I like when people write a lot about themselves. It helps me to get to know them better. I love meeting people and talking to new people. One of my favorite things to do is take the train into the city and walk around downtown, go to the Chicago Cultural Center, and hang out and talk to people who look interesting. I like friends.

I've been overweight for most of my life. When I was 11, things in my life were tough, and how the story always goes, I turned to food for comfort. I ...

I like when people write a lot about themselves. It helps me to get to know them better. I love meeting people and talking to new people. One of my favorite things to do is take the train into the city and walk around downtown, go to the Chicago Cultural Center, and hang out and talk to people who look interesting. I like friends.

I've been overweight for most of my life. When I was 11, things in my life were tough, and how the story always goes, I turned to food for comfort. I was overweight, but about a year after that I started doing martial arts. I trained in martial arts for 4 years. I weighed about 160-165 at 5'6. But I was strong and healthy. When I was 15
(2005), I got a job and had to quit martial arts. I slowly gained weight after that. When I was 17 (2007), I lost a lot of weight because I started working out and watching what I ate. I was on Spark back then too. I was down to about 170. However, I began to hang out with people who really enjoyed eating and were overweight, and slowly began to gain weight again.

In January 2012, my little brother died. It was a really hard time for my family and I, of course. He was 19. He was sick. A month after he died, I got a tattoo on my foot that says "Eat Well". I got it because that was sort of his life motto. He had a digestive disease and couldn't eat like other people and it was really hard on him. He loved good food. And more than that, he just loved doing things well in life. For example, when I buy toilet paper, I get the cheapest kind. When he would buy toilet paper, he would get the 10 ply super soft really expensive kind. He just believed in living well. Not that he was rich or anything, but those types of things were important to him.

In May 2012, I started trying to lose weight. I was 217 pounds. In about one month, I lost 18 pounds. I was SHOCKED to see that I had gotten under 200 so easily. So I began to work hard at it. The next 25 pounds were harder to lose, of course.

Since the end of August 2012, I've been 175-180. Currently at the high end. I would really like to lose another 30 pounds. I had a lot of stuff going on in my life, and sometimes was eating because I was stressed, but moreso I just couldn't focus on weightloss how I had over the summer. I have been making good choices for the most part, and working out, but it's been hard. I've definitely lost some steam.

I'm moving to India on February 4th. My goal is to lose 10 pounds by then. I also want to focus in on endurance and weight training. When I move to India (I'll be there for about a year) I will be working on and orphanage. I know that the days are hard and long. I want my body to be in good physical shape to make the adjustment to their lifestyle easier.


My other motivation for losing weight is the fact that I am a Christian. I've been trying to develop a Christian perspective on healthy living, self worth, and body image.

But I know that right now, I desire to be mastered by nothing. In Christ, we have freedom. Gluttony is sinful. I don't condemn anyone, as in Christ there is no condemnation, but it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. I desire to walk in this freedom. This involves not only freedom from cravings, feeling the need to eat unhealthy food and lack of self control, but also freedom from being bound to eating ONLY healthy food. I will not be afraid of calories! I will not stress and cry over eating too much one day- that is hardly freedom.

If you have any thoughts, ideas, or experience on losing weight/being healthy from a Christian perspective, I would love to hear them.

Feel free to message me or add me as a friend anytime :).

Read More About IAMLOVEDBYYOU (Updated December 24)

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