I got called out today. There are two people that I cannot hide from: God and my sister. I have been slipping up for almost a week now and I didn't even have to tell Monica, she just knew it. After a very long and stressful day I found myself being wooed by the siren's call that is the Taco Bell drive-thru. Ever since then, it's like I can't jump back on board. I have been kinda coasting along this week, still reading this great book, but only allowing it to get in my head instead of my heart.
Well, Miss Monica called me out today on the whole thing and, boy am I glad she did. She confronted me and told me exactly what I needed to hear. It seems like that conversation is exactly what I needed to snap out of this fog I have been in.
Let me just tell you how unbelievably thankful I am to have her holding me accountable on this journey. I am a firm believer that having an accountability partner is crucial to this process. If you do not have someone that you can be completely honest with and who will push you toward your goal, I think you need to find that person today. I know, I know - it isn't easy being open and honest about the ugly parts of our lives but it is an integral part of dying to ourselves and being set free from the things that tangle us up.
So, thank you, sister. I needed that.
Celeste
Showing posts with label Permanent Weight Loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Permanent Weight Loss. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Plans. Big Plans.
Hey there! Hope ya'll are doing great. I must say that Monica has been doing a fabulous job talking about chapters 1 & 2 of the book we are reading. Man, oh man, I am loving this book. If you haven't checked out Made To Crave yet, I highly recommend that you do so. Monica has the paper copy and I bought the digital edition for my Kindle. (only $3.99 in the Amazon Kindle store) And no, we aren't being paid or anything like that - it's just the perfect addition to this blog.
So, I am going to talk about Chapter 3, entitled "Getting A Plan." If you have been following this blog at all you know that I love a plan. I get so excited about making plans, especially diet plans. I have latched onto the Weight Watchers plan, Atkins plan, Master Cleanse plan (for approximately 3 hours), Low Calorie Plans, Low Fat Plans, doctor supervised plans, Body For Life, and on and on. I know that most of these are great plans. The plan is not the problem - me putting all of my trust in the plan and my subsequent lack of "follow-through" has always been the problem.
In the beginning of this journey I thought that God wanted me to give up all of my plans and just trust in Him to lose this weight and heal my heart. I now know that this is 100% right but He has also revealed that I need to have some boundaries (notice how I avoided the word "plan" - I am sneaky like that) I have been afraid to latch onto any plans because of my natural inclination to put all of my hope in them. God's timing is so perfect. He knew that I needed these few months to just focus on Him and to prepare my heart to follow a plan while I keep my eyes fixed on Him.
In Chapter 3 Lysa shares how God revealed to her that true change takes intentionality and time. Real and lasting results will come but they won't be immediate. Patience - something I am extremely lacking in - is what I need God to work on inside of me. I am going to be walking out James 1:2-4, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."
Lysa shares the plan that works for her in this chapter. She encourages readers to find out what plan is best for them. I love that this book is not about a diet at all - just total surrender in every area of our lives.
So there you go. This is what chapter 3 has spoken to me. I pray that we will continually turn our hearts away from the things of this world and fix our eyes on our Heavenly father this week.
Love,
Celeste
So, I am going to talk about Chapter 3, entitled "Getting A Plan." If you have been following this blog at all you know that I love a plan. I get so excited about making plans, especially diet plans. I have latched onto the Weight Watchers plan, Atkins plan, Master Cleanse plan (for approximately 3 hours), Low Calorie Plans, Low Fat Plans, doctor supervised plans, Body For Life, and on and on. I know that most of these are great plans. The plan is not the problem - me putting all of my trust in the plan and my subsequent lack of "follow-through" has always been the problem.
In the beginning of this journey I thought that God wanted me to give up all of my plans and just trust in Him to lose this weight and heal my heart. I now know that this is 100% right but He has also revealed that I need to have some boundaries (notice how I avoided the word "plan" - I am sneaky like that) I have been afraid to latch onto any plans because of my natural inclination to put all of my hope in them. God's timing is so perfect. He knew that I needed these few months to just focus on Him and to prepare my heart to follow a plan while I keep my eyes fixed on Him.
In Chapter 3 Lysa shares how God revealed to her that true change takes intentionality and time. Real and lasting results will come but they won't be immediate. Patience - something I am extremely lacking in - is what I need God to work on inside of me. I am going to be walking out James 1:2-4, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."
Lysa shares the plan that works for her in this chapter. She encourages readers to find out what plan is best for them. I love that this book is not about a diet at all - just total surrender in every area of our lives.
So there you go. This is what chapter 3 has spoken to me. I pray that we will continually turn our hearts away from the things of this world and fix our eyes on our Heavenly father this week.
Love,
Celeste
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
What Do You Crave More?
Hey guys, we were originally going to take turns reviewing each chapter of Made to Crave, but Celeste has a lot of stuff going on right now. Like a pipe bursting and flooding her kitchen and bathroom. Add to that 5 boys and there's a good reason for me to go ahead and write this one in her stead.
Chapter 2 of Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst is titled Replacing My Cravings. It made me laugh and kinda hurt my feelings all at the same time. I like that. There are a few things I want to touch on that impacted me.
She said something that I have probably said to myself 200 times. For real. "Tomorrow will be a much better day to keep my promises to eat healthier. And since this is my last day to eat what I want, I better live it up." I cannot tell you how many days have been my "last day to eat bad." They never really are.
Lysa tells about her realization that things had to change in her life. Not just because she was overweight (she wasn't huge by any means, just not healthy) but it was more about her heart. It was all about surrendering to what God wanted for her. It was more for her spiritual health than her physical health. She asked herself a real tough question. Then she asked me, her reader, the same question. I did not enjoy my answer.
So here's the question:
"Is it possible we love and rely on food more than we love and rely on God?"
Aww man.
When I first read that, I got real honest and had to answer, yes. Today, my answer is different because God has done a work in my heart. I have repented and accepted his forgiveness and allowed his grace to change me. I must ask if your answer is no, could you replace the word food with something else? Money, facebook, your spouse, beauty, security, tv, iPhone? The list could go on. What is the thing you go to for comfort, reward, or joy? How about when you're stressed or sad? Allow God to search your heart and illuminate anything you might rely on and love more than him. I know it's hard. It's even harder to blog about it.
God gave Lysa a very valuable key to unlocking the door to freedom. She said, "Each time I craved something I knew wasn't part of my plan, I used that craving as a prompt to pray. I craved a lot. So, I found myself praying a lot." That was such a revelation for me! That is the difference in doing this thing my way and allowing God to draw me closer to him through my struggle. Do you get how huge that is?
If you haven't gotten this book yet, you should! I just realized it kinda sounds like I'm getting paid to plug the book but I'm not. It's just so good.
If you're feeling brave, go ahead and leave your answer to the question in the comment section.
Monica
Chapter 2 of Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst is titled Replacing My Cravings. It made me laugh and kinda hurt my feelings all at the same time. I like that. There are a few things I want to touch on that impacted me.
She said something that I have probably said to myself 200 times. For real. "Tomorrow will be a much better day to keep my promises to eat healthier. And since this is my last day to eat what I want, I better live it up." I cannot tell you how many days have been my "last day to eat bad." They never really are.
Lysa tells about her realization that things had to change in her life. Not just because she was overweight (she wasn't huge by any means, just not healthy) but it was more about her heart. It was all about surrendering to what God wanted for her. It was more for her spiritual health than her physical health. She asked herself a real tough question. Then she asked me, her reader, the same question. I did not enjoy my answer.
So here's the question:
"Is it possible we love and rely on food more than we love and rely on God?"
Aww man.
When I first read that, I got real honest and had to answer, yes. Today, my answer is different because God has done a work in my heart. I have repented and accepted his forgiveness and allowed his grace to change me. I must ask if your answer is no, could you replace the word food with something else? Money, facebook, your spouse, beauty, security, tv, iPhone? The list could go on. What is the thing you go to for comfort, reward, or joy? How about when you're stressed or sad? Allow God to search your heart and illuminate anything you might rely on and love more than him. I know it's hard. It's even harder to blog about it.
God gave Lysa a very valuable key to unlocking the door to freedom. She said, "Each time I craved something I knew wasn't part of my plan, I used that craving as a prompt to pray. I craved a lot. So, I found myself praying a lot." That was such a revelation for me! That is the difference in doing this thing my way and allowing God to draw me closer to him through my struggle. Do you get how huge that is?
If you haven't gotten this book yet, you should! I just realized it kinda sounds like I'm getting paid to plug the book but I'm not. It's just so good.
If you're feeling brave, go ahead and leave your answer to the question in the comment section.
Monica
Monday, November 28, 2011
Letting Go
Hey there. I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as I did. Getting out of town and being with family did me a world of good. I was having a rough time when I wrote last and I want to thank you all for your kind words and prayers.
I have to tell you something pretty great that happened last week. When I wrote that last blog I was really discouraged. Immediately after that post I went to get my nails done. The place I normally go was closed for the holiday & I ended up going to another little nail shop. Normally I am friendly and talkative but I just wasn't feeling it that day. As I was sitting in silence, the man doing my nails started talking to me. Out of the blue he said, "You know, sometimes you just have to let things go. You can't make things happen on your own. Things have to be done in God's timing." I'm sure my mouth was hanging open.
He kept going for almost an hour - totally reading my mail - and giving me words of encouragement. I was literally stunned. I just needed a reminder of what this whole thing is really about. I am thankful God is ready and able to help when we are in trouble.
Admitting that I need help is another huge part of the "dying to myself" process. Everything inside me wanted to sweep all of that discouragement under the rug and just go along like things were fine. If I had done that I would have missed the blessing God had for me that day. I am so thankful for you all and also for the obedience of the man who showed the Father's love to me last week.
Who knew that a blog about food addiction would bring about so many other things. I was just trying not to be fat, y'all. I had no idea we were going to get all up in each other's business!
November is almost over, by the way. I have really enjoyed these weeks & I can't wait to hear from you all about how our first 30 Day Challenge went for you.
Love,
Celeste
I have to tell you something pretty great that happened last week. When I wrote that last blog I was really discouraged. Immediately after that post I went to get my nails done. The place I normally go was closed for the holiday & I ended up going to another little nail shop. Normally I am friendly and talkative but I just wasn't feeling it that day. As I was sitting in silence, the man doing my nails started talking to me. Out of the blue he said, "You know, sometimes you just have to let things go. You can't make things happen on your own. Things have to be done in God's timing." I'm sure my mouth was hanging open.
He kept going for almost an hour - totally reading my mail - and giving me words of encouragement. I was literally stunned. I just needed a reminder of what this whole thing is really about. I am thankful God is ready and able to help when we are in trouble.
Admitting that I need help is another huge part of the "dying to myself" process. Everything inside me wanted to sweep all of that discouragement under the rug and just go along like things were fine. If I had done that I would have missed the blessing God had for me that day. I am so thankful for you all and also for the obedience of the man who showed the Father's love to me last week.
Who knew that a blog about food addiction would bring about so many other things. I was just trying not to be fat, y'all. I had no idea we were going to get all up in each other's business!
November is almost over, by the way. I have really enjoyed these weeks & I can't wait to hear from you all about how our first 30 Day Challenge went for you.
Love,
Celeste
Monday, November 14, 2011
Keep On Keepin' On!
Hello there! I hope you have had a great day so far. This week has been challenging for me but oh so rewarding. My prayer time has been nothing short of amazing. Just slowing down and turning everything off (even worship music) has completely transformed the experience. The nearness of God is what has surprised me the most and it is shocking to see the difference this has brought about in my behavior. The awareness of the presence of God throughout my day has been a great reminder that I am not alone in this struggle.
I am still trucking along with my food & workout goals. I had an insurance physical today (don't be jealous) and I found out that I have lost a little more weight. Also, I took some "before" pictures this week. Oh my my. I had no idea that I was nine months pregnant! There has got to be something wrong with my camera. But seriously, I encourage you to do this if you are trying to lose weight. This is totally non-spiritual but 100% butt-kicking in the motivation department.
So we are at the halfway point - can you believe it? How are things going with you? I am praying for consistency and steadiness for all of us on this road.
Love,
Celeste
I am still trucking along with my food & workout goals. I had an insurance physical today (don't be jealous) and I found out that I have lost a little more weight. Also, I took some "before" pictures this week. Oh my my. I had no idea that I was nine months pregnant! There has got to be something wrong with my camera. But seriously, I encourage you to do this if you are trying to lose weight. This is totally non-spiritual but 100% butt-kicking in the motivation department.
So we are at the halfway point - can you believe it? How are things going with you? I am praying for consistency and steadiness for all of us on this road.
Love,
Celeste
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Little Black Dress
Things have been a little crazy today at my house. The morning started off with our oldest son throwing a ball through the living room window and ended with my husband and two of the boys shooting BB guns at a mouse in our house. Have I mentioned I am the only female in a house of 7? The mouse thing is particularly offensive to me as a housekeeper. I have to keep reminding myself that this is all part of living in the country. The window thing...well, let's not talk about that one.
Needless to say, my rigid morning routine was thrown out of whack. As I was frantically looking for something to wear to work, I pulled Ole Faithful out of the closet. I am referring to my Little Black Dress. I have a serious love/hate relationship going on with this dress. Snatched off of the sale rack at Lane Gyant, this dress has been a go-to item for me for most of 2010-2011. The loose fitting cut and forgivable fabric hide a multitude of sins. The problem is, I wear it all the time! I try to be sneaky & throw a cardigan over it or maybe dress it down with casual accessories, but seriously, I am fooling no one.
My tired little dress is a great reminder of the situation I am in. No matter how much I try to dress it up or camouflage it, my little issue with food is not hidden to the outside world. I mean, people can see all of this weight I am carrying around. As much as I'd like it to be, my problem with food is no secret.
Hebrews 12:1 says, "..let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." "Sin which clings so closely" is the real convicting part of the verse for me. My sin is clinging pretty closely around my mid-section at the moment. I absolutely hate the thought of not just pounds of fat that I am dragging around, but pounds of sin. Yikes. Let that sink in for a minute.
I am ready to lay aside this weight. I am also ready to lay aside that little black dress. As soon as it no longer fits, I promise you I am going to burn that dress. That dress is nothing but a reminder of the struggle I have gone through and I am thankful that He is setting me free. God is really stirring something inside of me this week and I pray that you are experiencing the same thing. I just want more of Him and much less of me (in every way possible).
Quick check in on our 30 Day Challenge: Days 6, 7, & 8 have been good. My food goal (no sugar or potatoes) is getting easier every day. My spiritual goal (20 minutes of quiet time with God) has been amazing. My exercise goal (30 minutes per day) is still not great. I only did 15 minutes today and I had plenty of time to do more. I want this to be the only day that I don't give 100% on all 3 goals.
I can't wait to hear from you all on how your first week went. I am praying that HOPE will begin to rise up in you today.
Love,
Celeste
Needless to say, my rigid morning routine was thrown out of whack. As I was frantically looking for something to wear to work, I pulled Ole Faithful out of the closet. I am referring to my Little Black Dress. I have a serious love/hate relationship going on with this dress. Snatched off of the sale rack at Lane Gyant, this dress has been a go-to item for me for most of 2010-2011. The loose fitting cut and forgivable fabric hide a multitude of sins. The problem is, I wear it all the time! I try to be sneaky & throw a cardigan over it or maybe dress it down with casual accessories, but seriously, I am fooling no one.
My tired little dress is a great reminder of the situation I am in. No matter how much I try to dress it up or camouflage it, my little issue with food is not hidden to the outside world. I mean, people can see all of this weight I am carrying around. As much as I'd like it to be, my problem with food is no secret.
Hebrews 12:1 says, "..let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." "Sin which clings so closely" is the real convicting part of the verse for me. My sin is clinging pretty closely around my mid-section at the moment. I absolutely hate the thought of not just pounds of fat that I am dragging around, but pounds of sin. Yikes. Let that sink in for a minute.
I am ready to lay aside this weight. I am also ready to lay aside that little black dress. As soon as it no longer fits, I promise you I am going to burn that dress. That dress is nothing but a reminder of the struggle I have gone through and I am thankful that He is setting me free. God is really stirring something inside of me this week and I pray that you are experiencing the same thing. I just want more of Him and much less of me (in every way possible).
Quick check in on our 30 Day Challenge: Days 6, 7, & 8 have been good. My food goal (no sugar or potatoes) is getting easier every day. My spiritual goal (20 minutes of quiet time with God) has been amazing. My exercise goal (30 minutes per day) is still not great. I only did 15 minutes today and I had plenty of time to do more. I want this to be the only day that I don't give 100% on all 3 goals.
I can't wait to hear from you all on how your first week went. I am praying that HOPE will begin to rise up in you today.
Love,
Celeste
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