Who I Am

Good day to ya!  I figured I better get back to blogging about my healthy eating journey before I went plumb off the beaten path and went back to old habits.  You know, healthy eating is a complete change of mentality and change of lifestyle.  I have already had several times when I just wanted to throw in the towel (last week it struck once again), but I chose to stop throwing myself a pity party and do something about it.  I figure since it's such a huge change in my life, I also shouldn't beat myself up for struggling with it either!

Sometimes it's hard to keep eating healthy or making healthy choices when the scale is not showing a number less than what it did the last time you weighed.  I know this because that happened to me last week.  I was counting calories and had not been going over and eating more than I should, AND I had been keeping track of my fiber intake AND how many glasses of water I had each day.  And yet, when I stepped on the scale, it appeared as though I had gained 1.5 pounds.  I know that doesn't sound like much, but oh man.  When you already thought it was long gone and it shows back up again, then, as Tom Hanks said in the movie Apollo 13, "Houston, we have a problem!"

Last week, and even up until Sunday, I felt like I had been on some emotional roller coaster and I felt so defeated and discouraged about every thing in my life - literally EVERY thing.  Then, I told myself that having a pity party about what the scale said was not going to change it.  I determined I would work harder this week and keep going down this road of healthy eating.  Even if I don't see results on the scale, at least I know I am doing what's best for my body.  Like Lysa says, the numbers on the scale do not define us!

Recently, when I was reading the Made to Crave Devotional Book, I came across something Lysa said that totally struck a chord with me, and I thought it might for you too.

She writes, "Tying our happiness to food, skinny jeans, relationships, or anything else sets us up for failure. But tying our security, joy, and identity to God's love is an anchor we can cling to no matter what our circumstances may be."

She goes on to talk about what happened when she reached her goal weight.  She thought she would never have a bad day again.  I mean, when you are at your goal weight, what can go wrong, right? 

I have found myself so many times thinking that if I were skinnier my life would be easier.  I would feel better about myself.  I would be prettier.  Things wouldn't bother me as much.

Maybe you've thought those things and even other things like this.  If I were skinnier then....
- I would have more friends.
- More people would like me.
- I would have a better marriage.

or any of those other things I mentioned that I have thought myself.

The truth is, in Lysa's words, "I've had to accept... that my body size is not tied to my happy.  If I was unhappy when I was larger, I'll still be unhappy when I get smaller."

Wow! How eye-opening that was to me.  I realized that even losing weight would not make me happy.  That's not who I am.  That's not who we are. That's not what defines us.  We can't tie our happy to our circumstances or else our happy will be very topsy-turvy.

So, who am I? Who are you?

We are children of God who have been forgiven, set-free, accepted, holy, made-new, loved, confident, and victorious. (p.126) 

That's who we are.  That's what defines us because that's who GOD says we are if we are his children.  No skinny jeans, diet, or weight loss can satisfy us or make us happy forever.  Only our Maker can!

Be encouraged today!  Go take a walk and enjoy all of this spring weather!

Love,
BB