Saturday, August 09, 2008
Finishing Up with a Few Things...
It's been almost two months since I first posted about "First Place", a Bible study / weight loss program I joined this summer. Our group formed back in early June, and we've been meeting weekly since then. This session will end the last Tuesday of August, and then a dear friend and I are going to co-lead the next 13 week session. That should not only be fun, but give us another chunk of time to finish getting weight off, and spend some time in maintenance before the turkey stuffing pies cookies holidays begin.
Being involved in Bible study through the summer has been good for me - the structure, the accountability, getting together with the group of women each week to encourage each other and study God's word - as Martha would say, it's a good thing'. Two of my dear friends joined with me, and we've enjoyed our weekly carpool time. It's amazing how much gabbing you can get into a fifteen minute drive!
Sometimes you're ready - sometimes you're just not. I've been a lifetime member of Weight Watchers for over twenty years, but you can walk around twenty pounds overweight while holding onto that title. They still charge you the $11 when you weigh in, a whole lot like they would if you weren't a lifetime member..... you get what I'm saying here..... Being a 'lifetime member' of Weight Watchers and a one dollar bill will get me an ice cold diet coke. It also kept me from doing anything about the weight that had slowly attached itself to me, and decided to hold on for dear life. When I signed up for First Place, I somehow just knew that I was ready. Ready to do something differently, ready to make some lifestyle changes, ready to get this extra weight off for good.
We're less than a year from retirement and it's going to involve a lot of big lifestyle changes. This seemed the right time to get healthy on all levels - spiritually, emotionally, physically. I never came back and reported on it, but seven sessions of Christian counseling put me in a much better place emotionally, gave me some insight into behavior patterns, relationships, etc. I've heard before, post-counseling, when people say, 'that was the best money I ever spent'. It was. I'm here to say, if you think you need to go, go. Even if nobody else understands, even if you don't get a lot of support, even if he won't go with you. Go for yourself. It was really a wonderful experience for me, well worth the money, and I'm thankful for good insurance that covered it. But if you don't have insurance there is still free Christian counseling out there. Joanne, my counselor told me that even counselors need counseling now and then!
First Place didn't cost me much of anything, but it's been a great program. Not only has it brought structure to my summer, something that is usually woefully lacking, I've finally lost those proverbial ten pounds I'd grown accustomed to. The ones I decided not to drag down to Texas with me, the ones I decided weren't going to be invited to the lake.
I don't expect I'll be missing them much. Isn't it hard, as a wife, as a mother, to take time for taking care of ourselves? We all have full days with a long list, and we're usually the last thing on it, whether it's diet, rest, quiet time, or just fun time with a friend. If I don't have time now, if I can't make it a priority at this point in my life, when on earth will I?
Much like staying out of the sun, much like wearing more moisturizer, I wish I'd done both these things at least ten years ago. I've heard before I can't give what I don't have. I can't care for others if I'm an empty vessel. Boy, aren't the big lessons hard to learn?!
Being involved in Bible study through the summer has been good for me - the structure, the accountability, getting together with the group of women each week to encourage each other and study God's word - as Martha would say, it's a good thing'. Two of my dear friends joined with me, and we've enjoyed our weekly carpool time. It's amazing how much gabbing you can get into a fifteen minute drive!
Sometimes you're ready - sometimes you're just not. I've been a lifetime member of Weight Watchers for over twenty years, but you can walk around twenty pounds overweight while holding onto that title. They still charge you the $11 when you weigh in, a whole lot like they would if you weren't a lifetime member..... you get what I'm saying here..... Being a 'lifetime member' of Weight Watchers and a one dollar bill will get me an ice cold diet coke. It also kept me from doing anything about the weight that had slowly attached itself to me, and decided to hold on for dear life. When I signed up for First Place, I somehow just knew that I was ready. Ready to do something differently, ready to make some lifestyle changes, ready to get this extra weight off for good.
We're less than a year from retirement and it's going to involve a lot of big lifestyle changes. This seemed the right time to get healthy on all levels - spiritually, emotionally, physically. I never came back and reported on it, but seven sessions of Christian counseling put me in a much better place emotionally, gave me some insight into behavior patterns, relationships, etc. I've heard before, post-counseling, when people say, 'that was the best money I ever spent'. It was. I'm here to say, if you think you need to go, go. Even if nobody else understands, even if you don't get a lot of support, even if he won't go with you. Go for yourself. It was really a wonderful experience for me, well worth the money, and I'm thankful for good insurance that covered it. But if you don't have insurance there is still free Christian counseling out there. Joanne, my counselor told me that even counselors need counseling now and then!
First Place didn't cost me much of anything, but it's been a great program. Not only has it brought structure to my summer, something that is usually woefully lacking, I've finally lost those proverbial ten pounds I'd grown accustomed to. The ones I decided not to drag down to Texas with me, the ones I decided weren't going to be invited to the lake.
I don't expect I'll be missing them much. Isn't it hard, as a wife, as a mother, to take time for taking care of ourselves? We all have full days with a long list, and we're usually the last thing on it, whether it's diet, rest, quiet time, or just fun time with a friend. If I don't have time now, if I can't make it a priority at this point in my life, when on earth will I?
Much like staying out of the sun, much like wearing more moisturizer, I wish I'd done both these things at least ten years ago. I've heard before I can't give what I don't have. I can't care for others if I'm an empty vessel. Boy, aren't the big lessons hard to learn?!
Labels: Girl Talk, Glimpse of the Heart
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