Tag: journey

Chapter 4: Change Is the Only Constant

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Heraclitus said that “Change is the only constant.” Meaning change is the only thing we can be sure will happen. I have found this to be very true in my journey.

Change in food, behaviors, habits, appearance, portion size, and so on. I’m not complaining though. If anything, I have embraced it!

Change is the only thing we can be sure will happen.

I have even found joy in becoming a healthier version of myself. Yes, it is hard and sometimes I veer off plan, but each choice after that is a new choice! I also am starting to see results.

  • 1-17-21
  • 2-17-21

I stare at these pictures and I am reminded of how thankful I should be. I struggle with giving thanks. Small things I overlook giving credit to God. However, looking at these photos bring to mind this scripture:

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

Isaiah 43:19

I am reminded by this scripture that my Heavenly Father knows me. He knows my inner most being. He knows my thoughts and what is truly in my heart. He knows the struggles I face and the temptations that plague me. It is in this scripture and the above photos where I see God’s hand in my journey. I have struggled with my weight for nine years. I have had to overcome many hardships in my life during this time and I used food to comfort me. God put this opportunity in front of me and I chose to follow. He is making me new in a different way now, and for that I am so incredibly thankful!

  • Down a size in jeans and 2 sizes in tops
  • Right was taken before journey and left is current.

Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts. You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions. Even before I speak, you already now what I will say. You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power. Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.

Psalm 139:1-6 NLT

I mentioned how I have moments where I veer off plan. I still struggle on certain days. I am still trying to overcome my poor habit of binge eating in the evenings. It isn’t a nightly occurrence, and I am aware of what triggers this behavior (which is an accomplishment in itself!). Maybe you can relate? Boredom, stress, and staying up late are what trigger me. I tell myself I am hungry. Let me repeat that… I tell myself I am hungry. My body isn’t telling me, but my mind. If I were to listen to my body, it would tell me drink more water, lets get up and move, or simply time for bed. Listening to my body versus my mind is a big component of this weight loss journey.

Today I feel hungrier than I should. I am guessing I kicked myself out of fat burn because of my binge, but that is ok. Why? Because today is a new day and I am choosing to make better choices. That is progress.. that is a change from who I was when I started this journey, to who I am today, and who I will become.

Because change.. is the only constant in life.

Messy Blessings,

Misty

Chapter 3: It Isn’t Always Easy

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We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

Romans 5:3 NLT

The great thing about this plan is that the food is easy. It is prepackaged, I choose five items to eat that day and then a sixth lean and green meal that I prepare. What I didn’t expect was on day 8 to have bad cravings and feel hungry again. I will confess I splurged and got me a Diet Vanilla Pepsi on day 8 and 9. I felt bad after but oh it tasted soooo good!

I talked to my health coach and she talked about the “food breakup”. Basically my mind was playing tricks on me and telling me you need to have this so you aren’t hungry. It was saying you miss this food!! There was a small part of me after having that Diet Pepsi that thought, surely one meal wouldn’t hurt. Those fries he’s eating can’t be that big of a deal.

I got myself back on plan and then…Super Bowl hit. I had my day already planned out to help me from indulging in the food I was preparing for the guys. That went out the window at mozzarella sticks. I didn’t overeat, which is an accomplishment in itself, but I had given into my cravings again. I needed that immediate gratification. The following morning my hands, feet, and face were swollen and bloated. Of course it was also my weigh in and measurement day. While the measurements showed I had lost some inches, the scale said I had gained two pounds. I was so disappointed in myself. I contacted my coach and we both thought it may be related to my sodium intake and that I probably was retaining water. My game plan was to drink water that day and to stay on plan. I did. I felt good and when I weighed myself today, I had lost those two pounds!

This detour left me with two choices. I could:

  1. Give up and go back to my old habits
  2. Get back on track and move forward

I chose the latter, and that may have been the first time in any weight loss journey that I didn’t give up and give in.

Failure is no longer an option for me. I have confidence in myself and the encouragement from others to conquer obesity, to eliminate my risks, and to live a healthy life.

Messy blessings,

Misty

Chapter One: The Beginning

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“Though no one can go back now and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.” -Carl Bard

I have tried to diet in the pass, and like most people, it goes well for the first few months and then tanks. The biggest challenge I would face would be maintaining the diet. I would grow tired of counting points, prepping food, preparing foods that my kids wouldn’t even eat and would usually take an hour to make. There would also be the concern of cost, and so I would eventually give up.

But not this time..

I knew something had to change towards the end of last year. I was developing new health issues and knew the best way to treat them would be to change my habits and lifestyle, or they would become worse and the risks would go up. I had reached out to a friend of mine who was a health coach for a great weightloss/lifestyle change company . I spent several months making up excuses as to why I couldn’t do it. Then at my last doctors appointment, I received some news and I knew I didn’t have a choice anymore.

I have spent the last two years suffering both mentally and physically. I am tired all of the time. I have become more of a hermit because I am embarrassed about the weight I keep putting on, so I won’t go out in public if I don’t have to. I become winded walking up any incline, have to force myself to take pictures with family, and prefer to take them in a selfie fashion so I can make myself look thinner. I have tried to exercise, but at this point I have put on so much weight that it kills my knees and lower back. Shoes, yes shoes, are a nightmare. It is an exercise in itself to bend over to put them on and lace them up, and if my shoes become untied in public, I ask my partner to tie them for me. The kicker to all of this is… I end up eating more to comfort me. Sometimes, I even binge eat.

Can anyone relate to this?

Center your life around what matters most to you.

Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen

I start my program this Monday. I was asked what my why’s were so I can focus on them during the program. My whys:

  • I want to be able to become more active with my boys
  • I want to improve my overall health and lower my risks
  • I want to feel spiritually, mentally, and physically strong

These three things are what matter most to me during this new journey I will be taking. There is no longer a cost too great for my health and life. I am determined and will fight to be healthy. I am ready to make a radical change in my life and make it last long term.

So I will be using my blog as a journal of sorts in order to help me remain accountable. I hope you will follow this new adventure with me!

Messy blessings,

Misty