Non Scale Victories (NSV)

//  5  // weeks since starting Weight Watchers

// 35 // days of tracking what I eat and being satisfied

// 13 // pounds lost so far

// 3 // number of cute charms aka bling received for goals reached

Can I just say, the journey so far has been AHHH-MAZING!

Who knew that in the span of 5 weeks I could feel like a brand new person?

Before I started WW, I struggled big time for many years with food addiction. I tried so many things to get myself together and though I thought I was seeking God, I was more or less running out ahead of Him. Then something happened which caused me to step on the scale and I hit my "new" highest weight and it literally brought me to a place of complete surrender.

One website led to another and then somehow I landed on the WW page. And I felt something within me say "this is it, this is what you need." So I prayed, like really prayed and also sought input from friends who had or were on the program. The next day, I knew within my spirit that this was the path God had for me, so I joined.

Today I am going to talk about a number of #NSV's that have come about since God led me down this path. For starters, not a day has gone by that I have not thanked Him for leading me to Weight Watchers. Ok, so here are some of the "side-effects" this amazing program has brought about for me :)

#focused

#motivated

#more energy

#no urge to binge/overeat

#structure  (HUGE blessing!)

#body is learning full/hungry signals

#vertigo episodes significantly reduced

#new found confidence -->> I no longer hate what I see when I look in the mirror! Instead of focusing on all of my flaws, I now notice all of the little changes that come with getting healthy.

#not feeling deprived -->> All I can say is, if you feel deprived on WW, then you are not doing it right. With all the 0, yes ZERO point foods there is no way one can go to bed hungry! Like my leader said, if you are hungry... truly hungry, then an apple will satisfy you.

#no more meal alarms -->> Yes, I used to set alarms to "remind" me when to eat so I didn't go too many hours without food. If too long passed, I would become hangry and the consequences of that would put me in the McDonald's drive thru. Now I eat when my body tells me to eat. This is a totally new feeling!

#no longer obsessed -->> Coming from a place of food being my main focus, it is so nice to no longer be controlled by it. Food was something that was always on my mind, always craving but because the way I look at it has changed, so have my thoughts about it. I look at it now as a necessity, not a desire to be met. Our purpose is not "live to eat" which was pretty much what I did. Rather we are to "eat to live". 

#no major cravings -->> Now that I am actually giving my body the real nutrition that it needs to function, my cravings are almost obsolete. When there is something that I really want, I now consider my options and make the best choice for my health. I LOVE sweets! Thankfully they are no longer the bulk of what I eat, cause I used to eat A LOT of sugary processed stuff. Now when I want mint chocolate chip ice cream, I choose Halo Top and yes, most times eat the whole pint LOL Best part? I don't feel guilty if I do, because I know it is a healthier choice than eating half of a half gallon of my old brand and with the amount of protein in it, it's a meal in itself. Another thing folks, sugar free candy is actually good! There's even a number of good salty snacks out there that are healthier than greasy potato chips.

#accountability -->> Contrary to what some folks believe, we DO NOT weigh in front of a group of people. I take that back LOL we do weigh with a group of people but the scale read out faces the WW lady, NOT all the folks standing in line behind me. She records it in my little book, then I join the others folks for the meeting. I'm also a firm believer in MEETINGS! They are so encouraging and offer more support than I ever would have thought. It's great getting together with folks who are on the same path as you, sharing tips, recipes, our ups and downs and best of all, cheering each other on. 

#no stretched shirts -->> Some of y'all know exactly what I am talking about. Used to be that when I would put on one of my shirts, I'd put my forearms in the bottom and s - t - r - e - t - c - h it out so that it wouldn't be snug around my middle. Admit it, you have done this LOL Now, I pull a shirt out of the closet, pop it over my head and I'm good to go. I am actually comfortable with how they fit now!

And the biggest #NSV of all.....

#scale freedom -->> Most times when I would attempt to lose weight and get healthy, I would also become scale obsessed. Often weighing myself daily and being so focused on the number that it was all I thought about. On a Sunday, two days before I joined WW, I had a small upset, which lead me to the scale that I hadn't hopped on in some time. The number staring back at me was the highest weight I had ever seen. That was the last time I used my home scale. I joined WW that Tuesday and made the decision that my only weigh in's would be with them at my meetings. No longer being in "bondage" to the scale has been a HUGE victory. Best part is that when Tuesday rolls around, I don't even feel stressed or anxious a bout weighing in. I pray on the road as I drive to my meeting and decide ahead of time that I will accept whatever the scale says. Talk about freeing!!! Even better is that when I do have a loss, especially a big one, it's a surprise for both myself and the gal weighing me in LOL

Ok y'all, that's about all the time I got this morning for writing. It's about time I head out for my weekly breakfast date at the local coffee shop with my BFF. YES!!! I still eat out too!!

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Have an amazingly awesome day friends!

Blessing in Christ, 

~Brandy

A New Direction

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

For years, I leaned on my own ability to “fix” my issues with food; to “fix” my health. I trusted my own knowledge for what I thought was best. I sought help from books, websites, and friends. Not that this is bad, but I neglected to truly seek it from the one who knows me best; the One who already knew the right way for me to go. Why does it take us so long to move in the right direction? Why must we fail and fall numerous times before we seek the One who leads us to success? It’s that darn free will LOL

True, I did seek input from others who have used or are currently in Weight Watchers. I took the time to do my own research on the program as well. And I did pray through these things once the info from other sources stopped flowing. I then took all that to the Lord and asked if this was the right step for me. I did my homework then waited for the evaluation of 'yay' or 'nay'.

So my conversation with God went like this:

“Is this what will work for me Lord? I’m tired of trying and failing. I know it’s because I run out ahead of you most of the time but this time, I really want to know if this is Your will for me. I’m not going to take the next step unless I know for sure. Oh Lord, I desperately want to be healthy. I’ve destroyed this temple, abused it for so many years and if I continue on the path I’m on, sooner than later it will fall to pieces. I’m ready to start rebuilding it brick by brick. I know Lord, it’s going to take some time because I’ve done some serious damage, not just to the outside but inside as well. There will be times when the process goes fast and weeks where little may happen, but I will trust You no matter what. I want to be able to live and move and breathe for Your Kingdom purposes.”

I compared myself to a dull, rusty robot, its gears all corroded on the inside for lack of movement; unable to move because weeds and vines have grown up where they don’t belong prohibiting it from doing what it was intended for.

Because I ate for comfort and chose foods that had no benefits for my body, fat now surrounds my organs threatening to suffocate them. I’m sluggish, unable to move in ways I used to, unable to take pleasure in things I once enjoyed. And the poor choices show through on the outside as well. The tiredness on my face, too many “Peeps” have grown a second chin, too many donuts made what used to be a tiny bump of a belly into a large roll and so on. My eyes no longer sparkled, hair no longer shined because for so long I deprived my temple of what it needed, all for the sake of comfort food in the face of stress, anxiety, depression and laziness.

But God… has set my feet on a new path. One that will oil my gears and set them spinning again, weed out the bad habits that keep me stuck, filling my tank with good fuel that will purge out the sludge. This new direction promotes structure on a daily basis, something I have been without for far too long and so desperately need to have. It gives me opportunity to walk alongside others with the same mission. It calls me to “own” my choices, to come before others and check my progress weekly. Accountability without condemnation. There are rewards as we move closer to health, encouragement when we are stuck, support and solutions when we start going backward.

Not only will this new path break the bonds of fat on my organs, but also the labels, the chains that have bound me for far too long. I’m saying goodbye to stress, anxiety, depression and all the other things that poor health has left me with and saying hello to life and the ability to live in such a way that brings God glory. Thank you Lord, for this new direction. Thank you for setting my feet on the path to health and wellbeing.

Blessings in Christ,

Brandy ~

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