Time To Get Selfish

Is there anyone out there like me who seems to get some control of order and then before you know it all chaos breaks out? Over the past few days it seems as if I am barely getting from one day to the next. So this morning I woke up trying to inventory my priorities. And easily I can see where I have gone wrong.

One thing that I have realized is that I have taken focus of God and myself and have been worrying about all these other things. Excuses started to creep there way back into my mindset and self-pitty along with it. Because I have lost my focus everything around me has suffered because of it. So it is time for me to get selfish. I know that seems wrong, but I believe there is such a thing as being selfish in a Godly manner. Here is my reasoning:

As a woman, especially one that is also a wife and a mother, we have many hats that we wear on a daily basis. We are maids, cooks, nurses, teachers, financial advisors, personal assistants, and the list goes on and on. With all these responsibilities it easy to forget to take care of ourselves. But there is danger in that. How are we suppose to accomplish all these tasks when we get emotionally, physically, mentally, and, most importantly, spiritually out of balance? The answer is we can't and that is when we start to see the CHAOS building around us and filling our homes.

We need to shift our mindsets from not wanting to be selfish to wanting to be healthy and energized to take on our day. So how do we do this? I am by no means an expert on this subject but I believe we can accomplish this as follows:

• DAILY COMMUNION WITH GOD (SPIRITUAL): We do this by reading His word, praying, and spending time in worship with the Father. 

• ARMOR OF GOD (SPIRITUAL): Ladies, our homes are our battlefields! Our bodies and minds are our battlefields! We can't go into battle if we are not dressed for it. It leaves us vulnerable to attacks. That is not to say that we won't be attacked, but that we are ready for attacks.

• DIET & EXERCISE (PHYSICAL): We need to be healthy! Again how are we suppose to accomplish our daily tasks and run around after our husbands and kids if we are sick and tired all the time? It is not a quick fix but a life long journey. Find out what works best for you and give it your all trusting in the Lord to guide you.

• ALONE TIME (EMOTIONAL & MENTAL): We need some time alone to do what we love even if we are not alone and choose to hang out with the girls! There are times when we just need a moment to ourselves without hearing little voices screaming for juice and snacks. 

I know that is not an extensive list, but it is where I am going to start. Which leads into how we fit this into our daily lives. I have been learning that 16 hours a day is plenty of time if we are smart managers of our time. 

Here is a simple way of doing this: On a piece of paper write out your day in 1 hour blocks from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed. Take an inventory of a full day of activities and pencil them into the blocks. At the end of the day tally up how you are spending your time. Do you have several hours of TV time? How about Computer? What about games and time on your smartphone? Are you spending way more time than necessary cleaning, especially on messes that little ones and husbands could be helping with? Now I understand that there are many women who work full-time either inside or outside of the home, but that is when tasks need to be truly shared by the entire household. Call a family meeting and start taking back your time. The enemy wants us to believe we have no time, and we need to stop giving ourselves over to this belief. 

I pray that this week we would all take the time to get a little more selfish and be better stewards of our time. 

God Bless us all on our journeys to better health!

Music for your heart & feet

I know that I am just starting out, but exercise can be really boring. Even more so if you find yourself watching the clock, hoping for those minutes to pass by. Monday night I didn't have my iPhone (aka mp3 player) on me, and let me just say how BORING my workout routine was. All I could think about was it being over and my body hurting. So on tuesday I made sure that I had my workout playlist ready to go.

Creating My Playlist
As a Christian who has dedicated my weight loss journey to God, I knew that most of the songs of today would just not cut it. I am not saying that secular music is necessarily bad, but I wanted to have a Godly playlist. You know, for those moments when I am praying "Lord please get me through these last 5 minutes" and all of a sudden I hear how I need "to shake my booty". Does anyone understand what I am talking about? Anyways, so I set out to find music that had an uplifting message AND suitable for a workout playlist. The following songs are part of my playlist and they are great at keeping me motivated and giving me that extra push when I need it:

1. START OVER by the Afters (great warm up song! especially if you are having a bad day)

2. MOVE by MercyMe

3. I WILL NOT BE MOVED by Natalie Grant

4. OVERCOMER by Mandisa

5. SHAKE by MercyMe

6. THIS IS HOW WE OVERCOME by Hillsong United

I truly believe that music helps to make a workout more fun and it is a key to having a successful session. I encourage you to add some uplifting songs to your current list. 

Turn up your music and get moving! 

What songs are a must have on your playlist? 

Key's To Success

Over the last 16 years I have set weight loss goals and have never reached them. Because there is no point in trying to do the same thing and expecting different results, I decided to do a little research about how to set and achieve goals.

11 Key's To Weight Loss Success 

Key # 11: SET THE DATE- Simple, Yet so difficult. Choose and stick to a start date. Try not to set a finish date, as you are changing your lifestyle which has no end.

Key # 10: WRITE IT OUT- Take the time to strategically plan your journey on paper. Don't get so hooked up on the planning that you never start. 

Key # 9: PERSONALIZE EACH GOAL- Do not worry about another's journey. Choose goals that are tailored to your specific needs, expectations, fitness level, and health concerns.

Key # 8: BE REALISTIC- Set goals that are truly attainable. For example, ply plan to lose 1-2 pounds a week. Slow and steady will usual mean long-term success in the battle against the "bulge".

Key # 7: FOCUS ON THE PROCESS- Instead of setting a goal to be a certain weight, set goals that will focus on your daily behaviors such as drinking more water, walking an extra 15 minutes, etc. Again, be specific and realistic. 

Key # 6: SHORT TERM, LONG TERM- The first will keep you focused daily, where the latter will motivate you in the long run. Visualize each short term goal as a stepping stone on your journey, with the long term goals being the milestones. 

Key # 5: THE SMALLER THE BETTER- You are more likely to stick with a program that focuses on a set of small goals that build into a larger goal. 

Key # 4: SET BACKS ARE INEVITABLE- Try to identify future roadblocks and plan accordingly. If you fall, don't waste time in self-pity. Start fresh each and every day. Strive to make today better than yesterday in all areas of your life.

Key # 3: EVALUATE YOUR JOURNEY- At the end of every week see where you are at with meeting your goals. Ask yourself "Was I successful at meeting my goals?", "are my goals realistic?".

Key # 2: BE OPEN TO ADJUSTMENT- You need to be open to changing your plans as your progress. What works now, may not work in the future and vice- versa. 

Key # 1: COMMIT YOUR PLANS TO THE LORD! - 

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." PROVERBS 16:3

I hope these keys will aide in my success and inspire you to set achievable goals for yourself.

God Bless.

ADVISORY

Please understand that I am not claiming to be a medical professional, nor am I trying to tell someone else what they should be doing. The above information is what I personally have gathered from other sources and my own experiences. I use the above as a guideline on my own personal journey and hope to inspire others to make a change that will better their health and life. Please contact your physician if you are seriously considering making a healthy lifestyle change and you desire to lose weight. Thank you. 

The Butterfly Effect: It's The Little Things That Add Up

 ".......Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the prize which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13-14

A butterfly effect (with reference to chaos theory) is the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change can have large effects elsewhere. Example: A butterfly fluttering its wing in Texas can change the weather in such a way as to cause a hurricane in Australia. 

Much like the the possibility of a tiny wing flutter causing catastrophic weather events, so it is with the changes needed to start living a more active and healthy lifestyle. It is in the little things that the biggest changes happen. The following is a list of simple, easy, inexpensive changes that can have the biggest impact and I am sure they are nothing new.

 So for the time being I plan to:

• Drink more water. Cut out soda and sugar drinks which includes "Diet" as studies are now showing the negative effects of aspartame. 
• Find ways to sneak in exercise: park in the furthest parking space, use the stairs, play active/outdoor games with the Brodster.
• Don't eat more calories than my RDI. 
• Don't use food/drinks as a way to reward myself.
• Don't use "diet" products. Watch the labels of non-fat/low calorie products.

If there is any truth to the butterfly effect theory than I should see inches, if not pounds, begin to melt away :) 

God Bless! 

The Cycle Of Life

In my previous post I shared how God used an image of a butterfly to start me on a journey of self-discovery and weightloss. I just want to share a little bit about what I learned as I studied the butterfly life cycle.

The Egg: Setting a Standard From The Start

It all starts with an egg.  A female butterfly attaches an egg to a leaf. It may not seem like much, but the truth is that she chooses the leaf with every intention to give her baby the best start. For the leaf she chooses will be the caterpillars first source of food. This leaf is not just about the best looking leaf on the tree, it is so much more than that. A mother butterfly attaches her eggs to leaves that are the best source of nutrition for their species. She sets the standard for what the caterpillar is suppose to eat!

Just like a mother butterfly choosing a leaf, it is our job as parents to teach our children about a healthy diet and lifestyle.

My mom is an amazing mom. She went through a lot when I was younger and she worked really hard to make sure we had the necessities and then some. Due to her work schedule, we ate fast food and heavily processed meals on a daily basis as she rushed from one job to the next. As I grew up, eating fast food was standard and normal.

As an adult it has become my greatest pitfall and addiction. Trying to break this habit has been a struggle. As a mom, I want what is best for my son, but I too have set a standard of eating fast food. I know the dangers of this lifestyle and now I am working towards being a better example for my son. It is not about dieting, it is about living a healthy and active lifestyle. That is the standard I want to set for myself and my family.

The Caterpillar: The Feeding Stage

The next life cycle stage is the Caterpillar. A caterpillar has one job in life: to eat, eat, and eat. How much the caterpillar eats before it enters the cocoon/chrysalis will determine the size of the butterfly. 

While learning about this stage of the butterfly, God really dug deep into my heart. There are about 17,500 species of butterflies. However, one butterfly stood out to me above all the others. In Australia, there is a butterfly called the CAIRNS BIRDWING. The more I read about this butterfly, the more God exposed some hard truths about myself and the similarities I shared with this beautiful creature. 

First, what is normally deadly to most other butterflies, the Cairns actually thrives and depends on the poisonous leaves of the Aristolochia vine. For too long I have thrived and depended on the toxicity of fast food. Most people tend to get sick when they eat fast food, but I have eaten there so much that I never get sick. I don't consider that a good thing, or anything to boast about! It actually makes me cringe!

Second, as a caterpillar, it uses bright colors and sharp spines to protect itself against predators. 

To protect myself from being hurt by others, I allowed myself to become overweight. And now that I am overweight, I use other defense mechanisms (sarcasm, cynicism, anger, etc) to protect myself from being hurt because of how big I am. It is a vicious cycle that has brought more sorrow than joy. 

Those are the biggest similarities. The biggest difference between me and this butterfly leads into the next two life cycle stages. 

The Chrysalis: The Transformation Stage

&

The Butterfly: Metamorphosis Completed

The Chrysalis stage is where the magic happens! Where a chubby caterpillar turns into a magnificent butterfly. And this is where I have differed from the Cairns caterpillar. I have never entered this stage. 

That's right. I have chosen to be a hungry caterpillar growing bigger and bigger with each passing day. But enough is enough. I am the largest I have ever been in my life. It is time to wrap myself in healthy eating choices, daily exercise, and growing deeper in my relationship with God. It is time to enter the Chrysalis and start the amazing transformation into a new me. 

And now the questions and worry began. What will this metamorphosis look like? Is it just about weight loss? These are the questions I brought before the creator of all things bright and beautiful. After much thought, I drew a simple outline of a butterfly with 5 parts: a body at the center and four wings. This is what I believe the Lord was showing me what my metamorphosis will look like:

The body at the center represents keeping Jesus at the center of my heart and the four wings represent the balance of the following areas:

SPIRITUAL:

• Love of Jesus shining through me for all to see.
• Intimate relationship with God through prayer, worship, and devotion
• Constant hunger and thirst for righteousness and actually living God's will.
• The fruit of my branches would be noticeable to others and the gifts of the Spirit would be present all around in my life. 

PHYSICAL:

• Healthy blood pressure & blood sugar levels.
• Hormone levels balanced.
• Active Lifestyle to maintain a healthy weight, and to be strong and flexible.
• Healthy Eating: Portion Control, Food Choices, Water, etc.
• Shiny and strong nails & hair; glowing skin.

EMOTIONAL:

• No erratic feelings of highs and lows.
• Be Joyful
• Healthy relationships with family and friends.

MENTAL:

• Less worrisome and stressed out.
• Self-Controlled.
• Disciplined. 

SOMEDAY GOD'S PERFECT BEAUTY WILL BE MADE COMPLETE IN ME 

 and I will emerge as the beautiful, creature of a woman that God created me to be. 

A Butterfly's Journey

 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”  Romans 12:2

Recently I started praying about my weight and the struggles I have faced over the past 16+ years. 

In my quiet time with God, he led me to an image of a  butterfly. This led me to explore and learn more than I have ever known about the butterfly and its life cycle. And in return, God showed me more than I could have ever known about myself. 

So this is my journey from 

a HUNGRY CATERPILLAR to a BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY

It is my hope and prayer that my Journey would be an encouragement to you. Just like every butterfly is different and beautiful in its own way, so are you and I.