Hey Fitfam,
Well, because I am writing this on a Monday, I feel like it is only right to say ‘Happy New week’ lol.
So Happy new week, Fitfam. And if you are new to the fitfam lifestyle, ah, super welcome to the best days ahead. Maybe that is why I am so excited; because you made this right move for your health and wellness.
Mondays are my happy days. I love Mondays and I’m usually firing from all cylinders from like midnight.
I pray you are keeping well, healthy in body, strong in spirit.
So today, I wanted to, hopefully, help us lose all the pressure that comes with the scale on a weight loss journey, tension that comes from trying to prove yourself to people who ‘yabbed’ your weight and called you FAT and open our eyes to a ‘higher WHY’ for our weight loss.
First, a story. When I was weighing over 100kg and pregnant, I had a sister say that I could never revert to my pre-pregnancy weight even after I gave birth, and maybe start a weight loss program.
This is because bones and stuff shift around and expand, and blablabla so I will need to live with my newfound ‘fat’ lol.
Thinking back with wisdom now, that sister was not a bad person and didn’t really mean it in a bad way, at least I think so. She probably was telling me what her truth was at the time, and then wanted me to manage my expectations.
However though, my insecure self was so offended and when I started my weight loss journey, what she said was my ‘major why’.
I wanted to PROVE to her that she was wrong.
It seemed like such a good reason and I was flying with it.
Then along the way, I found, bought and read Joyce Meyer’s ‘Good Health, Good Life’
Gosh, in this book, JM basically changed all my wrong ‘whys’ and situated everything in the Word.
She made me want to give myself a healthier version of me, for God, for me, and for my loved ones, not to prove anything to anyone.
I recall part of what she had said, either in the book, or in an interview was that when we are casual about our weight, our family members get to bear the brunt when we are dealing with ill health. I thought that was very profound. I don’t want to intentionally give my family any extra burdens because I have been careless.
“You must love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself.’ You will never find a greater commandment than these.”
Mark 12:31 TPT
That was a ‘Higher why’ than proving anything to anybody. I love my family by loving myself.
She had also mentioned how being healthy in body was super key to doing everything God wants us to do on earth. We cannot be passionate about obeying God if our physical bodies are too weak to come along for the ride.
Oh, this sounded like a much ‘higher why’ than anything aesthetic.
“She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.”
Proverbs 31:17 AMPC
I also saw first-hand on the journey, how the Eziaha that used to be so breathless carrying her son for even a few minutes and walking around, was now lighter in weight, and could carry an even heavier son more easily.
Wow. I lost weight and gained strength.
Oh, that was so key to me because I didn’t want to be too weak, and tried to enjoy playing with and caring for my kiddo.
Gaining strength looks to me like a ‘higher why’ too.
On a personal note, these ‘whys’ were higher on this journey than trying to prove anything to anyone. It also helped me stay on track no matter what the scale said
Body is temple scripture
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV
I get to honor God with my body, His Temple
I get to gain strength as I lose the excess weight I have been lugging around
I get to serve my family better and as we age beautifully, I am not a burden to my children and family members, because I have not been careless with my health
Oh, there are more but I want to stop here and encourage you to find your ‘higher whys’
It has to be beyond just losing weight because someone yabbed you, you are insecure, you want to show off, you are depressed. Now, these may be valid and real reasons and may actually get you to even START this journey, but to KEEP any #JesusGirl committed for life, we would need a ‘higher why’.
If not, you will start with so much ‘ginger’ and when ‘ginger’ aka willpower runs out – and it will – you will most likely give up.
Having coached 100s of women directly, I have been a beautiful part of their weight loss transformation and we have recorded so much victories beyond the scale, and enjoyed ‘higher whys’ beyond the aesthetic
We have seen high blood pressure MIRACLES, haaaa.
We have seen people get off drugs and start to enjoy wholeness in health again.
We have seen women conceive after years of trying, including failed IVFs
We have even seen people talk about a better quality of life, like
We have seen marriages healed in ways that are purely miraculous
We have seen moms make resolutions to not just lose weight but ensure their children never go through all they went through, by setting them on the healthy track from a young age.
Phew, I love this one, because moms are so powerful. If a mom gets it right, the whole family ULTIMATELY does get it right.
We have seen people kick depression and get in the Word as the excess weight leaves them.
Honestly, the scale is SO LIMITED it would be foolish to reduce all my ‘WHYS’ to just seeing a lower figure on the scale, and absolutely unfair and ungrateful to ignore all our victories beyond the scale, because the scale is late to the victory party
Babes, I want to encourage LIFE into you on this journey. Please find and go for your “HIGHER WHY” and don’t be so fixated on those scale figures that you miss all the wonderful VICTORIES beyond the scale.
Armed with those two arsenals, keep rocking this journey hard and wild until it becomes such a lifestyle that you are conformed to by default.
Above all, never forget that this Body is HIS TEMPLE and we get to give an account on it. In simple words, HONOR GOD by RESPECTING YOUR BODY.
Let me end with this quote I saw the first year I started to lose weight
As you go along this journey, I hope we never forget that
BTW, You can read more about Squaddies VICTORIES beyond the scale below
Beyond the scale… 6 squaddies share their non-scale victories
Jesus Girls’ Testimony; “Things I could not do because of FAT”
God bless, strengthen and grace you, and indeed us all, in Jesus name, amen
Love & Prayers
Eziaha
PS
Aside from this blog that I run for fitness-related topics, I run two other blogs;
stayhomemoms.ng for God’s domestic queen where I share my journey as a wife and mom, productivity tips, and all the resources you need to rock out your season!
Eziaha.com a faith-based where I blog about faith, friendship and mentoring.
PPS
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Love this!
Thanks sis