When I found out that I was diabetic and was asked to lose 100 lbs in the middle of October, one of the first thoughts that I had was, How am I going to lose any weight with the holidays coming up? I mean, there was going to be Halloween candy, Thanksgiving dinners, and Christmas. The task seemed all but impossible in my mind. But as I have been reminded with my new diagnoses, I know where to turn when things seem impossible. Luke 1:37 tells us, “For nothing is impossible with God”. And for that, I am indeed grateful.
I have, at least for the time being, developed a steely resolve that has allowed me to be extremely judicious about what I put into my body. I am very focused on what I eat and what I choose not to eat. I have been able to pick my battles and know when to walk away from something. I have become so comfortable with my daily diet that I eat whatever I want, just not always when I want it or as much as I used to eat of it.
A perfect example of this new lifestyle I am developing came just last weekend when we were visiting with my in-laws. My mother-in-law fixed a nice lasagna which in the past was one of my favorite dishes. I could easily put away three to four normal slices (I would usually just eat two ginormous slices, though) in one sitting; and then punish the leftovers over the next couple of days. But, lasagna and pasta in general have become my arch-nemesis, especially if it is not wheat pasta. The lasagna smelled heavenly but my stomach turned as I looked at it setting on the table. At first, I was not going to eat any of it; I was just going to be content with my salad. But, my wife, Kristy, talked me into just eating the meat and sauce and removing the noodles from it. I was glad I did. Eating the salad and filling of the lasagna with a slice of garlic bread more than satisfied me and I was able to avoid unnecessary carbohydrate intake.
Now, there are days when I see something like the lasagna and I really want to have it but I just have to say no. I have learned how to be comfortable eating most foods that I used to gorge myself on, even potato chips, but I am not there yet with pasta. And that’s ok. The new me can take that in stride because I know I am not alone in dealing with this and in time I will be able to enjoy pasta again, if only on rare occasions.
Because of the steely resolve I have developed, I have been able to get results much greater than I had anticipated. I set my first weight loss goal at 50 lbs by the next time I go back to the doctor on January 18. Well, two weeks shy of that date, my weight loss total stands at 48. I just need to lose two more pounds in two weeks to attain my first goal. (And through a minor Christmas miracle, I managed to lose 18 lbs from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, without the benefit of exercise. Unfortunately, the treadmill occupies the spot reserved for the family Christmas tree so my trusty conveyor has been folded up and shoved aside for the last six weeks.) Remarkably, it has not been as difficult as I imagined it would be.
Again, through Him all things are possible and for that I am thankful. I know it sounds cliché but great things can happen when you truly let go and let God instead of trying to do it on your own. He has placed the right people in my life to help me get through this bump in the road and the results are keeping me motivated.
Just a few days ago, I decided to try on some old clothes that were in my closet but had not been worn in a few years, or longer. I was thrilled when some size 42 pants and shorts fit comfortably. This made me want to try on a pair of shorts that I wore last summer that were size 48. I was able to slide them on with out unbuttoning, unzipping, or squeezing to get into them. I smiled as I thought to myself, I may need a new wardrobe this summer.
All in all, I have decided to look as this whole ordeal as a blessing in disguise. I lost 70 lbs (80 if you want to count the ten I dropped over spring break in 2009 when I was ravaged with the worst stomach virus I’ve ever encountered) nearly five years ago and was able to maintain for several months. But I was not able to sustain my progress and began picking up old habits rapidly.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 we are told, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” I was most certainly not treating my body as a temple; I was treating it more like a tenement. And while I still have a ways to go in renovating it into that temple, I have fully grasped that I owe it to my wife and kids and those who care about me to treat my body as I should and to set an example for my kids as to what God wants us to be like physically.
I monitor my blood sugar, I take my medications, and I am judicious about what I allow myself to eat. My Lord and Savior has helped narrow my focus and redirect the path of my life and the legacy I leave my kids. I have complete faith that I will see this through. I have faced serious challenges in other aspects in my life and I overcame them by becoming more disciplined and focusing on the bigger picture and that is what God has guided me to do this time, as well. And as long as I have the big picture in my sights, I will not get in God’s way as he works his miracle with me. Thanks to all read and pray for me and may God truly bless you.
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