I dunno, but this lady looks nutty like I feel today. I saw this picture and there was something about it that screamed “ME!” Can you relate? For me, it is because of…well…have a look at this video (if you dare). It is more of a rant than a teaching video. Truly…it is Heidi letting her hair down if you will. SCARY.
See why I said I am this woman? She looks like she is prepared to travel. Like she is putting a lid on all her emotions…but they are ready to surface at any given moment. I need TRUTH to put my feet on the ground! I need TRUTH to keep me from freaking out when I travel at all, let alone for 16 days. I need TRUTH to keep me from letting my emotions run amok with me!
So, as I prepare this post ahead of time, I am preparing my mind for action–for obedience. Right now, as you read this, I am in New York. If you watched the video, you know how I feel about this! LOL! But I am preparing now (while I am still home writing this) for obedience. I am speaking TRUTH to my spirit daily as I prepare for the trip and the emotions and other stuff that all go with traveling!
Holiday/Vacation Eating – I am planning to do the following WHILE on my trip:
- Daily – I will wake up each morning to have a quiet time and first on my list after warming to Jesus’ welcome to the day will be to use My Affirmations about 0 to 5 eating list to renew my mind.
- Because this list travels with me everywhere via Evernote, I will also pull it out mid-morning (before lunch) and mid-afternoon as a reminder about what is really important to me.
- I will remind myself that vacations are a wonderful time to train myself to keep my boundaries no matter what happens in life. Life will be filled with all kinds of challenges and opportunities. I want to train myself for godliness, for obedience and that I can “celebrate” with means other than food and overeating!
- I plan to shoot an email to my accountability partner each day that I have internet access.
- I will ask God daily to open my eyes to His Wonders so that I might keep track in my gratitude blog. If internet access isn’t available, I will use my 1000 Gifts app on my phone to take pictures of the gifts God brings my way. It is pretty tough to give in to “entitlement” or “justification” eating (what typically travels with me on vacations) if I foster a humble spirit grateful to God for all his gifts and blessings!
What strategies will you plan to use when you next go on vacation or have a holiday? Mother’s Day and Memorial Day are coming up. What challenges might face you and what will you do to plan for victory? How will you make provision for obedience?
Emotional Eating Barb encourages us to make use of Renewing Your Mind Tools that she has at her website so that we can overcome the temptation to eat out of emotions. I have included that link here. Barb has written a full-length workbook called Freedom From Emotional Eating. While it is from a dieting perspective, I found it valuable when I went through it a few years ago. Please, though, if you are struggling with the dieting mentality, don’t run out and order this now. There is time later! But if you feel you have some distance and space from the dieting mentality and feel somewhat confident that your 0 to 5 boundaries won’t be derailed in favor of counting calories or points any time soon, then by all means, order her book!
Many of us are habitual…can I say this…drama queens! Ok, maybe you aren’t, but I know I have been. God is really working on training me to diffuse the drama rather than INFUSE the drama (with extra fuel). It is really helping! The video was just an example of a mild version of how dramatic I can be! Crazy, huh?
The truth is…TRUTH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
At the heart of emotional eating one simple truth diffuses my tendency to go to food:
Food won’t meet the need of my heart.
It just won’t.
What strategies will you use to diffuse emotions that might lead you to look for comfort in food? Please share with us any victories you have experienced recently and/or any questions or even prayer requests you have about an upcoming potential situation.
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Note: This is our final day of the “Ditch Your Scale” Challenge. Some of us bailed early. Some of us bailed mid-way through. Some of us made it all the way through. No matter what, let’s celebrate that GOD IS DOING A NEW THING and prayerfully ask him to show us the importance we place on the bathroom scale. If we are living according to His leading, eating 0 to 5 as he directs us, do we really need to be concerned with our weight? The truth is, we will land on a healthy size and stay there…without worrying about keeping ourselves “honest” with the bathroom scale. Just a thought. Would love to hear from you about this. 🙂
Loved the picture. I laughed out loud. I can sure identify with what you are saying. Anytime I have a change in environment it messes with the security I find in the structure of my schedule. I can turn into a drama queen rather quickly. I love being with my adult children and their spouses but there is still the dynamics of personalities and sometimes I try to over control everything. Thank you for the reminder that a vacation comes with its own drama and the value of recognizing our emotions and speaking truth before we go on a trip.
So true, Lynn. 🙂
Heidi – thanks for sharing your strategies while you travel. I just traveled and read my 0-5 eating truths, mind renewal goals and scripture cards every day (at least once). It made a huge difference.
As for the scale challenge, I don’t weigh myself, but I challenged myself to not look in the mirror to try to see if I’d released weight (how can you do that anyway?). I was mostly successful – if my eyes drifted to the areas of my body that I harshly judge, I would speak His truths, pray or just walk away. I hope you are enjoying your trip!
Wow, Carrie. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.
New York City!!! (I’m sooooooo excited for you… I lived there for almost 7 years, and I’m a small town girl at heart) Incredible healthy food all over the place (I became a vegetarian living there). The average deli has fresh squeezed orange juice (the REAL deal). Amazing town for walking. Hope you get to go to Central Park. Oh, is there room for me in your suitcase!?!? Inspiring video… I got called into a busy season today and have been having a few too many pity parties about it. God HAS equipped me for this season. Truth, truth, truth. Happy and safe travels!!!!
Hi, Mary. It was fun, but far too quick. This trip we have covered SO many miles and stayed too short a time at each location! I feel like I have sampled everything and it has left me wanting so much more! 🙂 Didn’t get to go to Central Park. I hardly had time for anything! Hugs!
I had no idea how much traveling you would be doing. Wow. I’m wondering if you enjoyed the Broadway show? The truth I want to live with is to remember that the Holy Spirit is my comforter and not food. Thanks for sharing this with us. Too many times I turn to food to make me feel emotionally better and it really never does. Thanks for all you do. I am praying for you.
Oh yes…the show was AMAZING!!!!! Lisa! I would see it again in a heartbeat and will, in fact, plan to take my daughter there after she graduates from college someday! LOL! Thanks for your prayers. It means so much to me!
I’m just now listening to the video and am praying for you on your journey. It sounds as if you are having a beautiful time! You are experiencign all of God’s creation across the country. I’m a city girl, but love the countryside.. I am being blessed by the prayer and will revisit this video when I am about to travel. God bless you and your sharing your knowledge with us regarding eating and most of all vicory in Jesus!
Ruth, thank you so much. Tomorrow will be a LONG haul, but glorious country. Today I saw the Bear Tooth Mountain Range. I am in love. That is the most BEAUTIFUL scenery in all the earth. God definitely struck me with wonder at his amazing creation and majesty! Thanks for your kind words!