Over the past 15 years I have watched the scale slowly creep up and up. Then I'd diet and watch it go back down.  Then watch it go right back up plus more.  With each new diet I'd lose, gain, lose, gain.  The problem was I was only treating the symptoms and NOT treating the problem.

My sister was diagnosed with Celiac Disease several years ago.  Doctors were treating her intentional issues and pain with drugs.  The medicine would help for a short period of time but would always have side effects, some serious.  It wasn't until she stopped eating gluten that her body got better.  Her body started to heal.  Once the problem was addressed the symptoms got better as well as her body.

My journey wasn't just about weight loss, but about losing the grip of many strongholds. With each pound that came off, the looser the grip of the enemy.

Once I started dealing with the problem, my symptoms got better.  The problem?  Me.  It wasn't food.  Food was just an accomplice.  My problem were the many strongholds I had.  A stronghold of entitlement, self-pity, worthlessness, and rebellion are just a few of the many I had to deal with.  Once I addressed these strongholds and got over myself, food became a lesser priority.

I decided that food was for fuel, the way God designed it to be, not for filling voids.  My walk with Christ became more important than food.  My health became more important than food.  Eating that cookie wasn't worth it anymore.  Those few moments of indulgence wasn't worth the spike in my blood sugar, the weight it would put on, and the guilt that always followed.

My mind set has changed.  I now realize that I had to change, not the food, the restaurants, or my family.  It was me.  Me, me, me.  I needed to change me. But I couldn't do it.  I needed God to do it.  I needed God to change my desires.  I beseeched God for help.  I prayed for His strength.  His grace.  "I can do all through Christ who strengthens me".  That was my verse through this journey.  The journey to a better me.  A healthier me.  A me that is closer to God.  A new me.

My journey wasn't just about weight loss, but about losing the grip of many strongholds.  With each pound that came off, the looser the grip of the enemy.  Praise God for the loss!

-April Lindsay

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* Individual results may vary.