“Momma, I n-e-e-d that new Kung Zhu pet!” Cal declared to me in the Target aisle.

“Do you need it or want it?” Holy cow, when did I become my mother?

“Um, I really want it?” he wobbly replied.

As someone seven times his years, I can relate.

What better time than today, New Years Eve, the eve of when goals and dreams are earnestly considered. I’m wondering if you feel the “weight” of the New Year lurking it’s ugly little head around you?

What is it saying to you?

Many of you know, in excruciating detail, my weight loss/health gain journey. And you also know that it’s not done yet. While I’ve had slow weight loss success, the food compulsion is still strong and present.

One of the vital keys to my success is having a healthy support and accountability network.

I started this blog based off of my eating addiction recovery. Every week I posted my “weekly weigh in”. Then, I started a Lose it For Life group. That was the first time, I openly stated in front of a group of friends that I had a food addiction. I was embarrassed, but was set free from the shame of my less than perfect performance. Then, I joined Weight Watchers.

I no longer just want support and accountability; no, I need it. And it’s giving me the life and results, the Kung Zhu pet if you will, that I desire! Big Smile

I’ve struggled with eating too much food, past my physical hunger and it’s required more than just to pray it out. No, staying healthy (sober) for me, has required staying surrounded by support and accountability.

Today, I have a very exciting opportunity for anyone interested in losing weight.

If you want a low maintenance, built-in circle of weight accountability, while also supporting children in Guatemala, this post is dedicated to you, compliments of my precious friend, Sherry.

Sherry’s goal is to be at her goal weight by her 50th birthday, which is this September.

There’s no outlined “program” which may freak some of you out. This group is a collection of men and women that are on different programs, that want to lose weight, together, via a “healthy” competition, in the Biggest Loser style.

So what’s expected?

Participants will weigh-in weekly on their own personal scale using the same scale each week. Weigh-ins will be on the “honor system” and the weight will be reported weekly to Sherry at bealoser@verizon.net . While your actual weight will not be shared with the group, the actual percentage of weight loss will be shared with the group each week. (Sherry has an Excel spreadsheet which is set up to calculate this for each participant.) Since Sherry is keeping the weight loss records, she commits to having her starting and ending weight witnessed by someone else. Everyone is expected to weigh-in weekly. It is important to have people actively involved in the competition – both for the good of the group and to keep each individual working toward their goal. Thus, absent extenuating circumstances, missing three weigh-ins will disqualify you from the competition.

Everyone will contribute $25 to participate. There are no refunds if you decide to drop out. The money will be put into an interest-bearing account at M&T Bank; you can write checks to Sherry Zamora. 10% of the money will be given to Casa Aleluya which is a home in Guatemala that cares for and raises 314 orphaned, abused, and mistreated children.

The remainder of the money will be split as follows: 50% to the top loser, 25% to the second place loser, and 15% to the third place loser. The more we can get to join this competition, the more fun it will be and the more there will be to win! Prizes will be awarded on or about June 2nd.

The contest will run for five months from January 2nd to June 2nd. Participants can join up until January 17th, so please pass this along to a friend or family member. No matter where you live, you can participate as long as you’re honest about your weekly weigh-in results!

If interested, please contact Sherry at bealoser@verizon.net .

So, what do ya say???

What’s one of your New Year’s goals?

I’m writing to you from beautiful Bluffton,South Carolina in the accomadating Marriott office space. The Finkster is shaving while the boys are enjoying some TV time. I mascaraed my lushious lashes quick to pump out a post!

Just had to tell you some exciting goings-ons…The Fink Fam’s headed to Disney and we’re psyched! Jake can’t wait to meet Donald the Duck, (that’s what he keeps calling him…and feels the need to speak like the duck after), Cal had his shorts on the correct way today in route to breakfast today (don’t ask about yesterday). When I noticed, “Yay Cal, you have your shorts on the correct way!” He shook his head saying, “I just guessed…”

Anyhoo…

Many of you joined the “Encouraged In Heart” journey, when I did weekly posts of where I was at in my weekly weigh in..along with a nugget that God laid on my heart that week. I’d like to first say, THANKS for hanging with me as we continue this journey together!

Knowing that you were there to read my progress, helped keep me accountable to keep on, keepin’ on!

I was able to lose 70 pounds, that’s a whole-lotta-
Jersey-girl to leave behind, but was only able to keep 60 of em’ off. God used the Lose it For Life book, workbook and devotional by Stephen Arteburn as such an amazing resource to apply spiritual motivation to a physical and emotional problem.

It was then that I faced and realized that I was an emotional eating addict.

Just the word “addict” gives me the hibbidey-gibbideys.

I weeped because I don’t want to be controlled by anything but God. And God’s been loving and guiding me through.

When I surrendered that 60 pounds was all I could keep off doing what I was doing, I joined Weight Watchers. I needed help in relearning what a portion size looks like.

I cried the entire way home from my first meeting with mean self talk, “What kind of loser gets to 60 pounds and just can’t finish the job?”

“Why do I have to waste my time cramming something else into my already full life just to lose weight/be healthy?”

“Why can’t this just be easy?”

“God, why can’t you just lift the pressure food has on me so I can get on to bigger and better things in life with you?”

I recently heard Stephen Arterburn speak, where he said, “Do what you need to do to perserve the gains that you’ve made.”

Joining Weight Watchers was the next best step for me to preserve the gains (or losses – however you look at it!) that I’ve made. His words were the hug from God that I needed. I need that support group, where people understand me (Lord help em’!).

My accountability time with Nancy this week came about a word – what we joked was “the word of the day”.

Acceptance.

I’ve been committed on this journey for eight years now…and have “accepted” to be on it until I reach the pearly gates cause I know that I was imprisoned by being overweight/obese and not as free to serve God while weighed down.

Acceptance means saying, this is who I am today, prayerfully, not forever…and if it is forever, I won’t be alone, because God’s on my side – you gals too. Smile

I no longer want to beat myself up for who I am not, but rather celebrate myself for who I am…

I am a King’s daughter.

I am loved by God.

I am a sinner, saved by grace.

And currently, a women who struggles with food and needs a program to help keep me “sober”.

I am determined to be found, until my very last breath, actively pursuing God’s best for my life.

Tuesday morning I went to Weight Watchers and found that I HIT MY GOAL WEIGHT!

I’m feeling quite emotionally vulnerable these days as I’m not using food to medicate my emotions and therefore feeling a lot more.

I was feeling (oh these emotions of mine) rather embarassed to take our sons with me to my Weight Watchers weigh in. I didn’t stay for the meeting as the list of things to get done before vacation, well, let’s just say, was not a short one. But I had to prioritize this weigh in before going on the road for a week.

The boys inquired why I was going. I told them, “Mom wants to be healthy for God, and I struggle with eating too much and need help and encouragement to be healthy. Boys, when you’re struggling, get help!”

“When you’re struggling, get help!”

I don’t want to beat up my Pop here, honestly I don’t, but that was not a message I learned as a young grieving girl who needed help processing my mother’s death. Not just my mother’s death. My grandfather died two years before, then my mother, then my dog, then my grandmother (that moved in with us). Four deaths in less than five years is a lot for anyone to handle. I was taught to just suck it up and press on. So, I just stuffed my ever-revolving emotions with food.

To be fair to my Pop, I did learn to never quit from him, and that life lesson is proving vital in my weight loss success.

Well, we’re up to 36 of 50 states on the liscense plate game, and each new state that we’ve entered, the boys and I pumped our arms rapidly to successully have the truckers honk for us (Finkster wasn’t havin’ any of it).

Disney here we come…but even more importantly, I’m traveling one day closer to the “Magical Kingdom”…the mansion with many rooms, where my greatest heart’s desire is to hear the King say, “My child, job well done.”

Will you accept yourself for where you are today? Will you do, what you need to do, to do the next right thing for your life?

“Blueberry coffee” sounds “natural” but there’s nothing natural about it. I just tried my first cup last week…I didn’t think it sounded like a good idea, but I tasted it anyway…and it tasted g-r-o-s-s. Yuckers. Ick. SO not doing that again. Coffee

One sip of that naturally sounding but unnaturally tasting java and I had heartburn all afternoon. Not just any heartburn…acidic blueberry heartburn. Lovely.

I tasted something else new last week. Again, it was not natural, nor did it sound like a good idea, but I tasted it anyway. It actually gave me heartburn before I tasted it. The new taste? Pride. Not that pride’s something new to me… I was feeling burned out of counting “points” and tired of staying in eating addiction recovery. So I stopped counting points and temper tantrumed like a rock star. But I also reached out. I like to report my successes and leave it there. I do not, however, prefer to report my failures…facing it makes me feel like one.

Remember when I came before you, make-up-less and bedheaded? What was I thinking… God gives us tools, to help us achieve the big life we want. My Lose It For Life sisters, are part of the beautiful tools in my toolbox…they’re part of the “tools” to help me achieve the big life I want.

Thank God for sweet tools that He guided me to place in my toolbox. Their sweet encouragement and support made me know that I’m not alone on the battlefield. No, we’re on the battlefield together; we’re in the battle to fight the good fight to live in health.

Not just any gals, my Lose It For Life friends.


(Left to right): Linda, Kimberly, Jenny, me and Jen

Linda rallied the troops and said we should do a 5K together…we all agreed! Guess which one we picked?
The Battlefield 5K – perfect!

Know why we’re doing a 5K together? Cause we can! Thanks to God for putting us together, on the path to health and life! But we’re not going for the best time, or for the “win”. Our goal of the 5K is the same as our health journey, to cross the finish line just as we started…side by side.

As for the taste of blueberry coffee, I tasted it and yuck. Don’t need to try that one again. As for swallowing pride to confess that I was struggling with food…so, so SWEET! Smile

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 (NIV)