Diet & Wisdom Appetizers

There comes a point in every weight loss journey when reality must be faced head on and we must stop living in denial. I’m talking about my walk-in closet and the smorgasbord of sizes I’ve got tucked away. My clothing sizes range in variations from a 6 to a 16 and small to double XXL. That’s a pretty big span and range of weight gains and losses.

I reached my reality check point last week when I was looking for a purse or a pair of shoes; I don’t even remember what exactly. As I was moving clothes all around I found a hidden stash of forgotten clothes. The reason I’d conveniently forgotten them was they were all mostly sizes 6 or 8, and most were golf shorts and shirts.

My shorts-wearing days are a thing of the past, even if I did have the legs for shorts these days – which I don’t, most of the styles were horribly outdated and out of fashion. I decided that was enough of a reminder that my closet was long overdue for a thorough spring cleaning.

Reality can be a bitter pill to swallow when you finally choke it down and face the fact that your size 6 and 8 days are long behind you because the behind you currently have simply can no longer fit into a 6 or an 8. My current reality has me comfortably squeezed in a size 14 but I’d be ecstatic with a size 10. However, I’d settle for a 12. For my age and body type a size 6 is unrealistic. To even lose enough weight to be a size 8 I would look a little cadaverous and unhealthy.

Initially it was a little tough for me to face facts and start piling the clothes in a discard pile to give away to my favorite charity. Most experts suggest when cleaning out your closet, regardless of your assorted sizes, if you come across something you haven’t worn in two or more years – discard it! Why are we hanging onto those 1982 stone-washed jeans just because they are a size 6? Seriously, those will never be in style again! Do we really need that reminder?

Why do we insist on hanging onto clothes that are out of style, or well-worn or stained, simply because they might be several sizes smaller than what we currently wear? In all reality, even if we lost a significant amount of weight to be able to fit into those old clothes, most of us want to shop for newer more fashionable clothes. Isn’t shopping for smaller sizes one of the perks of losing weight in the first place?

If it’s out of style and you haven’t worn it in a while, gut it out and pitch it out. Buy brand new when you are through.

Words to live by, my friends!

Reality bites… and doesn’t let go. ~Author Unknown

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Thank you Lord, for opportunities to organize my life. Help me to forget what size I was in the past and help me not to waste my life wishing for things than can never be. Help me to look ahead to the future and all the bright possibilities before me. Help me to always dress for success at any weight – whether at my “perfect” weight or current weight. Help me to remember my weight doesn’t define me or make me happy or a success – but the power to be happy lies within me. I can be happy at any weight. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.