Feeding the Dogs

One of the realities that I'd prefer to not acknowledge is that there is no cure for obesity.  Losing weight is one thing (and it is a WONDERFUL thing!), but losing weight in and of itself does not "cure" obesity.  Staying at a healthy weight requires a lifestyle change for the rest of my life, and even though it's been almost two years since I reached my goal, I find myself having to grapple with that reality anew from time to time. 

At one point, I had hoped - I really, really hoped - that doing Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 would have forever cured me of my desire to eat sludge.  I was really hoping that I would have totally lost my taste for any of it.  But that's not the case.  The Take Shape for Live/Medifast program did a lot of wonderful things for me, and I'm continuing to reap so many of the benefits, but it did not cure my obesity.  The plan enabled me to return to a healthy weight and put me on a path towards optimal health, but it did not cure my obesity.  That beast is there, always there, ready, willing and able to rear its ugly head and take over my life if I choose to become mindless about what I eat and do. 

Everyday that I make healthy choices is another day that develops the healthy habits I want to keep and develop for the rest of my life.  However, I am aware that the beast is alive - just hungry and underfed at the moment :-).  I'd like to think I could starve it to death, but that's not likely to happen.

I once heard a story about a man who talked about the internal struggle he was having and likened it to a fight between two dogs.  Someone asked him which dog was winning and the man replied, "Whichever one I feed."

Everyday each and every one of us has to face the dog fight yet again.  We're in a battle for our health, and one of the dogs in the fight is named obesity.  This dog may be a little skeletal at the moment because it hasn't been fed in a while, but it's watching in the corner, waiting for an opportune moment.

So every day we plan, and we commit to NOT feeding that dog today!  Every day I realize all over again that I CANNOT do this on my own and ask my Heavenly Father for a fresh measure of His grace and strength.  And every day that I do that - and every day that each of us makes a commitment to making the sometimes hard choices - is another day that moves us a bit closer to a healthier you and me.

Which dog are you going to feed today?  The choice is yours - choose wisely :-)