Well, ladies, I'm sorry to say that this blog is going the way of the Dodo.  It's just too hard to keep up two blogs, and the response hasn't been great anyway.  I'll still be blogging about my weight loss efforts on my regular blog, Pigpens, Playpens, and Presbyterians.  You are more than welcome to continue with me over there.  Besides, this template's driving me crazy.  I hate not being able to double space without going into the source code!  SOOOO, keep taking care of yourself, and I'll see you over there.  (HSB:  Please just give me a few weeks before I delete this so people can hop back over.)

Jennifer

OK ladies, I'm going to have to make this short and sweet.  If you want to know why, look here. 

During this two week stretch, I want you to keep up whatever changes you've made already.  I also want you (and me) to pay attention to what "bad" foods you are eating more out of habit than enjoyment. 

My biggest one is Coke.  If I don't stop to think, I ask for a Coke.  Restaurants, home, grocery store - I reach for the Coke, even when it's not what I know would hit the spot.  Afterwards, I often think, "I should have had tea, or lemonade, or better yet, water."  I know there are more things like this, and I'll be looking for them. 

If you're having trouble, try this.  After you've eaten something you regret for health reasons, think about whether or not it was really satisfying to your senses and to your body.  If the answer is no, think back and decide what choice would have been a better fit to how you were really feeling physically at the time.  The more we examine this, the easier it will be to make the right choice the first time.

Take care of yourself!

Jennifer

I have VBS this week and Cub Scout Twilight Camp next week, so I'm going to cop out on you a bit with this assignment. 

We're going to recap.  Go back through all the other assignments and see if there's something you haven't done or only sort of did.  None of this will work if you only give it a passing glance, so let's really firm up our plans.  What are your concerns, your goals, your problems? 

Please leave a comment to let us know what you're still working on.  If I can't get a feel for how you're doing, I can only go by what I need, and that wasn't really the point of all this.

As for me, I've been skipping my verse memorization and other Bible study, and I can really tell the difference.  Since I haven't been sleeping well lately, I haven't gotten my morning started off right either.  Lastly, I haven't posted my plan to ward off my triggers.  I'm going to work really hard these next two weeks to get caught up on these things.  I know without them, I won't make any real progress, and I still want to make it to 200 lbs by September 1st.

Take care of yourself (because if you don't, you won't be able  to take care of anyone else)!

Jennifer

OK, the title's silly, but if the number of comments is to be believed, I'm not the only one having trouble keeping up with a new habit every week.  SOOOOOOOOOO, I'm going to switch the assignments to every other week.  Honestly, when I lost that weight before, I was adding a habit every month, not every week, but that's not enough to keep a blog going.  I'll still try to post weekly updates on how I'm doing and any interesting links, articles, or soap box rants that seem fitting.  You are more than welcome to do the same.

Here's my update for last week:

I haven't lost any weight, but I'm beginning to see a definite cycle of ups and downs that follows my other cycle.  I also have gone from a definite DD to a D with breathing space which is a good sign.  I'm also noticing a little more muscle definition in my arms which is weird because I haven't really been doing strength work.  This week I started jogging the downhills during my evening walks.  I'm going to focus more on my workouts right now and less on my diet because that just feels like what God's leading me to do right now.  BTW I am LOVING my ipod!  I found a shuffle on sale at Walmart and have been loading it up with podcasts from the Ultimate Homeschool Expo.  It's so motivational for me.  When I don't feel like exercising, knowing that I can be getting filled with ideas, devotions, and encouragement helps me push past my resistance.  If you don't have something like this, I'd really recommend it.

I hope things are going well for you all!  Take care of yourself!

Jennifer

Since we've been working on our triggers, let's discuss a different kind of trigger -those voices we sometimes hear in our heads. 

Do you have a voice that berates you when you've "fallen off the wagon"?  Do you hear "you'll never be able to keep it off" when you notice some positive changes?  Many of us have these other voices that rain on our parades (boy, I'm full of cliches today!), whether they're from tv commercials, a highschool tormentor, a parent, or an old boyfriend.  They remind us of our failures or convince us that we can never really change. 

Those "tapes" may have been recorded in the voice of a person, but they come from the enemy.  They are the lies he uses to keep us from striving toward the goal, from accepting that in Christ we are a new creation every day! 

You may be sitting there thinking, "She's nuts!  Only crazy people hear voices in their heads!", but hear me out.  Next time you fall short, think about what you're saying to yourself in your head.  Are you condemning yourself?  Are you justifying your unhealthy choices?  Write them down for the week, and see if any of those phrases sound familiar.  Is that what your mother always used to say when she overindulged?  Is it what your old boyfriend said when he wanted to keep you in your place?  Is it what your "best friend" used to say when she wanted to remind you that she was the pretty one?  Sadly, we are sinful creatures.  Sometimes we say cruel things, even unthinkingly, and they can become a perminent part of someone else's reality.  

The point is, it doesn't matter where those voices come from.  If it isn't what God is saying to you, it's a lie!  Plain and simple.  It's either of God or it isn't.  If it isn't, refute it.  That's why it's so important to be in the Word on a regular basis (note to self), so we can distinguish between the Truth and a lie.

For example:

Lie:  Well, I really blew it when I ate that cheeseburger.  I'm such a loser.  I'll always be fat.  I may as well give in and have that hot fudge sunday too. 

Truth:  I overindulged.  It was a poor decision.  I need to ask God to help me get back on track.  I'll take a longer walk this evening and cut back a little extra tomorrow.  Next  time I'll remember to have the grilled chicken instead.

The lie will most likely leave you depressed and too sluggish to do your usual exercise and make you rely on sugar and caffeine to get through the rest of the day.  Depending on how long you berate yourself you could set yourself back days or even weeks on your goals because of one cheeseburger!

My challenge to you (and me) this week, is to pay close attention to the voices in your head.  If they're telling you to hang the neighbors' rooster from the oak in your front yard, seek professional help immediately (Pumpkinshells that means you!).  Otherwise, try to identify the pattern.  When does it happen?  Who does it sound like?  Are you saying those things to other people too?  Then ask God to show you what the Truth is.  Keep those responses handy.  Use them to refute the lies everytime they surface.  It may take awhile to rerecord those tapes, but it will help you immensely, in many areas. 

Remember who you are!  You are not some piece of scum, condemned to a life of eating garbage and having a body that doesn't do what it's supposed to do and is full of aches and pains.  You are a daughter of the King of kings!  You are being offered the BEST that He has, not because you're perfect, but because He loves you!  That means health in your mind, body, and spirit!  We just have to accept His gifts.

Oh, one more thing.  I've read a suggestion for what to do if those voices come from specific people.  I'm not sure it's the most Christian activity, but it sure is therapeutic!  Let the Spirit guide you.  Here goes:  Identify your "critics".  Gather photos or draw a picture yourself.  Then, deface that photo/drawing.  Put a mustache, pimples, ugly makeup, whatever it takes to knock that person down a notch in your mind.  I guess the point is to take away some of their power, to make them seem like less of an authority figure to you.  Like I said, it's not exactly loving your enemies, but  . . . .

I also want you to work up a sweat sometime this week.  I've been doing 7 gentle workouts, and I plan to continue that.  We all know, though, that as good as those kind of workouts are, they aren't sufficient for weight loss or ideal strength and stamina.  I don't care how you do it - bike riding, walking harder and longer, jogging, kick boxing (Great opportunity for visualizing defeating your critic.), gardening.  Turning off the air conditioner doesn't count!   Sorry!  Do something you enjoy and do it long enough and hard enough that you break a good sweat.  My goal is five sweaty workouts a week, but it'll take me a little while to get there.

Don't worry if you aren't getting this all at once!  Do what you can.  Every bit helps!

Take care of yourself!

Jennifer