A HEALTHY ME – MAKING CHOICES

There are different ways to approach life. What we do with our available choices and how we view our years ahead make a major difference in the way life turns out for us.

TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS

Sometimes we take the bull by the horns.
Make a tough decision and don’t let anything stop us from our goal.

My husband is like this. Today he is living his dream. He has had his dream job for over 35 years. From the time he was 10 years old, he knew what he wanted to do—work with aircraft. When he was 10, he didn’t know exactly what all that entailed, but he knew he wanted to work with planes. He had model airplanes hanging from his ceiling in his bedroom. When he was 18 he joined the military and learned the trade of aircraft electrician. He stayed in for 4 years, then decided he wanted to get out and work for the government contractor on the military post where he served.

He applied for a job with the contractor that was there at the time. He waited. He waited some more. He was down to his last morsel in the refrigerator. He even told me once that one day all he had to eat were jalapeños because that was all he had left and didn’t have any money left to buy and more food.

But he remained determined. He believed. He didn’t stray from the course he had set out for himself. He knew what he wanted and went for it. Eventually he did get the job. He has had the same job for over 35 years now. Of course, he has worked for different contractors—whoever got the bid for the job. When a new contractor comes in, they usually hire all the crew that is there already. The upper management may change, but if the crew is working well, the the new contractor keeps them on.

So he is still at it. His dream job.

GO WITH THE FLOW WHEREVER LIFE MAY LEAD

Other times we just go with the flow and let life happen all around us.

This is me. I just let life happen. When I was young, I had goals. I had a desire to be a writer or work in a big office in a high rise somewhere. I pictured myself in an office with a big cherry wood desk, a treadmill to one side and a refreshment bar to the other side. I wanted to be successful in the business world. I thought about writing novels.

But I didn’t really have a plan. I didn’t really know how I was going to make my dreams come true. I just went along with the flow. I attended college and majored in Business Administration with a focus on accounting. I don’t think I put enough thought into my major. I wanted to write, but all I could think of was being a novelist. And if my books didn’t sell, I wouldn’t make money. I wanted to have a sure and steady income. Thinking back I realize now I would have been a great reporter. I could have had a column in a newspaper. Or I could have been a journalist for a magazine. But back then all I could think of was a novelist, which was not a definite income. So I settled on what was suggested to me. I was good with numbers so I went with accounting. Nothing really became of that career field.

Instead, I god married a couple years after college. It’s not something I necessarily pursued, it was just what happened. In my mind that is the way I thought life was—graduate from college, then get married.

Soon after I was married I got pregnant; within a year after the wedding, I was a mother. This, again, was not something I pursued. It just happened and I went with it. When I was little, I remember my sisters playing dolls, and house. Pretending to be a mother. I didn’t care for that game. I liked playing monopoly with my dad. But there I was, a mother.

So, once my first child was born, I quit my career and stayed home to take care of her and our son who came 18 months later. I automatically thought I should quit my job and stay home to take care of my own children. This was for two reasons: First, child care was expensive and the income from my job was just high enough to maybe pay for child care. And we didn’t think it was worth it. Second, it was a moral or ethical decision at the time. I am not saying it is wrong to be a working mom for anyone; I just didn’t want someone else raising my children.

This is ironic in a sense, because I never really imagined being a mom. I never really had a dream of being a mom or really desire it. So there I was again, in a position that just happened. It was like I was not in control of my own life and someone else was making the decisions for me. I was just letting things come along as I floated uncontrollably down the river.

As the children became teenagers, I did go back to work at a non profit organization for a few years. The children grew up and are now out of the house, and I have since quit my job. Now I am staying home wondering what to do with myself.

KEEPING HEALTHY EMOTIONS

To keep healthy emotions I should live in the present. Forget the past, quit wondering what could have or should have happened and live in the here and now. Maybe I could’ve made different decisions. Maybe I could’ve majored in journalism or pursued a career instead of being a stay at home mom. But the choices have been made, the question is what do I do now? Live in the here and now and look forward to a great future.

I could pursue my writing career. I did take quite a few English courses in college—enough to have minored in English. I like the internet and WordPress. Sometimes, technology has great advantages. WordPress is a great, easy, and free way to write to my hearts content. I haven’t been on here very much, but I believe I may make an effort to increase the frequency of my blogs. Maybe I will start writing poetry again.

CONCLUSIONS

So, life is all about making choices. Taking the bull by the horns, or just going with the flow—they are two very different approaches to life and effect the way things turn out. But in all things God is in ultimate control. If I make a mistake, He is still sovereign. If I make a mistake, He can turn it around for my good. God knew what would happen in my life before I made any decisions. He knew from the beginning of time what each day would hold for me. He knew what mistakes I would make. He knew how circumstances would effect me. And He knows how to make it all turn out well. He is God, so whatever choices I made and will make in the future, He is there to make it all turn out okay and fix any blunders as long as I trust in Him.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭CSB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1713/rom.8.28.CSB

“Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:16‬ ‭CSB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1713/psa.139.16.CSB

A HEALTHY ME – WHAT IS MY FOCUS?

Sometimes we cannot see because our focus is all wrong.

Ramblings of an OVEREATER

Lately, I have been letting the difficulties of life get me down. Once I am down, I respond with eating or watching TV. This is my escape, my addiction, perhaps. Many of us, probably all, have had times when we needed a break from the daily schedule. I have heard it said more than once that we are each either just coming out of a trial, currently in a trial, or about to enter a time of trials. Yes, there are probably people who enjoy their career, or are happy with the way life turned out for them. There are people who are more outward focused and rarely think about their own desires. This is not me.

I think I see the glass half empty most of the time. I see things that could be better, things I should have done. I look back and wonder many times “what if I had responded another way?” Or “if only I hadn’t done that.” This only brings about guilt and makes me want to eat more. I have made my decisions and sometimes the consequences are not what I would have liked. I look back and imagine a different life, perhaps a better life. When those around me who are close to me disappoint me, it makes me sad and angry and makes my overeating worse; and I again want to escape into the TV.

But I cannot allow other people’s actions to make me angry. I cannot allow other people failures or shortcomings to lead me astray. I cannot allow thoughts about what shoulda, woulda, coulda happened to make me feel guilty about my past. I am living the life I am in as a result of 1 of these 2 reasons: 1. God led me to this place and/or 2. I have made decisions that produced consequences leading to this place.

Here I am. This is me. The past is gone and I only have the present to live in and the future to look forward to. What I do presently will change the course of my future either for better or worse. What will my focus be? What will my course entail? Where will my steps lead me? I have to be mindful of how my thoughts and actions can change the course of my future and the health of my spirit.

I must:

• “Set my mind on things above” Col. 3:2
• “Set aside every hindrance, weight, extra baggage, anything that slows me down and run the race with endurance.” Hebrews 12:1
• “Keep my eyes on Jesus.” Hebrews 12:2
• “Change my way of thinking” Romans 12:2 (GW translation)
• “Watch and pray so that I will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.: Matt. 26:41
• “Walk by the spirit, and I will not gratify the desires of my flesh.” Galatians :16
• “Submit to God and resist the devil.” James 4:7
• “Be alert and of sober mind.” 1 Peter 5:8
• “Take delight in the Lord.” Ps. 37:4
• “Flee evil desires.” 2 Timothy 2:22
• “But on the armor of God (truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, God’s word, faith.” Eph. 6:10-17

So, today, I declare: “I WILL SET THE COURSE FOR MY LIFE AND I WILL NOT LET OTHERS OR CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE THE DIRECTION I AM HEADED. I GIVE GOD, ALONE, CONTROL OVER THE DIRECTION I AM HEADED.”

What is my focus? JESUS FIRST

Once I start focusing on Jesus, my need for food diminishes. My appetite is lower because I am doing other things. I have 3 goals:

• I will stop watching TV during the day. Life can be more fulfilling by stimulating my mind and exercising my body. So instead, I will read, put jigsaw puzzles together, be creative, find something to do around the house.
• I will keep journals daily. I have made a spreadsheet with different sheets in it including an emotional journal to vent my feelings, food log and weight loss graph to keep my health in check, and an activity log to record things I do to replace the TV. I also have a spiritual journal sheet which leads me to the third thing I am determined to do:
• I will start each morning seeking God. I have made a spreadsheet/journal which includes activities I can do which brings me closer to God. Worship, prayer, bible study, reading inspirational books and Guidepost magazines, etc. I will be serious about this and record what I learn from His word and how I can apply it to my life.

I will keep you informed on my progress.

This is Life’s Journey with Terri Byars

A HEALTHY ME – DIET AND DR.’S VISIT

https://startupiceland.com/2015/06/24/confusion-about-food-diet-nutrition-and-healthy-living/

DIETING

Dieting is something we all do. Whether we are trying to lose, gain, maintain, or never even think about our weight, we have an eating habit. The American diet in my opinion is not the best, so many of us have chosen to live according to another diet plan. My sister was advised by a doctor to eat according to the Mediterranean Diet which is healthier than the traditional American diet.

I have had trouble with yo-yo dieting for decades. In my 30s, I tried to lose my ‘baby weight’. I lost weight successfully by 32 years of age only to gain it all back plus 50 more. I have lost it again 3 or 4 times only to gain weight back and not, at 61, I am still above 200 pounds. I have struggled with knowing how to handle this. I have tried the WW plans, limiting what I eat to those items on their list of healthy ‘real’ foods that are not processed or junk foods. I have tried going without sugar, going without beef, going without dairy, or whatever I had seen online that is not healthy. This only leads to failure. Going without only leads to feeling deprived.

So here I am still overweight contemplating my diet once again. Should I limit my eating? I tend to look for the big picture too much, I believe. It may not be important whether I ever eat beef again, for example. What I should focus on is what to eat today. Taking one day at a time is a good way to see life. I should wake up in the morning and ask what I am to do today. What am I to eat today? Or What am I to be involved in today?

Maybe I should forget about my weight and focus on my health by eating what is healthy. My chiropractor told me that if I just eat ‘real foods’ then I would be healthy. And Cheetos are not real food. That is the way he put it: “Cheetos are not real food.” Nothing against Cheetos in particular, but anything in a box or bag that is not in it’s original form is not real food. Many people talk about eating foods the way they come out of the ground. Fresh, natural, Whole Foods. Fruit and vegetables the way they come out of the ground. The way God created them to grow. And minimally processed grains like oats, quinoa, or barley.

MY DOCTOR’S VISIT

I wrote in my last blog that our church had A 21 Days of Prayer event during which I stopped watching TV. What I didn’t mention in that blog is that my husband and I also decided to stop eating meat, poultry, or fish during those three weeks. Although the fast from these things was for spiritual purposes, I think this had a great effect on my health. I happened to have a doctor’s appointment at the end of the 21 days. Following is the effect of this diet choice on my cholesterol:

2020 Test Results

Total Cholesterol:  222
HDL Cholesterol:     82
LDL Cholesterol:    129
Triglycerides:       56

A1C:              5.7

August 28, 2021 Results

Total Cholesterol: 164
HDL Cholesterol:    63
LDL Cholesterol:    91
Triglycerides:      52

A1C:             5.7

My total Cholesterol went down 58 points!!
My HDL (good cholesterol) went down but is still great.
My LDL (bad cholesterol) went down 38 points — AMAZING!!
My Triglycerides went down slightly.

This really surprised me. In just one month of eating no meat, fish, or poultry, I improved my cholesterol greatly. Even though the good cholesterol went down, it is still at a healthy level. For HDL >50 is acceptable and >60 is ideal. LDL should be <100, Triglycerides should be <149 but ideal is <100. So my cholesterol is ideal all the way around.

For this reason, I had decided to stay with the pescatarian diet which is almost vegetarian, but includes fish and seafood, eggs and dairy—no other meat or poultry products. I have been going with that for 2 weeks now and it has become a bit difficult. I am not sure if I want to feel deprived the way this makes me feel. Again, taking one day at a time is the best way to go for me now. This is the thought that just came to mind as I write this. ‘What am I supposed to eat today?’ I should ask. Then decide what to eat according to how I feel or what God shows me.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

So, maybe it is all things in moderation. Maybe it is healthy things in moderation. But even eating too much of a good thing will still cause weight gain. Maybe it is natural foods. Maybe it is nothing in a box or bag that we see int he grocery section. Maybe we should just shop around the outer wall of the grocery story (you know, start in produce, go around to the fresh meats, then end up in the dairy section, but nothing in a box or bag that has been way over processed). But for now, until I figure all this out I will wake up every morning and ask the good Lord above what I should eat today. And I will listen to my body signals and try to determine what my body is telling me.

A Healthy Me – A New Focus

HABITS

Something changed this week which brought me to a new level of awareness and calm in my life. I gave up a habit of watching TV too much. Now let me say here at the beginning—There is nothing wrong with TV watching. There are reasons I will explain later that I chose to do this.

I have heard that a new habit can be formed or an old habit can be broken by practicing repeated behavior for 21 days. I have also read that breaking an old habit is a lot harder than starting a new habit. That is understandable because these new habits may be encouraged by other friends wanting to include you in their activities. They call you to come along. New habits may also be fun or addictive so you want to do them again once you start, especially if you have a great time initially. Let’s take candy, for example. Once a child tastes candy, this is a real treat. They really like the candy. They ask for more. The next day, they see candy on the shelf and they remember the taste from yesterday. This is a happy memory. This is a good feeling. So they ask for it again. And so the habit begins. Especially if they are offered another piece.

Old habits, on the other hand, may be harder to stop. Why? Take my habit—TV watching. I find myself drawn to the relaxing enjoyment of just sitting lazily and escaping from all of the stress in the world today. I want to be taken back to better times, so I watch old shows or movies. Or I want to see a problem go away, so I watch a good suspense movie where the good guys win in the end and everyone lives happily-ever-after.

But in life, this is not true. There is heartache and pain. There is turmoil in the world all around us and we cannot escape hearing about it. It is in the media, it is on TV, on the radio. People talk about it at work. We see it on the streets. We cannot escape it. So, where do I usually go? To the TV. If I am bored, I go to the TV. If I am stressed, I go to the TV. This is probably true about many habits people have. Shopping, eating, jogging. This are escapes that people enjoy to relax. There is nothing wrong with these activities. And we all need to relax regularly. But some habits, even good ones, can get out of hand if we are obsessed with them.

WHY MY OLD HABIT IS HARD TO BREAK

So, why is my old habit of TV watching so hard to break? It’s relaxing. I get lazy. I want to escape the trials of this world. This is what draws me to the TV. But why can I not stop? Why are old habits hard to stop? I believe it is because I have to fill my time with something else equally as satisfying or I will get bored. If stop watching TV, what is there to do? Housework? That is not as satisfying to me. I keep up with the dishes, the laundry, the cooking, and such; but, I don’t spend all day working in the house. I also want to do something fun. TV needs to be replaced with something that I enjoy. TV is enjoyable and satisfying, so the alternative activity needs to be enjoyable and satisfying.

SO WHAT CHANGED THIS WEEK?

So what changed to cause me to want to stop watching so much TV? I had the pleasure of being involved in a 21-Days-Of-Prayer event at our church. Every morning, people meet at the church, sing a few songs, hear a short teaching about prayer, then spend half an hour praying for revival, personal needs, other people’s needs, healing, etc. Along with this 21 days of prayer, we are encouraged to fast. Fasting is traditionally abstaining from food. It could be all food, or one meal a day, or giving up certain types of food, like meat or sweets. In today’s world, social media also takes up a lot of people’s time. In bible times, they had no social media or TV, so it is not discussed directly. Today, social media can become habit forming. It is easy to get want to get on Facebook and check out what is happening in our friend’s lives. TV is also something that takes a lot of time today. Especially for me. So, I thought this needed to change. I decided to ‘fast’ from TV for the 21 days of prayer.

THIS WEEK’S RESULTS

As I said earlier, an old habit that I want to get rid of has to be replaced with something else, or I will keep thinking about the old habit. So I tried to find other things to do. One, of course, is starting the morning with prayer at the church. However, even after I got home, I wanted to continue to do other activities. I like to read. Sometimes, I just like to sit and think — analyze a topic, or reflect over the past years of my life. This time of prayer is a time of renewal also; so I have been spending more time in God’s Word, the Bible. I found myself taking my time and not being so rushed. In the past, I may have rushed to get all the chores done during the commercials. Or I would pause the video and quickly put the clothes in the dryer so I could come right back to the TV. Now I am more relaxed and take my time with the chores.

HOW THIS HAS EFFECTED MY DIET

I discovered that sitting in front of the TV for hours a day has increases my desire to eat. I have thought before also, that TV may not be as satisfying as I thought. Otherwise, why would I have to get up to get a snack? Probably because I was bored or TV was not fulfilling my mental or emotional needs. I have lost weight this week, although this is not my first goal. My goal is to fill my life with activities than are more productive than TV:

1. Reading a good novel brings enjoyment, yet uses my mind more than TV.
2. Reading a nonfiction book teaches me something new, or how to improve.
3. Memorizing scripture brings joy and draws me to God.
4. Reading the Bible brings life to my being, body, soul and spirit.
5. Prayer helps me escape and let go of problems as I hand them to God.
6. Analyzing, thinking or reflecting helps keep my mind fresh.

These are things I have been involved in this past week. I also like puzzles, coloring. Maybe I can start a new creative activity once the 21 days of prayer is over. I plan to continue to not watch TV even after the 21 days if over—unless my husband is watching something in the evening after work and wants me to watch it with him.

HOW THIS EFFECTED MY MIND AND EMOTIONS

I have known for quite some time that TV can effect my mental and emotional health. First of all, the news just makes me mad. So much division in this country at this time. So much bad news and catastrophes. Then there are those movies that I love watching. They are not the best movies that I can choose. I love suspense, thrillers and mysteries. These can contain a lot of hate, violence, bad language, and other situations that are not kind, gentle, loving or positive in any way. Now that we have smart TVs and the ability to bings watch, it makes it even worse. This can produce addiction to the TV. I want to see that happens on the next episode. Or I know I have it on my Apple TV, so I want to watch the whole series.

Now that I am not watching TV, I am focusing on the Word of God. This is life. This is light. This is comfort. I am a lot more calm and small stresses of life do not effect me like they used to.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

So I am excited about how this week has gone. I will keep you updated on how the next 14 days of prayer turn out. I did make some small dietary changes also, that I will share next time.