“WHOA!!!! HE’S HUUUUUGGGE!!!!” “OMG!!! SHE HAS GAINED SO MUCH WEIGHT!!!!” “WOW!!! SHE USED TO BE TINY…WHAT HAPPENED???” …We’ve all been there. (Though, of course, hopefully, you didn’t vocalize it…YIKES!!! Lol!!) After attending a class reunion, scrolling through an old buddy’s Facebook page, or running into a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, you notice immediately how they have “picked up a few pounds.” If only five pounds, it is so easy for us to recognize the slight “expansion” in another’s physique. Interestingly enough, when those same pesky pounds invade OUR otherwise amazing self, we look in the mirror every day and give ourselves a pass:

“I don’t have time to cook or workout – I work all day.”

“I have 4 kids- what do you expect?”

“Healthy food is way too expensive – you know we are on a tight budget!”

“Big runs in my family – it’s in my genes to be this size.”

“Hmmm…the dryer must have shrunk these jeans again!!!”

Lolol!!!! I TOTALLY get it!!! Been there! However, consider this: if you only gained 3 pounds a year, (you know, from the big holiday seasons, potluck dinners at the office, vacations, cruises, birthday desserts etc…) after 10 years, you would be 30lbs heavier!!!!! YIKES!!!

I recently lost those pesky few pounds that have added up over the years. Though I never got to a place that was too out of control, I wasn’t comfortable with myself and knew I had to make some major adjustments.  What I realized in the process was two things:

1. Weight loss is much easier to control when it is at the “two-pound stage.” Anyone can shed 2 pounds!!! TOTALLY DOABLE!!! However, it is easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed, when you look at the scale and it is 20, 35, 40 more than what it used to be. So, check it in at 2 vs. 20! 🙂
2. It is even easier to maintain a healthy weight when you consistently live healthily. Of course we are all busy, but it can’t be at the expense of daily choices that promote LIFE itself.

Stop giving yourself a pass to practice a continued lifestyle of lack of self-control. Get your body in check and let it know that YOU run it, it doesn’t run you! Set the pace for yourself and family so that all of you can be here doing the amazing things God has created you to do for a LONG time!!!  My next post will give a few simple steps to maintaining ALLLLL your gloriousness in simple and practical ways!!! STAY TUNED!!! 🙂