Protect Your Program

"No one will ever care as much about your diet plan as you. So it's your job to prevent people or events from pulling you off track. Instead of depending on others to help you be successful with your diet, make a commitment that you will 'protect your program at all costs!"

I like the way that this is phrased because it one, places importance on my decision to lose weight. And two it makes it quite clear that not only is it important, but it also is something worth being protected. The book says to watch for, recognize, and avoid situations in which you might be tempted. Then it goes on to give you a key phrase to say to people when they offer you food "not just yet" or some variation of that. It says that if people continue to push, you're supposed to repeat that phrase, and basically avoid and stall and that "no one will notice you never ate at the party." I don't agree with that kind of avoid/stall kind of mindset. I think being honest and saying "It was very good, but I'm trying to watch portions" Is perfectly fine to say. If someone is offended or doesn't understand, they're probably very DENSE.

They also said to avoid discussion about diet and weight loss because "talking about food make us want to eat." I'm not sure that's true. If we're sitting around talking about scrumptious food, ok I get that. But talking with someone about your weight loss, struggles, etc. do not necessarily make one hungry. In fact, those conversations tend to be the most encouraging because people are usually have their own stories of trying to become healthier people.

It says to protect your program during "long empty times" like evenings or weekends. This is a great tip. Evenings and weekends have generally been my biggest "emotional eating" time. I generally just eat out of boredom instead of when I'm hungry. I'm proud to say that I did a great job of monitoring my eating habits this weekend and successfully stayed on my program. Go me!

High Risk Times
--Work. I tend to eat more/want to snack more at work.
--Being out with friend. We usually go to bars/places that are generally not very healthy.
--Weekends/Evenings. I usually get the "i'm bored I want to eat" feeling
--Parent's hose. They always have food like corn dogs, etc. (Along with healthy food) but I always want to eat the corn dogs and ice cream.

Protecting my Program
--At work I'll bring healthy snacks like popcorn and pre-sorted (can't think of the right word!) cookies. If I decide to snack on something I'll look at the calories, decide if it's worth it, then take one serving.
--If I'm out with a friend, I'll first try to plan my eating that day so that I can eat more calories when I'm out. If it's spontaneous, then I'll try to order the healthiest thing on the menu.
--I have been focused on having easy to make foods as well as things I enjoy eating. I'm also practicing self control and asking myself "am I really hungry?" SparkPeople has been helping me b/c I track my calories and that's a big motivator.
--At my parent's house I'll take advantage of all those good snacks that they have around but nobody wants to eat. I'll talk with my mom about weight loss (she's on the same path) and we'll encourage each other. Maybe even work out together.


"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him" 1 John 5:14-15.

The insecurity of whether or not I would go to heaven always weighed heavy on my mind when I was younger. I think all of those videos/teachings on the rapture and wrath of God really scared me and made me very unsure of his love...it made me very unsure of my love for him and I constantly felt not good enough. As I grew in my faith and realized that my faith and salvation were based on grace (and it took many years to figure that out), that confidence that I would be going to heaven and that I knew him kind of stuck. Every once in a awhile I'll wonder, but I always go back to the fact that "God knows my heart." He knows that I love him, and that I'm doing the best that I can to seek him and do his will. And I think that's all that he asks of us. Well in the lightest sense. I know there are other things, but to love God, and love people is pretty much the root of it all.

I love the part where it says "this is the confidence that we have in approaching God." It implies that it's not a King/Servant relationship, but it's a Father/Daughter relationship. When I approach my dad and ask him for something, I'm not afraid, and I have confidence that if it's something good for me, and that he can reasonably provide it, that he will. My dad does not want to hold back good things from me, and he would do anything in his power to help me. He can't help himself but he spoils me a bit as well too. This is how I see God. If it's "according to his will, he hears us....and we know that we have what we asked of him." That's a great word, and a great feeling. God is good.