My Challenge With Weightloss
by Heather Ryan
I have been overweight all my life. I can even remember when I was about 10 my (step) grandfather picking on me because of it. Luckily I had my aunt Tiny who was anything but, who always put him back in his place. In high school I dated a guy for about a year and half... I put on some weight and he dumped me. My motivation to lose the weight was to get him back. Stupid, I know. Once again, lucky for me I met my (now) husband and the ex never had another chance to break my heart.
Weight is one subject that everyone has a story for, and many are the same. We all have the same struggle with the scales... they never lie. But one thing I've learned: It's actually not the number itself that is the issue, it's how we FEEL mentally, spiritually, and physically. I have been a size 6 and a size 24, that's a broad range there... I would love to get back to that size 6 but I'm feeling pretty good at this stage (ok, ok, size 10, almost into an 8). I have energy and look forward to exercising. I have never felt this way, not even when I was a 6. I remember when I was smaller all I did was stress over gaining weight. After a while that stress helped me gain the weight (that and the 3 kids I had)... I am an emotional eater. When I am bored, I eat, when I am happy, I eat, when I am sad, I eat... you get the point? What I have to do is learn how to engage in other things during those times. Any suggestions? :0)
I do try to use prayer as a distraction. ( I hope that didn't sound awful). I read in a bible study once that "if the very downfall of humanity was caused when Eve surrendered to a temptation to eat something she wasn't supposed to eat, I do think our struggles with food are important to God." (thank you Lisa Terkeurst, Made to Crave.) Another excerpt from her book says and I agree: "Honestly, I am made for more than a vicious cycle of eating, gaining, stressing, ... eating, gaining, stressing. I am made to rise up, do battle with my issues and, using the Lord's strength in me, defeat them - spiritually, physically, and mentally - to the glory of God". Yep, that's what I'm doing, battling those issues... my mantra, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming"... right Nemo?
Weight is one subject that everyone has a story for, and many are the same. We all have the same struggle with the scales... they never lie. But one thing I've learned: It's actually not the number itself that is the issue, it's how we FEEL mentally, spiritually, and physically. I have been a size 6 and a size 24, that's a broad range there... I would love to get back to that size 6 but I'm feeling pretty good at this stage (ok, ok, size 10, almost into an 8). I have energy and look forward to exercising. I have never felt this way, not even when I was a 6. I remember when I was smaller all I did was stress over gaining weight. After a while that stress helped me gain the weight (that and the 3 kids I had)... I am an emotional eater. When I am bored, I eat, when I am happy, I eat, when I am sad, I eat... you get the point? What I have to do is learn how to engage in other things during those times. Any suggestions? :0)
I do try to use prayer as a distraction. ( I hope that didn't sound awful). I read in a bible study once that "if the very downfall of humanity was caused when Eve surrendered to a temptation to eat something she wasn't supposed to eat, I do think our struggles with food are important to God." (thank you Lisa Terkeurst, Made to Crave.) Another excerpt from her book says and I agree: "Honestly, I am made for more than a vicious cycle of eating, gaining, stressing, ... eating, gaining, stressing. I am made to rise up, do battle with my issues and, using the Lord's strength in me, defeat them - spiritually, physically, and mentally - to the glory of God". Yep, that's what I'm doing, battling those issues... my mantra, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming"... right Nemo?
