Mommy, You Are Beautiful

Dear Mommy,

Just as you have set the children down for a moment of rest, after wiping peanut butter off of every flat surface in the kitchen and putting the fourth load of laundry to wash again because it was forgotten in the washer and has now become musty smelling… I want to remind you that you are beautiful.

The work that is done behind the scenes just so life can run smoothly is important work. Did you learn this juggling act in school? Probably not. Did you learn the art of nursing a baby while helping your 2-year-old go potty and in the midst of sing-alongs with your 4-year-old? Not likely. But here you are, doing important work.

“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” ~William Ross Wallace.

It is a season. Those years when your little ones are growing, developing and formulating their perspective of the world will pass by in the blink of an eye, so slow down and just be in that season. There will never be anyone better at being your children’s mother than you. It doesn’t mean it is easy. It requires waking up a bit earlier than the brood to spend some time in prayer, collecting your thoughts and even getting in some exercise. This sounds like a tall order, especially if you are still waking up in the middle of the night with babies, but trust me, the discipline of an early alarm clock for precious quiet time will save your sanity. You will find that you can get a better grip on your day, your spirit and your health when you put this little tip into practice.

It is not selfish, it is self-preservation. Keep your own cup full so that you can pour out love and goodness to your babies.

Society has changed so much in the past few decades and stay-at-home-moms now seem to be viewed as those who have a luxurious privilege, but truthfully, who better than a child’s mother to know the heart of a child and guide the shaping of their character? Today’s families are so busy and often juggle the caretaking responsibilities of the children. Everyone thinks someone else is watching the littles and frequently the needful guiding hand is not available to truly help the child arrive safely to adulthood.

I won’t pretend that I understand your family dynamics, or what best fits your finances, but I will tell you this, you will never regret dedicating your time to be fully present during the young years of your child(ren)’s lives. Fulfillment in a career can come at a different time in life. Does it mean that you cannot have your own personal interests? I don’t think so. Those motherhood years can be ones that you develop skills in cooking, organizing, writing, gardening, floral arranging, teaching (you are teaching your children every day- degree or not), photography, sewing and even develop leadership skills as you volunteer for organizations pertaining to your children’s activities. When my children were very young, I would go to the library and check out every book I could get my hands on in a particular subject, like floral arranging or bread-making, and use resources at home to hone these new skills. Those were some of the most enriching years. The children often learned right alongside of me.

Perhaps not a one will read this simple musing, but the thought begged to be written out. Mommies are irreplaceable. If you are having a difficult day, or it seems like you will never find yourself again amongst the endless duties of mommy-hood, rest assured, this is a season, and you are doing the most important work of your life.

xoxo,
Tasha Brickhouse, RD, LD/N 

Guest-bloggin' over on ApostolicSportswear | Wearing an orange ASW skirt for #HungerAction Day!

Featuring one of Apostolic SportsWear Skirts!

It is no secret.
I am a running-skirt kinda girl. My sweet friend Teresa was probably one of the forerunners of modest active skirt-makers and she has stayed true to her passion. A bit of her passion has spilled over to her ultra-creative daughter Hannah, who is maintaining the family business website Apostolic SportsWear.

Hannah asked me if I would write a little diddy about some of the physical benefits of exercise, aside from a smaller number on the scale or in the tag of your clothes.

Jump over to their blog and read about Perking you up with a fresh cup of...Exercise? Leave a little feedback and share on your favorite social media if you know someone who could use a little pick-me-up!

So do you want to know why I am wearing orange today? September is #HungerAction month which is an initiative to encourage folks to donate non-perishable goods to their local food banks. September 3rd is a day to wear orange signifying your action on hunger.

Did you know that 1 in 6 Americans struggle with hunger? As summer comes to a close, many food banks have run very low on their supplies due to increased needs while the children are out of school. Locally, the Pentecostals of Deland is hosting a food drive throughout the month of September to benefit local needs and contribute to The Neighborhood Center in Deland. Our church has 5 key missions in a Whole Life Challenge for the year 2015. Two of them are Feeding the Whole Man and Serving the Whole Community. I cannot think of a better way to actively contribute to these vital mission points. We welcome your donation of non-perishable food items during our service times:

Sunday 10am and 6pm
Wednesday 7:30pm (except the 3rd Wednesday when groups meet in homes)

If you are not in the Volusia County area, I encourage you to reach out to your local food banks and donate. They can always use your help!

As always, be well...

My Journey to Better Health!

 

If reading real life experiences help you, then this is for you... Three vital points to my journey can be found in the previous posts regarding the Spiritual, Emotional and Physical aspects of health and weight loss. There is an abundance of information here!

Good, healthy food was never a foreign substance for me.  I believe my mother was the seed of the original health nut. I remember some of my youngest years being part of a mostly vegetarian household.  There wasn’t a plant product that I was foreign to me. So how did I allow myself to rollercoaster through every weight on the scale between 138 and 220? Quite simply: lack of focus and discipline.

There have been seasons when I held fast to a diet and other seasons when I have banished the scale like somehow IT was the problem. I always cooked with elements of the healthy background from which I came; I also allowed too much of the unhealthy non-food in as well. Sometimes I would say, “Oh, you only live once.” Other times I would say, “It is cheaper to buy the boxed stuff.” I could look around at all of the other people, eating what they want and staying slim, and being completely oblivious to their inner health and think, “There must be something wrong with ME.” 

Now I see things completely different. The fact that my body showed the weight that I gained as a result of eating poorly was actually a GIFT! How many times have we come across someone who we think is getting away with something that is really not good for them (physically, mentally, emotionally), only to find out that their misdeeds catch up with them all at once, with vengeance?  That is exactly what happens inside our bodies when we neglect to nourish ourselves as we were intended. Some of us can get away with eating junk for years with no external signs of trauma, but then suddenly, with very little or no warning, a diagnosis of a preventable illness or disease! The fact that my body was my “tattle-tale” helped me to see that what I was doing was poisoning instead of strengthening this vessel that I’ve been given.

My eye-opening, about-face, get-serious-about-being-a-healthy-adult moment came in May of 2011. I was too embarrassed to step on the scale and admit how far out of control that I allowed myself to get. My best guess is that I was about 195 lbs. I was talking to my sister, who is a physician, and a healthy lady herself, about what in the world could be hindering my weight loss. I was praying that there may be a safe pill or a wave of a magical wand that could solve my problems. Without specifically saying it, she helped me see that there were 2 things hindering me: my fork and my couch.  She suggested that I check out Sparkpeople.com. I dug in and read all kinds of articles. I set up a profile and began tracking every morsel that went into my body.

The first realization was that I was consuming way too much of the wrong kinds of foods, and my activity level left too many calories at the end of the day that had not been burned.

I reduced my allowable carbs and increased my proteins primarily because I understand enough about my body to know that the carbs stick with me too long and the proteins help me stay full when I reduce the carbs. Something that I always kept in mind though is that vegetables and fruits have carbs, but I treated those carbs different than I treated grain and potato carbs. I ignored the carbs from veggies and fruits in effort to persuade myself to eat at least 5 of them a day. I never wanted the fear of their carbs to prevent me from eating those fresh foods. Another trick that I implemented was one that my grandmother (who was a little bitty lady) used with great success. On Friday nights, I would allow myself to eat anything that I wanted, without any guilt. A strange thing happened though. While I would indulge in chips and salsa, I no long desired the fatty, fried, super sweet stuff that I was once drawn to.

Making this simple change created some momentum in the weight loss area. I began implementing some exercise in here and there and reading about how some people who were never runners were able to successfully begin a Couch to 5k program. Me? A runner? Never! I was the girl in school who always went to the nurse’s office if we had to run mile in gym! But something bit me…I suddenly wanted to conquer this! Perhaps it was the encouragement of a bit of weight loss, or maybe seeing others who were older than me, and perhaps even heavier than me do this without backing down.  So in June of 2011, I downloaded the Couch 2 5k app on my iPhone and set out to “run” my first workout.  I think I prayed the entire running portion that I would not die on the pavement and some stranger would have to call my family and tell them. I imagined the look on my children’s faces when they heard the news that their mother croaked on the last leg of a 30 second run interval. Then to my surprise, the workout was done and I in fact had completed the first day of the program.

The weirdest thing happened.

I came home and wanted to do the 2^nd day right then. OMYGOODNESS. My 7^th grade gym teacher would be so proud!  For the next few weeks I stuck to the schedule and progressed through the program to run (without stopping!) a full 5k on September 4, 2011 (happy early birthday to me!). Running gave me the biggest bang for the smallest time investment. At this point, I was happy to see my scale hit around 168 lbs. That means, in 4 months I had shed almost 30 lbs, fair and square. No pills, not gimmicks, just breaking the magnetic pull from the couch and changing my food choices a bit. Next goal was to conquer the 10k, which was met by January 1^st, 2012.

Somewhere in this time I discovered the SparkStreak theory: choose a new habit that you would like to begin and each day in a row you do it counts towards your streak. If you skip a day you begin at 1 again. So I began my first fitness streak in August of 2011. My first streak was 120 days in a row. It was so exciting to keep it going. My friend Shaneka was my buddy and we cheered each other on. My next streak lasted over 100 days. And currently, my friend Angel and I have a 728 day fitness streak going. The best part of the streak is that it is motivating to others as well! That is the whole idea: to SPARK someone into changing their life too!

All of this created a newfound confidence. I had been feeling the nudging to go back to school, but never felt that I could muster the energy required to maintain a household of 3 teenagers, a struggling business and college. Even so, in October of 2011, I jumped in with both feet.  Success with maintaining discipline in body trickled over to success in maintaining discipline in the mind. In the spring, my biology professor (who held a bachelor’s in nutrition, among other things) helped me put together some missing pieces in my weight gain/loss mystery. He went into great detail of the impact of sugar and manufactured products on the cells in our body. He challenged the class with a 30 day sugar/artificial sweetener fast. He promised that there would be weight loss and a reduced bloating, along with increased energy. He explained that there are so many toxins in the manufactured foods which actually CREATE food cravings. It is like how tobacco companies manipulate the nicotine in cigarettes to ensure future customers.  I took the challenge, and saw great success! Within the first month I lost approximately 10 lbs and saw a difference in my waistline. Additionally, food tasted so much better and I no longer craved the treats that I had been allowing myself sparingly.

This set me in the direction to visit the idea of a lifelong love of food and nutrition. Instantly, I knew the direction I should go with my education and I began to turn my attention to the field of dietetics. It was like I had been reunited with an old friend.  The more I refreshed myself with the healthful attributes of God-given foods, the more I began to remove processed foods out of my diet, and saw even more weight come off without much effort.

Consciously adding natural foods into our diet does so much more for the body than just the circumference of our waistline. It is the most effective way to build our innate ability to fight off sickness and disease. A strong immune system is to the body as the Coast Guard is to our shores. Invaders may attempt to invade, but when we build the cellular response to attack the foreigners, the result is as we were divinely designed.

Today, my weight rests somewhere in the upper 130’s. My body is stronger from the inside out than it was 36 months ago. More than anything, my spirit, my body and my mind all come together in a balance of a disciplined lifestyle that can better reflect the life that the Lord desires for me to live.

The key components of my current lifestyle are comprised of:

·        Morning quiet time praying and reading The Word each day. A life built on Jesus is the core of a balanced life.

·        Drink my first glass of water for the day while my coffee is perking and eat something small shortly after awakening (whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter most days)

·        At least 10 minutes of exercise each day (sometimes it is an hour run, sometimes it is 10 min of yoga/stretching)

·        ALWAYS eat at least 5 vegetables/fruits each day (less hungry when these are eaten)

·        5-6 mini meals or 3 moderate meals w/2 snacks

·        Have a protein source at each meal/snack. Chicken, turkey, lean pork or red meat, tuna, nuts, beans, tofu, cheese (small amount), Greek yogurt.

·        Drink at least 3 liters of water per day

·        If sweetener is needed, honey, or pure stevia or raw sugar. This is used very sparingly as it creates cravings. Zero white sugar, zero sugar substitutes.

·        Choose whole grain, brown rice, quinoa, and whole oats. Zero white flour.

·        Read labels, and choose items that have food closest to its original form. Frozen vegetables are a more stable form than canned. Look for items with no additives, starches or syrups. Check things that you would not suspect. Dry roasted peanuts can contain sugar and starch. Canned beans sometimes are packed in corn syrup.

·       Stick to “Clean Eating” methods of food choices and preparation

This story is mine, but it is not anything that anyone else could not experience with a hearty portion of stick-to-it-tiveness... I hope this helps you find it! You can do it!

*Disclaimer: Please consult your physician before beginning any weight loss or exercise regimen. This information is offered as suggestions and encouragement.

The Physical Side of Weight Loss

Part III of III

Go here for Part I

Go here for Part II

Those of us that seek to lose weight come at it from varying perspectives. Some have struggled with weight for as long as they can remember, while others have noticed their weight creep up in their middle years, or after a major life change, or even a health emergency. We also approach a new healthy lifestyle with many different experiences in activity and exercise. This makes everyone’s starting line a little different.

Let’s pretend that each and every one of us have begun at square 1, no prior physical activity experience, and hate to sweat. This is a very real position for many! This is not a judgment, this is a recognition. But our bodies were made for activity. Centurions (those who live to 100) have been studied to find their secret, and regular activity/exercise is a common thread that ties them together. We were created with the ability to tend to crops, care for children, and draw water from the stream. Today, we get our food from the grocer (in the air condition), the kids are in school and our water is pumped into our homes. Believe me, I love technology and the modern day conveniences, however, we cannot neglect the body’s need for movement.

I have to tell you something, but you need to promise that you will not stop reading once you see it.
Are you ready? Ok, here it is.

Exercise is HARD.

Especially in the beginning.

Especially if you don’t like to sweat.

Especially if you do not have much coordination

(I fall into this category, no pun intended).

It is hard mentally. It is hard emotionally. It is hard physically. The path of least resistance is not your freeway to success. It is the off-ramp to health misfortune. You have to prepare yourself for the battle that will go on in your mind and your body once you make up your mind to get healthy and lose weight. You have to remind yourself that you are making deposits in YOUR LONGEVITY ACCOUNT! Think about a year from now, 5 years, 10 years. If the Lord tarries, what sort of milestones will you pass? Will you be married? Will you start a family? Will your children be school-age? Will your nest be empty? Do you want to be an active participant in your life, or a spectator? This thought should stay with you, always. It is worth all of the “hard” that you will face. And one day, it will not be so hard. You will be thankful that you chose to kill the hill rather than go around it!

The best way to start from scratch is to lace up your athletic shoes and head out the door before your mind can talk you out of it. Set a timer on your phone for 10 minutes and walk. Every. Single. Day. For the first week.  If you have a smart phone, download an app like MapMyFitness, create a profile and track your activity. They offer challenges with a chance to win prizes as well! Each day, look at your pace and gauge how you feel after your walk. Try to do this as early as you can in the morning. This will get your happy endorphins going for the rest of the day, and you know that you have begun the day with a purposeful decision to get healthy. Not only that, but if the rest of your day gets carried away into the unknown, you have gotten it out of the way!

This is a great time to talk about the Fitness Streak that I mentioned in part II of this series. The idea of the Fitness Streak is from the free diet tracking website Sparkpeople.com. I used this site to get the mojo going in my efforts to be healthier and lose weight. The basic idea of the Fitness Streak is to commit to exercise no less than 10 minutes per day, starting at day 1. Each consecutive day that you exercise at least 10 minutes counts toward your streak. If you skip a day, you start back at day 1. You would not believe the fantastic incentive it offers once you have made it past 14 days, then a month, and then a year. Currently, I am on my 3^rd Fitness Streak. During the first two, I made it well past 100 days, and the current Streak I am teamed up with a great partner, my friend Angel. We are on day 726 1111 today. We do not see each other daily, as we live in different cities, however, we post our daily activities on a Facebook group that helps to keep us accountable to one another. There have been some days when life is crazy and I realize after I have snuggled into bed that I forgot to put my 10 minutes of exercise in, and I will peel my sleepy self out of bed to do a 10 minute exercise video or yoga. My flesh hates it, but the next morning I am glad that my Streak is still intact! Having a partner who is depending on you to keep your joint Streak going is a really good incentive!
After the first week, increase your time by at least 5-10 minutes, 3-5 times per week, (continuing at least 10 minutes on the remaining days) until you are able to walk comfortably for at least 30-45 minutes. Research shows that during the first 15-20 minutes of exercise, we use stored glycogen (fuel), but after that we begin to tap into our fat reserves. Something else begins to happen as this daily habit develops; your muscles begin to develop strength and your stature is a little more upright. You may begin feeling winded quite quickly, but with time you can easily manage to even have a conversation during exercise.

This all may sound basic and elementary, but it is so important to speak right at the intimidation that we encounter when we begin this new active lifestyle. There may be times that you experience discomfort in limbs or areas of your body due to the new movement. Listen carefully to your body to determine if it is discomfort or pain. One may be from uncharacteristic use and the other may indicate an injury.

You may always enjoy walking, and that may be your primary form of exercise; keep in mind that strength training will help to maintain bone density and build muscle to support your frame. As you become stronger, consider using small weights for arm exercises, or use your own body weight as resistance as you do wall-pushes.

If you are anything like me, you may look for exercises that will have the largest amount of impact on your weight loss for the shortest amount of time invested. This, in fact, was the reason that I started running. Before you tune me out, listen; I, Tasha Brickhouse, was the girl in school who, when asked to complete the physical fitness test and run the mile quickly became ill and asked to go to the nurse. Every. Single. Time. Running ranked right up there with dissecting frogs in Biology. They both left me breathless and ready to hurl. For some reason, while I was on the Sparkpeople.com website reading all of these middle-aged people beginning a Couch-2-5k program, I was like, “Game ON!” I had already been walking up to 3 miles regularly, so I didn’t exactly start on the couch, but, I had zero previous running experience. Somewhere in my determination to get healthy, I made up my mind that I would conquer this fear of running head on! And I did!

The first step was to download the Ease into 5K app. It started with a walking warm up, then a cycle of short run then walk intervals. The first day, I was exhilarated and exasperated. It was hard to breath, and I prayed for the prompt to walk at the end of every interval. The day that I ran 3 minutes straight, you would have thought that I completed the Boston Marathon, because to me, I was crashing down walls with every step. The app really made the transition to running my first 5K in November 2011 possible. I was not speedy, but I ran the entire race and it was such a personal milestone!

Running became an opportunity to learn more about endurance. It taught me how to breathe deeply and slowly through the tough spots (in life, as in running).  It has taught me that discipline trumps desire. It has shown me that I can be tougher than I thought I am, especially when I am strengthened with prayer. The repetitive motion of running brought order to my thoughts, established a designated quiet time when the Lord could help me work out a difficult situation. I listened to Podcasts, encouraging music, or sometimes just the breeze in the trees. I’ve seen more sunrises, watched the fog lift and seen the dew glisten on the trees. These simple things are missed so easily.

There are many other forms of exercise that are worth a try. One of my favorite is Barre. It is a combination of yoga, Pilates and ballet. The techniques are great for increasing balance, poise, and muscle tone.

I began using this YouTube video, and you can also go to the Barre3 website to sign up for an online membership that gives you access to a library of videos. Barre studios are cropping up all over the place, and some may enjoy a class setting. For my on-the-go schedule, it works better for me to do them at home.

We have a weight machine and resistance bands that I use for cross-training days. I mentioned yoga earlier, and I believe the techniques used in yoga exercise are very beneficial for the body. Personally, I do not participate in the spiritual aspects of some yoga practices, however, the act of breath control in exercise can eliminate toxins from the body, and offer needed relaxation and strengthening to our physique. Look on Google or Pinterest under Fitness Challenge to find many month long challenges.
Additionally, I ride my bike several times per month, between 10-15 miles each ride. This activity compliments running very well because it uses slightly different muscle groups that support the running activity. I highly recommend using a bicycle as a supplementary activity. In the beginning, it may be harder than you remembered as a kid! We don’t forget how to ride, but suddenly it isn’t as easy as it once was! Start small, and build up! You can track your ride on MapMyFitness as well.
Pick your pleasure. There is a great big world out there of options to begin your active lifestyle. The health benefits are vast, beginning with strengthening your heart, removing toxins from your body, improving digestion, increasing circulation to all of the limbs, and elevating mood by way of endorphins. All of these are in addition to building muscle and strengthening your bones.

Lots of love and sweat to you! xoxo
Tasha Brickhouse

*Disclaimer: Please consult your physician before beginning any exercise regimen. This information is offered as suggestions and encouragement.

The Emotional Side of Health and Weight Loss

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Part II of III

Go here for Part I
and here for Part III

The initial days and weeks of my health journey were filled with intention, motivation and even discouragement. Human nature fails at times, and it is vital to have an anchor on the goals to keep from drifting away during the first storm. Our emotions are all over the board, and the purpose will hold you firm. When your purpose is resting squarely on improving your health for longevity and vitality, you are focused on the right direction.

In an initial assessment, ask yourself an important question:

Do I have the ability to improve my health,

or do I feel like outside forces influence my ability to lose weight?

Of course, as a Christian, I believe that Jesus is in control when I ask Him to fulfill His will in my life, but we play a huge role in the success of our lives based on the choices that we make. This simple question identifies what is called your locus of control. It describes who we mentally put in the driver’s seat of our lives. Do we have excuses like, “I cannot afford to eat healthy,” “My work keeps me too busy to exercise,” or “My kids take all of my energy”? The daily excuses (though I say this with all the love in my soul) keeps us trapped in a “victim of my fat genes” mentality. Believe me, I wore them (in every size and color availableJ). I recognize that it is very inconvenient to work hard for weight loss to develop a healthy lifestyle, but so is the emotional toll that diabetes, cancer, and heart disease can take on you and your loved ones. You may hate me now for saying this, but on the other side of your success, you may love me. Even when we experience issues with our health, there are always actions that we can take that would be more positive or more negative to our condition. When we commit to take an active role in the outcome of our health and weight loss, we are positioned for a breakthrough.

When we are in pursuit of weight loss, it would be impossible to not give some attention to the scale. It is one of the ways that we benchmark our progress, however, it is not the only way. The numbers on the scale can serve as our momentary statistic to reflect the work you are investing in your health, BUT, it should not be used to discourage you on your journey.

Believe me, I fully understand the emotional trauma that the scale can bring. We can avoid mirrors, cut the tags out of our clothes, and blame the shrinking clothes on the drier, but the scale brings us face to face with the effort, or lack thereof in the area of nutrition and activity. During the years that I weighed the most, I avoided the scale like the plague. It was a reminder of all of the things that I was not doing to correct the problem and only brought about guilt and shame.

On the journey to greater health, my personal opinion of the scale is that it should be used as a method to learn more about your body. For myself, I check my weight at least 5 times per week. This has done several things for me: it allows me to recognize how my body will react to certain foods, levels of activity, and even check my monthly cycle; additionally, if I allow myself to have a cheat meal, or day, it becomes easier to jump back on the clean-eating wagon before the train leaves the station. In the beginning of weight loss, sometimes I got discouraged when I did not see the scale move as quickly as I thought it should, but I worked diligently to press out the negative emotions of discouragement and focus on the fact that I already lost ____ amount of weight since the beginning of my journey, and I was still a work in progress.

I want to talk about the emotional battle with food. From the moment that we are born, there is a deep seated pleasure that is gained surrounding our nourishment. As a baby, we were likely cuddled and cooed on as we filled our tummies. As we grew, we recognize that celebrations were surrounded with food and treats. Sometimes, well-meaning loved ones would reward us with food for getting good grades, or being good in the grocery store. Often, we become those well-meaning adults who listen to the begging of our children for the Little Debbie’s and the cycle continues. There is nothing inherently wrong with feasting for special occasions (the Bible refers to many such joyous occasions), however, the reason that they were so greatly enjoyed was because it was a special occurrence, and they were treasured as designated times to celebrate.

Today, if we are stressed, we reach for the chocolate. If we are sad, we reach for the potato chips. When we are happy, we indulge in extra desert. If we are sick, it could be hot cocoa and marshmallows. We have an indulgence for any emotion in the psyche. However, we can turn this emotional crutch into a positive experience when we begin to make choices that promote our healthy lifestyle. When we recognize that every forkful of whole foods is actually strengthening, and healing our body, an amazing thing happens in our minds. Eating beautifully colorful vegetables and fruits send a message to our brains that promote a message of wellness in our minds. If you think I am lying, ask anyone who commits to eating whole foods for more than 30 days and they will tell you, the mental feedback that they receive from their brain when they sit down to eat a healthy meal reinforces their good habits and encourages to maintain those healthy choices. After a certain point in time, when I have allowed myself to indulge in a cheat meal or dessert, I tend to be very selective. It has to really taste good, or it simply has no appeal to me. This has not always been the case. Before, I could not understand if someone said that a dessert was too sweet; I wondered if there was even such a thing! We can retrain our brains and our emotions to reflect a healthy relationship with food!

Milestones and goals are supremely important during the weight loss process. We can get bored, lose focus, and become discouraged so easily. Building new habits require daily effort and devotion. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge advocate of the most positive incentive I have ever come across: the Spark Streak! In the beginning of my journey, I used the website Sparkpeople, where the Spark Streak comes from. In essence, you set a goal (like drink 8 glasses of water per day, or exercise at least 10 minutes per day) and each consecutive day that you meet your goal, you continue your streak. This physically builds a new habit, but it also develops a significant emotional boost when you are able to maintain this new habit. With every passing day that you are able to check off on your streak, you are casting off defeat, and claiming a brand new handful of triumph! There is an almost magical effect that occurs once you make it passed the first 2 weeks, and then a month, 6 months, a year. You become more willing to take on new challenges and start to understand that every journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. In fact, I will go into this more when I discuss the physical side of weight loss, but using some form of diet and fitness tracking (like myfitnesspal and mapmyfitness) will encourage you to reach monthly goals. Seeing the miles stack up and the days that you have met your calorie intake goal without splurging will prove to yourself that, yes indeed, you are capable of creating new habits.

One emotional aspect of weight loss is our personal self-image. We may look in the mirror and see one person, but the actual physical attributes we hold may be very different. As we lose weight and we begin to replace our wardrobe, we have to remind ourselves to select a different size. It may shock us as we try on new styles that we have never worn before. Becoming aware of the changes in our physique is an ongoing process, and just remember to love the skin you are in every single day. Be thankful for the working limbs, organs and tissues that house your soul and allow you to love your people daily. You may find that you have a kinder self-image, and that is a great thing!

Warning: once you begin setting and attaining new goals, expect a newfound boldness to success in other areas of life. For me, five months after I set out on my journey, I gained the courage to go back to school. At the time, I thought I was going back to finish my degree in business. Within the 2^nd semester, I feel like God directed me to pursue a degree in nutrition and dietetics. This was in complete opposition of my former path, which meant I would have to spend almost 2 full years completing the science prerequisites for the program. Always being afraid of any form of science in school, I knew that it was a God thing, and somehow, coupled with the success that I gained in improving my health, He would see me through the process. Today, I have completed the perquisites, and have been accepted in the competitive distance Coordinated Program in Dietetics through Eastern Michigan University. I am telling you right here and now, there was a direct connection between the emotional strength gained on my journey and the path that I am beginning this fall in the program. This journey that began as a personal one has now become a passion to assist others in rebuilding their health.

If this has encouraged you, leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you!
xoxo,

Tasha Brickhouse

 *Disclaimer: This information is offered as encouragement and should not be substituted from advice offered from trained medical providers.

The Spiritual Side of Health and Weight Loss

Part I of III
Look here for Part II of III
and here for Part III

So often, we set out on a new adventure in life and at the onset, we have absolutely no idea just how much that we DO NOT know about the direction that we are going. The first few years after I turned my life over to Christ was a constant trial and error as I learned more about His Word and the direction that He designed for me. The same thing was true in the first years of marriage and motherhood. I kept looking for the book or the person with the tried and true formula for success. I found a vast amount of advice and examples to guide me along the way, but in the end, the best teaching that I received was when the Holy Spirit spoke into my heart. It was at those times that I knew very specific instruction was etched in my heart, and it was there to guide me along as I navigated unfamiliar territory.

The University of Maryland Medical Center discusses the historic connection between the health of the body and spirit, and how the scientific revolution sought to treat with medicine alone for some time, but is now acknowledging the research supporting this vital connection between body and spirit.  Understanding that it is God who designed these vessels, I believe that we can learn how to manage our health, weight and physical strength. If we first begin with the spiritual aspects, we gain control of our emotions and bring our physical being into order. I seek to offer some encouragement and direction in this area, so that you can begin to see progress in all three of these areas. I will begin with the area of the spirit.

Our physical flesh is a rowdy rival of the spirit. At times we feel like the flesh rules us, and other times we feel “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” –Matt 26:41, but the beginning of that verse says, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation…” This is the very key to overcoming the flesh. You may ask, “How is my health/weight related to prayer?” It is deeply connected to the source of power that we draw from. During the years that my weight registered in the obese category, it was never my intention to be that weight. I did not wake up wondering how I would maintain my grand stature, nor did I rejoice over the fact that I was winded with every flight of stairs I had to climb. I did not actively pursue that condition, but I allowed my flesh to drag me around like pony on a leash. But there is an amazing thing about the Holy Spirit: it contains the power to overcome any adversity or addiction. The Holy Spirit gives us eyes to see and ears to hear. With the Holy Spirit, the purpose for the changes in our lives become a part of your “character DNA,” creating long-term, life-enduring progress.



Nov 2009

While I was not a habitual “dieter” in terms of programs and such, seeking weight loss always seemed to be something that I had on my mind. At one point, in my early 30’s, I was fairly successful with the Adkin’s diet, and lost around 80 lbs. I will come back to this in a future post, but what I do want to point out about this time period, is that I did not see things from a spiritual perspective or from a long-term health perspective. I simply saw the program as a vehicle to lose weight. So as you can imagine, as some of my old habits (some principles I tried to hold on to), I gained back 40-50 of the 80 lbs that I lost.


In 2011, when I first experienced the “Mom Moment," I knew that I could not make a lasting difference in my health unless the Lord gave me strength. It was no different than an alcoholic putting down the drink, except, complete abstinence of food is not an option, we have to eat to live! At this point in my life, the economy was causing a severe hardship for our family, and there were often days that I was not sure if I could mentally endure the struggle that we were experiencing. If I ever had a good excuse to crawl in a hole and cry, it was during this particular time. I often had to step carefully around the pit of depression and discouragement, and learn to catapult myself over walls that tried to block me in. But I did not do this alone.

Daily, hourly, and minute by minute, my prayers included whispers of, “Lord, show me how to develop temperance, endurance, consistency and give me a greater desire to honor you by placing value on the things that are lasting, my faith, my family, my loved ones and my health.” When the funds were very limited, I asked God to teach me how to provide healthy meals for my family on a limited budget. When my flesh did not want to get outside to exercise, I prayed for a spirit to overcome the old habit of laziness. I asked God to give me a vision for an active lifestyle that would include the ability to keep up with my kids and other little loved ones and enjoy the days and years that I have with my husband. When I set out to complete my first couch to 5k program, one part of my mind could not comprehend how I would complete it, but by praying through the running intervals, I was amazed that each and every time that I did it without quitting. I would pray, that God would teach me endurance during adversity, and I dwelt upon this passage:



Jan 2014

"Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." -1 Cor 9:24-27 NLT

This verse is specifically referring to the Christian’s walk and call to their faith, and as an integral part of honoring the life that He has given me, I was able to draw great strength from these verses. The verse that says, “So I run with purpose in every step” is a golden nugget! This is the type of reminder that should be written on the bathroom wall, stuffed in workout shoes, and repeated several times a day. When God gives us that purpose, He allows it to be the fuel for our journey!

Let me tell you how this translates in my life.

From the time that I first set out to serve the Lord, there has been a tug on my heart to minister to the needs of the body of Christ. Specifically to women, mothers and wives. It is so easy for us to stay busy caring for those around us and we forget the fact that we lead others by example. As mothers, our children, though they do not always do as we say, they often do what we do. In many ways, we set them up for success or for failure, based on our own actions. It is far more important that we model habits and a lifestyle that will foster good spiritual, emotional and physical health. Experiencing spiritual breakthrough in this area gave me the faith in God to step into new areas, areas that I would not have previously had the courage to do alone. Understanding that He is the perfect way-maker (not that things are always perfect, but that He makes a perfect way in all things), I began to trust that His vision is grander than mine could ever be. When we are willing to turn our stubborn flesh over to the Lord, and allow Him to breathe purpose in our lives, the results are astounding! I will share more about how this experience has opened doors to new areas that I never would have dreamed of before.

Stay tuned! In another post, I will share the emotional side and the physical side of health and weight loss. These three things come together to offer a full, healthy perspective on lifelong weight management as a natural side effect of good health. If I can do this, so can you! 

xoxo,

Tasha Brickhouse