My Shorts Still Do Not Fit And Other Real Life Issues

I’ve been doing so well. Eating clean, exercising, staying hydrated, getting rest, filling my mind with good stuff. I can tell things are slooowwwly changing for the good in this body of mine. (Why does it seem to take a day add weight to our bodies and years to take it off?) So, I got brave. I snatched my favorite shorts out from the back of my drawer, and decided today was the day I was going to try them on again. Will they fit?? They didn’t fit at all last year, nor did they fit when I tried them on in May. But, maybe today! With excited anticipation, I went all in. One leg, then the other. It looked hopeful for a moment. Until the shorts got to the point where they wouldn’t budge one millimeter further. Darn. My shorts still do not fit.

After March and April, well, the “Quarantine 15” was on its way to becoming a real thing in my life. With too many fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and no motivation to exercise, it’s not wonder. Once my comfy shorts began to be not so comfy, I knew I needed to make a change. It doesn’t help that in this stage in life my metabolism likely has slowed to a snail’s pace and my body is changing due to unstable hormonal levels. Yeah, that’s fun.

Maybe I can’t change much, but I can change how I take care of myself. So, that’s what I’m doing.

I’m taking care of me.

Maybe truly for the first time ever. I mean, this pandemic has forced me to slow my pace during this season. It’s been so incredibly hard, yet so incredibly needed. More needed than I realized. I’m now enjoying this non-rushed pace, and I don’t care to ever return to my former way of on-the-go living. No, thank you. I thank God for using this season to slow…me…down. He’s also using it to teach me to take care of myself. To pay attention to my body. To learn what it means to be healthy from the inside out. And to not be in a hurry to see positive change take place. That one is so hard!

So, when my shorts didn’t fit this morning, I became a bit frustrated. I’d be lying if I wrote I was okay with the fact they did not fit. In all honesty, I was disappointed, and still am. After all, I want results to happen quicker than they are happening. Am I the only one? Do you get frustrated with you’re putting in the effort (no matter what you’re working on), and the results you hope to see aren’t visible yet? What do we do with that?

What do I do now since my shorts still do not fit?

My only option is to keep doing what I’m doing. Putting one foot in front of the other. One day at a time. Sometimes one moment at a time. Taking care of myself the way I believe God is asking me to. Because if I quit now (and believe me, a small part of me wants to), all the progress I’ve made would be for nothing.

“Anything worth having is worth fighting for.”

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

And one thing I’m not is a quitter. So, I will keep on keeping on. Doing what I can do to make positive changes. One at a time.

Friend, what about you? What similar situation are you finding yourself in? Is it about your health (your shorts do not fit either)? Is it a promotion your working towards? Or an achievement you’re focused on? With what are you putting in effort, yet not seeing the results you hope for?

May I encourage you to keep going?

Unless God is redirecting your path, I say to keep your eyes on where you’re headed. Not on what the scale says, the shorts say, the results show, or what isn’t happening yet. Keep taking it one step at a time. One day at a time. Just do what you can today, and trust God with the rest. It’s not easy, I know. But we both know it’s worth it.

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Your breakthrough may be just around the corner.

And really, is it about me fitting in to a pair of shorts? No. Just because they do not fit at the moment does not determine my worth, my status, or anything else. And it shouldn’t affect my opinion of myself. It’s just a tool to measure progress. That’s it. What’s more important knowing God loves you and me, no matter if we do not fit in our shorts or if we do. He is teaching us and growing us in and through it all. Plus, the journey–not just the destination–is to be enjoyed, right?

I’m so glad we’re walking this road of life together. Thanks for being here!

Much love,

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