Some people have asked me how I started my weight loss. My first few months in the blog archive explain it all.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

cr-Happy new year!

A few years ago, my sister carrot and I had a sieres of unfortunate events which led to a discussion of what went wrong. We asked what we did that made fate deal us these terrible hands. We broke it down to one thing: at 12:01 January 1st we were misheard. The fates heard us say "Crappy New Year!" instead of the more traditional "Happy New Year!" Slap myself on the head with the palm of my hand - that solves everything! The solution is next year we will really shout "HAPPY" loud and slow!

Since then I have really tried to do just that New Years Day, but some days I wonder if, no matter how hard I ennunciated my happy on new years day I keep getting misheard. I have been told I mumble, and sometimes I tend to "low talk" so if that is the case, I am going to take diction lessons pretty darn soon.

On days where my mumbling mistake is especially evident, I look for help. It used to be that I would look in my pantry, for the magic medicine - I tried everything, mouthful after mouthful. Usually relief from the one problem came because now I had replaced it by guilting over eating the entire contents of my refridgerator and pantry, well just the good stuff.

Country western songs talk about drowning sorrows in a bottle of booze, ciggaretts say they offer a calming buzz, and my former vice food, offers me distraction from that which ails me. When I gave up emotional eating I wailed to my husband on a particularly bad day, "I have nothing left! What do I get to do to soothe my pain? what will bring me some relief?" Maybe that is the wisdom in the word of wisdom. Maybe Heavenly Father wants us to put away the false comfort and seek Him. I guess it is time to phone home.

Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish
Where in my need to know,
Where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand
to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.

He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane,
Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds
for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love without end.

-LDS Hymns #129
"Where Can I Turn For Peace"

7 comments:

Yvonne said...

You never cease to amaze me. Food does not provide the comfort but He does. Absolutely. Thanks for the reminder.

Lucy said...

I am a total emotional eater. But I never recognize it until afterwards. It's hard to care when you don't.

Love that hymn.

General Wolfe said...

I think that the challenge to have faith that He can offer peace, even better than whatever our crutch is. This is not a trivial matter.

Thanks for the insight.

Rebecca Blevins said...

Praying a lot for comfort and talking to my husband about what's bothering me comforts me more than food does. It used to bother me if I thought of overeating as a sin, but I guess that anything that takes us inward and away from the Lord for comfort...well...that's something to ponder.

I have always been an emotional eater, no matter what the emotion. However, I've noticed that when I'm busy or doing something I love (besides eating) that I don't even think about food. Something that has been helping me a ton (besides prayer, that's making a HUGE difference) is starting to replace eating with other hobbies.

I'm the type of person who has to do something physical to release stress. My husband can relax with a Rubik's cube, which boggles my mind. If I don't exercise regularly my physical de-stresser becomes food.

Prayer can also give us our own personal revelation as to what will help us, right now, in our own personal situation the most. He loves us. He wants us to be healthy, and I'm learning now that he'll help me--I just have to let him and be willing to take and use the help.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

How do you do it? How are you so funny and so inspirational in one post? Thank you.

Natalie said...

I love that hymn! I think I've been mis-heard at New Year's before too. Thanks for the inspiration!

mindyluwho said...

I love that hymn. I remember singing it once at church when I really needed to be reminded that I was not alone. I like General Wolfe's comments about faith. It's easy to talk about changing, but it's challenging in the trenches to have faith that we can be helped through our struggles.