Well, our two days in Mt. Pleasant for the kids' basketball tournaments taught me a few things. For one thing, it taught me again just how blessed we are to have our kids playing basketball with the organizations they are. We are surrounded by amazing coaches, players, fellow parents, and siblings. Our kids are learning a ton about basketball, and even more about friendships and playing to honor God.
On Friday night, Mikayla was having all kinds of fun at our hotel with her teammates while Dave took Luke over to hang out and have fun with a bunch of his team. Saturday, when they weren't on the court, they were running around the facility having all kinds of fun with their friends. We all came home 100% worn out from all the fun and competition. Another basketball season is behind us, but what a great one it was!
The drive home from Mt. Pleasant taught me how to appreciate the beauty of falling snow...and of driving slowly. It was a long, slow drive home. But we got home safely with all three kids sound asleep in the back seat. Kind of a fun preview of our trip to Florida. The biggest difference being that when we're driving to Florida, we'll be getting farther away from the snow rather than driving right into the heart of the snowstorm. I must say, there is something rather special about driving at night with my man & me in the front seat and all three of our kiddos sound asleep in the back. I think when I was little and dreamed of someday having my own family, that was one of those images I had in mind. Driving in a snow globe on icy roads just made it a wee bit less dreamy.
And the last thing the trip taught me...I have to be VERY careful on vacations to not throw all my hard work in the weight loss arena out the window. Oh friends. This one sort of makes me mad. Why in the world is it, that I have to fight so darn hard to lose an ounce...but I can gain weight so stinkin' easily?! Dave was happy that he hadn't gained any weight while we were gone. But after our 36 hours away from home, I wasn't so lucky. In fact, when I got on the scale this morning to see the report...I jumped off before it was totally done calculating because I could already tell I wasn't going to like the answer. I'm REALLY hoping that it was all water retention from eating too much sodium. And I REALLY hope I can get myself back on track tomorrow and actually make my 30 pound weight loss mark before our trip to Florida. It just doesn't get any easier, does it?!
So as I make plans for our trip to Florida, I know one thing very strongly: my enjoyment of the trip can NOT come from the type of food I'm going to eat while we're there. Because one day of letting myself enjoy eating the same foods as everyone else around me...led to a not very nice result on the scale this morning. I have to just face the facts. My body wasn't designed to eat junk food. In order to attain and maintain a healthy weight, I'm going to have to choose to eat healthier than most everyone else. And make the choice again and again...for the rest of my life.
I need to choose to be empowered by this fact. I need to remember how much better I feel when I'm fueling my body with healthy foods. I need to say no to chips and Costco cake and breakfast waffles. The thing is, I DID say no to a lot of the things around me! That's why it makes me mad. Why do I have to be so close to perfect in my eating to see any little downward movement on the scale?! Here's where the pity party can get off to a big start. Pity parties cannot be part of this journey. I have a lot of work to be where I hope to be by my 40th birthday! Now there's a place I'd like to see a party...a surprise party that is. (Is it wrong to make known that I really want a surprise party for my birthday? Since I doubt I'll ever get one, I guess I can mention it all I want.)
Well, God just continues to get more and more "in my face" in the area of food. He is asking me to give it ALL over to Him. All of it. As much as I'd like to think everything is OK in moderation...I've learned that just isn't true. Some things should never cross my lips. I guess I just have to embrace my genes. This is the body design that God gave me. Perhaps it's because He knew food was going to easily become one of my idols. This way, I can't hide that problem. God wants to make sure that I "have no other gods before Him". So maybe, this isn't a weakness. It's a strength. It causes me to face these idols in my life and put them aside so that God alone can be first. There's just no way around it (my body make-up, that is...not my rear-end). Just kidding.
On Friday night, Mikayla was having all kinds of fun at our hotel with her teammates while Dave took Luke over to hang out and have fun with a bunch of his team. Saturday, when they weren't on the court, they were running around the facility having all kinds of fun with their friends. We all came home 100% worn out from all the fun and competition. Another basketball season is behind us, but what a great one it was!
The drive home from Mt. Pleasant taught me how to appreciate the beauty of falling snow...and of driving slowly. It was a long, slow drive home. But we got home safely with all three kids sound asleep in the back seat. Kind of a fun preview of our trip to Florida. The biggest difference being that when we're driving to Florida, we'll be getting farther away from the snow rather than driving right into the heart of the snowstorm. I must say, there is something rather special about driving at night with my man & me in the front seat and all three of our kiddos sound asleep in the back. I think when I was little and dreamed of someday having my own family, that was one of those images I had in mind. Driving in a snow globe on icy roads just made it a wee bit less dreamy.
And the last thing the trip taught me...I have to be VERY careful on vacations to not throw all my hard work in the weight loss arena out the window. Oh friends. This one sort of makes me mad. Why in the world is it, that I have to fight so darn hard to lose an ounce...but I can gain weight so stinkin' easily?! Dave was happy that he hadn't gained any weight while we were gone. But after our 36 hours away from home, I wasn't so lucky. In fact, when I got on the scale this morning to see the report...I jumped off before it was totally done calculating because I could already tell I wasn't going to like the answer. I'm REALLY hoping that it was all water retention from eating too much sodium. And I REALLY hope I can get myself back on track tomorrow and actually make my 30 pound weight loss mark before our trip to Florida. It just doesn't get any easier, does it?!
So as I make plans for our trip to Florida, I know one thing very strongly: my enjoyment of the trip can NOT come from the type of food I'm going to eat while we're there. Because one day of letting myself enjoy eating the same foods as everyone else around me...led to a not very nice result on the scale this morning. I have to just face the facts. My body wasn't designed to eat junk food. In order to attain and maintain a healthy weight, I'm going to have to choose to eat healthier than most everyone else. And make the choice again and again...for the rest of my life.
I need to choose to be empowered by this fact. I need to remember how much better I feel when I'm fueling my body with healthy foods. I need to say no to chips and Costco cake and breakfast waffles. The thing is, I DID say no to a lot of the things around me! That's why it makes me mad. Why do I have to be so close to perfect in my eating to see any little downward movement on the scale?! Here's where the pity party can get off to a big start. Pity parties cannot be part of this journey. I have a lot of work to be where I hope to be by my 40th birthday! Now there's a place I'd like to see a party...a surprise party that is. (Is it wrong to make known that I really want a surprise party for my birthday? Since I doubt I'll ever get one, I guess I can mention it all I want.)
Well, God just continues to get more and more "in my face" in the area of food. He is asking me to give it ALL over to Him. All of it. As much as I'd like to think everything is OK in moderation...I've learned that just isn't true. Some things should never cross my lips. I guess I just have to embrace my genes. This is the body design that God gave me. Perhaps it's because He knew food was going to easily become one of my idols. This way, I can't hide that problem. God wants to make sure that I "have no other gods before Him". So maybe, this isn't a weakness. It's a strength. It causes me to face these idols in my life and put them aside so that God alone can be first. There's just no way around it (my body make-up, that is...not my rear-end). Just kidding.
Hi Jen,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a good vacation. Family time away is so nice. There is something about vacation that makes one want to eat differently than when we are home, especially when everyone else is. I struggle with this too. Stay encouraged and keep doing what God has taught and empowered you to do and you will be successful!
Love,
Lori