stay on this journey climbing what feels to me like a huge one. But with that I am also excited to have a plan both for mind and body. I am going to continue with Made to Crave. So until next time..... "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored: Haggai 1:2-8

No Christian Plastic Answers Here

No Christian Plastic answers here.... You know the ones....you just need to (Fill in the blank) more. IE: go to church more, eat less of this and more of that, be nice, pray, move more and pump up the praise music, will power that's where its at! All of these things are good, great even if working together and after the one thing I am now striving to do...address any and all the heart issues that have been the root as to why I make the choices I do. Good cravings and bad, the giving up when progress is not seen, the guilt of not eating what I should. We are, well let me personal that~ (I am) born to crave. Craving by definition is " something you long for, find you are consumed by such as food, sex, money, significance"...We are (I am) created to crave Him. (Ps. 84:1-2) "How lovely is your dwelling place ,O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, event faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Satan mission is to distract me from that purpose. Anything and anyway he can distract my eyes away from Him he will try. Example: Eve! She has everything she needed in the garden! She was tempted...instead of running to her Heavenly Father, truth, her husband for support to do the right thing...her eye was on the wrong prize. Satan tried with Jesus in the wilderness. Hungary and tired and yet He choose differently...."While Eve focused on the object of her temptation, Jesus kept His focus on God's truth. What matters most to me?"~Made to Crave So, that is where I am starting. Taking the focus off the "to do and not to do's" of dieting. When I don't feel like exercising because of one particular activity is boring~ change it up and take the focus off the "don't want to" Choice a heart of obedience. He doesn't want me stuck in this circle. When, not if, I want a tastykake instead of a piece of fruit? Flee! Get rid of bed choices and pray for Him to strength and the want to crave Him and healthier choices. Not being weighed down my guilt when I do make I bad choice is also a key for me. New mercies! Physically I am excited to be moving more and more each day. I have my bad "lyme" days but many more good ones than bad. I have not been able to continue the Couch to 5k past week one. I am having a lot of pain in my knees, crunching and such. So I stopped running for now intil I can get them checked and thumbs up from Dr. It was very disappointing to be derailed from that goal. But then I read I Corinthians 10:23 "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial" Instead I am continuing to walk 2-3 miles a day, and we have joined the YMCA as a family! I am doing some cycling there a few days a week. The boys and I go after school and they love it! I am so glad to see them moving and burning off all that energy. A new focus for us all. Encouraging news~ I only get on the scale once a week. Next week was so disappointing because it said I gained! This week? I lost 6lbs!! Even though I don't want to be ruled by the scale...it is encouraging to see to go down!

Up Until Now.......

I really didn't get it. IT being the Craving/desire/need to lose weight. Over the last 20 yrs. I have had ups and downs with weight and motivation. There have been various attempts at "eating right", "eating better", pills, shakes, bars, Weight Watchers, Low Carb diets, even "this is not a diet but I new way to eat"....ok, sorry but it's a diet! Anyone with me?? Mixed in there I did join gyms and attempt to exercise, knowing I definitely needed to get that heart rate up. None of these became a habit or something I really looked forward with anticipation. Before kids (I am not blaming them but any means). I used to run miles a day and love it. My goal was to someday run in a 10K. But with every pound, demand, event...I saw myself farther from the goal and eventually gave up. My time for that dream has passed. You're a mom now they have to be first. Eight years ago, I started struggling with a lot of pain and unexplained symptoms. I went from Doctor to doctor, test after test till they gave up and labeled it Fibromyalgia/TMJ/Gastorparesis with standard answer to my "What now?" question "You deal with the symptoms and if you lose weight you would feel so much better." I felt I was losing more and more of life's enjoyments, kids, fun, friends. And? I tried yet again to "get healthy". And again~Fail. See a pattern here? Are you familiar with the same patterns? As new symptoms arose and others were getting worse God lead us to another specialist...one who was willing to think outside the box for, not only testing, but treatments. I will never forget that day. After he looked through all the paperwork, and tests results he looked at me so sincerely and said, "I am so sorry for all you have been through. This is just wrong and this (pointing to the stacks of test results etc.) all is going to stop right here. We are going to find out what is wrong and start a treatment plan as soon as possible." I cried. I was so grateful and ready, not even scared at this point...just relief! So began the tests and the wait and the news...I have Chronic Lyme Disease. Wow! Again, I was rejoicing!! I HAD A DISEASE AND I AM NOT CRAZY!!! Treatment started right away and was another roller coaster in itself. The lyme really settled into my gastral track and explained the Gastroparsis. For a year now the meds were killing the lyme and getting rid of toxins but with that beating my body up in the process. Even though I wasn't holding food down I was gaining weight from meds and still felt so removed from my real life....what I was meant to be doing. Or was I? For a time I was to be still, pray, listen, cling to Him, serve my family, pray for others, and let them serve me, and most of all learn and soak in all that He is and wanted me to be in this place in my life. Another roller coaster! Scaring and thrilling, bumpy and moments of calm and screaming my head off. But to God be the Glory...He is healing me and my heart. He has given be countless opportunities to tell others of His grace and love. He connected me with people on Facebook that I would have never had the chance if I was not in bed. Some blessed to see pray for people and see wonderful answers and His grace and tenderness though the answers that were hard to face. So now what? Well, PTL for the Great healer that He is and that He loves me like a daughter! The Dr. says that the meds are working and I may be able to stay on this regiment till I am better!! Second I was cleared to "exercise as I see fit" !! Woohoo!!!!! Again tears! To me that meant losing weight finally. How? Only He knows but I really think He started the journey months ago to this point. With all that being said, we are at present day.... The blog is meant to share this new journey of total wellness. What He is showing me, recipes, products, music, Making changes and digging deeper into the why and the heart issues of it all that is what I was missing all these years! Some things I have been doing the last two weeks: • Continued to juice with my Nutribullet 1-2 times a day • Bought myself some good sneakers and pedometer • Started Couch 2 5k • cancelled Weight watchers online (more on that later) • the biggest one: Reading Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst and her companion 60 day devotional. This has been what has been pivotal in changing how I think about food, people, diets, exercise. I am excited at what the Lord has in store, excited to crave more of Him and less of me and food....hopefully you will follow along, be encouraged and maybe even start a journey of your own.