Perspective

I'm still REALLY motivated!  This is what I have prayed for... to have the DESIRE to live a healthier life for HIM.  I want not to be skinny, but to be HEALTHY.  Skinny is overrated.  Skinny is the WORLD'S view of what a woman should look like.  I don't really care about that.  I want what is best for me both physically AND spiritually.  If I'm focused on becoming what the magazines at the checkout stand say I should be, I'm just setting myself up for disappointment.  I want to be beautiful and I know I DO NOT have to be a "skinny girl" to be beautiful!

The title of this post was chosen as a result of something I just realized.  I entered everything I've eaten so far today at http://caloriecount.about.com.  It was 4:24pm and I had only eaten 506 calories all day!!!  Until the past few days, my calorie consumption by that time was AT LEAST twice this amount.  

Apparently I've chosen really good foods to eat today.  I'm not even hungry!  I have spread my meals and snacks out throughout the day.  I think this helps.  

Everyone always says to do that, but it's just really difficult when you're busy.  I'm going to make a point of keeping snacks in my backpack or purse.  Today I had a granola bar in my backpack and didn't have time to finish it.  I ate half and stuck the other half back into my backpack.  After class I realized I wasn't hungry.  I decided to put off eating the other half.  I never did.  When I got home I fixed an actual lunch.  This worked out well because I could read all my labels and make sure I put things on my plate that were actually worth eating.  Things that would be halfway healthy and fill me up!

Mitchell and I are going to have a movie night tonight, so I'm saving up some of my calories for then.  I'm thinking I may have some popcorn!  

Here's a list of some of my favorite things to eat.  I think you'll see why my perspective changed this afternoon seeing what I had NOT consumed!

• One 20 ounce Coca-Cola contains 240 calories. 
• One Cadbury Egg (my favorite!), 170 calories.  This surprised me.  I thought it would be more. 
• Miss Vickie's Salt and Vinegar chips, 200 calories.  Can't eat Subway or Blimpie w/out these!
• Sweet Tea from Sonic (gave this up 2 years ago), 290 Calories. Yikes!!!
• Dove Chocolate, 220 Calories.
• Funyuns, 140 calories per ounce.  Who eats ONE OUNCE of any type of chip?!?
• McDonald's Double Cheeseburger, 440
• Large order of McD's Fries, 500.  WOW.  That is just gross, and it's one of my favorite SNACKS!
• Wendy's Chicken Nuggets (5 piece), 230
• Hardee's Loaded Omelet Biscuit, 610 Calories!  This doesn't include the hash rounds to go with it!

After I had Camryn, I would drive thru Hardee's every morning and get one of those 610 calorie biscuits along with a large order of hash rounds and a large Coca-cola.  That is AT LEAST 1300 calories in one meal.  Gross.  No wonder I weighed almost 200 pounds!  I'm so grateful that I'm past those days.

My word for the next week is going to be SELF-CONTROL.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  

-Galatians 5:22-25

Do you have a word or scripture that you go to when you're struggling?  Feel free to share!  I need all the suggestions I can get.