40 day exercise in discipline

When I started dieting back in November, I weighed myself constantly. I know all of the experts tell you not to weigh more than once a week, but I've never, ever, listened to them. This time my weighing was obsessive. I would step on the scales every time I went in the bathroom. It became a curiosity as much as anything because I was amazed at how much my weight could fluctuate even within a single day.

The constant weighing seemed to desensitize me to the ups/downs. I think it actually helped me to stay calm when the scales would go in the wrong direction for a few days. When the numbers decreased, I adopted the practice of not considering the pounds lost until I had been below the new weight consistently for about a week. I'd think of my weight loss in terms of a five pound range, such as 20 - 25 loss.

As I settled into the diet, the frequency of my weighing decreased but I was still weighing once a day. It was going well, and from December through April, I averaged about ten pounds loss per month.

In the last two months, however, I've been struggling. As I watched the first 5 pounds creep back on, I figured it was water. But those 5 didn't go away, and another 5 joined them. Finally I got a grip and quit splurging as often. I lost those same 10 pounds again and weigh about what I did 2 months ago.

In the last week or two, the scales haven't moved in either direction, and it's creating problems for me. I'm not getting the reward of seeing the numbers go down and I'm fighting discouragement. What happened to "one healthy choice at a time"? It was supposed to be about getting healthy, not losing a certain amount of weight in a certain time frame. All of that self-talk worked just fine as long as I was losing weight!!! Isn't it easy to believe we have strength until we're actually tested?

In looking inward and analyzing why I've been struggling, I have to face the fact that my discipline is weak. I'm much too dependent on immediate gratification. I don't like that about myself. I need to "walk the talk" and turn the slogans into reality. I need to be strong enough to make healthy eating choices just because it's the right thing to do for my body. I need to be OK with waiting for the reward.

In my Bible study today, I was reading about Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection. I never remember knowing a time frame associated with that, but Acts 1:3 says "He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." The length of 40 days shows up repeatedly in the Bible; It must be a particularly good time frame for learning lessons. Since I need a change in battle strategy - to take the focus off of the scale - I've decided not to allow myself to weigh for the next 40 days. It may seem silly to some, but it will be very difficult for me. I hope it will be a good exercise in discipline. Eating healthy in obedience to God's instruction should be reward enough.

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 says: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.