Day 13 Food For Thought: Walking Through It

I watched a talk show once about weight loss victories. I will never forget the weight loss story of a particular woman. She had more than a whole person to lose. They showed the “before” pictures and indicated that at that time she probably needing to lose close to 200 pounds. She determined she would do it the old fashioned way with diet and exercise as opposed to fad diets, pills and the surgeries she would have qualified for. I remember being in awe of her. I felt overwhelmed with my old fashioned weight loss plan only wanting to lose maybe 20 to 30 pounds at the time. She said that she put on her walking shoes that first day to stroll around the neighborhood, and had not gone far when some kids started making fun of her and throwing food at her. What impressed me the most was that she kept walking. She did not let any opinion, even from twerps, affect her. I believe she must have released herself from the bondage of guilt and condemnation. Her acceptance of herself at that weight fueled the motivational engine that allowed her to keep lacing up her shoes. And of course she looked fabulous when she came out on stage.

I was in awe of her diligence, but more in awe of the heart change it took to get her there. She said, “No,” to excuses. What she had on the inside of her was bigger than any comment or cruelty the came from the outside, even from herself, and she kept on pressing on. Impressive! Here I was at less than half the weight she was when she began her journey, and I did not have that on the inside of me. I do now, though. Unfortunately I gained lots of pounds while I was trying to get here, but I would still rather be in this place of peace in my current skin, than feeling unworthy in a size 2.

Wins for today:
Um....um..... yeah. Don't think I can think of any wins. I will just work to stay content and rested.

Nutritional Nugget
Beta-carotene is a phytochemical that gives a strong red-orange pigment. It is a precursor for vitamin A and also acts as an antioxidant thought to help in cancer prevention. Food rich in carotenes include, carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, cantaloupe, apricots, winter squash, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin.