My Weight Loss Journey: Be Warned!! This is a LONG post, because it has been a LONG PROCESS!!

The FIRST time I started my weight loss journey was in April 2012. My husband introduced me to MyFitnessPal and we started tracking our calories. We would plan our meals, making sure we measured our ingredients with a food scale. Even when we ate out at restaurants we would log our calories. The weight came off quickly and I was so excited.

I was able to lose 20 pounds in 4 months. Seeing the scale reach 219 pounds was a huge deal for me because I hadn't been that small since my Freshman year in college. During my freshman year I gained a LOT of weight. Being away from home, and having a dining center in my dorm with Chick-Fil-A, Ben & Jerry's and Panda Express, did NOT do my body good.

I know many of you have heard of the Freshman 15, well I blew that out of the water!! From August 2003, when I came to college to January 2004, when I went home for my Holiday Break, I gained 50 POUNDS!!

The eating habits that I developed in college stayed with me into adulthood. There was a time in my life when I would order 2 double cheese burgers, 2 McChicken sandwiches, a large fry, and a large Oreo McFlurry for lunch. Yes!! You read that right, I would eat that meal in one sitting, in addition to the other 2 meals I would eat that day.

So you guys could only imagine how accomplished I felt when I FINALLY started to eat healthy, exercise and lose weight. Unfortunately, old habits die hard!! As life began to happen, I found myself going back to old patterns. Food became my source of comfort. If I had a bad day, I would soothe my pain with FOOD. If I had a good day, I would celebrate my success with FOOD. Food became a central part of my life. All of my interactions with family and friends involved FOOD. I gained back the 20 pounds I previously loss and SOME.

During my season of "Living in Rebellion" and my season of "Picking Up My Cross" (see previous blog), my weight fluctuated drastically. In 2015 I became pregnant with my 3rd child. Having a baby in my early 20's and having a baby in my early 30's was NOT THE SAME!!! My cravings were out of control, and unlike my other pregnancies (where I only gained a of maximum of 7 pounds), with this pregnancy I gained almost 30 pounds.

The weight continued to pile on as I used food as a means of escape from my mundane life as a stay at

home mom and wife. It wasn't until I saw a picture of myself at my niece's birthday party in August 2017 that I knew I had to change. I was not happy with the way I looked. I was extremely uncomfortable in my body and I was becoming self conscious about my size. ⠀ ⠀⠀ A month later, September 2017 I started my weight loss journey AGAIN, weighing in at 253 pounds. A friend and I decided to do the Daniel Fast for 21 days as a means to purge our bodies of any physical and Spiritual toxins. I loved how eating an all plant based diet made my body feel. My stomach wasn't bloated, my digestion was better and I was able to lose weight without having to do a whole lot of exercise. I ate an all plant based diet for 4 months and lost 30 pounds.

Eventually I started back incorporating cheese, eggs and fish into my diet. I never went back to eating meat though (and I don't think I EVER will). I was able to get down to 223 pounds. For the most part I was able to keep the weight off due to counting calories, eating more whole foods and exercising occasionally. I stopped eating McDonald's all together and I ate other fast food sparingly. My weight hovered between 221 pounds and 228 pounds. I was finally starting to feel good about my body again.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ In January 2019, I returned to the work force. There was such a sense of freedom, joy and accomplishment being able to get up everyday and go to work. However, that new sense of freedom, joy and accomplishment came with a price. It was extremely challenging for me working full time, maintaining a household, raising 3 children, catering to my husband, being involved with church AND trying to maintain my weight. My weight loss journey took a major nose dive before it eventually crashed and burned!!

My family's schedule was so jam packed with piano lessons, choir practice, social groups, parent group, church events, ministry meetings, Girl Scouts, you name and it was probably on our schedule. It felt like we were in the car ripping and running more than we were at home. Meal planning and calorie counting quickly turned into oven pizza, quick processed meals and drive thru dinners. I tried my best to pick the healthiest options, but the pounds started piling on again. It always amazes me how it takes FOREVER to lose weight but fall off for a few weeks and you're walking around looking like a beach whale.

Sadly, a year of me working and not making my health a priority resulted in me starting back at square one. AGAIN, I found myself staring at a picture of myself from Christmas 2019 wondering "HOW DID I ALLOW MYSELF TO GET TO THIS POINT!!" I began to wallow in a little bit of a depression. I wore a happy face, but in the inside I was so unhappy and disappointed with my weight. I would look at photos of myself from the previous year and sulk. I knew I needed to change but I didn't have the energy to do it this time.⠀⠀

During a lunch meeting with a mentor from church, I was sharing with her my struggles with my recent weight gain. She encouraged me, and told me that she would be my accountability partner. Our conversation that evening sparked the idea to start a Healthy Choice Challenge at our church. February 2020, a group of women started a challenge to see who could be the "Biggest Loser". The individual who lost the most weight would receive a cash prize. I was so excited about this challenge and the accountability. Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic we couldn't continue the challenge as planned. However, my motivation had already been sparked.

On April 19, 2020, while in the middle of the COVID Quarantine, I found myself at home on lockdown. I decided since I had nothing but time, I should use it wisely to get myself back on track. I wanted to do things differently this time though. I'd failed so many times with my weight loss journey before, that I knew the ONLY way I would be successful was to invited God on this journey with me. I even decided to take a leap of faith and document my journey publicly as a way to keep myself accountable.

Here is a Facebook Post that I posted on May 16, 2020

While I was in the middle of my workout I heard the Holy Spirit say to me “do not despise these small beginnings”. So when I finished my workout I looked up the scripture. It’s from Zechariah 4:10.

Of course then I had to read the entire 4th chapter for comprehension. Thank you God for your Word!!!! This passage of scripture blessed my soul and confirmed that God is with me through my weight release journey.

I know this scripture is speaking to Zerubbabel building the temple but God gave me revelation for my weight release. Verses 6-10

Verse 6: I won’t be able to accomplish this weight release by my strength or my power, I will only be able to accomplish it through the Holy Spirit.

Verse 7-9: Like I’ve been declaring!! This time is THEE time!! Nothing will be able to stand in my way. I will accomplish my goal!! I will reach my weight loss goals!! I will be consistent!! I will be changed!! And when this transformation is complete people who’ve witnessed my journey will glorify God for the work that HE’S done!!

Verse 10: While I was working out these were the words that the Holy Spirit spoke to me specifically. DO NOT DESPISE THESE SMALL BEGINNINGS!!! This is so amazing to me because Leslie Sansone walk videos were the first videos I started working out to when I first began this journey almost 4 weeks ago on April 19, 2020. When I first started these workouts they were super hard for me. Almost 4 weeks in I still have a LONG way to go, but today the workout was a little easier. (I cannot despise my walking workout videos: small beginnings). The fact that it was easier to complete was also confirmation that my transformation is already underway.

BUT....here is the part that really blessed me!! The rest of Verse 10 says, “for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerrubbabel’s hand.” Thank you God!! The Lord literally rejoices when I work out. He is happy to see every side step, ever knee lift and every jumping jack!! I am confident that this time I will achieve my goal!! But it will be because I’m doing it this time with God!! He is the best workout and accountability partner!!

I am in awe of how He using His Word to communicate with me. He is literally interested in every detail of my life!! All I had to do was invite Him in.

So that's my weight loss journey story in a nutshell. I've been on THIS journey, THIS time, for 1 year and a 1 month approximately. It has not been easy but I am STILL going strong. I am STILL claiming that THIS TIME IS THEE TIME!!! I am STILL believing God to help me to reach my goals. Stay tuned for the next post where I go into details about this past year and the things I put in place to lose the weight.