Furlough Fitness Part 9: Having Your Cake, Holiday Hope

Having Your Cake

We went to the gym for a fellowship meal after the service. The tables were packed with delicious foods... foods full of fat and carbs and ooey gooey yummy calories. I scanned the tables and found options that fit in my eating plan. Then I got in line prepared in my mind what I would put on my plate. I would move through the line quickly so that the smells and sights of the food would not lure me in. I zoomed quickly past the dessert table ignoring its precious contents. For me, it's not about will power. It's about not giving myself opportunities to give in to temptation! The farther away I am from junk, the better!

So I sat down at the table in a sweat. I had just dodged a major bullet. I refused to look in the direction of the goodies I had left behind untouched on those tables.

Then a lady sat down beside me. Her plate was piled with things that oozed deliciousness. I kept my focus on my veggies and baked items while sipping on my water. She and I began to talk. It was a pleasant conversation. But then the conversation turned to my weight loss.

"You have done so well. I am proud of you." Her compliment encouraged me and made it easier not to think about the cheesecake I would not be eating. Then she said, "I really need to eat better and exercise." She began describing her weight loss woes. I wanted so much to encourage her in this area. I was trying to find the right words to say when she rose from the table and headed to the desserts. When she returned, she came with a plate packed high with desserts. Her words were still ringing in my ears, "I really need to eat better..."

And that's when it hit me.

I figured out the weight loss dilemma that plagues us all. We like to "have our cake and eat it too." We want to lose weight without giving up the things that put the weight on our bodies. We want to be healthy without the sacrifice of time and energy. We want the best of both without the loss of anything treasured.

Choose.

That's what we don't want to hear. We don't like to choose. That's why we like buffet bars! We can have a little of everything and not have to choose!

And this "have our cake and eat it too" problem isn't just in eating and weight loss. It's in every aspect of our lives.

Jesus told us we can't serve God and mammon. We have to choose.
Joshua declared to the children of Israel to "choose you this day" between God and their idols.

We cannot have our cake and eat it too. We cannot get healthier while clinging to the lifestyle that makes us so unhealthy.

If I could encourage anyone in the realm of losing weight, getting physically fit, and striving for a healthy lifestyle for God's glory, I would say this one word...

Choose.

What is more valuable to you? That piece of cake or getting healthy? That pile of food or getting fit? I love desserts and junk as much as anyone else. But I know that eating those kinds of foods frequently will sabotage my greater goal of getting healthy and losing weight. So I must choose.

Make a choice and then pursue it. Don't be double-minded. Don't stagger back and forth. Being double-minded will discourage you more than anything because you will not see progress.

Choose.

"Everyone wants the product,

but few want the preparation."

-Pastor Kenny Baldwin preaching on Noah

"When God Shuts You In"

Kristine's Corner

Kristine's Exercise Shirt

My time on furlough is coming to a close. By God's grace, I will be returning to the field at approximately the same size as I was when I left last April. Since I began blogging with Charity in August, I have even dropped most of the furlough pounds I had put on initially. I'm now working diligently to get the rest off before I arrive home.

The keys to my success were avoiding sugar, exercising faithfully, getting enough sleep, and starting fresh the next day even if I messed up the day before. I will be able to jump right back into my normal exercise routine when I return home, and I can't wait to cook in my own kitchen for the first time in months! We had an amazing furlough, and I am excited and ready to get back to work in Indonesia! Look for my official furlough update next month!

Holiday Hope

Charity:
Our family had two Thanksgiving dinners. We had one with my Mom and Granny on Thursday and one with my husband's family on Saturday. One was a stellar success in eating, and one was a disaster. But I know what things made the difference.

Thursday was the success. Here was my plan:
I took two plates through the line. One plate was a regular dinner plate and one was a container. As I went through the line, I was only allowed to put an item on one plate or the other. I couldn't put any item on both plates. One plate was for my lunch, and the container was my dinner. I had to use proper portions, too. The other part of my plan was that I agreed to post a picture of what I ate for some of my fitness friends to see. That gave me accountability. I told these same friends about my commitment with the plates.

 Lunch and dinner plates

The execution was perfect! I did it! I ate a yummy Thanksgiving meal without gluttony. 

Granny and Mom

But then came Saturday. I started off the day right... healthy breakfast and snack. But for lunch my plan was to just pick the healthiest option in moderation. In other words, I figured I would just "wing it." No accountability. No predetermined boundaries like the plate plan.

So I got my plate and picked wisely. Modest portions. But then I went back for seconds... and thirds... We sat around fellowshipping, and the smell of the food was amazing. It called to me, and it was right there for the grabbing! Ugh!!!

Lesson learned. Thanksgiving foods are always a huge temptation for me. It's a tougher setting than buffet bars or your typical church fellowship. I love pumpkin pies, and gravies of all sorts, and cheese just makes the world go round.

Note to self... set boundaries. Vocalize those boundaries to others who can help with accountability. Never try to "wing it" with things that are a known temptation.

Kristine:
This was my first Thanksgiving in America in four years, and may be my last for quite a while. I wanted to relax and enjoy the special holiday with my family. The only "plan" I used to prevent overeating on Thanksgiving was to wear a fitted shirt. That way I wouldn't want to eat so much that I felt uncomfortable in it. It worked, too!