Day 30: Donations, Epiphanies... And There Goes My Last Excuse

The word that springs to mind is, "WOW!!" And yet, the "wow" I feel goes SO far above and beyond that oft-used word. The "wow" I am experiencing is insufficiently described by words, transcends a basic level of jaw muscle control, and stimulates the lacrimal gland.

Let me tell you why.

All throughout the creation and somewhat-regular posting of this blog, there has remained in the back of my mind an "out." This "out" primarily consists of the notion that if things don't really go the way I hope they will, it's not a big deal... My readers would be disappointed, I'd be a failure, and what else would be new?

This lovely bubble of pre-planned failure popped less than a week ago.

An unbelievable donation was made to our YMCA membership account by an anonymous donor. This donor mention they were doing this as a direct result of reading this very blog! That's right! One of "you people" is that special donor! I still don't know who did this amazing thing, but whoever paid for our gym membership through June(!), know that I will never be able to thank you enough!

You have taken away my very last excuse and have shattered my secret "out."

How can I possibly fail you now?! How can I, in any good conscience, NOT go work out diligently? How can I not share the progress I am making... and because I don't know who you are, I must continue to use this forum. Giving up or quitting just became a non-option because I WILL NOT let you down and WILL NOT let your generous donation go to waste.

Thank you so much, wonderful anonymous donor, for the new life you have breathed into this Project and for the amazing gift you have provided to me and Jason through your donation! (I'm still in a bit of shock) It's amazing to find out that someone has been impacted to such a level by this smattering of my thoughts while losing weight!

You will be happy to know that upon learning of your donation, I made my way to the gym the very next week day and have continued to go faithfully. It is your thoughtfulness and participation in my Project that gets me out of bed at 5:30 in the morning, an hour after feeding the baby, and enervates me to get to the Y when it's still dark and cold.

If you choose, at some point, to reveal yourself, I would love it. But, as much as I'm aching to discover your identity, I will ask if you could remain anonymous until the end of the Project. I know the mystery behind your participation in this Project will only maintain my level of dedication to finishing what I have started.

Once again, thank you!

My epiphany came today as I was driving home from the gym, shivering in the not-yet-warm car (we live too close to the Y for the car to warm up).

Since Monday, Jason and I have been following the Flat Belly Diet; a diet which involves eating about 1200 non-bloating calories the first four days - more about this later. When my visionary husband first suggested we follow this diet, my initial response was, "No way! I HATE diets!"

Now I'm sure part of my response came from the fact that he suggested we begin the diet on Monday... when it was SUNDAY night! The other part of my response came from glancing at the meager portions listed in the daily food plans within the book; I was sure I would starve... and I'm currently nursing a two-month-old baby (i.e., I'm ALWAYS hungry).

Biting my tongue, I respectfully submitted that we not start cold turkey the next day, but instead spend a week dutifully recording how many calories we were eating and include a MUFA (Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid) with each meal as the Diet required. He agreed and I, inwardly dreading the week, found halfway through the week that I was ready to undertake the 32-day diet challenge.

More details will come in a following post, but here, on Day Three of our Flat Belly Diet, I was struck by this realization: I am called to be Jason's wife and therefore, obedient and submissive to his vision and guidance for our family... and he's come up with some interesting visions over the two years we've been married! ::smile::

As a married woman, I have reaped and continue to reap the benefits of submitting to my parents' authority leading up to my marriage and today, I realized I am reaping the rewards of submitting to my husband's authority.

Within three days, I have already lost six pounds and have no clue as to how many inches! Not only that, but the week before going on the Diet, I had lost over two inches! I feel great and am starting to see a change in that nasty mirror!

And so it was this morning, in the dark, icy car that I realized God is blessing my obedience to my husband. He is blessing me for honoring Jason's request to do the Flat Belly Diet and to exercise in the most wonderful way ever... progress along my weight-loss path!

Hang in there with me, "you people"; you truly inspire and re-dedicate me to the Project I have undertaken!