Week Four Report and Weigh-in
The Worth of a Soul
Well, another week has come and gone and I am still pursuing this goal of mine. I must say that it is hard work. But at the same time, it really isn't that hard. But it is taking FOCUS and EFFORT.
Last week I received an email from a fellow blogger.
Erin,
There is a scripture that says 'let thy soul delight in fatness.' 2 Ne 9:51. It has caused me some deep reflection because of my bodily injuries to my back and hips 6 years ago. I can't recover from them, and that keeps my body weight heavier than I want. It is so hard to look at my body without hurting for the old body I had. And yet every time I covet my old body, (which I'm trying so hard not to do) I feel as if the Lord tells me to focus on the new person I'm becoming. He wants me to focus on becoming spiritually fat... He wants me to stop being ashamed of Him and His ways - which I spent the first 30+ years of my life doing.Who would ever think that losing my physical abilities and becoming physically fat that I would learn that I had been spiritually skinny (ashamed of Christ - YIKES!!) and that I needed to become spiritually fat and to start living what I said I believed, instead of being ashamed of it? Does that makes sense?Since you are on a weight loss journey, I'd love to hear your thoughts on being spiritually fat..
Sincerely,
S...I am going to use this post as a response to "S".
Dear S,
Thank you for your email. And thank you for following me on this Weight-Loss Journey. I would be a liar if I didn't admit to looking forward to a slimmer physique, feeling more attractive to my husband, having more energy and buying a cute pair of skinny jeans. But I want you to know that those are only some of the minor rewards that will follow the completion of this Goal of mine.
Now let me tell you what the driving force behind my Journey is.
The Lord sent me to this earth with a few gifts. My free agency. The Light of Christ. My Family. My Spirit. My Body.
It has taken me years to fully realize what a true gift having this body is. I haven't taken the best care of my body in the past. And just like you used the metaphor "Fatness" to describe your spiritual growth, I think I can flip it and describe it also as "Slim", "Conditioned", "Strong", "Powerful". I must tell you that this Journey for me is as much about as becoming Spiritually Conditioned as it is about becoming Physically fit. And it is Truly more about overcoming my WEAKNESSES {Ether 12:27} than it is about Vanity.
You see, I've made a lot of excuses for myself, for a long time. Too many kids, injuries, no time, etc. But I was lying to myself. I wasn't doing ALL I COULD DO to take this body of mine and treat it like the TEMPLE that it is. Not my TEMPLE, but God's. {D&C 93:33-35}.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20.19 What? know ye not that your abody is the btemple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not yourcown?
20 For ye are abought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The past year has been very eye opening to me. There is a certain clarity that comes to you when your body starts to give out and stops working properly. I've spent much of the past year dealing with Sickness, Illness, Injury, and Pain and like I am in the Winter of my life and not the Summer. And while some of it isn't my fault, I can't help but wonder how much of it is. I feel that I need to take responsibility for what is in my control, when so many of my current health problems are out of my control. One thing that is in my control is my relationship with food, and my activity level. The only reason that I have gotten out of shape is overindulgence and idleness. (I am speaking for myself only). Both of these have led to laziness, and self-pity. So this journey is about taking control of what I CAN control: My choices.
There is a part in my patriarchal blessing that cautions and warns me to "take good care of this physical body." I don't know what the Lord has planned for me. I don't know if I will be blessed with more children, be called to serve another mission, or if I will still have health issues for the rest of my life. What I DO know is that I have received personal and specific direction from the Lord and I am following it. I want you to know that this is a Spiritual and a Physical Journey; the two just can't be separated, and I am learning so much already.
Thanks for your email,
Erin
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Weekly Report
Monday Sept. 26
Upper Body Weights & HITT
Tuesday Sept. 27
Lower Body Weights
Wednesday Sept. 21
Upper Body Weights & HITT
Thursday Sept. 22
Day Off
Friday Sept 23
Day Off
Saturday Sept 24
Lower Body Weights.
Weigh-in Report
Starting Weight: 168lbs
Last Week Weight: 162 lbs
Current Weight: 160.4lbs (So close to the 150's)
This Week's Weight Loss: -1.6lbs
Changes I've noticed...
Physical: I am feeling good. I can't believe how much stronger I am. My hips and back have almost completely stopped hurting. I am amazed what a little muscle can do!!!
Mental: Wow. I struggled with eating healthy. I mean I did pretty good, but I gave in a few times and wish I would have been stronger. I feel pretty stable and unemotional which is nice. No mood swings, and I'm not as grumpy anymore from giving up Sugar.
Spiritual: There isn't much to say here. General Conference is amazing and I'm on the right track. So happy.
3 comments:
I think taking care of our bodies is very important, but not to the point where we feel lots of negative feelings toward ourselves or God.
however, I'm big on fitness and diet so I totally understand what you're saying. I just have seen way too many women around me get sucked into obsessing over appearance, food or fitness all of which are traps Satan loves to lay for us. Who knew taking care of our bodies could be so perilous!?
Seriously, I heart you!! Your so amazing, love what your doing and and the reasons your doing it.
Erin,
What an awesome response! I appreciated it.
The Lord has had a lot of work to do with me. For some reason, I didn't learn how to live a life centered on and grounded in Christ. I don't know who to blame it on, but I definately know I was born into it. It was given to me. It has seemed like those closest to me did everything for the wrong reasons. Civility and honesty were extinct.
I haven't been able to workout it 4 years. However, I've learned powerful lessons. The relationships with my family members have been so dysfunctional. I have been the only one trying to 'workout' the problems. I'm sure you can imagine the dysfunction that came from that. I was also labelled a pot stirrer.
For example, one of my family members told me that her husband stares at other women and makes comments about how beautiful they are to her. She was very hurt by that and other things he was doing, and I told her I would be too. I agreed with her when she told me she was going to tell him to quit it. When she did tell him to stop, her husband got very angry at her. It scared her and she thought he was going to divorce her if she didn't shut up. The next time I talked to her and asked her about it, she got angry at me for even thinking her husband would do such a thing as stare at other women. I was like, what? You were the one who told me he was doing it. She wrote me an email shortly after that last conversation cutting off all contact with me.
So, I emailed her back and tried to work things out with her while not agreeing with her that her husband was 'good to her' as she put it, because he buys her food and gives her a roof over her head. But, no matter how much I wanted to workout those problems with her, she wouldn't reciprocate when she saw I wasn't going to overlook his disgusting behavior. This all took place about a year after I fell and hurt my back and hip and became immovable. I have to confess that the loss of her friendship was probably predictable to other people who have Christ-centered lives. In my old spiritually skinny life, I laughed off disgusting behaviors like a husband making remarks about how hot other women are right in front of their wives. I pretended not to notice when husbands stared at other women with those longing eyes.
I have learned and am continuing to learn how to become immovable in standing up for righteousness. The loss of a strong, healthy physical body, has compelled me to find value and beauty in spiritual things.
-Sarah
PS I'm sorry to hear you have the flu. I hope it isn't the 10 day one. That flu is brutal! Especially with a baby in the house. Get well! I wish I could bring some soup and homemade bread to feed your family dinner tonight;)
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