FED UP

Hey All! I have to admit, my brain feels a bit dusty and my fingers a bit stiff as I haven't written in awhile, but glory be BOTH KIDS ARE NAPPING TODAY!! I have a story to tell! In keeping with the purpose of my blog, which is to share real life stories of the real life Jesus in my life, this latest scenario is too incredible not to write about.

Right around the time the holidays were hitting last year, I began to feel incredibly discouraged about my body. I knew my weight was at an all-time high, my pants were getting tight (TWO pairs of jeans even ripped at the zipper!! Ugh, just shoot me.), I was exhausted most of the time and never got through a day without a nap. This had nothing to do with "I had two babies in way less than 2 years", but everything to do with something needing to change. I just didn’t know what. Or how.

So I did the ONLY thing I knew would help me. I cried out to God. Oh how He cares about every single detail in my vast heart. I shared with Him how discouraged I was, and how I needed help. I told Him I was not going to be about any kind of diet or crash-eating situation.

 I continued through the holiday season feeling insecure about my weight as I prepared to see family I hadn’t seen in a while. Right before Christmas an idea began to form, which I can only explain as wisdom given to me straight from my Abba Father. I even shared the idea with my Mom and SIL over Christmas break. It was simply this: If I stuck to eating the foods our good Lord created, how could they be bad for me?  I mean God created our fruits, vegetables, meats, milk, eggs, and nuts for our pleasure. Though I didn’t feel like I had an official plan, something was stirring in me.

Later in January, I was checking Netflix to see what new shows or movies were being offered. I “stumbled upon” (i.e. God laid it out for me on a silver platter!) a documentary called, “FED UP”. According to Netflix, “This eye-opening documentary examines the underlying causes of childhood obesity, which has become an increasingly serious medical issue in America.” I was riveted from the start. I watched a little bit right away, and then finished later that night with Chuck by my side. We were both moved by what we saw. So moved, in fact, we started making changes in our kitchen right away.

In the documentary, Katie Couric highlights the addiction Americans have to sugar. As viewed by an MRI scan, when a person eats sugar their brain lights up the same way it does when a person takes cocaine. Even Congress claims pizza is a vegetable! So much of our food is processed with an enormous amount of added sugar. Grab a box of any type of food in your pantry, and check out the label. You will NOT see the percentage of sugar a person is supposed to have in one day, but you will see a percentage for the other categories. For instance, you will see, “Total Carbohydrates, 24g, 8%”. When looking at sugar, you will see, “Sugars, 15g” then a blank space. Companies are not required, and do not provide that information. 

The morning after Chuck and I watched the FED UP documentary, he looked at our coffee creamer label to see how much sugar we were drinking, and then looked up the American Heart Association’s guide for daily sugar intake. We were drinking an ENTIRE day’s worth of sugar in our morning coffee alone. In just one cup! I mean it when we say we were horrified! That was the first thing to go.

After that, we decided to boycott processed sugar for 10 days and we never turned back. In 7 weeks, I have taken very few naps- a border line miracle, I have healthy energy, and have lost 9 pounds. Trust me when I say I am not on a diet. I am not deprived! Every single time I’m hungry- I eat (which is quite often), but we have drastically decreased our sugar intake. Believe me, I still eat dessert here and there, and still drink the occasional sugary coffee drink.

So why am I sharing this? I feel compelled. I was in a desperate place several months ago. I needed help, I cried out to God and He gave me answers! Not only has He been helping me, but He’s been helping me help my family. I am learning how to better feed my kids, and how to provide food for them that nourishes their bodies not just fills them up. (When they actually eat, of course!) 

I have been hesitant to share about this journey because people talking about their eating habits is usually annoying. Even still, as I’ve chatted with a few friends about this they’ve been really curious and have asked me to share the insight God has given me. So here I am laying it all out there. Over the next couple of posts I will share tips, tidbits, and even recipes I’ve gained along the way. Please feel free to ask any questions. For anyone interested, I’m happy to serve you!