Power Thought

Good evening readers,

Can I just tell the truth? I have been having a very difficult time this week. My eating is much better since I started this journey, granted, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around being fit and in the shape that I so deeply desire. I do these workouts and I look at the likes of Jillian Michaels asking myself, "Can my body ever really be that toned?" Then I begin the exercises and my body shows me exactly how out of shape and pathetic I have become. I lose wind when doing the cardio, and the my muscles shake and tremble as I do the strength exercises.

Well, readers, God in all of his faithfulness has answered my prayers. I'll will preface this post by saying that I don't wish to offend anyone. So, if spirituality or Bible scriptures aren't your cup of tea, you are more than welcome to stop reading now. There's is no love lost, I'm just not in the business of side-swiping people with my beliefs.

With that out of the way, onto the good stuff!

This post is inspired by a message that I just watched by Joyce Meyer. (LOVE her!!)

Well, what are power thoughts? They are just what the name implies: thoughts that give us power. Power to do; power to be; power to stop; power to go. The truth of the matter is, "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). You become what you think. I challenge you to think about what you're thinking about. If you're in a bad mood, pay attention to your thoughts and 9/10 you'll find the root to your mood.

Philippians 4:13 AMP says: I am ready for anything, equal to anything through Him that infuses inner-strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency.

That scripture means exactly what it says, and Joyce's power thought is birthed from it.

It's simple - I CAN DO WHATEVER I NEED TO DO IN LIFE.

As I heard this woman speaking I began to reflect on my own life and struggles. I am not defeated because I'm not strong enough to exercise, or because I don't have the will-power to eat right. I am defeated by my own stinking thinking!

I am committed to meditate on this power thought. To let it play and replay over and over in my mind: "I can do whatever I need to do in life, I can do whatever I need to do in life..."

What really is my excuse? If I am to believe that God, the creator of the universe, of you and of me is infusing me with inner-strength---- Yeah, I think that does away with any excuse. When the thought comes to say that I'm weak, that I'm not disciplined, WHATEVER the thought, I can remind myself that I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength. How many times have we heard it? "You can do anything that you set your mind to!" We hear it, but do we take heed?

I'm setting my mind today, ladies and gentleman. I am battling, yes. But I'm not battling my body - the battlefield is in my MIND!

I can do whatever I need to do in life. This power thought far succeeds exercise and weight-loss. I don't care what it is. Correct your thinking today, and watch your life change.

You all bring me so much joy! Thanks, as always, for reading!

Xoxoxoxoxo
Chanta

Lessons learned....road trips....oh, and a weigh-in!

Good day readers!

It's Monday! Last week I said to you that I wanted to lose 5lbs this week. Well, that was wishful thinking. This was a very rough week, to say the least. I made a few unhealthy choices and as a result I'm down 1.4lbs. Far cry from 5lbs, but I'll take it! Excuse the somber tone of this post. The days of beating myself up are LONG GONE. If it's a minus, it's all good!

I hit the highway early Saturday morning to go to North Carolina and get my daughter. Road trips....need I say more? I brought my healthy snacks and didn't completely blow it, but I did eat some things that I probably wouldn't have if I were at home. Hey, such is life. You're always going to be presented with choices, and sometimes it's not so easy to do the right thing. That's the raw truth.

But even in the midst of that I kept my goal in mind, knowing that because I made a few bad choices I wasn't completely off the wagon. That's growth for me! In times past one slip-up would tear me apart emotionally and I would turn back to all of my unhealthy eating habits. But it's not about never making a mistake, it's about making a choice to continue to push forward no matter what. The "I'll do better tomorrow" has turned to "I'll do better with my next meal." PROGRESSION!

So, I could get down on myself because I didn't lose as much as I wanted to, or I can celebrate the lessons that I am learning through this process. I think I'll choose the latter!

Thank you all so much for your support!

Grace and peace,
Chanta

Week 1 - WEIGH IN!!!!!!

Good morning readers,


The day is here! The day I looked forward to all week. It is so exciting to see results after working towards a goal. So here it is! My total weight loss for the week is 4 lbs!!!!!!! And....wait for it....I lost 1.5 inches from my waist!!!! O..M..G!

I lost 4 inches, total. But I am stoked about the inches lost from my waist. C'mon, I'm woman, do I even have to explain that one?? I measured every area of my body last Monday, as numbers on the scale are okay; inches determine how your clothes fit! I'm well on the way to being down a dress size, and THAT makes me more than happy! Needless to say, I am pleased. Very, very pleased. Now, let's talk about what I learned this week:

I learned that healthy eating can be fun and tasteful, without sacrificing all of the vitamins and minerals that we need. I remixed and free-styled some dishes, and they came out great. I think the key to eating is to find whatever flavors you like and lean that way. Some people like spicy, others sweet, some bitter, etc. I love lemon, when it comes to veggies and fish, and garlic....in just about everything. So, when I taste those flavors my taste buds are happy, and I'm not eating begrudgingly, feeling deprived. Does that make sense?

A good friend of mine asked me how to stop eating junk food, and I shared with her a life-changing point that I learned from Jillian Michaels (love her!) She said that you have to HATE what those foods are doing to your body. Sounds so simple, but it's SO paramount. If I hate my stomach hanging over my pants, then I have to hate the bagels, donuts, muffins, cake and cookies that made it that way! 

I'm learning that on this journey you have to continually choose to NOT do what you're accustomed to doing, and shift to the uncomfortable and sometimes unknown. Let's just tell the truth. Eating badly is easy, making a conscious choice to eat clean is hard! There's nothing simple about it, ESPECIALLY when you're used to eating junk. It's a choice, and again I say, it's all mental!

So, this week I want to kick my workouts up a notch. I didn't work out as much as I could have last week. I did, but I want to achieve my goal of 5lbs this week. Stay with me, good people!

Thanks so much for reading!

Peace and blessings,

Chanta

Mind over....cake, pie....and all desserts Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a fantabulous holiday with family, friends and fun!

Let's just be real, it was Thanksgiving - I ate! Of course I ate! I had plenty of yummy, non-diet foods. I enjoyed myself and every scrumptious bite that I put into my mouth. But it isn't the same! First, I didn't have any dessert. Now, anyone who knows me knows the insane sweet tooth that I have. Cookies, brownies, cakes....if there were no sweets in the world I'd be thin as a rail! But I used discretion yesterday, and I am IMMENSELY proud of myself for it.

My mind is controlling my body, instead of allowing my body to dictate what we were going to eat, when and how much. Those days are long gone. This thing is SO mental. It really is all in your mind. I didn't bring home leftovers, and my friend tried to get me to bring home cake and I refused. If that cake is in this house, it's going to get eaten! I said I'm progressing, I'm not delusional.

Before we left for dinner yesterday I worked out, and yesterday morning I couldn't resist - I got on the scale and I'm down 3lbs since Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Atop that amazing victory, I got back on this morning, just to assess the damage - and I didn't gain a pound as a result of all my Thanksgiving indulgences.

I hate to come off boastful. I know that there are some of you reading this that are in this same fight with me. I blog to let you know that it's POSSIBLE! Yes, I'm only down a few pounds, but it's so much more than that. I'm proving to myself who's boss. I am NOT a slave to food, or to my lack of discipline, and that brings me more pleasure than any number on a scale. Take heart, readers! Love you all.

Xoxoxoxo,

Chanta

Nothing to it but to do it, RIGHT?!?

Clearly the person that coined this phrase never struggled with anything!

While I agree completely with what the statement says, I know from personal experience, finding the wherewithal to execute that "it" isn't always so simple.

A good friend of mine once spoke a quote that still replays over and over in my head. "Excuses are tools of the incompetent," he said. Wow!

I know beyond a shadow of ANY doubt that my battle with my weight is a result of excuses that I have made to myself. Things like:

"One piece of cake isn't gonna make you fat, c'mon!"

"Everyone eats fast food!"

"Even people in the best shaped eat badly sometimes!"

Excuses! And more excuses! I am finding out now that I was clearly incompetent. And while it may not make much sense, eating what I wanted - when I wanted was my way of maintaining control. When I was younger and thinner, I could do just that. Until now I wasn't able to let go off that notion.

There are people that don't gain a pound no matter what they put into their mouths, and there are people that have to count calories and work out. It's just the way it is! I'm accepting it and I'm done with the excuses. I would LOVE to be "that" person, but I am not.
It's about recognizing, embracing and applying the truth, not making excuses in order to continue eating like a pig.

Ahh, I'm learning, y'all. I'm accountable to myself and to you. I know better, so I'm doing better. No more excuses!

"I can" has to become "I will!"

I don't know why I'm starting this blog. Let me rephrase that - I do know why I'm starting this blog, I just don't know what to expect from it just yet. I know that writing has always been a catharsis for me, I also hope to gain motivation and accountability.

We've all heard the phrase being "sick and tired of being sick and tired." But what does it mean to come to the end of yourself and REALLY be tired and fed-up. I believe I have come to that point. Let's start with some background info....

I have had self-image issues all of my life; but have been struggling with my weight for about five years. I know what many of you are thinking: No, I'm not obese, but I could stand to lose a few pounds. Moreover, I could stand to learn how to LIVE! How to control my eating habits and not have food control me. Yes, it's that serious. Why? It's simple. If I can look in the mirror and not like what I see, yet continue to eat cookies instead of apples, something is WRONG! 

I've heard it all: "You're not fat!" "Stop beating up on yourself!" "You have a beautiful shape." The list goes on. I won't reveal my weight just yet; just know that if I did most of you would be shocked. I am a lot heavier that what I look, and I am not in the shape that I would like to be.

Allow me to be clear. My weight itself is not my real issue. The fact that I can't seem to get a handle on something that's so important to me is what scares me more. I am a realist. I try to remain honest about whatever the situation is, and the reality is that this has gotten completely out of control. For so many years I was able to eat whatever I wanted without worry about gaining a pound. I think that I've held on to that notion for so long, and I haven't been able to reckon with the fact that I am not that person anymore. Maybe it's age, maybe my metabolism slowed down - whatever the cause, I cannot just indulge without fear of gaining weight. Some people have that luxury, I am NOT one of those people. The first step is acknowledgement, right?

So, here I am today. Just getting my thoughts out, and stating my intentions. I am praying that this is it for me. I have tried and failed SO many times. It is depressing. To start out strong, and fall flat on my face - time and time again. I seem to have such a good hold on other areas of my life. It kills me that I can't win this battle.

I've decided to try it again. To eat clean and work out. That is the ONLY way to lose weight and keep it off. I know these things like I know my first name. What I can't line my actions up with this fact is far BEYOND me.

If you will, I'll take you on this journey with me. Monday starts the dawning of a new day. It's that or every mirror in my house goes out of the window! Something has to give. Enough has become enough!