Plan to Succeed

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  

I don't know who said that quote first but it is so true.  I don't know about you but there are so many times in my life that I have failed at something because I didn't have a plan.  I can think of a couple of biggies right off the top of my head.

Our family failed with our finances because we didn't have a plan.  We just went day to day spending our money until it was gone and then once it was gone we would turn to our credit cards.  We were spending almost $1000 a month eating out all because I didn't have a plan at home for fixing dinner.  If I did have a "plan" we wouldn't always stick to it.  We ended up $75000 in debt with no idea how to get out.  We had planned to fail because we didn't make a plan to succeed.

Finally we did make a plan to succeed in our finances.  We started planning where our money was going to go.  We made a budget and stuck to it.  We made a plan to get out of debt and spent 2 1/2 years paying that debt off.  We are now debt free all because we made a plan.  All because we made a plan to succeed.

Another area in my life that I failed to make a plan was with my health.  I reached a maximum weight of 279lbs all because I didn't make a plan to succeed.  I went day by day eating whatever I felt like eating.  If it sounded good I ate it.  Sure I did the watch your fat, watch your calories, watch your salt etc...and I just ended up fatter.  I tried exercising but never really stuck to anything.  I had planned to fail because I didn't make a plan to succeed.

It wasn't until I made a plan to take charge of my own health and stop listening to all the stupid low fat diets and start studying about and learning about health and nutrition did I started to lose weight.  I made a plan to workout when my kids went to PE at the YMCA.  I was there.  Might as well, right?  Now I can't imagine not working out.  I plan out our menu for eating at home instead of dining out all the time because most restaurants aren't very healthy.  Over the past year I have lost 60lbs all because I made a plan to succeed with my health.

These are two areas in my life that I was weak at and now I am strong.  Satan took advantage of those weaknesses.  He used our lack of planning with our finances to cause strife in our marriage because we had so much debt because we wouldn't control our spending.  He used my lack of planning when it came to what I put in my body to get me to a point where I was obese and unhealthy.

Satan uses these things to get us down.  He wants us to feel helpless.  He want us to believe that these are not important areas but they are.  Did you know that money fights are the number one cause of divorce in America.  Problems with money are tearing our families apart.  How much harder is it to serve God and do work for the Lord when you are overweight and tired all the time?  I know from experience how much more difficult it makes things.  This is what Satan wants.  He wants us to not plan.

Now, how many of you have a plan to succeed spiritually?

"If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."

1# of Fat for 1# of Muscle

Many of you have heard that muscle weighs more than fat.  Well I am pleased to say that that is not true.  A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat.  What is true is that muscle takes up less space than fat.  Think about it.  Muscle clings to your bones and fat hangs out.  It just does.   Also the more muscle you build the more fat you burn because your metabolism increases.  So as you build muscle you may not necessarily lose any weight but you will lose inches because you are burning fat.  So basically you are swapping fat for muscle.  Not a bad trade off if you ask me.

So it is very important if you want to be nice and toned after all that fat goes away to work your muscles on a daily basis.  Also, if you are not building muscle while you are losing weight, you could be losing muscle too along with the fat and that isn't good at all.

In nutshell.  If you want to lose weight and keep your body toned as you go along, you have got to hit the weights.  Lifting weights has become one of my favorite things to do.  Give it a try.

My Mother

Today is a special day.  A day to celebrate someone who has been a part of my life since the beginning of it.  Without this person I would not be who I am today.  I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her. My mother is strong, beautiful, committed, loving and supportive.  

My mother taught me to love unconditionally.  She showed me what it meant to be committed and to always lean on God in every circumstance.  I am so grateful that she chose to stay home and be a mother to me and my brother and sisters.  She has always been such a great example to me in so many ways.

If it wasn't for my mom, I would not be the person I am today.  Thank you Mom for being so selfless and for loving me unconditionally.  Thank you for teaching me what it means to be a mom.  I appreciate you so much.  I love you.

Happy Birthday Mom!