Today you practice tolerating hunger. Many overeaters fear hunger, like I do! This exercise will show you there is absolutely nothing wrong with being hungry and even slipping a meal. ( I have actually fasted for 14 days drinking only juice for half of the time and water for half.)
Yeah, crazy woman...and you are listening to me. No, seriously I really benefited in many ways on that fast and spent the time praying for a few urgent issues. So I know I won't die if I skip a meal and neither will you. (If you have a medical condition like diabetes of course, do not do this days task.)
I also know I have the tools now to not go crazy and overeat if I get too hungry. One day this week or another convenient time skip lunch or at least go 5 or 6 hours between meals. Again, observe how you feel each hour and write it down. Be sure and practice eating slowly and mindfully at your next meal.
To Do
read your truth cards at least twice
read other truth cards as needed
eat slowly, seated
express gratefulness when you engage in helpful eating behaviors
exercise
observe your hunger for a day going 6 hours without food
Friday, May 8, 2009
Update
Someone asked me today in our moms' bible study (when i let someone else get a word in edgewise),
if I am enjoying this journey of the Welcome-to-your-Death Diet. This person does not ask questions frivolously so I thought about the answer today. I do like this experiment so far for the following reasons:
I focus on my true purpose for eating the way I am eating many times a day, therefore I focus on my true purpose in life as many times a day. (Living for the glory of God)
I enjoy the change I see in my attitude toward eating. I am eating for nourishment with pleasure not for emotional reasons.
I have lost 4 lbs.
I have not had as much time as I'd like to read The Quest for More by Paul Tripp or to blog about the things I'm learning there as it takes time to explain the tasks for the day. But it has been good to write those synopses as it reminds me what I need to do daily. (I have been busy moving and also have a final in one week in my Theology and Secular Psychology class.) I hope to spend more time on the Quest for More when things settle down.
if I am enjoying this journey of the Welcome-to-your-Death Diet. This person does not ask questions frivolously so I thought about the answer today. I do like this experiment so far for the following reasons:
I focus on my true purpose for eating the way I am eating many times a day, therefore I focus on my true purpose in life as many times a day. (Living for the glory of God)
I enjoy the change I see in my attitude toward eating. I am eating for nourishment with pleasure not for emotional reasons.
I have lost 4 lbs.
I have not had as much time as I'd like to read The Quest for More by Paul Tripp or to blog about the things I'm learning there as it takes time to explain the tasks for the day. But it has been good to write those synopses as it reminds me what I need to do daily. (I have been busy moving and also have a final in one week in my Theology and Secular Psychology class.) I hope to spend more time on the Quest for More when things settle down.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
DAY 11
Today we will learn about our hunger. Thin eaters eat in response to hunger. Not me.
Food is an emotional crutch so hunger tends to be irrelevant. Time to start focusing on this because I want to learn to eat for nourishment of the body God gave me and not as a means of stuffing, avoiding or handling bad situations or feelings.
We will talk later about how to, then, handle these feelings. For now it will be so helpful to just study how hungry you get during the day and how you feel about it.
As you go through your day today (or tomorrow if that's more convenient) you will keep record of when you eat and on the hour how hungry you feel. Also if you have an urge to eat write it down and notice what the urge feels like. True hunger is in your stomach and feels hollow or growly. False hunger or head hunger is in your head, in your throat, and in your mouth.
If it is not time to eat something by your diets rules you can tell yourself "NO CHOICE".
"I will not give in to this temptation." When you make this decision most times the craving will subside. Even if you are truly hungry you can wait for awhile to eat and the hunger will ebb. God made us this way since we can't always eat when our body begins to urge us.
read your truth cards at least twice
read other truth cards as needed
eat slowly, seated
express gratefulness when you engage in helpful eating behaviors
exercise
observe your hunger for a day
Food is an emotional crutch so hunger tends to be irrelevant. Time to start focusing on this because I want to learn to eat for nourishment of the body God gave me and not as a means of stuffing, avoiding or handling bad situations or feelings.
We will talk later about how to, then, handle these feelings. For now it will be so helpful to just study how hungry you get during the day and how you feel about it.
As you go through your day today (or tomorrow if that's more convenient) you will keep record of when you eat and on the hour how hungry you feel. Also if you have an urge to eat write it down and notice what the urge feels like. True hunger is in your stomach and feels hollow or growly. False hunger or head hunger is in your head, in your throat, and in your mouth.
If it is not time to eat something by your diets rules you can tell yourself "NO CHOICE".
"I will not give in to this temptation." When you make this decision most times the craving will subside. Even if you are truly hungry you can wait for awhile to eat and the hunger will ebb. God made us this way since we can't always eat when our body begins to urge us.
read your truth cards at least twice
read other truth cards as needed
eat slowly, seated
express gratefulness when you engage in helpful eating behaviors
exercise
observe your hunger for a day
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
DAY 10
How are you doing so far? Take a minute to glance over the steps and honestly evaluate if you are being serious about the tasks. It may seem silly to be strict about each one like being grateful for the good things you are doing several times a day. It may be silly to others but not to you because you have a purpose in each of them and your purpose is to glorify God in your body.
Today you will set a goal. A good long term goal is to be within the guidelines set for us in the good ol' charts. But the goal we will set today will be a short term goal. Five pounds is a doable goal that can be acheived in a short enough time to keep you from getting discouraged. When you meet that goal you will celebrate. Decide now how you will celebrate. Get yourself a little gift, take a day off or go out to dinner.
to-do
read your truth cards at least twice
read other truth cards as needed
eat slowly, seated
express gratefulness when you engage in helpful eating behaviors
exercise
set goal to lose 5 lbs
Today you will set a goal. A good long term goal is to be within the guidelines set for us in the good ol' charts. But the goal we will set today will be a short term goal. Five pounds is a doable goal that can be acheived in a short enough time to keep you from getting discouraged. When you meet that goal you will celebrate. Decide now how you will celebrate. Get yourself a little gift, take a day off or go out to dinner.
to-do
read your truth cards at least twice
read other truth cards as needed
eat slowly, seated
express gratefulness when you engage in helpful eating behaviors
exercise
set goal to lose 5 lbs
Monday, May 4, 2009
What A Waste!
Wasting time?Are you focusing too much on an END PRODUCT or goal today?
Are you discouraged by your messy house, you just didn't get enough done today?
Did you "waste" money in the stock market or on a bad choice of purchase and its haunting you?
Did the scale discourage you today?
If so you are not living in the right ECONOMY!
In God's economy the process is what counts. He wants you to NEED Him, He wants you to DEPEND on Him, He wants you to TURN to Him and LOVE Him. That is all he wants. It doesn't really matter how much is getting done or if life is efficient or really the end product as long as He is glorified in the process. His strength is made perfect (and He is glorified) in your weakness.
Mary WASTED costly perfume on Jesus. Sometime Jesus allows things to be wasted, like money time, effort, but in the process His goals of LOVE and GLORY get accomplished.
If you are trusting Him this minute nothing else matters...He causes it all to work together for your good and His glory. So rest in Him.
DAY 9
Research supports that in order for you to have long term success in keeping your weight down you must include regular exercise. Its a fact. Not only does it help with your weight but exercise will benefit your body as an instrument for God in so many ways.
It is the vehicle you use to serve Him so if you are living for the purpose of His glory, taking care of your body is going to be part of that. Exercise includes cardio and weight training. Cardio improves heart and lung function for longer life and the ability to walk round more easily and weight training or resistance training strengthens bones, speed up metabolism (so you can eat more) and enables you to move and work more tirelessly.
I have written down the benefits of exercise to read and remind myself.
1 I can work more efficiently so I can get more done (serve family) without tiring
2 I can visit family or friends and take out of town guests around without tiring..more able to minister to them.
3 Live longer and more robustly so I can love God and love people.
So make a plan to exercise at least 3 times a week.
Make truth card for exercise or for anything you are struggling with.
Read over truth cards for the last 8 days tasks.
It is the vehicle you use to serve Him so if you are living for the purpose of His glory, taking care of your body is going to be part of that. Exercise includes cardio and weight training. Cardio improves heart and lung function for longer life and the ability to walk round more easily and weight training or resistance training strengthens bones, speed up metabolism (so you can eat more) and enables you to move and work more tirelessly.
I have written down the benefits of exercise to read and remind myself.
1 I can work more efficiently so I can get more done (serve family) without tiring
2 I can visit family or friends and take out of town guests around without tiring..more able to minister to them.
3 Live longer and more robustly so I can love God and love people.
So make a plan to exercise at least 3 times a week.
Make truth card for exercise or for anything you are struggling with.
Read over truth cards for the last 8 days tasks.
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