Patience & Perspective
Love is patient, but I’m not.
Oh, I can patiently wait in a grocery line. I patiently listen when my son discusses the latest video game. I’m patient while I hold the door for an elderly person who walks at a snail’s pace.
But I’m not patient with myself when it comes to losing weight.
That’s because if I’m going to “suffer” (the meaning of the Latin word patient) during a diet, I want to see immediate results. And I don’t want to suffer long. So it makes sense that long suffering is another word for patience.
Last week I had two options: Lose weight or buy bigger pants. Only the thought of counting points, calculating calories, and avoiding certain foods left me nauseous. I decided to try…..
Thin Within which is a grace-based approach to losing/maintaining weight. Don’t eat until you’re truly hungry and then stop eating when you’re satisfied based on a 0-10 scale. Zero is true hunger, five is a satisfied tummy. Ten is stuffed.
I didn’t expect Thin Within to focus on Bible study questions and knowing God’s character. However, if that’s the secret to losing weight, sign me up for the twelve-week ride.
Day One: I patted myself on the back for answering the workbook questions, and waiting for an empty stomach before I ate. I even did leg lifts and sit ups for good measure.
(No, those aren’t my legs in the photo).
Day Two: I gulped water to appease false hunger pains and chewed my bottom lip instead of consenting to a snack. May I recommend strawberry lip gloss?
Day Three: I bit my white knuckles. “Are we there yet?” Twelve weeks might as well be twelve months.
I also stepped on the scale—although it’s verboten—and groaned. I hadn’t lost an ounce. Doubts crept in. Does Thin Within work? Or is the Bible Study designed to get my mind off the size of my derrière?
I decided to burn calories to make things happen faster. I walked for three miles in the heat of the day. When I stepped on the scale, I’d lost a pound in one hour. Thanks to sweating profusely!
You see, Thin Within isn’t something to try on for size and discard if there aren’t immediate results. It’s a life-long journey that requires patience and a new perspective. That’s because weight loss and toning muscles is a process.
And that process doesn’t happen overnight any more than spiritual sanctification.
Years ago, I became tired of being a performance-oriented Christian. I wanted to know God more intimately. I wanted Him to use every circumstances in my life as an opportunity to transform me into the image of Christ. (Romans 8:29)
Suffering succotash! Talk about a slow, painful process. But that’s a different story.
Thin Within is designed to help people lose weight by renewing the mind with God’s truth. Total transformation from the inside out by God’s grace.
In less than a week, I’ve had to re-examine my expectations and long-term goals.
Thin Within can be a twelve-week sprint where I arrive breathless, red-faced, and a few pounds lighter.
Or this can be the starting point of a life-long journey where I learn to cope with disappointment and stress without depending on food as my ally. Or having an edible idol that enslaves me.
May sound like a tall order, but if I can be patient—suffer and show self-restraint without getting upset—then I can shed pounds naturally, AND grow more in love with God in the process.
Blog: http://KarenFosterMinistry.com
Photos: www.jennywredephotography.com
