Fixer-Upper

(Country Living photos)

Several years ago we sold our house. We had lived there for a while; long enough to put a few holes in the walls, break a faucet, see some wear and tear on doors, walls, carpets, etc. So when it came time to sell we had to "fix it up." Little things here and there were taken care of over the course of a week or so and by the time we were ready to go on the market I felt like I was living a new home! It was wonderful. The walls and floors looked so nice! There were no squeaks...the water came out of the kitchen faucet in a nice steady stream...the carpet was back to it's original color. I was asking myself (and my husband) why had we not done all of these things sooner! It wasn't too difficult, it didn't cost that much and the results were terrific.

What the HECK!?

I think this is a good analogy for the way we are with our bodies--the home God has given us to live in for the time being. He made us in an awesome and wonderful way. But the things that we have put into our bodies, the neglect that happens over time can make it a not-so-fun place to be. It can almost feel like we're trapped in a terrible place.

But we have the power to change that! Small repairs make a huge difference. Breaking one habit and replacing it with another. Getting out for a few minutes each day to move. Spending some extra time at the grocery store to pick out items that will benefit the body rather than harm it. It only takes a few small changes to begin to see that if we care for our bodies the way they were made to be cared for we will be happy to live inside them!

I don't want to wait for depression to set in again or a dire health diagnosis to decide to change. That's just like waiting until we were about to sell the house to make the improvements. We could have had the fixed-up version all those years if we'd just taken the time for repairs and up-keep. Like I said, it really wasn't that big a deal. It always seems more difficult in our minds to fix something than it really is.

This body is the only "home" we will ever have as long as we are here on earth. It's never too late to make changes. And doesn't everyone just love a good "fixer-upper"!?

Weigh-In: 1.3 lb. Loss

197 lbs.

Another week moving in the right direction...progress.

80 Calorie Cupcakes

This recipe is easy as a piece of cake. Or cupcake in this instance.

Cake:
Box cake mix (I used strawberry)
Can of soda (I used regular Sprite, use caramel colored drinks for chocolate cake)
Beat together. Pour in cupcake pan. Bake according to box directions.

Frosting:
Box of jello pudding (I used strawberries and cream)
Carton Cool Whip Free
Splash of milk
Beat together. Let sit in bowl in fridge until grittiness from pudding mix is gone. About 5 minutes.
Frost cupcakes. Optional: Top with sprinkles  (adds 15 calories)

These were gobbled up by my hubby, children and some students at church tonight. No one was complaining about taste and hubby said they were good. (He is usually honest about this type of thing). Of course you could reduce the calories even more by using a sugar-free"Splenda" Cake mix, a diet drink and sugar free-fat free pudding mix. But I thought 80 calories was pretty good. :)

The flavor combos with the cake, pudding and sodas are endless. Have fun and let me know what you come up with!

Weigh-In: 1.5 lb Loss

17 Things

Just a few things I have been re-learning over the past few weeks:

• I have to go to bed hungry sometimes.
• I always need to measure/weigh my food.
• Eating out is too much trouble to be worth it, 85% of the time.
• I'm not always excited about what I am about to eat--because it's what my body needs, not necessarily what it wants.
• Drinking a lot of water does help tremendously.
• I can survive temptation moments (and they often come in bulk over the course of an entire day.)
• Finding motivation and actually working out is HARD.

A few things I am learning for the first time:

• There are still plenty of lies I am believing that need to be up-rooted and replaced with the truth of God's word.
• This is a lifetime process. This is a lifetime process. This is a lifetime process.
• Falling off the wagon was not such a bad thing, though I wish to never fall that far or that hard again.
• It is pretty clear to my inner-me when it is okay to eat something and when it is not okay, as long as I am sober-minded.
• I have trigger foods that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, under any circumstances, will cause problems if I consume them. I MUST NOT eat these items. Regardless of situation or circumstance.
• If there is a question in my mind as to whether or not I should eat an item, I MUST NOT eat the item.
• I still believe that I will be free in this area of bondage eventually, Lord willing, but freedom will most likely not look like what I imagined.
• This is more a spiritual issue than a physical/mental/emotional one, though it encompasses all of those. This is a SIN problem.
• Sin can not be taken lightly. It is okay to fight with everything I have against it. In fact, I am commanded to and my life depends on it. (Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live)
• The battle plan I have settled on might seem too harsh or like deprivation. However, deprivation is exactly my intent. To deprive my sinful nature, in effect starving it so that it no longer has power over me.

"Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you." John Owen

Yes, I am a compulsive over-eater with an addiction...but God has rescued me by his grace. He has forgiven me and given me His Spirit with which to put sin to death in my life. I'm not helpless. I'm not hopeless. The fact that I have the ability to fight effectively through Christ--It's such good news.

Love to all!