A slow, but steady start

Oh dear. I wasn't expecting to have to give an update so soon. Mamanotes is asking for an update on the Body after Baby Challenge, though, so here goes.

I didn't kick things into gear until monday the 4th, which means today is really only my 4th day. And as of right now, I think things are going pretty well.

exercise:

I did stroller strides on monday
I did the shred video on tuesday
yesterday I did not work out, but was finally able to get all of the paperwork in order (quite the process!) to join the MIT gym, joined, and signed up for a swim class.

Nutrition:

I have had my raw veggie cereal everyday, which isn't too hard to manage since I LOVE it. I've had the applesauce and yogurt but have also sneaked in two slices of cheddar right before the lunch of a protein shake, which I've had every day and am starting to really enjoy too. I've had regular dinners in average sized portions.

Progress:

I have no idea if I've lost weight or not. I still haven't managed to find a scale. I was going to weigh at the gym yesterday, but forgot about it.

I have been recording exercise and food in a log, and that is helping me really think through what I am doing.

The biggest big of progress I have made though, is to really train my brain and my body to not give in to my (often) weaker emotions. I have really struggled with desiring to eat even if I was not hungry. I have found myself feeling like I've done a good job for a little while and deserve a reward, or feeling like I should be excused because we have company in town and I should be able to eat everything they're eating, or feeling like it's hopeless so I might as well give up, or feeling any number of other things that will someone justify my excuses.

And I'm learning to recognize those feelings for what they are and train my brain not to be controlled by them. And that's the biggest battle I'm facing during this process, and honestly, I think it's the biggest battle I've had success with in the past few days of dieting.

So one thing I'm doing is using the book "Love to Eat, Hate to Eat: Breaking the bondage of destructive eating habits" by Elyse Fitzpatrick as part of my daily devotions. It's a small jewel of a book that I discovered a few years ago and it changed the way I think about food. Just a few of the things in it that have already helped me are these:

1.) Lack of self control blinds us to the realities of the temporary nature of this earth's pleasures and our own sinfulness, and hardens our hearts to the joys and purposes of heaven (p. 119)

2.) Even if you are following a pre-planned diet perfectly, that doesn't mean that your eating is pleasing to the Lord (p. 120)

3.) When it comes to changing eating habits, one of the greatest lessons you'll ever learn is to stop trying to feed your desires with food and to begin to feed your hunger with the Word (p. 146)

I'll leave you with that for now. But as I continue to update on my progress, I'm going to include more of the pearls of wisdom found in this book, because it's really the BEST book I've read on the idolatry of food and the way women are so often controlled by a love or hate (or both at the same time!) of food and its direct relationship to emotions, thoughts, and relationship with God.