Mightiest Power

So if you remember this post, you know that weight and self confidence, has frequent-ed my mind in the past.  As I mentioned, I was going to still try to lose weight, but the right way and healthy.  Since then, I prayed that I would be able to when the time was right and the Lord would point me in the right direction to actually do it.  I was doing it for myself...and in a way, I wanted to do it for Him too, I hope that makes sense.  I am not sure it made sense to me at the time

One day, right before Halloween, I was playing with ibooks on my iPad and started searching "Christian Weight Loss books".  The book "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst popped up and it caught my attention.  Here is the book description via Amazon:

Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman's desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. The reality is we were made to crave. Craving isn't a bad thing. But we must realize God created us to crave more of him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. If you are struggling with unhealthy eating habits, you can break the 'I'll start again Monday' cycle, and start feeling good about yourself today. Learn to stop beating yourself up over the numbers on the scale. Discover that your weight loss struggle isn't a curse but rather a blessing in the making, and replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory. You can reach your healthy weight goal -- and grow closer to God in the process. This is not a how-to book. This is not the latest and greatest dieting plan. This book is the necessary companion for you to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose. This is a book and Bible study to help you find the 'want to' in making healthy lifestyle choices.

Wow, it really caught my attention.  I immediately bought it and finished reading it in one day. 

This book changed my life.  Seriously.  My problems with weight loss were three things: I need convenience, will power, and I really was not that bothered by it anymore.  Meaning, I never stuck to diets because I am too busy to eat healthy, nor did I really want to, and I had found a self confidence that made me not want to worry about it.  My REAL problem with weight loss was that I was trying to do it ON MY OWN.  I only thought I knew. 

I am not going to recite the entire book to you friends, but I wanted to share my biggest learning from it.

Why am I trying this whole weight loss thing on my own when I could use the same power that not only created this world, but also raised Jesus from the dead?

Read that again.

Why am I trying this whole weight loss thing on my own when I could use the same power that not only created this world, but also raised Jesus from the dead?


This was my problem and probably most of yall too.  We put all this on our shoulders and not ask the Lord for help.  Yes, we all pray, "Lord, please help me lose weight and feel better about myself", but do we ever pray "Lord, please help me fight these cravings for bad foods, help me make better choices, and give me the opportunities for the right choices.  Make me crave YOU when I crave other things!"??

The book gives so much insight into how we can put our faith in Him just as we do with other things and He will help us.  Most of all, this journey will also grow us closer to Him. 

We are not made to do anything without Him. The Lord wants us to crave Him all the time and ask for His help in everything.  It really hurts Him to see us so hurt with things like our appearance when He is so willing to help us. 

I learned that the same power that can do ANYTHING and more than we can ever dream of, could for sure keep me from eating that second helping, or cupcake, or cheeseburger.  I was ridiculous to think I would never be able to resist.  Think about how often, we say but I could never give up this or that...oh yes, we can, we just have to want to and ask for our help.  Without help, we will fail every. single. time.  I needed help.
I prayed that day and asked for His help. He knows I am in a happy place in my life and that weight loss would not define who I am, but He also knew that I am a mother of three kids and I owe it to them and myself to be healthy.  I turned it all over to Him and prayed that he would change the way I looked at food and make it easy for me to do this.  Just like every other time I dieted, I knew it was not going to be easy.  I was going into the holiday season, and as much as I wanted to put this off until January, I was convicted.  I also knew that for the first time ever, I was not only being  held accountable by myself, I was being held accountable by Him.  Just think about that for a second. :)

Yall.  My life has changed.  From the moment I prayed that prayer, I have stayed on a strict diet (excluding some cheating on Thanksgiving, but I did not go overboard :)) and the Lord has blessed me with so many choices and has seriously carried me along this way.  I have passed up birthday cake, donuts, margaritas, cheesecake and more and I am not one bit bitter about it (I am counting calories).  I constantly pray all day for His guidance, and there are times, I just have to get alone and beg Him to help me and He always does. I just always remember that I can do this with Him, He can do ANYTHING!  I could give you a million examples of how He has helped me from the fast food drive thru getting my order wrong and giving me something was a bit more healthy when I was going to allow myself one thing, or dropping a whole sweet tea in the parking lot at work :).  I don't believe in coincidences.  The Lord knew I needed to have a good wake up every once in awhile and He has delivered on this prayer.  When I get really down on it, which is not often, but it happens, I can just feel Him pick me up and show me my progress and how He is there.  I am never alone on this journey.  When I feel like everyone around me is eating whatever they want, He is always there to tell me I am not alone and doing the right thing.  Even when I start feeling as if nothing is happening and I am not losing anything, He makes it better.  Last weekend, I was really down on myself on cheating over Thanksgiving and feeling bloated.  I posted a picture on FB and Twitter and so many people, for the first time (outside of family) since this process started, replied that I was looking skinny and asking if I lost weight.  Yall, I cried in thanksgiving to Him, because He knew I needed that encouragement to keep going. It was not about the compliments, it was about the reminder that He is helping and it is working.  Praying that prayer, keeps me in His presence. He is delivering by never leaving me alone.  He is always there and I can't run away to the closet with donuts any more.  There are no more secrets.

I have no idea how much I weigh or how much I have lost, but I can tell you all my jeans fit better or are falling off. I can tell you the last two cocktail dresses I bought were mediums.  I have been on this since November 1st.  I am NOT writing this for anyone to tell me that I look like I lost weight.  I am writing this because I want yall to feel the same way I do. When I wrote that last post, so many of you were too hard on yourself.  We all need to remember we are never alone.  We always have help! 

I have realized in this process, that the Lord is bringing me through it so I can grow closer to Him.  This is not a curse, but a blessing in disguise. I have never been in so much prayer with Him.  I feel like we are talking all day.  I can get so wrapped up in life that if food was the reminder I needed to remember Him, food it is :). 

There is so much more in the book that I want yall to read and this all will make so much more sense. You can buy it here.  I am not being compensated or anything for this, I am just a big believer. In fact, if yall are interested, I will give away a few books.  Since I wrote that last post and the response, the Lord has laid it on my heart to do what I can to help and show everyone what He can do.  Let's start with us...

Holler with questions in comments and I will reply if you leave your email or on your blog :).

Now I am off to eat my dry veggie salad drenched in banana peppers with a smile on my face :)!