This week's topic is…
Fruits & Veggies
Is there a new fruit or veggie that you have tried recently? Or did you discover a new way to cook an old favorite? Since I am trying to eat more fruits and veggies, I hope you'll join me. I need all the help I can get!
Ok, so this week's topic is fruits & veggies. But will you forgive me if I go off topic. Some thoughts are on my heart that I really want to share. I hope they touch your heart as much as they have mine this week.
Now that I am almost 50 lbs lighter, I find myself looking in the mirror more.
To be honest, though, I'm not really looking at my face. Mostly I'm looking to see if I can really tell a difference in my waist line. "Is my tummy flatter?" I wonder. I can't always see it. I still see me at 50 lbs heavier. So I keep looking, wondering if my tummy really is flatter.
As I was going through this ritual Monday morning, a scripture someone posted on Facebook earlier that morning came back to me.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30
I am challenged by this verse. On the outside, this journey to lose weight is really about how I look. It is shallow. But it's the truth. It's an underlying desire to be thinner, which in my mind will then make me more beautiful.
The reality is my beauty isn't determined by a number on a scale. My real beauty has nothing at all to do with how I look or what size I wear. Instead It has everything to do with my relationship with God.
Proverbs tells us that beauty is fleeting. In other words, it passes quickly. It won't matter how I look when I breathe my final breath. But what will matter is how I lived my life.
Did I fear the Lord?
Did I give Him my all?
Did I walk in His word and His will?
It's easy to lose sight of what really matters in this weight loss journey. The focus becomes making healthy food choices and finding time for exercise. Trying to lose weight can become all encompassing.
It doesn't have to be that way. Losing weight can also bring us closer to God.
When I decided to lose weight it wasn't purely for my looks. I had felt the Lord leading me to get healthy for a long time. So I know that God is concerned with my physical being. But I think there was a bigger purpose.
Throughout this weight loss journey, I have learned lessons that can be applied to my spiritual journey. Lessons like self-discipline and self-control. And I have learned what it means to do the impossible with God's help.
When I look in the mirror, I am thankful that God pushed me to get healthy and lose weight. And I am thankful that He didn't abandon me to do it on my own. He has been my strength when I felt like giving up. And His gentle reminders have kept me on the right path when I wanted to stray.
It hasn't always been easy. And I'm sure I haven't always gotten it right. But each day brings me closer to my goal. And I am praying that each day also brings me closer to being that woman described in Proverbs 31.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30
How are you doing with your weight loss goals my friend? Why don't you join us for Weight Loss Wednesday and share? Remember…we're all in this together!
It's easy. Write a blog post about this week's topic and link back to this post. Then register with Mr. Linky below. Please know, though, that I reserve the right to delete any link that does not conform to the spirit of Weight Loss Wednesday. You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wlwed.
Also please remember to visit some of the other participants as well. It's very encouraging to know you are not alone in this journey.
Next week's topic is….Scripture.
What scripture motivates you on this weight loss journey? What is your inspiration that keeps you going when you want to quit? I hope you'll dig a little deeper and share with us. You never know what motivates you that could help someone else. So I can't wait to read your inspiration!
In the meantime, remember….
Quitting is not an option!
PS - The last month was so busy that I've had trouble keeping up with reading everyone's posts and replying to all of my comments. So please forgive me if I didn't get to yours. Hopefully things are settling down & I can get caught up…hopefully 
Excellent post my friend!! It seems we have to always be checking our focus no matter what good things we are working on! Thanks for the reminder! And thank you again for being such an honest inspiration for so many women. Hugs!!! :)
Ahhh…thank you sweet Lisa. You are such an encouragement to me. I can't wait to finally get to hug your neck in October!
Thanks, Alicia…I went a bit off topic today as well
Also, my entry a couple of weeks ago was about weightloss as a spiritual journey…I completely agree that while there are certainly health (and vanity) benefits to losing weight, the real journey for me is a spiritual one. Blessings to you, my friend!
Crystal, going off topic is completely acceptable. The topic is meant more as a guideline. Some people like having an idea to get them started. Isn't it amazing how much our physical journey is tied to our spiritual journey. There are definitely lots of lessons to be learned. Hope you have a great week!
We eat LOTS of raw, non-starchy veggies for snacks, but I do get tired of them. Headed to the gym this morning with my son – hoping I will be motivated by him to continue.
Continuing to be inspired by you – thank you for the effort you put into everything you do, especially sharing!
Lorraine, it is easy to get tired of eating the same things over and over again. Do you try to mix it up any for variety? Maybe add some cheese or peanut butter or other low fat dip/dressings. Is fruit a no-go with your health issues? Anyway, good for you for keeping at it! I hope you have a good visit at the gym!
Weight loss is such a tough thing to do, and even if it's just the exterior, it can make us so uncomfortable when we don't feel good. Congrats to you on how well you've been doing!
Twitter: getfitlbk
says:
HOORAY! You are a rock star. You go friend, get on with your healthy living! Great post.
i love when you share your heart!! such great spiritual lessons learned!
thanks for sharing! blessings, my friend!
Oh yeah…forgot to say, 50 pounds?!? That's amazing, and definitely a feat to be proud of
You are not alone! I often question my motives for wanting to change my eating and activity habits. I have seen many people around me become obsessed with their weight and their appearance, and I have fallen into that mindset before myself – I remember going days between real meals when I was in high school. I don't want to be vain, I want to glorify the Lord with my choices, my life. Thanks for sharing!
Wani, it’s so hard not to fall in that trap, isn’t it? It’s such a struggle to remember what’s really important. But I’m with you. I really want to glorify God with my life…not glorify myself with a number on a scale. Thanks for stopping by today! I was wondering about you. You’re in my Google Reader. So I keep up with you. But I was wondering how your weight loss is going. I know you’re really busy right now. I pray the Lord will give you strength for the journey and peace for your mother’s heart. Blessings!
Sorry I've been absent from WLW. I've fallen off the weightloss wagon a bit lately. Between the stress of all the doctor's appointments for my kids, my hub's job change and the birthday celebrations… I haven't been making the best choices. But I'm still going to the gym w/ my girlfriend 2x a week and we're both going to sit down and talk about goals and try to get serious and hold one another accountable. Hoping that we'll get into a good groove here soon. Thanks for checking in on me and fpr praying.
Hi Alicia, came by from Barbie's blog. Haven't had a problem with my weight until now. I've been taking steroids and it seems to make my appetite stronger. I'm going to have to get a weighing scale soon! Prayed for you with Barbie! Patsy from <br /><a href="http://patsypat.blogspot.com"