Day 31: How to Stay Positive, Avoid Temptation & Helpful Tips

I don't know about you... but I plan on doing this EVERY MORNING!!  You go Jessica... You go!

 We have this new gorgeous, sexy steamy hot new coffee machine in the office... and boy did I quickly recognize it for the temptation that it is!!  I am currently actively avoiding it.  You see, it doesn't just make coffee, it makes Mocha's, Hot Chocolate, and so much more and on top of that... the little hussy is from STARBUCKS!!  Mmmmmmm I mean... errrr.  STAY AWAY FROM THAT!!  I used to start every morning with sweet tasty flavored coffee... but now I am a take it straight, no sugar, no cream girl.  (You don't have to be this extreme... I just happen to be allergic to artificial sweeteners)  Soooo sigh... this lovely temptress is not for me. 

So being that I figure I am not the only one dealing with temptations and struggles, today I thought I would share some tips that I am picking up along the way that have really been helping me push past some of the resistance and barriers.  I hope you find them useful... Please feel free to add any you might have in the comments below. 

1.  Make a dessert plate into your dinner plate (This DOES NOT mean eat dessert instead of dinner...lol).  It fools your brain into thinking you are getting more food than you are.

2. 5-6 small HEALTHY meals a day.  You can do it... just try  :)

3. Brush your teeth AFTER EVERY time you eat.  Then you don't have the taste of food in your mouth... Your dentist will be happy with you too ;)

4. It's okay to tell people NO - You will like yourself better in the long run

5. Find one positive thing about yourself each week and focus on that

6. Drink tons of H2o (BTW... do you know the chemical compound of Holy Water?  It's H2OMG)  ;)

7. If you make a mistake - Start again!!!!  The important part isn't whether or not you fall... it's whether or not you GET BACK UP!!

8. Be willing to laugh at yourself and then let it go.  

9. It's okay to tell someone they hurt your feelings or that they are making it hard for you to do this... Gracious Honesty will get you very far.

10. Surround yourself with awesome Cheerleaders (like you guys!!!)

11. FORGIVE yourself (it's easy to beat ourselves up when we fail)

12. Eat slowly - in the end you will feel fuller and more satisfied


The most important tip I have learned is

LOVE YOURSELF!!

 

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well."

Psalm 139: 14

Day 21: Fake it till you Make it

Crash!  Boom! Thwack! ERGH!  help... These are coming noises in the battle of the bulge - Some I can't wait to be gone for good!!

Crash! (Trying to squeeze my tush between two shelves and knocking something over)
Boom! (Falling on my tush when doing aerobics *Pretty sure the neighbors thought it was an earthquake)
Thwack! (Hitting myself in the face with the thera-band... OUCH)
ERGH!  (Pushing though, pushing through, pushing... passing out)

Oh if only it were this simple:

But it's not... The reality is that it takes HARD WORK (YIKES!)  It's kinda like expecting to breathe without oxygen.  It's not going to work very well...  So yesterday - I DID NOT want to work out... so I didn't...  And I actually woke up more sore than I have in a while (lesson learned) - Trust me I am not (and most likely will never be) the next triathlete, but I will be true to me.  And sometimes when you are fighting for something it means you are fighting against yourself.  That little rebellious brat that hides inside of us just waiting to rear its stubborn head.  So this morning I had to give it a good talking too:

Me:  "Ok, we're on Day 21 - Yesterday was not a day to give up."

Brat: "I don't care, I hate exercise and I MISS CHOCOLATE!!!"

Me: "I miss chocolate too but I miss me more... so let's get back on track"

Brat: "You can't make me... I will do what I want - who cares anyway"

Me:  "There are a lot of people care but even if it was just me... that's enough... so get up and get to it"

Brat: "Fine but I don't have to like it!!!"

And that just about sums it up... I don't have to like it... I just have to do it.  I hate taking vitamins but they are an important part of my health so I take them anyway... there are some days (keeping it real) that I may not like work very much, but I like and NEED my paycheck so I come in and give my best.  And I am learning... trust me... I am learning that the more I apply myself, the more I do it with a smile in spite of the situation, the more the rest of me falls into line like it should.  So yes, sometimes,

I FAKE IT TIL I MAKE IT. 

Until my dreams line up with my reality... I will not give up!!!  So let's go!! Let's Step!  Let's move!!!  Let's Live!!!

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God.”

Psalm 139:14

So right now I am focusing on the wonderfully and 86ing the fearfully  ;)  No, seriously, each of us are amazing if we just open our eyes and look... See us for who we are... Love us for how He made us. 

MONDAY BLUES CHALLENGE:  Comment Below (Or email me) 1 Amazing thing you like about yourself... Can't wait to see what you have to say!!! 

Day 20: Monsters & Skeletons and Crap... OH MY!

(Update Below)

There comes a time in our lives when we have to make decisions and stick with them.... to let the past be exactly what it is (YOUR PAST) and let your future be something bright, fresh and new.  We think we are doing just that when a snafu comes along and hits a square in the face.... *SMACK* What?  Where did that come from??  This is not how I planned it!!!  This is NOT the way it is supposed to be!!!!  And your stunned like someone thew a jellyfish upside your head. 

Yesterday was an "I want chocolate, junk food and ice cream!!  Give it to me NOW!!" sort of day.  I really really really (did I mention really?) wanted to give up, throw in the towel, have myself a pity party and hide under the bed.  I know that I am not the only one that sometimes feels this way. Feeling this way is one thing... Choosing NOT to act on those feelings is harder than you think but more worth it than you know!!

Why do we get this way? Sometimes it is bad news, sometimes it's because something didn't go right with your kids, sometimes it's your health and sometimes?  It's your own hard-nosed stubbornness.  So what do you do?  I know!!!  You run as fast as you can and hide under the bed!!!  Wait!  Isn't that where the MONSTERS hide??  Well that isn't very safe!  So you run and hide in your closet... Oh Snap!!!  That's where the SKELETONS are!!!!  I know!!  Lock yourself in the bathroom!!  Crap!!  That's where the... well the... CRAP is.  THIS IS NOT working!!! 

For years I hated my middle name... there was nothing anyone could do to convince me it was anything special and it sounded so country that it made me crazy!!  LOUANN -  My brother's further escalated it to calling me "Christy Lou"  Which made me CRAZY!!  Then I learned what my name meant in Hebrew:'Graceful Battle Maiden'  How freaking cool is that?!?!?!  I am a graceful battle maiden!  (Picture 'Brave'... yep, that's me!!)

So maybe... just maybe it's time for me to stand and face them... EVERYTHING that is coming at me.  Stop hiding from it, stop running from it and STAND!!!  Pick up my sword and fight!!!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
                                                                                                                                   Deuteronomy 31: 6

So Stand!  Endure!!  Press on!!  Be Brave!!  And never give up!!
 

Update:  Drum Roll Please!!

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0  Yes you are seeing that correct.  I lost No Weight this week... 

Gasp!  Groan!!  What???  Yes dear readers now you understand why today was a really trying day.  I felt like: "What am I doing this for?"  But do not despair!!!  In spite of losing no actual weight, my doctor was very excited because I lost 2" and converted 5 lbs of fat to "lean" (love that word) muscle.  I am going to be very transparent and say that I almost counted that conversion as actual weight loss... I mean how do you do this and "not" lose???  But I want to be real... I want to be me, I want to be free!!!

Love ya all!!!