February 2009 Archives

For many Christians, this is a time of great awareness, a time in the year called Lent, a preparation for Easter.  It's the annual time to be aware of our beliefs and faith, to love the many gifts that God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit give us, and to give something in return.  The period we are in now, in Greek, is called the Triodion.

This is a period when many Christians practice fasting.  We eat less, avoid certain foods, make an effort to purify ourselves and to help others.

I am Christian, and I do believe in fasting - not just during Lent - but also on a regular basis.  I eat less in general, which I have learned is not only good for maintaining my weight loss, but also for longevity and to keep my mind and body in a healthier state.  I eat less carbohydrates and meat, and try to have more vegetables and fruits.

I also avoid thinking negative thoughts.  When I have a negative thought that creeps into my mind, I quietly ask God to help me escort it out the mental gate!

This is also a time to help others in need - I do some service on a regular basis, but at this time, in honor of God and the amazing grace I receive, I try my best to do a little more.

Most of all, even though I try to do my best and to be my best, I usually fall short.  I make mistakes and miss the goal, despite best intentions.   Lent is the season of admitting problems ("sins," to some), asking for repentance, and accepting forgiveness that comes from the grace of God.  Of course, one need not be Christian to do these things.  Being your best, staying healthy and practicing beliefs is universal to anyone and everyone.

What do you do to stay healthy?  How do you help others?  Do you practice fasting?  Please post a comment below.  And please subscribe to this daily blog, bookmark it, and return daily.

Thinking about the recent study on most diets being basically equally effective; read what I wrote about it here, these are my simple thoughts:

When it comes to food, eating less is more. If you're trying to reduce your weight consistently eat less than you did before. Just cut it in half.

Eat slower, too. The slower you eat, the fuller you will feel with less. Chew each bite thoroughly, taking time to savor the flavor.

Consistently eat a little less, and your weight problem will go away. Really. Instead of having a breakfast with eggs, bacon, and toast - just have the eggs. Instead of a lunch of soup, sandwich, and a salad - have just the sandwich. Instead of a big dinner with an entrée, three sides, and dessert - have the entrée and one side, no dessert.

Eat less of anything and everything consistently, and over time, you CAN and WILL lose weight, by the grace of God and your repeated commitments. 

Losing weight isn't really about the initial weight loss, it is about keeping some new and healthy eating habits going, along with recreation, emotional expression and spiritual practices.

This morning I was all flustered because I had to pay bills.  Gosh, those expenses are high!  It's an exercise in stretching, moving money from one place to another, shuffling, leaping and moving forward.  Kind of like dancing: you stretch, and move, leap, shuffle and move forward.

So I paid some, stretched a bit, and moved the finances forward. I was not in a good mood.  I felt stressed, stiff, and weak from the experience, especially in these financially difficult times.

Thankfully, it was the day for my dance aerobics class.  I almost skipped it because I was so busy, but I just had to get there.  I'm so glad I did.

It felt so good to get out of my head, away from the stress, and get back entirely into my body.  I loved stretching, flowing, leaping, making my ends meet from head to toe.  Every time my thoughts went to the bank account and the bills, I reined it in and put attention back into my body and just moved to the beat.

After an hour I was feeling completely alive and invigorated.  I really needed some stress management, and God gave it to me in the form of dancing.

Why not dance with me for a few minutes?  Check out my silly dance video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12s4xUgWCv0

And please bookmark and subscribe/RSS so you'll not miss a thing!  We've got a great community of spiritual health enthusiasts going - please return daily!

I've been saying this for years, no matter how you do it, lowering carbohydrates and increasing protein, lowering fats and preferably non-saturated ones, eating less of anything is now clinically proven for weight loss.  There is a recent and major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, of 811 patients, that is worth reading.   The results?  I quote, "Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize."

Lots of different methods for weight loss actually help people lose the weight; the main point is how you maintain the lower weight.  If you stay with the changes you made in eating less, no matter what foods, you are far more likely to keep the weight off.  Furthermore, the patients who were in continuing weight loss support groups were able to keep their weight in balance.  So, if you can keep up a diet, with support, you can keep the weight loss.  The question is, if it's an extreme diet, can you keep it up for very long.  I don't think most people can, I surely couldn't.

So, what does this mean to you?  Join a weight loss group and eat a well-balanced and healthy food plan with foods you enjoy, but less of everything, and you will lose weight and keep it off.  Don't deprive yourself of foods, just eat less of anything and have a little of everything.

Of course, I recommend my "Joy of Weight Loss" program!  Also, I recommend working together with someone, either a friend, or a professional.  I've also recently begun to do individual coaching by email and phone, and would be happy to discuss working with you.

Please post a comment below, and let us all know what you have experienced in your own weight loss efforts.  Did it help to be in a group?  Did you maintain a new eating plan for more than a year and maintain the weight, or not?  Please post!

Also, please return here often to get more news and support in your efforts to find and keep balance, joy and health in your life.  Bookmark, and subscribe, please!

I just got an email from a longtime friend in Indiana, Michael White, who is a very talented singer and composer.  He and another friend made a really moving video at Christmas about having "A Wonderful Life."

Please take a look...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eUZBQ0L_EY

There are so many parallels to the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," in our lives right now, and it's a gift to be reminded that with our faith in God and in the wonder of life, and the love we have between us, we will be OK.

There is some good to be found in everyone, no matter what mistakes we have made or problems we bear.  Remembering that we are all valuable and helping one another reaffirms our value and helps us.

Most of all, it is love and caring that will guide us through.


Please bookmark and subscribe to this blog.  We are all in this life together!

This morning I jumped on our bathroom scales, as I do every month.  I like to check to see what I weigh, to keep my 160-pound weight maintenance on track.I only weigh myself once a month, because I know that...

This comment from Dino just reached out and grabbed my attention:For me, the big change in my thinking came one day. I realized I was a creation of God; made in God's image. What I had been doing was trashing...

We've now gone through a long period of economic woes, and we are making it through.  Yes times are hard, harder than we've ever known or experienced.  It's true it is not over, but there is hope and we're going...

Have you, too, been the victim of weight loss quackery? Have you tried "miracle diets" and "magic bullet" quick-fix products or schemes? Did you buy any of those "revolutionary" exercise machines or appliances from TV infomercials? Did you buy any...

Sometimes everyone needs a little break. Perhaps you need to take a day off or do something different with your weekend. Recharge yourself; do something invigorating, restorative, or restful. Take an afternoon to go to a history museum and check...

Alas, the meal is done.  I've reached my limit and it is time to stop eating.Pity it is.  A sad moment that I dreaded would come with each bite, but I ignored the inevitable in favor of flavor.Now it is...

The other day was a big birthday for a cherished family member.  I asked what gift he wanted and the reply was "make me a German Chocolate Cake!"  Knowing how delicious they are, and a favorite of mine since I...

Thank you's to everyone who read this blog regularly, and big thank you's to those who posted this week.A lot of people ask me questions; too many for me to answer here although I will from time-to-time if it seems...

So you slipped off your food plan, and had a few ice-cream sundaes, or a bag of chips or cookies. I know you regretted it! Use this episode and learn from it. Study how you felt afterward:Did you feel stuffed,...

Did you make a mistake? No problem. No surprise. Everyone makes mistakes. Admit it. Correct it with God's assistance. Learn from it. Mistake gone. No problem. Problems arise when we cling tight to OUR way, not God's way, or fail...

A lot of folks commented recently here about what's working and what is not in their lives, in order to be their healthiest.  Lori wrote, "At reaching 60 you can imagine I've tried every diet out there over the years. The...

(revised -- thanks for the comments and questions!)Nothing says "I Love You" more than taking good care of yourself and the one you love.  Here's a menu, shopping list and some recipes for a special, romantic dinner that's also very...

A tip of the hat to all of you who visited and commented in this blog this last week on several subjects: New Year's Resolutions, being with God, exercise and going to the gym, and Janice and my first online...

Spring is almost here, and love is in the air!  Valentine's Day is upon us, hooray!Valentine's Day, as we know it, is a celebration of love.  Love is itself a celebration of others.  To love one another is to treasure,...

I'm finding Janice Taylor and my online blog conversation very, very revealing!  Janice and I have gone in just four little days from hunger for weight loss, brownies, to diets, carbohydrates, to grandmothers and mothers, to hungry, starving people that...

There are really no coincidences in life, God has everything planned, I've been told, and sometimes it seems true, like today.This morning I was reading Janice Taylor's contribution to our online conversation and there was an ad on her blog...

I really loved Caroline's comment, posted a few days ago:"If we look at the needs of others and beyond our problems you can always find someone who has it much worse. A little encouragement goes a long way."So true!I also...

I think you will love this:  Janice Taylor and I are beginning an online, blog conversation.  This is the beginning.  We will talk back and forth between our Beliefnet blogs from time-to-time.  Our conversations will be about specific themes and...