CAPTIVATING - "Walking out the Front Door Naked"

"We can't wait until we feel safe to love and invite.  In fact, if you feel a little scared, then you're probably on the right path.  Of course it's scary.  It's vulnerable.  It's naked.  God calls us to stop hiding, to stop dominating, to trust Him, and to offer our true selves.  He wants us to bring to bear the weight of our lives and all that He has given to us, worked into us, and offer it to our world.  To entice, allure, and invite others to Jesus by reflecting His glory in our lives.  He will give us no guarantee that others will enjoy us or respond well.  In fact, we can be sure that there will be times when they do not.  Jesus offered like no other, and many rejected Him.  In those moments or seasons when that happens to us, God's invitation is to bring our sorrow to Him.  Not to shut down with I'll never try that again.  But to keep our hearts open and alive, and find refuge and healing in His love."

 - CAPTIVATING by John & Stasi Eldridge

I wrote "Walking Out the Front Door Naked" in my blog (www.whyweight-dietitianmom.blogspot.com) BEFORE I read this in the book CAPTIVATING.   Wow, I knew God has been working deeply on me during my 30's... thus, the reason for my "Walking Out The Front Door Naked" with my eating disorder and the "R" word Blog I wrote.   A good friend kept prompting me to read this book...the Lord has really been working on him lately and he knew the Lord wanted me to read this book.  I praise God for the pits He has allowed me to fall in on my life's journey...if it weren't for those pits, I wouldn't be as strong as I am today NOR as close to Him as I am today.  I KNOW He still has much MUCH more work to do on me...I'm so blessed to know He is carrying me through it all.    

As I read this book, I have an even greater perspective on life.... I will continue to pray for those who have closed minds and have not allowed God to be in control...I will pray that they too will find a relationship with Him and not just "religion."   Relationship brings us closer to Him...allows you to "Walk Out the Front Door Naked" giving HIM all the glory!!! 

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Questions to Ponder:

Do you have a hard time being vulnerable,  OR hiding behind excessive food intake?  Or turning to food to comfort your unexpressed emotions?  

What is holding you back from Walking out the Front Door Naked?  Do you think you can trust God enough to give you that unreleased freedom from within?  He longs for you...to just call His name.  

When is the last time you took 15 minutes out for yourself to talk to God just like you would a friend?  Forget the "thees" and "thoughs" like the wording in King James... Get serious with Him instead.."Hey man, I'm needing to talk to you... I gotta get something off my chest... I'm just needing an answer...yeah, you know you I'm stubborn and hard of hearing, so please scream it at me!  And by the way... please show me the assets for these stinking "pits" I've been going through... show me what you want me to do with them and help me forget the negative.   I"m gonna give it all over to you...yeah, it's gonna be hard, but I have no other choice but to take this leap of faith because I long for peace within." (YES- HE IS WANTING YOU TO GIVE IT ALL OVER TO HIM!)

Pass me some WATER please!!

Are you feeling tired around 2pm and "needing" some caffeine??   I would bet you are most likely dehydrated.   Most people do not drink enough water to support their organ functions properly, thus we start to feel fatigue by mid-afternoon.  Our bodies are 60-70% water.  When we become dehydrated, we don't function as well, our immune systems run down (which brings on sickness), and we just don't have the energy to do much anything.   Caffeine is a diuretic so if we consume too much caffeine (more than 200mg - a cup of brewed coffee is 83mg) we risk becoming dehydrated also.
A few simple tests to see if you are hydrated enough:
1. If your urine is yellow, you are dehydrated.
2. If you are fatigued by 2pm, you are dehydrated.
3. If you have waited until you are thirsty before you grab up some water, you are dehydrated.

Our bodies need >80ounces of water a day.  And the more physically active you are OR out in the heat, you will need much much more!

Marriage of Food & Activity - Requires Both & Balance

For weight loss, it takes BOTH physical activity and healthy eating.
It's 80% what you eat, and 20% physical activity.  You can not have one without the other if you wish to succeed.
The choice of food is important.  It should not be a "diet"...it should be a "lifestyle" instead.   Balancing of all three food groups ( carbohydrates, proteins, and fat) are very important for the metabolism.  So when choosing a meal, be sure to include all 3 of the food groups in it.

CARBOHYDRATES:  choose complex, high fiber, with a crunch or a "whole" grain,
                  in natural form.
      EX of Complex to consume:  brown rice, whole grain bread, raw apple,
               lightly steamed vegetables
      EX of carbs to avoid or limit: white rice, wheat or white bread, fruit juices

PROTEINS: choose lean cuts of meat, no marbling, eat about the size of the palm of
               your hand, or 2-3 ounces for women(14-21grams protein), or 3-5 ounces for
               men (21-35grams protein)
     EX of proteins to consume:  low-fat mozzarella cheese, 93% lean ground beef,
                                                   grilled chicken/turkey
     EX of proteins to avoid: prime rib, sausage, bologna, hotdogs, pepperoni

FATS: choose fats that come from plants, not animals.  Limit servings to the size of
            1/2 your thumb size.
    EX of plant fats to consume:  olives, avocado, nuts/seeds, olive oil
    EX of animal fats to avoid:  butter, shortening, creams, cream cheese, and bacon


HOW DOES FOOD BREAKDOWN & DIGEST IN MY BODY??
Carbohydrates: 100% turns to sugar (instant energy).  Too much at one time overworks the pancreas to produce excess insulin and thus will consequently promote excess calories to be stored in fat cells.  Complex Carbs (such as ones listed above), limit the amount of insulin produce, thus LESS chance of overworking the pancreas and fat storage.  Carbs will digest, spike up the blood sugar, then come back down in an average of 2 hours.  If protein was NOT eaten with the meal, you will start to feel hunger pangs within 2 hours of eating the carbs.

Protein:  50-60% of protein turns to sugar (energy).  It is hard for your body to break down protein, thus extra calories are burned in the process of breaking it down (thus some of the carbs you consumed with it will be used up for energy instead of being stored in fat cells).  You don't get instant energy from protein....you only get it from carbs.   It takes about 8-10 hours for your body to digest & use up the protein you consumed.

Fats:  less than 10% of fat turns to sugar.  Your body NEEDS fats for a few vitamins & minerals to be absorbed.  So avoiding fats can be malnourishing.  There are two types of fats: plants & animals.  It's important to only consume plant fats.  Fats take about 12-15 hours to break down and give slight rise in the blood sugar.  LIMIT how much you do consume because this is the "bloated" feeling you get when you consume a high fat meal such as hush puppies, fried catfish, and french fries.

Metabolism & Breakfast

Breakfast skippers decrease their metabolism by 10%.  People who eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking up increases their metabolism by 3%.  Breakfast skipper tend to develop diabetes earlier in life, especially if they have diabetes in their family.

Walking out the Front Door Naked Again- The “R” Word

As I mentioned last week, the wise old woman who said I needed to “walk out the front door naked” changed me and still works on me today.   Especially in this particular matter…for 2 years of my college life, I hid a secret in my “black box” that I was so afraid to reveal to anyone. 

Through a couple great friends, whom somewhat knew what happened, I was able to function to the outside world as  “normal,” but on the inside I was stripped, violated by force, felt dirty & no amount of washing could fix it…I was numb yet filled with deep anger.  The man I had dated was not who I thought he was…  And my best friend was my rock – and she didn’t even know how much she meant to me ( 2 Cor 1:3,4).   I had plunged back into my eating disorder as a way to “deal with the situation” – this was my refuge where I felt comfortable.   After 2 years of hiding this black box, I wanted to heal but I knew I could not do it alone.  I had to ask God to cleanse me, even for the guilt I felt since I took on his behavior as my own fault (Psalm 51:10-13).   I felt God telling me that my anger & bitterness towards this guy was NOT hurting him, it was only hurting me…this meant I needed to forgive him.  Seriously, Lord?!  You want ME to do THAT?!  Galatians 5:19-21 spoke to me “Now the works of the flesh…hatred, contentions, ..outbursts of wrath,…that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  This was the most difficult change of heart that I could ever do…but “I” could not do it…I HAD to ask the Lord to help me through it.  I cannot even begin to tell you the evil thoughts I had towards him…how I wanted to torment him with a slow death – yes, I was ATE up with anger.  Evil for evil was so wrong of me (1 Thes 5:15).  I would be just as sinful as him if I did not turn it over to the Lord. 

I also sought help from a rape crisis counselor and my doctor prescribed me anti-depressant medicine during the healing process.   Through all this, and the Holy Spirit as my guide, I finally forgave him and moved on with my life. 

I’m walking out the front door naked here for several reasons: Because through the years, as I slowly started revealing my “black box secret”, I have found that so many women have dealt with the same situation and others have “black box secrets” that are not exactly as mine, but they still felt the same as I did on the inside....some have dealt with it by turning to homosexuality,  or becoming promiscuous.  While others have dealt with it by turning to drugs, alcohol, food, or like me… my eating disorder.   You must know that the Lord is the ONLY one that can empty that black box of yours and wash it clean!  He desires & longs to be your strength and refuge (Psalm 46:1).  Satan wants you to feel dirty, angered, and full of bitterness…he offers no refuge, no strength.  But the Lord does -All it takes is you asking Him.

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Questions for you:  Do you have any “black box secrets” that you just don’t know what to do with because it is too painful? 

Do you think the Lord wants you to continue living in the pain, which prevents you from living your fullest for Him?

Have you tried to suppress this “black box” by over-consuming food or drugs?  or acting out in ways you normally don't do??  

There is no better time than now to ask for His strength, forgive those who have sinned against you, and stop suppressing the feelings with food.  – who are you REALLY hurting?