"Why are you on a diet?! You're fine, just the way you are!"
This is the sentence that I have heard countless times from friends and family. Sometimes I really just want to smack them and tell them it's none of their business whether I go on a diet or not and I didn't ask for their opinion anyway, but instead I graciously smile and say "Well, thank you."
In a society that is constantly telling me that I am either too fat or perfect just the way I am and that i should be proud of my body, there is a tendency to become almost crazy at the noise that fills my brain. I acknowledge that I am made the way that God wanted me to be, but then the thought hits me, "Do I take care of myself the way that God would want me to take care of the body that he gave me?" Sure, maybe God is totally fine with the fact that I am a size 12 and i haven't weighed under 160 pounds since Junior High, but is He pleased when I take that extra scoop of ice cream I didn't need or when I overindulge myself on a pizza on Friday nights. Probably not..
My choice to go on a diet for the summer and to eat as Whole as possible is a journey, one that I will admit will be very, very difficult for me. My journey with dieting began in high school. As a junior I knew I needed to lose a few pounds so I cut out all sugar from my diet and struggled with the realization that I had a horrible addiction to sugar, one that left me shaky and craving sugar like a crack addict trying to break their drug habit. For the rest of high school I stuck to it and stayed fairly healthy. College left me in a place where business and a diet did not mix well, so I resorted to eating less and struggled with an eating disorder that led to several health problems. I regret those days, and now I am looking forward to my last semester of college I have decided to go whole again in an effort to lose some weight, gain some confidence, and better care for the body that God has given to me.
Why write a blog every week about dieting?
As a writer the followers on my other blog have inspired me to share my heart with others. Many of my readers have expressed shared feelings and encouraged me to share those thoughts with others. I believe that blogging my ups and downs of eating right and exercising will help me to stay the course, so will you join me on my adventure?
