This weekend as I watched my youngest son play soccer I chatted with another mom about my weight-loss experience. I haven’t seen her since the early fall, so she was quite surprised when she saw me. We discussed proper diet and nutrition, and one of the foods we discussed in detail was honey.

Honey has become my sweetener of choice. With sugar being a refined carbohydrate that can lead to weight gain and with low-calorie sweeteners having possible health risks, I have opted to choose God’s natural sweetener—honey.

Honey is a great nutrient source. Not only is it sweet, but it is a powerful antioxidant, an antibacterial, and an antifungal. It gives me energy that sustains me throughout the day and helps me to fight off allergy symptoms when local bee honey is used. 

In Genesis 43 honey is referred to as a balm. In fact, honey is an antibacterial and antifungal which is great for topical use to aid in healing wounds, scrapes, burns, and acne. It contains many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help nourish the skin and help the skin stay hydrated.  

Deuteronomy 32 refers to honey as nourishment. Since honey contains a large amount of enzymes it aids in digestion and although it contains more calories than sugar it digests at a much slower rate, so it is less likely to cause sugar spikes in the bloodstream. Studies have found that honey is not a contributing factor of weight gain, unlike its counterpart sweeteners.

In Proverbs 24, God commands us to eat honey, as it is good and sweet. He even compares His word to sweet honey. Just as I try to begin each day in His word, I try to begin each day with honey. I often use it in my coffee, but my favorite quick and easy breakfast is peanut butter with honey (rather than jelly) on whole wheat. This quick easy sandwich is high in nutrients, low in calories, and sustains me for several hours. 

It’s no wonder that God led the children of Israel to a land flowing with milk and honey. With so many health benefits honey is a relatively inexpensive sweetener that we all can enjoy and gain from.

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I have struggled with weight for most of my life, especially as an adult. Now after losing weight and feeling stronger and healthier than I have in years I am so thankful I finally understand the importance of eating healthy and exercising regularly. 

Even though I knew the basics of what it takes to become healthier, I would never really stick with anything; not for any length of time at least. So, what has kept me focused this time? I believe that being held accountable has helped me to persist with this healthy lifestyle. 

After winning the New Year, New You contest I quickly realized I would have many people watching to see if I would actually be able to lose the weight. With so many wondering if I would stick with it, I acknowledged the tremendous amount of responsibility placed on me, as I would need to set an example for those who were monitoring my progress. 

On many occasions over the past few months I have run into people who I haven’t seen in quite a while, and they are amazed at how much better I look. I find it interesting that the majority of the time they use the phrase, "You sure do look good" rather than, "You sure have lost a lot of weight."

After their generous comments are made and the wonderment of how I managed to lose the weight is inquired I encourage them by sharing many of the tactics that the Dream Team has communicated with me.

Looking and feeling healthy is exactly the goal I wanted to reach; losing the weight has just been an added benefit. In addition to being in better physical shape I am now more confident due in part to having reached many goals that I never dreamed were possible; such as running (currently 3 miles average per day) and a weight loss totaling 70 pounds.

As I struggle to lose these last 9 pounds and maintain the weight I have lost, remaining accountable to others keeps me motivated and focused. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

I have been fortunate to have had many opportunities to be able to encourage others in becoming healthier; as a result it helps me to stay healthy so that I will be an example for them.

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I had an opportunity to speak at a Weight Watchers meeting last week, and as I began presenting I took the opportunity to poll the group to find out how many new members were present. I then asked how many already wanted to quit. Several raised their hands in understanding. Beginning any new change is not easy, but it’s the commitment that makes it work.

When I began my new healthy lifestyle I remember thinking, What have I done? I knew I had to make this work; after all I would have many people watching me to see if I could do it—if I would stick with it. The first few weeks were the hardest. I like to refer to this as the detox period. While our bodies adjust to all of the changes going on in our lives it takes a little while to see any progress on the scales. In fact, I didn’t see any substantial weight loss for nearly a month.

Part of the reason why we don’t see much change in the beginning is because we are gaining muscle while we exercise, and muscle weighs more than fat. So while we may be losing inches we don’t see it reflected on the scales. Additionally, we need to remember that our metabolism needs to speed up, as it has probably been sitting idle for quite some time.

Think of our metabolism as a train. Just like a locomotive starts very slowly, our metabolism begins at a snail’s pace. Once the momentum of the train gets going, however, it begins to chug along at a moderate pace. Our metabolism works much in the same way. If the conductor lets off the throttle, the train will slow down a little, but will quickly regain speed once the throttle has been pressed again. Our diet is the same, if we mess up one day, just get back on track and our metabolism won’t be affected much. But stop the train completely and it will take a lot to get it moving once again. The same holds true for our metabolism. If we quit eating healthy altogether and go back to our old eating habits and lack of exercise, it will take quite some time to get our metabolism built back up.

I had been the yo-yo dieter for many years, so my metabolism was at an all time low. Like many of us, I had the McDonald’s syndrome: I want it now, I want it fast, and I want it right. But nothing worthwhile comes quickly. Through commitment and continued exercise, however, I have finally managed to get my metabolism moving again. Even during the Christmas holidays when I was sick and unable to exercise as normal, and being faced with many delectable temptations, I managed to get the few pounds that I had gained back off quickly once I got back on my regular healthy routine.

I have now reached 179 pounds, a 70-pound weight loss, and am well on my way to reaching my goal of 170 pounds! With warmer weather around the corner and the readiness to increase my exercising outdoors I expect to quickly reach my goal. I am so thankful that I remained committed to reach each one of the smaller goals I had set, as well as many of the larger ones. Some I have even surpassed. But none of this would have been possible if I had stopped the train altogether.

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This week I’ve been faced with a difficult decision concerning my job, and as I’ve pondered about what the best choice to make is, frankly I’ve found that I’m torn because either alternative will result in a change that will have to be made regardless of my decision. 

Let’s face it, not many of us like change. We get into our comfort zones and that’s where we want to stay. As I’ve considered all of this I thought back over this past year of “change” that I’ve made and this thought occurred to me, It’s the fear of change, my “comfort zone,” that kept me overweight for so many years.

Change can often be difficult, but is sometimes necessary. I knew I had to do something about my health and weight, as I was beginning to have the onset of several severe health issues. I also knew that this new lifestyle change was going to incorporate things that were not the norm in my everyday life or in my family’s lives. It would have an effect on all of those around me. 

Several members of the Dream Team told me that the whole family would need to be supportive of the changes I would be making in my life, and each spoke of how to take small steps until the change is complete. Just as a baby cannot walk before he crawls, we cannot expect to be able to go out and run a marathon if we haven’t walked a mile first, and we can’t walk a mile if we don’t get off the couch. 

Even though it was difficult for my family at first because I was not at home as much for them, they did support me as I began walking and later began running. When they noticed the results that were being made in me because of these new healthy changes they became even more supportive.

Change is not always easy. Many days I didn’t feel like exercising, but forced myself to do it. And occasionally, I gave into cravings for some sinful food that I knew I shouldn’t have eaten. However, the benefits of the change far outweigh the alternatives. As a result of my positive lifestyle change I have had a 70-pound weight loss in just over 10 months, I look and feel stronger, healthier, and more confident, and I am generally a much happier person which shows on my countenance.   

Romans 12:2 says: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This is one of the verses that Theresa Rowe has shared with me on more than one occasion. The pattern of our world is often to sit on the couch and relax and watch TV after we’ve sat most of the day at work. We think we don’t have time to exercise or prepare healthy meals.

The truth is we all can change. We just have to change our mindset and think positively that we can fit this new healthy lifestyle into our hectic schedules. Take those small steps towards change and you too will find the benefits of change.

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As predicted many of the good intentioned patrons of our local gym have begun slacking off in attendance. As I pondered some of the reasons why so many people have quit before they’ve even gotten off to a good start, I’ve come to a conclusion in addition to the most logical one of not seeing success quick enough; it may just be the winter blues.

When I began my journey last spring the weather was absolutely beautiful. Theresa encouraged me to walk outside praising God for all He’s created and done for me, and I felt it was easy to do with the weather so picturesque. 

As my walks increased to a love for running, I found exercising outdoors uplifting and invigorating. Now with the winter months set in, my joy of exercising has come to a screeching halt. No longer do I look forward to going outside and running three miles as I once did. Instead I find it drudgery to have to go to the gym and run on the treadmill.

The few occasions that I ran inside during the warmer months was not that bad; but this day in, day out of exercising inside caused by the constant rain and cold that we’ve been experiencing recently has made exercising feel like a chore. 

Even though I consider it drudgery now, I still continue to exercise five to six days per week for about an hour each day. I know I must keep up the training in order to remain fit. I am committed to this new lifestyle, and I know that brighter and warmer days will come. Additionally, I am committed to reaching the rest of my goals.

Sometimes our spiritual lives may be much the same way. Just as we may not feel like exercising, at times we may not feel like reading God’s word. Exercising helps our muscles grow stronger much in the same way that reading God’s word helps our spiritual lives grow stronger. Luke 8:18 says, “Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” If we cease to exercise we will lose muscle and grow weak and flabby; and if we cease to read God’s word our spiritual lives will grow weak. 

We never know when we may need our “muscles” to work, whether it is physical muscles or spiritual ones. So even if you are also experiencing the winter doldrums just as I am, I implore you to continue exercising physically and spiritually so when that bright and sunshiny day comes we will be strong enough and ready to do the job set before us.

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Are you still dieting and exercising? That is a question that I am asked at least once a week. And my answer is, and will be from now on, a firm, “YES! Always!” 

Even though I have lost 68 pounds, I understand how important it is that I keep up this new lifestyle in order to maintain my good health. And besides, I still have not reached my ultimate weight goal of 160 pounds, or my fitness goal of being able to run a marathon. 

Upon her return trip to Louisiana to see how I’d done with my transformation Julie Hadden shared with me how important, yet difficult it is to maintain the weight loss. So often we think that once we’ve lost the weight we can just quit and live happily ever after, but we can never quit. Instead we need to strive even harder and set new goals. One thing that keeps Julie focused is helping others learn what she has learned.

I had set a similar goal of being able to reach out to others and share with them the knowledge that I have gained over this past year, and that goal is now being met through a fitness program we've started recently at our church.   

Each lesson begins with the importance of eating nutritiously. I teach that if our bodies are getting the nutrients it needs it is less likely to crave things that are unhealthy. We should stay away from foods containing high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and hydrogenated oils and instead opt for fresh fruits and vegetables. We should also account for every calorie we put into our mouths, because we don’t realize just how much we eat unless we write it down. 

After the nutrition lesson we begin the exercise portion. I try to incorporate into each meeting the importance of variation. For example, I’ve explained that although it is important to do cardio workouts to burn calories, it is equally important to do strength training to build muscles and to stretch them to make them lean. 

Balance is another skill we work on at each meeting. We usually spend about 20 minutes for each of the three types of workouts—cardio, strength, and stretching.
 
Lastly, we share successes and concerns. We encourage one another and help to hold each other accountable. And I remind them each week that this is not a DIET, this is a lifestyle change. It’s all about focusing on being healthy and being the person that God created us to be. 

Encouraging others helps to hold me accountable for my continued weight loss. Additionally, it helps to keep me focused on continuing what I’ve started and gives me more reason to never quit.

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I have been blessed with the opportunity to speak before a couple of assemblies over the past month, and some of the questions I have been asked is, How did you start exercising and What types of exercising do you do?

These are easy questions to answer, and it fits right in with the third week of the 12-week New Healthy You program. I began my plan with prayer and walking. 

Several months before I embarked on my change to a New Healthy You, I had prayed and asked God to help me become healthier. Not to lose weight, but to become the healthy person that He wants all of us to be.

We so often ask God to heal us from our infirmities, but have we ever thought to ask Him to help us get healthy before we become ill? I’m not quite sure why I decided to ask Him particularly for that, but I am so grateful that I did. As a result, I have been given this wonderful opportunity with GUIDEPOSTS and the New Healthy You Dream Team who have been insurmountable in helping me to become a New Healthy You.

About six months prior to winning the New Healthy You program I had decided to try and get into shape myself by walking five days per week. As my body strengthened over about a three month period I realized I had also lost 25 pounds, even though I had not changed anything else. Many times, however, I felt like exercising was just a chore, and throughout the fall and winter I regressed considerably in the amount of time that I spent walking. I made excuses that I was too busy or the weather was too bad. 

The following spring, after winning the contest, Dream Team member Theresa Rowe came to Louisiana to get me started. She helped me realize that I should think of exercising as a time to spend in prayer with God, rather than a chore. She encouraged me to look at all that God has created and be thankful for His many blessings in my life. 

When I began to incorporate my prayer time with my walks my spiritual body strengthened along with my physical body. Today I no longer think of exercising as a chore, instead I look forward to the time that I get to spend alone with God worshiping Him.

John Avant once said, “What you focus on and expose yourself to continuously is what you will eventually become.” In other words, if our focus is on health and living right for the Lord, then that’s what we’ll become—healthy and spiritually strong. What better way to become healthy both spiritually and physically than to walk daily with God!

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Often times when we start a new healthy lifestyle we know what we should and should not eat, yet we still have a difficult time sticking to it. One reason may be that we don’t understand why we need to avoid certain foods. 

When Rebecca Katz got me started on my new healthy lifestyle, she explained to me that we should avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, and partially hydrogenated oils. Just telling me what I should and should not eat wasn’t good enough for me. Like a two-year-old, I needed to know why.

Rebecca explained that our bodies don’t know what to do with these chemically processed foods, so it stores it up as fat. I later did some research and discovered that what she said in such simple terms were so true and then some. All three are chemically processed and have no nutritional value; additionally, all of them have been linked to obesity as well as many other diseases.

I found out that monosodium glutamate is a neurotoxin (a brain poison) that is found in many of our canned goods. It has been linked to many diseases involving the brain and nervous system. It has also been associated with obesity, as it affects the pituitary gland which governs the hormone that controls our weight. 

High fructose corn syrup is a glucose that has been chemically processed into fructose and added to corn syrup. It makes our foods taste sweeter and is found in many processed foods and beverages. This fructose solution, however, increases obesity as it induces insulin resistance.

The last of the three ingredients is partially hydrogenated oils. These can be found in many of our chips, cookies, and fast foods. Partial hydrogenation is an inexpensive way to produce better tasting foods that have a longer shelf life. The problem with this is there is no nutrients in these trans fats, so we will continue to eat until our bodies receive the essential fatty acids that it needs for our cells.

The double bonding created during the processing of partially hydrogenated oils interferes with the metabolic function of life. Our cells become blocked by the trans fats, and, as a result, they keep our essential fatty acids from entering the cells, thus storing up as fat to be used later. Not only do these trans fats affect our metabolic function, but they also may produce other diseases such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. 

Once I understood the “whys” of staying away from these types of foods I found myself carefully examining the labels of all packaged ingredients. I have now discovered that it is just as simple to eat healthy as it is to eat the convenience foods. In fact, it is easier for me to stay within my calorie limits when I eat healthy natural foods than what it was before when I didn’t. The reason is because my body is receiving the nutrients it needs to survive, resulting in my not feeling hungry all the time.

Hopefully the answers to these questions of why we should and shouldn’t eat certain foods will encourage you to eat a healthy balanced diet just as it did me. 

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In every football game it is important to know your stats and your game plan, and part of knowing your game plan is having a good playbook.

When you are beginning a new healthy lifestyle you also need a playbook. This playbook which I am referring to is a food and exercise journal.

If you've been following GUIDEPOSTS' New Healthy You program, you have discovered by now the first step of this 12-week process, which is keeping a food and exercise journal and getting to know your stats; thus the playbook.

Just as keeping a playbook and stats is important in every ballgame, journaling is also a vital part of losing weight and becoming healthier.

Using the playbook, or journal, to reflect upon helps you to see what and how much you’ve eaten, how hard and how often you exercise, how you felt when you ate certain foods or did certain work outs, and it helps to keep a record of successes and failures, thus aiding in developing a game plan that works best for you. 

Several times over the past few months as I reflected on my playbook I realized many changes that I needed to make. For example, Julie suggested that I occasionally have a high calorie day to trick my body into losing more weight. I noticed that after having one of those higher calorie days I would feel a little sluggish. I quickly came to realize if I would exercise a little longer or harder it would make me feel more energetic, not to mention it was better to burn those extra calories in order to offset the high calories I had consumed. 

I also noticed when journaling that something must have caused one of my plateaus, as I was doing everything exactly the same. As I looked back over my journal I discovered that when I did an exercise at my heavier weight I burned more calories than what I was burning at my lighter weight for the same amount of time. As a result I figured out that I needed to increase my duration of time in order to get the same effect.

It takes a little time and effort to write it all down, but if you don’t you are much more likely to consume more calories than you burn. As I discovered recently during the holidays, after I had quit writing it down for a short period of time, there was no possible way that I could keep up with my calorie intake versus output just in my head.  This realization has made me a believer in the importance of journaling.

So, in anticipation of the upcoming Super Bowl (go Saints!) I want to encourage you to get out your playbook and develop a winning game. 

This is your year to go all the way!

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As I pulled into the parking lot of our local gym the other evening I had difficulty finding a place to park. All these people with their New Year’s resolutions, I thought. 

Then it occurred to me how many times I have made that same resolution to lose weight and get in shape. I always started out with good intentions, but they quickly fell by the wayside as week after week I became more disheartened at the slow pace of the weight loss, if any at all.

Finally out of utter frustration I’d just give up. As my thoughts turned back to the many new folks who had just joined the gym, I wondered how many of these people will do the exact same thing I have done so many times and give up within a few weeks?

Living in an age of instant gratification we expect things to happen instantly, but as the saying goes, Nothing is worth having if it isn’t worth waiting for. 

With the help of the GUIDEPOSTS Dream Team I finally determined in my heart that I was worthy to lose this weight once and for all—no matter how long it takes. I was not giving up this time!

My weight-loss journey began slowly just like so many other times before. Weeks went by before I saw any progress on the scale. Julie and Theresa kept reminding me it’s not what’s on the scale that counts. Just keep working on getting stronger and healthier. 

Finally after about four weeks I began to see some progress, but what I remember most was the renewed vigor and endurance I had.

By the third or fourth month a transformation began to happen that was wonderful. My husband told me that my whole countenance had changed. I was happier and had so much more energy. My hair, complexion, and nails looked healthier and the weight loss I had achieved by that point was really beginning to show outwardly. People began to take notice and started asking me how I was doing it? I’d tell them I’m just eating healthy and exercising. 

We all know what we should do; we just need to do it. And the key is to keep on doing it and never stop. Hebrews 10:36 (New International Version) tells us: You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

With this thought in mind I wonder how full the parking lot will be in a couple of months when folks have given up because of such little progress.

My husband once explained to me how our metabolism works by vividly comparing it to a train. It takes awhile for the train to get moving, but once it does it’s hard to stop it. Now that my train is moving I’m going to continue my journey no matter how long it takes!

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For over four weeks I have been suffering from a severe pain in the right side of my back which slowly progressed around to the front. 

Initially diagnosed as being a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve, I finally received the proper diagnosis—shingles. The severe pain that it has caused has left me unable to exercise at the levels in which I was accustomed to doing. 

I have been limited to walking and occasionally running. I have not felt well enough to do much and have not kept up with my calorie counting either. 

In addition to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday foods which I have eaten, my weight has suffered a small six-pound gain.

With the medications I have been taking I am slowly beginning to feel a little better. Although I am frustrated at my weight increase, I know what I must do, and I am determined that I will lose the pounds which I have gained. 

It reminds me of what Julie once told me, “This is a lifestyle, and you must remember that life happens.” She had continued to tell me that things are going to happen in our lives that might interfere with our new lifestyle, but we have to make adjustments and get back on track as soon as it is possible. 

I was reminded of this once before when my husband and I went on our anniversary cruise. I stayed on track as best I could while on the trip, and went right back to my healthy regimen when we got back home.

My lack of not writing down my calorie intake versus calories burned played a crucial role in my weight gain, I believe. Even though I was not feeling up to the same vigorous exercises I still could have kept my weight under better control if I had continued to write down my calories. I realized this when I began to write them down again this week.

Thinking I had done pretty good considering I had exercised for two hours and my calorie intake was obviously much less than it had been over the past few weeks, I quickly realized that I was incorrect in my thinking. In fact, I had consumed 530 more calories than I had burned.

Seven days of doing this and I would have exceeded the 3500 calories which it takes to gain a pound. No wonder I gained six pounds over the past few weeks.  

Maybe you have also put on a few pounds over the holidays. Just remember its okay for you to splurge a little on those special occasions; just don’t make it a daily occurrence. 

You know what it takes to get the pounds off—hold yourself accountable by writing down your calories, eating a healthy diet, and exercising at least five days per week. Make small achievable goals and keep your eyes on the finish line. 

Join me and let’s get back on the track! 

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A couple of weeks ago I began having severe back pain in the right flank section. It was most uncomfortable when I would sit or lie down. I was unable to sleep well at night, so I decided to go to the doctor to have it checked out. 

After an initial misdiagnosis, I eventually discovered that I had a pulled muscle which was brought on after loading and unloading a truckload of firewood.

This inconvenience has put a bit of a damper on my exercise regime. I have continued to exercise, but have basically limited it to fast walking and slow small stretches.

As I continue to heal I am grateful that I have maintained my weight, especially through the holidays. 

Many times I've thought, It's too painful, so I'm not exercising today. But I make myself exercise anyway. There are many positive reasons why, such as, a quicker healing time due to keeping the muscle loose by exercising, and feeling stronger and more energetic even through the pain.   

Exercise offers so many more benefits than just weight loss, as I have just mentioned. There are so many misconceptions that exercising will tire you out or make you hurt, but that is quite the contrary.

So, even though I may experience a little discomfort, I will continue to exercise so I won’t gain while I continue through this pain.

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A gentleman that I go to church with recently was diagnosed with diabetes. He was very discouraged by the news he received, and I felt God impressing upon my heart to go and speak with him. I shared with him that this is not a death sentence, but an indication that he needed to live a healthier lifestyle.

He was very receptive to what I had to say, as I shared with him the many things that I learned from my Dream Team life coaches.

As Rebecca Katz taught me, I told Johnny to be careful in reading labels as many can be misleading. Even though it may say sugar free doesn’t mean that it really is. Stay away from foods containing any type of fructose, corn syrups, partially hydrogenated oils, or monosodium glutamates. Additionally, he needed to stay as close to the natural form of the food as possible.

I shared with him what Julie Hadden told me about the fact that we are worthy to be healthy. I told him that God made us for a purpose and our body is His temple which we should keep Holy by keeping it healthy. 

I also told him several food choice alternatives that I learned from Julie, such as eating sugar-free pudding instead of ice cream, spaghetti squash instead of noodles, and drinking diet cranberry juice with your water.

Theresa Rowe told me to consider exercising as a form of worship. When you walk look at the beauty of all that God has created and thank Him for it. Continue in prayer for your family, health, and anything else that you feel a need to pray for. Considerate it your daily prayer walk instead of exercising.

I also shared with him what Kevin Carroll suggested to me about making small achievable goals that will lead up to the larger goals. Don’t just make weight goals, but exercise and health goals as well. 

After telling Johnny this I saw his face looking as though he was really contemplating what goals to set. Not long afterwards he announced to me that he had a goal in mind and it involved me. 

He told me that currently he is walking a half mile to a mile each day. He asked me how far I walk each day, and I told him three to six miles. He counted on his hands a minute and then announced his goal. He said that the first Saturday in March he plans to walk with me three miles. I smiled, so honored that he would want to include me in his goal. Not only does it give him something to strive for, but it keeps me motivated as well to continue my healthy new lifestyle as I am an encourager for him.

It is such a great honor to be able to share what I have learned with so many, and to know that those I have helped will also pass it on to others. 

Thank you to GUIDEPOSTS and the Dream Team for sharing with me, so that I could pass it forward to others who may also do the same. 

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Thanksgiving was quite a challenging week for me. We had family over to our new home, so I was quite busy preparing traditional foods for the holiday as well as goodies for my husband to take to work with him. 

As I cooked, of course I had to sample to make sure it tasted right. Many of the foods that I tasted I have not eaten since I began this process. At first I was not impressed with the flavors of the foods, and many of the goodies didn’t sit well in my stomach. However, over the course of the week I began to have cravings for some of those foods. 
 
I remember thinking, No, I can’t do this again. I also found that I was so busy cooking, cleaning, and shopping for Christmas that I didn’t exercise as much as I normally do. In fact, I only worked out four out of seven days. Additionally, since I was out of my regular routine I didn’t record my calorie intake and output each day as I should have. As a result I have found myself with a gain of about five pounds.

I was a little discouraged at first, but then I remembered the words that Julie, Kevin, and my friend Dianne have told me many times. It’s okay; just remember to get back on track tomorrow. Just stay focused. This is a lifestyle, not a DIET! 

Even Dianne told me that she had been a little bad this week herself. I reminded her, It’s okay to be bad sometimes. This is life and we need to live it. We just don’t need to let it have control! We’ll get back in control next week.

It's funny how her encouragement has now given me the ability to encourage her. So with that thought in mind I am confident that I will lose those five pounds quickly.

If you have also have put on some of the holiday pounds don’t be discouraged. Just put back on those walking shoes and go for that walk with a grateful spirit, thanking God for all His Grace and the health He has given you, just as I am about to do. 

While I am thanking and praising God I also want to take this opportunity to thank many other special people in my life: GUIDEPOSTS, the Dream Team, my family, and my friends. Thank you all for your support through my healthy lifestyle change. Because of your love, support, inspiration, encouragement, and expertise you all have shared with me, today I am a much healthier and happier person. 

A special thanks goes out to my friend Dianne Moore, whom has not only encouraged me to have a love of running (anybody can put one foot in front of the other,) but has also given such a spirit of confidence and joy through her consistent positive attitude.

Now that it’s a new week, let’s put the past behind us and get back in control of our lives and our health!

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A Time to Pass It Forward   

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to a weight-loss group at the gym where I work out. It was so humbling to be able to share with them all that I have learned about proper nutrition and exercise. 

As I spoke to them I noticed many headshakes of understanding as they were able to relate to the struggles that all of us who are overweight experience.

For example, one thing we shared is that many of us understand what it takes to lose the weight, but often we feel that we aren’t capable of doing it or don’t have the time. We think it’s hopeless, and we are so wrapped up in our daily lives we believe we don’t have the ability to devote ourselves to the process. 

In addition, with so many hats to wear being an employee, wife, mother, among many other titles...we seem to lose ourselves. I reminded the group, however, that we must take time for ourselves in order to become healthier, and I was so glad to see that they were willing to take time out of their busy schedules and devote it to improving their health. 

Like many of those in the group, and maybe many of you, I also thought I never had the time to exercise or cook a healthy meal. I was always so busy being a teacher, wife, mother, chauffer, Awana leader, and the list goes on, that I left no time for myself to even enjoy a little free time much less time to exercise. Besides, where would I find the energy? 

I have come to realize, however, that after six months of eating healthy and exercising six days per week I have more energy than I ever thought possible, and I actually look forward to my time of exercising each day! 

As I continued to talk to the group I reminded them that nobody can make you become a healthier person, and there are no quick fixes. You have to want to do this for yourself, so that you can be a better mom, wife, employee, etc.

We also have to realize that this is for the rest of our lives, so we must make changes in our daily habits that are manageable and can last a lifetime. 

I believe that you will find, as I did, that your family will be very supportive and appreciative that you have taken this time for yourself, once they notice the many wonderful changes that occur. So, do this for yourself and do it for your family—you’ll never regret it!

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