Tips/Resources
NOTE: There is no real order to this page. Just a chaotic “mix” of jumbled thoughts and ideas. I hope that you may find something helpful for your weight loss efforts in these “writings of a madman”.
Section I.
Spiritual/Attitude/Mindset:
The most important part of any endeavor for success, self improvement, or “chasing your dream” all comes down to one thing…what you believe! I know that sounds a little janky or cheesy but it is true and the really ironic part is that it’s true whether you believe it or not.
This section of the site will list sayings, resources such as books or CD/DVD’s or other websites that might help you “get to where you want to be”.
I first want to point out that personally, I am a born again, Spirit filled Christian and I believe the the bible is the infallible Word of God….period.
I believe that Jesus Christ is my everything. He is my Savior, He is my Victory over losing weight, He is my Deliverance from compulsive overeating, He is my Healing, He is my Wisdom, He is my Provision, He is my Favor and my Blessing…I guess you get the point.
The point that I am trying to make here is that I believe that I am “in Christ” and that however God sees or feels about Jesus Christ his Beloved Son, well, He feels the same way towards me because that is what the bible says about those of us who are “in Christ”.
The Word of God states, “if God is for me; who can be against me?” You see I am finally believing the Gospel of Grace and that is the whole foundation in my beliefs and my thinking.
My believing this Truth, this Gospel of Grace has changed my whole mindset about success in all areas of my life!
Eat Stop Eat is the tool that helps me cut calories and lose weight…Jesus Christ is the power that drives the tool.
Sorry if that got a little preachy, that was not my intention. I just wanted to share something powerful with you that has helped me by leaps and bounds in all areas of my life.
If you want to dig in to this more on your own then I would highly recommend these few resources that very plainly and simply help you understand how much God really loves you and just how awesome He really is.
If you are a reader, the book “Destined to Reign: The Secret to Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living
If you are more into visual, the DVD set “Grace and Favour Seminar“ by Joseph Prince is absolutely jaw dropping in the Truth it reveals about the bible and how much God loves you.
Another good resource if you are a little short on cash is to go to Andrew Wommack’s website and check out his archived TV ministry entitled ” The War is Over“. This resource is extremely eye opening as it reveals God’s heart toward humanity…yes, that mean you too.
Now for those of you who have a hard time swallowing the whole God and bible thing…
There are a slew of books out there that show the importance of how your mind and what you are thinking affect your everyday life and the success that you are striving for.
One of the very best books I have read while on my quest for truth is by Dr. Shad Helmstetter, “What to Say When you Talk To Yourself
This book really helped me understand just how your thoughts affect every area of your life…a very good read whether you believe in God or not!
ONE THING TO REMEMBER:
A change of behavior does not necessarily bring about a change of heart or mind…but a change of heart or mind will almost always bring about a change of behavior.
ANOTHER THING TO REMEMBER:
“What you believe influences what you think, what you think influences what you feel, what you feel influences what you do and what you do influences what you get”…Dr. Shad Helmstetter
Section II.
Habits/Disciplines/Rituals:
Exercise…
The thing I have learned about exercise is this: If I have to exercise to stay in shape or help lose weight or keep from getting old or whatever reason you want to plug in there, I will eventually resent exercise because it becomes a “chore”.
What has helped me become more consistent and actually enjoy my workouts more is a little change in thinking. You see, I love martial arts and sparring so the reason I exercise now is so I can become better at what I really like to do and that is martial arts.
So now my reason for exercise has changed and now my “have to” has become a “want to”. You know as well as I do that doing something you want to is so much easier and enjoyable than doing something you have to..right?
If you are having problems with exercising consistently may I suggest looking at what you used to enjoy in your past. For me it was karate but for you it could be hiking, biking, swimming, roller blading, shuffle board, basketball, softball, football, bowling or any one of a hundred other sports or pastimes.
Once you decide to pick up your sport again, it is easier to exercise because you will want to be better at what you really enjoy doing whether its a little hoopla at the gym or getting kicked in the head like me…Oh Yeah baby, bring it!
Eating Rituals…
Here is a list of “rituals” that I am trying to establish as habits which are helping me with weight loss:
* chew each bite of food 20 times or more
* put the fork down between every bite
* eat slower (the first two steps above almost take care of this for me)
* don’t eat in front of the TV…so much (this one is a little tougher for me)
* don’t eat past a set time; mine is 6pm (kitchen is closed for the night)
* pay closer attention to my stomach while I’m eating (its re-teaching me when its full)
* I eat my carbs for breakfast and lunch and then go low carb for supper (helps me avoid triggers)
* if I just have to “do a Little Debbie and smoke a Twinkie afterwards”, I do it with breakfast or lunch
REMEMBER:
There are no “bad” foods. Apart from being poisoned or bacteria ridden all foods are good! Let me explain; the minute you put a food “off limits” just by your human nature alone you are now going to crave this food. (You may even start dreaming about this “naughty” food…it may even speak to you at times, things such as…”like what you see big boy?”…”yesssss I’m talking to you”…”come on over here and bite me you bad boy you”).
An example of this would look something like this; You have a nice little scenic bench at a park by a quiet serene pond that is fairly isolated from other people and everything is cool. Once you put up a little sign that says “Thou Shalt Not Throw Pebbles Into The Pond” you can pretty much bet that the pebble count at the bottom of that pond is going to rise consistently over time, its human nature…we don’t like to be told “no”.
Also think about this; someone considers their body to be a temple. They only eat organic produce and only ocean caught fish (nothing “impure” enters the temple)…there as natural as they can get.
This “soy boy” gets lost in the woods for five days and those ants and grub worms are looking mighty tasty by now…but wait what is that…could it be, yes it is!!! It’s a box of Twinkies that must have fallen out of someone’s back pack…thank you Jesus!
Now which food do you think “soy boy” is about to shove in his pie hole? The natural, wholesome grub worms or the Evil Twinkie with all kinds of preservatives that will help it survive for 200 hundred years? You betcha…so would I.
Junk food all day everyday is not a smart nutrition choice but every now and then its OK…so lighten up already. Once your body starts getting back its voice you will be surprised at how easily you start making better food choices.
So remember there are only “good” foods and “better” or “higher” foods.
Once you “get this” you will start LEARNING (its a process) to enjoy eating again…without all the obsession and condemnation.
Never, ever, ever….quit!
Always keep swinging,
David
