52

52 pounds in 52 weeks, crazy how it ended up like that.  Just a little update as I hit my year mark in this weight-loss journey.  On April 4, 2012 I gave myself one year to lose 60 pounds.  I simply wanted to work slowly but faithfully to attain this goal. I recognized immediately something I already knew in my heart, I have no discipline outside of the Lord’s strength.  Left to myself I would continue down the same path for years to come but giving my many weak moments of wants and desires to Him and drawing from His strength to run “just one more step” transformed this process entirely.  I have tried many “diets” over the years but I didn’t want my life to be about a “diet” I wanted it to be about a change in who I was and the choices I made regarding food and the idol it was.  I didn’t want to have to deprive myself for months on end only to then binge my way to gaining the weight back when I was all done. 

 I had never been successful at losing more than 20-25 pounds at any one time previously and I knew the methods I had used before I did not want to employ again.  I also realized that I needed to tackle how I looked at food and what I thought it “accomplished” for me.  I found very quickly that cooking food, consuming food and most of what falls between was an obsession for me.  I spoke my love with food and so felt the need to consume what I loved, of course.  I have learned that I can still speak love with my food; I just don’t need to consume it at the same level in which I love.  I can still connect with my family or guests around the table and it is not the Chicken Carbonara or the Chocolate Town pie that is drawing us together, but rather it is the interactions, conversations and genuine desire to know the person across the table that makes the connections. 

 I have learned that “firsts” are good and to savor what I have rather than always looking forward to the next thing.   Wow, this has been a lesson I have applied to many areas of life!  Instead of pondering ahead to what I will put on my plate for the second go around, I am relishing what it is I have in front of me. In all of life it has helped me view what I already possess as valuable rather than looking for the next best thing.  I have also come to realize that tomorrow is another day. I can say “no” to something today and allow myself to consider it tomorrow or maybe the next day.  If I still desire a sweet treat after “thinking it over” for a couple days then it is definitely time to treat myself!  Oh how sweet and far more satisfying it is when I have waited even just a day to consume it, it truly feels like a reward! I also know that I can enjoy every part of a meal I make as long as I am wise to put the appropriate portions of the right foods on my plate.  It really does work to fill half your plate with veggies and leave smaller areas for your protein and starch.  Eating most of your veggies first truly does help satisfy you and leaves much less room in your tummy to tempt you to go back for seconds after you’ve at the rest of your plate.   There are many other “little things” that have made “big differences” for me that I can tackle in another post.

Obviously another big part of this journey has been the exercise!  Shocking to even see myself type…but running has become my friend and a joy in my life.  Nothing fancy or fast, again just “steady eddy” is my name. J The past few weeks I have added in quite a bit of Jillian Michaels videos and WOW has she kicked my tail, but I am loving it!  What I have loved the most is to see so many ladies start a new journey for themselves with running because they have a friend who was able to do it so they thought, “yes maybe I can”!  An amazing example is my dear friend Sara….. she also started counting her calories with the Lose It app and began the C25K program and is down 30 pounds in 8 weeks… AMAZING!!!

My journey is not over yet, I still need to meet my original goal….8 pounds to go. I know that I will go beyond that 8 pounds, but just where I will land I am uncertain of at this point.  I do feel certain I can attain 70 pounds but look ahead to possibly 80… who knows!  I am so grateful for where the Lord has brought be on this journey so far and I look forward to where He will take me tomorrow.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

 Love,