Chapter 6: How to Make Decisions

So I was not always the best at making decisions. It is probably because I was never allowed to make a decision when I was little. My mom made every decision. She enrolled me in all the classes and activities. I remember when I was sixteen and had been taking dance lessons for twelve years going to her and telling her I hated it and was quitting. She still says I'm a failure for quitting dancing. I'm a big disappointment to her because of my hair color, how much I weigh or don't weigh, what I wear, etc. I'm also a big disappointment to her because of the way I'm raising my kids. But now I have the power to make the decisions. I also have to make a decision on my attitude...to live in misery just to please her or to follow God's plan for me/us.

I love how Joyce broke down the decision process into steps. First we need to make a list of decisions. I'll stick with my weight loss journey here.
1. Exercise and eat healthy
2. Exercise and eat whatever I want
3. Eat healthy but don't exercise
4. Eat whatever I want and don't exercise.
Just by writing some of these I cringe as I don't want to face my closet each morning where hardly anything fits and know I need to make the right decision.

She then says to weigh the possible outcomes:
1. If I exercise and eat healthy I will loss weight. I will get the body I want. I will be able to fit back into my pre-pregnacy clothes. I will be able to chase my daughters around all day. I will probably live longer and be able to do more activities.

2. If I exercise but eat whatever I want I will probably stay where I am at. I may even gain weight. I think Melanie posted something on the Facebook page that said "Never eat something that has more calories than you are willing to exercise off." Look at what you are eating. Here are just a few foods with there calories to get you to start thinking:
Food: Calories
1. Apple, medium: 72
2. Bagel: 289
3. Banana, medium: 105
4. Beer (regular, 12 ounces): 153
5. Bread (one slice, wheat or white): 66
6. Butter (salted, 1 tablespoon): 102
7. Carrots (raw, 1 cup): 52
8. Cheddar cheese (1 slice): 113
9. Chicken breast (boneless, skinless, roasted, 3 ounces): 142

3. Eat healthy but don't exercise. This sometimes works for me as with three under three I can lose weight because of how active I am with them. I'll eventually hit a plateau though as I can go no further with just nutrition alone. I need exercise.

4. Even writing this made me think back just a year ago when this is exactly what I was doing. No exercise and eating whatever leads to a fat Kara. I was unhappy. I was stress eating. I was eating for comfort as I had no friends as we had moved. I was miserable all around. I had to go buy bigger shorts to go to the beach to play with my kids. It was such a downer to me.

I think it is clear by weighing the options we all see which the correct one is.

Lastly we need to acknowledge God. In Lysa TerKhurst's book Made to Crave she talks about how God made us to crave. He made us to crave him though and not food. This changed my outlook on my weight loss journey when I read this book at the beginning of the year and now here is Joyce telling me how important in is to consult God before making any decision.

So back to my mom. I made the decision that I had to step away from her. After consulting God I saw how much in bondage I was to her. I was both a co-dependent to her and a people pleaser to all around me because I didn't know how to make a decision. That was three years ago. God is working on both of us. I know I'm a better person today because I have God in my life and I'm doing his will and not anyone else's'.

Dear God,
Please help each of us continue to make the correct decision. I know that each one of us wants to do your will. I know each one of us would love to lose the weight as quickly as possible, but I know for some that losing the weight may be a process of bring them closer to you and may take longer because of the bondage they are in. Please help each of us to be closer to you and to consult you with each decision we make. I love you God. In Jesus name. Amen.


Have a great day -- Kara