9.25.2012

Living & Active: Update #2

The end of week 2 and beginning of week 3 doing this Living & Active Challenge. Now that I'm this far in, I have to say that it's been great! The first week was really hard, but I'm finding it much easier to keep up with exercising, eating right and keeping up with my Bible studies. Woo!


Last week, I worked out 4 times and went on a few walks with Charlotte. The exercising I've been doing is Pilates and my Postnatal Boot Camp DVD. I love doing Pilates! The Boot Camp DVD is hard. It's hard for a reason, though, so I'm keeping up with it! I know it's great for me and it's not that long anyway, so I'm keeping up with it. Some days I want to quit right in the middle of it, but I know sticking with it is the best thing for me.

I started having salads for lunch last week, which has helped a ton. I don't have one every day, but I feel like I'm eating healthier by having them more often. I load my salad up with a bunch of veggies (peppers, broccoli, onions, etc.), cut up some deli meat, add some cheese and a little bit of dressing. YUM! It fills me up way more than I thought it would too. I'm also eating oatmeal for breakfast now. This is a big deal since I'm so much of a cereal person. It killed me not to eat it every morning when I was pregnant and had GD. But I'm liking the oatmeal (which I eat with pecans on top =)) more every day! That's really the only thing that's changed. I still make a good dinner for Joe and I and I still have a some sweets after dinner...but not much!

The biggest thing that's changed (and in such a short time!) is my way of thinking. This is mainly due to the Bible studies I'm doing, specifically Setting the Captives Free. I mentioned last week that I've struggled with overeating. I've turned to food to satisfy me instead of turning to God. And when the food didn't satisfy me, I turned to more food. Then I'd feel guilty for eating so much, knowing I should take better care of myself... It's really an endless, evil cycle to get caught up in. And I didn't realize it until I started this study.

Turning to food instead of turning to God is a sin. No matter how you slice it, that's what it is. The longer I'm doing this study, the more I'm able to really see it. No diet can "cure" this or help me get rid of the sin in my life. Sure it can help me change my behavior, but it can't change my heart which is where the real issue lies. Diets and programs (Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, calorie-counting, low-carb, South Beach, etc.) fail because, while they encourage people to change, they can't lead people to God who is the ONLY ONE that can help us and really fill us.

As I read in the study, "There is a [point] when it's time to be done with sin for good. We want to make a full turn away from sinful eating habits and discipline ourselves to eat properly and purposefully." This is where I'm at right now. I fell into a sinful trap because, well, food is good! It tastes great and it satisfies my hunger pangs. But when I'm using it to satisfy my soul... It doesn't work. I'm done with it. I'm ready to put this behind me. I'm ready to eat well and be satisfied by God and what only He can offer.

The result of this is repentance. This means turning away - walking, running away - from my sin and turning to God. I've already been forgiven. All I have to do is claim that forgiveness and live in the freedom it offers me. It's only by God's grace that I can overcome this and live a life that isn't focused on food - what will I eat next? I don't just want to change my behavior for the time being so that I can lose weight. I want a lifestyle - a heart - change. Only God can do that. And He is doing that in my life.

I can already see a huge difference in my life. I'm not planted on the couch, thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner (although I do have to plan for that) or what I'm going to eat for dessert or for a snack. I feel empowered to make good, healthy choices. I feel better after working out than I would if I didn't. {Most days, anyway.} But here's the thing: I'm not doing this. God is. He's working in my life and changing me from the INSIDE out. I can't do this on my own. I'm nothing without Him. I can only do it because He's given me the strength and the grace to do so.

And praise God for the change!!! I'm loving it and I love that I have Anna and Melissa to keep me accountable and to pray for me about anything. I'm also loving that I lost 3 pounds last week! Just one more thing that's changing. =)

5 comments:

  1. This is so awesome!! Kind of a "duh" moment for me too when you talked about eating to satisfy the soul instead of turning to God for that. Very interesting, and I had never thought about it that way before. Way to go! :)

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  2. Keep up the good work! You're making some great changes :)

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  3. Love this post. I so needed to read it this morning. Praise God for giving you the victory.It is true that if we try to satisfy our appetites with anything other than Him we will come up lacking every time. I love that bible study. Have an awesome week and thanks for sharing.
    Veronica(also in the Peak Challenge)

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  4. Visiting from Peak313.....YAY!! for you!!! Great job. What a way to think of overeating, certainly not treating the body we've been given as a temple...when you say sin, in relationship to overeating it casts a completely different light on it. Ick.
    Keep up the great work!!

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