Finding My Want-To

I have been asked numerous times HOW I lost the weight.  It is funny because even though I did have a physical plan for it, the HOW is not the reason for my success.  After reading "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst  I found my WANT TO to start this process, not the HOW TO. Finding the right Want-To, a.k.a motivation, to start this process was the KEY difference in success and failure for me. Below is a list of the want-to's that I had tried before, that kept leading me to failure.

Me and my twins at the finish line of my second 5K:)

Many of us start this weight loss journey with the what we think are the right Want-To's:

• I want to loose weight.
• I want to get physically healthy
• I want to fit in my skinny jeans.
• Be able to keep up with my kids

Don't get me wrong, these were my beginning motivations and they ended up being a WONDERFUL result of my transformation.  BUT the difference was they were not enough to really give me the success I needed.  Through Lysa's book and some insight from the Holy Spirit I had to refine why I wanted to go on this journey.  My Want-To List became kind of scary when I got real. And I personally think if it isn't a little scary then you aren't being honest with yourself.

God revealed to me I had to learn to Want-To:

• See the cause and effect of my own lack of discipline.  I was in denial about who was really responsible for my weight. I had to stop blaming my metabolism and wake up to the reality of responsibility. If you spend more money than you earn you go into debt.  Same principle applies; if I ate junk all day and didn't move I gained weight.
• Let go of the misconception that God doesn't want more for me. This is a BIGGIE. Yes, He loves us unconditionally, but the issue of self discipline is repeated over and over in Scripture  enough for us to know he isn't joking around about this. God loves me unconditionally but the fruit of the spirit is self-control, and He expects you to be using the gifts He gives!  I had to want to become a disciplined person, because I am naturally one of the laziest people you will ever meet (not kidding here people)
• Admit I was running to food instead of Him when I was feeling sadness, happiness, frustration, etc.
• Admit I would rather have a guaranteed temporary numbing from food than a lasting healing from God that would involve feeling the pain to heal.
• THEN I had to want to let go of my numbing agents and temporary high (food) and experience some feelings I was running from (insecurity, pain, doubt, anger with myself for letting this happen, etc). If you are a shopaholic, you have to want the discipline MORE than you want the nice purses, shoes, clothes, etc. Getting to this spot was also a biggie because I had convinced my self the wight was worth it because I ENJOYED my food.  There is NOTHING wrong with Enjoying food, just like enjoying clothes doesn't make you a shopaholic. Discern for yourself if you are mastered, I was and you may not be.
• Some other personal revelations that are between me and my Savior;)

 If you want to keep your comfort food more than you want to get emotionally and spiritually healthy, you will not succeed.  I am not saying that lightly!  My comfort seeking was a result of some real traumas, not just feeling chubby, so I do not say any of this flippantly.   But is it like any discipline God wants for us, it comes through perseverance.   The same discipline skills I learned in this weight loss process were the same skills I learned when we finally got our budget under control and as I learn to control my temper. God cares about your weight, and not because He thinks you are fat and lazy, but because he knows that WITH HIS HELP you can be so much closer to Him. Everyday is still a struggle not to eat a bag of chips when I am frustrated, but I am thankful for the grace he has given me in this small success.  I let food keep me from knowing the full power of God's Glory and I pray that if any of you are in this cycle you would also seek His Face.

“I am NOT on a diet. I’m on a journey with Jesus to learn the fine art of self-discipline for the purpose of holiness.” 

Lysa Terkeurst

Here is my HOW-TO plan that I followed to loose the weight. 
Disclaimer: My How-To  would have worked never worked without addressing the above issues