If Not Now.....When

Like many of the Twelve Step programs, the Pray it Off (Catholic Weight Loss Group) was created by an "addict in remission".....me! This makes perfect sense. Who understands how a person feels, better than someone who has lived through the same experiences?

Unlike drugs and alcohol, however, we "Food Addicts" have to eat to survive. We must interact with our "drug of choice" daily.

So many people, who truly need to lose weight for their health, say that now just isn't a good time for them to "diet".

One thing about fighting the battle of the bulge, my entire life, is that there aren't many excuses I haven't used myself.

Here are a few:

1. There's not enough time to lose 50 pounds before the Prom (I told you I could go back a few years!)

2. College is just too stressful what with classes, tests and papers (that have to be typed with carbon paper on a manual typewriter.)

3. I have to find a job, get an apartment and pay bills?!?

4. I have a baby, a full time job and a husband who's away on a Merchant Marine ship for six months.

5. Problems in my marriage - how can I diet now?

6. A divorce isn't what I wanted in life - I am too depressed to even think about losing weight.

7. My job is so demanding and I drive 55,000 miles a year and still make it back on time to get my daughter from daycare EVERY DAY!

8. I am TOO TIRED to exercise.

9. I meet, and fall in love, with a great guy and adopt his two small children who need a lot of help - I love them as my own - but there's a lot going on and it's just not the right time to, even begin to start to, think about losing weight.

10. What?? Pregnant at 41 years old AND 300 pounds - I update my will as I am sure it's going to kill me.

11. Back to work six weeks later - how can I lose weight with four kids, a stressful job, and a sick mother AND sister?

12. It's too much work to diet.

13. I always gain the weight back anyway!

14. When things "calm down" I'll lose.

15. When I have more time I'll diet.

I think you get the picture. The funny thing is that the past two years, when I have lost almost 140 pounds, things haven't always been hunky dory. There have been problems - some HUGE and pressures - some HUGE but by getting closer to God, and reading the Bible, I've learned that LIFE is NEVER going to be calm and stress-free. He never promised that. He said He would be with us always. He offers us His peace to handle the pressures of life. He doesn't say, there won't ever be any.

There's NEVER going to be a perfect time to lose weight, to exercise, to GET HEALTHY.

After a lifetime of making excuses, I can now say, and more importantly believe, "IF NOT NOW.... WHEN?"