Love is Kind

About 10 years ago, I embarked on a journey that would change my life forever. I was living in Louisiana with my sister Kathy, and I was about 150 pounds over weight....I hated the way I looked, but I lacked the motivation to actually DO anything about it.

So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed. I didn't know what to do, and honestly it took me almost 3 years of praying to get to the point where I actually wanted to do something to change my situation So, I prayed this prayer...Lord, please deliver me from the bondage of obesity.

I had no idea at the time how that simple little prayer would radically change my life forever. I heard somewhere, when you pray, watch, and listen, very closely to what happens next...that is your answer. So, here's what happened....

I made a decision to join Weight Watchers in April 2005, and that decision has changed my life forever. I had no real faith that this program would work, that I would actually loose weight, but I made a commitment to give it a try, and as the pounds literally melted off my body. I realized that the true goal wasn't weight loss, the goal was-and is character development.

You see, weight loss was simply a by-product of the real work that God wanted to do in my life, he wanted to transform me from the inside out. He wanted to change my thinking, my attitudes, my habits, my lifestyle...EVERYTHING!!! He wanted me to be his 100% Not just to follow a food plan, or an activity plan (exercise) It was about so much more that that...This was about Character Development.

So let me give you a glimpse into this transformation that he has done in me through the vehicle of weight loss. He has taught me about love. Self Love. You see, when when Jesus was asked the question "what is the most important commandment" This was his answer, "To love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to Love your neighbor as yourself"

The part of this verse that I want to focus on is the last part, the part that says to love your neighbor...as yourself. Jesus taught that we should love ourselves! Think about that! When is the last time that you got impatient with yourself, frustrated with yourself for not completing a goal, or following through with a phone call, or note you indented to send. When is the last time you thought an unkind thought towards yourself. "you look fat in that!" "I can't believe you ate that!" You look so disgusting in that photograph!! In my opinion, THOSE are NOT kind thoughts!

So here's what I have realized in my 100 pound weight loss journey. It's all about love. Love is Patient. It takes a really long time to loose that much weight...you must exersize patience...it is a character trait that will serve you well in loosing weight, and keeping it off.

Love is Kind. As the pounds started melting off, I realized, that when I would see an extremely large person, like 300-400 pounds, I would think to myself, They look gross. or disgusting! This revelation, and my honest evaluation of my thoughts, made me see, that even though I didn't acknowledge it at the time, those are the thoughts I thought towards myself when I weighed 287 pounds. You see, I am only 5'4. I thought I looked fantastic when I looked in the mirror. I thought I had healthy self-esteem. I jokingly refer to my condition as "reverse anorexic" You know, the anorexic is super-skinny bones sticking out, and thinks they are fat....we'll I had "reverse anorexia" I was SUPER FAT and I thought I looked great!

Now, I realize I was in denial. It was a photograph that finally woke me up to the reality that I wanted to change. That and the fact that I weighed more than my 6"ft tall husband. I am learning to live a more healthy life-style. Slowly. I have made small changes, and consistency has been the key to my success. "It's not what you do every once in awhile that counts, it's what you do every day that makes the difference."

I hope you are encouraged by my success. If I can do this, so can you. Make up your mind that you want to change, and spend 5mts every day focusing on your goal, and where you want to be. "If you don't know where you want to go, you'll never know when you get there" Be patient with yourself, you will fall down. There is no such thing as failure...only feedback. When you fall down, get back up, and make an honest assessment of what went wrong, what went right, and what you will do differently the next time.

And most importantly, love yourself...and one way to start doing this is to be kind to yourself. Allow room for mistakes. Think positive thoughts about yourself. I can do this. I am able. I want to succeed. You are worth it! You deserve it. Go for it!

Wishing you the joy of freedom,

Jennifer