Well, some of you might have wondered if this was coming.  Others might be completely shocked.  That said, God is been doing a LOT in me (and my sweet Jason) and I'm quite convinced that the time has come to bid FoodeFight adieu.

Here's the skinny (it's my last post on here- I get some liberties, right?): while I know that FoodeFight has been about much more than just weight loss, I'm very convicted that I have placed my identity in being a "fat person" for far too long.  FoodeFight as it stands just perpetuates this.  I am a daughter of Jesus Christ, purchased with His blood.  Jesus Christ defines me, and while struggling to lose weight will continue to be part of His story of redemption in my life I can no longer make it the central issue.

The truth is, God was warning me that this was coming long before I realized it.  I've read quite a few weight loss blogs in the last year- it really is a rather tight community once you start to get into it- and I noticed a common theme.  The person just starting out is constantly focused on "I'm fat.  I'm trying to lose weight.  It's hard.  I'm fat.  This sucks.  I can do this!  I'm fat.  I don't want to be."  The person who has begun losing weight places their identity in "I can't believe how far I've come!  I can't believe how hard this is :(  Wow, I guess I am starting to change.  Wow, I can't believe how far I have to go.  But I'm trying.  I had a bad day/week/month/winter/year but I'll keep trying and I'll beat this.  I'm a person losing weight."  Lastly, the person who has lost a significant amount of weight focuses on these things, "Look how fat I used to be!  I can't believe how changed I am!  I can't believe I gained 5 pounds in 4 meals.  I'm not fat anymore!  I gained weight back.  I'm going to be in this battle for the rest of my life."  Do you see the sad link here?  It's all solely about weight loss, one's identity as a fat person.  It's so sad, but particularly as a daughter of Christ I just can't pretend I'm the same as the general weight loss blog community.

Recently, when reading said blogs, my heart is just sad.  I realize that I'm not really one of them because so much of what has been happening in me is far deeper than just the obesity related stuffs in my life.  I have felt disconnected because the more I wrote about Jesus the less I was embraced by the weight loss blogging community.  I constantly struggled with wanting to leave Jesus out and find acceptance, unfulfilling as it would have been.  Plus, God has really been working on my heart regarding wisdom in what I say, how much I share, and what it looks like to be open and honest in a way that is edifying while still guarding my heart.  I have much to learn in that regard, but I no longer feel that weight loss / obesity needs to be a central theme in my writing.  I know, however, that God is calling me to write, and to write for His glory.

One weight loss blogger recently talked about seeing weight loss as something all consuming, that she's working on being so focused and dedicated to weight loss that at any given moment she asks herself, "What am I doing to lose weight right now?".  My heart aches for this woman- and others- who believes that achieving a certain physical shape and ability will fulfill her.  This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back- I cannot pretend any longer that I'm here to blog about weight loss and dedicating my life & writing to encouraging others to get physically healthy.  I'm here, as a blogger, to encourage people to seek, surrender to, and know Jesus because that is what my entire life is about.

So... this is my last real post to FoodeFight.  I'll post one more pointing people to the new blog I have started.  You are more than welcome to read it (I'll also include the link below) and I hope you will!  I'm not going to be a different writer, per se, just the subject matter will shift to being primarily about Jesus with some of my weight loss / obesity related issues included from time to time as is relevant and edifying.  I'll still be raw, just hopefully with an identity firmly placed on who I am in Jesus Christ.

Lastly- to those who have been with me on here, thank you.  I do love you and hope you'll read my new blog.  It won't be some cheesy-peasy lame-o contemporary Christian atrocity, trust me!  If you know me at all you know that's not my schtick.  It will be about Jesus, His Bible, and what He's teaching me told in a (I pray) powerful and truthful way.

So- here's the link:

http://2617.tumblr.com/

Much love--
Tami