Small Group

My great friend Cassie (her blog) and I were  chatting the other day about how we have inspired others to start to get healthy. It is a little weird, we both were the girls who once sat on the couch eating a whole gallon of ice cream not thinking anything was wrong. Now we are the girls that love the gym, enjoy cooking healthy and can't wait to get to our goals so we can go on a cruise together. Goal date!
If you have read my blog you know that this had been a huge journey for me and I have had wins and failures throughout it all along getting stronger. For sometime now I have felt like I needed to share my journey with others and I know that God has been preparing me to do so. I just wasn't sure how it would take form, I thought that when I got to my goal I would then run a meeting for weight watchers and that would be how God was going to use all of this. Although I think I may still do that, through a great book Made to Crave I have been given an avenue to start a small group here at Genesis Church. I know I am not at my goal yet, but is all seems to add value to what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I ultimately started my journey to get closer to God and that is what my small group is all about. Because let's face it even if someone doesn't have to lose weight they still have something that they put in front of God. That little g god shows up a lot and we all need to be healthy all around. The spiritual, physical and mental.
So if you are going to come to my group or not I urge you to pray and ask God what you are putting before him, somethings you might not even realize. He will show you how to get back to the basics and get all the junk out of the way.
And if you live in the area come to Genesis Church on Sunday we are going to be talking about "What God Do You Serve?" 
You can find us here too Facebook. 

Italy??

Ok so supposedly I have a blog reader from Italy. If that is you would you please e-mail me at tfisht33@hotmail.com my goal is to make a trip to Italy in 2012 and would love to chat with you about your great homeland!

I can't believe you posted those pictures!!

That is the quote this week, I was chatting with a lady from my church that reads my blog she was telling me how different I looked and what a big change I have made. Then she said, "I can't believe you posted those pictures!" She is talking about the ones a few posts back of the old me. Power of Photos
She is right, even back then I really didn't like those pictures and I would untag myself often in pictures, but now there is a sense of accomplishment that comes over me when I look at those old pics, I see how far I have come. But even looking at the new pics I see how far I need to go.
You might say T-Rock you look just fine, or aren't you happy yet? Well I do look and feel good, but just the other day I shoveled in 2 pieces of cheesecake into my month not really even tasting them and why did I do it? The answer is I still emotionally eat, instead of seeking the big G God in my moment of sadness I sought the little g god food. I still have times that I put food before things in my life and yes it is ok to have cheesecake, but it is so much better to have it and taste it!
There is still work to be done in my life it took me 31 years to get to 251lbs. and just 1 1/2 years to lose 60lbs. so far. I'm still working hard and moving down on the scale although my victories aren't always on the scale, sometimes it is the race I ran, getting out of bed at 4:45am to cycle, or stopping before I eat emotionally. Those are all still victories.
One of the greatest things that has brought me victory is setting goals and then meeting them. Last year it was to run one 5k race, and run the whole thing. And instead I ran a 4.5 mile race and ran the whole thing.
This year it is to run a 5k every month, and tomorrow is my Feb. race. Along with the races I want to improve my times and distance throughout the year.
Find your goal and don't make it unachievable, instead make it something you can reach. But make it something that will take some effort, don't make it easy, push yourself.
You will be amazed what your body can do, and your mind if you put yourself to it!
Here is an old and recent profile pic.

The Spiritual Cont.

God has over and over again put the spiritual in front of me this week. As I'm getting closer to my goal weight it seems like it is harder and harder to see big number losses. But my body looks more and more in shape and I am getting better muscle tone. As much as I want this last 25lbs to just fall off I know that I need to get my body in shape to do it. So that is where the spiritual comes in.
My worth is not a number on the scale, my worth is in my relationship with Christ. If I can line up my relationship with Him and do what He asks me to do, then I will follow Him in all I do. The number is just a number, it doesn't make me anything. But God makes me everything that I am!
So seriously seek Him and He will guide you to physical health........so pray, He will answer!

The Spiritual.

Weight loss is a life journey. One where my mind may always play the role of the "fat girl" and it has many different levels. Physical, Mental and Spiritual.
It is very easy to just focus on the physical side of weight loss but to be healthy and look at all aspects of it you need to look at the mental "fat girl" mentality and the spiritual part. Many people ignore the mental and spiritual side which ultimately leads them to a crash and burn. But to be honest the Spiritual + a pair of too small red PJ pants started me on my journey. But today we will just focus on the spiritual part.


Did you know that gluttony is a sin?
Gluttony:: 1.excess in eating or drinking; 2.greedy or excessive indulgence (Webster)
Throughout the bible you will find verses about over eating and being drunk, 2 things that physically harm your body.


Why are you here on earth? 
If you are a Christian you may find this answer very obvious, but you don't really cling to it.
It is to love and serve God with all our heart. But I ask you this, how can you do anything if your house is not in order. Now I'm not saying you need to be perfect, but you do need to being running after the Savior. Yes I said running. A life of laziness does not produce a life of abundant faith. But a life of apathy. 
For most of my life I lived a life of bondage to complacency and apathy. Even after starting a personal walk with Christ (14 years ago on 2/15) I always came back to a place of just doing the motions. Because I didn't have everything in check. I didn't realize that every part of my body needed to be going to the same place.
Did you know that your body is a temple? 
1Cor6:19-20 (The message) "Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body."
Our body is a temple, a gift from God!! And we are to spend our time on this earth to fully live for Christ. 
So here is the end, can you honestly tell me that being overweight, indulging in sin and not keeping your temple in order has lead you to a close walk with God? I think some could argue this point, but I ask you to deeply seek out the right answer. Live your life right, look to God for your strength and He will give you abundant blessings. He wants to see you succeed. He wants you to live your life on earth to it's fullest potential. So I beg you to get your house in order! Please don't let distractions get in the way with your relationship with Christ and do everything you humanly can to please him! 

My race was canceled:o(

So my race tomorrow was canceled :o(
But I found one at the end of the Feb. So I will still be able to make my goal!!

Running through 2011

One of my main goals of this year is to run a race every month and in doing so improve my time.
I did my 1st 5k on 1/8/11 it was 11 degrees out and I completed it in 36 minutes.
My next one is 2/12/11 in Carmel and a 5k.
Then in March I'm running a 5k downtown Indy.
I'm not sure what the next months hold, I haven't found the races I want to do yet.
What are your goals?
How can you push yourself past what you think you can't do?

ice, ice baby!

So here are some current photos, it is so good to be able to look back and see where I was and where I am now. 

 

But the hard thing is that my mind still thinks I am where I used to be. I don't write this right now to get any pity but to just tell you what the mind of a used to be fat girl goes through. 9 times out of 10 times when I look in the mirror I still see that size 24 body, even though I'm a 12 right now and have the goal of being an 8.

 I got shocked this fall when I got whistled at and sometimes need to look at myself twice in the mirror to see the real me. Losing weight is not just a physical thing, it is also mental and extremely spiritual. Months ago I started to deal with the mental part of this and I am in no way through it yet and may never be. My confidence was no where to be found when I was fat, I was always the one behind the scenes and never ever did I think I would have a boyfriend. I always assumed the friend role and the listener, I was the one in H.S. who people would talk to about their relationship problems. And always told I would make a good wife...I gotta be a girlfriend first people! 

When I started this journey, I knew I could succeed but it would be hard. I never realized that it would be a roller coaster, that I would have to deal with things that were said in the J.H. hallways about being the fat kid in order to lose weight. I found myself at a point 20lbs in when out of fear I froze and stopped for a few weeks, the fear was that I don't know how to be just a regular weight, healthy woman. It is a foreign concept for me. Then I realized that I had actually lived a life of fear for a long time. 

I was afraid to run...now I'm running a race a month and looking to do a little triathlon in Aug.

I was afraid to be open to any potential boys.....now I met some guys and really enjoyed talking to them.

I was afraid to wear cute clothes.....this past week I was in a dress and leggings!

I was afraid to share my journey with others in case I failed.....now my blog is open for all to read. 

I let fear rule me, and that is where the spiritual comes in. You will have to wait to hear that part!