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!

Listen To Your Body - It Knows!!!

My body speaks to me.

No, it doesn't actually have a voice, but it doesn't need one. My body speaks without words...and I heard it loud and clear this week.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I didn't eat a lot - but I did consume some foods that I don't usually have. A few salty tortilla chips here, a couple of diet sodas there, even a cupcake with VERY sweet frosting and other sugary treats found their way into my mouth. It wasn't overindulgence in large quantities that did me in...it was what was in the foods I ate.

For the last three days, my body has spoken in several ways. My fingers puffed up from the extra sodium, making it hard to get most of my rings on. The migraine that followed let me know in no uncertain terms that I should have skipped the diet sodas. To complete the lecture from my body, my stomach hurt and was upset from too much sugar.

My body is letting me know that I have to stick with healthy foods and skip the stuff filled with salt, sugar, and chemicals. I'm recovering from the weekend by drinking plenty of water to flush out my system, eating nutritious foods, and working up a sweat as often as possible. I can already feel the difference.

My body knows what it's "talking" about...and so does yours. Pay attention to what YOUR body is telling you. God only gave each of us one body, and we have to take good care of it!

It's Not JUST About The Food

This is something I've known for a long time, but has been hitting home with me so much more lately. I guess you could say that things are starting to click in my brain. I've been reading some books lately that drive the point home...food, or any other addiction, is just the attempt to fill a void in our lives.

I recently finished reading "Reshaping It All" by Candace Cameron Bure and Darlene Schacht and it really had an impact on me. Something in our lives is missing and we are not fulfilled, so we turn to food or other addictions such as shopping, gambling, alcohol, etc. to fill that empty space. But the only way to fill that giant hole in our lives is God. He is the only One who can make us whole, and we need to turn to Him in everything we do.

I've been praying a lot more now, asking God to help me overcome the sugar and food addiction that has gripped me for such a long time. He is slowly revealing important lessons, and last night one of them popped out at me. Many times I used to promise myself a "treat" if I completed a large task or met my writing deadline. I would have something sweet as a reward for a job well done. Well...what kind of a "reward" is that? I'm actually punishing my body for a job well done by putting stuff into it that makes me feel sluggish later and gain weight. I need to let God determine my reward, and if I want to celebrate accomplishments in a healthy way I should listen to uplifting music or have fruit and yogurt to fuel my body rather than poison it.

If you are interested in learning more about "Reshaping It All" my book review is posted here. I love that God is revealing this important information to me, so I can share it with you. As we walk with God, may we become even stronger in Him.

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!

WHY Did I Stress Eat?

About 3 hours ago, I succumbed to stress eating. I've been so good about not eating my feelings for quite a while now, and thought I had come far enough on my journey that I would be past turning to food under stressful situations. I've been going over this in my head ever since I ate that dang ice cream.

Yesterday, a couple of situations came upon me without warning. One of them I was able to handle pretty well, but the other required more thought and stress to come to a decision. I had 2 events planned for later this summer, one on one weekend and the other on the following weekend. (And I will say, fully aware of the irony, that both events are weight loss related...and I wound up eating over it.) Suddenly I found out that the first event had to be changed to the following weekend, leaving both events happening the same weekend. If I bailed on the first event, I would be disappointing my family and ruining the getaway they were so excited about. (And let me tell you...because of our job/money situation, we haven't had any type of vacation in almost 4 years.) If I cancelled out on the second one, I would have to tell a few people I love and really care about that I would not be able to attend a special function they worked hard to create. I was not looking forward to either choice, but I had to decide quickly so that I could inform the people involved as soon as possible so they could work around it.

I decided that my family came first. I switched the reservation to the new dates, and informed the person in charge of the other event that I wasn't going to be able to come. (To further drive this home...the family event was planned before the other one in the first place.) I told this person the minute I knew, and still feel really awful for having to do this. Now, I did not expect her to be thrilled about this...but I told her why I made my decision the way I did, and my family has to come first. She is still complaining about it, which I do understand to a degree, but I hope she comes to respect my decision. I am loyal...maybe even to a fault. Anything and everything she's ever asked me to do to help, I've been right there to do it. I am so loyal that I'm still really upset about this whole situation, and hate that I had to cancel on really good people.

After some tears last night and this morning, I made a trip to the grocery store. The Ben & Jerry's was on sale, and because I wasn't thinking clearly I fell into old habits and I bought it. I came home and ate not one, but two pints of Vanilla Caramel Fudge. To say I don't feel so good right now is an understatement. I already had a stress headache when I woke up, but now my head AND stomach are suffering. I regretted what I ate right after I ate it. Then I sat and thought about why I did it...because I never want to do it again.

Not only was I still feeling crappy about having to make this decision, but someone I care about and respect is upset with me. She does have a right to be upset about the situation, but the little digs about not being able to trust and being disappointed in me really hurt. This is one situation...I've always been reliable for everything else, and I got put in a tough spot where I had to choose one or the other. How can someone be disappointed in me for being loyal to my family? Why does one sticky situation have to suddenly make me all bad to someone? We all have things come up that we have no control over, where we have to make the best decision...not everyone is going to be pleased, but the decision still has to be made.

What I've finally decided after 3 hours of soul searching on a stomach full of sugar...is that even though I'm not happy with the situation, sabotaging myself is not the answer. There are more constructive ways to deal with it. And I refuse to let another person make me feel bad about myself, just because I was put on the spot and had to make the best decision for my family and myself. Like Eleanor Roosevelt said...nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. I know God knows why I decided the way I did and is pleased that I stuck by my family.

Just writing this all out makes me feel a little bit better. Now, I should have written this earlier today...and maybe I wouldn't have eaten the ice cream. I chalk it up to another life lesson I had to learn, and I move forward from here. I will think it all through BEFORE I pick up the spoon next time!

It's Monday...I'm Motivating Myself!!!

I actually felt like that cat this morning. This past week I celebrated my birthday, complete with Mexican food and cake. And yes, my son squealed that it was my birthday to our waitress, so the staff came over and put the sombrero on my head (which felt like it weighed as much as a bowling ball) and sang in Spanish to me. I ate too much sugar this week, and in turn my body did not feel like exercising as much as I usually do. The one thing I did do right was skip the margaritas and stick to water.

So, as it seemed like I was rolling myself onto the scale this morning, I really expected to see a number that I didn't like. Imagine my surprise when I only gained 1 pound...I consider that God's birthday gift to me, along with the lesson that my body really can't run at its best when I pour so much sugar into my tank. I'm actually happy with that number, because I was sure it was going to be so much worse. (My aunt is also here for her monthly visit...but I know I can't blame her for that pound this time!)

So far between yesterday and today, we received some bad news. A longtime friend of our family passed away yesterday, and another friend's brother died from cancer over the weekend. Along with some weird happenings and the start of baseball practice tomorrow, it's going to be another crazy week. This is my chance...I said that I aspire to be like O'Neal, and it looks like this is my week to show what I'm made of. I will not drown my sadness and frustration in food, and I will leave it all in the gym just like O'Neal did. Working it out is the best way, and I will make sure that no matter what gets thrown at me and rearranges my schedule this week, I will get all of my exercise in, plus more. My sugary week is done, and I'm back to business!

More Reasons To Tame The Sugar Monster

A report came out yesterday from the American Medical Association, stating that people who eat more added sugar are at higher risk for heart disease. Of course this makes sense, since diabetics are more likely to develop heart problems. Seeing this article, though, makes it clear that even if you never develop diabetes, if you have too much sugar in your diet you can still be at risk.

Diabetes runs in my family. Both of my grandparents (my dad's parents) had it, and my dad and all of his brothers wound up with it as well. Out of 8 boys, 7 of them were diabetic...and the one who wasn't died in the Korean War at a young age, so he didn't live long enough to see if he would have had it too, although it's most likely he would have.

My dad is the last one standing in his family. All of his brothers are gone, and my dad has outlived them all. I truly believe this is because he is the youngest brother, and we've learned more about how to handle diabetes in more recent times. My dad just turned 78 last month...and God willing he will have many more birthdays as he takes care of himself. He did have to have triple bypass a few years ago. His blood pressure and cholesterol were excellent...but the diabetes caused the heart problems. This is a good example of how sugar can affect your heart.

I do not have diabetes, and hopefully I will never develop it. I constantly remind myself that I really have to watch my gigantic sweet tooth so I can prevent those problems. The new article is the reminder I needed that it's about my heart as well as my pancreas. I eat a lot less sugar than I used to, but I still have the urge at times to down half a bag of M & M's or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I don't keep them in the house, because if I did they would be calling my name. If I have a taste for a little sugar, I walk up to the corner store and buy a single serving pack of the candy. That way I'm not tempted to eat beyond what I should. I also limit those little treats to once a week or less, because I do not need to be putting that much sugar in my body everyday. Even if I do not become diabetic, that much sugar is still not good for me.

If you would like to read the article, it's at www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63J66220100420. Remind yourself why you are losing weight, and why you need to eat healthy foods. It will help you keep your perspective on the days the sugar monster calls out to you!

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!

Special Ops Mission: The Enemy!

My mission, which I chose to accept, was to find pictures of what stands in my way of losing weight. First one is: Malley's Chocolate! It's a local favorite here in Cleveland...and my hips sure show that I've indulged a few too many times!

The second is: Ben and Jerry's Vanilla Caramel Fudge! Lately, I haven't been able to find this flavor in any of my local Giant Eagle stores...so I think God is trying to tell me something! (Especially because I needed two pints at a time to satisfy my craving.) I've also been known to succumb to any brand of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, so I have to stay away!

Obviously this is part of my problem with sugar and chocolate. Since that McCafe Iced Mocha on Sunday, I haven't had any more sugary foods. It was nice to be able to pick up where I had left off, since I had gone 4 days without sugar before the Iced Mocha, and it's now been almost 5 days since drinking all of that sugar. I plan on filling up on healthy foods, and having fruit when I need something sweet. Green grapes are really good for conquering a sugar craving. I may even try freezing them...I've heard they're really good that way.

Mindset is so important...with God I can conquer this, and I will! You can too - I believe in you!!!

Motivational Monday

Since I decided to change my weigh-in day back to Monday for good, today's the big day. I'm going to call these weekly dates with the scale Motivational Mondays...because I am determined that no matter what number shows up in that little window, I am going to use it to my advantage.

If the number goes up or stays the same, I will go over what I did during the past week and see where I need to improve...then I'm going to MAKE IT HAPPEN! The same goes for a very small loss. That means I did something right, but still need to kick up the exercise and watch what foods I'm putting into my body more closely.

If I've had a successful week with the scale and my body, I still have to take note of what worked that week so I can keep it up. Of course we've all heard that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This is so very true, especially when it comes to weight loss. So many things can throw a wrench in your plans if you let them...you have to be prepared for just about anything. Determination to find a way through it is the key to success.

Now I know you want to hear what happened when I stepped on my scale this morning. I lost one pound, which is a great thing. I know I didn't really truly get myself back on track until the middle of the week. I was able to stay away from sugar for 4 days. Yesterday morning my husband and son let me sleep in and went to McDonald's for breakfast. They brought me back an Egg McMuffin and a McCafe Iced Mocha. It was so sweet of them...sweet being the operative word here. They know I love Iced Mocha and I was so happy that they treated me to breakfast, but halfway through drinking it I realized how much sugar I was drinking. I didn't want to waste it so I finished it, and I did let them know later in the day that next time I'd rather have a plain black coffee so I don't ingest all of that sugar. One victory here though...not only did I stay away from sweet stuff for 4 days, but after I drank the Iced Mocha I didn't crave sugar the rest of the day like I normally would. I haven't had any sugar since then, and I plan to keep it that way.

It's so easy to stay motivated when we like the number that pops up on the scale, but the true test is when it hasn't been a good week. I'm at 212.0, only down 1.2 from what I started at when I began this blog. Still, it's a loss...and I am not giving up: not now, not ever. With God's help I will succeed!

In The Right Direction

I have decided one more time to change my weigh-in day, back to Monday. This is where it will stay...after I thought about it long and hard, I realized that getting on the scale on Mondays will keep me more accountable over the weekend. Even though I did a good job this past weekend away from home with my food and exercise, typically weekends are the hardest time for me, and really for most of us. We are more likely to cast our weekday routines aside and do whatever we want. While that maybe be good in some areas of our lives, it can be devastating to our healthy eating plans.

While I am all for an occasional treat, it's difficult for some of us to go back on plan afterward. That is something that must be learned, just like any other good habit we are adopting into our lives. If I have to step on that scale on Monday, I'm much more likely to have that single treat and then get back with the program, since I know I want to see progress when I weigh myself.

Now, I know I still have to follow those same rules during the week...a binge will be harmful no matter what day of the week it is. I'm happy to report that I have gone 3 and 1/2 days without sugary foods. Right now I know it's too dangerous for me to eat them, because I find it hard to stop at the proper serving size once I have that sugar in me. My body feels so much better this way, and like I've said before - I have to remind myself of that anytime the sweet stuff starts calling my name. It's like the saying "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels". The momentary pleasure of the sugar rush will not feel good at all once it wears off and you crash, and too much sugar over time makes your body more sluggish. I'd rather have the energy to do all I need or want to do in my life than have those instant rushes.

Now, it is hard the first few days that you avoid sugar, but it is worth it in the long run...so we all have to hang in there and we will get through it. Remember also to pray about it: God will help you get stronger if you just ask Him. And don't forget to thank Him for the help!

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!