One New Habit a Week

Well, here it is, almost 2014. Last year at this time, my doctor told me she’d be putting me on more meds if I didn’t shape up and get my cholesterol and triglycerides down. I embarked on walking the track behind the school like a mad woman, started a low fat diet and lost 11 pounds by my birthday (MARCH 29, send cards any time).

Then…the weather got dicey, as it does here in bi-polar Colorado. In fact, it was darn nasty from April-the second week of May. Of course, we went from freezing rain and snow to 100* days. You guessed it. By then, my walking had all but dissipated. The low fat diet soon followed.

Now, I’ll be the first to tell you, my struggles with food and exercise are primarily spiritual. I let my focus get off of Jesus and onto food. High fat, really swell tasting food. You know, the kind that makes you feel all warm and gooey inside. Well, I am now warm and gooey on the inside again. The nice outfits I bought myself with my birthday money don’t fit. My blood pressure is acting up, and I’ve added some gall bladder issues now, too. Yipee!

(that was sarcastic, in case you didn’t get the Jersey in it…it’s okay, not everyone does)

Now what? Well, it’s time to get back on the track, spiritually and literally. A few weeks ago, my friend Laura sent me a book we’ve been talking about for a while now. Laura’s been talking to me about her for well over a year, and I’ve been following  Facebook page. She’s a very neat gal.

I started reading in the back (doesn’t everyone start at the back of a book?) because I was interested in Lani’s story. I’ve always been interested in a vegetarian diet, and I usually can pull it off for a few weeks before I go hog wild and have a big fat dripping-with-grease burger. I could never understand the why behind it, until I read the back of the book. First off, she understands the problems I have had in the past…until I discovered a well-known weight loss program that infiltrated the churches back in the 1990’s. Yes, I lost 30 lbs. during that time, but I became a Pharisee. The program, after a bit of a shake up following the founder’s interview on CNN (denying the Trinity was a big no-no), is still in operation, and that’s all I’ll say about it except for the basic and simple principal.

Eat when you are hungry and STOP when you are full.

I almost cried when I read that in Lani’s book. No counting carbs, calories or exchanges. The heaven’s parted and I heard the angelic choir. (hey, I’m an author, I can be dramatic) She encourages you to let go of all previous notions about your food. Redefine what “quality food” really is. Look for true satiation, the way God created us to. Not in fake fats, chemically enhanced breads and other processed ickieness. (yes, it’s a word, look it up) The key, to me, was this quote:

Your hunger isn’t the problem here; how you meet your hunger is. (pg 210)

Yes, yes, YES! It’s always been my problem.

I’ve gotten through the Nutrition Principals and Motivation and Mind-Set For Success chapters (pgs 201-245) and I am about to start the beginning. I’m making a menu plan and shopping list after I post, taking another great piece of Lani’s advice as I do so. Be prepared, plan and think ahead. She gives a few sample menus in the back of the book. This next week, we have nothing happening. It’ll give me a good week to get back into a few good routines. I can add one new thing a week. I do not have to go on a full out immersion program.  You see, I live, as Lani puts it, in a sea of carnivores. I can’t simply say, “Okay, guys. No more meat.” I’d have a riot on my hands.

I’ll sit down, look over the meals my family loves and tweak them a bit. Have alternatives planned for myself, so when they’re enjoying that chili dip on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be enjoying veggies dipped in hummus or yogurt buttermilk dressing. I’ll eventually make the leap to an all plant based diet. It took me 51 years of eating the way I do. It won;t go away that fast. I’ve been asking the Lord to ‘renew my heart and mind‘ in this area.

My oldest son is a practicing vegan. We had several long talks about the issue, how it positively effects the body and mind. He sent me a cookbook last year, Vegenomicon. I need to crack it open again and glean some good recipes. (frankly, I am not crazy about TVP, which they use with abandon, but I can skip those) This should not be difficult. See? The prayers are already working.

One thing I do appreciate about Lani’s book; it’s not an “agenda driven” manuscript. She never says “Do it my way, or hit the highway.” She’s not advocating things I disagree with (like our dominion over the earth and minor stuff like that) Lani is about health and fitness and she’s happy to show you what has worked for her. If you ask, she’ll tell you how she does it. I like that.

I’ll update on the progress. I plan on starting my 3 days of walking the track on Monday. I’ve already gotten 2 days of 100 oz of water in. I am steadfastly ignoring the leftover cinnamon buns. I’d rather have a clementine. (okay,  that was a HUGE lie)

Till next we see each other, blessings!