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The challenge: to get rid of the “bad” stuff from our diets.

Most all of us when we realize that we need to “lose a few pounds” immediately step into “diet” mode and start eliminating things from our diet.  We are often left hungry, moody, and look for every quick weight loss scam out there thus leaving us broker.  We “ban” ourselves from eating foods that are good for us in an attempt to shed a few pounds.  Sometimes we lose them and then we immediately return to our old ways and the cycle continues.

 

Why make the change:

The key to success in long term weight loss is to make changes that will stick.  We need to reprogram our brain to a completely different way of eating.  We have been falsely led to believe that everything in the store is good for us.  Even if the label says “natural” we think that it is good for us.

That is so not the case.

We need to be eating food that is found mostly in its natural state.  Sometimes this may sound overwhelming and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.  The key to changing our lifestyle diet to a more basic, simple one is to get rid of the most processed things one food at a time.

How to make the change:

When you think of changing your diet, picture returning your diet to a basic one.  Think, “what would you do if there was no local store to buy your packaged food?” What would you serve for dinner tonight?  You want to return to a diet where you can buy things in bulk and eat off of them for a long time.  Think rice, dried beans, whole wheat flour, and popcorn seeds.

For most of us, myself included when I purchased my first bulk buy of those items, for the most part they sat in my basement only slowly getting used.  I enjoyed buying snack mix instead of making popcorn for snacks.  Oatmeal wasn’t as appealing as cold cereal.  Dried beans?? Those took too much time to make, I wanted canned ones.

I then had to do things slowly.  I made a list.  A list of how I wanted to rid our foods of packaged, processed foods and return to a more whole foods centered diet.

Here is our list:

1. eliminate white flour, sugar, bread, and pasta
2. replace sugary drinks and sodas with water
3. avoid packaged foods with more than 5 ingredients
4. replace fake margarine’s and vegetable oils with real butter and olive/coconut oils
5. replace table salt with sea or Himalayan salt
6. replace snack foods with fresh fruit or veges
7. stop eating out and start making meals
8. work on replacing a few items in my pantry each month that I buy as a “convenience food”.  Example–canned beans, taco seasoning, ranch mix, etc.
9. Make most of my grocery budget go to fresh fruits and vegetables

Did we make these changes overnight?  No we slowly worked on them.  It has been about a year and a half since we have begun this list and we are still working on completing it.

I am realizing the impact foods has on my children’s health as well as their temperament.  I realize that we have more energy, don’t feel as sluggish halfway through the day, and I realize that I probably eat more now that I have switched to a basic, plain diet.  Thus resulting in me not feeling the need to snack or like I am missing out on foods.

I used to believe in 3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks but I realize that when I feed my children “real” foods  that they can go much longer and feel fuller longer periods of time throughout the day.

It has been a slow journey but with each new choice, it takes some time getting used to and then it usually sticks.  I have found that it takes 5-10 times of offering new foods to my children before they even eat it.  I used to despise trail mix myself, thought it was gross but you know it has become my new favorite snack foods for the day.  Everything takes time, it takes time to reprogram our taste buds to something more basic and simple.   Thus the reason for this challenge, if you can start by changing one new thing a week or  month, then its better than not beginning at all.

The challenge: to subtract people/things that deduct from your life

Okay, we ALL have them….people and things that take WAY too much unnecessary time from our lives.  It may be time spent finding out what is going on, on Facebook, it might be long, negative phone conversations spent with friends, or it could be sitting in front of the television watching the “new” series that came out.  We all have things in our life that are basically “deducting” from precious time that could be spent in a more positive area.

Why make the change:

How many of us “wish” that we had more time to do things?

I know I make excuses from time to time that say,”if only I had more time, or I would but I can’t seem to fit it into my day.”   Then some of my “free” time  is spent “relaxing” in front of the tv or spent sitting listening to people complain about life.

Now nothing is WRONG with talking and encouraging friends that may be going through a rough time, or even watching a show, I am talking about the things that are constantly time consuming, drain us of emotional energy, and are generally not a “positive” light in our life.

It is so easy to keep adding friends and things into our life.  We are constantly handed new opportunities to minister, new friends that seem generally okay to hang out with, and many commitments that sound like great opportunities for our children.  But not everything NEEDS to be added to our life.

If you are finding that you are emotionally drained after visiting with a friend, stressed out trying to get to prior commitments and most importantly your spouse does not view your friends or your desire to fill your schedules full as good, it is time to subtract things.

 

How to make the change:

I know myself, I have had people come into my life that are generally not adding benefits to it.  Not that people have to “add” but you can get wrapped up in “saving” people or letting them unleash their problems more times than needed.  It is a fine line and something that needs to be put through to God first.

These people could be family, best friends, or even co-workers.  If you are finding that the majority of your time with these people results in negative behavior because of their lifestyle choices, or maybe they constantly like to complain and bring negativity into your life thus resulting in you being negative yourself.  It may be time to subtract.

Now, we can’t always just drop people, although some may beg to differ.  You can subtract people from your life without severing all ties.  Sometimes it can mean less time talking to them, or finding other avenues that you can pour your time into like say time with your children.

Sometimes it is commitments and a full schedule that need to be subtracted from our lives.  I know when I fill my days full and barely have time to sit and talk with my husband each evening, he gets frustrated.  If I am running around here and there not being a “keeper at home” then how can I show my children the value of what God has called me to be?  Activities are fun to do, don’t get me wrong, but you have to find that balance of what is God-honoring and family-honoring.

You shouldn’t be going through life on the hamster wheel, constantly running here and there because you are going to miss some really great things that only come from having some quiet, relaxing time.  Your children, your spouse, and you deserve to be able to enjoy just doing nothing but being with each other.

I want my children to learn that you don’t always have to be doing something to be happy.  I want them to value friendships in the way that it is better to have a few really good ones then lots of broken, stressed out, emotional taking ones.

The best ways to decide which people, commitments, or activities to subtract from your life is to seek God in prayer.  Ask Him to show you which ones are deducting from your life in a negative way.  Go to your husband and ask him if there are any activities, people, or commitments that he sees as unhealthy in your life.

That could be a hard thing to do.  We are generally people pleasers and to feel like you let someone down will be hard to do.  But life is too short, we need to be adding positive things and people to our life not keeping the ones that deduct from it.