Today I am getting back on track with my weight. I hesitate to use the word "diet" because I'm not going to do anything crazy. I'm simply going to begin tracking intake and output, to hold myself accountable. (Calories in and calories out.) I have a reasonable daily calorie goal, and I'm going to exercise at least four times per week. (I walked 30 minutes this morning.) I would like to lose 60 lbs in the next 12 months, and then we'll see after that.
My struggle to lose weight is a humbling thing. I have tried and failed many times. But I will not give up. Ultimately, being overweight is not the problem, but a symptom of the problem. In my case, that problem (or "sin" more accurately) is lack of self-control. Being overweight is just one way this sin manifests itself in my life.
Even if I eventually fix this particular symptom, the underlying sin will just rear its ugly head in another way in my life unless it too is dealt with. For instance, consider people who use smoking to lose weight. All they do is trade one addiction (food) for another (cigarettes). Now they won't die of obesity, but they will die of lung cancer. The symptom was treated, but not the underlying problem (self-control). And so the sin just manifests itself in a different, but equally destructive, way.
So while I work on the symptom, I must also pray that God continues His sanctifying work in my life on the underlying problem. One of the fruits of the Spirit is "self control," and ultimately that is the cure I need.
Pray for me! And thanks for reading!
