From Madelynn: Inspire! is so close to its final day!  Thank you so much for coming by and reading stories of so many who were willing to share.  Today we have Venessa joining us sharing how something she thought would help has actually become a part of her life style.  Meet Venessa…

Hi! My name is Venessa Cancel. I am 37 years old and have been happily married for 16 years to my high school sweetheart, Danny. We have 2 children, Haley & Ethan who are 13 & 9, and we are doing what we love- ministry! My husband & I have been involved in ministry one way or another for about 10 years now. Along with that comes a very busy schedule while trying to maintain a healthy balance between family, ministry and work.  

I never really struggled with my weight and have always been a fairly athletic person. I had my daughter at 24 and lost all of the weight, but the story was a little different when I had my son at 29. I put on some extra pounds, but I still felt pretty good, mostly because I am blessed with a wonderful godly man who never made me feel self-conscious about my appearance. It wasn’t until I turned 32 and suffered an ankle injury that halted my running/exercise routines that my weight began to fluctuate. When I turned 35, I started to notice my metabolism slow down and I started gaining weight and retaining it. My metabolism wasn’t the only thing that slowed down. I was physically slower and I was experiencing aches and pains EVERYwhere. Life and all its busy-ness had caught up to me. I was always taking care of everyone else first, ignoring my needs and putting myself on hold. I was always on the go, which for me, meant less cooking at home, more fast food and take-out, eating on the run, and of course, because I was so tired at the end of the day, the last thing on my mind was getting up early to exercise.  I tried to start working out again a few times and felt great, but would get caught up in the whirlwind of life, fast food and no exercise.

Fast forward…I am 37 years old, 38 pounds overweight, fatigued, sluggish and tired of being tired! With several attempts to get back on track and exercising with little results, I became unmotivated. It wasn’t until I read my life verse on the morning of January 3, 2014, as I was reflecting on my goals that it all became clear…

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it unto the Lord” Col 3:23.  

HA! There it is!!!  Up until that day, I focused on “whatever you DO, do it unto the Lord.”  I realized that I got so caught up in “doing” that I had sacrificed my health and fitness in the process. I served my family selflessly and had given my life to building the Kingdom of God, and I was so blessed because He has given me so many opportunities to serve in different capacities, however, what good was I to Him if I didn’t take care of me?

“Whatever you eat or drink…” See, it became clear to me that God took time to note the practical things in this verse and I needed to start paying attention to what I ate and drank. It wasn’t enough to work out and continue eating all of the wrong things. Grant it, at that point I wasn’t working out at all so that was even worse!  I had to be disciplined and well rounded spiritually, mentally & physically. The way I was living and the choices I was making not only affected me, but they also affected my husband and kids. I wasn’t happy with the way I looked and I didn’t like the way I felt. I needed to make a change.

No coincidence, a friend approached me the following week about trying a 21 day sugar detox.  Let me tell you, I was skeptical at first, but how could I deny the results she experienced.  I thought it was some kind of diet gimmick at first, but I did some research and it all made sense!  After talking it over with my husband we decided to try it. Yes! I said, “we”! My husband and children joined me on this 21 day venture!  With that said, the pressure was on! I prayed for the grace to finish strong and divine creativity over my cooking because we were giving up rice and bread and pasta and EVERYthing good….pretty much my whole Puerto Rican menu was trashed in exchange for loads of meat and lots and lots of veggies. What on earth was I going to do to keep it interesting and not go over our grocery budget?! 

It was difficult at first and we definitely had our moments of weakness, but we remained strong. At the end of the 21 days, we knew that this was not a diet, but a life style change that we needed to implement. We are learning to eat clean and make healthier choices. This life-style has not broken the bank and God has really helped me with my creativity in the kitchen. It has been so gratifying to eat great, feel great and see results, not only in my life, but also in my loved ones.  To date, I have lost 16lbs, 7” on my waist and a total of 10 inches in various other areas. My husband has lost 27lbs, my son has lost 14lbs and my daughter has slimmed down considerably.  I feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually, I am now in the process of living out my life verse.  Though we are eating better, we are working on Phase II, which is to establish a disciplined workout routine that we commit to weekly. 

I am so grateful to God, for the strength He gives me daily to keep going, meet new goals, kick old habits and get out of my comfort zone. I still have more weight to lose, but honestly it’s more about how great I feel!  I will always have curves and probably never be skinny, but that’s okay! As long as I am healthy, active and feeling great, I am good. 

Be encouraged today…We can do this…The best is yet to come!

Madelynn

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32