| Thursday, December 22, 2005 |
| Spirit of Christmas |
I’ve been doing my thing this week – work-gym-work-gym, then home. This is making the scale move quickly. The thing I like about it is it allows me to eat things I normally wouldn't from my favorite salad bar and still experience a victory.
Wednesday we had our office Christmas luncheon (bbq). I was able to take a chicken breast, peel off the skin and throw it in the meat with my salad. It worked out. No problems with the multitudes of cookies and confections brought in for desert. I did have a low moment when the owner’s wife brought in gift baskets. I believe she knows I've been trying to loose weight. My basket was filled with foods I couldn’t eat (chocolate covered cherries, honey coated nuts, chocolate covered biscotti, etc). I struggled with the feeling she was kind (the basket was aesthetically beautiful and filled with items) but insensitive. I was really sour about it but it occurred to me that she has no concept of how single-focused I am, and that these are NOT options for me to eat. Some people just don't get it. Sigh...I forgive her.
Yesterday I came in and found a gift bag another co-worker gave me filled with 100 calorie snack packs. I went and gave her the biggest hug and shared how much it blessed me after dealing with the sinful basket. It’s nice to know there are people who’ll be sensitive to where we’re at with weight loss and will be supportive. I felt like I’d been given a $1000 gift just because of the thought she put into it.
As I mark the end of one year and beginning of the next, I think about the beginnings of my lifestyle change. I started by doing the
Discovery Health National Body Challenge . When I began I only thought of the free Bally Fitness membership, and started working out two to three times a week. I felt better, but this did nothing for my weight. I didn't have a solution for my eating issues, and was just stuck and frustrated. To top things off, my church was on a 40 day fast last January (liquids only - if you blend it/liquify it, you could eat it), and I made it 20 days before breaking down. I've done 40 day fasts before and never had a problem, but this year was different. I struggled internally with feeling I had nothing to prove. My value and significance as a person had nothing to do with how much discipline I had with food and how much I could resist (the fast breaker was Thai coconut soup - I just skipped the blending part on this particular day and chewed the rice and chicken - yum LOL). I think that was the epiphany I needed to turn the light on and look at my eating habits. My fasting failure was actually a success :). Perspective is key.
Five months later a co-worker went on NS, had great results and told me about it. The rest is history. I think about how things came together - food and fitness - and how much it means to me to be able to end the year healthier than last year. By the grace of God I've dropped 60lbs in six months. This is the best gift I've received this Christmas. As it's typical to look back on the year and evaluate progress, I hope everyone can see that, though the numbers may not be monumental, fitness is a high calling and just being "in the game" is an accomplishment in itself.
I'm looking forward to having a long weekend. My church will be having six services over Friday, Saturday and Sunday like we normally do, but for me there's something about being able to worship on Christmas. I've always loved that.
To all who haven't read Bob's Christmas story please do so. It's the spirit of Christmas at work, for sure.
Merry Christmas all,
Diane |
posted by heavenlydm @ 2:13 PM   |
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| 3 Comments: |
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Thank you for this awesome post. You wrote some things here that I definitely need to take away with me and think harder about.
"As it's typical to look back on the year and evaluate progress, I hope everyone can see that, though the numbers may not be monumental, fitness is a high calling and just being "in the game" is an accomplishment in itself." -- there are no truer words!
Merry Christmas!
PS - thanks for the wonderful comment on my blog!
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Merry Christmas to you, Diane! You have given yourself the best gift ever and I know you're going to continue that gift into the new year. God bless you, honey!
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Hi Diane! Your posts are always so uplifting and make me sit back and think...thank you for that. You are doing great and will continue to do great through-out the New Year...I wish you the very best and hope '06 is full of love, laughter and success for you and yours.
I am coming to GA to visit older daughter...it would be great if we could get together if you guys live close...I would love to meet you...she lives close to Waycross...how close are you to there?
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Thank you for this awesome post. You wrote some things here that I definitely need to take away with me and think harder about.
"As it's typical to look back on the year and evaluate progress, I hope everyone can see that, though the numbers may not be monumental, fitness is a high calling and just being "in the game" is an accomplishment in itself." -- there are no truer words!
Merry Christmas!
PS - thanks for the wonderful comment on my blog!