Weight and Faith

I missed weighing in last week because we were on vacation, so I was glad to weigh in this week, but worried it would be one step back with what was available (or not available) to eat on vacation. Instead, it was three steps forward, as in another 3 pounds lost. That's only 9 pounds total since I started keeping track again this spring.

I restarted when I discovered I had put on 11 pounds over the past year. I had quit keeping track after I was 20 pounds overweight, lost 30 pounds, and seemed to be maintaining it. Before I just worked out less and ate less, so although I wasn't as heavy, I wasn't that much healthier because I probably lost some muscle in the process. This time the weight loss is slower because I'm also putting on muscle. That should mean the pounds of fat that I've lost is greater than the total pounds I've lost, which is a good thing.

So although I only have about 2 pounds to get back to where I was, that's still only 10 pounds below my overweight weight. I could lose another 20 pounds after that and not be underweight. Since there's a 30-pound healthy weight range, I'm going to aim for the lower end. If I get there, that's great. If I don't, that's still good compared to the average person.

The last time I was this weight, my aunt and cousins were worried that I was sick because I looked so thin. That's probably because we were at a restaurant with a bunch of average Americans, whose average weight is not a healthy weight. I'm not competing with anyone besides myself.

The same is true of my faith. It seems the average Catholic or Christian is not always very vigilant. In such an environment, it's easy to let your guard down thinking at least I'm not as bad as so-and-so. However, that's judging others and that's something I can't do. I don't know what gifts God has given them, but I do know what gifts he has given me and the responsibility that comes with. Others may have been given different gifts with different expectations to fulfill. Either way, I will always try to do what is mine to do from God.