I Cortinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."


BEGINNING WEIGHT (220.6 lbs.)
CURRENT WEIGHT (183.0 lbs.)
AMOUNT OF LOSS SO FAR (37.6 lbs.)
RESULTS THIS WEEK (-3.7 lbs.)

Monday, December 3, 2007

Oh Boy!!!....The Before Picture

Our first week of meetings we were to have our individual pictures taken. The first meeting I didn't get to make due to having my husband at the hospital in the ER. So the second week was our starting day. Sis. Karen took our pictures so we could have them to look at and be encouraged to continue with this journey to a thinner and healthier us. We got our pictures yesterday and were told to put them on our refrigerator so every time we go to the refrigerator we would see how we look or looked and be encouraged to keep going.

This is my picture. All I could say was "Oh boy!!!" I knew I was tubby (oh...let's face it...that is being too nice) I mean fat but I didn't realize how fat. Doesn't the camera add something like 10 lbs....or is it 50 lbs.? Oh...I know it doesn't really...but we all were telling ourselves it does yesterday at our meeting. LOL!!

Anyway....I wanted to post my picture for my benefit and as a testimony to God of when our first year is up that God helped me and allowed me to get to where I will be in one year. We will be taking new pictures after our one year so I'll be able to post a before and an after picture to hopefully see and show that with Christ ALL things are possible...even weight-loss and a totally new way of eating. I thank the Lord for giving Sis. Karen this idea and I look forward to seeing what God is going to help us do in this next year!!

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."


9 comments:

Tori Leslie said...

Hey Julie,
I was surprised to see anyone comment on I'm Starting Again, it's been so long since I posted there and actually I plan on it soon. Since we have been on furlough I have gone up and down, lost and gained. I got so tired of having to decline dinner at people's homes that I just gave up for now. I am happy to say though that as soon as we fly out January 9th, I'm Starting Again :0)

Once we arrive and get set up in Croatia and internet access and all I'll start posting there. I'm glad you commented because I really wan't to find other IFB ladies who were on the same journey.

Looking forward to watching you SHRINK!!!

Sis. Julie said...

sis. tori...I'm so glad to hear you are going to be posting on your weight-loss blog again soon. I can imagine it is very hard to stick with the program when you have to eat out so much and eat at people's houses. Afterall...you dont' want to be rude. That is totally understandable.

Martha said...

Hi Julie;
I just found your blog from another blog. I enjoyed your posts. I joined WW last year - but then got sick and stopped - guess what - the weight is back! AHHH So you are an encouragment to me.

Keep up the good work - I will check back and see how you are doing - perhaps when I am feeling better I will join up with you.

Blessings,
~Jane

motherofmany said...

I also just found you through another blog, and I, too, am in the process of trying to become a slimmer me.

I love your blog and am going to bookmark you.

Jimena said...

Hello Sis.Julie - Not sure if I'm supposed to be here, but I just found your blog and I want to tell you that you look lovely in your picture!

You know, I didn't know this was a real struggle for a lot of ladies, and I will keep you in my prayers about it as well. Just like all your friends I want to see you succeed and reach the goals you set. The Lord can help you in all this.

Oh, and next time you don't know what to do about those cookies that no one eats... send them to me, I love cookies and could gain some weight for sure. My problem is more the opposite of yours...

You are in my prayers and I'm cheering for you!

Blessings and a hug!

Sis. Julie said...

sis. jimena....you are so sweet!! I hate this picture. It really does show me the real me of how I look...and I don't like what I see. I'll gladly send you any cookies that we might have left over from a gathering or whatever. I know a few people with the same problem as you....my youngest daughter Michelle happens to be one. She is underweight. And she struggles just to gain 5 pounds. Thank you for your encouraging words.

Of course you are allowed to be at this site. I'm glad you found me. I don't have the link on my other site because I know this site is mainly to encourage me to lose the weight. It has helped me to stay on track for the most part. I'm glad you found it. How did you find it anyway? Just curious.

Love you and appreciate you!!

BIG HUGS to you too!!!

Jimena said...

As I read your comment I think about something I was telling my husband the other night. When I was a little girl my dad made a recording of me telling him a story. I liked fairy-tales but always got them mixed up so I started telling him about Little-Red Ridding and her seven dwarfs... but as I described her I had no problem saying that she was sweet and beautiful "like me". There was no doubt in my mind I was beautiful and had no problem describing princesses like myself... I would never do that now because somewhere, at some point, someone has told me that I am not beautiful, that I should be ashamed at how I look... that I should be more like this person or that person, never mind where their heart is, it's the body that counts. Mind you, I could have had a bit of more humility as a child, but it is sad how a lot of women feel bad about the way they look with no reason to. You look beautiful in your picture Sis.Julie, I know you don't believe that, but I'm sure when the Lord sees you He sees you like that, and I'm sure your husband and your children think you are beautiful too. I'm not saying you shouldn't lose weight because from what I understand your eating is related to you not saying no to those Christmas cookies and so forth, and that you want to take care of your temple and thats great of course. But, just wanted to let you know that you are beautiful, we all are because God made us, and he makes no mistakes... that's what I think at least. I know that sin affects us and also on a physical level, but I hope you know what I mean.

I found your blog on your profile Sis.Julie. Was trying to get to your other blog.

Blessings to you, maybe we can pray for each other that we will be more responsible with this temple God has given us. :)

much love...

Sis. Julie said...

sis. jimena....You are so sweet!! I appreciate your sweet words. I grew up with my peers making fun of my appearance all the time. The boys didn't like me because they said I was ugly. Of course looks became unimportant the older I got. Once I became married I knew that my husband loved me the way I was and am. I'm not sure how my children have felt about me. They haven't had the peer pressure that I had as a child. Sadly enough I was ashamed of my mom when I was a teenager because she wasn't as pretty as my friends' moms...so I was ashamed. My friends were always comparing their mom's looks. Sad to say now. I love my mom more than I could ever say and I'm ashamed now that I felt that way about her. But it was all peer pressure. My children being homeschooled was able to avoid any influence in their lives such as that. I know my children love me and they encourage me in whatever I want to do concerning my weight-loss because they know how important it is to me.

I do pray for you daily and have added this area of your health and weight-gain as God would have you to. Thank you so much for your prayers and for your friendship!! They both mean soooooo much to me!!

I love you!!

Sis. Julie said...

sis. jimena....Oh yeah....and I have to also say "Duh!!!". I should have thought about my weight-loss blog being on my profile. LOL!! So many are finding their way here and I have wondered how. Guess that makes sense that they would find it that way huh? Just a temporary loss of memory!! Not really....I have a bad problem with my memory.