Happy DP Day. Wherever you are!
It is definitely summer. It is hot and we have people going in every direction! Whether you are home, gone for a season or just gone for a while, it can be difficult to stay on track. For me, it is always a challenge if I am at someone else’s house for an extended period of time.
If it is hot, it is also harder to make a decision on a healthier meal. That’s when I try to do a couple of different things. First, I turn a good part of the cooking over to my husband and the grill. The house doesn’t get all the extra heat and it’s easy to whip up grilling proteins and vegetables (even some fruits!) that will do great on the grill.
I am also a big fan of the crock pot. Chicken, roasts, chops, whatever! Throw them in the pot with some veggies or just your meat and toss a salad. I received an electric pressure cooker for Christmas and it is a wonderful time saver and really good for tenderizing a tougher cut of meat. If you do a chicken and add some water, you will have, not only wonderful chicken, but some of the best chicken broth you have ever tasted.
When all else fails, almost every grocery store now carries rotisserie chickens. These can be a lifesaver for quick meals and you can use the leftovers for salads and many other quick and easy meals.
Many of these suggestions can be used when visiting someone else too. Offer to provide an easy meal.
When all else fails, do the best you can, move on and forgive yourself. Try to do better the next meal, the next day or even the next week if that’s what your situation allows for. Shoot for the 90/10 rule.
A word of caution from my previous experience. If you have a bad eating day, DO NOT try to go without eating to make up for it! You will get so hungry you end up eating more than you would have and probably anything within reach. Instead, just get back on track, being sure you eat adequate protein and healthy fats. Those will make you feel full and keep you from binge eating.
Last, but definitely not least – PRAY UNCEASINGLY!!
In His light,
Lois
No Such Thing As Failure
The Daniel Plan
Your attitude toward failure will determine your ultimate success. Focus and a healthy mind can help you reframe setbacks as opportunities to learn and recalibrate.
Expect both ups and downs on your journey toward better health. There will be highlights and setbacks. Failure does not have to defeat or derail you. It can actually increase your chances of ultimate success. The Daniel Plan encourages you to turn bad days into good information and to study your failures. Learn from your mistakes.
Regardless of your circumstances and how you feel, focus on who God is—his unchanging nature. Remind yourself of what you know to be eternally true about God: He is good, he loves me, he is for me. He knows my struggles and my circumstances, and I know he has a good plan for my life.
Setbacks help you identify your most vulnerable moments. We do not want you to be a victim of your failures, but rather to study them to understand what contributed to the outcome. Be curious. We like saying, “Turn bad days into good data.”
Follow a few simple rules for vulnerable times:
• Manage your stress.
• Avoid your triggers.
• Eat healthy foods first.
• When tempted, take a walk, repeat a poem or Scripture verse, drink a glass of water.
• Be aware of impulses and then focus on something else until the impulse goes away.
• Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
• Get moving.
Follow the 90/10 rule. Give yourself a break. Make great food choices 90 percent of the time, and allow yourself margin to enjoy some of your favorite foods on occasion. This way you won’t feel deprived, and you will avoid binging on something you’ll regret later.
As you shift your perspective on failure, liberate your friends by showing them grace. Encourage and support others when they make mistakes or hit a rut on their journey. When people know they are loved, you can become a safe place where your friends feel free to share their challenges and find the confidence to turn their setbacks around.