About Moi

About Moi
My Name is Brittany, and I'm 23yrs old. I was diagnosed with Lupus when I was 15, and then diagnosed with RA, when I was 18. I also got married when I was 18, and I'm enjoying my happily ever after with my hubby! When I got married, I was slim and trim...But not for long. After getting married, I started to gain a LOT of weight! In 1yr, I gained 50lbs! Finally, I went to the Doctor, where I discovered I have low thyroid. After being put on medicine, my weight gain slowed down, although over the next 3yrs, I gained an additional 26lbs. When I was 20yrs old, I got yet another diagnoses of Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. That's 4 diagnoses in a 5yr period, if you lost count. They all effect my weight, in one way or another. Add on top of that, my love affair with food, and every 1 of those 76lbs gained was accounted for. Being 76lbs over weight is unhealthy for anyone, but it was especially unhealthy for me, and my health issues. Since starting this blog, in Jan-2010, I have lost 40lbs! I'm a new, slimmer, and healthier me! Before losing weight, I was told I needed knee replacements. Losing weight was the ONLY tool I had to help me hold off on that life changing surgery. Since losing 40lbs, my knees have never felt better! My husband and I are also trying to start a family, but my PCOS was not going to make it as easy as 1,2,3, as I didn't have periods on my own. My doctor had told me if I wanted a baby, I HAD to lose weight. Since losing 40lbs, I've had regular cycles for the first time in my life! Which is very important when trying to have a baby ;) This journey of mine is more than me simply wanting to wear skinny jeans. It has been a quest to becoming :Deliciously Healthy, so ALL of my dreams can come true! I'm almost half way there! With each new day, I get closer and closer to my goal of 120lbs, and becoming :Deliciously Healthy!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Self-Reliance

Yesterday, I was preparing a lesson for my visiting teaching (Visiting teaching is something our church does- You're assigned 3 women who you go to church with, and each month you visit them to see how they're doing, and to give a little lesson). This months lesson was on self-reliance.

During my lesson, I read these two quotes:

“As we live providently and increase our gifts and talents, we become more self-reliant. Self-reliance is taking responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal welfare and for those whom Heavenly Father has entrusted to our care. Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others.

“It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselfish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance.” -Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve.

It got me thinking. Over the past couple months, I've been thinking a lot about who I am as a person, working on myself and becoming the woman I want to be. (you can read more about that here)

Reading over the lesson, reminded me how important it is to make sure that I'm growing both personally and spiritually. I know for me, I focus so much on taking care of my husband, supporting him, and on being there for family and friends, that I tend to put myself last on the list. No one can work on me, but me. No one can make sure that I'm growing personally and spiritually, but me. It's MY responsibility.

This part really stuck out to me, "Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance.”

Sometimes I forget to work on ME, because I'm more focused on being there for others. Yet, the MORE I work on me, the BETTER I'll be able to serve others. Not only do I gain from taking time out to improve myself, but so do the ones I love. In a way, making sure I take care of myself, IS serving them!

It made me really happy to finally be working on me. Losing weight is more then wanting to be a smaller size. It's me saying, "I love myself enough to take time out to improve myself. I want to be the happiest, healthiest person I can be for the ones I love, but more importantly, for ME!!" After all, it is MY responsibility.

I'm happy to (finally) be on this journey. I'm losing weight, but I'm gaining so much more!

I hope you remember to take the time to focus on your own personal growth, and to take time out for YOU! Your loved ones will thank you! ;)

XOXO

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

So true. You will be able to care for others so much better when you care for yourself too.

I would never neglect my kids health the way I have neglected my own. Hopefully that will click and stay in my head once and for all.

Tricia said...

Lovely post. When people ask me how I started my journey (to losing 119 pounds), I often tell them the first step was realizing I loved myself and I DESERVED to be happy and healthy.

I'm new here, I look forward to following along.

Unknown said...

ok this sounds like fun to me im on board with you lol :) im trying to lose wait to so theres an odea i just got you can give me healthy recipes and tell me if they work and ill tell u some of mine this way together we will both lose wait. this should be fun :) let me kmow wat ya think but email me on facebook. that way its easer ttyl love ya

Tammy said...

This is an excellent post....great "food" for thought...thank you for sharing it. :)