All or nothing

Again! A late at night post :) Accomplished several things today. One, made some not so awesome eating choices--ribs, brownies, general 4th of July shenanigans--however I didn't eat as much as I normally would have. So that in itself is a victory. I need to relearn the "try a little bit and stop" thing :) I completed my third day of running...so week 1 is done. I have to say the third day was not that bad. In fact, I thought the first couple of days were harder so here's to hoping running gets easier as I go along. I cannot wait until that day that I'm running a full mile. It's going to be pretty amazing I have to say. It's hard to imagine, but I know I can do it. I'm managing to get to bed at a decent hour to wake up early to get back to Seattle tomorrow as well. So, I shall work out and do my exercising tomorrow afternoon after work.

Today the book talked about perfectionists and their "all or nothing" way of thinking/being. If they can't do it right, they're not going to do it at all. And with dieting/lifestyle changes...that's kind of dangerous. I know that when I first thought about dieting, I thought, "oh I can't give up bacon or candy or ____" and it would prevent me from starting. Or I'd start and mess up and stop because I wasn't able to rise to the impossible standards I gave myself. Once I learned that my way of changing my life was not about deprivation but moderation, it helped so much. The book suggests instead of striving for perfection, you should strive for excellence, which should decrease the "pressure."

I think for me, the combination of not depriving myself and striving for excellence is great. If I don't deprive myself but also don't strive for excellence, then I'll most likely go overboard. If I strive for excellence at the same time, I'll be more likely to question my decision to take a 3rd brownie, think about the consequences of my actions, and be able to make a more informed, controlled decision. It's so nice being able to live a life of fullness and freedom in ALL things including food :) Happy 4th of July everyone!

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." Eph. 2:4-5

It's always good to have this reminder that it's not my goodness, my personality, my thinness (or lack thereof), my kind gestures, volunteering, etc. that make Jesus love me. He loved me (and still loves me) when I was (and am) imperfect. He loved me despite the fact that I had nothing to offer him, nothing good to give him that he didn't already have.  He continually, every day, even when I don't ask for it breathes new life into me--literally and figuratively--and I am so thankful for his goodness. I'm so thankful that he made himself known to me, because I don't know where I would be without him. I'm very blessed, and so glad for the freedom from hopelessness, depression, etc. that he has given me, and that is free for anyone. God is good. Immensely, eternally, amazingly good.