Did y'all know: The average American woman is 5′ 4″, 164 pounds, and a size 14. In fact, over 50% of women in this country wear a size 14 or larger.
I did not know this as I am currently killing myself trying to get my butt in shape..... again..... for the zillionth time. I have been doing the calorie count thing AGAIN for the past 5 weeks and guess what! I've about starved to death and have lost 2 pounds. 2 pounds! I have denied myself the comfort of chocolate during that time of the month. I have had a salad when I wanted a cheeseburger. I have left food on my plate. I have logged in every single thing that I have consumed, even the M&M's I tried to sneak and for what? 2 pounds. Gosh! It really sucks.
I am not giving up, though. Oh, no. This is a challenge. It is me versus Satan himself. And I am going to win.
I am approaching this struggle spiritually this time. I have been enlightened by the book Made to Crave. It has opened my eyes.
It's Satan's fault. The devil made me get fat. Well, OK, I take personal responsibility, but he has some responsibility too. He has tempted me with all that yummy stuff that made me so fat. I've been trying to silence the cries of a hungry soul with food when really all I've been needing is the Lord.
Isn't it interesting that one of the first things we learn in the scriptures is a story about how a woman was tempted with food? Well, her bite of the forbidden fruit led to the collapse of humanity and my consumption of too many forbidden donuts led to the collapse of a plastic chair on Easter 10 years ago, but there's a connection. She knew she wasn't supposed to eat it but she just couldn't help it. Satan made it look so good and juicy. Satan does that to me all the damn time.
"Come on, Abigail! Doesn't this smooth, rich chocolate look yummy?"
"I am on a diet, Satan. Get thee behind me."
"Come on, you have five children and a husband. They are all crazy. You need this chocolate just to have a little enjoyment in your life. You deserve it. You work so hard. No one will even appreciate you until you are dead. This chocolate will make you feel so much better. And afterwards, you should chase it down with some salty chips. Mmmmmmmm."
"Satan, I love the way you think. You are so right! I do deserve this treat."
And then I just get fatter. And you know what? It is his plan. The devil is trying to sabotage me so I will get stuck in my dining room chair again so I won't be able to leave my house. He wants me to be so embarrassed about my body that I won't try new things. He wants me to hate myself so I won't continue fulfilling my life's purpose. He wants my butt to jiggle so insanely that I will never want to go to the gym because the mere thought of exercising in front of another human being makes me want to cry.
So I won't give up today. In fact, I have a new gym membership that I got from school. I am going to take all kinds of classes. There is yoga, pilates, Zumba, and equipment that I might actually break, but I am going to do it any way. I don't care if there will be 18 year old boys in there working out as part of their baseball training. I am going to do it any way. I don't care if they stare at me or even laugh. I'd like to see them deliver five babies without pain medication or epidurals. I am STRONG!
And Satan, you can just go to hell!
