Healthy Cleansing

It is no secret that I am a girl that needs to lose some weight. But I am having a hard time getting motivated. I want to lose weight, but I want an easy way to do it which isn't the right way.

To get (hopefully) give myself a jump start, I started a cleanse. This particular cleanse gets rid of the candida in the gut.

Since I haven't done a cleanse before, I don't have a lot of expectation. I would like to lose a few pounds, but I am not expecting to lose a ton of weight. I would also like to start to feel better and not so sluggish.

So here is what I am doing. In addition to taking all pills that are a part of the cleanse, I am being pretty restrictive with what I am eating. I am going to do meal replacements for breakfast and lunch and eat a healthy dinner with lots of veggies. doTerra does have a shake mix that I am using. It isn't bad and is such a quick thing to whip up.

The next 30 days may be a little rough, but I need to keep my focus as best as I can. I will be going away twice in July and I know that will be a challenge. But I am going to do my best to stay on track and start being a little more healthy.

Where Is My Motivation?

Yesterday, I wrote about participating in the Glass City 5k. This race is full of all types of people, from runners hoping to break a personal record to causal walkers and everyone in between.

Among the large group of participants are new runners. Some may have started as a New Year's Resolution and this may have been their first race. A 5k is a relatively short distance and a good distance to start with as a first race.

We came across a girl early on the course, who was a bigger girl. When we first saw her, she was walking. We passed her, but then she started to run and passed us. This went back and forth throughout the race. When she stopped her running spurts, she was breathing heavily. But she was obviously doing the best she could. She did end up crossing the finish line before us.

I have to give her a lot of credit. I don't know when or why she started to work toward this particular goal. Maybe it was to lose weight or just get healthier. She was doing something to better herself. She was working towards a goal. I don't know if she was happy with her time or just glad to have finished. She had obviously put in time and effort to participate.

I need to lose weight. It is something I have struggled with for a long time. I joined a gym at the end of February and I have only gone once. And that was only because I had a free training session. I have no motivation. It can't be because I want to run a race. I have to want to do it for myself. My family has a history of heart disease, so I have a legitimate reason to be healthy. Because my genetics are not going to be in my favor.

So what do I have to do to make my dreams a reality? I need the same determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort that every athlete needs to accomplish their dreams and goals. Even though I don't know the name of the girl that was running, she was an inspiration.

Sweet Place of Breakthrough

My breakthrough came at the end of last summer. I had gotten to a point of being so dissatisfied with myself and how heavy I had become. I was uncomfortable in my clothes. I was never happy with how I looked. I was miserable.

I started Weight Watchers in August. This was going to be my time. I just knew it. It wasn't because my mom had encouraged me to go. It was because I wanted to go. I needed to go. So I followed the plan and watched what I ate. I learned what I could eat so I wasn't feeling deprived. And slowly, but surely, the pounds came off. I lost the first 5, then 10 and, can you believe it, 15. I had broken through my mental barrier that to eat healthy meant feeling deprived. I felt really good - about myself and about my weight loss.

But then it stopped. I stopped.

I went out of town, didn't grocery shop and got lazy. I stopped going to the meetings and then canceled my membership altogether. And of course, the weight came back on. I have gained about 5 pounds back. That may not seem like a lot, but I have a long way to go before I am at a healthy weight.

Knowing I was gaining weight and then seeing I was gaining weight, brought about the cycle again. Dissatisfied with myself at how heavy I had become. I am uncomfortable in my clothes. I am not happy with how I look. I am miserable.

That was the main reason the Made to Crave study was one that I was desperate to do. But I have been a slacker, not completing the assignments and just being lazy. The Excuse Monster is all over the place. Work is stressing me out. It is so cold that going outside is a chore, so it is easier to stay inside and plop on the couch.

But in the back of my head is the gnawing of needing to get healthy and knowing I can do it. I think Weight Watchers is great. I like their approach and it works. I can attest to that. But I need the spiritual part to really make it life transforming. Sure, losing weight in and of itself is good. But it becomes all about me. I look good because of the work I did. Look at me and how much better I feel. I, me, I me. There is no God. It is through God alone that the true life transformation can begin. He is the only that can truly satisfy.

Maybe this was another breakthrough! :)

#Empowered

What a week it has been so far! As I mentioned last week, I am participating in a Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study. I have jumped into it feet first because struggling with my weight and being healthy in general is something I battle with month after month, year after year. I am taking advantage of every opportunity I can get to join in to learn from other people and share in their triumphs and encourage them in defeat.

Because I am taking this seriously and not being blasé about it, I am feeling empowered! I am not alone in my struggle and I have sisters in Christ who are feeling the same way I am. But with the power of Christ in us, we are overcoming our physical cravings and satisfying them with a spiritual one - craving God!

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh cry out for the Living God.

Psalm 84:2

But this week hasn't been easy, either. I still have to be conscious of what I am putting in my mouth. I have to make the decision to work out. And because it being so cold and snowy here, I just want veg on the couch and watch TV.

I haven't had victory in every decision I have made, but I still feel empowered. I don't have to let one bad decision derail me. It is celebrating the small victories - drinking more water, eating more fruits and vegetables during the day, getting on the treadmill.

Resisting the cravings of this world is going to be a life long battle. And it isn't always going to be food doing the tempting. It could be the craving of material possessions or the craving of me-time. But just as Christ has given the power to overcome food cravings, His power is more than sufficient to satisfy those cravings, too.

The Soon-To-Be Skinny Life

I am going to admit it...I am chubby. I haven't always been this way, but I am definitely living that life now. I love food! But it finally came to a point where I needed to do something.

I joined Weight Watchers at the end of July and am happy to say that I have lost almost 12 pounds so far. I am pretty proud of myself! It feels like a big accomplishment that I am worked for a little bit at a time. I like see a double digit total weight loss. But I still have a long way to go before I can concentrate on maintaining my weight.

I have done Weight Watchers in the past and never lost a significant amount of weight. My head is in it this time so I have a plan in place and am being good about my food decisions. I have not splurged one time since starting. However, this weekend may be the first. (I will explain in an upcoming post.)

It isn't fun controlling portion sizes and monitoring everything that goes in my mouth. But it is what I have to do right now so I can be healthy. That is really the ultimate goal and being a smaller person is a fringe benefit.

Besides posting this on my blog, my mom is the only other person that knows I am doing this. I want to surprise my brother when I see him at the end of September so he can be proud of me. He is healthy. He runs half marathons and eats right, but he also knows that it is okay to splurge once in a while. I was on the path that was more about splurging every time I ate.

My clothes are starting to feel a little more loose. While no one has commented that it looks like I am loosing weight, I can see a difference. I am not doing this to please other people. This was my choice and I am doing it for me.

The next phase to ramp up my weight loss has be exercise. I am not looking forward to that. I am going to start with walking. Since my family will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my place this year, I am going to see if my brother will do the Pittsburgh Turkey Trot with me. That will give me a little motivation to get my tail in motion.

But until I embark on the exercise phase, I am going to continue to track what I eat so I can continue to make this time successful!