Mental Strategies Part 4

Make Up Your Mind

“Casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.”
- 1 Peter 5:7

From Amy Parham…

My parents divorced when I was ten years old.  I will never forget the wave of pain that washed over me when they delivered the bad news to my siblings and me.  I specifically remember my mother saying that since I was the oldest, I had to be strong for my sister and that she needed my help since my dad wasn’t going to be with us anymore.  In hindsight, I know that my mother was simply trying to make me feel important, but at the same time I felt overwhelmed and overpowered by this huge burden of responsibility.  It was as if I had to grow up at light speed.  I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get the best of me.  I had to ignore my pain and be strong.  I believe this time in my life was when I made my first conscious decision to use food as my comforter.

After the divorce, my mother worked fifteen hours a day at the Dairy Queen restaurant that she owned.  Many days, my sisters and I played all day in the back room or in the parking lot.  I know she felt guilty for having to work as much as she did, so she would make it up to us by feeding us ice cream, burgers and french fries.

As I got older, I got chubbier.  And when someone would make fun of my weight, I would run to my old friend ice cream.  Stress led to eating, eating led to more pounds, more pounds let to more stress, and…well, you get the idea.  Being on national television and exposing myself in front of millions of people was stressful.  Many times I felt like an acrobat falling off a tightrope without a safety net.  Food had always been my safety net before, but it couldn’t be that way anymore.  I had to make my mind more powerful than my emotions.  It was a mental battle that took some time to win, but I did it.  And so can you.

So how did I get there?  First, I had to consciously recognize if I was going to the refrigeratior, the grocery store, the bakery, or the snack basket because I was really hungry or because something was bothering me.  Second, I learned when I was emotional to exchange eating for healthy things such as prayer, exercise, and having heart-to-hearts with Phil.  Usually, I would convince myself that I wasn’t really hungry and that I needed to go for a quick run or walk.  Instead of grabbing the bagel, I put on my iPod and headed out the front door.

In this process, I was training myself to find a different way to handle my emotions.  You need to do the same thing.  Be aware of why you are eating.  If you find yourself turning to food for comfort, recognize that you are doing this and substitute another activity.  Only you can break the cycle.

“A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can
invent a pleasure.  I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions.
I want to use them, to enjoy them, to dominate them.”
- Oscar Wilde

Mini-Challenge of the Day

Just as an athlete needs to train his/her body and his/her mind to get into the best shape for a competition, we need to train our minds in the battle of the bulge.  Think about your triggers for eating when you’re not hungry.  Now think of three activities you can do instead, such as going for a walk around the block, calling your best friend for support, getting on your knees and praying, and so on.  Make it a point this week to recognize your triggers and use these substitutes instead.

Tip of the Day

When planning your meals for lunch and dinner, make sure your plate is half full of veggies.

Until tomorrow, be blessed!

Remember to DREAM!

This was from “The 90-Day Fitness Challenge” by Phil and Amy Parham, former contestants on television’s “The Biggest Loser.”

Mental Strategies Part 3

Mini Goals

“A Journey of a thousand miles
must begin with a single step.”
- Lau-tzu

Some time at the beginning of your weight-loss journey, you decided how much weight you wanted to lose.  Maybe it was twenty, forty, or sixty pounds.  I’m sure you’ve made considerable progress and have shed a couple (or more) pounds.  Now is a good time to revisit your goal.  First, you must figure out how many pounds you have yet to lose.  Second, it’s time to talk about how you’re going to get there.

When you establish a long-term goal, there is one thing that will keep you on track to success - - mini goals.  Mini-goals help you focus on your big goal and also help to make your big goal seem manageable.  You don’t want to set yourself up for failure or try to accomplish something that’s not realistic.

Commitment to your process of gaining health is key.  After all, we’ve all been there.  The way to lose and keep it off is by developing mini-goals along your journey.  For example, drinking at least eight glasses of water each day is a realistic mini-goal that will improve your health.  Eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables is another mini-goal that can be measured and easily achieved.  The same applies to exercise and rest.  Whether your goal is to run a 5K race or compete in an Ironman Triathlon, list out mini-goals that will help you accomplish your ultimate goal.

When you look at the big picture of what you are trying to accomplish, it may seem like a daunting task.  Creating mini-goals is the perfect antidote to that overwhelming pressure.  On the website, www.coolrunning.com, there is a program called “Couch to 5K,” which is designed for beginning runners to create a plan to get them off their couches and onto the road…running.  Following this plan, step by step, takes a novice runner toward their dream of competing in races.

What about you?  Consider your goals for your health, family, work and any other area.  It’s time to design some mini-goals that will take you where you want to go!

Mini-Challenge of the Day

Look at your dream of getting fit and healthy.  Write down five mini-goals designed to help you reach your goal.  Look at where you’ve come in your weight-loss journey.  Have you met any mini-goals you have set for yourself previously?  Are there some of your previous goals you may need to tweak or improve?  Take some time and evaluate where you want to be and the steps you’re going to take to get there.

Tip of the Day

Sugar can hinder your weight loss and is found in so many things, so check the ingredient labels on the foods you are eating.  If you see words like high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, or malto dextrose, that is sugar, so don’t eat it.

Until tomorrow, be blessed!

Remember to DREAM!

Mental Strategies Part 2

Mental Strategies: Part 2

Your Truth or The Truth

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- John 8:32

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:17

One of the biggest obstacles that you will face in your weight-loss challenge (if you haven’t figured it out already) is your mind.  Think back to when you started your journey.  If you’ve been on your journey for any length of time, your mentality has probably changed since you began in a positive way, especially as your overall health habits change for the better.  As you continue to lose weight, this process will bring up so many different thoughts and feelings.  Some are good and others are not.  Some of the “old you” thinking may pop up out of nowhere and hinder your progress.  I know.  It happened to me.

One thing I battled for years was that I didn’t finish what I started.  This character trait haunted me.  Somewhere during my childhood, someone told me I was a quitter.  Instead of defending myself, I chose to believe that negative statement.  I owned it and mad it part of me well into adulthood.  I actually lived out that thought day to day and replayed it in my mind without even questioning it.  But was it true?  Was I really a quitter?

While I did give up once in a while on projects, the fact was this negative statement was not the truth.  I had, however, allowed it to become my truth.  I remember one day on the ranch (The Biggest Loser Ranch) when we were all exercising real hard.  As I looked around me, I saw most of my peers struggling with their workouts.  The old thought pattern suddenly came to me, Well, I guess it’s time to quit.  But just before I made the choice to entertain the old me, I thought instead, No, I am strong!  I am going to keep going.  I am not going to quit.  I made the decision right there to finish my workouts that time and every time.

Changing my mindset didn’t happen overnight.  I cannot tell you how times I was working out and would be so exhausted I was tempted to quit.  I had to tell myself over and over, No!  The new Phil finishes what he starts.  The new Phil doesn’t give up.  The new Phil keeps going. I was changing my truth, the thought that someone had planted into my head years ago.  And I had to keep changing it every single day.

Sometimes your truth is a lie that you have let yourself believe.  Maybe a family member, a friend, or a stranger said something bad to you that stuck with you for years.  You don’t have to believe it.  It doesn’t have to be the truth.  Start today to look at those thoughts and tell yourself you are going to create a new truth about yourself.  Don’t allow yourself to talk negatively about yourself.  Start believing, saying, and living the truth that you can be successful, healthy, and fit.

Mini-Challenge of the Day

Spend some time today reading the Bible.  Write down five truths about yourself based on what the Scriptures tell us.  Psalm 139 is a great place to start.  Write down how wonderfully God made you and other statements from that passage so you can see the truth God believes about you.  Start writing by writing, “The truth is, I am…”

Tip of the Day

Never skip breakfast.  You need energy to get you going, and eating the start of your day will help you not overeat later on.

-Phil Parham

This was taken from “The 90-Day Fitness Challenge” by Phil and Amy Parham, former contestants on television’s “The Biggest Loser.”

Mental Strategies Part 1

Mental Strategies: Creating New Mindsets

Changing your mindset is just as important as changing your body.  Over the next few days we will be challenging you to change your mindset and giving you tools and strategies to think like the winner that you are.  Learn how to be in charge of your mind, the importance of having a positive attitude, and making the commitment to never give up.  You’ll also become a pro at making mini-goals and having the flexibility to deal with change.

What Is Your Strategy?

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.  For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.”
- Albert Einstein

We have heard many times that the body follows the mind.  The thoughts you have will determine the direction your life is headed.  What does this mean when it comes to fitness?  It means we need to have some mental strategies in place to keep us on the path toward a healthier life.  Here are a few tips to help you on your journey.

1.       Imagine.  Imagine what your life will be like when you reach your goals.  What will you look like?  What will it feel like to buy clothes in a smaller size?  What will it feel like to be able to run a race?  Imagine with the confidence that those things will come to pass.

2.       Tell yourself it’s your idea. One thing I heard someone do is when they are lying in bed fighting with themselves about getting up to work out is they tell themselves how much they love exercise.  Sometimes just telling yourself that you love something makes it easier to do.  You can actually convince yourself that something is fun even when it’s hard.  Tell yourself you love veggies.  Tell yourself you love running.  Tell yourself you love preparing your own healthy meals.  Train your mind to do what’s right by telling yourself how much you like doing it.  Soon, I promise you, you will really like doing them.

3.       Watch your mouth.  Be aware of the negative words that come out of your mouth.  Don’t say “I have to go to the gym.”  Say “I get to go to the gym.”  Don’t tell yourself all of the reasons why you “can’t” exercise or eat well.  Tell yourself that you “are able” to do all these things.  Remember you can do all things through Christ who is your strength.  Don’t listen to negative words or thoughts, and for sure don’t talk to yourself that way.  Always be positive in your thoughts and your words.

4.       Remember your blessings.  So many people are less fortunate that we are.  There are men and women all over the world who are so sick they are unable to focus on their health.  Many are incapable of exercising.  When you feel like you can’t go any further in your workout, think of all the people without legs who can only dream of running.  It’s a great reality check that will help keep us grateful for everything we have – the good and even the bad.

When the going gets tough, it’s time to put those strategies into action.  Let them fuel you to keep going when your mind is telling you otherwise.  The biggest battlefield you will ever face is your mind.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
-Philippians 4:8

Until tomorrow… be blessed!

Remember to DREAM!

Trust Will Keep Your Victory

Trust Will Keep Your Victory

“For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
- Mark 11:23

Once you win the war of weight, there may be other battles, but you won’t have to fight the same enemy again.  You can trust God for lasting results.  Maintenance is trusting Him on a day-to-day basis.  You will discover that new battles are easier because your faith increases after each new victory.  The enemy may try to send new anxieties to steal your confidence, because he wants you to recant your position in fear of a new giant.  This is where trust becomes your final weapon against the devil.

Goliath had some relatives that were as big as he was.  The story is told beginning in 2 Samuel 21:16 that many years later David tried to fight another Philistine giant, but became faint.  His men killed the giant and swore to him, saying in verse 17, “Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.”  They were saying that his life was valuable to them, so he never fought giants again.  His earlier victories had won him the right to rest from the battle.

David had to learn to trust God to provide deliverance from the giants.  It was clear God didn’t want David to be a martyr for Israel.  He wanted David to be a living sacrifice to bear His glory to the nation of God.  God wants us alive for His glory too.

Hebrews 4 explains that God wants us to enter His full and complete rest reserved for His people.  When we learn to trust God for our battles, we enter into the rest He wants us to enjoy.  James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead.  But when faith graduates it becomes trust.  When we move to a level of trust in God, we can enjoy the fruit of our labor and relax in full assurance of God’s ever-present grace.

David spoke to the Lord the day He delivered him from the hands of all his enemies saying, “The Lord is my Rock and My Fortress and my Deliverer.  My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my refuge, my Savior – You save me from violence.  I call on the Lord,  Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:1-4 AMP)

And so, you have to trust that God, Who has begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.  Once you use your faith to slay this giant, you will see him no more.  In the past, perhaps you used willpower.  Perhaps you tried the ways of man’s devices.  But this time you will use faith to defeat the enemy, and you won’t have to fight this giant again.

It is important to understand that God is the One Who will save you from this enemy who wants to destroy your health.  Trust God and relax so that you can accept this new lifestyle as normal.  If you don’t get to the point of trust, you will receive the blessing, but you will live in such fear that you won’t enjoy it.  You’re not free until you come to the point of trusting God with the victory.

Your mind must be renewed to the new level of trusting God to protect your victory.  As your body is calibrated to its new size, you mind must adjust to new thinking.  God will keep you where you want to be.  Encourage yourself by saying, “This is gonna be the last.  It’s not going to change.  And I don’t have to go out there and behead any more fat giants.  I’m going to rest in what God has given me the grace to experience.  This new lifestyle is going to be normal for me.”

You can’t spend the rest of your life in bondage to fat grams.  You must move on to a level of trust, where you can rest without the anxiety of worrying about your career, and raise your children without a preoccupation with food.

Don’t give up until your new lifestyle brings freedom.  Don’t give up faith in becoming the person you want to be until graduation day, when you can exchange your hard work for trust in God’s rest.

Carry the Bag of Transferable Truth

We have talked about five river stones, I call them “The Stones of Transferable Truth.”  These truths of motivation, understanding, conviction, knowledge, and trust can be used to slay any giant that may threaten to rob you of the abundant life God wants you to enjoy.  Let these stones become a part of your personal arsenal against your giants and draw from the bag whenever you need it!

Until tomorrow, be blessed!

Remember to DREAM!

In Whom Have You Placed Your Trust?

In Whom Have You Placed Your Trust?

“And Jesus said unto him,
‘Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.’”
- Mark 10:52

There comes a point at the end of various diets, pills, stomach stapling, and numerous crazy attempts at weight loss that you finally say, “If there’s going to be any hope for me at all, Jesus, You’re going to have to do it.”  When you commit your giant to prayer, the devil gets terrified.  When you release the gifts of the Spirit and engage in spiritual warfare against a physical problem, you get to the root of the issue.  Wouldn’t it be great if we all had prayed a little sooner, before all the suffering?

Bartimaeus sat beside the highway because he had adopted the lifestyle of begging in order to survive his condition of blindness.  You can read his story in Mark 10:46-52.  Anytime we have a condition we think will not change we adapt everything to accommodate it, from the way we dress to where we sit to the size of our furniture.  But Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, and even though he had lost his eyes, he had not lost his ears.

Bartimaeus used his hearing to fight for his eyesight.  He listened for a way out of the darkness and he heard that Jesus was passing by.  The Bible says he cries out, “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.”  The Amplified Bible adds, “Have mercy on me NOW!”  He called out to the Lord because he knew that if there were going to be changes in his life, God was going to have to do it.

Bartimaeus cried out so much, it irritated people around him.  Many censured him severely, telling him to keep still, but he just called out all the more, “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.”  He did not stop calling for Jesus until he got His attention.  Bartimaeus called on the name of the Lord until Jesus stood still.  Then when Jesus called to him, Bartimaeus laid aside his coat and ran to Him.

That coat identified Bartimaeus as a beggar.  It was his source of survival.  He wore it because he had expected to remain on the side of the road, where he could beg for money and food.  But when Bartimaeus heard the voice of the Lord, he suddenly knew he wouldn’t need his beggar’s coat anymore.

Bartimaeus knew the truth before there was evidence of the victory.  Notice how the five weapons worked for him against his blindness.   He was motivated by the hope of being a full-sighted individual.  He understood that responding to the voice of the Lord was going to set him free.  He was convinced the Lord wanted him to see.  He had knowledge that God was able to heal him, because he had heard about so many others who had been healed by Jesus.  And, Bartimaeus trusted that his obedience in responding to the voice of the Lord would get him the results he was after.

Jesus said, “Go your way; your faith has healed you.”  Bartimaeus immediately received his sight and walked with Jesus on the road.

Did you know that the Bible says, “Ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2)?  Jesus said that whatever we ask in His name He will do it (John 14:13).  The word “ask” used in this context is the greek word aiteo, which means “to beg, call for, crave, desire, and require.” (Strongs Concordance, #154)

Have you begged God for help with your weight?  Has your desire to be at your ideal body weight been so evident that your craving for health has consumed your prayer life?

When God gives us the grace to change, we can lay aside the weight, the beggar’s coat, and the provisions we have made to hide the condition we’re in.  We can stop wearing topcoats in August.  We can leap up and come out of hiding.  We can quit wearing drab colors all the time.  We can feel good about ourselves, because we don’t expect to sit on the sidelines again.

For some of us, laying aside the garment means getting rid of the clothes we don’t expect to wear again.  It is an act of faith to say, “I’m not going to come back to this place.”  Be prepared, the tempter will mock, “Suppose you gain weight again.  You’re going to need those someday.”  Do it anyway, as an act of faith, because the truth has set you free.  Someone else can have the clothes.  Determine to use the five river stones of truth.  Then we could just burn the “oversized coat”.

Faith refreshes us, and God gives us weapons to keep armed for future battles:

I am motivated to enjoy an abundant life.

I understand that healthy food energizes God’s plan for my life.

I have conviction that God will help me.

I have knowledge about food that I didn’t have before.

I trust that my obedience to eat right will have godly results.

We’re not going to need the big coat anymore!  We can wear short sleeves in the summer.  Bartimaeus laid aside his coat, because he knew he wasn’t going to be blind again.  He left the coat lying in the place where he used to sit.  When people walked past his old spot on  the road, people probably said, “Whose coat is that?”

“Well that belonged to the blind beggar who used to sit there.”

“Where is he now?”

“I don’t know, but I do know that he’s not blind anymore.”

Our greatest testimony is that big, old coat we leave behind.  We will be able to point to it and say, “That used to be me, but now I’m free.”

Until tomorrow, be blessed!

Remember to DREAM!