Reshaping It All (10 page)

Take this for example. Anyone living in Santa Monica has heard of the stairs, and if you're any kind of athlete, you've probably run them a few times yourself. Joining 4th Street to Adelaide Drive, two long flights of stairs (totaling 174 steps) mark a landmark for athletes wanting a cardio and glute workout combined. I love walking them, but here's the thing: it's not just enough for me to say, "Val, let's walk the Santa Monica stairs in the morning." What I need to do instead is say, "Val, we should walk the Santa Monica stairs in the morning. I'm setting the alarm clock to get up at 5:00 a.m., which is actually great because we can watch the sunrise together."

Willpower means that I'll put that will into
action
by getting myself out of bed an hour earlier so we can get out there before our busy days get underway. This means that some mornings I'm crawling out of bed as early as 5:00 a.m., but at the end of the day, I can look back and see that each of the choices I've made have added up for the good.

Willpower holds the mind-set that obstacles are merely opportunities that can be climbed over to reach better heights. That's where "If there's a will, there's a way" comes from. If we decide to lose weight, we can let circumstance dictate our choices, or we can press on regardless of what stands in our way. Events like losing your job, having a spat with your husband, or the fact that you haven't slept in two weeks are all the kinds of stress inducers that offer reasons to support an excuse.

Preparing our minds to deal with these stressors before they take place by realizing that (1) some or several are going to take place and (2) when they do occur, I will look at them as an opportunity to thicken my skin, we are taking a sure and steady first step.

Willpower can move us to reach for our dreams, but willpower without the other three keys won't carry you through. So let's move on to the second one.

Key 2: Belief

We all have days when we wake up in the morning having lost faith in ourselves. Sometimes it's a result of eating far too much the day before. Sometimes we've said things we wish we could take back, but we can't. Other times we just feel like a failure because we see our tireless efforts as fruitless. All we can think of is how much of a failure we are; the future seems bleak. When it does seem bleak, we might convince ourselves to give up because the course ahead is too hard. That's when it's time to hop out of bed, put on your favorite T-shirt and jeans, do makeup and hair if you need to, then smile in the mirror and say this, "Failure does not define who I am." We all fail, we all make mistakes, and we've all done and said stupid things that we wish that we hadn't. If we let discouragement define our future, we are letting go of the reins we hold. When we stick with the program and believe in ourselves, we are able to grow from the experience and develop a stronger sense of who we are and what we are capable of.

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not. —Author Unknown

If you don't believe that you can successfully lose weight and keep it off, then first, give your head a shake; second, look at the world around you just to see the countless people who have set out on a difficult journey and realized their dreams. I am living proof that belief in action produces results, so the next time someone tries to tell you that diets don't work or that nobody keeps the weight off, quote Henry Ford and reply, "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are right."

Crash diets don't work, agreed. But it's a proven fact that good eating and exercise habits will produce good results. It's simple. But deeper than that lays the fact that belief has the power to move us where human strength cannot.

Marathon runners are often advised to use human strength for the first three quarters of the race and reserve the mental strength for the end. There's something about encouragement, belief, and conviction that drives us to reach places our flesh alone cannot.

In Matthew 17:20, Jesus says, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Belief in oneself can carry a man to the top of a mountain, whereas belief in God can move that mountain aside.

A perfect example I can share with you is that of my cowriter, Darlene Schacht. Darlene suffered severe dyslexia as a child and couldn't even read an entire book, let alone write one. When she first felt the calling to be a writer, she decided to glance into the mirror each morning and say, "Good morning, author."

It felt silly at first, but because she felt that God was moving her in this direction, she wasn't about to argue with Him. She approached me to write this book about four years ago, and although we faced several obstacles along the way, we kept pressing on, believing it would happen. We both knew in our hearts that this was His plan unfolding. It would have been so easy for us to give up the first year, but because we persisted, we can look back and see the direction the book has turned, and know that God has been unfolding this plan in His time.

Not only have we published this book, but Darlene is published in several others as well. That's the power of faith moving mountains!

There have been nights when we've been awake at 2:00 a.m. to pray about the book or prompted to grab a pen and literally take dictation as God breathed words into our hearts—sometimes several times a night. In the end we realize that we are nothing without Him other than instruments holding a pen, waiting for divine direction. How can we not believe when we see how God animates our bodies? He desires that we have life and that we live to our full potential.

Believing in ourselves doesn't mean that we replace God in the process. It means we believe He created us for His glory and pleasure. I'm sure He doesn't want us to wake up on the wrong side of the bed, discouraged over the mistakes we've made. He has given us life, and we can either live that life with joy, believing that we can make a difference, or we can wallow in sorrow believing we can't.

God wants us to have an abundant life. Does that mean we won't have struggles, poverty, or sickness? No. We will still face obstacles while in this human shell, but we will face them knowing that the sun always rises, and we are equipped with the ability to move past them each day.

Key 3: Decision

The accumulation of small decisions carries us farther than one decision ever will. Each year, each week, each day, and each hour we are offered choices. Should I grab water or a soda pop, a bag of chips or an apple? Should I drive or walk, take the stairs or the elevator? The reason we fail to consider these choices as carefully as we should is because the value we place on them is so low. We look at them as individual events that pale in comparison to the big picture we hope to create, but what we don't see is that with any masterpiece every brushstroke counts. Even the glint in one's eye can add life to a painting.

Initial decisions as well as constant decisions need to be on par. I know of a ten-year-old boy, one of Val's hockey fans, who dreamed of one day attending a Calgary Flames game. Only earning five dollars per week allowance the first year, and ten dollars for each week in the next, he saved every single penny for two years. While other kids purchased snacks from the canteen at school, he happily declined each and every time, believing that his final goal far outweighed the smaller pleasures in life. This year he hopped on a plane with his dad, stayed in a nice hotel, and realized the dream of his life. He was also excited to find out that I sent him some autographed hockey cards from Val's days with the Flames.

How many times have you reached for junk food that wasn't part of your plan because you justified that it would be a one-time thing? "Just this time" is a mind trap, and although we've fallen into that trap several times, we keep telling ourselves the same lie. Recognize the thought, and fight it. If a ten-year-old boy can figure it out, can't we?

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

When we resist temptation, it eventually leaves. I promise you that. I mean seriously, you aren't still craving that chocolate bar you rejected last month are you? The temptation eventually left. Maybe it took minutes, or it might have taken a few days, but it does leave us alone. And on that note I'll also tell you that the more we resist temptation the less often it creeps up to tempt us. I love sugar and I always have, but I don't struggle with it the way I used to. Once I started limiting and controlling my intake, my body became less accustomed to asking for it. That stands to reason. If a child is used to getting ice cream every day, he'll ask for it often, but if a child only gets it once a year, ice cream won't be on his mind.

Concentrate on the small decisions as well as the large, and before you know it, your masterpiece will unfold.

Key 4: Action

If we don't control our actions, they will control us. Recently I've been all the more keen on listening to God's Spirit and
acting
as the Spirit moves me. We hear people say that knowledge is power, but unless we put that knowledge into action, it's useless.

I know that in order to accomplish all that I have to do, I need to set my alarm most days to wake me at 5:15. If 5:15 a.m. comes along, and I hit the snoozer three times, then I'm not taking the necessary action I need. My day will start off on the wrong foot, and things just won't get done.

I believe that God speaks to me—to all of us—ready to lead and inspire in every area of life. We just need to listen to His voice, then act. Whether it's about feeding the hungry in Africa or deciding whether I should take on a movie role, I feel the prompt of His leading.

It's never enough to say, "I want to do this . . ." or, "I want to do that . . ." if we aren't willing to take the necessary action to get the job done. Starting my own T-shirt line began with a thought that grew into a vision that is still growing today. With each step of that vision, I've had to roll up my sleeves, get to work, and put things in place. Watching the creative process unfold is fun, but it involves organization, time, and thought, which I must be willing to give, and I am.

My weight-loss journey has been no different. Continual action in motion has been a key factor in maintaining the weight. I don't always feel like working out. In fact I'm not an exercise fanatic like some people are, but I do it because I know that willpower, belief, and decision cannot stand alone.

Action means I'll have an active role in my life. I won't sit around waiting for things to change but will take the necessary steps to make it happen. Things that are important deserve nothing less than vigorous pursuit.

Four Keys Combined

The beauty of the four keys combined reminds me of the daffodil garden in Running Springs, California. In 1958 (Alma) Gene and Dale Bauer started planting a garden of daffodils, planting them one by one by one throughout the years. Today the daffodil garden is said to be the largest daffodil garden in the world. One look at the magnificent hillside immediately draws me in.

This mountain hillside, which was once a wilderness of poor rocky soil, is now drenched with daffodils. A breathtaking experience to the tourists it draws.

The countless daffodils reflect care, as stewards of God's creation, they labored in the land they'd been given. Man and woman side-by-side. But the unmistakable miracle we see—made by the hands of only two—is that perseverance yields fruit to those who are trained by it.

Gene Bauer planted the first forty-eight bulbs in 1958, describing her persistence by saying, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and a body minus a brain."

The garden illustrates the God-given potential each one of us holds when willpower, belief, decision, and action combine. As with many things, the task of losing weight can feel overwhelming if you view the whole instead of each part. Each step of the way, like the planting of one daffodil bulb, is easy enough for one person to manage. Take only one, and then take another . . . until you arrive at your place of freedom.

One pound at a time, one prayer at a time, one day at a time. That's how I reshape it all!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. —Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher

The Pantry

CHOCKED-FULL OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Main Ingredient

Many women live their entire lives in bondage to food, never discovering the keys to unlocking the chains. God has equipped us with every key we need to unlock our freedom and live a victorious life. If willpower, belief, decision, or action has let you down in the past, try combining the four for success.

At times it can feel like we're climbing a mountain, especially for those who have a hundred pounds or more to take off. But it can be done. You can be released from this bondage to food. With each step and each prayer, you are making a difference, so grab onto the keys and begin unlocking that freedom today.

A Slice of Advice

Candace,

I understand that you lost weight and have kept it off for years. I saw you in
US Weekly
magazine, and thought that you looked way younger than your actual age. It's amazing what health and fitness can do to shape up our bodies. Wow!

I am a Christian too. And when I found out that you and your brother Kirk were Christians, I was so excited that I went straight to your Web sites. I'm amazed that you're a mom of three and that you can still manage to look so good.

I have tried so many good diet plans, but I can never seem to stick to them for more than a few weeks. I did stick to one for about two years, and at that time I felt better than I ever have. Then slowly but surely I started slipping back into my old habits again. It's so frustrating because I know how I want to look and feel, but I can never seem to stay there.

Do you have any advice for me that could get me back on track, and then stay there permanently? I'd love to be able to say I lost twenty pounds ten years ago and haven't looked back, but I haven't been able to say that yet.