Rethinking success

 My word for this year was "Determined".  This was the year I was going to lose weight and keep it off.  So in February, I joined Healthy Systems USA.  It was a little spendy for the supplements, costing about $350/month but I figured if I stuck to the plan in 2 months I could have lost 60 pounds and wouldn't need them any more.  Well, I did great the first month and lost 25 pounds!!  It wasn't too awful sticking to the plan, apple in the morning, salad, green vegetable and protein for lunch and supper.  No bread or sugar.  I fudged a little with the salad dressing and used Skinny Girl dressings on my salad, but seemed to lose in spite of it.  AND then came a birthday party in April for my Granddaughters.  I thought just a little cake and ice cream won't hurt but just that little tweak in my mindset was a down hill slope from there.  The good thing was that in spite of my giving into sugar more than I should and eating pizza on occasion I was not gaining the weight back.  At that time, I had lost #30.  And after I would indulge, I would gain 3 or 4 pounds but I would get back on track and lose them and then something else would come up that I would overindulge and so it has continued all summer.  I haven't ordered any more supplements and am banking on the fact that I know what I need to do to lose the weight, it's just a matter of DOING IT!

Food has always been my reward for everything!  I eat when I'm happy, sad, stressed, or if I have worked really hard and most anything else.  So when I was out walking today, I was thinking I was going to send out a text to my kids and asking for a solution to change my reward thinking.  I know some people go out and buy new clothes or something else to reward themselves but my finances keep me from that type of reward and besides, I don't like to shop.  So I was just asking myself, what do other people to reward themselves when they succeed in something.  And then God gave me this inspiration, "Let your success be your reward".  It is so simple and I am sure that everyone else understands that but for me it was an epiphany.  So from now on, I will celebrate my success by being joyful when I succeed in weight loss by enjoying the way I look, the way I feel and just knowing the "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"  and remember that "Whatsoever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God".