Here’s to another day promoted to challenge dieters. Oh well. Valentine’s Day should be everyday. Charlene and I are in the middle of a diet so we are swaying on whether to sneak a treat. We have a trip coming up Sunday so maybe… or not. The dieters dilemma. Always something. A decision to ponder. But enough about our dieting and on to wishing you love and happiness this Valentine’s day.
Holidays
Happy and Healthy New Year!
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you all. What a day to celebrate, first for the coming of our Savior Jesus and second, for family gathering around the Christmas table. This picture was one of Charlene’s Christmas table settings. Bright and colorful invitation to sit and eat together.
Speaking of eating, I say take the day off from the strict weight loss plan you are one and enjoy a treat. By now in your weight loss journey, you are well aware of portions and calories, so you already know what to prepare to make this dinner a healthy choice for everyone.
Protein, veggies, and a treat or two, such as cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes with maple syrup. Yes, you can cut the calories on your favorite recipes making them more weight-loss friendly. Maybe you can try a new recipe. Most people fix their traditional foods, but branch out a little and try something new this year.
Every time you sit down with family, you are making memories. So enjoy the day. Merry Christmas to your family from ours.
Stay Strong
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving yesterday. Maybe you ate a little more than usual. Okay, let’s get right back on track. Today we are looking at staying strong. Maybe I should have had this one yesterday. Many people have a four-day weekend here so it’s good to remember to stay strong in your eating choices.
When I was working for IBM, I seldom got holidays off because that’s when the larger computer systems could do maintenance and changes. Therefore, it’s nice not to have to think about that any more. When you’re retired, each day is pretty much the same.
I love this verse. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1 NKJV). We have the grace of God working on our behalf. It is more than enough. Therefore, stay strong in that grace, always thinking that grace is at work helping me get through each day, and helping me live a victorious life even over weight loss. The best thing for weight loss is grace. I call it the grace factor. It’s a step above trying to do it all on your own. Be strong-minded. Know that you can do all things through Christ.
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving. This is probably one of the biggest eating days of the year. It can be a weight loss nightmare. However, it can also be according to plan. Hopefully, you will get the family together and celebrate life. It’s a time to reflect on how good God has been this year, and know He is always good.
Thanksgiving isn’t something we should celebrate once a year. We should have a heart of thanksgiving every day. We should be grateful for our families, for our work, for every breath we get to enjoy while here on the earth. It’s good though that we as a nation take a day to be thankful. We think back to the pilgrims and their sacrifices to come here and set up a new nation with liberty and justice for all.
I’m not going to talk about what you should eat or not eat. We have been talking about weight loss so long now, and you know what you have to do. Turkey, by the way, is a good choice. However, don’t ever feel condemnation for eating something that isn’t on your plan. My take is there is always tomorrow, and another Monday coming up. Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day.
Excuse – It’s A Holiday
“It’s a holiday.” Much like your birthday, a holiday only comes once a year. But wait…as the commercial always adds. There are 10 federal holidays. There are bunches of religious holidays, commonly celebrated days—such as Mother’s day, election day, state holidays—such as Mardi Gras, school holidays, and business holidays—such as day after Thanksgiving. So wait just a minute. If you went off your diet on every possible holiday, you wouldn’t be on your diet much.
But you still can celebrate holidays. You might celebrate the fourth of July with a BBQ, but make it on plan. You can take mom out to lunch on Mother’s Day, but go where you can stay on plan. And what about all those national something days, such as chocolate day, or taco day? Ignore them. You don’t need any more distractions and make your diet impossible. There are plenty of ways to celebrate and still remain on track. Don’t let the day, whatever you call it, be a reason to lose out on getting your weight off.