How strong are your muscles?

The last few weeks have been rather challenging for me when it comes to stress and how that effects emotional eating. However, the last several months of wise choice making has reshaped how I think, and it has opened the door to healthier options. The cravings are not gone, the desire to comfort hurts with food is not gone, BUT the mental strength to make better choices is more beefed up than ever. 

So, this makes me think today about strength. It comes as no surprise that mental and physical strength both need to be tested and pushed to their max and beyond in order to grow. Yet, at the same time, you must know yourself and STOP pushing those boundaries before lasting damage is done. And, we all need to take the right steps to protect the health of our mental and physical strength after it is greatly tested.

Here are a few nuggets to ponder as I explore these thoughts for myself today. I hope they help you too.

When life throws us things that hurt us emotionally it is tough. Those hurts are rarely seen by the outside world but they reflect in our reaction to the stimuli, they are seen in our day to day behaviors with others, and they shape the way we think. It can cause us to push good people away, hold ourselves aloof, laugh at things that aren’t funny, etc. It can also push us to many bad behaviors such as emotional eating, promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, and even turn good behaviors bad – one for example is over exercising.

If we are wise we will focus on the after effects of an emotionally stressful day. We will create healthy habits for stress relief such as reasonable exercise patterns, trusted confidants for venting that goes no further than that person it just lets us get the poison out, or best of all prayer and Bible reading. God is the best listener, He has provided the best advice, and He loves you more than anyone else ever has or ever will.

We also must evaluate relationships with people that cause great stress in our lives. Sometimes the people that cause you the most emotional pain are the ones closest to you. Memory lane for me is filled with words that caused me to doubt my own self worth. Yet, as time has gone by, the main person behind the words that cut so deep has drifted further and further out of my life. This drifting away is painful even now, but NOW too, I am in such a better place mentally because I don’t constantly see a person that I know views me as lacking in many ways because I am overweight. However, the lesson I have learned from this is words hurt, they cause lasting pain, and I need to be careful with my own words with others. And, when I do fail and hurt another with words I really need to be more humble and apologize sincerely…I am a work in progress!!!

We MUST view ourselves with the value God places on us and that my friend it is HIGH!!! The price God placed on us cost the life of His very own Son!

Yes, God wants us to be healthy. We can’t get away from that when we read the old laws in the Old Testament. Many of the laws God had in place from how to properly dispose of body waste to cleaning up after the slaughter of animals we now understand was to protect the life of His people from unsanitary conditions. And we can see the results of the sin of gluttony running rampant in the streets of America today!

Any athlete knows to build physical muscle you need proper nutrition. You must fuel your body with a healthy diet of good proteins and carbohydrates. You need fuel prior to exercise, during exercise, and after exercise. Imagine your car. It must have fuel in it to start, in it to run, and if you want it to start up again it needs fuel when it is at rest. Our bodies unlike a car never shut off. We are always burning a little fuel just to maintain breathing, circulation, and waste processing. Proper fuel is vital to use and build muscle.

Many women in particular are not interested in working on building muscle but let me encourage you to rethink that if it is you. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it also takes up less space. Muscles aid in movement of your body while fat slows a body down and inhibits proper movement. Muscle BURNS calories even at rest, fat does not it is the storage unit. Muscles in your core (abdomen/back areas) help stabilize your spine to prevent back injury. The list of healthy strong muscle benefit is long! So if you are not trying to build a little muscle or maintain your muscle strength I encourage you to really think about it. I don't know the woman pictured here but the photo speaks for itself and muscle vs. fat WINS! Awesome job Ma'am!!! 

My top three favorite products in the AdvoCare line to help get my body ready, willing and able to work out and build stronger muscles is the Pro20 which gives me a great boost of energy and protein to work out on, Post Recovery Workout which helps me refuel while getting right to work aiding in muscle repair, and Night Time Recovery which allows my muscles to have some great building blocks to repair away while I sleep. Oh, I just can’t tell you how thankful I am to have found some great products that are aiding me in the journey to a Healthier ME!

Strength of mind and body are vital. God tells us in Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Our emotions can control us if we don’t control them. Our feelings once hurt, may never heal if we don’t properly nourish them with good things. And sometimes, even when it hurts we must cut out the bad things in life that keep us from being strong body, mind and soul.

I rambled today I know, but I hope you garnered some encouragement for yourself on your own journey to a healthier you. Keep at it! Don’t let anything stay in your way!

As always, I thank you for your encouragement and appreciate you all so much. Leah

STRESS! Has it got YOU in a mess?

We have a lot of ways to verbalize “STRESS”. Some that pop to mind are: wound tight, about to explode, tighter than a bow string, etc., I think you get the picture. Stress comes at us from many directions in life. It happens in relationships even good ones from time to time, and most especially in ones that are in rocky patches. It comes at us when we or a loved one is sick or injured. It comes when there is not enough money at the end of the month or week. It comes when we least expect it, and it is usually a mess of trouble too.
Personally, I think that it is the devil trying to knock us down. Poor Job, just imagine the stress he was under. He lost all of his children, all of his wealth, and his health in the same day. Following that his closest friends and his wife failed to support him with godly wisdom in those darkest days. Yet, we don’t remember Job for his misery, but for his perseverance and his patience and his faith. I hope I get better at dealing with stress so that my light can really shine for the Lord. I have some work to do in that area.
We all need to learn to deal with stress in a positive manner. I want to share with you a few tips that work for me and that help me deal with emotional eating during times of stress so I don't make a mess out of my goals to get to a Healthier Me.
My number one weapon is sound friendships that God has so abundantly blessed me with in life. I am very thankful to have close family members and friends who love and care about me. When I need wise counsel I have go to people. They know that I am dealing with emotional eating issues. They can be trusted to NOT be so harsh it cuts me deeply, but sharp enough to not allow me to NOT deal with the problems by being in denial. These are key elements in my strategy against emotional eating.
I am also very grateful for the Internet and the connections it provides for sources of quick encouragement to fight off different things. For example, if you can’t get to a “live” friend but are feeling down just go to Google and type in “Images”. Once there type in anything that makes you smile. Let’s say babies. It is hard not to smile at pictures of laughing babies. Or type in sunset and just let your mind be blown away by the setting of God’s awesome sun. I won’t even discuss YouTube and my LOVE for “FUNNY PRANKS”. I have cried so many times from that search. You know the “HAPPY” tears. After spending some time blowing off steam with Internet humor I can often avoid a crisis with my food intake.

I also love to exercise. Swimming is my favorite activity, and I am one of those people who simply cannot eat and swim or I will see that meal again. I often go all day with tiny little meals, sometimes just bites of food here and there when out on the water to prevent the stomach from becoming unhappy. I also love hiking. Who wants to haul extra food on a day hike…reasonable snacks, but not too much! I also find that doing my Can You 24 DVD when the belly is too full is misery! So it helps to avoid over eating if I know one of these activities is on the horizon for me!
Have you ever thought about what God has to say about stress in life? How many times in life is your stress related to emotional issues with a loved one? How many times do you bite your tongue to keep the peace, when what you should do is go to that person for a heart to heart conversation?

It brings to mind Ephesians 4:26. “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath.”

If we apply this verse to life think of the difference it would make. We would spend less time worrying about what others thought about a matter, because we would face them in the moment. We would spend less time imagining the next meeting with a person because it would all be cleared up, or we would at least know better where we stood in a situation. And, if we could just remember that when our emotions are running high that we should still act as a Christian should we would be so much better off as individuals and the impact that that in itself would have on our world would be amazing!!!

Life is going to be stressful. However, we can fight it. We can fill our tool box with good things to handle it. I never want to take God out of my arsenal. His guidance to handle the stress of life is without words to describe as far as value. I also pray that I never have to endure stressful things in life without good family and friends nearby. I am getting better with the daily exercise, and I am so very grateful for the AdvoCare products that are now part of my tool box too.
There are two very good products that AdvoCare has created that help with calming the nerves and helping deal with stress. Clear Mood and Oasis. My friend Sally Brown says, “Oh, I use Clear Mood daily! Don’t know what I’d do without it! It has helped me eliminate the use of anti-anxiety medicine and keeps me feeling balanced all day. LOVE IT!”

Another friend, Meredith Tate, says, “I could not do any public speaking without it. It’s what keeps me in the game so to speak. It calms the butterflies in my stomach when I get anxious. Oasis helps me to unwind during stressful situations. And I’ll add Formula W as the bomb when it comes to balancing mood swings during certain times of the month.”

Like always I thank you for your encouragement as I make these Steps To a Healthier Me. I am so grateful for your shared stories and suggestions. It keeps me motivated.

If there is anything I can do to encourage you on your own journey or if you have questions about something I am trying please do not hesitate to get in touch. Knowledge has the most power where shared after all!

May God bless you this week, and may YOUR JOURNEY be one to a HEALTHIER YOU!!!

If you find that the above graphic concerning stress applies to you, then you may find this page very informative: http://www.stress.org/stress-effects/

If you would like to learn more about Clear Mood or Oasis please feel free to visit: www.advocare.com/120819680

Contact me anytime at: stepstoahealthierme@gmail.com

DON'T LET STRESS MAKE A MESS OUT OF LIFE! LEARN TO MAKE LESS OUT OF STRESS!

Spice it up!!!

I have been looking up interesting things about spice and what they bring to the table as far as food preparation. It is simply amazing to me the powerful punch some spices can bring to food with just a tiny amount being added.

Think about Cayenne pepper, or red pepper. This is a spice that can bring some HEAT, which I absolutely love! It not only brings heat or a little zip if used in moderation, it is also packed with anti-oxidants too! Plus, it stimulates your metabolism, which helps you burn off calories faster.

As I researched spices, I could not help but think about the fact that God tells us in Matthew 5:13 that we are the salt of the earth, but if we lose our flavor we become useless and should be thrown out.

If I went to my cupboard and reached into it for my Cayenne pepper there are some things I am looking for as I do so. I don't want to see green mold in my bottle. If I do, then I know that I did not properly store or protect my spice and I will need to toss it out. The same goes with my soul. If I don't protect my soul from things in the world, like poor choices of entertainment, having friends that I spend to much time with whom are very worldly, or failing to study the scriptures and pray daily, then I am not properly caring for my soul as a Christian should. This will make me useless to do the Lord's work.

Also, if I find the Cayenne pepper looking as it should and I measure out the right amount, but upon tasting my food can not discern its flavor at all, then I am going to go check my spice. If I taste it and find that it has no flavor then I will toss it out.

As, I drove for my job today, I listened to a sermon about the book of Acts. Johnny Ramsey does a very good job of teaching entire books in an overview and something he discussed today made me think. The early Christians were under great persecution. They sometimes died preaching and teaching so that the Word of God could be spread. Today, we are so blessed in America with religious freedom, yet we fail to advocate boldly in the world around us. We blend in. We have no unique flavor. We are like the Cayenne pepper that failed to do its job and had to be tossed out into the trash.

I know this blog post really isn't about a healthy lifestyle leading to weight loss. UNLESS, as a Christian you feel guilt at times for not knowing the Bible better, or not having the confidence in what you know to be the truth to defend your faith. If you are an emotional eater, and you feel that you fail to be a good Christian, that may be a reason for some of your emotional eating.

God doesn't expect us to be flowery orators. Look at Moses. God sent Aaron with him. God doesn't expect us to learn it all in one day either. Look how long he took Saul/Paul aside to teach him after his conversion. So, if you feel that you need to get into the scripture jump on in, it is a wonderful place to be. If you feel that you have been remiss in studying as you should, then just ask for forgiveness. God loves you, He wants you in heaven, and He is ready, willing, and able to forgive you.

So, if you want to spice up your life here are two things you can do.
1. Do a little research into spices. You may be very surprised what health benefits they will bring to your physical diet, and what tasty treats they will bring to your taste buds.
2. Get into some serious Bible study. It will enrich your soul, it will draw you closer to the Master, and it will prepare you to be a better servant of His.

Thank you all for your encouragement. Please keep trying to reach your goals. The Lord needs us to be healthy body and soul to get out there and reach and teach the lost, to care for the sick, the elderly and the orphans. If you are in a situation that doesn't allow you to be mobile very easily, there are many things you can do from home. You can teach World Bible School correspondence classes. You can be an encourager via Facebook, or snail mail. You can be a prayer warrior. You can study the word and write curriculum for Bible classes that are 100% Biblically accurate! ANY WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE, GOD CAN USE YOU, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO FOLLOW WHERE HE LEADS!

Stay focused! Leah

When is too much of a good thing bad?

Today I am sitting with my foot propped up because I am quite sure that I am suffering from, Plantar fasciitis, in layman's terms, my left heel is not happy with my newly found exercise routines. So, I am forced to take a few days of recuperation time, and will be doing exercises on the floor or my Swiss ball. Not giving up on exercise, but limiting it a little.

I have to remind myself that I am a compulsive person. That is why I struggle to eat just one slice of pie instead of the WHOLE PIE. It is also why I struggle with exercise regiments. I determine in my head that I will workout and that means a workout like I would perform in high school as a basketball player. I am not in the 9th grade anymore, I am a FEW pounds heavier, and I  am very much out of shape. So I need to wrap my brain around exercising in a smart way that will lead to lasting results.

As for feeding the soul, there are some things that get me there too. Sometimes I overload my brain with too much factual information. I am a lover of books. I will read just about anything. Yet, the technical books...books I put in this category can be science, history, the Bible, exercise, diet/nutrition, etc., can bog my mind down if I study them too long. Why? Because the challenge is to remember, understand, and really learn what I am reading. It is totally different from Fluff reading.

Fluff reading is any reading done to relax or for entertainment. I have to be careful here. I was very guilty in the past of reading very indecent fluff books. Now, I am doing my best to make conscience decisions about what I read. If it gets racy, to many cuss words (including sissy cuss words and taking the Lord's name in vain), or makes me get that squirmy feeling in my soul, I stop reading it. This category sometimes includes blogs I read, magazines, Christian fiction, and even the Bible at times. (How can the Bible be considered fluff reading? When I am tired, but need to read before I sleep I usually don't recall a lot of what I read, so this time of Bible reading is just fluff time. I am not trying to break it down, digest it spiritually, I am just using the words on paper to slow down my mind. Sometimes it sticks, but this is NOT my study time.) I also have to use caution here, because I tend to focus too much on fluff. I limit fluff reading now to bathroom time only, and only one chapter at a time. That is way to much information I know, but I am trying to be real about addictive behaviors. I have literally read 4 books in one day because they were a series and I read them cover to cover. ALL DAY READING FLUFF! I have to set LIMITS for myself, or I get out of control with fluff reading.

So today the challenge is to BALANCE things out in life. Many of us wear different hats all throughout the day. Do your best, but remember you can't do it all. And if you go about the day, leaving God out, then you are destined to fail. Sometimes, if I know I will be on the road driving most of the day I plan ahead. I make sure my Zune is charged. It has the Bible, Christian music, and many great sermons and seminars to help me grow spiritually. I have found the radio, country included, is a very hazardous place to entrust my soul. I also find little ways to exercise in my seat. It may be contracting certain muscle groups and counting to eight, but it helps with the sedentary day. AND, if you struggle with food issues on the road, pack smart choices for a snack. The other day my smart choice included 14 almonds, 1/4 cup of raisins, and 3 Tbsp. of Sunflower seeds. That was my snacks so I knew to stretch it and that it was sufficient for between meals. Finding the balance is the keep to not finding yourself laid up with an injury because you particiated in too much of a good thing, or finding extra pounds because you failed to use self control with the cheese cake. Balance, you can do it, God will help, just ask Him!

I again thank you for your encouragement. I pray for the people reading my blog. I figure the Lord knows who you are! May you stay focused on your goals, and may we all be successful on the journey home. Heaven bound, no better way to be.

Stay focused, don't over do it, and keep on trying! Leah

Dear Family & Friends

Dear _________,

I want to share with you some of my deepest feelings. I am trying to get myself healthy. However, as I go along the journey there are some things that I need, and some things that I don’t need. There are also going to be good days and bad days so be patient and don’t give up on me. Here are some random thoughts from a big person to those of you who have never known what it is to be big, or can lose weight like some people sweat on a 105 degree day in humid Florence, Alabama.

1.       Please don’t put me down. I put myself down enough. If you don’t have something nice to say, or if you can’t say what you need to say with love and concern just keep your thoughts to yourself.

2.       If I am a teenager please don’t tell me things like, “You would be beautiful if you just lost 50 pounds.”, because what I am going to hear is that you don’t love me, you think I am grossly ugly, and that I am unlovable in my current condition. I may never recover from this.

3.       If I am your spouse and I ask you to exercise with me to help me stay motivated, even if it means walking at my waddle speed, please do it, don’t dismiss me because I will feel unloved and I may go eat another bag of cookies as I suffer in silence.

4.       If you are sitting at a table with me and you see my plate piled high please don’t make comments me to your slim friends sitting around the table with you about what is on my plate, especially when yours is piled high too.

5.       If you are my personal trainer please push me and motivate me, but never act like Julianne Michaels. I am not on The Biggest Loser, I can’t exercise hours each day, but I am trying and need you to help me learn what to do to get the best workout for my body in each session I have with you.

6.       Remember, it took years of training my brain to be unhealthy to get here, and now I have to retrain my brain, break food cravings, and I have to let go of one of my best friends…food. It is tough, and if you haven’t been here you don’t know my struggle.

7.       Please don’t judge me as lazy because I am big because you don’t know me. You don’t know what an effort it is to just exist as a big person.

Thank you, _____________.

If you are reading this and you have a loved one in your life who is dealing with weight loss you are probably very concerned about their health. Many times the people closest to me have been the ones who have hurt me the most about my weight. Sometimes it is not even their fault, it is my faulty thinking.

The best example I have of this situation of my faulty thinking is with my sister Molly. She and I are very close. She is one of my biggest supporters, I get motivated talking to her, I get loads of information about health and nutrition from her thanks to her own research, and she is one of my best friends. Yet, sometimes, I still feel like the ugly duckling, next to the beautiful swan, and just can’t compete. I feel this way but Molly has never told me that I was ugly, never acted like she was embarrassed to be seen with me, and the only time(s) my weight/health has ever been discussed with her it has been with love and concern for me. To me this is the perfect example of the negative thoughts an emotional eater may have that leads to poor self image and poor self esteem.

Molly and I will always be different, even if we were physically the same size. If I gained or lost 100 pounds from where I am right now, my sister would love me the very same. Yet I know a weight gain would make her very concerned for my health, and a weight loss would make her very glad that my health has improved.

As for parents, you are in a very delicate situation. If YOU do not set a good example of a healthy lifestyle before your children then you are at fault. Kids learn from us on every level. Monkey see, monkey do. It stands to reason that if you eat fast so will your kids. If you eat fatty, sugary foods so will your kids. If you skip meals so will your kids. Do you get the picture?

If you have multiple kids here are some things to consider. They are all different. They have different thought processes, and different emotional needs. They all need time with you. They all need encouragement from you. Please don’t compare your children to one another so that they feel the need to compete with each other to be the best. It is very damaging.

If you want your kids to exercise it probably won’t do any good for you to be the drill sergeant sitting in the recliner and yelling at them while you watch TV as they do sit-ups and push-ups at your feet while hoping their butt isn’t in the air too much or that their feet stay on the ground so they don’t get yelled at more. It also is not going to be effective if only one of your kids has to do this because they are the only one with a weight issue. Nope, you are most likely doing more harm than good there.

You probably are not going to be very effective with teaching portion control around the family table by ridiculing your kid with the weight problem for what is on their plate in a hateful way. Most likely this will only make the kid feel stupid, afraid to eat with people around for fear of getting into trouble, and if there are other children around the table they will learn that it is okay to make fun of the fat kid.

If you really want to totally mess with your kid's head then make statements like, “If you would just lose 50 pounds then you would be the prettiest/most handsome kid I have.” That will really, really help a young person struggling with weight issues to feel good about themself and get motivated!

If you are a parent that is concerned about the health of a child, and the other parent is overly critical about the weight issues there are some things you can do that would help. Make sure to positively motivate the kid. Make sure they know you love them, that you are willing to exercise with them, fix healthy foods and eat it with them, and make sure that they know YOU accept them like they are. If possible try to talk with the othe parent about the negative way they are dealing with the problem.

Many of my issues with food came from a very problematic childhood. My parents did not have access to the internet to get information about health and nutrition. My dad especially in his messed up way wanted me to be healthy, but for years I thought he did not love me because I was fat. He was doing what he thought was best, but it led me to binge eating in private that just compounded a very serious problem. Momma did try to ease the pain that his words and actions caused, but you can’t undo some things they just have to be dealt with and life has to move on. I don’t share this with you to demean my folks. I love them dearly. I share this in hopes that if you are dealing with a teenager/preteen with weight issues that you seek first God for guidance, and then a health care professional, counselor, or someone who struggled with weight as a child for advice on how to approach the kid in a positive way. TRUST ME, if you go about it the wrong way, your child may have LIFELONG issues with food and a healthy weight.

As, for siblings, you have the potential to be a good influence or a bad one. We don’t often think about the feelings of others when we are young ourselves, but we should. Be an encourager, and try not to make fun of the big kid in the family.

To all of you other friends and family members out there, especially ones that have never had to deal with a weight problem, please take heart about the things you say. One time, I was at a family gathering. One of my relatives whom had had a baby about four months previous and was already down to her pre-baby weight humiliated me. She had no intention of doing it, but she did. She stated, “Are you going to eat all of that?” The answer was really, “No, probably not.” (You know how it is at family gatherings, you get a little spoonful of everything and end up not eating half, you just want a taste of the different foods…I will admit overeating was most definitely going to happen, but I digress!) But, because I was sitting down with Mrs. I-can-lose-baby-weight-faster-than-any-woman-on-the-planet, and another very skinny woman who had chimed in with, “My, I don’t eat that much in a week!” I felt like a big old pile of worthlessness. I just snapped out with my customary everything is great in my world smile and a big old, “Yep, and will probably go back for seconds!”

Those ladies will never know how awful I felt that day. I wanted to cry. I wanted to get up and leave the table. However, I did not want to make a scene. I did not want to tell them as they made comment after comment about food and weight as we sat there that I wished I would drop dead, that I wanted to punch them in the face, or that the biggest comfort to me at that moment was knowing that one of my aunts had made her punch bowl cake and I was going to have a great big piece as soon as I ate each and every bite on a plate of food I didn’t even want anymore. BUT, I had been conditioned as a teenager to show no emotion, to pretend all was well, and the best way to get even with the world was to do exactly what I wanted too, not what was healthy for me.

Thankfully I also had many wonderful friends. The people I babysat for throughout my teenage years have no idea how much I NEEDED them. I always felt appreciated and accepted. One of them, who is now one of my most dear and best friends, even made it a point to tell me that I was beautiful, and that one day the world would see it too. As for all those children, they did not care if I was big or small, they just wanted to play, have stories read to them, and to go swimming!

Now, if you are struggling with weight issues and this is a letter you would like to share with your own family or friends that is great we have something in common. However, it is VITAL that we as emotional eaters, binge eaters, etc, deal with the fact that it is our job to control self. When we cannot control ourselves then we are out of control. Plain and simple, we are out of control.

If you are following this blog and wonder how this relates to Steps To a Healthier Me, I understand. I have found when I ask myself questions like: “Why are wanting to eat?”; “Why does this PERSON’S actions/words have so much control over you?”; “Who are you trying to please with THIS weight loss effort?”; etc., that I can really focus on the root of my problem which is usually that I am not leaning enough on the Lord, that my faith is weak, and that I am ignoring the big white elephant in the room instead of dealing with problems in life with other people in a Biblical manner. Until, I can learn to deal with personal relationships in a healthy way I may never overcome emotional eating. However, it is MUCH easier for me to deal with any problem no matter what area of life it is in when my WALK with GOD is goind well! Sometimes, that take brutal self-examination, and some very hard conversations with people who are hurting me.

WE CAN BE HEALTHY! I BELIEVE IT!

I BELIEVE IT IS WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US ALL!

Thank you to everyone who is being so kind via comments and emails about this blog. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and suggestions. PLEASE if you know of anyone who is struggling with emotional eating or binge eating please share this blog with them, my email address, or my Facebook page with them. They may be feeling alone and seeking someone that knows their personal struggle in order to find their way to their own journey to a Healthier Me. I don’t have all the answers, but I am not afraid to look. I will be glad to be a resource of encouragement for them. Thank you again.

Fortify and Conquer

I don’t think anyone likes to do self examination into the area of personal problems anymore. We have a quick fix for everything, or a pill that will numb us to the symptoms, and even in our religion we “justify” our actions. Today, I continued using, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Weight Management, as part of my regiment to attack my weight problems and deal with my emotional and binge eating issues. It would be very easy to fall back into a pattern of depression, hurt, anger, etc, BUT the goal is to face MY problems not make excuses or continue to hurt myself with food.

So, today, as I worked on a new recipe – a trip to a farmers market over the weekend beckoned me to create a healthy recipe for gumbo which I’ll share later! – I worked on my workbook and I did some Bible study to help fortify the inner man. It was much easier to deal with my past and even my failures after taking a stroll through God’s Word. I literally had to put the workbook aside and spend some time with God in order to get out of the funk facing some painful memories caused today. God is good, and led me right to a passage that lifted me up!

Go with me to Psalm 28 and take a moment to read this short chapter please. Verses 6-8 really gave me a burst of positive thinking, a boost of can do spirit, and bolstered my faith in the promises of God to be there for me.

1.       Vs. 6 - God hears my requests! I know that as long as my requests are God’s will for me, and I do believe he wants me to be healthy body and soul, then my requests are heard and He will help me!

2.       Vs. 7 - I don’t have to count on my strength alone because God is my strength! He will shield me from temptation! He will help me! These thoughts truly do make me happy, and it does put a song of praise in my heart for the Lord.

3.       Vs. 8 – God is my strength and my Saviour!

So, with my soul nourished, and my head set on facing my problems I set out to identify one word today – gluttony. What is it? One definition I found summed it up as: excessive eating or drinking. So what does the Bible say about gluttony and why is it wrong? This question led me to this very well written article. I hope you will read it. It is not very long and really gives a good Biblical look into gluttony. http://www.gotquestions.org/gluttony-sin.html

The thought that gluttony is all tied into self control or the lack of it really got me to thinking today too. I must learn to be in better control of my thoughts over many matters, especially my actions and my words. Gluttony is really just an out of control desire to please myself to the detriment of my physical body and an act of rebellion against my Lord. I must learn to fuel my body wisely and as needed with food, fill my soul with the wisdom of God, bare my soul to the Lord via prayer, and educate my soul through study of God’s Word. In other words, fortify my soul and conquer sin! I can do this!

I have already lost 5 pounds on my journey, Steps to a Healthier Me. Yet, I will tell you now, the biggest encouragement has been you. I have had people share their own insecurities regarding weight and emotional/binge eating. I have had comments of encouragement poured out on me. You all have been such a blessing. I hope my ramblings motivate and encourage you on your own journey to good health. Have a great day everyone!

Letting Go of Guilt

Guilt is very dangerous and very helpful all at the same time. When we do something that is not right our conscience is pricked and we fill remorse for what we do. That is when feelings of guilt are positive. These positive feelings of guilt help us recognize that we have made a mistake or that we are veering from the course, and they cause us to want to correct our faulty behavior.

However, guilt turns deadly spiritually and emotionally when we defeat ourselves with it. When we experience guilt for falling into the same old trap again, and do nothing positive to change. Sometimes we even participate in more of the negative behaviors because it makes us feel better at the time on some levels.

Today’s Step to a Healthier Me, is focusing on the dangers of guilt and not being forgiving towards MYSELF. We will leave the discussion about forgiving others for another time.

Today our Bible lesson to focus on will be from Luke 5:19-21

¹⁹And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

²⁰And when he saw their faith, he (Jesus) said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

²¹And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

This lesson from the Bible was about the paralyzed man, and the great faith he, and the faith the men who lowered him through the roof top had, so that he could see Jesus to be healed. This roof top most likely was not just a pile of straw that was easy to break through. I would have required great effort to dismantle and open a whole big enough to be able to lower the man down. Yet they did what was necessary to accomplish their mission.

Notice what Jesus did in verse 20. He saw their faith. When you are trying to make changes in your life whether they are spiritual or physical changes do you have faith? Do you have faith in God to help you? Do you believe Matthew 7:7-8?

⁷Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

⁸For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

We must be faithful. When we seek God via prayer for assistance with our petitions, or desires, our most secret dreams, which we sometimes don’t even want to acknowledge to ourselves, we MUST believe that He will help us. God is powerful. He loves us. He wants us to be happy and healthy. He wants us to be successful.

Yet, does our faith get bogged down when we keep dumping guilt down on ourselves for our past failures? Can we achieve the kind of faith that would lead us to tear any barrier down to reach our goal so the Lord can see our faith shining through? Or do we let our successes get u bogged down under an empty pizza box, or entire party sized package of M&M’s when we stumble along our path to a healthier eating lifestyle?

I have to forgive myself for my past failures so I can move on to success today, and tomorrow. I have to have faith in God’s promises. When I pray to Him and ask His help with my health and spiritual goals, ones I know that are in alignment with what the Bible says is His will for me, then I have to believe that He will give me the strength and the tools I need to succeed! If I don’t believe, then my faith is weak.

Notice the second part of our Saviour’s actions in verse 20. “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” We must repent of gluttony if we are guilty of it. If we refuse to eat enough to care for our bodies properly, then we must repent of harming the bodily temple God gave us in this manner too. Whatever, your poison, drugs, alcohol, food, pornography, etc, etc., in order to receive forgiveness we must repent. Repentance means to change, to turn from that sin. When we ask for forgiveness with a truly repentant heart and a heart full of faith in His promises we must believe in those promises.

Ask yourself right now these questions.

1.       Have you truly repented of your unhealthy food behaviors?

2.       If yes, have your forgiven yourself?

3.       If no, then why have you not forgiven yourself? After all God forgave you, and wiped it away forever! Let it GO. Learn from it, and let it GO.

Today was a heavy day for me on my weight loss journey. I took a BIG STEP. I am going to share my numbers with you. They are sad, and they are SCARY from a health perspective. But, I want to share my journey with you fully, in hopes that any success or failure even, can help you reach your health goals.

I have been reading a book I bought at least 2 years ago. The name of the book is The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Weight Management. (Again, I am NOT buying any new material. I am pulling from my past purchases and free sources on this budget friendly Healthier Me journey!) Apparently, at some time in the past, it did sink into my brain enough for me to know that I need to work with the Cognitive side of my brain. Cognitive means the processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning. Or in SIMPLE terms, I grasped years ago that I had to change how I THINK!

So, I have been undergoing a journey about what makes me tick. And, the emotional side is not so pretty at times and I am still focusing on that side in my private time at this point.

But, I am going to share with you the physical side of my Healthier Steps journey today. I got in touch with my numbers. As of August 16, 2011 my weight is 309 pounds. I discovered today that I am off the charts and not in a good way! I fall into the Extremely Obese category with a Body Mass Index of 49.86% (I like that number better that rounding my BMI up to 50%).

When I looked online for other sources, I found that I was beyond what we have heard called Morbid Obesity and fall in the class of Super Obesity. WOW! Can you say tough to hear!

But, the numbers didn’t stop there. This work book encouraged me to measure my waist line. The number is quite sad, 55 inches. This puts me in a category of substantially increased risk for problems in the following areas: Blood Pressure; Lipid Profile: Cholesterol/Triglycerides/HDL/LDL cholesterol; Fasting Blood Sugar; Sleep Apnea; Nutritional deficiencies: B12, Folate, Calcium, & Magnesium; Thyroid Status, Depression, Anxiety, Binge-Eating disorder; Gynecological issues. I took the liberty of highlighting some things I have already had problems with in the past, and if I still struggle with them today they are underlined as well.

If you want to figure out your BMI you can do so by using this website:

www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi

Folks, I am laying it out there. I need to work on getting this issue with unhealthy diet and poor exercise and get it under control. As they like to say at Overeaters Anonymous, “I have to trust my Higher Power.” Well, that Higher Power is God Almighty, and if HE is on my side, then I can beat this.

I want to leave you on a positive note. I also got to a number that is obtainable and that I have already made progress towards since August 16, 2011. (Yes, I am saying that the scales are already slowly tipping downward on my journey!!!) I set a REALISTIC weight loss goal. I did not look at my ideal body weight based on my height. I figured 5-10% of my current weight, which for me is 15.45 to 30.90 pounds. I am shooting for a minimum of 3 pounds per week, with a 10 week deadline for the 31 pounds.

I am also going to be ASKING for God to help me, and I am going to have FAITH that He will give me all I need to be successful. I hope you do the same for your weight loss goals.

Stay tuned to my progress, please keep encouraging me, and may your successes be greater than my own! I will be traveling with work for a few days so I may not be able to check in with you all. I hope my in box, and comment section is overflowing with motivational tidbits from you when I get back in town. My next blog will probably have something to do with the difficulties of eating healthy and getting exercise while on the road!

If I spoke with you on the phone, via email, comments left, or private messages yesterday I want to say thank you for all the wonderful encouragement. It means a lot! AND, I have to add that the comments, questions, and words of support from people who feel like I do made me see that we need each other...people with similar struggles doing the samethings to improve...to become successful. Which leads me to a thought about the wisdom of God. Who does He encourage us to hang out with more, worldly people or Christians. Which then makes me think along these lines: like begats like, run with the dogs you'll smell like the dogs, hang out with motivated people you get motivated!

One last thought. I have to have a little faith in myself too. Even with my past failures at weight loss, or keeping weight loss off, I am not at a hopeless point yet. It is when I give up and stop trying that failure is accomplished. All I have to have is just a small amount of faith...faith as a mustard seed can move mountains.

May your Steps to a Healthier Me bring your closer to God above in the spirit, and to better health in the body! Love and hugs to you all! Leah.

Savory Tidbits

Welcome to the Steps to a Healthier Me blog. I am pleased to inform you that I had several people respond with encouraging words, ideas, and shared views about wanting to be healthier yesterday. It was a tremendous encouragement to me personally, and I hope the comments that are posted here on the blog and on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/leahmorris for those of you that may want to be friends on FB) encouraged you too.

Here are some of my successes from yesterday towards my goal to a Healthier Me. I spent time studying my Bible. I had a great motivator, this Blog that is focused on not only helping myself, but helping others! I also, was focused on making healthy food choices because I don't want to be hypocritical while participating in Steps to a Healthier Me. I also went out to eat, practiced self control, made wise decisions, and it was a spur of the moment trip too.

Today, I want to go to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I tend to be a happy go lucky kind of gal. However, I will tell you that most of the mirrors in my house don't show the full me. I can also tell you that I hate having my picture taken, but I will not shy away from the camera for one reason. I know the people wanting my picture love me and love me like I am. They may want me to be healthier, but they want that picture for their memories. So I grin and bear it knowing if I see the picture I will be disgusted by what I see, but at the same time, I treasure those pictures too because of the memories being made with loved ones.

I learned a long time ago to hide feelings that hurt behind a mask of pleasure. If something hurt your feelings, or if some one's words hurt your feelings they must not know. If they did it would be worse for you in the long run. Yet, I was not really happy, I was miserable.

As a student of the Bible my entire life thanks to my mom, I tended to read stuff, and let it go in one ear and out the other. I would remember just enough to fool my mom, do well in my Bible class, and spit out Biblical beliefs when called upon. I did not allow the wonderful morsels of God's Word to soak into my heart. Today I want us to focus on, to SAVOR, some of the Word of God and the food we eat.

1. God wants us to be happy! How can we "rejoice evermore" if we are not happy. This means when applying it to food issues that we should be able to enjoy our food without guilt. We have to learn how to do it. Portion size matters. Quality matters. So today, try to think of healthy foods you like and enjoy them. Rejoice that you can have a healthy portion!

2. Pray without ceasing. God wants us to be in communication with him all the time. Is there anyone you stay in touch with on a daily basis? Do you text, phone, email, FB, Tweet, etc., to stay in touch with anyone or more than one person daily? If yes, now ask yourself if you spend as much time with God via prayer or Bible study? It really puts it in perspective doesn't it!?! Today, as you rejoice over healthy food choices you have thought about, savor each bite and as you slowly chew your healthy portions pray without ceasing as you embark on your Healthier Me goals!

3. It is hard to over eat when you give thanks for food that you have and reflect on the many others who do not. As you make your healthy food selections today remember to be thankful. Thankful that you have food in your home, or money to go to the store to buy food.

4. Understanding God's will. What does this passage tell us? That God wants us to be happy, to talk to Him all the time, and to be thankful. So if you are asking yourself questions about getting healthier today reflect on God's will for you as shown in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Then apply these principles to your food choices today.

I want a healthy relationship with God more than a healthy relationship with food. However, I believe I have to get my unhealthy eating habits under control, or else I am enslaved to them. God sent Jesus to buy me out of bondage, yet, when I live in a sinful way I allow myself to be placed back in bondage. God does not want that for me or for YOU.

Here are some cheap ideas about eating healthier on a budget with common foods.

1. Check out the dry bean isle at the grocery store.
I am looking at a 15.5 oz can of Tiny Green Butter Beans. The contents are: Lima Beans, Water, Salt, Sugar, and Calcium Chloride. The can also cost $.87 for 3.5 servings. I promise one can of Lima beans will only dish out 2 servings of beans, but according to the label it 3.5. That comes to nearly $.25 per serving when going by their recommended servings. Plus, I am getting what quality of water? (I recommend water with no fluoride, chlorine, etc. Zero tolerance on added chemicals whenever possible!.) You are getting salt and sugar too...and what is calcium chloride??? It is a salt of calcium and chlorine according to Wikipedia. Now, do we really need this extra salt, sugar, salt, or chlorine in our foods.
I am now looking at a bag of dried black beans. Now, I realize I am comparing butter beans and black beans, but I am using what is on hand. We are doing things on a budget remember! LOL! One 16 oz. bag of black beans costs about $1.80 (I think. Memory Lane is not what it used to be.) It tells me that there are13 servings. Which is about $.14 per serving. Every time you serve dry beans verses canned beans you have a savings potential of $.11 per serving. For a family of 4 that is $.44 of savings per meal. As I look at the contents label I am shocked to see the following listed: Black Beans. No, no, no, I want my added sugar, salt, and calcium chloride!!!
Just by choosing to expend a little extra time soaking dry beans (this will also help in getting rid of the gases that cause us to have gas.) and tossing them in a crock pot to simmer away all day I can save a lot of money. If it takes 6 cans of processed beans to yield the 13 servings I get from one bag of beans then I stand to save a lot of money. If the cans cost $.50 each that is $3.00 v. $2 or less for a bag of dried beans. It is definitely worth the little extra work to bypass the chemicals and other added ingredients that we get in processed foods.

2. Grow your own foods or find local farmers to buy from. Many of us don't have time or the know how to garden these days. However, you would be surprised at the amount of produce you can yield in very small containers. I encourage you to learn about container gardening. If you have flowerbeds, use them to grow food. I also recommend that you use non GMO - genetically modified - heirloom seeds for all things you grow.
Caution on corn. Sadly, even if you use a heirloom seed, you must be careful to not allow cross pollination to occur, or your corn will be corrupted by a GMO product by cross contamination via the pollination process. Other than growing your corn in a green house with a controlled population of butterflies/bugs/bees to assist with pollination or an air pollination system there is not really any way to prevent this from happening. Especially, if you live in my neck of the woods where we are surrounded by GMO corn Fields.
If you know of a good local farmer ask if you can help with the gardening in exchange for produce. Many hobby farmers get overwhelmed at times, want to go on vacation during the summer, or just need some help and may be glad to trade out services.
If you do garden remember to save your seeds. They are like free food for next year. You can very easily Google proper drying techniques or seed saving guides online. You may want to reap the knowledge of any family members from the gardening era in your family!

3. Another incentive of portion control. You make your groceries go further. Plain and simple. If you eat only half of what you normally do in a day's time you have saved 50% right off the top.

When I first started portion control meals I was shocked at what my intake really was. I even commented that "it is a wonder I can fit through the door ways!"

I hope that by sharing with you my ups and my downs, and some of the things that helped me get to where I am today with my weight and my food struggles, that you find some encouragement. Just knowing that you are not alone as you struggle to be a healthier you. That it is not only you that stands in front of the pantry knowing you are not hungry but wanting something to fill a spot inside of you, and hoping something you are looking at will do it.

So today join me as I rejoice in all the things and the healthy food God has blessed me with, as I seek Him out in prayer all day with a special focus on the healthy food he provides, and as I try to be so very thankful for all of my blessings, and one of them is you!

Baby Steps

Welcome to Steps to a Healthier Me.

I hope you found this page because you are on a journey in your own quest for a healthier you!

I wish I had all the money in the bank I have spent on attempts at being healthy. I have had successes in the past, yet today finds me starting a new climb again into getting healthy. I got to thinking that I wish there was a place I could go to that had other people like me sharing ideas and getting support. Then that led me to thinking that I needed to start it!

I am not computer savy. I just get by. So please bear with me as we start a journey together.

I won't promise to blog everyday. I may even blog that I am struggling and need you to encourage me at times. That is what I want to find. I want to find people that are struggling with weight issues and are looking for everyday affordable approaches to losing weight.

I am a firm believer that knowledge is powerful. If we start steps together concerning weight loss, and share what works for us with others starting the journey what a wonderful way to stay motivated to be healthy.

I had a very active childhood. I also learned some terrible eating habits as a teenager that haunt me today. Binge eating. Emotional eating. Closet eating. I have been on the roller coaster. I would like to get off.

I once went to Overeaters Anonymous and found that it was a great support group with people who understood my frustrations. It was with others who knew what it meant to be obese and hurting. It was a group of people who shared their stories and gave support. Yet, I found that I simply could not make it to a meeting, or could not afford to get to a meeting. If there is a local OA group in your area I stongly suggest you use it to your benefit.

While going to OA, I learned about the 12 Step Program for Addicts. I really like the idea. Yet, because I could not go to meetings regularly, I found myself with yet another idea, but no "will" to do it alone.

I also went to Weight Watchers group meetings, joined online, and did WW points on my own at home, but soon lost motivation. I know several people that have had great success and I do believe WW is a great tool if you can afford to take advantage of it.

I went to a weight loss clinic for weekly injections, pills, and barely 900 calories a day. While doing this I spent roughly 1.5 hours in the gym six days a week sometimes seven. Yes, I did get results, but I couldn't keep up with the cost. So first it was the chemicals that were helping me lose weight, and then I had to stop the gym dues. Needless to say, it wasn't long and all that hard work was a memory.

Today, I want to start something new. I will not buy anything. I will use books I have already purchased...and believe me that list is LONG...or that I can check-out via library loans or online. I will also, not be buying any exercise equipment. I will use what I already own...which again is rather extensive. Remember I said I wished I had all the money I had spent on stuff to help me loose weight in the past. I would say it would easily total 5 figures, as in 10's of thousands of dollars!

Here is what I believe.
#1 I can't do this alone. I need to understand what God wants for me when it comes to health.
#2 I can't keep doing the same things that got me here today.
#3 I need to be motivated, and I am the best motivated when doing for others.
#4 I want to be knowledgable about health, exercise and nutrition.
#5 I want to surround myself with others on this journey to a Healthier Me.

I am sure I will tumble down the steps a lot and so will you. Yet, I know that WE can encourage each other on this journey, and that will motivate us to get up when we fall. It will encourage us to try different things. It will encourage us to reach out for help and to help others. It will bring success if we just keep trying to take small positive steps each day to a Healthier Me!

Please leave feedback. If you see something that isn't correct let me know. If you want to know more about something let me know and we can learn together. If you find something that works for you let us know so we can try it too.

I hope that you have made the first step to a healthier you!