Diet

I know that I should get 5-7 servings of veggies a day. I just can’t get that many in. Do you have any suggestions?

Vegetables are my favorite thing to make time for… I too have struggled to get them in. When I get the required amount in each day I feel much better. In order to get my veggies in I put them on my priority list. Personally, lunch is usually on my own, making it easy for me to put the veggies in. I take a bag of frozen veggies which is 4-5 servings. I microwave the bag for about 6 minutes, drain, add seasoning, a serving of cheese and a serving of lean meat and I have a terrific lunch. I also get a couple more servings with my supper. I have my quota in for the day. Centering my lunch or supper around vegetables helps me get my 5-7 servings in a day. A serving of veggies is one cup raw or half a cup cooked. Fresh vegetables are the best, then frozen, followed by canned. You can also juice your veggies. Vegetables are an important part of your daily nutrition. Take the time to get them in.

Psalm 104:14 NKJ “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth.”

For Lent I decided to fast all day (maybe have a couple Slim Fast® shakes) and then eat a sensible dinner. What do you think? Is this a good idea?

I love the fact you want to honor God by taking better care of your body during Lent.I think that when we do a desired behavior change during Lent, it is powerful. I personally believe you should pick a behavior that can help you in your life, in addition to being pleasing to God. Fasting is powerful. You can just fast one thing. You do not have to fast all things.

I suggest that you do not fast all day and then eat a sensible dinner. This sounds OK, but fasting during the day and over eating at night is 75% of my clients’ problem. Most people think they will eat a sensible dinner, but buy 4 pm they are ravenous and even with the best intentions it is hard to pull it off. Night time then turns into a feeding frenzy and there goes the Lent promise. I suggest that you turn it around. Eat sensibly unto the Lord all day long. At night fast unto Him. Eat a small supper and fast the rest of the evening. This is a great way to honor God and treat your body like a temple not a trash can.

Jesus said in Matthew 17:21 “However this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

I have to eat on the road. I can not control my diet this way. What should I do?

Many people have to eat on the road. I suggest trying to abide by the nutrition challenge anyway. Get your correct amount of servings in per food group wherever you are. It is possible. I try to order veggies on the side with my meals instead of potatoes. I order the lean meat choices without the sauces. I only eat the bread if I have not consumed my three starches yet. In today’s world it is easy to pick up single packs of fruit or vegetables. Convenience stores are even carrying veggie trays. Pack your lunch. Take the time to plan your meals and where you will eat. Making a plan and sticking to it is the behavior that will get you to your desired result.

Examples of what I eat on the road: For breakfast I plan on eating McDonald’s fruit parfaits if I need to eat out. For lunch, if I am on the road, I will get a spinach salad from Subway. If I am out for a nice dinner, I plan on ordering the lean meat and a side of veggies. I find it fairly easy to get all my required nutrition in even when I am on the road. It is fun. Plan it. Try it.

Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the goal for the for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

I know that I am supposed to leave the ice cream alone and that it is making me fat. My problem is that I do not want to. I like my ice cream and I do not feel like giving it up. What else can I do if I am not willing to give up the ice cream?

Figure out how many calories of ice cream a day that you are eating and then determine what work out you can do to burn those calories. Eat your ice cream but first get in the exercise.

If you are worried about being fat then you need to take action against it. When you know inside your heart you need to give something up like ice cream, cheese, chocolate or any other behavior that is bugging you, it is a pretty good sign that it is time for you to do it. I call this the Holy Spirit nudge.

The problem with change is we rarely continue to “feel like it”. Change is difficult. It takes a decision to stay committed to the behavior you want. Decide that you like the way you feel when you control your ice cream urge and resist. The more you practice the desired behavior the easier it gets. Remember your thoughts largely influence your feelings and you do have the power to control your thinking!

1 Timothy 6:6 “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”

I eat good foods. I get regular exercise and still I am over weight. I feel like giving up. What am I doing wrong?

Sounds like you are on the right track. If you are eating nutritionally well balanced meals and getting regular exercise you are doing great!! This combination will keep you pretty healthy even if you are a bit over weight. Research shows that people who are in shape and 25 pounds overweight are healthier than people who are at their ideal body weight and unfit. So, give yourself a break and at least keep doing what you are doing. Do not give up!

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

There are many things you could be doing to sabotage your weight control. The first thing to check is your portion size. My sister lost 80 pounds. She said, “I used to think a portion of Girl Scout cookies was a serving. Now I know a serving is a couple.” I personally can’t believe a serving size of ice cream is only a half a cup. How can anyone stop at a half cup? In order to control yourself and stop at the serving size try eating slowly, put your eating utensil down between bite savoring the flavor of each bite. Chew each bite at least 20 times. Decide not to get started if you know it is something you cannot control. Serving size is one of the most common mistakes people make when choosing their diet.

Keep on keeping on! Eat well balanced, calorically proportioned, natural foods and continue to exercise daily and you will keep fit.

I struggle with sugar. I start thinking I will eat only one cookie and then I have eaten the whole sleeve. I intend to eat a half cup of ice cream and before I know it the whole half gallon is gone. I do not know how to stop! I am embarrassed about my eating and I feel so ashamed. What can I do to break this bondage?

Do not get started in the first place. Sugar is not necessary in your diet.
Your body will be better off if you get your simple carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables. They have essential nutrients that will help you. Sugar is just calories.

The best way to not eat the bad stuff is to not bring it into your life. Do not buy it for your family. Do not bring it into the office. Associate with people whom support you in your quest to leave the sugar alone.

Sugar throws your body into an up and down energy cycle. It is not a good choice in a healthful diet. Eat a well balanced adequate diet you will not be as tempted to binge on the sugar. Many of us binge after we have starved ourselves through breakfast and lunch. Eat five small nutritious meals a day so you do not get this starvation/justification feeling. Tell yourself that you enjoy eating healthy, and believe it!

Fake it, until you make it! The first three days are the hardest and it takes 21-28 days to formulate new habits. During this time frame and beyond make sure you engage in positive self talk and thought. Focus on the benefits you are receiving from eating healthy. When you start to romance the idea of sugar just let it go. Ask God to help you with your thoughts, use His word to direct you away from the old and into your new ways. The Bible is full of scriptures that help you turn from the old and start new! Practice forgiveness and keep on keeping on!

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing his will really is.”

I did it again, last week I was down a few ponds so I cheated a bit this week and now I am up a few. I hate this Yo Yo! I feel like giving up. Maybe I should just love myself the way I am. What’s wrong with that?

Absolutely you should love yourself the way you are! Because you love yourself you should treat your body as His temple not your trash can! When you do this you will feel better is all areas of your life.

Start in the morning by thinking of your body as His. Think of how you are going to love yourself today by eating nutritiously and getting a good workout. Plan your menu and your workout. When you are tempted to blow it, remember that if you make the choice to eat the second cookie or skip the workout your pleasure will be momentary. If you stay on track you will feel good throughout your day. That good feeling will be reflected in other areas of your life. So, go for it today! Get back on track! Keep on keeping on! Your perseverance will pay off. You are His, love yourself accordingly, eat nutritiously and get in your workout!

1 Corinthians 13:3 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

I have recently lost a lot of weight. My motto is “If it is not a fruit or a vegetable I am not eating it!” It is working for me so I thought I’d share.

Congratulations!!! it is very important to get in Fruits and Vegetables. You also need protein and some healthy fats. You need protein to maintain your muscle. You need muscle to support your skeletal structure and your internal organs. Muscle also helps with your basil metabolism, your energy level and your ability to maintain function. Protein is a very essential part of your diet so get it back in as soon as possible. Try to choose lean proteins like chicken breasts and fish. Healthy fat too is essential. Your brain need some fat just to think clearly so do not completely eliminate it from your diet. Keep up the mindset of “if it is not good for me I am not eating it!!” Add in proteins and some fat and Keep On Keeping On!! You are on the right path.

1 Thessalonians 4:4-5 “that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.”