By Ricinda Perry
Ok, so to be honest, yummy food has overtaken me this past week. Stress from preparations has taken a toll on my marriage. Perfect planning and memory making with my daughter has resulted in stressful rather than fun projects … and all of my activities have squeezed out much of my Bible time. RESULT = Thanksgiving fall-out.
Remember when I mentioned that half of the battle toward our success is mental? Time for a mental reset. Christmas is one month away. Time to improve on my mistakes for round two and to refocus my improvement challenge. Here is my plan of attack:
- Write out a schedule for the upcoming weeks. I have printed out a calendar for December and am scheduling out my attack plan.
- What days will I exercise and what time? List out healthy meals and staple/tag recipes. Set my Bible out where I cannot miss it. Find a church or community volunteer project for this month and schedule it in. Identify 4 dates for just me and my precious spouse.
- Place gentle reminders around. I am so busy this month. Without something right there in front of me, I tend to get too busy and disorganized to achieve this important goal. Notes on the fridge, car dashboard, and in my bathroom mirror help tremendously.
- DON’T DO IT!!! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy that junk food that is oh so tempting this time of the year. DO NOT bake dozens of cookies. If you do this, you and I both know you are going to eat it. As my husband correctly put things into perspective following our Pastor’s amazing sermon on material possessions this past Sunday – the only thing we “need” is to lose weight and get healthy. Bringing in and making foods that I cannot resist is setting myself up for failure. Keep those healthy alternatives stocked up for those chocolate kiss, peanut butter cookie craving moments.
Please take a moment to drop us a line. We would love to hear your success stories, Thanksgiving memories or ways you have handled a struggle. Keep up the good work. We are almost there with our challenge.
Copyright © 2012, Foundation Restoration. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No reproduction allowed without written permission from Foundation Restoration and/or the author.
Such great tips! But the thing I like most is—you’re normal! I have those setbacks so many times every day—-nice to know we’re struggling with the same issues. Keep uo the great work!
Down-to-earth article, Ricinda. Eating is something with which we all struggle, to the point of abnormal behaviors and eating disorders. If we do indeed avoid the temptations of sweets and overeating, it is a lot easier to practice healthy habits, but the mind is where it all begins. A healthy mind set, deliberately practiced, is a giant step, especially combined with prayer.
Amen Rick!