The start of my weight loss journey.

I want to take you back to the place I was a few years ago…miserable, hated myself, always irritated with the world, short and nasty with my kids and Jason, no confidence, mentally and emotionally gone!  Also, I was so unhealthy, out of breath, had aches and pains and physically just felt horrible and sick because I was so obese which made me huddle more into a dark corner so no one could really see me.  I could not go and play with my kids like I wanted to or ride bikes and enjoy our active life that Jason and I used to have.
Obesity is becoming such a norm in this country.  It’s bad when I had mentioned to someone how much more weight I would like to lose and they looked at me funny and said, “oh no, you don’t want to go overboard!”  My goal is to be where I’m supposed to be for my height and age and the weight that I would like to lose will get me in that healthy range.  It’s just that obesity is everywhere so that’s what everyone is used to seeing.  The way to find where you are is to look at the basal metabolic index.  You can google it and figure out what yours is and where you stand – whether you are under weight, healthy, overweight, or obese.  When I did this a couple years ago I never thought I would be considered obese, but yes, I was and not just a little.  I was heading for morbid obesity! 

There are so many reasons to change, but I knew I had to change me mentally and emotionally above the physical change.  I definitely wanted to lose weight, but what really drove me to start crying out to God for help was how I was treating my family!

It has taken me a couple years to get where I’m at.  God really worked in my heart and mind.  I was looking to everyone and everything else to “save” me from food, but didn’t truly give it to God until I finally realized that God cares about every part of us and can and will help us!  I cried out to Him and it has been so cool to see how He has put different people and programs in my life at the right times to help me with my next step.  This is a new life-style.  There are no specific rules or diets to follow.  Everyone’s journey is going to be different because God has different plans for everybody.  Some of the things that I have done will work for some people and some will not.  I want to write about what all I did and if anything can help someone, that’s great!

I first read 2 books (along with the Bible).  The first book was Love To Eat, Hate To Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick and the other book was Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  These books were so convicting to me!  God really used them to help shape my path.  I wanted to give up sugar, I knew that I needed to, but I just couldn’t!  I gave us pop (soda) thinking that that would do the trick, but it didn’t.  Then I started telling myself that I could only have sweets 1 day a week, but that turned into 3, then 5, then the whole week.  I was going around and around the main issue and I was putting sweets/desserts – sugar in front of God.  It was my idol.  It was the one thing that I couldn’t, well wouldn’t give over to God.  Sometimes I wanted to pray for God to help me, but then I didn’t want to pray because I knew He would help me and I didn’t want the help because I wanted the sweet, but I really didn’t want the sweet, but I did!!  Holy cow confusing and crazy I know, but that truly was my thinking!  I was having a battle with my mind! 

So my main thing to get out in this blog tonight is that all my changes, everything that has worked for me has been because I completely, 100%, with all my heart gave my issues over to God.  If you are in a place similar to where I was at, you need to start with God!  If you do not have God in your life and are struggling with weight issues or food issues that you feel are just too hard to get over, if your focus everyday and all day is on food, then first, give your life over to God.  Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins.  Later I will write more about how the way I was eating was a sin for me.  Knowing that Jesus died for me, for my sinfulness with food was a help in freeing my mind of the bondage of food and sugar addiction.  Jesus did not stay dead though, after 3 days he rose from the dead!!  He paid the price for us!  He loves us more than anyone ever will on this earth and he has a perfect plan for your life!  We have forgiveness for our sins because of the cross!  If you believe that Jesus did this for you and you receive him into your life then you will live eternally as a child of His!  If you have more questions about this, please contact me, I’d love to chat more about it.  If you already have Jesus in your life, then it’s time to start treating your body like the temple that God made it.  Next time I write I’ll be adding a bunch of Bible verses that helped me along the way. 

I Corinthians 6:19-20  “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own;  you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”