Well, I am still doing well eating & exercising, but I have to admit I'm having troubles in other areas, so maybe I'll talk about that today instead. I know it's supposed to be a weight loss blog, but oh, well!! This time of year is the toughest for me. I know it's supposed to be "the happiest time of the year" and all that, but for me, it's very difficult. As a follower of Christ, I obviously love the meaning behind Christmas & there's certainly elements about the holiday I enjoy....I love having the house decorated (I don't actually like decorating, per se, but I like the festive look). I LOVE Christmas Eve, especially being in God's house & Christmas day is usually great. BUT!!! I just have such a hard time with the whole month or so before it. My beautiful girls are 7 1/2 & 9 and, of course, they LOVE Christmas & everything that goes with it. I try so hard to be a good mom & let them enjoy the things of the season.....the non-stop Christmas carols (why are there so many horrible Christmas songs out there...who buys this junky music? I am not normally a traditional kind of gal, but I only like the Bing Crosby kind of stuff), the count down, wrapping presents, etc..... but it's all so stressful for me. I try to keep that greedy little monster inside all of us at bay in my kids, but that's hard. We've already been to 1 Christmas party where they got a bunch of gifts that have already been 1/2 forgotten already because they're eagerly awaiting the next batch. I thought that would lessen once they knew the truth about you-know-who, but it really hasn't. I don't mean to paint them as spoiled little brats. They're no angels, but they USUALLY remember to say thank you even to lame gifts, they try to show appreciation, but they're kids. They want presents. They know the real meaning of Christmas, but really, to them, it's all about the stuff. For most grown-ups, I'd say the same is true. Sometimes I just hate living in this country because I think it's nearly impossible for them to grow up truly grateful and to learn what sacrifice means. I guess all the materialism in this country really gets to me sometimes, especially at this time of year. People racking up credit cards to pay for stuff they can't afford for people who don't need them. NOT what Jesus desires from us. We have so much yet we're never satisfied. I can be guilty of the same, although I've definitely grown a lot in that area.
Anyway, so the kids are all keyed up all the time (like every other child on the face of the Earth, I imagine) & it's really the only time this year that homeschooling them has been tough. They are psychos & arguing over ridiculous things. I'd love to just ship them off for a week & bring them home for Christmas day. Any takers? Anyway, my point in all this rambling is I'm not doing a very good job of managing my stress these days. I know for a fact that I am doing better this year than the last few, but I'm still not pleased with myself. I'm irritable, snippy, lose my temper easily & have a complaining heart. I'm not turning to food, which is good, but I obviously need to be spending more time with the Lord than I have been & concentrating on developing a grateful heart. I can't focus on the "bad" parts of Christmas, but need to be constantly thanking Him for the blessings my family & I have, which are many. I need to just turn my face towards Him & ignore the stuff that bothers me. I am determined NOT to let Satan steal my joy this Christmas. He sent His one & only Son to be my savior! He came humbly in a manger & lived a life sometimes filled with discomfort, sadness & pain for MY sake. He came to be my light. He came & shared the kingdom of God. He came to offer forgiveness of my sins. He came so I could have life abundantly. That's what Christmas is, not the other stuff. That's what I need to concentrate on.
Jane, about your question....that's a tough one. I have literally been eating whatever I want (out of whatever I have to choose from). It's been interesting, because sometimes I really WANT the healthy foods & sometimes I don't. It's working for me, but I don't want to give you advice that might lead you to eat cookies all day & nothing else. I love all types of food, not just junk, so I feel I've been eating a pretty well-balanced diet, but I don't know if that is a catch-all for everyone? I just don't want to steer you wrong. It has been my experience that if you're craving the donut & are hungry...eat the donut, or maybe 1/2. You PROBABLY won't truly CRAVE the donut again tomorrow because you let yourself indulge in it. But, everyone is different. I can try to talk to you about it when I see you. Love you all, sorry for the rambling. God bless, Dianna
3 comments:
I think by the end of that blog you're on the right track with Christmas. You got it off our chest so to speak and hopefully now you'll feel better!! It sure sounded like that at the end.
I know what you mean about the food. Last week I got a pumpkin muffin (I love those) for b-fast everyday but this week I have no desire for them. When I read about intuitive eating it says that once you get the junk food out of your system (meaning eat what you want) you'll start craving for the good stuff and I did at that time I was craving salads over burgers.
Hopefully it can happen again. I don't know why I stopped with the I.E. I think because I was gaining weight and then I went back to Sugarbusters, my body is probably so out of whack from dieting not dieting that once it settles I think I'll be O.K.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Christmas it was a "good read".
I'll see you tonight!!!
Love ya
Jane
Sorry but I didn't proofread before I hit send. So, your chest not mine . silly me.....
I feel the same about Christmas. I hate how everyone makes it about presents and money. Most people don't even know about Jesus and they have a Christmas tree up and lights all over there house and spend hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars buying presents for people that they see once a year just to show that they have the money to do it. Our country has turned a beautiful day into something to benefit our economy. I think that is why Santa was created. So that it didn't have to be revolved around something biblical or "religious" and it would be targeted at a larger crowd that way. I like to buy gifts for people but only if I have the money for it. What I love to do most during the Christmas season is get together with family and see all the children and how big they have gotten and the new additions to the family. Its too bad that the devil is able to take hold of this day and twist it to make it so evil. I understand. I actually couldn't stand Christmas for a while up until this year when I started coming back around (for some specific reasons I'm sure you know about). But now that doesn't bother me anymore. I think living with your sister and the family really helps me though.
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