The end of one journey…

Is only the beginning of another! Yesterday was the last day of the 21day Daniel fast my husband and I did with our church, LifeChurch.tv. What an AMAZING experience! We learned, we laughed, we cried. But, for us, I think the most revealing thing for us is that we finished! STRONG! We did this! We disciplined ourselves. We planned ahead. And we SUCCEEDED! Now, I know I have been talking weight loss and health this whole time, and I’ll get to that in a minute, but the lessons learned over the past 3 weeks go so far beyond that!
I am just marveling at the fact that I gave up caffeine, sugar AND fat, COLD TURKEY 3 weeks ago. Now, some days were better than others – day 2 was a NIGHTMARE I was so sick, and weekends were TOUGH (this past one included), but I did it. I relied on God to carry me through. I leaned on my husband to hold me accountable in this house. I blogged about it to be able to “talk” to someone and get my feelings out. These things are all sustainable, and pretty easy too. So, I should be able to continue to make good choices, plan ahead, and start a new, LONGER journey to health and weight loss. And, God is ALWAYS on my side: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
I am stronger for this journey; wiser, too. I started new habits that I plan to maintain, not only in regards to food, but also starting every day in the Word – right now I am in two reading plans at youversion.com. I would have considered myself close to God before the start of 2011, but right now, I feel closer to Him than I ever have! I also feel closer to my husband, since we were in this together, and we BOTH came out the other side stronger and wiser. I have kept up my workout schedule – including choosing to Press Play and do Shakeology The 50 workout 2 days in a row over this past weekend! I guess I really can follow through with a commitment! It feels GOOD! All things 3 weeks ago I wasn't sure I was strong enough, committed enough, GOOD enough to do.
I know you what to know the dirt! How much did I lose? Again, it’s not all about the weight loss, but for me, this is a HUGE jumping off point, and I plan to continue to lose weight and make good food choices. I am, however, headed to Old School Bagel on the way to work today, and my husband is putting a pot roast in the crock pot for dinner tonight as I type this. But, I would say 18 pounds lost is a good way to start a new journey, don’t you think?