60 Days | 6 Reasons People Stay In Debt

Today's post is about healthy finances.  I'm posting from Dave Ramsey's website.  If you are not familiar with Dave, I'd encourage you to consider checking out his website, his books, his classes.  Also, as you read his 6 reasons, the same things could be said for "Reasons Why People Stay Unhealthy."  So think of it that way as well!

6 Reasons People Stay In Debt

From Dave Ramsey

Do you remember the moment you decided to get out of debt?
You were sick and tired of being sick and tired. You might have even gotten angry at being in debt. Eventually, the burden and the stress of the constant bills and piling debt broke you down. Something inside you “clicked,” and you decided it was time to make a fresh start.

But what keeps people from getting out of debt? Why would someone want to stay in chains instead of living in freedom? Sadly, there are all sorts of reasons people choose MasterCard over being free from debt.
Here are just a few:  

1. They want to keep up appearances.

This is the dreaded “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. But little do you know, the Joneses have a leased BMW, an underwater mortgage, and an unwelcome visitor named Sallie Mae living in their basement. The Joneses are the most broke people in your neighborhood. And if you’re trying to follow their example, you’ll be following them into bankruptcy if you’re not careful.

2. They are unwilling to sacrifice.

How can you possibly give up eating out three nights a week? Or what would your life look like without cable? You’ll never know until you’re willing to give those things up in order to build a legacy for your future. If you’re in a lot of debt, something in your lifestyle has to change. It’s about priorities. Here’s the question: What are you willing to give up?

3. They fear change.

Debt can be comfortable, kind of like slowly cooking in a pot of boiling water. If you’ve always used a credit card, and if you always had car loans, then you know what to expect. The unknown can be scary—except for the fact that millions of families have gone through Dave’s plan to get out of debt and changed their lives. We can promise that you have a lot more to fear if you stay in debt, rather than if you make this change in your life.

4. They’re addicted to stuff.

In other words, they’ve bought the myth that you are what you own, and they simply can’t get enough. The more they have, the more powerful and confident they feel. But it’s all a fraud. They can’t afford that stuff and, eventually, it’s going to weigh them down. Their addiction to debt will, at some point, cause a financial heart attack.  

5. They don’t know how. 

Everything we do around Dave’s office revolves around helping people make a plan with their money. These people have good intentions—they want to kick debt to the curb—but they don’t know how. They’ve been in debt so long that getting out under a pile of $50,000 in credit card bills seems impossible. But it isn’t. People call The Dave Ramsey Show every day to tell us about their debt-free stories. Getting out of debt isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline. But it’s definitely not impossible. All you need is a plan.

6. They’re lazy.

These people know what to do. Maybe they know about the debt snowball and they sorta, kinda want to get out of debt. They know how debt can affect their marriage, their stress levels, their relationships, and their future, but they just aren’t motivated to make a change. How sad is that? You know that you’re ruining your future—and if you have kids, you’re putting them behind the eight ball when they go out on their own—but you still go into debt anyway? If you know how to get out of debt, but you’re just too lazy to do it? Well, that’s just embarrassing.


Every day, people are making the decision to get out of debt and change their lives. 


They’re ready to sacrifice and get rid of their fear of change or their addiction to stuff.
If you’ve yet to make that decision, what’s holding you back? And if you’re already debt-free or moving in that direction, what caused you to make a change in your life? 
We all need a plan for our money. Financial Peace University (FPU) is that plan! Find a class today.

61 Days | Recipes for Super Bowl Sunday

Who says you can't have wings?  Try this amazing option!  Eat it with a healthy stack of celery for dipping!

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake

(Aka Buffalo Chicken Dip)

Slightly adapted from Melissa Aka Want2BeThin789

Ingredients:

14 oz raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts - yields 9 oz cooked (1 1/2 Lean)

2 oz or 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat cheddar cheese (1/2 Lean)

1/4 cup Frank's Hot Wings Sauce (2 Condiments)

1/4 cup Light Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing  (2 Healthy Fats)

2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese (2 Condiments)

6 Servings of Veggies (6 Greens)

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken breasts for 30-35 minutes or until cooked. Remove chicken breasts from pan and chop the chicken into small pieces. Place chicken inside of a baking dish. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine Frank's Hot Wings Sauce, ranch dressing and cream cheese. Heat over medium high heat, stirring until cream cheese is completely melted. Once melted, pour the sauce mixture over chicken. Then sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with 1 1/2 cups of celery or your favorite veggies for a complete lean and green meal.

2 Servings with 1 Complete Lean and Green, 2 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat per serving

*Note: You can use 1/4 cup fat free ranch dressing if it has less than 1 carb and will be treated as 2 condiments. Then use 2 tbsp of regular cream cheese as your two healthy fats.

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While everyone likes a good crock of meatballs, don't tell your guests that YOUR meatballs are the healthy ones!  I love these topped with Walden Farms Honey BBQ Sauce (though, I don't recommend another BBQ sauce, as they are high in sugars and carbs)

Italian MeatballsIngredients:
21 oz 93% reduced fat ground beef - should yield 3 - 5 oz portions cooked (3 Leans)
2 tbsp  parmesan cheese (2 Condiments)
1 tsp basil leaves (1 Condiment)
1/4 cup egg beaters
1 tbsp parsley flakes (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (2 Condiments)
1/4 tsp pepper (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp fennel - optional (1/2 Condiment)
1 1/2 cups Italian diced tomatoes - less than 5 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup (3 Greens)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the diced tomatoes in a bowl until combined. Form balls from the meat. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Measure out 5 oz of cooked meatballs and add 1/2 cup of Italian diced tomatoes in a small saucepan over medium heat until heated thoroughly. I like to use a fork and smash the diced tomatoes so it resembles a chunky marinara sauce. Serve with 1 cup spaghetti squash (2 Greens) or make a meatball sandwich with the revolution rolls (1/3 Lean and 1.33 Condiments)! If you eat it with the revolution rolls, make sure you add 2 more greens!
 
3 Servings with each serving having 1 Lean, 1 Green, and 2.33 Condiments (No Healthy Fat required)

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If pizza is what everyone else is having, consider equipping yourself with these bad boys!  You can also make a cauliflower pizza, but these are a new twist that allow you to do the dip!

Cauliflower Breadsticks

Ingredients:
1 cup raw grated cauliflower or 100 grams  (2 Greens)
1/4 cup egg substitute * you are able to add up to 2 oz of additional protein per Nutrition Support
1 cup shredded or 4 oz 2% light mozzarella, divided (1 Lean)
Garlic salt and Italian seasonings, to taste

Marinara Sauce1/2 cup Italian diced tomatoes - less than 5 g of carbs per serving (1 Green)
You can also use Walden Farms Marinara Sauce, but 1/4 cup is considered to be 2 condiments and is not a vegetable. You would have to add a third of veggies to your meal if you choose this option. 

Directions:
Puree Italian diced tomatoes in a small chopper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cauliflower, 1/4 cup egg substitute, and 3 oz or 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella together in a bowl until combined. Line a 9 x5 loaf pan with parchment and lightly spray with Pam. Pour mixture into pan about 1 -1/2 inch deep. (It is okay if the mixture does not cover the entire pan). Bake at 350 for 30 min or until set. Lift the edges of the parchment and place bread with parchment on to cookie sheet. Carefully use a spatula to lift the edges of the dough off the parchment and flip the dough. Bake for an additional 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Take out of oven and with a pizza cutter, slice strips through set dough. Separate slightly. Sprinkle with garlic salt, Italian seasonings and 1 oz or 1/4 cup 2%  reduced fat mozzarella or three cheese blend. Continue baking at 450 degrees for about 10 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with marinara sauce.

1 Complete Lean and Green Meal, No Healthy Fat Required

62 Days | DYOH Book Study Week #2

I really love this one!  Kathleen shares more of her story as it relates to these two chapters.  Here's the summary and her questions:

Chapter 3 – Selling Sickness

“America’s health care system is neither healthy, caring nor a system.” 

~ Walter Cronkite

3 Eras of Healthcare

1.    Development of medicines to prevent or cure disease by outside invaders (bacteria/viruses)

2.    Development of medications for chronic diseases i.e. heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes

3.    Focus on what is in the patients best interests instead of relying on medicines and surgery

We have two choices:

1.    Take a bunch of expensive medicines and develop progressive disease

2.    Address the problems by eating healthier and adopting habits of health

Chapter 4 – Does Health Really Matter?

Why is health important?

Good health can reverse some of the health issues that we develop

Good health can prevent the expense and inconvenience of many doctor’s appointments and prescription medications

Questions for comment:

Do you have current health issues that are being controlled by medications?

Could changing your habits and making healthier choices help your current state of health?

What are you willing to do to affect change in your health?

63 Days | Weight Loss is Not The End-Goal

The science behind weight loss is not a secret.

You increase activity to a healthy level and lower caloric intake to a healthy level, reaching a point where you burn more energy than you consume. To compensate, your body burns fat to release stored energy.

At its core, losing weight is not complicated, but just because it’s simple doesn’t mean that it’s easy.

Many plans view weight loss as an end in itself. Through any number of methods—low-carb or low-fat diets, medication, colonics, exercise boot camps—they get you to your destination (sometimes), at which point they basically drop you off. The problem with plans like these is that even if you do get through the deprivation involved and manage to lose weight, you almost immediately start meandering back to your old ways.

Creating health does not end at weight loss. When you treat weight loss as the end goal, as the final conclusion, your journey ends there.

Instead, I encourage my clients to think about their health differently. Your question should not be “What is the most effective way to reach a healthy weight?” You should be asking “How can I go beyond weight loss to achieve optimal health and stay healthy for the rest of my life?”

In the first question, the focus is on solving a problem or ridding yourself of an unwanted situation. In the second question, the focus is on a desired outcome. When you shift your focus to creating health rather than losing weight, you establish a narrative for a journey that is ongoing, where every choice that you make is another step forward.

Changing our emphasis from what we’re against to what we’re for has a dramatic impact, even if they seem similar first. You could try to adopt the healthiest diet that ever existed, but if your motivation is to fix a health problem you have or might have in the future, you’ll slip back into Habits of Disease.

When you start to talk about health in terms of creation or in terms of being for health, the dialogue that you have with yourself will shift. You will begin to think of health as a lifestyle rather than a solution to a short-term problem. To put it differently, world-class violinists didn’t start playing the violin because they wanted to stop being bad at music. Someone showed them the rewards of music and they fell in love. Every practice session was another step on their journey toward being better musicians.

I’m not asking you to become a world-class violinist or even a world-class athlete. I’m asking you to think of your health, as this amazing asset that you can develop to experience a full radiant life! You aren’t fixing something that’s wrong with you. You are seizing the opportunity to start something special that can lead to thousands of amazing experiences, something that can last a lifetime.In health,

Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen
Author of Dr. A's Habits of Health & Discover Your Optimal Health
Co-founder of Take Shape for Life

64 Days | No More Numbing

*Listing the disclaimer up front.  I often post faith-based posts.  This is not one of those posts.  There is some colorful language in this video and there is even some principles that some of you will struggle with.  However, I believe you'll miss something critical, if you don't watch this because of any of those reasons.  For me, this is one of the first things I've personally watched that has helped me understand why I gravitate toward food when I am overwhelmed.  I'd love to know what you think.

What do you believe about love and belonging?

What do you believe about fear and shame?

Have you ever gravitated toward food, drink or spending to numb pain, shame or vulnerability?

This will be 20 minutes of your time, but I found it worth it:


Whatever you believe forms you.

Authenticity, vulnerability, connection, courage...

What makes you vulnerable, makes you beautiful.  It's necessary to breathe through the dark times, the risky times...

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. -2 Corinthians 12:9

Can we be done numbing our pain yet?

65 Days: Kathleen's Story

Kathleen is a valued client of mine, and also a certified health coach on my team.  I am so grateful for the work that has happened in her life and that I've gotten to walk alongside her on this journey!  She is also the one leading us through Discover Your Optimal Health every Thursday as our online book study.

Determination - Winning the Race

This journey of health began several years ago because of a weekend with the girls.  I finally admitted to some friends that I was afraid to go to the doctor because of what she might tell me out my weight and my health.  But with their encouragement, I made the appointment.  The nurse did the typical checks of weight, temperature, and blood pressure.  When the doctor came in, she was very alarmed at how high my blood pressure was and call the cardiologist office in the building to see if they could see me right away.  You can imagine that I was starting to be very scared which probably shot my bp up even higher.  The cardiologist said that I needed to go immediately to the ER.  Long story shortened, I did go to the ER and then met with the cardiologist who admitted me to the hospital to get my bp under control with IV medication. I needed to stay in the hospital overnight.  I also was diagnosed with diabetes at that time.

I was overwhelmed!  I was scared!  I was ashamed!  How could I let it get this bad?

As I laid in the hospital bed that night (I had never been in the hospital before),  I had such a sweet experience with my Lord.  I had this sense that I was completely being held in His hand!  He was there in that hospital room with me and I had such a sense of peace and that He would be with me through this entire situation.  But I had a choice to make, was I going to continue down the path that I had set for myself by being unhealthy and overweight or was I going to make changes in my life in order to extend my life.

My choice was health!  

With bp medications, we were able to lower my bp to a normal range, but that in my mind was not how I wanted to live my life.  The reason my bp was so high was due to my weight and after conversations with my doctor, she assured me that there was a possibility that I could completely reverse my health issues, if I was willing to do the work that it was required to lose weight.  I also had the issue with the diabetes to address.  I didn't want to be taking more medications for that too!

So, I became determined!

I met with my doctor and told her that I had a plan to lose weight and get healthy and could we postpone starting medication for the diabetes.  I met with a diabetic counselor and did the work to change my eating habits and lose weight.  I was able to lose about 75 lbs and was able to lower my blood sugar to a normal range.  I never had to take medication.

Over time some of weight started to creep back on.  Although I had made some changes, there were still the heart issues and bad habits in place that I had not contended with yet, but I still was determined that I had to move forward, but how?

I was reading Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst while away on vacation with a friend and started sharing with her what I was reading.  I realized that God did not want me to live in this defeat; I was made for victory!  My friend shared a video of a really good friend of hers who had lost over 100 lbs.  It was a rap video about her journey and it was so amazing!  She was a certified health coach for Take Shape for Life.  I contacted her.  I told her my story and that I was so afraid to fail again. This Godly woman reached out her hand to me and has help me on this journey of health and hope.

I have changed some of my bad habits and put in their place new habits of health.  I have  done some hard work with God about the heart issues that have contributed to me being obese, but more importantly I have confessed to Him my sin of craving something other than Him!

I am now more determined than ever!

I have lost over 60 lbs in the last year (110 since I was in the hospital) and understand that this is a lifelong journey for me.

...let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1

Speaking of running, I am now training to run a 5K!  This is something that I never thought I would be able to do! I am made for victory!

66 Days | We Need Only Plant

It's Sunday--and I'm taking you to church today!

"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains.  You also, be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the Lord is at hand."  James 5:7&8

In all the talk about setting goals and "what do you want?" please don't forget one very important thing.  Your faithfulness is necessary for planting, but not for yielding the harvest.

When a farmer plants, what then must he do?

He must wait.  You also, be patient--just wait!

But the waiting is not passive.  The waiting is very active.  In the waiting, there are a million jobs to do, none of which produces what the farmer is waiting for.

In the waiting, there is one command.  Establish your hearts.  

Some of you are discouraged, even now, about the "harvest" of your new lifestyle.  But, Friends, your harvest is not even close.  This is just the waiting.  Each faithful step you take, it leads you closer to the day of the harvest.  Each time you water the a good habit, each time you fertilize the soil of your hearts toward being obedient in your eating and lifestyle, each time you build one another up, each time you fill your heart and mind with truth, each time you change the script you have with yourself...you are closer to the harvest.

Wait...like a marathon runner waits for a finish line that still has not yet been determined.  Run and keep running.  Do not LOSE HEART, rather--STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART!

Endurance leads to blessedness and we cannot fathom the great rewards that are ahead for each on of us.  They are much greater than a healthy weight, or a healthy mind, or healthy finances.  You will receive what was intended for you by the Lord!

Ann Voskamp had a touching blog post the other day about a man named Cliff Young.  Cliff Young has something to teach us all about running through the dark times.  I encourage you to read his story here (it is short): How To Get Through the Dark Places.

67 Days | STOP IT!

I carried around a Cathy comic strip for a long time.  I wish I could find it now, but I'm sure it's yellowed from the years, because it was straight from an actual newspaper. (Remember those things?!)

Basically, Cathy was listing what she wanted...
I wanted to call Irvin, but instead I sat alone all night
I wanted to go to the mall, but instead I pet my cat
I wanted to start a journal, but instead I watched TV
I wanted to eat cake...I ATE CAKE!

I carried that comic around because it resonated with me.  So many things I wanted to do, but I found every excuse to put those things off.  Except when it came to cake!

STOP IT!

Go do the important stuff.  The stuff that really matters.  And forget the cake.

Watch the video below.  You'll laugh!  And picture this therapist in your head today if the only thing you want to give yourself permission to do it eat...

Give yourself permission to do the stuff that REALLY matters, okay?  Forget the cake!

Have a great, healthy weekend!

68 Days | Let's Get Moving

Blog post by Certified Health Coach, Hope Bassett

1990. It was the year I started walking for exercise.

And, that's what I did for 20 years until my husband bought me Zumba videos in 2010, per my request. 

I fell in love with Zumba and, more amazingly, I could actually tolerate the activity!!! 

I had gotten healthier and I could finally DO something else for exercise other than walking, and Zumba was fun! Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy getting outside and walking, but as my family grew, my time to exercise outside of the home was diminishing.  And--can I get an "amen"?--that treadmill in the corner had BORING written all over it.  So, we sold it.  Zumba had stolen my heart...and I wasn't going to settle for second best any more.

Zumba was a great start, and I did it for a year before I started to branch out in new directions.  Here we are in 2014. I have now found several activities that I look forward to doing throughout my week for exercise. I have learned that by changing the exercise I do, it actually challenges my body and helps me get stronger and healthier more quickly. So, I rotate between 3 different formal exercise activities to keep things fresh and beneficial!

But, I also am finding ways to move throughout my day that are helping me to be healthier and at the same time are because I'm healthier. 

I can now race with my children outside. I can play tag with them in our basement. I can play soccer and kickball. These are the things I want to be doing and that also help me keep being able to do them!

Some of you are struggling with how to fit exercise into your life, and I want you to know that it IS possible. I am a busy mama of four little ones, and I look for opportunities every day to get moving.  

First, FIND WHAT YOU LOVE!  I started with walking and moved to Zumba.  I genuinely LOVE those activities.  If you start with something you enjoy, you're much more likely to do it.  

Here are a few short lists of some activities that will help you get moving. Maybe these ideas will help you think of other ways that you can incorporate movement during your day...

Movement within Your Day:

• Do squats with your abs engaged any time you stoop down to pick things up off the floor
• Do toe-lifts or march in place any time you are standing at your kitchen sink
• Park a distance away from your driving destination so you can walk some of the way
• Opt for standing in place of sitting
• Take the stairs and not the elevator
• Take stairs two at a time for a deeper lunge, but keep your core engaged
• Sit on the edge of a chair rather than the whole way back and tighten your abs. Be careful of slouching when you're sitting for long periods of time.
• Pinch a "pencil" between your shoulder blades to engage your back muscles
• Walk during your lunch break
• Playing tag or race with your children
• When going to the grocery store or Walmart, park far away and walk your cart all the way back to the store when it's time to return it.
• Do some yard work: gardening, raking, shoveling (they all burn calories)
• Go play!  Build a snowman, a fort...and find reasons to lift things!
• Bounce a baby to sleep - who doesn't want to burn a few calories this way??

Formal Exercise:

• Various squats 
• Elastic bands for arm strengthening
• Zumba - a fave of mine
• Hiking--find new trails
• Bounce on trampoline 
• Arm wrestling
• Stretching, pilates, yoga
• Bike riding - this is one of my goals for this year
• Hula hoop - another goal: for core strengthening this year!
• Walking

And in case you missed this on Facebook...this is for all of you RECOVERING couch potatoes out there:

I'd love to hear your ideas and what you do to fit activity into your life...

69 Days | DYOH Ch 1 & 2 with Kathleen

Welcome to the first week of Kathleen's book study on Discover Your Optimal Health by Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen.  If you do not yet own this book, I recommend it!  Purchase it at any book seller.  It hit the New York Times Best Seller list its first week on the market and it will change the way you think about HEALTH!

Kathleen's short video will walk you through the first two chapters.  Remember, she's new at this online study thing, too, so she already has some improved ideas for the coming weeks!  I think you'll find this encouraging...whether you did the assignment or not.

BOOK DISCUSSION FOR THE WEEK:
(Feel free to include your answers in the blog comments or message your coach!)

Chapter 1 – Our Unhealthy World

What are some of your current bad habits?

What changes are you willing to make to move toward optimal health?

Chapter 2 – Are you healthy?

What is your current mind-set regarding health?

What are some actions you are taking to improve health every day?

How are your daily habits leading you toward health?

NEXT WEEK'S LESSON:
Chapter 3 – Selling Sickness
Chapter 4 – Does health really matter?

Dig Deeper:

Dr. A’s Habits of Health: Preface, Introduction, and Chapters 1 & 2

70 Days | What Are The Rewards?

Yesterday I asked the question "What are some rewards you can give yourself that aren't food?"  If you look under the comments you'll find some really good answers.  But I thought I'd give you some ideas. These range from small rewards for making a good choice in the day, to medium reward for meeting short-term goals, to HUGE rewards that are on your dream board--those are for meeting BIG goals!

Ready...

SMALL REWARDS (Free-$10):
Savor a warm cup of tea in your favorite mug, enjoyed in a quiet place
Stop at your favorite coffee shop
Listen to your favorite music--something happy!
Allow yourself to dance
Take a bubble bath
Give yourself an at-home manicure/pedicure
Go thrift shopping
Watch an extra hour of TV
Settle down with a good book
Get cozy under the covers with that book!
Enjoy a phone call/FaceTime with a friend
Write a letter to the person you love--to tell them how much you love them.
Add a sticker on a chart...to earn a bigger reward
Write in your journal
Get away to read your Bible and pray
Buy a new pack of sugar free gum
Read blogs of people who inspire you
Create a new Pinterest board of pretty things
Buy yourself fresh flowers
Enjoy a magazine
Light candles
Burn essential oils
Go for a run--with your favorite tunes!
Go to the gym and enjoying your workout
Hold the hand of someone you love
Go to a movie (free of popcorn!)
Add a pretty stone to a jar--collecting your accomplishments!
Play a game
Wear that pair of jeans you've been saving and can FINALLY zipper
Breathe in the fresh air...for some of us, we don't stop long enough to breathe.
Start your own "awesome" club--invite some friends (I did it...and all of YOU came)
Daydream
Scrapbook
Look for beauty
Don't clean the house...for just one day! (or do clean it, if that's a reward for you!)
Laugh!  A LOT

This is my bracelet...every bead on it represents a milestone!

MEDIUM REWARDS ($25-$50):

A charm for a bracelet
A new piece of jewelry
A massage
A hair cut/color
A facial/manicure/pedicure
New clothing
A special date night
Take a class (I pick Creative Writing!)
Theater tickets
Going to a concert
Visit some art galleries
Attending a symphony
Tickets to a sporting event
Music lessons
Audition for a play/musical
Skating lessons
Dance classes
Zip lining
Ropes course
Take a personal retreat
Hire someone to clean your house--just once! (okay, maybe twice)

Dan & I at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville, TN

LARGE REWARDS:
I can't tell you what these may be.  Create your own bucket list and DREAM!

Don't EVER stop dreaming.  Don't ever stop creating your own adventure book.  Life is too short to spend time pouting about FOOD!  Go live!!!!  Take it from Carl & Ellie from the movie UP.  If you have never seen this movie, it is for dreamers.  If you have seen this movie, I dare you to watch this video clip...after all we've already been though together in our first 19 days and not shed a little tears.  Go live your life!  BE FREE!!!!

71 Days | Building A Strong Wall

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. -Prov. 25:28

Tonight, I received a text from a "90 Day-er."  After a rough day of being reemed out by the boss for something he didn't do, this person just wanted to take a headlong dive into a giant steak and baked potato.  What the heck...throw in some dessert and a couple of glasses of wine too!

Ever been there?  Here are a few of my thoughts...

Self-Control: The Great Wall of Defense

Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors.  A few years ago I read her novella entitled "Rahab." If you are familiar with the account of Joshua and the battle of Jericho, this story took you on an insider perspective of that story. It gave an awesome depiction of the battle at Jericho.  What I distinctly remember was the emphasis on the city walls.  The city walls were also called the "Defensive Walls" and for good reason.  They protected the city from any outside dangers and harm.  If you wanted to conquer a city, you had to overcome the walls.

The walls around a city were tall and made of bricks and stones and mortar.  They were meant to be impenetrable.   Men with weapons guarded the wall--and the city gate.  The gate was the only place for outside forces to enter.

In order for Joshua to conquer the city, he had to first conquer the walls.  It seemed crazy what God asked him to do, but he marched and the horns blew and...well, the walls came down, exposing Jericho to a massacre of great magnitude.  No protection was going to keep out the army that had one thing on its mind--VICTORY!

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.  How extremely vulnerable and weak!  Worse than weak.  What is weaker than weak?  I can't seem to find a word for it.

We need city walls around our hearts and our minds.  We need impenetrable walls to keep us from utter defeat.  When I am lacking self control, I am very weak to the temptations around me.  That weakness brings about a massacre of epic proportions.  I can't afford that!  

The word of the day is: SELF CONTROL.  It is something that needs to be exercised.  It's like a muscle.  The more we use it, the stronger it becomes.

So, the 90 Day-er was right to reach out.  He knew his walls were being compromised and he needed to call in the defense team to secure the gate.  We texted through the situation and he felt much better.  I don't think he fell headlong into food.  He was going to look for other rewards instead.  

What are ways you reward yourself that aren't food?
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72 Days | Do I Ever Have a Cheat Day?

I don't ever make a PLAN to cheat or splurge or fail or fall.  I'd even go so far to say, I don't advise that you do either.  HOWEVER, this is your journey and we all have to make the choices that work the best for us.  It's wise to always ask yourself, "Does this decision support or oppose my primary choice--to get healthy and transform my life?"

As I told a dear friend this week when he asked if I ever just eat potatoes and cookies, "I can't do it.  I'm too fragile."  Know yourself.  For me, having "just one" is like asking a recovering alcoholic if he ever has an occasional drink.  There's nothing wrong with a drink...for many people.  But for some, it's a hazard.

In full disclosure, I struggled a lot this weekend.  I had an EXTREMELY stressful event on Friday night that just sent me down a bad path.  Remember, I have habits that are run deep too.  My response to the stress was not wise.  

But what do we do when we fall down?  We get back up.  A runner cannot win a race looking behind him.  He also cannot win it laying on the ground.

Here's something to think about (especially as we anticipate the Winter Olympics starting soon!):

THE SECRET TO WINNING IS FINISHING THE RACE 
While reading "Loving God with All Your Mind" last weekend, Elizabeth George was helping me understand the importance of running the race in a forward motion.  

She was recounting the Winter Olympics many years ago where figure skater after figure skater fell during their routine.  These were the BEST skaters in the WORLD and every single skater fell--some three times or more.  But every single one of them got up and continued their routine to the end.  They didn't stay down.  They were there to perform and to finish their routine--a routine they had spent years training to skate.  That year, EVERY skater that was awarded a medal had fallen.  But they were standing on an Olympic platform with a medal around their neck.  Why did they get such an honor?  Because they got back up and finished their routine.

I can't win a medal if I fall and stay down.

I can't cross the finish line and reach my goal if I quit.

Will I fall?  Oh yes.  But as the chief research scientist for General Motors said, "The enthusiast fails forward."

Amy Carmichael was a pioneer missionary to India.  One day she prayed, "Father, I'm not soaring today.  Help me!"  In her writings, Miss Carmichael pens her Heavnly Father's response, "Daughter, soaring is not always flying high above the world.  Sometimes one is soaring only two feet above the ground, just enough to keep you from getting tangled in the thorns and crashing against the rocks."

Some days, feel like I am only soaring above the rocks.  I've felt a little tired, haven't wanted to run, worn down...only able to even limp or stagger along.  Yet, on such days, I need to keep facing forward!

WE WILL WIN THIS RACE...

This is taken from an excerpt of a chapter I wrote in an upcoming book entitle "Movement is Medicine: Women Determined to Rise"?  To read my chapter, click HERE.

73 Days | It's Sunday...Be Encouraged!

I'm sharing something I wrote on my personal blog on January 13th last year.  I hope you find it powerful and encouraging.  Motivation to keep going!

Maybe today is the day you'll have a conversation with yourself...

Conversations with Myself

January 13, 2013

I'm discouraged today.  So, today is good time to go back and remind myself of how far I've come.  Recently, these commercials were released by Medifast meal replacements entitled "Conversations with Yourself."  

So, today I had a conversation with THIS girl--the girl on the beach in 2009.  This was not my heaviest weight.  I would gain about another 30+ pounds before I called my health coach and started my journey toward optimal health.  Here's what I would say to her, if I could go back and talk to her now.

"Your smile is beautiful, Julie, but I know how sad you really are. I know how painful this beach trip was for you, both physically and emotionally. I know how badly you wanted to play with your kids and run in the sand, but how hard it was for you to even walk to the place where you could sit. You're scared to try one more thing and fail--I get it. We've tried so many times to be free from the burden of obesity. But, you CAN do this! There IS hope. You WILL find it through friends who will tell you about their health coach and a program called Take Shape for Life. It will be the easiest plan you've ever done. You will LOVE it. And what you will really love? That it will work. And you'll finally experience the freedom you've wanted. You WILL run on this beach. Crazy, huh? But true. Don't ever give up. Give yourself this one more chance."

I DID run on that beach this summer.  Our daughter got lost in the mobs of people and was missing for about 5 minutes.  When I was told she was found at the next life guard station I RAN to her.  Down the coastline.  Through the difficult shifting sand.  And I didn't collapse or feel fatigued.  I felt like a healthy person, running on the beach.  There is ALWAYS hope.  But...even I need to be reminded of that some days! 

We have 73 more days together...please, don't give up!