The buddy system...

I wish I were small. No, I'm not talking about my weight right now - though that's true, too. =) I wish I were a teeny, tiny being that could go inside my body for a peek at what's really going on. Instead of making guesses simply by observing the outside, I wish I could zoom inside and float on a cell through my bloodstream. I want to see what my muscles look like, especially when I'm exercising them. I want to have the opportunity to go watch my fat cells to figure out what exactly I need to do to make them give up their precious storage of......well, fat. =) I want to see how many calories I'm really burning each day and how many I'm taking in. I want the scoop!


Yes, you probably guessed it. Same old, same old number on the scale again. (How many weeks has this been?) I began recording my calories again on Monday, which was helpful. After tracking myself for a few days, I felt pretty confident that I had been doing a good job of sticking to that same calorie range even when I wasn't recording my meals. I felt like I was eating the same amount of food as before, but now I'm doing my best to eat a more balanced meal. Getting my carbs, protein, and fat in the correct amounts. It's a bit of a struggle, because as I've said before - protein is not my favorite thing to eat. I'd much rather spend the calories on carbs! But I know that eating enough protein is a huge part of weight loss. I don't want my body to have a lack of it and resort to burning lean muscle tissue instead! That wouldn't be good. So, I eat my protein. Beans, legumes, nuts, turkey breast (preferably the real thing, not lunch meat), chicken, tuna, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc. I try to mix it up to keep from getting bored with my choices. Does anybody have a tasty way you eat your protein? Recipes or suggestions?

I've had several people either come and talk to me or email me recently about reading this blog. Thanks to those of you who've encouraged and prayed for me! And for those of you who have shared your own weight struggles with me, I'm praying for you, too. If there is anything I've learned from keeping this blog it's this: I'm not the only one struggling. I can't even count how many people I've talked to about healthy living/weight loss because of what I've written here. And we need to be doing that! We need to be talking and encouraging one another. We need to be lifting each other up in prayer. We need to be sharing our struggles and needs with those who can keep us accountable! But because of our pride, we all too often keep quiet. That's what I did for years. And look where it got me - obese and extremely unhappy with myself. Don't be foolish like me!

If you are struggling with a specific sin (weight loss or not!) find someone to keep you accountable and cover you in prayer. Preferably someone "older and wiser" in the faith who can give you advice and counsel and who isn't afraid to tell you the truth. In love, of course. =) I'm not saying that you'll never conquer sin if you don't tell someone, but there is something powerful about confessing your sins to each other for the purpose that you can overcome that sin. (Proverbs 28:13, Acts 19:18, Mark 1:5) Confessing to others breaks the secrecy and the feeling that "I'm okay because no one else knows that I struggle with this. I have to make a good impression on everyone else." But would you rather live in secret chains or break free openly? Would you rather live in the fear that someone might find out who you "really are" or live in the freedom that comes when you can put down the mask and serve the Lord knowing that you have no reputation to worry about representing but the Lord's? Then plug your ears when pride is screaming at you, find someone to cover you in prayer and accountability, and by God's grace - break free!

A freed captive ~ Bekah