Week 1!

Week one is down and out.  Ya hoooo.! ( hear that with a bit of a Texas accent).

I made through with some bumps and challenges but I made it with no cheating.  This morning I was rewarded with a five pound drop.  That's pretty darn good for the first week out.  I know that probably won't sustain itself and the truth is while the number is a gage on how I'm doing, it is not the primary focus on what I'm doing.

The doctor warned me about focusing on "the number".  If I were to weigh everyday and focus on what the scale said I would feel defeated and discouraged when I reach the plateau and that is when most people give up or give in.

I chose this.

I decided to start this diet now knowing that my daughter and her family would be coming to visit from Virginia and that I would be throwing a birthday party for the three two year olds we have in our family.

I chose to start now while the getting was good, than to wait two weeks for all the company to leave.  I did that because I was ready to start, number one, and also because I know me and I would think, "this is my last two weeks I better eat this because I won't get again for a while or never".  I knew that I would see food in a new light, one that I currently wasn't struggling with.  So this choice has put me in the kitchen cooking things I cannot eat (but that I really love) and in the grocery store walking down isles of food that I cannot have.

My freezer was totally empty because while we were gone for a week I had left something in the way of the door closing properly and when I got back the temp. was 83 degrees.  Needless to say, a stinky mess.  When the family came in I really needed to go shopping.

The day I went, I forgot to pack one of my meal replacement shakes.  (Note to self don't ever do that again.)  So while I was at the grocery store, I started feeling sooo hungry, my stomach was growling and everything was reaching out to me from those shelves, calling my name.  "Hey there, you like me, pick me, pick me."  (hear this in a high ghostly kind of voice)

I really really really had to talk to myself in there.  I told myself that this was temporary and I would get home soon and get the food I was suppose to have.  I quoted scripture, my favorite mantra, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13  As I prayed that, just enough strengthen flowed through my body.

I also began to remember the scripture I included on my last blog post, the great and powerful Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. I made it home at 5:00 and just decided to pick up on my day where it was and not try to complete the whole diet plan.

That has been my biggest challenge so far.

I want to share with you some of the things out of the book "Made to Crave" written by Lysa Terkeurst, that have really spoken to me.  I can't put it all here because that would make for a really long post and I would loose you all.  Assuming I haven't already.

By the way I really want to thank you for your encouragement and for jumping on the band wagon with me.  I love you guys.  Thanks again.   It encourages me to know that God is using my battle to love on you.

Note: all type in blue is from the book.

"Our flesh buys right into Satan's lie that it's not fair for things to be withheld from us."


and 


"The seduction was smooth and seemingly innocent."

Wow, that was a powerful one, page 101 of the chapter titled "It's not fair".   She is talking about being on vacation and being at a special dinner with her husband and having a dessert set down in front of her.  While she watches her husband eat it, assuring him that it is okay, "I don't mind, go ahead, it won't bother me"  her heart is saying something else completely, "it's not fair"

"Saying it's not fair has caused many a girl to toss aside what she knows is right for the temporary thrill of whatever it is that does seem fair.  But the next day the sun will rise and as each band of light becomes brighter and brighter, the realization of the choice she made the night before becomes clearer and clearer."


Poor me. 
This isn't fair.
I've lived with this struggle for so long.
This is a special time.
I could just give in this once.
Everyone else is doing it. (that is a big one for me, what a downfall that has been in my life)


"It's at this exact point when the dieter on vacation indulges.  
The virgin sleeps with her prom date.  
The girl on a debt reduction plan pulls her credit card back out.  
The alcoholic skips AA and heads off to the bar for her friend's fortieth birthday instead. 


They may know they are made for more, but somehow Satan dissipated this truth with a rationalization: 'Special times deserve special exceptions and anything else just 'isn't fair.'"    

The scripture she went to that day was powerful too, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.  


She goes on to say, "Weakness is hard, but it doesn't have to mean defeat.  It is my opportunity to experience God's power firsthand.  Compromise built upon compromise equals failure.  Instead, resisting temptation allowed promise upon promise to be built up in my heart, and that creates empowerment.

Now that's some pretty darn good stuff right there!  It reminds me what Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."  And that is even better stuff!

That pretty much sums it up for me.  Today is the big birthday party.  This family is so blessed.  We have 8 grandchildren and three step grands, and three of our babies were born the same year.  They are all turning two this year, yesterday was baby H's birthday, so we decided that since everyone was going to be here, we would throw a party and celebrate everyone's birthday.  The three little girl's get a cup cake with candles, crowns and gifts, everyone else gets party favors and one gift.

I just can't stand to see little eyes looking at me and wanting to know why their Nanoo didn't get them something.  I understand that they need to experience, "it's not all about me" out in the real world, but this isn't the real world, this is Nanoo and Pappaw's house.  Not real here.  No, this is the land where we scoop you up and run off with you, where we spend endless hours pushing you in the swing, and where if you want cake before dinner that's okay too.

Nope, nothing about the real world here.

:))  love you guys.

See ya.