Father, I come to You on behalf of Shirley right now. I love her humility to come before her friends and ask for prayer. I know all too well how difficult this battle can be, Lord, and it really isn’t about beauty as much as it is about giving You full control. I pray that Your fruit of self-control would overflow in Shirley as she makes her food and exercise choices. I pray for miraculous discipline, one that could only come from You. And Lord, while Shirley feels she has hit bottom, I pray that YOu would lift her from the slimy pit of defeat and despair and cause her to sing a song of victory in You. Prompt her friends to pray as often as she needs it. Give her a buddy to help her, and a way of escape when she is tempted to overindulge. Lord, you know that i have had to pray these same prayers for myself over the years, and I so now I pray them for Shirley as she asks. May You receive all the glory as You work in our lives, Father. In Your name, Amen.

Check out this blog: http://www.thylacineslair.com/MindRetreat/BigBeauty.htm .

Second, don’t “diet”. My wife had to lose a decent amount of weight before her surgery this year, and did so by exercising portion control and increasing physical activity. Rather than forbidding certain foods to herself, she just watched how much she ate. Weight loss is an equation of burning more calories than we consume, and that can be accomplished without the frustration of denying ourselves the things we like and enjoy.

Portion control may not be as fast as some of those advertised programs, but realistic progress that is sustainable is better than rapid progress that frustrates.

Lord, Encourage my sister in Lord in her struggle. Strengthen her and direct her in the path you want her to go. Help her to know that you will never leave her and that you are there to be her encourager! Thank you for your help with our struggles with our weight and for the struggles in life. In your precious name, AMEN