My first through was amazement that something so big could fit into such a small mirror. My next thought involved disgust with a dash of anger.

“THAT IS IT.” I told myself with some force. It was time to get real and to get real often requires that I choose to drop my barriers and carry on naked. I have to be willing to shine a light in my darkest corners if I am going to clean up my life and live the way I know that I should.

I have made my share of excuses, given plenty of valid reasons, and even come up with some brilliant explanations over the last sixteen or seventeen years to explain my situations. Everything from pregnancy to tornadoes became my prop for letting the Temple of God waste away – or in my case blow up until it was no longer an asset to the kingdom.

Nothing changes until something changes, and today I am calling myself out – and asking you to support and encourage me through this exposure.

Confessions of a Pharisee

1. I confess that I have chosen excuses over actions.
2. I confess that I have known the key but chosen the chains.
3. I confess that I have chosen the things of this world over the blessing of the Lord.
4. I confess that my physical wants have taken precedence over my spiritual needs.
5. I confess that I have chosen to hide in my sins instead of living as the example that I know that I should be.
6. I confess that I may have been consistent in my choices for a season, but I have not been consistent in that consistency.

My choices have failed me in my desire to live a healthy life and to be a Temple that makes my Father say, “Well done.” I have failed you in being a leader and encourager by not walking the walk and just spewing words instead.

Confession provides hope and possibility for the change that I desire.

Plea for Forgiveness and Support

I ask for your forgiveness for not being more than words.

I ask for your support in holding me accountable each day to walk in the path that I know to walk for my unique journey.

I have asked God to give me the strength to forgive myself and to take this moment and the one that comes behind it to choose better.

Commitment to change

I see the pain and discomfort in the eyes and words of so many others. Despite the cries and moans of this world, it does not have to be a difficult or painful journey. I KNOW this, and I am beginning to let it settle and grow in my knower.

God did not create food to torture and tempt. Food nourishes the body and provides joy to the spirit. The key lies not in the food, but in the Creator of that food.

My Father knows what works for my body because He designed my body. I hear Him saying what I say so often to my own children, “Just do what I say because I say it.” I hear His guidance and now I have to choose my obedience.

Today I take one step closer to the freedom that He provided for me. Will you join me in this journey to Transform the Temple?

Kathryn Lang lives in North Alabama with her husband, Keith, and their three boys. Their home was severely damaged by the tornadoes on April 27th of this year and they have spent the last four months rebuilding. Kathryn speaks and writes on topics that are good, positive and uplifting. Her new book, Practical Proverbs, is available through Nook, Amazon, and other locations. You can find out more by visiting The Peculiar Life of Proverbs, her inspirational website.

I enjoyed the fresh flavors of the raw foods and decided to take a stab at a raw food detox that I found at The Raw Divas. This will only be seven days, but I am committing to following through with boldness. That means that I am CHOOSING to give up coffee for that week and am already beginning the weaning process by drinking hot tea instead.

This new journey corresponds with my reading of “Made to Crave.” I know that there is more. God made me for more. More opportunities exist than I ever imagined. My choices hinder my purpose, my path and my plans.

Think of a detox as a chance to train for better choices. Seven days (or 21 if you are going to do the Green Smoothie Detox from the Smoothie Queens) to begin to discover the potential of you.

The more I think about the possibilities the more exited I get about this detox. I want more and now my willingness to take the step to DO more is making that desire a reality.

Mornings can be hectic enough without adding in visits to the doctor. This morning I took the trip with my father in law. We left early and so that meant no time to blend me a smoothie for the road. My tummy demanded attention the whole drive home.

The moment I walked into the house I smelled the pizza the boys had re-heated for breakfast. I LIKE pizza and everyone with any sense knows that pizza makes a great breakfast. They had left me exactly two pieces.

I set those pieces in the oven then went about the process of making a sweet smoothie. The doctor and I had been talking about them and I told my father in law that the next one I made I would send down to his house to try.

The smoothie finished up about the same time as the pizza. I pulled out the two slices and set them next to the oven. I picked up the larger portion of the smoothie, went into my office and started to work.

Three weeks ago I would have been upset that there were only two pieces of pizza remaining. Today I walked away from those two pieces of pizza and was excited for the taste of the fruit and spinach smoothie in my cup.

My journey may have only started, but changes have happened that will make the difference in that path.

Changes in Attitude

• A refrigerator full of fresh fruits and vegetables makes it easier to choose something better when hunger strikes.

• A notebook full of fun and interesting flavors allows me to eat fresh, raw and green without sacrificing flavor or enjoyment.

• A day filled with energy helps to encourage me to continue moving along the green smoothie path.

• A scale that continues to move down pushes me to gear up even more for a healthy lifestyle.

Not only are my new choices making a difference in my health and well-being, but the new attitude pours over onto those around me. My children are CHOOSING water, fresh fruit and smoothies over sodas and candy. That one result would be worth all of the time and effort invested into this experience.

My journey with dieting began at an early age before I even needed to go down the path. They told me that I needed to be a certain weight and look a certain way in order to be right.

Each step I have taken down my path has revealed that there are no RIGHT people walking along. We are all just a little off – a bit unique – because no two people are created the same. Looking at other people and expecting my reflection will keep me judging instead of living.

I let the need to do what They say go but only at the time when I really did need to be paying attention to my weight. Pregnancy and a slim or trim figure did not go hand in hand in my circumstances.

I discovered the Weigh Down Workshop. It is not so much a diet plan as it was a revelation for me. It helped me focus on what my body actually needed and wanted instead of just eating to be eating. I learned and listening to my body I dropped down near my ideal weight. Along that same path, I discovered “Thin Within” that helped me keep that focus discovered through Weigh Down.

The years (and another pregnancy) left me back where I had started – only worse. There was no Weigh Down group to get me centered and back on the path of eating when I was hungry. Doing it alone was not an option. I was worse off than I had been when I made that first discovery.

Recently I found the Green Smoothie Detox program – which is also NOT a diet program. The last week has helped me rediscover my true hunger and begin listening to my body and not my taste buds (although listening to my body actually satisfies my taste buds – who knew?).

This morning I received and email from the Raw Food Divas. It talked about all the things that I already knew but could never really explain. Food is addictive – and probably the only socially acceptable addiction as long as it does not get TOO bad according the They. Weight loss and weight control are NOT about portions or exercise – there is more to the problem than calories.

I have been trying to discover that magic key that I know everyone that struggles with food, weight and health are also seeking. This morning I found it. No matter what path you choose to take, you have to find one that will reconnect you to your own body and help you find the right way to eat to gain that health that you are seeking.

Enlightenment is not a quick fix program. The knowledge that leads to lasting weight loss will come to a heart that is willing to change and a mind opened to the new course.

The programs that can be found over at the Green Smoothie Queen website are not about weight loss – although I know that it will result in weight loss in my own life. The programs are not about becoming a vegetarian, vegan or raw food guru. The programs that are offered over there are about changes – food changes that will help with life changes.

I have watched the Biggest Lose for a number of seasons, and there have been several contestants that underwent surgery to experience weight loss. Years later the problem still exists and has even grown. Surgery was not the answer. Diet and exercise, magic pill, and magic procedures will only take you so far.

For me, personally – and each journey MUST be a personal one – this program is a chance to grasp hold of change with a firm grip. The next 21 days (the amount of time it takes to form a habit, by the way) will put me in a situation where I am aware of everything that I put into my body and also what reactions my body has from that intake.

My motivation for getting involved with this Green Smoothie program was not weight loss, smaller pants or even the impending swimsuit season. The first reason was that I know there is a better way to feed myself and feed my family. This challenge opens up new experiences that I have avoided or ignored in the culinary world.

The second reason is that I know I am not along in my struggle. I want to help others find tools that will allow them to make changes that will alter their lives, their health and their attitudes in the best possible way.

I know from past experience that the right knowledge – put into consistent practice with determination – will result in that change. I am hopeful that the Green Smoothie program can give me one more rung in my ladder to health success.

The last week provided better results in my journey. The three pounds that had found their way back on my body are removed again. The results may have been even better had I not felt the overwhelming need to feed the cold. I am not sure that is what the saying is, or even if that is what it means, but I slipped a few times and ate just for the sake of eating.

Doing what I know to do can be a struggle, even on those good days. Hanging in there when the going gets tough can be down, right painful. My mind says one thing and my body says another. In the past the mind had been the winner, but each day gets me closer to the place where I choose to listen to my body and then act accordingly.

Tips for Hearing the Body over the Mind

1. Wait a few minutes – a mental craving demands instant gratification. Taking the time to think about that craving allows you to see it for what it is – a want not a need. Just shining the light on the craving may send it scampering away into the dark.

2. Think rationally – the mind will attempt to play tricks and may even use the body as its pawn. A growling stomach usually indicates hunger, but if that growling is just south of the stomach and you just had your dinner, then it is probably the mind trying to convince you to eat when you are not physically hungry for food.

3. Think seriously about the craving – sometimes the body is trying to tell you that there is a specific vitamin or mineral that you need in your system. When craving something salty, skip opening up the potato chips and try carrot sticks or celery sticks with a dash of garlic salt. Look for unique and unexpected ways to meet you cravings.

The only way I will ever control my eating is to choose to control my eating. I know that I should only eat when I am physically hungry. I know that I should choose those foods that give my body the best fuel for functioning. I know WHAT to do, it is just that some days I let my wants overrule my needs.

Share your secrets for how you overcome the wants.

This lifestyle has not always been mine. There was a time when I would be running, hiking or skiing before I would be watching television. That was before 24 hour cable networks, on demand movies and the baby pouch. I enjoyed being active and made the choice for activity at every turn.

I changed my life once and now it is time to change again.

Steps to Healthy Change

1. Get active even if that just means taking the kids to the park to play. Getting out in the sunshine will help you feel better and get you in a better mood for moving.

2. Do what you enjoy. I watch the Biggest Loser the other day and guys that were almost 300 lbs ran a marathon – that is over 26 miles. If they can do that then I can find a way to run and hike once again. It may be a slow run or a short hike, but it can still be done (fortunately it is too cold for skiing right now  ).

3. Gather support. Get friends and family to join you in your new active lifestyle. Kicking a ball around with the kids is way more fun than walking on a treadmill.

4. Fake it until you make it. I know I am not healthy and hiding away in my house will not keep others from figuring it out. I might as well get out and enjoy what I enjoy even in the limited amounts despite what others may whisper or think until I can actually enjoy doing what I enjoy doing.

Getting healthy does not require me spending hours at the gym or hiring a personal trainer. Making more active choices in my life can be the one change that will get me to the healthy person that I desire to be.

I turn 40 in January. My mind tells me I am far from those years but my body shows each passing moment. I am not healthy. I can not even play ball with my kids. It is time to achieve all of those goals I have been spouting.

Things that I Dare to Achieve:

I want to run again. The other day we went to tour a local cave. The walk was only around a mile or so and easy enough going in, but we had to rush coming out (nothing like a three year old announcing “I have to go potty” to but the gears into high). By the time we got to the cave entrance I was out of breath. I ran the two mile event in high school. I want to run like that once more.

I want to wear clothes that I like. At this moment there are few clothes that I truly like hanging in my closet. Most of the outfits I have are there because they camouflage all those things that I detest. It is time for me to start shopping again for clothes that I feel comfortable and confident walking around in.

I want to dance with my husband. Right now I would not be able to dance the night away. I might be able to dance a song or two but that would be all. I taught ballroom dancing in college. It is time for me to move with that freedom around the floor once more.

I want to enjoy the summer (and yes, that does include wearing a swim suit). My whole life was spent outdoors but I hide inside these days. I want to play in the water with my kids. I want to hang out at the lake with my friends and my family. I may even want to brave the skis once more.

My lack of consistency and determination hinders my life. I know that. I have the keys to healthy living but I am choosing a different road. It can no longer continue in this way. I have determined that I will do more than dare to dream. I will dare to achieve all of my goals!