Eating More Healthy

For the last six weeks, my diet has been evolving.  It is different than any diet I’ve ever been on.  Instead of just cutting calories and being hungry and deficient in many aspects of my nutrition, I have been eating healthier.  I’ve been replacing fatty, useless calories with healthy, vitamin and protein packed ones.

There has always been a problem doing this for me.  I really do’t like to eat fruits and vegetables.

So, I have been challenging myself to try things again and if I still can’t eat them, I am trying to present them in a different form that I can enjoy.

The blender has really helped me out here.  I can mix things I can’t stand with things I love and the next thing you know, I had an avocado and didn’t feel its greasy , slimy texture in my mouth or taste its bland whatever it is flavor.

All that potassium, which I sorely lack, comes down my throat on the tasty heels of blueberries or some other naturally tasty, healthy item that has been missing from my nutrition arsenal.

I’m just grateful that coffee is still in my diet plan.

I’ve lost eleven and a half pounds so far.

Here’s the other thing that has happened.  Reducing carbs and fat in my diet and  cranking up the protein and nutrition has literally caused me to feel I have to be back in the gym.  Energy has appeared out of nowhere and now I am back at it, moving weight, making plans and finding new optimism about tomorrow.

During the last few months before I started on this, I was feeling old.

I felt joints groaning and popping.  I was sore and stiff.  I was always tired and I was just feeling…well, old.

Today, my beard is still gray but my hopes for my future health are in a much better place.

For a long time, I talked about getting healthy.  I talked a lot.  But I stayed the same.  No, I got worse, I got older, more tired and worn, more lazy, more of a spectator than a participant.

The day I got up off the sofa and started doing all that stuff I’ve been talking about is the day my life started to look better.

1 John 3:18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Come on, kids!  Let’s get it moving!

That’s what I’m seeing this morning when I read this verse for the umpteen millionth time.

I can’t tell you how often I haven’t felt it.  I’ve talked about it and talked about it but the love of God has seemed to be a trophy on the shelf signifying what happened once.

But it is still happening.  I have spent a lot of time spectating and commentating but not enough time getting up and doing.

There are some things about showing love that have become hard to stomach over the years.  But, withholding God’s love because it rubs me the wrong way or is uncomfortable is not only hurting God and others but it is keeping vital nutrition from and malnourished soul, that being my own.

I need to plan out ways I can love better, anticipate what I am going to do to make the seemingly impossible routine and this tired old soul come back alive for a few more rounds in the ring it seemed it would never see.

God’s love isn’t a warm blanket I wear as I sit on the sofa, it is the armor for me to go out into the world and engage others with love.

Time to get moving.  See you tomorrow.