Confession: "I'm not taking off weight fast enough!" After all it seemed like I gained it overnight. One day I woke up and was 30 lbs heavier than I was the last time I weighed. Talk about a bombshell...that I saw between my toes.
Have you ever thought...you have been doing the work, watching the calories, sweating, and now it seems you can't even lose weight right?
How about you treat yourself with a little kindness today.
It's not just about making the right and healthy food choices or putting in time at the gym. It's also not about eliminating certain problem foods. Your mental state has a huge influence on whether
you hit your weight-loss goals. Old thought patterns might seem unbreakable,
but moving forward may be easier than you think. These negative thoughts could
be what's holding you back from success.
Here's how I know. I have been right where you are right now. I wanted to give up and almost did.
Then God kick started my motivation with a pair of tight pants. I was so ashamed being out of breath when wearing those tight jeans.
For one who has been overweight most of her life, yes, I know the tight jean feeling. This is where you run and grab your hanky. My story is not pretty, but it is pretty much a story of God's rescue. I felt that I had to get to the end of myself before I realized I couldn't do this losing weight gig on my own. Plus I felt like a loser most of the time at every meal, on every day.
The kicker was I had already lost 104 lbs. and now gained 30 of them back. Ouch! That day of reckoning hit hard and I was ashamed. How could I let this happen?
So as I squeezed myself into those tight jeans, the rejection that I felt was enough to push me over the line of commitment and say...."this is it!" Sept. 24, 2012 was a brand new day for me as I gathered up my resolve and gave myself another chance. I put my love of food aside one more time before God and didn't look back. I decided in my heart to honor Him with every bite.
I decided to start.
I started towards change, a new beginning. Again. My remorse was a catalyst in change.
Here's how I know. I have been right where you are right now. I wanted to give up and almost did.
Then God kick started my motivation with a pair of tight pants. I was so ashamed being out of breath when wearing those tight jeans.
For one who has been overweight most of her life, yes, I know the tight jean feeling. This is where you run and grab your hanky. My story is not pretty, but it is pretty much a story of God's rescue. I felt that I had to get to the end of myself before I realized I couldn't do this losing weight gig on my own. Plus I felt like a loser most of the time at every meal, on every day.
The kicker was I had already lost 104 lbs. and now gained 30 of them back. Ouch! That day of reckoning hit hard and I was ashamed. How could I let this happen?
So as I squeezed myself into those tight jeans, the rejection that I felt was enough to push me over the line of commitment and say...."this is it!" Sept. 24, 2012 was a brand new day for me as I gathered up my resolve and gave myself another chance. I put my love of food aside one more time before God and didn't look back. I decided in my heart to honor Him with every bite.
I decided to start.
I started towards change, a new beginning. Again. My remorse was a catalyst in change.
In this case, my negative feelings spurred my positive move. If you are needing a little kindness today, just look at what you have been running to for comfort for your rejected heart. Make a list the food choices you make. Are they what you are supposed to be eating? And are you measuring your foods, what about the portion size? Are you assuming you know what a 1/2 cup of orange juice looks like? Do you know how much fat is in the fat free salad dressing?
These are hard questions I had to ask myself too and it helped to start writing everything down.
Everything.
This was my kindness effort to myself. After seeing what I really eating and how much, it was obvious of why I had gained 30 lbs.
Kindness...give yourself a little today why don't you? Prepare for healthy meals, snack times, get some fresh air, and give yourself a chance to succeed.
Health psychologist and Stanford lecturer Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., explains, "If you focus on self-criticism, you'll be like a laser on it." Instead of focusing on putting yourself down, draw attention toward what you want to fix and accomplish. Above all else, treat yourself with kindness.
These are hard questions I had to ask myself too and it helped to start writing everything down.
Everything.
This was my kindness effort to myself. After seeing what I really eating and how much, it was obvious of why I had gained 30 lbs.
Kindness...give yourself a little today why don't you? Prepare for healthy meals, snack times, get some fresh air, and give yourself a chance to succeed.
Health psychologist and Stanford lecturer Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., explains, "If you focus on self-criticism, you'll be like a laser on it." Instead of focusing on putting yourself down, draw attention toward what you want to fix and accomplish. Above all else, treat yourself with kindness.
Picture the new you...I know you don't even want to imagine it but you can do it....come on...dream a little. I know it's hard to fathom the new you right now. Feeling confident about your ability to succeed is a
start, but an action plan can be a huge help too. You might not be
able to find the words right now, but creating a tangible reminder, like a
healthy Pinterest board covered in inspirational images, will help you start to
recognize what your dreams look like. Maybe you just need to write a few kind words to yourself.
Treat yourself with a little kindness today and celebrate your success, each and everyone. Just start...your successes will feed your confidence. Did you know that second chances are God's specialty?
Once the positive changes start happening...it's like the domino effect. It motivates you to keep going. The hard work, the sweat, the tears, the struggles, are worth the end result. Kindness works.
This weekend I was overwhelmed with gladness as I purged my closet of clothes that were too big. I treated myself with a little kindness and got rid of the reminders of the clothes that use to reject me. No more safety nets, no going back to focusing on the the rejection. Moving forward with kindness and knowing God's goodness, I have a positive outlook on each and every choice.
If I can do it, so can you.
"Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim." Proverbs 15:4 (MSG)
God hasn't given up on you when you give up on you.
Once the positive changes start happening...it's like the domino effect. It motivates you to keep going. The hard work, the sweat, the tears, the struggles, are worth the end result. Kindness works.
This weekend I was overwhelmed with gladness as I purged my closet of clothes that were too big. I treated myself with a little kindness and got rid of the reminders of the clothes that use to reject me. No more safety nets, no going back to focusing on the the rejection. Moving forward with kindness and knowing God's goodness, I have a positive outlook on each and every choice.
If I can do it, so can you.
"Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim." Proverbs 15:4 (MSG)
Are there negative thoughts about your weight that have held
you back in the past? How did you move past these mental roadblocks and welcome
the new you?
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