Overcoming Intrinsic Discouragment

I wanted to take just a moment to share a word of encouragement. Sometimes while walking, running, or barely dragging yourself along the journey of weight-loss, you hit a speed bump or maybe even hit a pothole. These influences are extrinsic, they can be planned for, but other times, discouragement comes from within. Recently, I lived through just a situation like that. Last Monday morning, by the time I had made it to work I seemed completely zapped of all energy, which left me feeling lethargic. Nothing seemed appealing to my senses; eating, walking, or even talking. I was in a legitimate funk and one of extreme discouragement!

You might ask, “Bubba, why is this such a problem, we all wind-up in funks and especially on Mondays?” My answer to that question is simple, have you read, 1^st Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” A roaring lion can only successfully attack prey that is wounded or cannot escape in a timely fashion. I was temporarily in a wounded or defeated state; both mentally and emotionally. This left me vulnerable for an attack by the prowling and roaring “food enemy.” I knew I was weak, so I wanted to safeguard myself from an attack if it were to occur. I told three co-workers of my current lethargic struggle and asked them to check on me periodically throughout the day to see how I was doing. This is also the time of year that plenty of festive goodies are being brought into the office, which is a pothole itself. Sure enough, the attack came about 3pm that afternoon; I had the craziest obsession to senselessly feed my face with anything sweet I could put in it. In a shining moment of despair, I reached out to one of the individuals notified earlier and they promptly joined me at my desk until the attack was over. Thank God for good friends and the knowledge to make a plan.

I did not tell you that story to add discouragement to your journey, but to strengthen you. I learned three things about myself during that struggle that I wish to share with you. First, I know it is cliché, but “failing to plan is planning to fail.” If I had not realized I was weakened and set a plan into action, when that attack came, I would not have been victorious. Second, sometimes the worst attack on your weight-loss journey can be intrinsic. However, you can prevail over that obstacle as well. Finally, isolation is one of the greatest tools in defeating a human, but how much worse is it when we cut our own selves off from people we should rely on. Whether extrinsic or intrinsic, when you refuse to allow yourself to be isolated from others that care about your success you are refusing to remain vulnerable to an attack. The next time you encounter a force of discouragement I hope you remember this story and implement the lessons that I was taught.

Thank you again for coming along on this journey with me and as of the time of this post, I have gotten rid of a total of 78 lbs.