Next Phase of the Journey

As I sit here typing this, thinking of all the things that being overweight has gotten in the way of or made hard for me over the years.  Thinking how I have not gone to certain events because I could not sit in the chairs and how I don't go to some places to eat because they only have booths.  I have not been able to walk and play sports like I once did and would like to, but most of all the toll it has taken on my health.  At 42 I am not able to do as much as some 70 year olds, I have constant struggles with cellulitis causing others to have to take care of me.  I have missed out on many opportunities over the years but no more.  Tomorrow I will be having bariartic surgery and then will start the next phase of the new me and a healthier me.  In the last 4 months I have been exercising and making changes that are healthier and have already seen many improvements.  Starting tomorrow will be the next big step to be a new healthier me by next summer.  I want anyone reading this to know one thing, I am not having surgery to help me lose weight because I want to look pretty or be skinny or because I think there is something wrong with heavy people.  I am doing it solely because at this point in my life the weight has begun to cause my body problems and made me very unhealthy and I have a lot to live for so I want to do what ever I can to be sure I am still here in 10, 20 even 30 years.  I don't need to lose weight to be pretty because I am already that, but I do need to lose it so I can be healthy.  If you are overweight I encourage you to move and be as active as you can, so you can be healthy and if you get to the point you can tell you are not healthy or are starting to slip that way, then seek out what things you can do to help change that, for each person that could be different things.  Life changing decisions like this have to be made by the person needing the life change and can't be pushed onto them by others.  So if you know someone who is overweight and you think they need to lose weight, don't gripe or nag them about it, they know it too, just love them and encourage and support them in whatever they do to try to get healthier.  Tonight I go to bed overweight and unhealthy physically, tomorrow I will start the journey to lose weight and be healthier physically.  My journey first had to start with me getting healthy emotionally, now God has put all the pieces together and soon we will see the new masterpiece he is working on.