We’ve all heard the statement “When you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else.”
What are you saying yes to? What are you saying no to?
This Thanksgiving, I considered myself lucky. Why? I got punched in the face with a migraine and started coming down with the cold I now have. So didn’t get a chance to stuff my face.
You see, I have no discipline when it comes to food and social eating. None.
Part of my training for Ride:Well is eating healthier. I’m learning the food I eat is fuel. With each bite, I need to ask myself “what’s the return on this investment?”
I started journaling my diet for my trainer, Brandon. He analyzed it and came back with a really feasible nutrition plan. Brandon took what I was already eating and showed me where I could substitute something healthier. There really aren’t a whole lot of changes.
Except one…
He emailed me the plan last night so I can start keeping track of it and I noticed something was missing.
Saying “yes, I want to be healthier” means saying “no, I don’t need all my snacks.”
Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m still going to have the occasional brownie or mocha. But I am shifting my perspective of “I CAN’T have THIS” to “I AM HAVING this instead.”
It’s not having a mindset of deprivation, because that will only frustrate you and stop you. It’s having a mindset of value, because then you’re understanding what something is worth.
For me, it’s saying yes to healthier snacks so my body is fueled better.
What is it in your life that you need to say yes to?
*(btw, it doesn’t have to be food related…)
Comments
53 responses to “It Means Saying Yes”
I officially become a SAHM in January. Because Dan and I had two incomes, I was relatively able to buy clothes or cute headbands (it is an obsession..I’m sorry) whenever I wanted to.
With going down to one income…that money isn’t just for me to just spend whenever I feel like it. I am sacrificing the freedom of being able to spend on myself and forced to live on what I have. Once in awhile I can buy clothes and fun things for me…but it won’t nearly be as often. I have the utmost responsibility to my family first.
And honestly, it will be hard (because I love to shop *sigh*) but this was what I wanted. To be at home with my babies.
Great post Anne.
.-= Tiffany?s last blog ..Etsy Tuesday Break =-.
I actually am working on doing the same thing myself. Well I am not riding across the United States (though I wish I really was) but I am working on eating better and saying “yes to the dress” as my sister likes to call it (you know, say yes to the right things so you can fit into the dress). I have started to cut out the ice cream and lays classics, and started eating more salads and drinking more water.
Glad you are saying yes to the right things
.-= Kyle Reed?s last blog ..Opportunity of a Lifetime =-.
You should come ride!! :)
I seriously would if I could afford a good bike.
But I have no money to get that bike.
.-= Kyle Reed?s last blog ..Opportunity of a Lifetime =-.
do you all need a driver for the trip?
trust me. i dont have money for a bike either. or the trip. or to take 2 months off from speaking….or writing….
but once you say yes, it’s amazing how one is provided for….
.-= Anne Jackson?s last blog ..It Means Saying Yes =-.
now you are making me really want to go.
I am going to look into it and see if i can raise the money.
I’ve simply cut back on my portions. I’ve cut back to about half of what I used to eat and have found it’s much better that way. I’m a big guy to start off with so it was a bit of challenge at first but after the first week or so it was easy. I found myself having much more control and knowing when I was full and when to say, enough…or no. Good post.
I gave up caffeine and soda about six weeks ago and more than the health benefits it has just taught me that all my self-talk about “I need, I need” and “I can’t, I can’t” was crap. Total crap.
.-= Kristie Jackson?s last blog ..Who is a Child of God? =-.
that is a good start to a healthier lifestyle.
Anne, you picked a heck of a time of the year to do this! And I’m drinking a latte (and now guilt) while reading this post. Geez.
Are we taught deprivation? I’m thinking about this physically, mentally and spiritually. We practice physical deprivation and call it dieting. We practice spiritual deprivation and call it religion.
Why do we focus on the things we don’t (or can’t) have, instead of the opportunities and things we have? I’m very guilty of this. Thanks for re-framing this! Good post.
.-= Keith Jennings?s last blog ..Keith Jennings commented on ‘The Head and the Heart’ =-.
I reframed it as I wrote it. Originally it was “It Means Saying No…” but as I wrote it realized I’m simply saying yes. Lesson learning. :)
“We practice physical deprivation and call it dieting. We practice spiritual deprivation and call it religion.”
-Just had to say I loved this comment!
Wait till your 42 and your metabolism has all but stopped! You not only cant have Mochas and Brownies but even eating “normal” food ALL goes right to the love handles! Ugh! Yea, it’s bad. At least for me :-)
.-= Carole Turner?s last blog ..Ethiopia on my mind.. =-.
I hit that same wall at about 42 and after some physical problems, decided to do something about it. Our metabolism can be controlled, even though it gets harder as we age. I now work out (hard!) at least three days per week with both aerobic and weight training, and I am about to add some serious distance bicycling, and I have lost about 30 lbs, my metabolism is much improved and I can actually eat more without it going straight to the spare tire that “dunlaps” over my belt!
I’m saying yes to grieving today so I can move past a loss. I don’t want to still be stuck in this pain a year from now.
I Can’t Have This: Satisfaction in the approval of others (though I desperately try).
I Am Having This Instead: Faith that the fullness of joy comes in the presence of God (though this kind of faith cannot be manufactured; only received, which is something else I Am Having Instead).
.-= Chris Tomlinson?s last blog ..Free Chapter Download and Video: Silence =-.
I love the way you’ve framed this! It’s unusual to think beyond our “no” so that we can see the “yes” we’re choosing instead.
Mine has to do with with bringing a closer congruence between my inner convictions and my outward actions. For instance, the past few months I’ve been involved in way too many commitments. It was flagging my spirits and my energy, yet I felt I needed to be involved in all of them.
When I framed the situation in light of this congruence, a couple of the commitments became clearly off-purpose for me. Even though they were good things to be involved in, it’s about becoming more and more narrow-waisted and focused on who I really am and am meant to be about in the world.
On the saying “yes” side of things, this clarity actually propelled me to join Twitter! It’s a way to support my convictions and remind myself to live intentionally toward that end each day.
.-= Christianne?s last blog ..Encountering Our Fear of "The Other" =-.
One of the most annoying things that happened when I was pregnant with my daughter, I had to see as a blessing in disguise in the nutrition department. I know how to eat healthy and at the time was in decent shape. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (my dietician said my numbers were close but not quite). I suddenly had to check my blood sugar and keep a food journal that I had to show to my doctor. I quickly realized that it wasn’t deprivation but a choice to live that much more healthy for me and my daughter. Bonus…I felt AMAZING once those dietary changes happened and I didn’t gain any extra weight over the holidays. I learned that non-fat sugar free lattes aren’t at all bad…
You got this!
“It means saying Yes” to Alone(ness)…So my heart breaks into pieces for the lonely, the least of these, the hurt.
My heart is full but it aches alone. I reach out extending Grace.
.-= Reese?s last blog ..random Thanks and Reason(s) for my Full Heart =-.
Saying yes to a decision that potentially could make or break my life.
Saying no to the fear of saying yes.
.-= Bianca Juarez?s last blog ..100 word wednesday: laws of the land… =-.
intriguing…
My initial answer is my diet. I ride a bike about 2500 (very hilly) miles a year. Several years ago I was riding but wasn’t losing any weight. In fact, the doc wanted to put me on medicine for my cholesterol. I told him no and he said then lose 15 pounds and come in with lower ch in 2 months. I lost 15 pounds and 66 points. He still wanted to do meds and again I said no. So in 2 more months I lost 18 more pounds to hit 200 and my ch # was down. (For the record: I am 6’5″). How? I gave up processed peanut butter, crackers, all red meat, and the hardest…ice cream, to name a few. Aside from the diet, I had to think about it. I give up sleep in the morning in order to have time to study in my office. I get up at 3:00 so I have quiet time for a few hours. 2 days a week I go to the Y for an hour but getting my study done before the office starts working has been good. Good post Anne. I pray for your bike ride and also hope you are feeling better now.
.-= Bill (cycleguy)?s last blog ..I?m Only One =-.
did you know PB does something to serotonin and causes anxiety? true. i try and stay away from it. but it’s so good :)
.-= Anne Jackson?s last blog ..It Means Saying Yes =-.
wow. usually i love coming here, but this totally ruined my day…and, possibly, my life…
.-= Jamie the Very Worst Missionary?s last blog ..Crappy stuff, part 2 =-.
thats a crazy fact
.-= jackalopekid?s last blog ..Caption Please? =-.
reference please
We had a nutritionist come to a counseling session to analyze our diets. Lo and behold…I stopped eating PB, and my anxiety went down significantly.
In the last year, I’ve been saying yes to my wife and saying no to the Church (worship leading). For a while this scenario was the opposite, which was not good for us….at all. My first ministry is my family, and I forgot about that for a while.
.-= Josh?s last blog ..World AIDS Day =-.
Saying yes to true healing, and no to continued bondage. That’s a pretty hard step for this baby Christian :-)
On a lighter note, I do need to work on what I am eating as well. I like the perspective you noted…it’s not what I am giving up that is important, it is focusing on what I am replacing it with (hopefully better for me)that matters more.
Blessings,
Lindsey
.-= Lindsey @ A New Life?s last blog ..The Battle =-.
“NO” or “YES”? Over time I’ve come to realize that for me God wants me to first decide either “No” or “Yes” before He’ll show me what I’m to do next (why is that?) I seem to spend alot of time learning over and over again to “wait on the Lord”. God never deprives me and always gives in abundance – so if I know that why do I struggle with just letting His plan unfold. Why do I feel it’s “no” or “yes”? Belonging to God boils down to ownership/commitment, gifts, and possibility (not problem solving). It focuses on having to ask “what is my attachment to “x” costing me? What payoffs do I receive by holding on to “x”? Pros/Cons. Faith requires that we do choose “yes” or “no” – its an action word :) My “yes” is a long over due committment to reach out to Pastors in SE/NE DC without an agenda – simply love ’em, pray with them, and listen rather than advocate, defend, or provide answers.
After some intense alone time, I am saying yes to serving others, and saying no to being a selfish-gut. Needed to do that for a long while. So I built shelves for my wife this last weekend just to jump-start my new yes-ness. It ain’t all about me, even though I have tried to make it that way.
I am saying yes to God’s vision, and no to a pity party. (without a vision the people perish)
I am saying yes to loving all the great things about my wife, and saying no to criticizing her faults. (she really is pretty awesome)
I’m saying “yes” to planting a new church in town…and I have a feeling that this first “yes” will lead to many subsequent “yeses”! I’m scared and hopeful and looking forward to the journey.
(And keeping my copy of “Mad Church Disease” close by!)
.-= Rachel H. Evans?s last blog ..God and Santa Claus =-.
i need to say “no” to my pillow.
and “yes” to my husband. *scandalous*
.-= Jamie the Very Worst Missionary?s last blog ..Crappy stuff, part 2 =-.
I need to say “yes” to more stress-free, restful time with my wife and children.
oh anne, this is perfectly stated. and i’ve never thought about discipline in quite this way. and this works with SO MANY things.
eating, cleaning the house, reading the bible regularly, exercising, writing…
saying no to the extras, the unnecessaries, is saying yes to what is worth working for.
love it. thanks.
Totally random but have you ever thought of going on a fast to help with your discipline with food and eating healthy?
.-= T. Rousey?s last blog ..To Give, or Not to Give to the Homeless? =-.
I’m learning to say yes to resting and to say no to getting angry that my health is requiring me to limit activity a lot more than I’d like.
Mostly I’m learning that because it’s been forced upon me, but I’m also choosing to hope that ultimately saying yes to rest and treating myself gently now is going to pay off with being able to say yes to some of the activities I’d love to be more involved in in the future.
.-= Lisa?s last blog ..Daily 5 – Day 116 =-.
I need to say yes to doing a missions trip but I make the excuse “I don’t have time”. Here’ to making time in 2010, shawty
.-= jackalopekid?s last blog ..Caption Please? =-.
we’re still looking for cyclists for ride:well…
Thanks for this Anne! I don’t think I’ve ever quite thought of it this way. I work at a gym and I’m good mostly with excercise, but food is my vice! I’m going to try to think of my snack choices as “yeses” instead of “nos”… And peanut butter can cause anxiety? Man, that could explain a lot for me!!
.-= Jenn?s last blog ..Goodbye house! =-.
YES TO –
Stretching & lifting weights
Walking in the winter
Connecting with friends face to face, NOT online
Kindness
NO TO –
Mindless channel surfing
Endless wandering around online
Grazing in the kitchen at 9:30 at night
Gossip
.-= Linda Stoll?s last blog ..I Never Win Anything! =-.
Saying yes is so difficult because from our perspective it means getting only one thing but giving up many, many things. That’s a difficult decision to make. . .
Until you realize that often getting only that one thing really is way huger than you thought.
I know in my life, it can be difficult to give myself completely – completely – to serving God by serving others. I so want to include a bit of serving Marshall too. But when I find myself completely serving God, I realize (at least partially) just how huge it is to receive His blessings.
But lest I seem too spiritual. . . What do I need to say yes to (other than totally, completely serving God)?
I need to say yes to pursuing one relationship, one in particular. And it’s not the one with God. Cold feet, away! :>)
Marshall Jones Jr.
.-= bondChristian?s last blog ..The purpose of (bondChristian) life =-.
I’ve been wanting to sponsor a Compassion child for months and kept putting it off. This weekend my husband and I sat down and finally picked one out. I can’t wait to get his packet and write him a letter!
YES!
Yay – you’re back!
I need to say “yes” to more balance in my life. Good post, Anne. Thanks.
.-= Jeff Goins?s last blog ..Grief: Mourning with Those Who Mourn =-.
I say “yes” to being worthy of God’s love and the goodness He wants to show me in my life!
Right now I, and my whole family, are learning to say “yes” to the amount of prayer and praise God wants us each to devote to him each day – so that we’ll be able to help others as he wants us to, so that we can move ahead in the ministry He wants for us, and also so we’ll be able to make the kind of decisions Christianne talked about (as in, when there isn’t time or money to do all the good things we have to choose from, which do we do?)
I’m saying “yes” to stepping outside of my comfort zone, taking more risks, and trusting God with my future. That means saying “no” to fear and my need to be in control.
.-= Benjamin?s last blog ..Fear of Flying =-.
I think I need to say no to surfing the web so I can say yes to my projects that need completion. : )
Seriously, there are several things that I need to say no to like Flying Dog Beer, addiction to Fantasy Football, and being selfish with what I want. I need to say yes to truly living my faith again, getting fit and serving others more. I’ll let you know how that goes.
However I REFUSE to sit on a 5″ triangle with spandex shorts, so I guess I’ll find another way to get in shape. :)
.-= James Dalman?s last blog ..Two Valuable Business Lessons for Success =-.
Oh, but the seat can actually be your friend! :)
Seriously? : ) Actually I hear you are not supposed to use a seat and just pedal madly into oblivion.
Funny though because I saw an old friend last night who said I should get into riding. Now that would be a miracle. LOL
.-= James Dalman?s last blog ..Two Valuable Business Lessons for Success =-.
I can’t wait ’til my wife sees me in my bike shorts after my first 100! I agree with what Anne said, a good bike seat that fits right is more comfortable than a Barco-lounger, and is as addicting as movie popcorn!