Easter's Fresh Start - And a Brand New Month!

Yesterday we celebrated Easter Sunday - the day that Jesus rose from the dead after being crucified, giving all of God's children forgiveness of their sins and a fresh start in Christ.  We get to do away with past mistakes, and look to the present and future to be the people God created us to be.

This year, Easter's renewal is followed by April 1st...a brand new month, with a chance to improve upon what we did last month (or in the months before) and strive to be better.  Better at our relationship with God and relationships with others, better at breaking bad habits...really, better at whatever we have discovered we need to be better at - and what God had told us we need to do to be better for His purpose.

I know for me (and most of you who read my blog) this includes being better at health, fitness, and nutrition.  There are times we don't do well in these departments, but we need to shake that off and start fresh.  Did you eat a lot of Easter goodies yesterday?  Did exercise fall by the wayside as you prepared for the celebration of the Resurrection - including both religious activities and fun stuff for the kids and other family members? 

I gave up diet soda for Lent, already knowing it was bad for me yet having had a problem giving up the addiction in the past.  I decided giving it up for Lent would cause me to do it for Jesus - not myself.  With this mindset (and plenty of prayer), I was successful in staying completely away from it from Ash Wednesday all the way through Holy Saturday.  On Easter, I had one sip of Diet Pepsi...and one sip was it.  It didn't taste all that great, so I didn't have any more.  But I know addictions can creep back up if you're not careful.  So I'm continuing to abstain from diet soda from Easter on, still as a sacrifice to God who gave me a body, mind, and soul that I need to take care of for Him.  I also need to cut back on sugar again after those Easter treats!

No matter what happened, you don't have to stay in that rut.  Ask God to help you out of it and into His grace.  You are forgiven for your sins...AND any slacking off you may have done taking care of your body - God's holy temple. 

It's the day after Easter...so remember all that Jesus has done for you, and take April and RUN with it!!!

Biggest Loser 13 Challenge - Chocolate Bunny Recovery

Yes, I gave in this week to Chocolate Bunny Syndrome. You know, the disease that hits many of us every spring at Easter time...Cadbury Creme Eggs, , Reese's Eggs, jellybeans and more seem to taunt us from every basket. And sometimes we just have to have one.

For me, it's always chocolate bunnies and eggs from Malley's. If you live in Cleveland you KNOW what I'm talking about. Once you have the good stuff from Malley's you become spoiled and it's nearly impossible to go back to "regular" old chocolate. And let's face it - if your going to veer off the healthy eating path for a treat (or two, or more) it better be something that tastes good enough to make the fat and calories worth it. There's nothing worse than wasting a splurge on something that tastes like crap, because you put your body through that and don't even enjoy it. THEN you still want the good stuff!

I enjoyed every single Malley's egg I put into my mouth. I still didn't eat as much of it as I used to, but I definitely indulged. I still worked out and ate pretty healthy the rest of the time. And I washed down my goodies with plenty of water.

The scale was relatively kind to me this morning...I did lose .6 pound in spite of Chocolate Bunny Syndrome. Considering that in most years I gained weight the week after Easter, this is a victory. I also learned that food doesn't have to be all or nothing. I'm not a terrible person if I treat myself once in a while, and I also don't have to go totally off the deep end and eat every piece of chocolate in sight along with several fast food meals because I've already "blown it". This is part of that balance I'm striving for, and it's ALWAYS a learning experience.

Now that the Easter chocolates are gone, it's time to get right back on plan. Basically I had already stayed on plan for the most part anyway while enjoying a few goodies. But swimsuit season will be here before I know it, so I want to do the best I can to get down another size before then. The suit I want to wear is ready, hanging around and patiently waiting for me to fit into it.

Time to get ready for summer. Are you with me? Let's hop to it!

Biggest Loser 13 Challenge - Easter

Yesterday I should have weighed in...but I forgot.

With so much going on for Easter, celebrating at home, church, and then having two dinners to attend - well, I got up early, praised God and got on with the celebration. So I will step on the scale next Sunday.

Now, celebrating didn't mean eating up a storm, even with the two dinners. I paced myself at both and ate carefully, enjoying only a couple of treats. The main thing was to thank Jesus for all He's done for me and spend time with family. That satisfies much more than food!

I hope you all had a blessed Easter, and that you keep the spirit of Easter alive in your hearts all the time, not just on Easter Sunday. Carry your love and gratefulness for all God has done into today and every day from now on. Be blessed all the time!

Motivational Monday...It's Almost Easter!

I am not too happy with Blogger right now, because it won't let me add a picture. I wanted to show you this lady wearing a dress made out of vegetables, and assure you that this is not my Easter dress, but I will be wearing my veggies on the inside!

I lost a whopping .2 pounds this week, but at least it's still a loss. The scale is still moving in the right direction. What it means to me is that I have to change up my workout routine, because I think my body has gotten used to the same old thing. I need more variety to get the best out of me.

My motivational website for today is www.womenshealthmag.com. Women's Health magazine is an incredible source for all aspects of female health...weight loss is included, but there is so much more to our health than that. Please check out all of their great resources.

Holy Week began yesterday with Palm Sunday, so this week is a time of reflection for me, not only on all Jesus has done for me, but on ways I need to honor Him...which include how I should take care of my body. A lot of people make New Year's resolutions, but how about us making Easter our time of renewal, in our faith and our lives? Think about that this week as you prepare for Easter Sunday...which is meant as a fresh start, thanks to God!

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!