I pray this blog will encourage you to change the way you view yourself—especially if you are one who struggles with your self-image or health.
Shortly we’ll be bombarded with ads of what we should look like for the holidays, and then before we get a break—all the major weight loss companies and products will be bombarding us with deals to join so we can lose weight and love who we are! Well, sisters, we better start loving who we are today!
Too many of us have made the same New Year’s resolution to lose weight over and over and still find ourselves in the same place, or worst—we have gained more weight. There is an old cliché attributed to Albert Einstein…“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” For some of us, this has become our cycle of life.
Personally I need to get back to a much healthier lifestyle. Does that entail losing weight? Yes it does. But the weight loss cannot be the main focus, making changes (no matter how small) that will become my new way of living is what is important. Loving me from the inside out is what’s most important.
In the next few months we are going to have many different voices trying to sell us gym memberships, exercise equipment, exercise and dance DVD’s, yoga and zumba fitness classes. Well, some of us may not have the money for memberships, classes or equipment. Our food budget may not include fixing meals other than that which the entire family can eat and they are not going on a diet. So, what are we to do? We are to exercise wisdom. We can start now so we don’t get caught up in the whirlwind, of spending or charging money we don’t have for something we will use or do for a month or two.
First we must start by accepting who we are today! That doesn’t mean we stop wanting to make changes for the better, but we cannot continue to put off loving ourselves until, “I lose weight or have more money to spend on me.” That is just an unacceptable mindset in the Kingdom of God!
Start today with something small that won’t cost you a dime! How about swapping out sugary drinks for more water (that includes diet drinks too)? What if you put a play list together of your favorite music and dance (at your pace) for 20 minutes a day? Cutting down portion sizes of what you eat will help, and having a cut off time at night when you stop eating. Begin to limit your sugar intake each day. Walk in the evening after dinner—there are so many little changes we can make that will start us on the road to “healthy” and “self-control”. If you are home most of the day, still put on lipstick and decent clothing—don’t wait until you have somewhere to go. Put on your best perfume just to smell good for yourself. No matter how small the start, it is a beginning and that is all that matters.
Seeking God as to what the problem is and why we are overeating or not satisfied with who we are is a very big part of the process. Is food a self-medication for you? What are the triggers in your life that cause you to eat, or feel bad about yourself? These are some of the hard questions we must ask ourselves and put before the Lord.
Getting to the root cause for sin in our lives is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Why? Because the end result is Freedom! And through Freedom comes acceptance and joy.
One of my BFF’s has lost a lot of weight the past year. In fact in August when she helped move Tovah back to college I complimented her on a new pair of black jeans she was wearing. Well, I saw her recently (almost 3 months later) and she had a belt on to keep the pants up…LOL! She has been a great inspiration to me. How? In the way her focus has been to be healthy and learning new things when it comes to what the body really needs to function and stay healthy.
My friend started posting pictures on Facebook of all these different smoothies she was starting make, and doing vegetable cleanses. She grew veggies, herbs and tomatoes in her garden this summer. But most of all she started training to run in races. And she will tell you herself, the only running she ever planned to do, was run if someone was after her...LOL! She was having trouble sleeping through the night and feeling rested during the day—that is no longer is a problem. Sleep is sweet for her, and she attributes that to eating differently and exercise.
Now, I’m not trying to convince you to run a race, but I am trying to help you see that it is not too late to make changes that will be lasting and profitable in the long term.
The beauty of being a daughter of the Most High God is everything is a custom fit for us as individuals. God will supply all our needs right where we are. You can work out with Him what it is you need to do. Memberships are good for some people because that is how some are wired, but they are not feasible for all of us. All we have to do is stop buying into what the world says we need and should have and focus more on the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit of God to do that for us. I have two cookbooks
I would like to recommend to you, because they both talk so much about loving yourself, being healthy and yet have two very different approaches, which are both gentle.
The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great, by Pam Anderson: Pam Anderson is a renowned chef who lost over fifty pounds by making certain changes in her life and has kept the weight off. I love this cookbook because her introduction talks about her journey of being overweight and her feelings…excerpt from the book “My desire to change my life began more than two years before I shed a single pound.” She talks about loving yourself right where you are and then begin to make small changes. This is not a jump in starve yourself kind of book and you will be able to cook good food for you and your family. I give it 5 stars for sure.
The Beauty Detox Foods, by Kimberly Snyder: Kimberly Snyder is one of Hollywood’s top celebrity nutritionists and beauty experts. This is another great book about health and love for oneself. This book is geared more for those who want to make big changes in the things they eat. Her focus is healthy from the inside out and how certain foods change your outward appearance for the better. Kimberly gives a lot of nutritional information that I found to be very encouraging to help me make changes that are very doable for me. And if you have an interest in cleansing and detox drinks and smoothies…this is a great book for you. Another 5 stars!
If we can start making decisions about ourselves today instead of waiting for January 1st, we will be well ahead of the game and will not fall into the same old trap we’ve might have been captive too before. Start being your best friend with a great big dose of self-love!
Until next week, Part II….be blessed!!
Love and Hugs
Ponnie
1 comment:
Love it! I think I'll get those two books. Thanks for your encouraging words through you blog! You are an inspiration!
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