STAYING HYDRATED

March 14, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 4 Comments

One of the things I have not talked too much about this year…or ever really I guess… is my weight loss journey. I have been on it for over a year now; so far I am further away from my goal than when I began.

I chalk that up to my current stress situation… Strange sleeping hours and weird eating schedules coupled with not enough water and a lot of emotional eating as well as eating the easiest thing to grab (like McDonald’s or pizza from my fav local pizzeria).

I realize life could stay like this for a while. I am now at the point where my belt doesn’t even fit comfortably.

I bought some suspenders the other day to get me through this TEMPORARY season of life.

I know I have to make some decisions that will get me going in the right decision, even if they are really small ones. in fact from my recent studies, I know the small maintainable decisions are the most helpful types of decisions, when trying to make significant lifestyle changes.

The small change that I am making today is to hydrate everyday. Specifically I am going to drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water everyday.

In order to do this I am going to stack my new water drinking habit with my well established prayer habits. I pray eight times a day…so now I will just add a glass of water to each prayer time.

From previous experience, I know that even small changes take a little while to turn into consistent behaviors…so the journey begins!

HOW DO YOU MAKE LIFESTYLE CHANGES?

DAY 2 2024: 5 THINGS I LIKE…ABOUT ME

January 2, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 4 Comments

I said yesterday that this year I will be working on my weight, strength and flexibility…in short my physical health. I actually started working on this a year ago. 2023 showed little progress in this area. I had a net weight loss of 3 pounds. It’s not nothing, but it’s close.

My chosen weight loss vehicle is NOOM, well at least it is the parts of NOOM that I like or find easy to accomplish. Therein lies the problem. I realize that I have not committed to the work. Part of the suggested work with NOOM is that you publicize your work, make yourself publicly accountable. SO….this is me making myself publicly accountable.

This morning I started a lesson entitled “Express Yourself Pt. 3”. It called for me to answer questions about how I felt about “Express Yourself Pt. 1”. Well, I never did Pt. 1 so I cannot do Pt. 3 (no I didn’t do Pt. 2 either but we will save that for another blog).

EXPRESS YOURSELF PT. 1 asked me to write down 5 things about myself that I really liked regardless of my size and shape. SO HERE WITHOUT COMMENT ABOUT HOW I FEEL ABOUT HOW I LIKE MYSELF IS MY LIST OF FIVE THINGS.

I LIKE THAT I AM A PATIENT PERSON.

I LIKE THAT I AM A STUDIOUS PERSON.

I LIKE THAT I AM A PERSON OF PEACE.

I LIKE THAT I AM A PROPHETIC PERSON.

I LIKE THAT I AM A PRAYERFUL PERSON.

Ok, that wan’t as hard as I thought it would be.

IS IT HARD FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?

MINDFUL EATING AMERICAN

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / 3 Comments

One of my goals this year is to lose eighty pounds. I joined NOOM and so far I am down about 22 pounds depending on the day.

I am also trying to get rid of joint pain in my knees and hips. I think a large part of the pain is due, not just to my weight, but to what I am eating.

I am a big sweet eater and like most Americans I love my processed sugars.

As I said the other day I am on a lenten fast called the Daniel Fast, which is basically a vegetarian fast. I fasted like this in January and it went very well. This time I am having a hard time staying away from the processed sugar.

My latest NOOM lessons have been on the subject of mindful eating. It involves paying attention to what I am putting in my mouth. One of the suggestions is to increase mindfulness is to actually sit down to table to eat rather than eating on the go.

I have to admit this is a great challenge for me. I have years of ingrained on the go eating. I seldom sit at table to eat almost always choosing the grab and go method, the watch TV and eat method or the multitasking eating method.

But I do realize that the idea of slowing down to be intentional about eating is not only healthy but it is one of my three mandates of living from God, “SLOW, CONSTANT AND INTENTIONAL”.

I am going to try shifting this eating habit. I’ll let you know how it goes.

DO YOU EAT MINDFULLY? WHAT HELPS YOU TO DO IT?

SORE LEGS IN THE KITCHEN

February 27, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / 1 Comment

It is two o:clock in the afternoon on Monday. I just finished my daily devotional video for the church. I am standing at the kitchen island as I type trying to stretch the soreness out of my legs.

The soreness comes from two things: weak legs and Sunday church service.

As I have started my weight loss regimen, using NOOM, one of the things I have noticed is that I do not walk enough. My goal is 10,000 steps a day. So far I haven’t it made it up to 4,000 steps a day. Generally Sundays is my biggest day for walking especially if I pace a lot during the sermon.

I keep thinking I might solve this problem as the Spring sets in, and I can once again take the dogs out around the park for walks. Mercedes doesn’t tolerate the cold well at all anymore. Of course the old girl is only six pounds so it is not like she has a lot to protect her against the ravages of the winter wind. Snug, the younger of the two, would probably walk until he was an ice block if I let him. Anyway the lack of walking the dogs except around the yard is the excuse I am making for not walking as much as I should and the lack of walking enough is what makes my legs weak.

That takes us back to Sunday church service. If standing up for long periods of time was a NOOM goal I would rock that one on Sundays. I am generally in on Sundays by 9 A.M. and from 9 to 10 I stand around greeting people as they enter the church. Service starts at 10 and from the moment the service officiant says “Could we all stand for the reading of God’s Word?” until I say “Be Blessed and Be At Peace. You Missions field is waiting. Bring them your blessing and your peace. Catch you later.” at the end of my preach I am on my feet.

Yesterday we had an all church fellowship after church. We call these gatherings “DLT mixers”. My job is to try and stop at every table before they head out the door after lunch. I didn’t quite make it to every table yesterday and I was still on my feet at 1:25 in the afternoon.

When I got home, I probably should have done some stretches.

Instead I fell asleep on the recliner while binge-watching “Call the Midwife”.

I am not sure if this is completely normal for all pastors, but sore legs in the kitchen on Mondays is a part of my life. I wonder…when I have reached my 80 pounds weight loss goal, will this reality change?

IT IS ONE OF MY HOPES FOR SURE!

WHAT ARE COME OF YOUR MOTIVATORS TOWARD YOUR GOALS?

Notes From the Vicarage

A minister's family living in a micro forest garden

WEIGHT LOSS

STAYING HYDRATED

DAY 2 2024: 5 THINGS I LIKE…ABOUT ME

MINDFUL EATING AMERICAN

SORE LEGS IN THE KITCHEN