Letting Go

Today I made a decision to let go of another part of my past.

Last night I was looking at my cluttered office, thinking about how after I am done rearranging every shelf in my kitchen, that the office should likely be next. My eye was drawn to a bookcase that holds 2 shelves of cookbooks.

I have cookbooks that go along with all the different diets I have tried: Atkins, Weight Watcher's, Tops, South Beach, Perricone Promise, and some other minor titles. Then there are the traditional cookbooks like Joy of Cooking, Better Homes & Gardens and Betty Crocker.

The funny thing is that I have given away and sold many cookbooks in my lifetime that this current collection doesn't even represent all of the cookbooks I have ever owned!

It was time to thin out my culinary recipe books again. Who needs all these titles with the ease of the internet, but most of all...a large group of these books don't feature meals that are compatible with my new way of eating.

I went through the books and started with everything "Low-Carb". There are probably plenty of good recipes in these books that I could use, but I don't want to sift through them anymore. Most low-carb recipes use artificial sweeteners, lots of meat, and have a higher ratio of fat content. Time to let them go.

Even as I stacked them on the table I hesitated. I have done things like this before and inevidably I would revert to my old eating habits and would go in search of a recipe that I had given away or sold in a yard sale. It's a frustrating feeling. I don't want to be stupid.

Reason prevailed. This past six months have been about real change. A change of priorities and permanent change of behaviours. I don't go on diets anymore. The past six months have shown more stability in my approach to food & health than I have ever experienced before.

Being thin is not as important to me and I'm learning how to submit my bad habits, one at a time, at my Saviour's feet. I let the Holy Spirit whisper in my ear--speaking through my conscience--to guide my behaviour. Not to over-spiritualize, sometimes this happens when I am reading material that is the collective wisdom of our day. Wisdom that calls and beakons us and we mentally assent to, but then disregard in favour of folly.

So, I knew of two women who favour the low-carb approach and a friend who was having a yard sale. I offered the books to them and said that any they don't want should be donated to the sale. There was happiness all around.

So you may ask, "Why did you give those books away to women if you don't agree with that way of eating?"

This too is part of my journey. I'm coming to a place where I can accept that my way of eating is as different and unique as I am. What God convicts me about and the changes I make are very personal and not necessarily changes that everyone around me has to make. I figure that God made me and He knows my body better than anyone. People are at different levels of sensitivity or understanding. I can be surrounded by people who are drinking coffee without feeling that they should conform to me or visa versa. The only exception to this is my family, but I figure it is my duty to educate my children and influence them the best I can!

I'm not going back. I am committed to this journey of optimum health & wellness. I won't regret giving away those recipe books. It feels good to be free of my wishy-washy diet  behaviour once and for all. I think this year is going to continue into a lifetime....my lifetime.

Who would think that a couple stacks of books would instigate so much reflection?!

Oh, and by the way, "Does anyone need Weight Watcher's material?" I've got some to give away!