I'm still struggling with waking up early so that I can exercise and have plenty of time to read my Bible and pray. Yesterday I woke up with my alarm at 5:00, and I wanted so badly to just get back under the covers and sleep a little more. I tried to rationalize with myself......I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this. I kept telling myself, "Okay, you're so tired right now; if you go and try to read your Bible and pray right now, you'll just fall asleep, so there's no use in trying." Of course, I know that if I go back to sleep, I'll feel just as tired when I re-awake, but this time I'll have guilt piled on top of it! I finally told myself that I would try to stay awake, and if I failed, at least it would be while I was giving it some effort. I think you might be able to guess the outcome......after a few minutes, I was fine. Now, I still didn't have time to exercise; but I'm glad that I got my Bible reading and prayer time in before my kids woke up. My ultimate goal is to get back into my old routine. I used to wake up every day at 4:30 am; read, pray, exercise, shower, dress; and still have extra time before my kids woke up! I always felt better when I did that. But those first few minutes after I awake are the hardest to get through. My body is fighting me...and I usually let it win. I am praying for the strength to do what I know I should.
I have been doing well as far as eating goes. I don't crave sugar until after a meal....something about the end of meal just feels like it needs sugar. I just don't feel complete without it. But, if I wait a few minutes, that feeling passes, and I am fine. I have been trying some new recipes for dishes that give me lots of the good things I need, and that will fill me up. I made some chicken soup a couple of nights ago. I usually add noodles to it; and the family loves it! This time, instead of the noodles, I added barley. I used 9 cups of liquid, and only 1 cup of barley......but it was way too much! Lesson learned. I liked it; but my husband really missed his noodles. This morning I thought I'd try something different for breakfast. I wanted the complex carbohydrates from oatmeal (which I don't really like), and the protein from eggs. I found a recipe that combined the two; so I thought I'd give that a try. It basically had me fry the cooked oatmeal, and then stir in the eggs and let them scramble. I do not recommend this to you! I didn't care for it at all.....but it did keep me full. Yesterday I made a couple of loaves of whole wheat bread. They had no sugar in them; just wheat flour, yeast, water, salt, & oil. They turned out really well! Tonight I made a beef stew with lots of fresh veggies. It was really delicious! If you want the recipe for any of these let me know.
One of the things I have to deal with out here is not being able to find what I need. The only oats that I can find are quick cooking; and they're imported. Cheese is outrageously expensive, and not very good. Plus the labels are in Hebrew, so I don't always know what I'm getting! On the positive side; it is making me stick to fresh, whole foods.....I know what's in those!
One thing that has been really good for me being here is my isolation. I am hardly ever in the situations where I would be a damper to the party if I didn't join in the eating. We used to eat out a lot too, but we don't do that here because it's so expensive. It's been very good for helping me stick to my plans.
I like what Deby mentioned in her comment from my last post. "This is a sin area for me..and the first thing anyone sees when they meet me(us) and I do believe it affects your testimony, and right away they know..self control is a problem area for you..." I share these same feelings and beliefs. I have many reasons for wanting to keep myself healthy; and this one ranks high on that list. So often, we Christian ladies can get up in arms about dress codes, music, hair, etc. And there is a reason for defending these things...they are important issues. But we never seem to harp on the topic of self control -- or lack thereof. I believe that it's because most of us struggle with it! Our lumps, bumps, and rolls speak just as loudly as a short skirt or a pair of pants. On top of our outward appearance, we also need to consider our health. If we do not keep our bodies healthy it will effect our service for the Lord. We won't have enough energy, or our unhealthy state may cause some kind of illness that prohibits serving fully. We also shorten our life expectancy, which ultimately equals less time to serve. Self control and a healthy body are something that I am working towards for my Lord.
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That end-of-the-meal sweet craving always hits me too. I've found that eating fruit satisfies just as much as - maybe better than - something sweet like a cookie or cake does. I found blackberries on sale this week, so I bought some and have been eating them mixed with blueberries with a little sugar-free yogurt mixed in. They were very satisfying, but absolutely fine for my blood sugar.
For anyone with blood sugar issues, dark berries are great. They are low in sugar and high in fiber, so although they will raise your sugar eventually, it won't be the sugar rush that you get with cakes and things like that. These would be strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and all of these taste great alone or mixed together. I like to put a little cream on them or some yogurt (I do cheat with the yogurt - I use fat-free, sweetened with Splenda).
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