Still on the Journey

It's been a little while since I've posted. However, not having heard any outcry for an update, I'm pretty sure no one has missed my little musings. But I press on with the blog because, if for no other reason, it gives me something to do.

It's been about two and a half months since I started and I've lost 34 lbs so far. I've got 30 to go to reach my goal so I'm a little over half way there. So, here's a re-cap of everything that has happened so far. I've been able to completely quit taking my diabetes medicine for about a month now. My blood sugar levels have been rock solid. I also have been able to drastically cut back on my blood pressure meds, though not completely. Also, as you might expect, my physical energy level has dramatically increased.

As I was contemplating the weight I've lost and the changes that have come into my life, I was struck with the thought of other "weight" that I needed to lose. What would it be like to be completely free of the heavy burden of judgement, comparing, appearance management, criticism, self-righteousness, anger, contempt, pride and so on and so on...? Being angry or treating someone with contempt, no matter how small, is a heavy weight to carry. Always trying to please someone else or compare myself to someone else is like carrying an extra 50 lbs of emotional and spiritual baggage. What other heavy weights can you think of that you might be carrying? How do we go on a diet for this kind of excess "fat"?

I believe the answer lies in making a conscious decision to say "No" to indulging in such things. We do have a choice of how to respond when we are mistreated or misunderstood. We do have the power to decide how to relate to others in every situation. Our master Teacher, Jesus, will show us how to respond and how to act in relation to people that we encounter in every situation if we will just ask Him. I know it sounds simple but my experience lately has been that He is more than willing to be my teacher in every area of my life if I will invite Him to be so. He is helping me lose some of that other "weight" that is just as harmful, if not more so, than physical obesity. At least, that's the way I see it.

The Six-Week Update

It has been just about six weeks since I began this weight loss journey. If you've been following this blog you know that it hasn't been a completely smooth journey to this point but it has been richly rewarding. After starting at 249 lbs and taking 7 pills a day for both diabetes and high blood pressure, I'm happy to report that I have lost 23 lbs and down to 2 pills a day. My cravings for junk food have pretty much disappeared and my energy level has increased tremendously.

I still slightly over one-third of the way to my goal but I know that reaching it is a foregone conclusion. The rewards of losing weight far outweigh the momentary satisfaction of fattening foods. The most rewarding side effect of losing weight is the way that my eating habits are changing. I am beginning to genuinely crave healthy foods instead of the old fat and carb laden-ed foods I used to eat. Salads and vegetables are more appealing to me than pizza and burgers. That is not to say that I won't ever eat pizza or burgers again but I will approach them much differently than in the past.

I went "shopping" in my closet and found some shirts that I haven't been able to wear for the last couple of years and they fit perfectly! It was like getting something new. It was also a reminder that I was much thinner before and that most of the weight I'm losing was put on in the last two to three years.

Finally, the most exciting development on this journey has been the stabilization of my blood sugar. I am no longer taking any medication for my diabetes and my blood sugar has been rock solid for the past two to three weeks. This is truly an answer to prayer! Of course I have emailed my physician with this news just to let him know what's going on and I had a conversation about it with a personal friend who is a physician.

One last thing. People are taking notice that I am losing weight. It's nice to personally know that I'm dropping pounds but it is so much more encouraging when others start to take notice. So it's 23 down and 41 to go to reach my goal. Stay tuned!