You were created by God and are therefore, Beautiful:

Recently, I have been asked by a few people if I have lost weight.  It’s a pretty great feeling even if I don’t know if I have really lost weight.  One thing that I wanted to mention first is that I didn’t necessarily try to lose weight this year.  My main goal after last year after having another knee surgery was getting back into shape.  I just wanted to be able to do the things that I could before I had the knee surgery.  I wanted to work out full throttle again.  Because I had been down for so long, I understood how great it is to be up and doing exercise again and therefore I was grateful and hungry for the opportunity.  

Then this year at the beginning of 2020, I set some fitness and health goals.  I never set out to lose a set amount of weight.   I wanted to be able to run 750 miles, squat 150-160 pounds (which I have achieved this year already) and bench 110-120 pounds.  I also made a goal to start cooking enough for two meals, so I try to eat less at supper time in order to save some food for lunch the next day or supper the next night.  (I hate cooking, so I am trying to do it less). Because of this, I have been working throughout the year on these goals.  I never thought about losing a single pound.  I never thought about counting calories, restricting myself on foods, and how many calories I had to burn each workout.  I am exercising by fulfilling my goals, and trying to eat less at supper.  

I have also learned that I just love exercising! I know, there are not a lot of people who say that.  However, I have found that I obviously love running and biking, (these were things that I already did know, of course,) but I have also rediscovered in this last year how much I love lifting weights.  I really especially love leg day.  I love doing squats because I feel strong and powerful, and I love the feeling I get when I get done with a long and hard workout.Therefore working out is a time for me to de-stress, play my music really loud, and do something I really enjoy.  It is always important, therefore to find those exercises that a person really enjoys.  I can not tell a person to start running for working out if that is something that person really hates.  

Another thing was that I just started to have a lot more confidence.  I had accepted this year how I looked.  Would I have liked to change a few things about my body, absolutely, but I learned to accept and love myself just as I am.  This reminds me of the verse from Psalm 139:13, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  God took time to create each and every one of us, so therefore we are completely unique, beautiful, and loved.  He didn’t just chop us together, but he specifically made decisions about how we look.  I started to realize that I was different and unique.  I started to realize that I was beautiful in my own way, and I started to walk around like I was unique.  Even if I hadn’t lost any weight or inches, I may just seem more confident and therefore better.  

Therefore, my best advice and piece of wisdom that I want to give anyone out there who may want to lose weight is to first decide to make lifestyle changes.  It is important to try to find the exercises that you really enjoy.  This could be running like myself.  This could be lifting.  This could even be kickboxing.  (I have many friends who have really enjoyed doing this exercise).  Make this something that you look forward to everyday, and that is maybe even stress-relieving.  Are there going to be days when this is hard and don’t want to work out? Absolutely, but at the same time, there will still be an overall desire to keep improving every time that you go to exercise.  

The next thing is to set fitness or health goals.  Have a goal to take care of your body.  The Lord created your body, and like in all things, he does want us to take care of it.  In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” It should not just be about losing certain pounds, but rather about eating right, exercise, and living the right away.  I am not saying that one can’t set a weight loss goal, but it is more about taking care and loving yourself.  

My last piece of advice is for you to realize that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by the one and only God of the universe.  That is definitely something to celebrate and love about yourself.  No matter what size you are, no matter if you are heavier set or lighter set, God loves you just the way that you are.  This confidence will help impact your working out and eating goals as well, I promise!