I know what it’s like to feel the heat of life’s circumstances. I know how it feels to seem powerless to overcome them. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and defeated.

Recently I've also been taking a look in the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel. We know the story as the "fiery furnace". I've also felt as though I've been walking through a few flames of my own. I've found consolation from the story. However difficult it is to understand, God uses our struggles and difficult situations which were meant for our demise, to free us from that which has held us captive. He never promises that we will not encounter trouble, but He shows up in the midst of the flames.

The story tells us that the three men that were thrown into flames were accompanied by a fourth. Not only were they unharmed, but the chains that bound them were released in the process.

I was reminded of a study of Daniel that I did several years ago—a Beth Moore Bible Study on Daniel. She encourages us also through our firey trials that we are to remember: When we are delivered from the fire, it builds our faith. When we are delivered through the fire, our faith is refined, and when we are delivered by the fire, our faith is perfected.  

The next time you feel the flames of trouble, you can remember with me: He gives us the faith and strength to walk through it, and stands guard to see that we come out unbound and without harm—and amazingly better for having gone through it. I can say that even though these last few weeks have been tough, they have also brought me through a significant time of spiritual graditude, intimacy, and growth. 

I've been reading the Old Testament book of Ruth. It is a love story that depicts the love between God and His people. Two of the main characters are Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. 

The story tells us that Naomi and her family left their home in Jerusalem and travel to the country of Moab because they there was a famine in the land.

They may have planned to go for just a short time, but they end up staying much longer than expected.

While in the land of Moab, Naomi suffers the loss of her husband and her two sons. During the process she comes to understand some things that make a significant impact on her life. 

After suffering these tremendous losses, she returns to Jerusalem. It is interesting to me that she now makes the statement that she left Jerusalem "full" but returns "empty." Naomi's perspective has changed as she starts to realize that there may be other hungers besides physical hunger. Naomi sees herself as bitter, empty, and afflicted, but she soon she finds that those labels aren't fitting her new life. Things in her life begin to change when she makes a choice to change her mind—she begins to see things in a whole new light. She learns what it takes to "fill" those empty places in her life and finds it necessary to adopt a new identity. 

What does that have to do with weight loss?

I had to make a few mindset changes before, during, and after my weight-loss experience. I began to realize I had a few famines of my own. These famines had moved me into a foreign land that seemed to take things from me more eagerly than the promises they made to fulfill. I found I often try to fill my emotional and spiritual hungers with physical food. During my weight-loss journey, I had to change my mind about food and how I wanted it to serve me. I had to find out why I ate and find the right kind of "food" to feed my emotional and spiritual hungers.

After losing weight, I found that I the labels I had placed on myself didn't fit my new life anymore. I had to adopt a new identity of the new me and rid my self of the old one. These were some of the changes in mindset that helped me change my life and paved the way from those early days of pre-surgery and into long-term weight-loss surgery success. 

Are you in a famine? Do you need to find the right kind of "food" to fill those empty places? Do you need a new identity? I share my story in my upcoming book (which is making tremendous progress towards completion)—stay turned for more on how you can move from famine to plenty. 

Yes, you can. You have many more miles to go!

The experts tell us...experts are the people who understand the body better than you and I,...well, I hope there is someone who understands it...anyway, they tell us that our bodies always put self preservation first.  

If this is true, then when we cut our portion sizes, our bodies begin to slow down the rate at which we burn fuel and start to reserve energy.  

They tell us that our body will do anything and everything in its power not let us die from starvation. 

So maybe we need to find a way to communicate to our body that it's not starving and that it's ok to let go of a few more pounds...or we could try option number two...scream at the scales. Or option number three get depressed, and have a pity party...I'm good at throwing parties! 

The bottom line is, the only plateau I like is the one that comes after I have lost all the weight I want to lose, not before. Plateaus can send us down an emotional roller coaster...and just like the real roller coaster, they can be quite frightening. 

All of us at one time or another experience weight loss plateaus. Some last longer than others. Our bodies need time to readjust, reshift, and adapt to the loss of fat. 

Here are a few tips I've found to help our body "break through" the plateau and start losing again..so I'm game, what about you?  

1. Strength Training If you are not doing this as part of your program or lifestyle, then it's time to start. Working your muscles will help to strengthen bone tissue, increase lean mass, and ultimately boost metabolic rate.

 2. Change Your Exercise Routine So you go walking a lot? Then try jogging, or swimming, or cycling -- anything that will change the way your body is working. If you are doing low intensity cardio work, then try some high intensity exercise. You could increase your length of activity also.  Ahhhh...excuse me, "sitting" is not an exercise! The other day I went to the park and got on the swing....does that count? It becomes harder to lose the smaller we get, so we must increase activity and exercise. 

3. Getting in extra protein is a great idea for speeding up weight loss. Eating protein, for example, increases your metabolism by up to 30 percent and fiber around 15 percent. Meals can have the potential to boost your metabolic rate up to two hours after you eat. So eating small meals increases calorie burn. Especially small frequent meals. When exercising, it helps to balance proteins and carbohydrates for recovery.  (Also see the entry:  "your metabolism at work" by searching the sidebar.) 

Yes we can...we have many more miles to go!

• Four 90 Minute Evening Classes
• 6:00 - 7:30pm @ Chrysalis Center
• Cost of Program: $150 in advance or $40 per class

Agenda for Each Meeting:

• Aug 6, 2012:           Back to Basics – What Should I Be Eating?
• Aug 13, 2012:         Mindful Eating – How Should I Be Eating?
• Aug 20, 2012:         Meal Planning, Shopping, Supplements
• Aug 27, 2012:         Exercise Goal Setting & Relapse Prevention

C'est la vie. Pronounced (Say lah veee), it means "this is life," in French. And that is just what I've been celebrating these days. Life.

I just celebrated my six-year anniversary from bariatric surgery, which is certainly something worth celebrating. But this week our entire family and friends celebrated another miracle of life. We joined our son, Brent and his wife, Amanda, as they welcomed the newest member of our family into the world—Genevieve. Her daddy calls her "little Vie" for short. 

Six years ago when I made the decision to have bariatric surgery, it was because I wanted my life back. I was struggling with declining health, low self-esteem, and depression. My weight was robbing me of not only my health but life in general. Among one of the things I wanted was the energy to run and play with my future grandchildren. I also realized babies need laps on which to snuggle and I needed one of those, too.

Now, little Genevieve is helping me realize one of my dreams: enjoying health and life. Celebrating the promise that life goes on—and I'm going with it. 

Weight-loss surgery can give those who need it a second chance to celebrate life and health. You can join me in celebrating life, as well.

Welcome to life!

Happy Birthday, Genevieve, "little Vie." 

(to view more photos of Genevieve, see my personal facebook page, (Julia Holloman), or you can click on the link under stocial media at the top of the page, on the left and follow it to my personal page)