How to Lose

In April 2021, I left my job with UPS to begin a new life. I had plans, things I wanted to accomplish. Retirement hasn't been the radical transformation I anticipated, but some things have changed: I've actually stayed up past 10 PM a time or two, I have dinner with my family more than once a week, and I was able to sell my vehicle (Something New, July 2021). Oh, and I've lost some weight-- twenty-five pounds to be exact! I feel terrific! As human beings, we are created to adapt. Our bodies adjust to some pretty significant fluctuations in temperature, our minds can reason-- a characteristic that goes beyond simple learned behaviors, and we have a natural emotional resilience that allows us to carry on even after deep hurt. Weight loss was not part of my "retirement plan." The weight I carried was almost invisible to me, but my body was breaking down at a much faster rate due to the stress of excess weight. Without realizing, I scaled back my activity or "favored that knee." Looking in the mirror, I'd gotten used to what I saw. As my blood work approached "borderline this" and "borderline that" each year, I made excuses. I would have never guessed I needed to lose twenty-five pounds.

The baggage we carry through life is like that. We believe one tiny lie-- You'll never change. Are you sure God said that? What makes you think God cares? --and before you know it, we're carrying around twenty-five pounds of fear, insecurity, doubt, wrong information. It happens so gradually, we barely feel the mounting burden. We make excuses or wait for something outside ourselves to change. But eventually, we become accustomed to carrying all that weight and no longer see the need to shed anything-- or worse, we're more comfortable with it than even thinking about life without it.

For years I'd dismiss people who said weight loss or healthy eating made them feel so much better. Just how much better can losing a few pounds make you feel? How much difference can ten pounds make in your health? Tons! As I felt better, I challenged myself to "one more change" or set my sights on maintaining a healthy routine for "one more day." Physical changes and mental changes went hand-in-hand, pushing me-- one small step at a time-- toward better overall health.

Jesus has made a difference in me. He is continuing to make a difference in me. Barring Divine intervention, however, I've seen few instantaneous results; it is a daily routine. I read His word each day; I talk to Him throughout the day; I fellowship with other believers, celebrating goals met or holding one another accountable when we miss them; I look for ways to give or serve more; I keep my eyes and ears fixed on Him and Him alone for best results. I don't look at others or fixate on who I want to be (or think I need to be); I don't stress about progress or what it will be like when I reach that place; I simply hold His hand and follow where He leads. Or, at least, I hope to. 

People ask how I lost the weight and I give the answer I always hated to hear: more activity, less food. But it's the truth. And it's a simple, truthful answer when it comes to moving through life as a follower of Jesus Christ. How did you conquer fear? More truth, fewer lies. How did your marriage recover from that? More Jesus, less ego. How did you stop being so anxious? More following, less trying to lead. How did you quit drinking? More obedience, less rebellion. How do you live with that kind of loss? More worship, less grief. Abiding in Jesus, seeking truth, shedding pound after pound of baggage, day by day.