OPERATION GET HEALTHY: DAY 7

Today was a different kind of day. I had to go to Austin for a training. I had originally planned to meet some people for lunch, but I was running a little behind and wasn't positive where I was going. So...I had lunch in my car. LUCKILY I planned ahead in case that happened, so I didn't have to either:

A) Hunt for a place I could find something healthy & probably be late OR

B) Not eat & then me SO hungry I could barely stand it.

Now...I was movin' when I walked out the door & had to b\pack enough for a couple snacks too, so it was not the most delicious lunch: Planters NUTrition Heary Healthy Mix, jalapeno cheese stick, and some sun-dried tomatoes. Sometimes...you gotta work with what you got. I brought a banana along for snack. The fam was getting ready to eat supper when I called, so I thought...CRAP. I'm HUNGRY & what am I going to find. So I thought......Taco Bell! They have a Fresca Menu.....negative. No wheat tortillas & I totally could not even see the Fresa menu on the drive-thru (at least the one I was at), so I found the nearest Subway & got me a small sandwich. So I did it. Ate healthy, on the go. PREPARATION is the key to making this whole thing easier....just gotta get there.

Today The Daniel Plan Journal urges us to throw out anything in our fridge or pantry that has ingredients that we do not recognize as food. (I wish I knew how to insert a smiley face here with those HUGE eyes). We got a lotta stuff that oughta go. We've got some Little Debbie, some SPAM, some Manwich, some Ramen.... I'm tellin' ya... It ain't lookin' good in there, BUT we didn't buy any of that the last two times we went grocery shopping & after reading a few articles, some of that food is going straight into the trash. Seriously... The Food Chapter is long in The Daniel Plan, but totally worth reading - just so you can see how much certain foods can help you & how others work against you.

Since I have one sick little one & my allergies were bothering me the other day, I've been trying to drink all the recommendations for Spark & add the Rehydrate, that are part of the Advocare plan...mainly to get more vitamins in my body that can fight away the flu. Well...I have to tell you... Since I've been eating better food & drinking drinks with vitamins in them and not sugars my clarity was for real. I'll sit through training classes & about 30 minutes in: feel tired, have trouble focusing, not really listen & I was literally ALL-IN. The last time I remember being that vocal in a class was Mr. Chilton's English class at Blinn. I was asking WAY more questions than I normally do. I mean.....I learned a lot today & I know it was because of how engaged I was. Also....even though that lunch I had wasn't the most mouth-watering meal I've ever eaten...I was satisfied. So satisfied that I didn't really feel like I needed that banana, but they brought the cookies out & I just did my best to not even look at'm and ate it, so I wouldn't think about it. I really like those sweets. Now the BIG question for me is if I can REALLY continue this journey PAST the 40 days? I have HOPE that I can & enough FAITH to get me there...and the SUPPORT.

One question it asks us in the journal is: "How do you need to change your thinking so that your health is more important than your convenience?" My answer: Look at my body & my family members' bodies as long-term investments...& the most important ones at that.

I think everyone's answers will be different based on the way they think & visualize things. I get real caught up in the business tasks that I know need to get done, & learning the things that I want to know, so I can help my clients....BUT I'm learning fast...that I'm not helping anyone to my full potential, if I don't MAKE AN EFFORT to keep this vessel moving & keep it moving for as long as my body & The Good Lord will allow. The more you learn about how so many chronic conditions can be CURED by a better diet...the more you realize that the POWER is still in our hands. If we can't change our habits overnight, what makes us think doctors can change hundreds of people's habits, by putting a band-aid on it. They can treat us & they can even do miraculous things, but there are some things they wouldn't have to fix, if we didn't take ourselves there.

BUCK UP BABY & Ride With Jesus! He'll go with you as you open that pantry door & chunk it!

OPERATION GET HEALTHY: Day 6

Well...today I succeeded staying on the plan, without a hiccup really. I had to do more planning the night before & as I packed my lunch, Kylee packed hers. As a parent...it is pretty cool to see your kids adapting. I know one of the things that always hindered me from really trying was thinking about how it could be a battle with the kiddos over some things, but it hasn't really been at all. Now...it was a little bit of a bummer that everyone had an ice cream cone after dinner, besides me....but that's just for a little while.

It will be extremely hard for me to TOTALLY cut EVERYTHING out, that I ate before, but I can make it through the challenge.

The journal entry in The Daniel Plan Journal...urges us to take things one day at a time. It is obviously focusing on our journey to better health, but I am applying to ALL areas of my life.

My son has the flu, so my husband and I are doing some juggling, so we hold as many of the commitments we already made - yet have one of us here to love on him & take care of him. I'm tellin' you...moment by moment life changes & plans change....

That's how I'm gonna take this journey....day by day. One thing the journal asks is "Why do you think God wants you to take it one day at a time?" My answer: Because he doesn't want us to get overwhelmed and discouraged. It then asks us to make a list of all of our concerns pertaining to our journey to better health. Then it asks us to trim that list down to what needs to be done TODAY. I had a list of 4 & only 1 was something I could do today. Really try and zone in your focus.

My prayer for myself & all of you today is that we invite God into our lives...every avenue of our lives...to transform us into the people that he wants us to become...to carry out our God-given purpose. Help us to focus DAY to DAY & show us how it will all fall into it's pre-destined place. Cover us with your love, allow us to find strength in Christ Jesus, & unleash the power & mystery of The Holy Spirit into our lives, so we STRENGTHEN, NOURISH, & CLEAN out our lives... In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I introduced my kids to a pomegranate tonight. It has been 13 + years, since I've had one & Kyle never has. We ate half. Kylee tried it, then tried a second bite, but didn't come back for a third ;).

Also... the REHYDRATE made me feel pretty good today. Putting all those extra vitamins and electrolytes in my body will hopefully help fight against catching the flu.

Buck Up Baby & introduce some new grub to the fam!! God bless!

OPERATION GET HEALTHY: Day 5

I feel myself STARTING to fall into this lifestyle... It's a slow fall...& mentally it jacks with me a little. I'm pretty irritable. I'm sure it is a combination of changing my eating habits & having such severe allergies today. I'm talkin' itchy nose, scratchy throat, watery eyes...HOWEVER I stuck to the plan really good & it helped me TREMENDOUSLY to not skip anything. I had skipped some meals and snacks the other days because I just wouldn't be hungry or I couldn't get to it, or figure it out, but then I felt like I was INHALING my next meal. Eat your snacks.

My Coach, who also happens to be my friend gave me a sample packet of this & told me I should take it, since I'm not feeling the best. We'll see how it works!

Other good news: I left a little food on my plate today (rarely happens), because I FELT full & my little girl who is normally a REALLY good eater & LOVES fruit and vegetables ate EVERYTHING for dinner.... and stuff she gives me trouble with periodically: cabbage & broccoli....and she ate all the turkey. When she ate that cabbage like she did, I just couldn't help but think about how GOOD that was for her. YEP! I read up on it...SUPER good for the brain & now I know she likes the way I prepared it ;).

My SWEET & Sassy Baby Girl! 

This is before Junk Prom...Precious little bit...

I gotta keep that little rascal healthy!!

So the next thing The Daniel Plan Journal discusses is FRIENDS & unconditional acceptance. Like I told you....I was irritable today...feeling a little OVERWHELMED because I had to cancel and reschedule some appointments last week & I have A LOT to do in the next coming weeks, & need to figure out who can help at what auctions & make a schedule... but now I am starting to feel CRUMMY & I really wish that Chocolate Silk Pie wasn't unhealthy. Then I became COMPLETELY annoyed at something somebody sent me & HAD to call a friend that I KNOW accepts me UNCONDITIONALLY. I mean...I can sound like a whiny little brat with her. I can tell her when I KNOW I'm being selfish, but I just want to be for a minute. I start out my conversations with: "I know I am probably being UNREASONABLE & OVERREACTING, BUT...."

THANK GOD FOR FRIENDS!!!! I mean that. Not only did she UNDERSTAND where I was coming from, but she offered AMAZING advice, for how I should handle all the things I need to do. She knew that, that ONE message wasn't making me react like that. It was a combination of all of it. For years, and years, & YEARS...I've been that person who ALWAYS has somewhere to be, something to do, & I used to get myself roped into things that DRAINED me. (Luckily, I've cut some of that out.) But now....(like I will be for the rest of my life) I'm REALLY tryin' to figure things out with my businesses & ministry (what I want to do to use my God-given talents to bring more people to Jesus.) I forget sometimes that I don't work for any other entity anymore. I don't have to RUSH, I don't have to get the most, I don't have to impress anyone else....I just have to be happy at the end of the day with how I handled business, that we MOVED FORWARD....even a little & not be so hard on myself, because no one else is going to be. It is freeing, BUT...when you've been a certain way for so long...you have to unwind yourself. It's gradual & I'm makin' progress ;). I'm thankful for her advice...one big task A DAY & PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!!!

In the journal... It asks us to write down five events from our past that makes it hard for you to believe God accepts you. I don't care where you write them, but PRAY OVER THEM tonight/tomorrow/whenever you get to Day 5.

Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus! RELEASE yourself from that stress & worry & SEND IT ON UP to God.

God Bless!