I look at old pictures of myself and want to cry. It hurts to look at them. I remember how 'hungry' I was....for kind words, for understanding and for sense of belonging. So in this 'blog' I share with you are the things that I have learned and the things that I longed back then to hear.
A brief background. I am a 42 year old woman that has had major weight issues my entire adult life. Over the last 2 1/2 years I have lost 110 pounds. I have lost large amounts before (both about 80 pounds) but this time is entirely different. This time has been gentle. I believe with all my heart it has given to me by the Lord. I am very certain of that. I want to share with others what I have learned and found to really work. Guess what? There is so much good news to tell you about it!
All those 'experts' out there that give you the list of restrictions are wrong. They are wrong. Restrictions are nothing more than 'failure' waiting to happen and another opportunity for you to decide your a failure. Losing weight really is all in your attitude- it's all in the way you look at things. It's changing your mind about a lot of things a bit at a time. It's looking at 'failure' as an opportunity for learning more about yourself and not the end of the story. The first thing to change your mind about is you. Who you are. Do you know who you are and who you want to be?
I believe the first thing is to get a firm conviction that you matter. Do you hear that? Yes, YOU! You matter. I don't care what anyone has ever said to you in your life. I know one thing- the things you say to yourself are terribly degrading to your worth as a person. Does any of this sound familiar? "You? Lose weight? Yeah right. Who do you think you are?", " You know you don't have what it takes anyway." "Look how much you have to lose! You'll never do it" " You'll never be like the 'others' anyway." "You'll always be the fatty of every occasion." I know you do this. Yep, yep, yep.
Well stop.
YOU are a child of God. The God of the Universe created you! You! You are beautiful. Your heart is beautiful. I hear an argument. Nope. Your heart is beautiful. God knows it. He has a mission for you to accomplish. You are worthy of doing great things for Him. You are worthy- remember, He made you for Himself- so that means than that your beautiful.
Notice when people feel beautiful they act it. Be nice to yourself. Change your mind. Change your mind. Change your mind. You will see how it's all about changing perspectives.
I know that what you really want to know right now is the actual how- the 'diet'. It has never been a diet, it's been an attitude. When I started, I was in very bad shape. I hurt my back. I could not sit, lay down, or get in or out of a car without excruciating pain. I had seen for years in the newspaper's doctor column, (Dr Gott) about his No Flour, No Sugar plan. It's that simple. I began and immediately started losing. I admit the first couple months was like going off of heroin (LOL) but it also was a big learning time for me. But I muscled through it and never really intended to take off any more than just enough to ease my back pain. By the time that the back pain subsided, I was enjoying how much better I felt and I really was figuring it out. I could still eat like a trucker. It was what I was eating. I was learning about what REAL hunger actually feels like instead of just 'heart hunger'. So I kept on going.
I am simply convinced that anybody can do this. Really. Well, then again- it's all in your attitude. It's about choices. Going back to being kind to yourself - for example- I can look at the whole dessert display at Golden Corral or anywhere and not flinch for a second. You know why? I have chosen the fact that that is not who I am. I have that down so firmly that the teens around here say that they cannot even imagine mom 'doing such a thing' and can hardly believe that I ever ate that way. That didn't come natural. That was a decision and a choice. It feels mighty good to know that carrot cake does not define me anymore!
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