Be Your Best in 2016

Meet a runners favorite book: 1 Corninthians. Molly, our gym class instructor, always says strong people tolerate discomfort. I hope this post encourages you to be your strongest self in 2016. Not just physically, but spiritually and mentally too!

Discipline is a word that most people don't like. It reminds us of being kids and getting in trouble. But discipline, is just the opposite. Think you don't have it? You do. There is no self discipline gene. We have to make a conscious effort to discipline ourselves every day. When you are making your New Years Resolutions, remember to pray for the discipline to carry them out.

"I discipline my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." -1 Corinthians 9:27

This scripture hangs above my desk so that I can easily see it daily. I love it because it doesn't only remind me that as a dietitian, I have to practice what I preach; it also reminds me as a Christian, I have to continuously strive to practice what Jesus preaches. 

It takes a lot of work and discipline to be well and being well, like life, isn't about the destination, but about the journey. You'll never arrive at wellness because that would mean the journey is complete. Being well is a daily, conscious effort. We have to continuously adjust and plan to make healthy choices, time to exercise, and to think positive thoughts. Excuses are easy, discipline is tough. I literally remind myself that my body is my slave. It is the vehicle I use to reach others. This life is about serving others, but we can't do that if we don't cherish and care for the vehicle God gave us to serve with. When I'm tired and don't want to clean, cook, exercise, or take time for someone else, I do it anyway-- because strong people tolerate discomfort. It makes my sleep and downtime that much more enjoyable, anyway! Excuses are easy, making your body a slave is the hard part. Think you don't have time? I know you're busy, we all are. But I always stop myself before I tell people I am "busy", because, so are you! We all have time for what we make time for. Excuses hold you back from reaching your full potential. Be your potential!

So, as you're setting your resolutions this year, keep these 3 words in mind. 

1) Discipline- comes from within. Remind yourself that you can apply discipline to each aspect of your life if you try. Remember the discipline it took to write your name on your paper as a child in school? If you didn't do it, you didn't get credit. We all have discipline, we just need to apply it to every aspect of life. Take that same discipline and get up early to clean, read the bible, or run before work. Don't be discouraged if no one notices. Even if people don't give you credit, you are doing it for a much bigger prize.

2) Motivation- comes after you get started. A lot of people say they "lack" the motivation to start something. But really, motivation only comes after you have the discipline to start. Motivation comes when you see what you started is working for you. You see changes and those changes are what motivate you to keep going. I have had many successful weight loss clients tell me they never really felt motivated until they simply started.

3) Persistence- after you find the discipline to start and the motivation to continue, you have to remember to be persistent. If you mess up, you're in good company, but be the person who keeps going and striving to make a difference--that is the road less travelled. Keep the discipline, keep the motivation, and find the persistence to make your body your slave so that you can use it as your vehicle to serve the world. 

Finally, remember to set SMART goals. Find more on that here.

What goals are you setting?

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5 Ideas for a More Positive Outlook

Last night, after reading an email letting me know I passed two parts of my comprehensive graduate exam but failed one part because I didn't answer the question as in-depth as the professor wanted, I felt extremely discouraged. The test is composed of essay questions from every grad school class taken. We have two chances to pass each section before being "dismissed" from the program without a degree (even though all the coursework is completed). Two chances. Great, I already used one. The worst part is I already took 2 days off work for this...one to study, one to take the test...and now I am going to have to take another day. So much for saving my PTO for my wedding.

Later that night, I did what any normal student would do, I texted classmates to vent, read some of my favorite blogs, and went to sleep. This morning, I was determined not to let it bother me. So what, I study more, take some PTO (uggh!) and pass the next time. Here goes nothing. Sorry for wanting a life beyond work and studying. Maybe next year. Literally. Ok, really, I am not going to let it bother me.

So, in the spirit of not letting it bother me, I will share my morning, which was particularly wonderful. I got up in time to run before work. I chose a sermon from Church of the Highlands and began down the still-dark road that led to my usual neighborhood running spot. The entry gates to the neighborhood were closed. Shocker. With my new found positive attitude, I jumped the fence. I mean, I came to run, I'm going to run. I continued to jog through the now forbidden neighborhood while thinking about those closed gates that stood in my way. Throughout each day we will face obstacles...it's a fact, Jack. God told us that when he said "in this world, you will have trouble", but {take heart!} there is always another way. Sure, trespassing in this case, but you get the metaphor. I could have stood there, complained about how the gates were closed, it was still dark outside, and I don't have much time to exercise anyway so I'll just turn and head back. Instead, I looked up,  noticed the sun was beginning to rise and that on either side of the gate is a fence with boards with just enough room for me to squeeze through to my running route. So, I did just that.

The past few weeks have been overwhelming, mostly due to school and just being busy on the weekends, and I have done a lot of complaining!  I think it is human nature to complain first and think second (for me, anyway). I am on a mission to stop complaining and boy, is it a hard mission.

Each morning, drive an hour to work. During that time, I listen to a Church of the Highlands sermon- some that I have heard before, some that are new. This is the only church I have ever been to that keeps my attention the entire time and leaves me feeling refreshed. Pastor Chris teaches and preaches so you know what to do when you leave the doors of the building or in my case, reach the end of the recording.

Today, was a different speaker, but he proved to be just as wonderful. I am listening to the "Joy" series for the second time. Part 1 explains the difference between happiness (external forces that determine our mood) and Joy (comes from the inside and is only from God's grace). Part 2, was the one I listed to today, and it was just what I needed to hear. It talked about serving others, finding joy through service to others, and not complaining about your own circumstances. Amen? I am often so busy with my own life, school, work, exercise, and whatever else my day needs, that I forget to think about the needs of others. I know I am not alone because each time I take a glance at my Facebook feed I find people complaining. They complain about the government, complain about their lives, complain about the name of a Redskins football team. All of this complaining succeeds in taking our focus even further away from God than ever before.

We cannot have joy if we spend all of our time dwelling on the bad things and complaining about every thing that happens in our lives, big or small. Which reminds me that I must not complain in order to have joy to share with others. Pastor Mark mentioned a quote from mother Theresa that talked about sharing joy with all that you meet, especially your family. This is another aspect of joy that is difficult for me. Everyone at work views me as upbeat, always smiling, energetic, but my family sees me at the end of the day when my energy is spent. I don't feel like talking, I'm hungry and tired and still have homework to do before bed. I often treat them differently than I do strangers and friends. Why wouldn't I? They have to love me unconditionally, right? I don't necessarily complain to them, but I don't spend time talking to them and learning about their day because I am often so wrapped up in my own. Then I thought about another message, this time, from Joel Osteen, in which he reminded us that God gave us our family to enjoy not just to provide for. We should be enjoying our loved ones. More on that later, for now memorize this verse that Pastor Mark left closed with: Philippians 2:14-16.

Source

I am a firm believer that when we decide to stop doing something, we must make a plan for what we will do instead of what we won't do. So, here are my five ideas for how to be more positive.

1. When a negative thought comes to mind, replace it with Philippians 2:14.
2. Instead of complaining, stop, think and say a prayer to help cope with whatever the issue is. 
3. Look for a better way. The gate was closed, I climbed the fence.
4. Stay determined. When something goes wrong or you fail a test. Work harder, study harder and know that all things work for the good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. 
5. Study the bible. Daily. In some way, online, recorded readings, sermons, or the good ole' fashioned bible reading way. Spend daily time with God. 

Do you have a morning routine that includes devotional time?

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A Lesson on Relaxing + Nutella Energy Bites {Contradiction?}

Source:Etsy Shop

The Church of the Highland's series is "You Asked for It" where Pastor Chris takes questions from the congregation and teaches a sermon based on finding the answer. Today was all about dealing with stress with the main focus being about really resting and spending time with God daily so that a more organized, peaceful life will fall into place given the right amount of effort was put into it. He elaborated on how our society has a really hard time relaxing and replenishing the soul which can lead us to being overworked, overwhelmed and sleep deprived. You can listen to it yourself by visiting their website.

This is a hard lesson for me. My entire life has been about hobbies. I grew up watching my dad play guitar, build shops, work in those shops, and collect things in his spare time after work. My family does not typically sit still and this is an aspect of my life that I love since it limits my sedentary time and makes it almost impossible for me to sit and watch television. It helps me try out new things and find new ideas and goals to work towards. It is also an aspect of my life that can easily lead to stressful situations since I feel like there isn't enough time for me to accomplish everything I want to do in life. That is why this was the perfect lesson for me. I am in grad school, I work full time, and exercise daily all while thinking of what else I can do reach my goals in life {what hobby will be next?}. I want to do a million and one things and have made list after list of life goals. If you're in school you know that when you have classes, it is really hard to truly relax after work. I always, always,  feel like there is homework to be done, a lecture to listen to or a test to study for; all after I leave work and drive for an hour to get home just in time for dinner and bed. Oh wait, don't I have a wedding to plan? More often than I like to admit, I call J.T. in a panic that I just don't have enough time to do everything I need to. He definitely remembers the BioChem breakdown of last semester when I called literally in tears while studying for a biochemistry test because it was about 9 p.m. and I was studying. I had worked all day, had 120 notes on my work desktop to complete with no time to do that because I needed to be studying. I was exhausted with no progress in the memorization of the way the body metabolizes lipids and you know what helped? J.T. telling me it will work out if I put in the work.  I like to think this is also how God wants us to handle times when we feel overwhelmed. It is our job to not only to put in the required work, but to also take a second out of the day to explain how difficult it is. Doesn't he already know how hard it is? Sure, but it helps to verbalize it sometimes, so say it, out loud, to God. Then, wait. Wait for him to say, "all things work for the good for those who love me...it will work out".

So,with my new found knowledge, I headed home with a full plan to relax and blog my Sunday away...after a stop at Winn Dixie for a few ingredients to make some Nutella bites. Once I got home I cleaned for a while, did some laundry, made said Nutella bites plus some new chocolate chip bites, vacuumed my car, washed it, then delivered the bites to Cindy and came home to finish some homework after dinner. So, yea, I might need to work on that rest commandment a little more. Baby steps...

About those Nutella Bites...You must make them. They taste just like Ferrero Rocher Chocolates but are, of course, healthier. Because of the ingredients, they can be a bit pricey but they are so worth it. Just pop one of these babies in your mouth as dessert and your sweet tooth will be forever satisfied! The original recipe is from Gimme Some Oven. Once again, I tweaked it just a little not because I don't like hers {I love all of her recipes that I have tried}, just because this time I thought it could use a little less sugar and I don't have salt.

Yield: 20-25 bites

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup flaxmeal
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts

Directions:

1. Using a food processor (or Ninja in my case) mix all ingredients until well combined. 
2. Refrigerate mixture for about 30 minutes to make it easier to form balls.
3. Roll into balls that are about 1 inch in diameter each. (I made these smaller than the Chocolate Chip Bites because they are more like a dessert than a breakfast)
4. Keep refrigerated when not eating...If you can refrain from eating them all...

Now, I am off to practice the art of doing nothing. Sweet dreams!

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