Weekends provide plenty of opportunities to fall off the wagon. My menfolk are often at the neighbors playing or down at Grandpa’s and I am left alone. Alone means NO accountability, and I know that I need that support and encouragement to continue taking the next step.

Making bad choices because I am alone in the house is easy enough – and I have the excuse that allows me to blame my husband for leaving me alone in the first place. Addiction does that – points the finger to keep from taking responsibility. I know that. And I have to make a conscious choice not to fall back into that patter of blame.

My choices are my choices alone.

Finding Encouragement to Change

Breakfast – cooked for one and that is depressing in itself.

Lunch – almost forgot to eat. I got caught up in my writing (and finished the rewrite of my novel). Made lunch light but still had to go it alone.

Dinner – had a late lunch so dinner was late as well. Keeping it light makes it easier to sleep.

I am the only one that can push me to change. Support and encouragement can help me get there, but they are not the driving force. I have to make one choice at a time and take one step at a time if I am going to get to where I want to be.

Where do you struggle the most? And have you found the tools that will help you overcome those struggles?

Sharing my journey has been something had helped in the past. Accountability does more to push me than just about anything else out there. I am not worried about punishment, but I feel like I will let those people holding me accountable down if I do not do what I say I will do.

Writing out my daily journey is helping me feel more accountable to the task at hand. I may be all alone in who actually reads the journey, but knowing that I have to put the words up on the website each day keeps me moving forward.

Finding a Path Forward

Breakfast – things were better this morning. Breakfast was not fancy but it was calm and satisfying and that counts for a LOT!

Lunch – hubby and I worked in the kitchen together and it made the whole meal that much better. He is NOT the cook, but does a great job assisting and cleaning. Sitting down as a family helps me enjoy the meal so much that I do not even focus on the food.

Dinner – no family tonight and that makes it tough for me not to snack. It helps to use smaller plates.

Food had been my priority for many, many, many years! I am learning that by making others more important than food I can walk away when I am satisfied and avoid eating when I am not even hungry.

Are you taking steps to begin retraining your brain to a better way of thinking and living?

The more I try to do better the more things that come in my way to try and keep me in the gutter where I have been wandering. I can settle back into that ordinary and expected or I can be bold enough to keep on doing the better to reach the best.

But some days I just want to quit.

Push Past the Pain

I remember training in track and basketball. The coaches would tell us to push past the pain. They never meant to go beyond where it hurt, but to go past where it was uncomfortable. Sometimes the uncomfortable situations and moments can seem like torture. BUT . . . when I push past that point of uncomfortable I find that I am capable or more than I imagined.

Breakfast – it was another late start for my clan. I am thinking I might need to rework the schedule. Still, I did cook and we did sit down and I am comfortably satisfied.

Lunch – we have our big, full family meals at lunch most days. It is nice to sit around the table and just enjoy each other for a few moments each day.

Dinner – long day and a late night for me. I think that had I not had a few things to do I could have just gone on to be without eating a bite.

I have to remember to come at each bite with the same thought – am I REALLY hungry. Thinking about if I need the food instead of if I want the food will help me to be sure I eat when my body needs it and not when my mind or emotions are throwing their fit.

Changing my life requires making daily changes. I know from the past – when I first discovered the key and put it to use – that what I eat is not as important as how and when I eat.

I struggle with being selfish and having a relationship with my food that no other person can experience or interrupt. Unless that is your hook, obsession or addiction, you may not understand what I am talking about. Me and food have been meeting up alone for so long that it is not easy to give that up.

But I want to change and the first step to making that change is releasing food and no longer choosing to be in relationship with it.

Overcoming a Relationship to Food

Breakfast – way, way, way late start. I kept telling the boys that we were not going to eat breakfast because it was almost time for lunch. But they are growing boys and we did have breakfast. I made the choice to do something SUPER light so that lunch would not sneak up on me.

Lunch – the late start left everything a little chaotic. It would have been easy to “eat alone.” I sat down at the dining room table with the youngest boy instead. I thought I would end the meal with a cookie, because sweets are important to a meal, right? I had to do a couple of chores before I could make it to the desserts and I was no longer hungry at that point. I guess if I choose to do what I know to do then I will be in a position to eat the way I know to eat.

Dinner – this is an on-the-go kind of day. That means eating dinner in the car driving to and from different activities. We still have a home cooked meal, but it is a portable one. Tonight was a mish mash – egg rolls, tacos and dinosaur pasta. Each person choose their own but we were all happy to share.

The more I work to change my behaviors and attitudes with regards to food, the more changes I see are necessary. Any addiction can be conquered – it just takes one step at a time.

My hunger temptations hit me at certain moments of the day – and for me they often coincide with taking a “break” to watch television. You could read that as the moment I become selfish with my time I become selfish with my actions.

OUCH!

Writing that out made me recognize how true it is. My selfishness does drive my bad eating habits. I think that I have known that for a long time, but I have chosen to either ignore it (on some days) or deny it (on those days when I REALLY want to be selfish). Putting it down in black and white makes it tough to ignore – another reason that keeping a journal can be valuable.

One Step Closer to New Habits

Breakfast – We ate on time today, and I went ubber healthy and sliced a fresh grapefruit. Does it still count as healthy if I put sugar on it? Sitting with the boys around the table make it easier for me to walk away at satisfied instead of eating until I burst open my pants.

Lunch – An early breakfast combined with a small breakfast made for a VERY hungry tummy by the normal lunch time. We sat down as a family and enjoyed the meal.

Dinner – We tend to break away and do our own things for dinner, and that causes me all sorts of issues. I think today was the best day I have had so far.

Day two was pretty good. I know that I can do better but I also know that one step at a time will be the only way that I will get anywhere!

Hint: Wearing pants WITHOUT elastic in the waistband will make it more difficult to eat beyond satisfaction – there is just not room!

Nothing feels more frustrating than holding the key and still not being able to unlock the door. I ran into that yesterday. Three keys sit next to each other on my key chain. They all look similar, but only one unlocks the house. I know which one it is, but there are days when I am not paying attention and I have to go through them one at a time to find the right key.

Yesterday I had to go through them twice because I apparently was REALLY not paying attention.

The key still worked. I just did not use it. A key not used will leave a door just as locked.

12 years ago I found a key for my healthy living journey. Six years ago I chose to put that key away. Two years ago I started trying all the keys on my keychain to try and unlock the door. I knew that I had a key to open it, but I did not want to have to inconvenience myself to get that key.

The door stayed locked and I became frustrated. I decided last night it was time to use the key I know to use and accept that any choice I make – even one that is NOT a choice – will cause some type of inconvenience in my life.

Day One in the Retraining Journey

Breakfast – the family ate late so I had plenty of time to get hungry. I still moderated what I was eating, thought about each bite and stopped at satisfaction (or that this is where I stop eating on a first date) point.

Lunch – I worried that I would not be hungry for lunch, especially after such a late breakfast. We ate late again and I kept to some simple basics. I think sitting down at the table with the family makes the biggest difference for me.

Dinner – I broke down (mostly because I was alone in the house and COULD) and watched a show while I ate. I did do okay and never pushed my full meter to its limits. I confess that I ate and early dinner because I was tempted to breakdown and eat a snack which would have pushed dinner way late.

All and all – day one was a winner!

What are you doing that will help you retrain your brain to begin thinking and acting towards your success?

3 John 1:2
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

Week One

Forget all that you ever learned about counting calories, good food and bad food and “eating right.” If you are anything like me, it doesn’t work anyway. Oh, it might work for a time, but then I quit counting, or measuring or spending the time to shop and eat what I should and fall back into the habit of convenience or procrastination.

For the majority of people struggling with weight the problem isn’t the diet it’s the fact that any diet is just a temporary fix. Getting to a place of health will require a life change and that comes from the inside, not the outside.

This week we will work to reshape our ideas about what food is and how it should come to play in each of our lives. Keep in mind that this is a personal journey. What you understand today may be different from your friend or family member. What you learn right now may change in a few weeks. Just allow God to guide the path and you will get where you need to be.

Day One – Week One

The experts know nothing compared to the Creator. He knows exactly what you need, how you need it and when you need it. The best part is that he programmed it into your body. The trick is to learn how to listen to your body once again. Today take some time to go for a walk or spend some time contemplating this verse before you sit down for your meal.

Colossians 2:22-23
These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

What does it mean to you that the teaching of today might perish tomorrow?

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Day Two – Week One

Scientists and doctors are some of the most educated people when it comes to the workings of the body, but they are STILL discovering every day. There are lessons that the teachers tell about foods, eating and exercising but those lessons change and even reverse as the new discoveries change the old way of thinking. The real truth does not lie in what is discovered, because the whole truth may not ever be revealed. The truth has to come from the heart and from the only One that is not bound by the rules. His wisdom and knowledge goes beyond creation because He it the Author of that creation.

Today, think of all the rules and regulations that you have heard over the years and compare them to what God has to say in the scripture about food and eating. Write down the rules and scripture and include your feelings on how each makes you feel about your own body, your own life and the journey you have begun. Remember to take some time to also go for a walk today and enjoy the blessings that God has laid out before you.

1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”

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Day Three – Week One

My family is filled with nurses and doctors. The medical profession runs in the veins. Trying to uncover God’s will for my health, my body and particularly my eating has been a challenge. Just when I think I have it all figured out, someone in the family tells me a new fact or discover that sends me plummeting into a state of confusion once again.

I am beginning to learn that when it comes to the ways of God it is best to leave man out completely. My family is wonderful, but they are not the ones to share this journey with. It is hard to overcome the teachings and rules of this world and I know that they struggle with the things that I am learning and doing. It doesn’t all make sense, but it doesn’t all have to make sense.

God’s ways are so different from the world and they are also different for each individual. He did this on purpose. If it was a formula that could get you where you needed to be then why would you need Him? The only way for you to discover the answers that you need is to begin to develop a personal relationship with the One who has the answers.

Today it is important that you spend time talking to God about the concerns you have over your health, your body and your eating. Be honest with Him. He already knows where you are and He already knows how to get you where you need to be – if you will just join Him in the journey. Write down any thoughts or ideas that you have during this time with Him. Remember to take a little time to walk around and give thanks to God for all the blessings He has poured into your life.

1 Corinthians 2:14
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

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Day Four – Week One

The only way to recognize the wrong path for my life is to understand the right one. Every answer that is needed for every moment in your life is in the Word and your health or weight issue is no different. You will have to build a relationship with the Creator in order to gain a complete understanding of the creation.

It is not complicated. The directions have been written out in a clear manner. All you have to do is read the directions and then follow them to the person you were created to be.

It just is not easy – at least for most of us in some aspect of our life. It is far easier to do what you want, to find a quick fix or a temporary patch, than it is to make the necessary changes and sacrifices that can open the door to life long freedom.

Today spend time talking to the Creator about His creation – YOU. Share your concerns, your current understandings and your misunderstandings. This is a chance for you to pour it all out so that the Creator can then fill you back up. Write it down, write down your feelings as you pour out and He pours in, or just write about you day.

Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

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Day Five – Week One

There is nothing that you are facing in your life today that God can not handle – and that includes your health. Relying on God to get you through it is the only way to come out on top.

Learning to listen to that God voice inside you is the way you can walk the path of freedom and peace. No matter what your need, the problem or the situation the answer lies in the same place – a personal relationship with God.

The world has many answers and even some “quick fixes” but each of this will turn to dust in the end. Learning to hear the voice of the Creator is the only way for to make lasting changes to His creation.

You have made it through the first week. You have spent time walking and talking with the Creator about where you are and about where you are going. What changes has this first week made in your life?

Psalm 119:104
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

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What are you planning to do different in your day to day living for this next week based on what you have learned or experienced this week?

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Lord, you are the answer to all of the questions for my life. Help me to look to you, to listen to you and to take time each day to share with you all that I am facing in my life. Give me the wisdom and knowledge I need to follow the path that You have already prepared for me.

© SoulFoodDiet and Peculiar Producation for Kathryn C. Lang

My first through was amazement that something so big could fit into such a small mirror. My next thought involved disgust with a dash of anger.

“THAT IS IT.” I told myself with some force. It was time to get real and to get real often requires that I choose to drop my barriers and carry on naked. I have to be willing to shine a light in my darkest corners if I am going to clean up my life and live the way I know that I should.

I have made my share of excuses, given plenty of valid reasons, and even come up with some brilliant explanations over the last sixteen or seventeen years to explain my situations. Everything from pregnancy to tornadoes became my prop for letting the Temple of God waste away – or in my case blow up until it was no longer an asset to the kingdom.

Nothing changes until something changes, and today I am calling myself out – and asking you to support and encourage me through this exposure.

Confessions of a Pharisee

1. I confess that I have chosen excuses over actions.
2. I confess that I have known the key but chosen the chains.
3. I confess that I have chosen the things of this world over the blessing of the Lord.
4. I confess that my physical wants have taken precedence over my spiritual needs.
5. I confess that I have chosen to hide in my sins instead of living as the example that I know that I should be.
6. I confess that I may have been consistent in my choices for a season, but I have not been consistent in that consistency.

My choices have failed me in my desire to live a healthy life and to be a Temple that makes my Father say, “Well done.” I have failed you in being a leader and encourager by not walking the walk and just spewing words instead.

Confession provides hope and possibility for the change that I desire.

Plea for Forgiveness and Support

I ask for your forgiveness for not being more than words.

I ask for your support in holding me accountable each day to walk in the path that I know to walk for my unique journey.

I have asked God to give me the strength to forgive myself and to take this moment and the one that comes behind it to choose better.

Commitment to change

I see the pain and discomfort in the eyes and words of so many others. Despite the cries and moans of this world, it does not have to be a difficult or painful journey. I KNOW this, and I am beginning to let it settle and grow in my knower.

God did not create food to torture and tempt. Food nourishes the body and provides joy to the spirit. The key lies not in the food, but in the Creator of that food.

My Father knows what works for my body because He designed my body. I hear Him saying what I say so often to my own children, “Just do what I say because I say it.” I hear His guidance and now I have to choose my obedience.

Today I take one step closer to the freedom that He provided for me. Will you join me in this journey to Transform the Temple?

Kathryn Lang lives in North Alabama with her husband, Keith, and their three boys. Their home was severely damaged by the tornadoes on April 27th of this year and they have spent the last four months rebuilding. Kathryn speaks and writes on topics that are good, positive and uplifting. Her new book, Practical Proverbs, is available through Nook, Amazon, and other locations. You can find out more by visiting The Peculiar Life of Proverbs, her inspirational website.

I enjoyed the fresh flavors of the raw foods and decided to take a stab at a raw food detox that I found at The Raw Divas. This will only be seven days, but I am committing to following through with boldness. That means that I am CHOOSING to give up coffee for that week and am already beginning the weaning process by drinking hot tea instead.

This new journey corresponds with my reading of “Made to Crave.” I know that there is more. God made me for more. More opportunities exist than I ever imagined. My choices hinder my purpose, my path and my plans.

Think of a detox as a chance to train for better choices. Seven days (or 21 if you are going to do the Green Smoothie Detox from the Smoothie Queens) to begin to discover the potential of you.

The more I think about the possibilities the more exited I get about this detox. I want more and now my willingness to take the step to DO more is making that desire a reality.

Reading “Made to Crave” is helping me keep my focus a little. Convenience can still be an issue. It is easier to fix something quick than to take the time to prepare something healthy (and clean up afterwards).

Developing a Habit of Healthy Eating

• Weekends are made for my boys to go with dad and play at the neighbors. They grill out, fish and just do guy stuff. So I need to be prepared for my weekends alone. These are the perfect moments for me to stock up at the grocery store for smoothies, salads and other raw dishes.

• Taste is a factor, and I confess that popcorn with fresh butter poured over it and salt added can be one of the tastiest treats on earth. I would say that its easy, but making great popcorn takes effort. SO I will put that effort into making great fresh treats. I have printed off a group of new recipes that sound interesting and tasty and are all green or raw.

• Writing down what I eat holds me accountable. Even if I am the only one that sees the donut holes listed on my food intake, I still have to see it. Plus, seeing how I ate the day before can help me know when to expect cravings, curb temptations and make better choices.

Healthy eating does not have to mean BLAND eating. Fresh foods provide zip and flavor that even cooked foods will never offer. The key for me is making it easier so that the healthy choices become my first choice.