Part 3

*We pick up right after I began exercising and eating healthy back in June of 2007 to reach my goal of losing 10 pounds by September, when I left for Singapore.*

For the next few months, I did my best to exercise at least 4 or 5 days a week and to eat more healthy. I told my family about my goal, and they were all very supportive! I even coaxed my sisters into exercising with me. We'd go on walks down our lonely, country road and have a nice time together. And they kept quiet about the UFO's I would prepare and eat. (UFO = unidentified food objects) I attribute a HUGE part of my success so far to my awesome family! They have been cheering for me from day one, and I'm sure they are sick of Subway and hope it goes out of business tomorrow! :-)

My biggest regret from those months (mid June - early September) is the fact that I didn't journal. Oh, how could I not have taken the time to write?!? I can remember the highlights, but not the little details, which really pains me. But, such is the case and I can't change it.

So, I did my best to stick to my plan. My first choice for exercising was walking, as I knew we'd be doing a lot of that in Singapore! And the weeks quickly flew by until it was the night before we left. I was really, really nervous to step on the scale. I remember that I would weigh myself every so often over those few months, just to see how I was doing, and I knew that I was close to my goal. But, I didn't want to fail! I was scared that somehow I hadn't done enough, and it took a few seconds for me to get up the courage to step on. I closed my eyes (see, I've been doing it since day one!) and took a deep breath, then I looked down. And I was...................crushed. The scale said I weighed 233 pounds, which meant I had lost nine pounds. AAAAAHHHHH! I couldn't believe it - I didn't want to believe it. I was so close!!!

I stood there, trying to give myself a pep-talk. I was a winner - I'd lost weight! I had accomplished something I'd never been able to before. But, I hadn't met my goal. I was disappointed, and I clearly remember stepping on the scale at least five more times to make sure there wasn't a mistake! But every time, the same number appeared. Nine pounds...only one away. I wasn't going to cry........I wasn't going to cry.......

I put on my pijamas and went into the living to talk with my parents that night. We talked about the upcoming trip and Mom gave me a rundown to make sure I'd remembered to pack everything. Then we prayed for God's blessing over our time in Singapore. And then, after praying, Mom asked me if I'd weighed myself yet. *Open the floodgates! Unbreach the dam! Bring on the kleenex!* Through my tears, I told them of my weight loss and how close I'd gotten to my goal. They were both VERY proud of me, and my Mom said something that gave me a little bit of hope. She told me that most people weigh the most at nighttime, as a lot of food is still left in your stomach, so she told me to weigh myself in the morning and then see how I did. Okay, it was worth a try. I went to bed that night hoping that somehow, some way, I'd lose at least pound while sleeping!

I woke up the next morning and prepared to leave for the airport, but stepping on that dreadful scale was in the forefront of my thoughts. So, I mustered up the courage and got on once more. And when I looked down, I almost screamed. The bright read numbers on the scale read 230 pounds. No way! 230? How in the world do you lose 3 pounds while sleeping??? (This blonde was totally baffled!) But hey, forget trying to figure out how it happened. I did it! I lost not just 10 pounds, but 12 pounds! Yippee! I excitedly ran out of the bathroom and told any family member that was in earshot of my discovery. My emotions were the exact opposite of what they were the previous evening. I was pumped - ready to take on the world! My family and I had a short time of rejoicing before I jumped into the car and headed off to the airport. I was still in shock, wondering how I did it, and praising the Lord for His hand in the entire process. What a crazy way to begin a missions trip, huh?

The once repentant and now totally obsessed scribe ~ Bekah