Day 2 (late post, sorry!)

Today, I realized that when I quit smoking 2 years ago, I never broke the habit. I gained 60 pounds within 3 months of quitting, and to this day, I graze for snacks as often as I would have smoked a cigarette. Realizing this is actually a pretty big break through! As embarrassing as it is for a fat person to admit they have an addiction to food, being able to look at my "hunger" and cravings like a cigarette, helps me stay on track!

Now, I may lose some of you, but I have to share about the spiritual warfare I am facing these last few days! I have never felt so attacked in my life! At the beginning of the year, I was doing really well on a 24 Day Challenge. I had lost 11 pounds in 10 days, and I was exercising 1-3 hours every day, without fail. Out of nowhere, I woke up with the nastiest case of strep throat I had ever seen. The weirdest part, was that I hadn't had strep throat one time in my life before then! I couldn't go to the gym, I couldn't eat food, so I drank soda by the gallon and ate milkshakes and ice cream, and I was defeated. It took me until now to get back on track.

Now, the demon attacks are in fill force. My back has already been so bad that I had to forgo exercise Monday and Tuesday, but last night my throat swelled up and still hurts today. Last night, I could literally see demon faces flashing in my face as I tried to pray for God's strength and protection, and for him to ease my pain. It became so starting and distracting, I had to pray out loud in order to stay focused on my prayer. When I started praying out loud, the demon faces became more clear, and came faster and more frequently. My back pain got worse. I ended up being awake every 30 minutes to a couple hours with pain too intense to sleep. This morning I woke up, and it takes everything in me to walk the few feet between various tasks around the house. My movement was so slowed and forced, that my son was almost late for school. He's normally there 10-15 minutes early on the same schedule.

I know that this 100 pound weightless journey is what God wanted for me, now. If Satan wasn't afraid of God's will penetrating his own miserable plan for me, he wouldn't be attacking so hard. In a way, knowing how much the devil wants up sabotage this mission, makes me more eager to succeed. As much as it hurts physically to be under this current attack, the devil is fueling my ambition to rock this. What he doesn't realize, is that his attack just makes me stronger in my faith in God. Because of Satan's demons frantic interference, I know this is the path God intended me to be on!

Now, yesterday went pretty well! With the exception of missing out on exercise, it was an overall success.

I had a Meal Replacement Shake for breakfast, and strawberries for a snack.

I ate lunch and dinner on desert plates do it felt like I had an entire plate of food. I also ate very clean meals. For lunch I has half a baked chicken breast with a small portion of pasta, and corn. I took the Carb-Ease before I ate , and drank Spark. I can't eat the pasta once my challenge starts (today). For dinner I had oven baked turkey, with rice and black beans. I will not be able to eat white rice now that the challenge officially started, either.

When my sweet tooth attacked in the evening, I had a spoon full of all natural peanut butter. At that point, I had to really practice "not smoking" for the rest of the evening. I kept wanting to have a snack at the habitual times I would have smoked in the past. I did it, though!

24 Day Challenge officially starts today!

(The broken glass is a Spark that just flew out of my hand! Spiritual attack!! Things like that make me crazy!!!)