Browsing Tag

diet

Blog, Faith

A single action

This is a long post. So much to tell you.

So many times at the beginning of the new year, you make goals and resolutions and dream big dreams. Then by the end of January, you haven’t accomplished them ~ and you feel defeated. Ikr?

Today I received an ezine which had these inspiring, motivating words that I shared with my Coaching clients:

“Welcome to the turning point of your life

If you did not have a great year in 2014…

If you have already broken your New Year Resolutions,…

And, if you are not as prosperous and fulfilled as you would like, you need to do something differently, and you need to do it now.

Why? Because all change, all progress begins with a single decision… a single action, a single YES!”

Gary Ryan Clair, 100 Day Challenge

I decided that this is the year for me to lose the weight and get fit and healthy.

Yeah, I know a lot of people say that. I’ve said it before ~ how many times?

And actually, I have done it before…then gained the weight again.

Although I HAVE maintained the 20 pounds I lost last year with Speaker/Author Donna Partow’s 90 Day Renewal program.

But I made a choice this year to stop the excuses and just do it.

To get to the real issue, the root…Cokes and food have been an idol in my life (stepping on toes here!). I’ve craved them instead of God and His best plan for my life.

I’ve repented and asked for His forgiveness and mercy.

Lisa Terkeurst writes in her book Made to Crave: “When we are stuffed full of other things and never allow ourselves to be in a place of longing, we don’t recognize the deeper spiritual battle going on…So, I’m not on a diet. I’m on a journey with Jesus to learn the fine art of self-discipline for the purpose of holiness.”

This is not a DIET. I’ve made a radical LIFESTYLE change.

success

I’m trying not to whine. It’s hard to make the change. So. very. hard.

Why do I think about Cokes and food all the time?

But it’s not as hard as being overweight (which discourages you and causes low self-esteem, makes you at risk for heart disease and other unhealthy things, and – let’s get honest here – unattractive).

fat woman/skinny woman

I’m going to track my progress here at BethJones.net, and I’d love your prayers and encouragement. You can leave me comments below the posts and/or on my Facebook page. Being publicly accountable brings this to a whole new level!

And I’d love to hear your story, your goals, your dreams for this year! Let’s partner together to make 2015 an awesome year so we can glorify Jesus!!!

dreams

I was inspired to include my progress (and when I mess up!) by Linda M. Brown’s amazing blog, Lose The Weight.

I love, love, love her website! I love the header…her realness…her anointed writing. She’s also hilarious. I truly believe God brought her into my life at this time to encourage and motivate me to keep going.

Because it’s easier to start (sometimes)…than to finish.

For the first time in over a year, I’ve started walking every day.

No small feat, considering that today it was 14 degrees.

It’s been colder this week than it has been…Missouri has actually had an extremely mild winter, with temps in the 60’s! (My husband is cheering; he hates snow and the cold, and wants to retire on an exotic island .) It’s been more like fall weather here.

But just in case you want to suddenly pack up and move to Kansas City, MO, remember the expression: “If you don’t like the weather (or do like it) in Missouri, wait a minute.” It can change in a second.

Like the last few days. FOURTEEN DEGREES! OMGosh.

Walking outside is still doable, though. Today I bundled up in my coat, hat, gloves, and beautiful fake-fur scarf Ray bought me (it’s so warm!), and headed to the track. Despite the cold and icy weather, the beautifully shining sun was out.

Me at the track

My nose is what was so cold, as my face was exposed. I tried covering it with the fake-fur, which worked…sorta’.

But my nose was freezing and I looked like Rudolph.

Rudolph

After I walked, I went to Walmart and the closest thing I could find to a hat covering the nose was a headband and neck cover, which I’ll buy later this week. I tried it on there and it will work great. No excuses this year!

THE BIGGIE!!!

I’ve stopped drinking Coke®, which is absolutely God’s grace. I LOVE Coke!!!

I’m addicted to it. Not physically, but emotionally, like comfort foods such as ice cream, chips, chocolate, bread, and fast food, are to some people.

I visited Sonic’s Happy Hour – half price drinks -in the morning and afternoon EVERY DAY! Part of the reason I am overweight! But it was one of the highlights of my day!

Now I’m having to establish a replacement habit…walking! NOT as fun!

Coke

I’ve quit drinking it several times, but go back to it. This time I’m making a choice not to.

I’ve replaced the Coke® with water. I don’t drink nearly enough water. I’m not drinking any other beverages but hot green tea.

According to the Mayo Clinic, for your body to function properly, you have to replenish its water supply through beverages and foods that contain water. “The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly about 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of total beverages a day.“

I’m using this water bottle that Ray (a paramedic) brought home from the hospital one day. It holds a lot (but not too much), it’s thin (not too bulky and fits nicely on my office desk), and it’s a pretty royal blue. 🙂

water bottle

I’ve been refilling it several times throughout the day. I measured the water today and it holds 20 ounces. I figure if I drink 3 to 4 water bottles a day, I’ll be getting sufficient water. Maybe more.

You may be wondering what I’m eating. Low carb, low to no sugar meals. Not to the extreme of Paleo, though…but challenging enough.

Yeah…I really miss chips and salsa, cheeseburgers and fries, Pizza Hut, Baby Ruth’s and Butterfingers!

For so long, I’ve eaten too much and eaten unhealthy and forget to eat when I’m busy working, that I don’t think I even know when I’m hungry -or if it’s just boredom, emotional eating, a habit, etc.

I’m now much more aware of my body and its needs. Listening to its signals that I’m hungry, thirsty, tired, energetic, need a stretch, etc. And it’s working.

The new energy I have now is, amazingly, coming from just a change in diet and exercise! No caffeine. No energy drinks. No pills. Just good-old fashioned healthy food, water, and moving my butt!

Every day I’m eating lots of salads with fresh veggies.

salad

The ingredients vary, and I prepare them raw, not cooked:

Romaine lettuce
spinach
broccoli
onion
garlic
celery
tomatoes
mushrooms
cucumbers
flaxseed
avocado
and sometimes chicken or turkey added.

I use a tablespoon of Ranch salad dressing. If you use the right amount, it’s okay, not fattening. I didn’t realize until this year how much I DROWN my salads in dressing!

Last year I began adding more salads to my diet, but now I eat them daily. Comment and leave me your fave salad recipes!

I’m still cooking Wildtree healthy crockpot meals for my family, which I started doing the last quarter of 2014.

They have no GMO’s, additives, chemicals, etc. Some nights we have taco night or Ray cooks his spaghetti that he and Leah enjoy. I don’t like spaghetti so I opt for something else.

prayer

I’m spending time with God each day, praying, reading the Bible, and worshipping.

Asking Him for GRACE and self-discipline – a fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Please pray this for me!

Because apart from Jesus, I can do nothing.

Like Meg Ryan’s alcoholic wife character Alice said to her husband Michael in the movie When A Man Loves A Woman, “Ask me how bad I want a drink right now.”

Ask me right now how bad I want a Coke® or a slice of pepperoni pizza!

pepperoni pizza

But I want to be fit and healthy more. tt’s not about the weight loss. It’s about health and wellness.

The life more abundant that Jesus promised. (John 10:10)

*Able to fulfill God’s purpose for my life – without sickness and suffering.*

Vibrant. Healthy. Feeling good. Energetic.

Being able to live a good life, enjoying God, my family, and friends.

Traveling internationally and nationally to speak, write, minister, do short-term missions, for pleasure.

Do you want to “eat the good of the land” as God promised? (Isaiah 1:19)

Join me to make 2015 a healthier year. We can do it! Tips (reminding me!):

God helping us through daily quiet time in prayer, meditating on God’s word, worship (doesn’t have to be a long period of time – can you do 10 to 15 minutes?). The more we seek God, the less we will look to other things in this world (or people) to fill that empty, black hole inside. It is a God void that His love and presence only can satisfy.
accountability
lots of water – helps with cravings
journaling
weigh first thing in the morning before eating, the same time each day
Buy as ‘close to the earth as possible” – no or limited processed foods, fast foods, sugar, salt, etc. Fresh is best for our bodies!
Ask for prayer.
When we mess up, we get back up. God’s mercies are new each morning.

February is also Heart Awareness Month – Make a Change.

Go Red
Heart Awareness Month

Here’s my “before” picture below.

My goal is to lose 45 pounds. I’ve already lost 6 lbs total JUST from not drinking Coke, changing my diet, and walking 40 minutes a day at the track!

In the afternoon, I also do 20 to 30 jumping jacks, 10 sit-ups, 10 modified push-ups, 25 leg lifts (each and various kinds).

I know to take it easy and slow to avoid injuring myself and overdoing it.

Here’s a scripture I’m meditating on for this radical lifestyle change.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV

Me , January 2015

February 2, 2015 by Beth Jones

Blog, Coaching, Faith, Parenting, prayer

Take Shape For Life program

You know how you make New Year’s resolutions and they never seem to work? Me, too. I decided to take a different perspective this year regarding losing weight; for 2013, I’d like to become healthier and more fit (losing weight would be really nice, too!).

Our daughter Leah and I want to become fitter and began a new program this week called Take Shape for Life. You can learn more about it by clicking here. If you do decide to use this program and hire my new friend and coach, Tina Cochran, please let her know I referred you as I can get a $50 credit! 🙂

I know several people who have used it with great success. Tina decided to do something about her weight when her very honest son told her she needed to go on The Biggest Loser. She lost over 100 pounds on it and now is a health coach with the company! Better yet, she’s maintained her weight for four years!

No one has told me to go on The Biggest Loser yet, and I certainly want to avoid that happening. A full-length mirror and shopping expeditions tell me plenty: it’s past time to do something!

What I like about this program is that you don’t have to starve yourself (I LOVE to eat!) or do hours of aerobics or painful floor exercises to lose the weight (I do NOT like to exercise!)! Studies show the average weight loss for the first two weeks is 2-5 lbs and 1-2 lbs per week after with the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan. You lose weight safely and quickly, using their products in conjunction with healthy foods, exercise and health coaching – without having to get extreme!

The shipment of food that I ordered arrived today. Of course, I had to immediately test the chocolate brownies, lol. Leah’s response was a little less than enthusiastic: “They don’t taste like brownies.” I thought they were good (chocolate anything is good!).

Leah’s dry response to the program is a good reminder for us all, no matter what program or plan we use:

“If you just buy and cook healthy foods and exercise, instead of eating junk, you’ll lose weight and get in shape.”

So simple. Why don’t we do it?

Because we’re slackers. It’s a discipline issue. Healthy food? Exercise? What fun is there in that?

“We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right.” Hebrews 12:11, God’s Word Translation

There’s also huge mindset issues surrounding food. We eat because:

We’re depressed.
We’re lonely.
We’re worried.
We’re angry.
We’re bored.
We’re addicted to food – often foods that aren’t healthy for us. Who do you know of who has a problem eating too many asparagus tips or too much cauliflower?

And don’t forget GUILT about food. Have you heard any of these before?

You should be thankful for those vegetables. There’s starving children in Africa (China, Haiti, America…).
Don’t waste that food. Do you know how much money we paid for that?
Food is meant to be enjoyed, like life. Eat!
What’s wrong with you? Are you sick or something? Why don’t you want any seconds?
I don’t want to eat alone. It won’t kill you just this once to have the cheesecake. Come on, join me!

We eat, we feel guilty, we diet, we lose a little weight, we slip, the guilt continues.

This is so hard to believe, but as a child I was so thin. I was the shortest, thinnest person in my class throughout school. In junior high school, I was nicknamed “Little Bit” because of it. Other than during my first pregnancy (my daughter Heather) at age 18, I remained a size 3 from 9th grade until I was in my early 30’s.

Over the last 20 years, my weight has gone up and down like a yo yo. When I married Ray over 20 years ago, I was still a size 3. THREE! (I won’t tell you my size now, but let’s just say it’s way past a 3!)

Then I became pregnant. During my pregnancy with Leah, I quickly gained 60 pounds. Yes, 60. (Pre-eclampsia. I was put on strict bed rest and gained even more.)

After I gave birth, I lost it using a doctor-prescribed weight loss pill and by walking daily. Heather and I would walk every day around town, pushing Leah in the stroller. In a couple of months, I got down to a size 7. Not a 3, but I felt so much better about myself.

After I went off the pill, I gained weight back.

This blog post is my confessional: I’m addicted to coke.

Like confessing sins to a priest, it’s now confession time to my faithful readers. Through the years, I’ve lost and gained, lost and gained. Almost always in conjunction with whether or not I’m on coke. No, not cocaine. 🙂 Coke the drink. Will I be sued by the company if I put the real name on here? When I was on the prescription weight-loss pill Redux after I had Leah, I also stopped drinking coke. CLUE – it makes you gain weight!

I love coke! I’ve drank it since I was a child. I’ve stopped drinking it several times, but always go back to it, much like a drug addict on crack or an alcoholic back to alcohol.

I’m not physically addicted to it. I can stop and only have a “withdrawal” headache for a day or so. It’s more like an emotional comfort food, the way some people comfort themselves with cakes, pies, ice cream, chocolate, bread, pasta – only mine is coke. Does anyone relate to this?

I LOVE the taste of it.

I LOVE Sonic happy hour – 99 cent large cokes. What a great deal, like libraries. Leah is so humiliated because I now know some of the Sonic employees by face and by name. They know my face and my black car and they say hi with a smile. They know I want a large coke with a long straw. They know I actually do the TalktoSonic surveys online to be able to get another coke – this time a free Route 44 coke. I love driving around with the radio up and drinking a cold, iced, big coke.

My family and friends tell me to stop drinking it. Even on Facebook, right out in public, a friend posted on my wall this week to drink more water and stop drinking coke.

When I babysat my friends’ kids a couple of years ago, their son asked me every day, “Did you have a coke today? WHY? It’s bad for you! Why don’t you JUST STOP?!” Why indeed?

My last health coach couldn’t help me kick the habit. Only I can make the choice to stop.

Yes, I know how horrible and awful it is for you. Please don’t email me or leave comments telling me how the commercial trucks have to place hazardous materials on their trucks when transporting it. Just pray for me to overcome this terrible habit! Pray hard. I can’t do this without God’s help!

Coke makes you gain weight – and keep it on.

When my weight is lower, I feel good about myself. But usually hungry because I’ve been starving myself, taking prescription Redux, sucking on cokes for energy all day without eating, or forgetting to eat because I’m working hard on my laptop, busy on a project.

When my weight goes up, I feel bad about myself. Fat. Unattractive. Not enough. Less than. Envious, jealous. I look at those 5’8″, thin, sexy women gracing the covers of Cosmopolitan at the Walmart check-out line; skinny, tan teens or 20-somethings girls in tank tops, short shorts and flip flops around town; even women my age who are model-beautiful and thin, and I feel shame about my belly and thighs.

I hate being fat. I’m thankful for my relatively healthy body, and I know God and my family and friends love me anyway, but I hate being so big. I hate not feeling sexy for my husband because I’m fat.

Yes, it’s time to do something.

I’m so done with the mindset issues and the guilt and the envy.

I’m done with people in my life making me feel guilty for enjoying eating.

I’m done with beating myself up for enjoying a chocolate bar.

I’m done with worrying if I’ll get health-related illnesses from being so overweight.

I’m done with feeling physically uncomfortable because of the weight.

I’m done with going shopping and having a hard time finding something I really like because of my size.

Instead, today I’m embracing good food, good water, good health, good feeling exercise like walking and swimming, good fitting, smaller clothes soon. I’m encouraging Leah to embrace these things, too. I’m excited about health coaching with Tina! She has inspired me!

I met recently with her and was relieved to hear her say that she will not call and hound me, being my food mommy or verbally beating me up for what I ate that day. I do that to myself enough!

However, she will help me dig deeper with emotional issues surrounding food, such as why do I (or others) sabotage my fitness success? Why do I eat or drink things that I know are unhealthy, cause me to gain weight, or have no nutritional value whatsoever? Why don’t I consider myself valuable enough or worthy enough to take care of me?

Most importantly, don’t I realize that I can’t fulfill the great purpose God has for my life if I don’t take care of this holy temple that God created and belongs to Him? I can’t achieve the things God wants for me if I’m not feeling well, unhealthy, sick, or even just plain sluggish and tired. I have big dreams in my heart. I believe God put them there. But those dreams can’t come to pass if I’m too fat to do them, if I become sick and unhealthy.

God also doesn’t want me to feel bad about myself when I look in the mirror.

And what are options to fast food or ordering a pizza on the nights I’m tired and don’t feel like cooking, or don’t want to cook?

I’d appreciate your prayers as Leah and I embark on this new, exciting adventure. Taking charge of our health and our fitness. Losing weight in a healthy way.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out Take Shape For Life, too. Just click here. I will let you know how it goes. It can’t hurt!

April 11, 2013 by Beth Jones

I'm an International Speaker, Author of 30 books (and still writing!), traveler, wife to fire chief/paramedic Ray, and a blessed mom of 3 beautiful daughters, Heather, Eden, and Leah. I encourage women to use their gifts for God's glory, fulfilling their great purpose, and living a life they love. I help aspiring Christian speakers & writers to share their hearts' unique, powerful messages. The ocean is my happy place and place of peace and refilling. I love Jesus, my family, my cats Natalya and Nichodemus, traveling, chips & salsa, coffee, chocolate, nature, music, and art. My husband Ray calls me an enigma: I love to laugh and cry a lot. What about you? I'd love to connect more with you and hear how you desire to make more of an impact here for God's glory. Thanks for stopping by here. I pray you will find the hope, inspiration, and motivation you need to become all God created you to be. Dream big because we serve a big God!