Reached My Goal Weight

Me before weight loss.  I can't find a full body picture because I hated taking pix.

Me minus 30 pounds.

After 5 months of low carb eating, I have finally reached my goal of losing 30 pounds, that's about 22% of my weight.  I went from a size 8 to a size zero.  I feel great and have tons of energy.  I work out, cook, bake and take care of the kids and I am not tired at the end of the day.  In fact, I can keep going like the energizer bunny.  Just sometimes, I am emotionally drained since I'm with Mui all the time. 

I am amazed at how I was able to be disciplined and had self control.  In fact, that's not like me at all. I have tried other diets before, like South Beach and Cabbage Soup, and it didn't work for me.  I failed on those diets because I didn't have the discipline to go through with it.  Usually after about a couple of weeks, I give up.  And my failure is partly due to my love for bread of all kinds, cupcakes, and chips.  I usually endulge myself with a bag of chip after I put the kids to sleep because that's how I recooperate from all the events of the day.  So I don't know exactly how I just kicked those habits one day.  To me it's a miracle.  It's the work of my Lord Jesus Christ.  He deserves to be praised for this miracle. 

As I look back at these past months, I see that the Lord orchestrated things to happen so that I'll relinguish control and allow Him to help me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  As much as I didn't want to give up my paycheck, I know God was leading me to quit my job because it was causing emotional harm to me and my family.  I didn't know how to handle all the emotions and negativities, so I did the only thing that I knew how and that was to just spend alittle time with my Creator.  In my most painful and stressful times, the Lord reminded me that I need to focus on myself and be renewed.  So I have to learn to take care of me.  That sounds like such a simple thing, how can anyone not know how to take care of oneself?  I spend a lot of time taking care of my kids, my work, and even ministry that I have neglected myself.  I failed that those other diets because I didn't want to spend time to make special food for me.  When my kids were little, I make them homemade baby food and pack it with me wherever we go.  When they were toddler, I make soft toddler food.  To this day, I make sure that feed them a balanced meal and I bring them fruits, snacks and water wherever we go.  It's important to me that I take good care of my kids, but some how I don't do the same for me.  Perhaps, I didn't think that I was worth the trouble.  God showed me that neglecting myself affects every part of my being.  To be restored emotionally, I first need to be physically healthy.  The self help books that I read and research that I did all pointed out that physical health and exercise will help improve mental health.  Exercise not only keeps the body healthy, but makes the body releases endorphins which is a brain chemical that gives energy and lift up a person's mood. 

So it's not that I have a lot of discipline or self-control that I have successfully reached my goal, but it's all because of the power and strength that the Lord has given me.  Indeed, He is my strength when I am weak.  He knew that this is what I need in this period of my life.  With this new body, I have a renewed zest for life,  a greater contentment toward God and His blessings on me, a stronger self-confident that I can tackle other goals (especially spiritual goals), a bigger committment to be a better mom and build strong relationship with my kids, a deeper conviction that I can be a more supportive wife, and a revived desire to learn new things.  Both my sister and H, both commented that they noticed that I am happier lately.  Who knew that I can gain all this from weight lost.