From Madelynn: Thank you for visiting and reading stories of Inspiration!  Today, we have a special person to me…My cousin.  Looks like being real runs in the family…Everyone meet Jennifer!

Gordita, Chunky, Big Boned, Voluptuous, Thick, Chubby, Plus-sized, Lots to Love…You can call it what you want.

I am a fat girl.

I can justify it with statements like: 

“I gave birth to two BIG babies in the last 8 years, so cut me some slack.”

“I am a working mom with more important things to worry about than my weight.”

“God looks at my heart, not my hips.”

 But here is the deal:

 I have a better relationship with food, than the relationship I have with God and it shows on my scale and my clothing tags.  

My name is Jennifer and I am 31 years old. I have two gorgeous boys whom I love dearly and a wonderful Fiance who is extremely supportive of all that I do. I am Madelynn’s first cousin; my father and her mother are brother and sister. We come from a bloodline of overweight people. My father has struggled with his weight for as long as I can remember. He has been diagnosed with many illnesses as result of his weight throughout the years and has struggled to lose weight because of his health restrictions as well. 

 I have always been a “thick” girl. I don’t think I have ever had a visible ankle bone/wrist bone in my whole 31 years of LIFE. I have dimples on every finger on my hands and on my thighs as well, and I have seen those dimples since my childhood. My parents never thought my weight was an “issue”, the doctor never told my parents I was overweight. My family has always referred to me as the “chubby one” and my sister as “the skinnier” one. Frankly, that never bothered me because I knew I was bigger than her- my mentality was why wouldn’t I be?!  I’m the BIG sister (I am the oldest).  I was always active in sports and as I got older I even became involved with salsa dancing– I was GOOD (I still got it)!  I don’t think there was ever an activity that I took on that I wasn’t passionate about or didn’t succeed in during my adolescence up to early adulthood.  I have always been extremely confident about myself and my figure even at my heaviest weight of 190 lbs, I have embraced my curves, dimples, creases, stretch marks and rolls graciously as they have appeared on my body throughout the years. 

It wasn’t until recently, this past October to be exact, that I realized that my weight was becoming a problem. Practically overnight, I went from the size 11 (that’s by regular size) to a size 16. Nothing fit me anymore and no matter how much I tried to curb my eating habits the weight would not come off- not one single pound. I reached my heaviest weight on my birthday, December 10, a whopping 190! I text my sister and told her how terrified I was to be almost 200 lbs, how sad I was because I felt like I would eventually be headed toward the same personal hell that my father has had to go through with his weight issues. In my heart I knew that I needed to make changes to my lifestyle in order to better myself and live healthier.

The last week of December 2013 I decided to prepare myself for a Daniel Fast with a few of my co-workers. The girls I work with were more interested in losing weight more than the more important part of this fast, prayer. I knew that the Daniel fast didn’t consist of just being a vegan for 21 days and losing a big chunk of weight as a result. I knew that if I was going to participate in this fast I was going to fully give all of myself to the Lord and as a result of prayer, and hard work and sacrifice (with the help of Jesus), I was going to transform myself within those 21 days into a HEALTHIER child of God. I knew that in order for me to succeed in this fast, I needed to be just as passionate in the Lord as I had been with drawing, writing, basketball, softball, and salsa dancing. I needed to build my relationship with God in order for my goal to become a success. 

So I did the Daniel Fast and I lost 15 lbs, it was the beginning of my transformation!   I now make it a point to cherish my body as God’s temple,   to remind myself to make better food choices, to “water my body”( I have an app on my phone that reminds me to drink water all day lol) and to walk every chance I get. I also make it a point to play with my kids every day even if it’s only for 15 minutes and lastly, I make it a point to PRAY every single day–  every chance I get because absolutely NO RELATIONSHIP can succeed without communication. Now I talk to God on the regular and I can honestly say if it wasn’t for HIS guidance throughout all of this, aside from the support of my fiancé and family, I’d still be at 190 lbs or heavier. And so, I will continue in my transformation in good faith, knowing that ALL of this, sacrifice, change and dedication is SO worth it. I won’t stop, and even if I stay “thick” for the rest of my life- I’ll make it a point to BE HEALTHY and make wiser choices for myself and my kids…this is still a process, I don’t think I will ever be fully done. 

Are you a fat girl or maybe a fat girl in disguise?  Are you thin and slim but still in bondage to food? I love you sister. Let’s pray about it.

Dear God,

Help me switch my desperation to determination; help me transform from consumed to courageous, help me combat my triggers with truth. For every emotion food was my answer, until today. Today is the day to repent. Today is the day to change course. Today is the day to move north.  Because you showed me that I was made for MORE!

Do it, Lord; all for your glory and my good.

Faithfully, in your name I Pray.

Amen.