Food 4 Thot

Hey there!  Hope this post find you doing well.  I'm having a great day.  It's going to be a warm one in my neck of the woods, but the air is starting to get that 'fall-ish' feeling.  Boy do I love living in a place with all four seasons!

Well today I thought I would give you some Food 4 Thot...kind of like my Verse to Chew On posts...only completely different! :)  The Verse to Chew On entries are more a devotional type of piece...usually based on one Bible verse and dealing with life in general.  Food 4 Thot, (and yes I do know that there are some spelling errors in this title - but when texting my friends in relation to this it's quicker and easier to punch in...no, I'm not lazy), can be a Bible verse but it can also be some practical tips to help those of us pursuing better body management.

Food 4 Thot began as a group gathering of 3 of my friends and myself about a year ago.  We are in various body states (we are all in Idaho, but you know what I mean) but share the common goal of wanting to be a better steward of these bodies that the Lord has blessed us with. Body management took a back seat for me when the Man went through all of his medical crisis.  And now my back seat shows it...and I don't want to end up with a health issue of my own as a result!

Sitting in the plastic chairs of hospital rooms and doc's offices didn't help.  Neither did the Santa Clause diet!  When you hit the hospital cafeteria at odd hours or eat out of the gift shop, milk and cookies are sometimes what you end up with...and those end up leaving you with a Santa Clause resembling figure.  What's endearing on him is just plain old uncomfortable on me!

So the last year of Food 4 Thot meetings with my friends, although sporadic, have helped me keep my head in the game.  My progress has been kind of all over the place as complications and challenges have plagued my husband and placed my behind in plastic chair after plastic chair.  But some progress has been made.

Not only do my friends and I share the common goal of desiring better body management but we also share the same approach.  No, we are not all following the same diet...there is a Weight Watcher among us, as well as a Raw Foodist and one who continues with her Mediterranean influenced eating habits but watches portions.  The one thing we have in common is what I mentioned earlier...keeping our head in the game. 

Romans 12:1-2a is the foundational scripture for our pursuits.  In the NIV it reads, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (italics mine)

We are so thankful for all that the Father has done for us...and we do want our bodies to be holy and pleasing to Him (for us we believe that this comes by taking better care of ourselves - it's not about being a perfect size) and this comes through changing our thinking.

So, we spend our time renewing our minds with scripture...what does God say about our bodies?  Does His Word say anything about what or how much we should eat?...and renewing our minds with information about nutrition and exercise.  We encourage each other and affirm each other...and pray for each other.

Here are a few tips that were shared the last time we got together...courtesy of Dr. Oz.
   *The best time to weigh in...right after you get up in the morning, (after you potty)
   *The best time to exercise...right after you weigh in...it's like putting a stick of butter in a hot skillet, you'll burn fat right away...if you wait until you eat you'll have to burn through that fuel first.
   *The best time to eat breakfast...right after you get up (potty), weigh in and exercise...shouldn't go longer than an hour of so after waking to get your metabolism going.

Well that is just a little for you to think on today...what are your thoughts?

Serving Him and you,
~Michelle...ApronGirl