I lost the sack of cement

I use this cement on a regular basis, mostly for setting fence posts. I usually have to carry it to the backyard – something I dislike doing very much. Each sack weighs 50 pounds.

One day I realized that I was carrying the sack with me everywhere I went. You see, I was at least 50 pounds overweight. I had thought about that before but this day was different.

So, two things had to happen. I had to admit it to God and I had to admit it to other people. I was scared. I loved food and lots of it. Did I really want to give that up? Could I even do that? I couldn’t.

I admitted to God what was going on in my life. Food occupied a place that was way too big. I was powerless. I needed His help. I needed more than help, I needed power. I admitted the same to a group of friends and to my wife.

This all began towards the end of July. I had no plan. I would start by eating less. I didn’t want to just lose weight; I needed a life change that could last for life. I wasn’t interested in a diet.

I started small: less on the plate and I tried to eat slower. I realized that my eating was quantity over quality. I wanted to be stuffed at the end of a meal. Most of the time I didn’t even taste what I was eating; it was like a feeding frenzy. Seconds would pass and the food was gone.

God was working on my behalf. My desires began to change. I started feeling a little different about food. He brought tools across my path that would make all the difference.

This week the scale brought the good news: the cement sack was gone. I was 51 pounds lighter than last July. I felt like I had gone through a miracle transformation. I still have somewhere around 10 pounds to go before I reach an ideal weight. I know God made this possible. He did what I couldn’t do. He made the changes in my heart that no amount of self-determination or discipline could. I’m glad to admit that I am weak. I’m glad to see His strength on display.

Later I will tell you about some of the things I have learned and how they came about. There were no quick-fix diets or miracle weight loss potions or obsessive exercise routines. I am living a different life than before. I still love making and eating good food but it is different now. I am enjoying quality over quantity. Food is starting to find its right place in my life.

I can’t even begin to describe how good it feels not to be carrying that 50 pound sack around.

Here is a link to posts about my weight loss journey.

Philip

You Can't Outrun Your Mouth