WLW: Evaluaion

This week's topic is…Evaluation 
Where are you at in your weight loss journey? Let's be honest and real. Look at how far you've come and set a real workable goal. Maybe it will be about a number on the scale or maybe it will be about a fitness goal. The point is to objectively look at your journey and evaluate where you are and where you want to go. I hope you'll join us!

 Is anyone else worn out? I am. Oh wait, I can attribute that to the neighborhood dogs barking at all hours. Or today, the random 3:30 am wake-up of mine which has me shouting praises for Spark.  But alas, that my
friends is not what this post is to be about.  What was our topic again?  Something about knowing where I am, I think.

In the last few days, since God quickly answered a prayer of mine, I have been pondering fear and walking in the freedom of Christ.  I love the freedoms we have as believers, and I realized something this week.  I have become highly legalistic when it comes to nutrition and exercise.  All or nothing, go hard or go home, if you don't walk out sweating then you aren't working hard enough, all those ideals have applied to my line of thinking.  I thought of others who are healthy and saw an attribute common in all of them: freedom.  They exercise, they make healthy choices, but they are not killing themselves over any of it.

I have increased my own stress and anxiety by placing myself in this bondage.  But, no more.

With these realizations and a quick analysis on how my body has been feeling and responding, I have decided a few things:

1. No more beating myself up.  I will actually do what I tell clients to do: if you are going to splurge, account for it, then eat fewer calories the next day.
2. I will rest when I need it.  If I need to walk rather than jog, so be it.  I am also going to stop going to CrossFit, which I do really love.  However, my body is not healing and recovering well, so I have to make a change.
3. Start swimming.  I joined the local Y because it's ridiculously cheap and because I will have access to a pool.  I am by no means a good swimmer, but the thought of doing an exercise that will not involve any sort of pounding on my joints sounds nice.
4. Enjoy it.  Enjoy it all, from the freckles on my face to the definition of my shoulders to my problem area thighs.  I will thank the Lord for it all, work to improve what needs improving, and just trust the process.
5. I will realize that not every day has to leave me feeling completely depleted.

The chains have been loosed, I will be walking in freedom.  And the last few days, I have not launched a verbal attack on myself.  I am having even more fun than usual.