Denial is Just Not a River in Egypt (A Weight Loss Post)

All this reflection during the New Year has brought me face to face with some unpleasant truths.

~ Leggings need only be worn when the hinnie can be covered.
~As much as I would like to argue about it that Salted Caramel Nutella Josiah found in the clearance section at Target has sugar. Lots of sugar.
~There has never been and will never be such a thing as "The Laundry Fairy."
~ If I want to live in Abundance this year I have to take better care of myself.

It's true. I am in better health than I've been . I weigh considerably less than I did a few years ago. I'm just stuck. I've let some bad habits creep back into my lifestyle.

It's easy for me to go retreat to my happy place. In my happy place, I am thin. I have great hair. My laundry is always done. Our homeschool happens every day without hiccups, arguments or struggles. We don't have to worry about money....

Maybe you have a happy place too. Unfortunately, if we spend too much time wishing our cares away we don't do anything to confront our issues.

It's called Denial.

This year I am taking a good hard look at what I need to restart my weight loss.

Here are a few issues as I see them. I'm just being honest. If you are having similar struggles I suggest you make a list.

1. I haven't weighed in a while. I simply know that the scale is not going to make me happy.

2. I haven't been faithful to take my blood sugar every day. I misplaced my blood sugar machine and conveniently used that as an excuse. God apparently has my number. I found it a few weeks ago.
When I am faced with my blood sugar every morning I know if my choices have been good ones.

3. Some of my clothing is a bit tighter than it has been. If my intention is to go down sizes... I need to reevaluate what I am doing.

4. I haven't been faithful with my food diary in a while.

5. My exercise routine hasn't been consistent. I don't have a PLAN.

Now that I've identified some of those issues I am making the plan.

For me, what has worked in the past is that I make this healthy lifestyle part of my job. I need a plan of action. I have to start where I'm at. Many times we start out good and strong. We throw ourselves headfirst into a rigorous eating and exercise plan. I know better than that. I need to redevelop habits that have taken me where I want to go.


Let's address my issues. At least, the ones I listed above. I don't have time to even get into the rest of them.

1. Because I know my obsession with the scale, I am going to chose one day a month to weigh and measure for the time being. Remember that sometimes your measurements will reveal more how your body is shifting than the scale.

2.  Monitoring my blood sugar is not only important for my general healthy, it is also a good indication of my eating habits. If I am allowing hidden sugars and starches into my diet my blood sugar will let me know. I plan to take my blood sugar every morning before breakfast. 

3. I am going to reward myself for my efforts.  Nothing makes me feel better than a pretty blouse and some dangly earrings to match. I don't have a massive amount of clothes, but I have plenty to see me through for a while. I have a gift card to one of my favorite clothing stores my mother-in-law got me for Christmas. I am not going to use it or purchase clothes (even from the thrift store) until I need to move down a size. This is going to be a big reward for me.

4. You would be surprised how keeping a food journal can keep you on track. It's being accountable. I keep track of my food at Sparkpeople.com, but you can use any system. I plan on recording my food every day. It will help me confront those impulse snacks...well...I've been impulsive about.

5. We are members of the Y and been blessed to take advantage of what they have to offer. However, during the month of December we seldom went. I have resources on hand to exercise at home and I plan to utilize those and my Y membership. I have a more specific plan, but in general I want exercise consistently 15-20 minutes every day. This might be a workout at the Y, using an exercise DVD...I also want to keep track of my steps eventually, but that is down the road.


These are very doable goals. They don't require me to spent an enormous amount of money. I can complete them without taking huge chunks of my day, yet they will all assist in helping me achieve my goal.

So here is your assignment (if you choose to accept it). Identify some key issues. Maybe you rely of fast food as your menu of choice. Maybe you don't drink enough water. Maybe you are having trouble snacking late at night.

Choose one or two habits than you can cultivate that will assist you in tackling some of those issues. Don't worry about the big stuff. If you need to work on one habit a week. Don't give up and don't strive for perfection. If you fail...no big deal. This doesn't mean you give up. You just pick up where you left off.

To encourage you and to keep myself accountable one of my goals includes to be more transparent with those ups and downs of transforming a body and a life. I haven't been as consistent as I would like to be. My plan is to post every Wednesday about my progress. It is going to be a challenge for me. I'm about as fond of a tight schedule as I am that "suck-your-gut-in" underwear I squeeze myself into every Sunday.

Thank you my friends for being such an encouragement during this process of mine. I'm just hoping to return the favor.