After Levi was born we started eating right and I was exercising. In short I was feeling and looking good. When I got pregnant with Abby my energy tanked. Literally, I bought a pregnancy test because I was out of breath all the time and couldn't finish a workout routine that I had been doing all summer.
I get horrible morning sickness with pregnancy and cooking well is the last thing on my mind. So I didn't. We lived off of cardboard in the shape of chicken nuggets for 9 months. A couple months after Abby was born Christian got a new job and a raise, so we went out to eat...a lot.
And that hasn't stopped.
I tried to do better in March and was starting to (with food choices and energy level), until my mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away all within four weeks-once again, my energy level tanked. I'm not blaming her or her illness for my choices please don't think that. It's just that when someone you love is going thru something like that, the last thing on your mind is what you are putting into your mouth.
So here I am again, trying to figure this thing out. Food and honoring God with food is something that the Holy Spirit has been (trying) to deal with me about for about a year, if not longer. We are the temple of God. We must take care of it and not neglect it. The Jews neglected the physical temple of God and paid dearly for it, I don't want to do that.
So here is my personal challenge and I am writing about it because I am more likely to follow thru if I have someone to hold me accountable. My stance is, if I tell you I am planning to do something that automatically gives you the right to hold me accountable. So ask me how I'm doing when you see me, check my buggy if you run into me at Publix and call me out on Sunday mornings when I pass up the oatmeal for Ms Becky Howell's bacon wrapped cinnamon rolls.
The second reason for writing this is I'm also inviting anyone to join me choose any or all of my goals for yourself, or make your own.
So, what is the challenge?
I am setting some nutrition and fitness goals for myself to accomplish in the month of June.
1)I plan to eat as clean as possible. Striving for 90% of the time. I define clean as little to no processing. I want to eat food as closely as God has created it. This very likely will not mean all organic food for us. But it will mean as little food as possible that comes from a box.
2)
3) Water, water, water. At the beginning of the year I was drinking about a gallon a day, and I still craved more. I want to get back to that. At least 64oz of water a day. No soda-not extremely difficult for me but I do drink more than I should, see above the eating out thing? Yes, I get soda. Coffee.... this one is hard. I would like to reduce to ONE cup a day. One normal sized cup. This will be really difficult on Sunday morning, I love my coffee on Sunday morning. All of the teenagers are well acquainted with the sad face I make when I take my last sip... it's not pretty.
4) Exercise. Ugh, Exercise. Six days a week is my goal and this would be from home because I can't really get to the gym. Three of those days I would like to include taking my kids to the park and walking. Put the babies in the double stroller and make have Nick walk with me... or ride his bike, we could do that.
5) This one is more for me to just feel better about myself in general. As a stay at home mom I tend to dress rather shabbily. Why not? No one is going to see me... until the UPS man knocks on the door. This goal is to fix my hair in something that's not a pony tail, dress in something that I wouldn't wear to the gym (like I ever go there anyway), and put on a little makeup each day. Oh, and remember to brush my teeth before 4PM.
6) Giving you updates... if you want them. I plan on posting my progress, and my pitfalls each week. It may be once a week or a few times a week. I want to post recipes that I find and I would like to hear your progress and recipes as well!
I found something on Pinterest and I adapted it to be Biblical.
No matter what temptations come my way:
I will eat clean because I refuse to fill God's temple with useless junk.
I will work out because God requires His children to be strong and energetic to fight in this Spiritual war.
I will do this because God wants the best for me and being healthy is the best for me.
I can do this because I can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens me.
I'm tired. And I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of forgetting things. I'm tired of snapping at my children for being children. I'm tired of being lazy during the day and then hating myself for it that night. And I'm tired of not changing, not challenging myself. This isn't about weight loss, although that will happen. This is about feeling our best, acting our best and most of all giving God our best.
Let me know if you would like to join me.
Cathy.
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