I promised to post updates on my self-control challenge as I am striving to eat less, exercise more, and get enough sleep.  I will post updates on Sundays, and will recap my previous week, post progress of weight lost, and will post targets for the next week.  So, here goes!

EAT LESS- Since beginning this week, I have started just trying to be conscious of when and how much I eat.  I am trying to only eat when I am physically hungry, and then eat moderate amounts and stop when I am no longer hungry (not until I am feeling full or overfull).  My success so far is just that I am more conscious and that I have started to follow this plan.  This week, my action step is that I will write down an eating diary- when I eat, what I eat, and how hungry/full I was before/after eating.

EXERCISE MORE- I haven't even started making a plan for this part, much less doing it.  While I am enthusiastic about changing my lifestyle, I don't want this to be short-lived, so I am trying to make small changes I can live with over time.  Right now, I am not ready to add a work out in to my schedule.  My action step for this week will be to keep a time log, so that I can begin to track my time in order to figure out where in my schedule exercise will eventually fit.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP- I really, REALLY need to go to bed at a decent hour!  I have not yet done it, and I admit it is 100% a self control/disclipline issue.  I get the kids to bed and then I get working on stuff and don't stop... also, I enjoy the quiet house.  The price I pay, though, is that mornings don't go smoothly and are not productive because I am staying in bed as long as possible and wake up tired.  My action step for this week is going to be to be in bed by midnight every single night.  I know that sounds late, but it is nothing compared to what I have been doing!  (OK, to be honest I will have to start that tomorrow night, because I am already up past then now!)

Progress:  I only weighed myself twice, so this may not be accurate, but the second time was 3 pound less than the first.   We'll see, I don't tend to buy it, because in the past I have had a VERY hard time getting the scale to budge AT ALL, much less 3 pounds in a few days.  I have a feeling it was just a normal fluctuation.  Maybe I should weight daily and then average from week to week?  Ideas/ opinions on that?

Another related action step for this week is that I am going to pray specifically for the Lord to help me to develop self-control.  It is listed as a fruit of the Spirit, and therefore I know I cannot expect to develop it on my own, but that if I remain in Jesus I will bear much fruit!  So I figure that will be the key to the whole thing!