He Continues to Propel You Higher

POST 1: Motivation in a Minute: 

He Continues to Propel You Higher

"When I started this weight loss journey a year ago, to get to this point seemed impossible. I didn't realize I was over 100 pounds overweight at only 24 years old. If I continued along the path I was on, there was no way I would be able to chase my children across the park. To me, my weight was something people had to accept right? Since I was a beautiful spirit, I would just rest on that. I would just rest on being intelligent and kind and that would get me through. The motivation in this minute post is that when you start something - look ahead to the destination because it seems impossible upon the start, but once you get to where you are trying to go, you see the amazing Glory of God as he continues to propel you even higher." I started at 281 pounds and now I am over 60 pounds down and my goal was only 30. The current journey is to enter the UNDER 200 CLUB! I didn't think this was possible...you have to take the limits off God. Do that and see what happens...

For more motivation, continue reading... 

Just a bit of the backstory. Last January, I began my weight loss journey with a local personal trainer here in Winston-Salem. I walked in nearly 100 pounds overweight, weighing in at 281 pounds at 24 years old. Through numerous hours of sweat, pain, joy and fun, I write this post weighing 217 pounds, a loss of nearly 64 pounds. The accomplishment isn't so much in the number as it is the mental transformation of myself as a more confident young woman who is prepared to lead a life striving to exceed and constantly better herself in all areas. 

There is a weight loss goal that I have and honestly, when I started this journey I didn’t realize that I was over 100 pounds overweight. It took all my life to get to the point where I had absolutely no control over the things I decided to put in my mouth. I had control over other areas. I could sit in any classroom and dissect any essay, perform any math problem or speak publicly before thousands. But, I was always a plus sized kid, wouldn't I always be that way? Isn't what's on the inside the only thing that matters anyway? 1 Corinthians 6:19 answers this : "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own. (ESV)" We have to protect our bodies - mind, body and soul because we are not our own, these bodies were given to us to not abuse but treasure.  

I remember when I graduated college and moved to a small, loving town called Demopolis, Alabama. Demopolis fell in the heart of Blackbelt Alabama, among a host of cities that were considered some of the poorest areas in the state. While I was chasing my dream of being a journalist, I battled depression. The depression was so serious to the point where no one had any idea of the story behind my smile. I don’t know how I kept my smile despite the battles I was facing internally, but that’s another story for another day. Anyways, I bring that up to say during the time I battled depression I began to eat uncontrollably. I lost myself.

After being so successful academically, I thought I could rely on that. I thought if I was a good Christian woman who excelled academically and was driven in her career then my life would be just fine. I knew I needed something more. I couldn’t walk up the stairs and talk to a coworker without being out of breath. I remember the times when I walked up the stairs in my office and had to stand at the top of the stairs to catch my breath before I went in to talk to the managers. There was no part of me that knew how much me being out of shape could affect the dream I chased to be a writer. I began to realize these things and knew something had to change. The story began with these realizations and the story continues...

*NEXT POST COMING SOON* Hope you enjoyed my first edition of Motivation in a Minute!