Two and a half years ago I found my self weighing more than I ever had in my life, 182 pounds! It all came to a head when we had to take a group photo for a Christmas card in my Department at work. I was horrified when I looked at myself in the photo and I knew I had to do something about it. I started going to the gym, first Zumba and then Couch to 5K training. I ran my first 5k in April. Then I decided to try a triathlon. I began a journey of very stringent training, and I became quite disciplined at it. I finished my triathlon a week before my son started kindergarten. I was down to 160 pounds! My training took place at the YMCA in a neighboring town because they had a pool and extra classes did not bear an extra cost for me. But when T started school, I would have to rush back to our town after work to pick him up. I was able to keep the weight off and continued to lose a few pounds more. My training became hit and miss and when I would try to get back into routine, something was nagging at me. I could be so disciplined with my exercise and not drinking soda but completely undisciplined in other areas of my life. Rather than trying to advance this discipline to these other areas, I just became undisciplined with my exercise and waxed and wained with it for a while. I guess then I didn't feel so guilty.
In April of this year I took a different job doing home health in which a lot of my day is spent in the car on the go. This was a change from my daily walks up and down the halls of the nursing home where I worked before. So much easier to grab drive through meals and a soda to stay awake with this job. And again I began to gain weight. I have decided enough is enough. I started the work of discipline in my spiritual life as well as my physical. The name of the study I am doing is "Intentionally Focused". So now I am being intentional in two areas. I just weighed in! Here we go!