Inspired Author Opportunities

God continues to work. My blog has suffered a bit as I take on the challenge of writing 50 articles for The Inspired Author. Great opportunity. Plus, my novel Windwalker is due to be released this month, and I'm active with a group of Christian writers working on an anthology of Speculative Fiction. That's just part of the blessings God's put on my plate in the past couple of weeks.

So, how does that translate to my eating? I thank God that counting my calories remains consistent and exercising almost daily has become a habit. So, do you think I should weight at the beginning of the month? I'm thinking about it, but am afraid I might let the scale news sway me from the right course of action.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

My, My, My Mind

God continues to renew my thinking. Last night my husband decided we'd make a trip to Dairy Queen. I went on line and checked calorie content. I had enough calories for a medium vanilla cone or a medium strawberry sundae. I chose the latter.

This morning as I walked, my brain told me I'd plateaued. I'll never lose this weight and other such discouraging rubbish. I haven't been weighing, because I've decided it's not always good to know what I weigh. Water weight can make me fluctuate and thus discourage me. It's not really as much about what I weight as it is about doing the right thing. Weighing is just a tool to know where I am in the journey. The last time I weighed, I'd lost 12 lbs. I need to continue going that direction, and it will be slow going.

It's sad what my mind does to me sometimes. Eating that sundae in the past would have thrown me into a tail spin if I let it. Instead, this time around, I looked at my calories from yesterday and confirmed that I was 50 calories under my limit. I've walked 3 miles again this morning and have started a new list of calories taken in. My mind tried to play a trick, but God renewed my thinking.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Getting Beyond the Guilt

Yesterday, we had out-of-state guests for the day. I decided it would be one of those days that I wouldn't count calories, yet still walked 3 miles in the morning. Why did I choose not to count? Because I don't want eating, not eating or calorie counts to be the focus of my time with other people. In an effort to avoid leagalism, I seek to find a true lifestyle change that works. Regular exercise and a routine counting of calories to remain accountable. This way, I don't eat too little or too much.

With that said, why is it that I awoke today feeling guilty? I didn't overeat by much, judging by the mental tabulation, still exercised and went back to counting and walked again this morning. Why? Because in my mind, I've failed because I didn't count. The very kind of thinking I'm trying to escape. As the day went on, I saw it for what it was. Legalism's attempt to throw me into a downward spiral. Hah, it didn't work. As I sit here at the end of the day, I've stayed within my calorie limits and walked three miles today. And it's okay. It's consistency.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

I'm So Excited I Want to--Eat?

With the many deadlines pressing me as a freelance writer and author, I praise God that the routine of counting calories has helped me to realistically keep my calories within healthy limits. However, yesterday when I received some exciting news my first inclination was to want something to eat. Funny how eating is tied to celebrating, or trying to make ourselves feel better. Try writing your calories down to track what you eat, when you eat it and how many calories it contains.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Time to Eat

When is it time to eat? When the clock tells you it's breakfast time? How about when you feel in the "mood" for something sweet? Or, when a commercial comes on TV.

As I strive to seek God's will in my eating, I've become more sentsitive to why people eat when they eat. I've watched people dear to me want a snack the moment they are bored, or when the clock strikes twelve even if they ate an hour before.

It takes at least 2-4 hours for food to leave the stomach. Before you snack or even eat your next meal, ask yourself if you are really hungry. I'm by no means suggesting people starve, I'm saying thing about why you're eating. One way to make sure you don't go overboard in the opposite direction is to make sure you consume at least 1,000-1,200 calories a day.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

When Life Happens to Get in the Way

Normally, when you haven't seen me for days it's because I'm like an injured animal licking it's wounds too ashamed to show my face to say I'd been eating out of control and sitting around way more than is healthy. However, I can tell you that this time it's not the case. I continue to walk 5-7 days a week, and am eating moderately. (Praise the Lord, he is changing my thinking.)

The budgeting book for The Dabbling Mum is in getting close to being done, my fantasy novel Windwalker is due out in September and I've accepted the responsibility of Fantasy Topic Editor and Creative Writing Topic Editor for Inspired Author. I'll keep you updated.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Beauty of Nature

Carter's Lake, Georgia

Today for exercise we planned a family hike on one of many paths around Carter's Lake. The 3.5 mile trail winds through trees and follows fingers of the lake offering breathtaking views. Since I've been walking regularly for a month, I figured it would be a beautiful walk and good exercise. I was right on both counts. The hilly terrain provided plenty of exercise, and although I felt like the trail was more like five miles, at the end of the day I'm happy to have walked it and look forward to next time.


Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Change in Plans

It's easy to get into a routine. In fact, routine is part of discipline. This week when my husband surprised me with the opportunity to go away for a day, it broke my routine. However, because of the weeks of routine and counting calories, even though I was away from my accountability partner, I made better food choices.

Normally in the past when I had the chance to get away from it all, that’s what I did. No restrictions. I would eat what I wanted and as much as I wanted. After all, it was like a mini vacation. Yet this time was different. We went for the free breakfast, and instead of biscuits and gravy; I ate a half-cup of cereal and an apple. And at lunch I ate half the entrée of garlic chicken, steamed broccoli and rice rather than eating the whole thing just because it tasted so good.

No, I didn't count calories. I'm still working out the moderation mindset. God's desire is moderation. I don't want to be legalistic in my eating, nor so liberal that I would stuff my face with enough calories for the day in one meal.

Now, I’m back home and I praise God for renewing my mind. Oh yes, I'm counting calories again.


Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Training My Mind

On this first day of the week, plans to go out for breakfast at a buffet spark a bit of apprehension in my mind. At the onset of this "lifestyle change" I reminded myself that God desires moderation, not a leaglistic or gluttonous mindset.

For me, leagalistic would mean that I cannot EVER go beyond the calorie limits I set, and gluttonous would be to disregard them more than I observe them. I seek the balanced life.

Does going to a buffet and not counting calories give me license to stuff my face? No, that would be sin.

Rom 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

What You Do In Secret

Today I had an opportunity to be home alone. Right now, living together as two blended families with visitors doesn't leave much alone time. It's good, I'm not complaining one bit. In fact, it is good for me. My daughter and I are counting calories together, and we help to keep each other honest. However, here I sit with no one to see what I really do. I could slip into the kitchen...just kidding.

The truth is that our behavior should reflect the Lord Jesus Christ whether we are "alone" or not, because we are never alone. I am more thankful than words can say that even in this time when my flesh might think to sneak in and get a snack, that I don't really want one. Instead, I'd rather continue eating moderately. I'm not forbidding myself any food, just limiting the amount of calories to 1,000-1,200. With that said, I don't need a snack. I just ate a sandwich for lunch.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Speaking the Truth in Love

Eph 4:15 –16

But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all {aspects} into Him who is the head, {even} Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

As I read this Scripture yesterday I pondered speaking truth in love. In doing that, we are to grow up in all aspects into Christ. How does this apply to losing weight from a writer's POV? Think about your trek to lose weight. When you kid yourself into thinking it won't hurt to eat the super-sized fast food meal, are you speaking the truth? And are you really loving yourself? If you are hurting and tell yourself eating that ice cream will make you feel better, are you speaking the truth?

If we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, I guess we can start with learning to speak the truth in love. Even to ourselves.

Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Fluctuation and Insight

One thing I've learned over time is not to base my happiness on what the scale has to say about my weight. As I exercise and eat better, I know my weight will fluctuate. It can change by 4 lbs. in a day, but even amid these fluctuations I catch glimpses of where I'm headed. Today, I reached an all time low since the start of this blog. I don't expect to see the same tomorrow, but know that with continued exercise and caloric intake falling between 1,000 and 1,200, I'll continue to lose. This morning put me at 12 lbs. lost. I'm thrilled, but I have to say I was happy even before I stepped on the scale because I knew I was being consistent.


Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse

Exciting Things

All kinds of exciting things going on. I've got 3 novels on my editing plate, I'm making progress on the budgeting book (Change From the Heart ~ Lifestyle Budgeting), working on rewrites on my next fantasy novel, a couple of short stories and a few more things that require reading other writer's work. It may be a lot of work, but I really enjoy the writer's life.

Through it all, I've been able to stay within my calorie count and exercise. I'm walking at least 3 miles a day, and my energy is gradually improving. Now, I can't wait for my aching feet to catch up.

I received good news again regarding Pumping Your Muse (and refrained from overeating to celebrate!).

EPRESS-ONLINE’S PUMPING YOUR MUSE SHOOTS TO #1

Epress-Online’s PUMPING YOUR MUSE by Donna Sundblad hits #1 on Fictionwise’s general interest best sellers list. ePress-online, added the book to their online selections at Fictionwise two weeks ago and this week is proud to announce three of their books for writers have reached the top five in the general interest category. PUMPING YOUR MUSE is a popular selection for aspiring writers as it drives the imagination through a series of world-building drills. Each chapter extracts elements from the real world to construct a believable fictional realm while giving birth to naturally emerging characters. A must have for the seasoned author suffering from writer's block or fledgling writers looking for inspiration and guidance.

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/GeneralNonfictioneBooks.htm

This is one of those experiences that will be seared into my memory for the rest of my life. I wonder if I'll remember I was 9 lbs. lighter.


Donna Sundblad
Author of Pumping Your Muse