Made To Crave Bible Study - Permissible But Not Beneficial

"Everything is permissible...but not everything is beneficial."  (1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV)

This is the verse/statement that hit me the hardest so far in the Made To Crave Bible study.  So many times we go on diets that tell us what we're "allowed" to have, and what foods are "forbidden".  I've been on those diets, and all it makes me want to do is have the stuff they tell me I can't have.  It's as if they want to treat us like two-year-olds by telling us that certain things are no-nos.  And we all know how toddlers react when they are told no!

This verse brings everything around to free will.  We can do whatever we want - but there are consequences to our choices and decisions.  Sure, we can choose to eat a box of candy, pint of ice cream, or bag of chips if that's what we want.  But eating those things won't be beneficial to our health. 

Just as someone with any other type of addiction does, we have a choice.  It may not be easy, and we won't be able to do it all on our own.  We need support from others on the road to healthy living. 

Mot of all, we need God.  Struggling with food addiction - or anything else - requires focusing on God rather than the addiction...and when you feel you are about to lose control and give in, well, that's when it's especially important to pray and ask God for the strength you need to get through the craving without giving in - every single time.

I've been known to binge on junk food at times, especially anything filled with sugar.  I've bought a small sheet cake and eaten half of it at one time.  I've scarfed down two pints of ice cream when I'm stressed.  When I was younger, I even had such a bad sugar craving that I finished off a half-used tube of cake icing just to satisfy the urge for sweets.  Obviously, I didn't need permission from anyone to do these things.  I did it because I felt like it.

But of course, none of those items were beneficial to me in any way.  I only craved sugar more.  After the sugar high, the crash made me feel lethargic.  And of course my stomach was not happy trying to digest all of that sugar at one time. 

This is not to say you can never have a small treat.  The operative word here is SMALL.  A scoop of ice cream, a slice of cake, one piece of candy...on occasion these things can be fine.  This can also keep you from binging on unhealthy foods, because you know you can have a little bit once in a while.

The trick is to ask God to help you make the right choices:  when to have that small treat, when to pass it up, and how to keep from overdoing it and binging when you do decide to have a small amount.  This will require daily practice on our part, focusing on God and bringing these struggles to Him in prayer.  It has to be taken on with Him as the guide.

I'm getting back into the habit of taking the stress to God, so He can help me deal with it in better ways than eating whatever I feel like eating at the moment.  I want my choices to be beneficial - just as they should be!

Fitness Pinspiration

Hello.  My name is Marie...and I'm a Pin-a-holic.

I've posted before about being hooked on Pinterest, but I'm finding an upside to my addiction.  There are a lot of REALLY good ideas there.  Ideas I actually use.

I know some people pin things just for fun, and I do have a few of boards like that as well.  But my favorite ones are those that actually teach me something and lift me up.

I have a board dedicated to fitness, and I've gathered some incredible workouts and exercise ideas.  I haven't tried all of them yet, but I have done quite a few.  And they WORK.  It helps me to mix up my routine so my body doesn't get stuck in a rut.  Another board of mine is filled with healthy recipes and food tips.  The recipes I have made so far turned out well...and are delicious as well as nutritious.  A win-win situation!

Then there's my Faith board...Bible verses and quotes are there to lift me up whenever I need encouragement.  It's so nice to have everything organized onto boards so I can go to the right category when I need something.  (Now I just need to get my house as organized as Pinterest...)

Of course I also keep boards of holiday and decorating ideas, books, and dance inspiration.  Oh yeah - I also have a section for clothes I want when I reach my goal weight.  That's good motivation right there!

If you wish to follow me over there I'm at http://www.pinterest.com/writerchicmarie .  We can swap ideas and all learn something to get us closer to our goals.  Come join the fun!

I Get So Emotional Over Whitney

I can't stop thinking about Whitney Houston.

It's been a little over a week since the news that shook me to the core. On the evening of the 11th I was home by myself, starting to flip through channels looking for a good movie to watch on TV. The first news station I came upon was CNN, with breaking news coming up at the bottom of the screen and the voice of Larry King on the phone with Don Lemon. I literally jumped up from my chair when I read the headline. It couldn't possibly be true what I was reading. Whitney Houston was dead? The last time I remember actually getting up from my seat in shock over the news was the night Princess Diana died. I had that same eerily similar feeling in the pit of my stomach along with the shock of what I was hearing. And once again, I was up most of the night after hearing the tragic news.

I, like many other people I've talked to in the past week, thought that Whitney was well on the road to recovery from her addiction problems and getting healthier every day. She was trying for a comeback. She had just finished filming a movie with Jordin Sparks. She was in Los Angeles to celebrate the Grammys, for crying out loud. That's part of what made this such a shock. As sad as I was when Amy Winehouse passed away, I had almost expected to hear at some point that she was gone so my reaction wasn't quite as vivid. Plus this time...it seemed personal.

Why was this so personal for me? It wasn't like I knew Ms. Houston personally or had ever even met her. I only knew her through her music, movies, and interviews. But something about this beautiful woman struck a chord with me.

As I witnessed Whitney's rise on the music scene, I couldn't help but be drawn in by her infectious smile and tremendous talent. She spoke to me and so many others through her songs. Less than three years separated us in age, and I saw in her what I had always dreamed of for myself. Most of my high school friends will remember me as the one who was country when it wasn't cool, but over time I learned to love all types of music. Whitney Houston was part of the reason for that. How could you not love that voice? It transcended all genres and differences. (Even her biggest hit was a remake of a Dolly Parton song!) I had wanted to be a singer since I was 5 years old, and seeing this woman a couple of years older than me, gorgeous both inside and out, succeed in the music business made me happy. I certainly would not have minded being in her shoes back then, and hearing her voice only made me want to sing more. That's one thing I've always noticed with my favorite vocalists...they always made me happy to sing my heart out!

Over time I identified with her on other issues that didn't have as much to do with music as they did with life. I certainly knew what it felt like to have been the ingenue that pleased others, then after a period of time found that people expect you to remain the same as you were in your twenties. With Whitney it was the different choices in her career and personal life; for me it was constantly being compared to the me of a decade earlier, who was thin, full of energy, and knew the right move to make almost every time. I also learned that there are some people who have a certain image of you in their minds, and the second you prove you are human (the nerve of us - having imperfections or getting older!) they stop supporting you. Some even go so far as to turn on you and criticize, even though they also are not perfect. (Why is it OK for them to learn and grow from their mistakes, but they can't allow others the same courtesy?) Whitney could never have lived up to the "perfect" image created for her, no matter how hard she tried. And it bothered her...she felt somehow she was letting people down by being human. I'm sure that led to some of the other problems she had. Kevin Costner spoke at her funeral about how she always worried if she was good enough. Feeling like you can never make a mistake or else you'll fall off the pedestal people have placed you on...that's a tough spot, one that can make even the strongest person lose his or her mind from time to time.

I even identified with Whitney's addictions, even though mine have nothing to do with alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal substances. My demons are food related, and I know sugar has the same addictive properties as the other substances. You get hooked, you crave it, and you give in even though you know it's not good for you. And you have your ups and downs in beating the addiction. Watching Whitney fight the good fight over and over again, never giving up no matter how much she struggled - that was inspiring to someone who also relies on her faith to work through life's problems.

I have seen some people this past week say that we should remember Whitney for her talent and not the other issues. I agree with this for the most part, except for those who think we should ONLY talk about her voice and NEVER mention her other issues. I have to say - to me that is absurd. While I'm not the kind of person to dwell on the negative, I think a positive lesson can come out of speaking about her addictions. Acting like that stuff never happened is not the answer. I think Whitney would want her struggles to help others going through the same or similar issues. It shows that no matter who you are, you have issues in life that you have to work to overcome. Sweeping it all under the rug only serves to make other people who are suffering ashamed of what they are going through. I certainly want all of the good in her life to be the focus and I don't want to constantly talk about every single weak moment in her life...but it's also important to remember that she was a human being and learn the lessons her life story has to offer. What I don't tolerate are those who ridicule her and make sick jokes about the drug use. Those words are not useful to anyone. If you are going to speak about her addictions, do it with love and compassion.

I cried several times through Whitney's funeral. I am thankful to her mother, Cissy, and the rest of her family for keeping the celebration of her life in church and giving the world a faith lesson. I'm especially grateful that they let it be televised, not only so fans could be a part of Whitney's homegoing, but so we could strengthen our own relationships with God through every moving moment. God always finds a way to make good come out of everything. Hopefully some fans who didn't know much about God before will now long to know more about Him and become faithful believers.

God bless Whitney and her family and friends. May we all realize that no matter what we struggle with in life, it is so much better to walk through it with Him than without. And may we also be grateful for life, whether Whitney's or our own, through all of the ups and downs.

What Food Addicts Can Learn From Amy Winehouse

As most of you know by now, the music world lost Amy Winehouse on Saturday at the age of 27. She was known for her amazing voice and talent...but unfortunately she was more well-known for her drug and alcohol addiction and the problems that stemmed from those issues.

It's always heartbreaking when talented people have addictions that interfere with their work and are taken from the world way too soon. But think about it...there are many of us who have an addiction to food which interferes with our own lives. Sometimes our talents are wasted because we're so focused on food - or when we feed our sugar, salt and other addictions it makes us feel so awful that we can't get the things done that we need to accomplish. We get that temporary food high, then when we come down off of it we need more...just like an alcoholic or drug addict.

There are many things we can learn from Amy's demise and apply to our own lives:

1. Surround yourself with people who care about your well-being, and don't be afraid to turn down something you know is not good for you. Obviously Amy had people who supplied her with the drugs and alcohol, and who would also partake of them with her. She needed to be around people who were sober to help break the cycle. Those of us who are addicted to food also need to be around others who live a healthy lifestyle so we can learn how to deal with food properly. And if we encounter someone who wants to make us eat something that will make us fall off the wagon, we need to find the courage to say no.

2. Think about all of the things you've put off and the dreams you have not accomplished because of your addiction. Everyone was waiting for Amy to put out another album after the success of Back to Black, but she could never get it together long enough to make it happen. She attempted a tour this summer, but the first show went so badly because of her issues that she cancelled the rest of the tour. The world will never know everything she could have accomplished if her addiction had not taken over. As food addicts, we put off a lot of things in life to get our own fix. Then we feel ill and not up to accomplishing anything. We all need to sit down and really think...about our talents, what we want out of life, and what we could accomplish if we didn't rely on food fixes; then use these goals and dreams to strengthen our resolve around food.

3. Use your talents to lure you away from addictive behaviors. Amy did use her musical and songwriting talents to express herself, but should have dug more deeply into her gifts in order to release the feelings that made her turn to drugs and alcohol. We should use our own gifts, whether it be writing, music, painting, or something else positive to express ourselves instead of wallowing in the emotions that make us want to eat. And as we find our inner athletes, we realize we do have the strength it takes to do anything!

4. You cannot fight this alone. Very often, Amy tried to conquer her demons by herself. When we are very deeply into addiction, we need more strength than we have on our own. Besides having a supportive group of people around us, we need God to fight this. There will be times when we are alone and no other human being is around to talk us down from doing something unhealthy. But God is always with us...so pray to Him for courage and strength to help you beat your addiction, one step at a time.

When you think about Amy, remember her talent first. Then think about her addictions...and how to help yourself and others beat their addictions so we can learn from her situation. In this way, some good can come out of her tragic end. Rest in peace, Amy.

On Being Human: "Let he who is without sin..."

I just found out about 2o minutes ago that my first love/crush, David Cassidy, was arrested for DUI in Florida. While it surprises me, I refuse to condemn him or any other celebrity who makes a mistake. David has been forthcoming in the past about his struggles with alcohol. Since his father, Jack Cassidy, had the same substance issues during his lifetime, it makes sense that David and his brothers may have to deal with the same problems. David is challenging the charges, saying that he had just one glass of wine after a funeral and also had pain medication in his system. He has never been arrested for anything ever before, and he would not knowingly jeopardize himself or others in this manner.

I bet most of us can relate in some way. We've thought we had our situations under control, been going along about our usual business, and fallen off whatever particular wagon we were on. So many people have had tragedies occur in their lives, began to feel weak, and given in again to the cigarettes, alcohol, food, gambling, shopping, and other addictions that they though they had licked. Besides the fact that the wine probably did not mix well with the pain medication, David was grieving the loss of someone in his life and gave in to one glass. I know for myself, I completely went off my healthy eating wagon after my mom passed away...and it's been a struggle ever since. Sugar is just as much of an addiction as any other substance. I've have friends who have had DUI's, usually right after they lost their jobs or had another major stressor in their lives. I know people who haven't had a cigarette in years, only to start smoking again when they have to take care of a relative with an illness or a child with problems at school. No matter how much you think you have the situation under control, you always have to be careful of backsliding in a weak or stressful moment. Struggling with these things does not make any of us bad people.

I am appalled at all of the people on Twitter who think it's OK to make jokes about David's DUI or are ready to condemn him after one mistake. I certainly don't condone drinking and driving or mixing alcohol with medication, but who am I to judge any particular person? Who are any of us to judge? I feel the same way whether the person in the news is David, who is a first time offender, or another celebrity who has had more than one offense and has to continually find ways to deal with his or her addictions. Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." None of us are perfect, so there should not be any stones cast. We need to be looking for ways to help and praying for anyone struggling with an addiction. It could be you, a family member or friend, or someone you've looked up to during your life. We all have our issues...that's part of being human. If we didn't have any struggles we wouldn't be human. The only perfection is God. He is the one we should consult about our problems...and He wants us to help, not harass, eath other when we have problems.

I Wanna Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-UNDO IT!

Yes, I wanna undo it!!! Not any of my relationships, mind you...but all of the sugary stuff I ate on Labor Day. You see, this Carrie Underwood song has new meaning for me, since I woke up yesterday morning in a world of hurt. When my alarm went off, the very first thing I heard was Carrie belting out, "I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo it!" It was the perfect line to start the day, since the way my stomach and my head felt at that moment I really did want to undo it...undo all of the sugar I ate the day before, so I could feel better.

I've had the song stuck in my head ever since, and I came up with some new lyrics to the chorus:

You stole my energy, you made me cry

Took me up then sent me crashing from that high

And I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo it

You took my health, now I want it back

Now I see you knocked me off my track

I really blew it, no more going through it

I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo it

My twist on the song is dedicated to sugar addicts everywhere...if you're like me, it keeps calling you back. But it's not good for us to consume all of that sugar. I should have stopped at one cookie for a treat, instead of filling up on more and more sugar throughout the day. Your body doesn't know it's a "holiday"...you will feel just as crappy after eating this way on a special occasion as you would any other day.

I've learned my lesson really hard this time...and I'm back on plan, working to uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo all of the damage I've done over the years with sugar and junk food. It's all about feeling good, being healthy, and having the energy to do what you want and need to do in life...so that you won't have to undo anything!

Don't Want To Hear a Peep Out of You (or See One Go in Your Mouth!)

Every year, it seems the candy manufacturers put their Easter candy out even earlier than the year before. This year, Valentine's Day wasn't even upon us and I saw chocolate hearts, marshmallow peeps, and peanut butter eggs all sitting on the shelf next to each other. To a sugar addict like me, this was akin to being present for the filming of a horror movie. Candy everywhere, with the holidays merging together! Who were the insane people who thought this was a good idea?

Well, the people who planned this aren't quite so insane, from their own perpective anyway. Chocolate companies know that the earlier they stock the shelves with Easter candy, the more that will be consumed before Easter is even near. They can be sure that even those with the best intentions, who buy candy on sale to save for Easter, are likely to let their willpower go and give in to temptation...which means that they will buy even MORE candy to replace what they ate so the baskets can be filled. A bigger profit is made, all because we are addicted to sugar and can't wait for Easter to have it.

For me, this has always been a dangerous time of year, with candy tempting me everywhere I go. But this time around, I am very proud to say that I have not bought nor eaten one single piece of Easter candy. I will buy just a small amount of it right before Easter for my son's basket. Since our entire family is working on healthier eating, he will get just a few treats, along with some fruit. We will also put cool things in his basket like fun gadgets and either a new video game or DVD. The enjoyment from those last a whole lot longer than the sugar rush, and are lot better for him (and us).

How am I staying away from the candy this time? Reminding myself how awful I always felt after a candy binge, and not wanting to do that to myself anymore. I also keep my goals in mind...it's almost spring, and summer will be here before we know it. I have certain shorts and swimsuits that are waiting for me in my closet, that I WILL fit into this summer. You can do it too, you know. Just make sure that this holiday season when you are chillin' with your peeps, you are talking about your friends, and not the sugary marshmallow kind!

Weighing In On Sugar

I've gotten so many responses to my post on sugar...here, by e-mail, on Facebook, and on Twitter. I'm glad to know that I am not alone in my addiction, but also sorry that we are all going through this. At least now we can support each other through it.

I did weigh myself this morning, and I am up one pound. As much as I hated seeing the number go up on the scale, I was relieved that it wasn't more than a pound. I'm sure that exercise helped my cause. That's one thing I can't stress enough: even if you slip up with the food, make sure you still do your workouts. Don't let one bad decision lead to another, because that can lead to a downward spiral that will make you want to give up. Get back to the positive and get back on track as soon as possible.

Hearing your stories about dealing with the sugar monster reminded me of something else I used to do. When I was in my twenties and at my first full time job, I used to cross the street to the convenience store and buy all sorts of sweets. It was common for me to purchase various snack cakes, candy, donuts, and other sweets daily for lunch. I'm sure the girls who worked there saw the irony in my buying a couple of fitness magazines along with the goodies. I would get back to the office and eat everything I just bought while reading about how to get in shape.

Thankfully, I realized at one point that my clothes were getting tighter and I was having major energy crashes daily after experiencing the sugar high. I started bringing in healthy food to heat up in the microwave or stopped for salads or Subway if I didn't bring something from home. I allowed myself to go across the street twice a week for ONE sweet...not a bagful. The extra pounds came off and I felt better.

Several times along my life's journey I've gotten back into that sugar habit. I'm more determined than ever to kick those bad habits to the curb, and hopefully down the sewer where they belong. It's just like being addicted to anything else in life...you have to stay vigilant every single day to avoid relapse, and if you fall off the healthy eating wagon you just have to get back on and ask God for the strength to overcome your problem. Remind yourself how awful your body feels after eating the wrong foods in order to stop yourself from giving in to them.

Also think about how good you feel after you eat nutritious foods and get regular exercise. Drinking several glasses of water every day helps as well. Success is all about picking yourself up whenever you fall and moving forward. We all fail at times, what matters is how we deal with that failure and learn from it!

Sugar Situation

I am an addict. Not in the way you usually hear about...alcohol, drugs, medications, gambling, etc. Still, I am an addict. I keep fighting it, and sometimes I do really well; other days it just pulls me back in and plays with my mind.

I am addicted to sugar. I realize I always have been, even when I was a little girl. Candy, cookies, and ice cream always soothed me when I was feeling sad. Happy occasions were always celebrated with dessert. My parents were really good about making sure I didn't overdo it, but what they didn't know was that when they weren't looking, I would sneak extra cookies or more ice cream.

It got to the point where I had to have something sweet, no matter what form this sugar took. I've been known to squeeze tubes of cake decorating icing onto my tongue when there were no conventionally sweet foods in the house. I ate containers of sprinkles or packets of sugar. I've even eaten Nestle Quik powder mix or Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix right out of the container when I needed that chocolate/sugar combination. I felt I needed the sweetness that badly.

As an adult, I still fight this sugar addiction. I haven't consumed icing out of the tube or cocoa powder in a very long time, but I still cannot get enough sweets. I know this is not good for me, and I also have to be careful because diabetes runs in my family. I feel so much better when I stay away from sugary foods or stick with just a tiny piece of something sweet, but I still have those days that get me. Yesterday I polished off half of a carton of ice cream, and my body felt awful afterward. I found myself today pulling out the jar of peanut butter and a spoon, but I forced myself to stop eating it after a few spoonfuls. This is a small victory, because normally I'd get halfway through the jar before I decided I'd had enough.

I've been doing so well, and it's really disappointing to me that I fell back into the sugar trap for a couple of days. I also know I'm not alone in this. So many of us are addicted to sugar, or food in general. In watching So You Think You Can Dance last night, I was really moved by the routine choreographed by Mia Michaels about addiction. One dancer was the addict, trying to escape her addiction. The other dancer was the addiction that kept pulling her back in for more. It really did represent any type of addiction and the feelings that you go through in dealing with it. This dance also came at the perfect time for me...right after I'd eaten myself sick with the ice cream.

I know with prayer and positive attitude I will conquer this. I will always have to watch out so I don't fall back into old habits, but I will defeat this addiction. I forgot to mention in my last post that I have changed my weigh-in day to Friday. That always worked best for me in the past, so I want to go back to it. We will see if my sugar relapse shows up on the scale in the morning. Whether it does or not, I have to get away from the sugar. I know many of you can relate, so please feel free to share your stories with me. Together we can work through it!