It Wasn't This Hard To Put On the Weight? Why Is It So Hard To Take It Off?

by Kathy Eberly⁽¹⁾
kathy eberly

I have always had a pretty close relationship with food. It started when I was small. I remember meatime at my grandmother's house was always a special event--no canned dinners, everything needed to be made from scratch. It was wonderful. Even her breakfasts were works of art. She might have waffles and bacon on the table, but there was always cheese(we lived in Wisconsin--cheese was plentiful) and sometimes left over cake for dessert or some kind of home made roll. I loved it. As a child I was pretty scrawny. Once I approached my teenage years, however, I began that cycle that most women face. I no longer was skinny(at least in my eyes).

I remember as a teenager my physician warning me that if I didn't lose the weight by the time I was 20, that I probably never would. Such encouragement that was for a young woman. Looking back at those old pictures of me, I was indeed overweight, but I wasn't obese. I remember vividly the quest to get skinnier. I began trying every weight loss plan known to mankind. Remember those chocolate candy appetite suppresants? They didn't work for me. I found that I could probably eat the whole box of them and still be hungry.

And so began a whole litiny of weight gains and losses that would go on for years. I would lose, look good, get depressed, gain, feel worse, eat more, try to diet still eat. It was a vicious cycle. I figure I must have lost hundreds of pounds in that entire time. Unfortunately I never noticed.

I was going through a difficult family life and food became my friend. Though I worked for a medical group, I was obese. I remember feeling insulted when I read the notes a doctor had placed in my file that I was obese--I wasn't obese, I was just a little fluffy, I rationalized. I noticed that I had more difficult time breathing when I walked and ran. I would try to catch up with my children and I would feel like I was going to die. Then, I found out I had high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholestrol. I had to lose weight.

I joined a Christian weight support group and lost 33 pounds, but quit when I realized I had spiritual differences with the founder of the program and gained it back. Then my workplace started a weight loss program through a well known weight loss plan. I was doing well. Suddenly, I wanted to exercise! I would go mall walking with my friends, I lost 45 pounds and I felt great!

And then I met my husband. We married and I moved to his little town, changed jobs and I couldn't afford to be part of this weight loss plan. Not only that, but his father whom we lived with was an excellent cook, so guess what? I gained it all back. I knew what I had to do. I had to rejoin this group again. I needed to be healthy to enjoy my husband and our life together. My husband never once complained that I had put on a lot of weight. He was pretty kind. Once I rejoined I started losing again. I have lost 60 pounds to date and my desire is to lose more.

This time, I am doing what I didn't do before. I am living the life. Yes, I still like desserts. Chocolate and pizza especially, but I keep track of what I eat. I'm exercising again and I love it. I don't want to live that cycle again!

The verse that sticks out to me comes from I Corinthians 16 "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit dwells within you?" verse 17 goes on to say, " If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." Wow! That speaks to me! If I am God's temple, why would I want to wreck my body anymore with things that pollute it?

Article submitted Monday, February 08, 2010 & read 152 times.

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» left by Mark Parsec (1 year 364 days ago.)

Hi Kathy,

Thank you for submitting this article. Congratulations on your progress. Keep a super positive attitude. Remember, in Philippians 4:13 we are told, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Blessings,

Mark
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» left by Anonymous (1 year 364 days ago.)

Your welcome and thank you for the encouragement!

In Him,

Kathy

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