Today we begin the month of December.
With it comes Christmas parties, classroom celebrations, get togethers, homemade baked goodies, and workplace dinners. It’s the season of overindulgence and a common theme of most is “I’ll start again in January”.
And that’s what I used to say, too.
From Thanksgiving Day forward it was pretty much a free-for-all and I ate whatever I wanted to, without restraint. I can remember the few weeks before and after Christmas in 2012 and literally having a mental list of all the different fast food items that I had to be sure to eat before I began my latest “diet” on January 1st. I would eat much more than normal of my favorite treats because I knew after the new year, they would be off limits. I set myself up for failure time and time and time again.
That was also the same year that I only had ONE pair of pants that would fit me on Christmas day.
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| Christmas of 2012- at my highest weight other than pregnancy |
I remember getting ready the night this picture was taken and trying on everything in my closet. I had put on quite a bit of weight over the last few years and not only did I FEEL terrible physically, I also was self conscious about the way that I looked. I was tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed at this constant cycle that I seemed to be stuck in.
In January of 2013, I began the same old diet plans that I had tried before- counting calories, food journaling, looking for low-fat (highly processed) foods. But somewhere along the way, God got a hold of my heart and taught me a whole new way of doing things. (Read more about that here)
If you know that you need to live a healthier lifestyle, don’t get caught in the trap of thinking you can throw in the towel now, binge until January 1st and then start over.
If it’s worth taking care of your health in 2016, then it’s worth taking care of now. You were bought with a price and you are a body on mission! Each day, each moment COUNT!
Do you have to give up all your favorite Christmas treats? NO! But you can choose to only enjoy those you love the most, and in moderation. You can choose to move your body and to try to get enough sleep each night.
Remember some of the basic habits that we have covered over the past year together such as:
Drinking Water
Looking at our food labels to avoid highly processed foods, or foods with a lot of added sugar
Eating Protein with each snack and meal
Moving your body each day
Stopping and asking God how He would have you take care of your body
December is the month where all “diets” go to die. The good part is what we teach here at Wellness Witness is that diets don’t work in the first place. Heart change happens when we ask God how He would have us to take care of our bodies. This leads to lifestyle changes that are SUSTAINABLE for a LIFETIME. No more dieting mentality of off-limit foods and cardio punishment when we overindulge.
Pray and ask God to help you stick to your healthy habits and plan even in the face of the ridiculous amounts of sugar and sweet treats that will be everywhere you turn. Focus on the reason for our celebrations- that Jesus was born and lived a sinless life and because of His sacrifice, we are saved and free and whole.
Make THIS the December when you finally get a hold of this battle- in His name and in His strength. YOU CAN DO THIS.
Praying for you and cheering you on!!!
(And just for a comparison, here is Christmas of 2012 beside Christmas of 2013)
If you’re looking for an At-Home workout option that will speak to your heart AND move your body, check out the programs we have available right now: https://gumroad.com/wellnesswitness .
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes & Amen.
I’m so happy HE got ahold of US in this… i don’t have those kind of results (well) i don’t think i have pictures actually. Holy Schmoly my heart is different. So much so – i fairly sure HE doesn’t want me in the GYM anymore – which is a GOOD place… but He’s got other stuff He’s working on…. and i LOVE group fitness classes (even ones i don’t teach)…
there’s SO much more to share (sometime) – SOOOOO happy for where you’re at!