If you know me, you know I am not a spontaneous person.
I do not enjoy travelling somewhere without a reservation. I like knowing where my head will rest at night. So backpacking through Europe and looking for a hostel to sleep in would have been a big NO in my youth and a definite NO now. But if you'd like to go to Europe and need a companion to travel with, hit me up. I love Europe - in a hotel with a breakfast bar and an espresso machine.
Instead, maybe I should call this post "following the prompting of the Holy Spirit."
A week or so ago (honestly, I don't remember), I was looking for some devotional material for Advent (it starts tomorrow - YAY!). Now, I do this frequently - start something great, procrastinate, quit. Sound familiar? Did I make you uncomfortable? Yes? Good. I'm a teacher - it's my job to make you squirm. HAHA.
Except I'm pointing the finger at me.
So I thought - I need a group to hold me accountable. So I did a little poll of my church friends on facebook and got enough of a response to start a private facebook group so we could do a devotional study together with me as facilitator. Then people started inviting other people. People I don't know... and lot of them. I cringed a little inside. What had I done? What had I gotten myself into?
Then God spoke to my heart. "You are doing exactly what you and these people need." Big, deep breath. I have been working as Discipleship chair at my church, trying to get people to come together to study, pray and commune together. So, why was this different? It's not. Except it's me, and as a leader, I am not only accountable to myself, I am accountable to everyone in this group.
My son and I are wired a lot the same in this respect. The sentence, "So, I just did a thing" means "I did something spontaneous and I'm uncomfortable about it, but proud." So... I just did a thing. No - that's not right. God just did a thing in me, and I didn't procrastinate or try to delegate it to someone else, and I hope I make Him proud.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Saturday, February 3, 2018
A 26 day reflection
This is a reflection of the last 26 days in my eating.
No - this isn't a food blog, but it may turn into one. Another turning point in my life.
Some history for you:
I am genetically pre-disposed to type 2 diabetes. My mother was diabetic, my grandmother was diabetic, many of my mother's cousins are diabetic and it is highly likely my sister was diabetic at the time of her death. Becoming diabetic has always been a fear of mine, so I have yo-yo dieted and tried thing after thing after thing to only gain back the weight.
My most successful time was in 2008-9 when I lost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers. Learning portion control was my biggest gift from that time, but I quit it because I was always hungry and never satisfied. Food was running my life. 40 of those pounds came back on.
In 2016, I decided to give up gluten to support my daughter who had made the same decision. I can't describe how I felt with that change. Wow. It confirmed a gluten sensitivity and I will never go back. I lost 30 pounds. That was just a side benefit of my improved health. But I started substituting non-gluten items - baked things, full of sugar. And I started gaining and noticed changes that were frightening.
I researched a good part of the month of December and on January 8th, I gave up sugar and simple carbohydrates. I guess you could call it a whole foods diet with added fat, but I call it how I want to eat forever. So what happened? I no longer crave sugar or potatoes or fritos or chocolate. Look at that last one. I do not crave chocolate. Now - it is still my favorite thing to eat - but I don't need it.
Why - at the age of 50 is this so important? The change in eating habits is what's important. The mental clarity and the drastic and obvious changes in my health condition. I feel better than I have in years. I cook more. I'm cooking vegetables that I have never cooked before. Ya'll... brussel sprouts... goodness. They are amazing. The body-wide inflammation that I deal with started to rapidly go away before my eyes. No more edema in my legs. I mean none. Except for a knee injury a couple of weeks ago, nothing hurts. Nothing. I'm not tired in the afternoons and do not need a nap. I sleep GREAT at night.
The statement that those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it applies in our families. I loved my family, but they were food addicts, driven by their cravings. Cleaning out the house after my sister's death - I won't go into details - but her addiction literally bowled me over and broke my heart. I had no idea it was that bad.
My mother was diagnosed diabetic early in her 40's. By the time she was 45, she was insulin dependent - a month before my wedding. I remember taking her to the doctor and then to the hospital. She did a very poor job of managing her condition. I am determined to change that history for my family. I want to be a healthy grandmother someday - able to play with my grandchildren and build happy memories with them.
This has also been a spiritual experience. It's like God telling me: LOOK at all the things I gave you to eat. Eat those things. Yes potatoes and other things are God-created but they hang around me a little too much if you know what I mean. After 30 days I may add some of those things in to see how I respond but I really have no interest in them at the moment. I am a work in progress and the Lord is working on my physical being. As the image-bearer of God (remember we are made in His image), it is my obligation to take care of the physical surroundings of that image.
No - this isn't a food blog, but it may turn into one. Another turning point in my life.
Some history for you:
I am genetically pre-disposed to type 2 diabetes. My mother was diabetic, my grandmother was diabetic, many of my mother's cousins are diabetic and it is highly likely my sister was diabetic at the time of her death. Becoming diabetic has always been a fear of mine, so I have yo-yo dieted and tried thing after thing after thing to only gain back the weight.
My most successful time was in 2008-9 when I lost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers. Learning portion control was my biggest gift from that time, but I quit it because I was always hungry and never satisfied. Food was running my life. 40 of those pounds came back on.
In 2016, I decided to give up gluten to support my daughter who had made the same decision. I can't describe how I felt with that change. Wow. It confirmed a gluten sensitivity and I will never go back. I lost 30 pounds. That was just a side benefit of my improved health. But I started substituting non-gluten items - baked things, full of sugar. And I started gaining and noticed changes that were frightening.
I researched a good part of the month of December and on January 8th, I gave up sugar and simple carbohydrates. I guess you could call it a whole foods diet with added fat, but I call it how I want to eat forever. So what happened? I no longer crave sugar or potatoes or fritos or chocolate. Look at that last one. I do not crave chocolate. Now - it is still my favorite thing to eat - but I don't need it.
Why - at the age of 50 is this so important? The change in eating habits is what's important. The mental clarity and the drastic and obvious changes in my health condition. I feel better than I have in years. I cook more. I'm cooking vegetables that I have never cooked before. Ya'll... brussel sprouts... goodness. They are amazing. The body-wide inflammation that I deal with started to rapidly go away before my eyes. No more edema in my legs. I mean none. Except for a knee injury a couple of weeks ago, nothing hurts. Nothing. I'm not tired in the afternoons and do not need a nap. I sleep GREAT at night.
The statement that those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it applies in our families. I loved my family, but they were food addicts, driven by their cravings. Cleaning out the house after my sister's death - I won't go into details - but her addiction literally bowled me over and broke my heart. I had no idea it was that bad.
My mother was diagnosed diabetic early in her 40's. By the time she was 45, she was insulin dependent - a month before my wedding. I remember taking her to the doctor and then to the hospital. She did a very poor job of managing her condition. I am determined to change that history for my family. I want to be a healthy grandmother someday - able to play with my grandchildren and build happy memories with them.
This has also been a spiritual experience. It's like God telling me: LOOK at all the things I gave you to eat. Eat those things. Yes potatoes and other things are God-created but they hang around me a little too much if you know what I mean. After 30 days I may add some of those things in to see how I respond but I really have no interest in them at the moment. I am a work in progress and the Lord is working on my physical being. As the image-bearer of God (remember we are made in His image), it is my obligation to take care of the physical surroundings of that image.
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