christineyountjones.com

Author: Christine Yount Jones

  • What Not to Wear, Part 2

    What Not to Wear, Part 2

    I went to church a few weeks ago, wearing an outfit that made me feel, well…frumpy. Matronly. I couldn’t wait to get home and change. It reminds me of what my friend Rochelle says about how a bad outfit makes her feel grumpy. Bad outfits make me feel grumpy too.

    And not only that, bad outfits are bad for my weightloss journey. When I’m wearing an outfit that “follows the rules,” I feel better about myself, my confidence is higher, and my desire to make healthy choices increases.

    I know it seems superficial compared to the spiritual truths God is leading me through. And I apologize for that. But I do think there’s some merit in learning to dress appropriately.

    So…here are my top-3 rules for What Not to Wear.

    1. Avoid Snug Clothing.

      Sometimes we long to wear the stylish clothes that thinner women can wear, so we pour ourselves into outfits we never should. And the bulges and rolls and curves make their appearance for all to see. Ladies, say it isn’t so!

      It reminds me of the scene from Steel Magnolias where Clairee Belcher comments on the mayor’s wife, who’s dancing in a tight skirt. “Looks like two pigs fightin’ under a blanket,” she observes. Girls, it really shouldn’t be.

       

      Let’s take a look at some of the styles we should just say no to. To be kind, I’m not commenting.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2. Avoid Too Baggy Clothes.

    It’s all too easy to go to the other extreme to avoid snug clothes. And, believe me, I’ve done it and still do it sometimes. My mom reminded me just the other day about how I used to try to hide my body in big baggy clothes during college. I responded with a weak, “but I liked them!”

    While I’m all for loose-fitting clothes (and I’ll deal with what to wear in my next blog), we can go too far. There are some wonderful loose looks that complement instead of camouflage our bodies. These images are not them!

    Again, to be kind–no comments.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    3. Avoid Too Short Clothing.

    Some of these looks below are so close to being right. Imagine more length on them, and they’re probably just right. In fact, place your fingers over these gals’ thighs to see where their legs start to look less thick–and you’ll know how long is just right.

     

     

     

     

     

    Now let’s get personal…here are three examples of me breaking the rules. Hold on…it’s not pretty.

     

    Too Tight!

    Look how my friend is wearing a flowing outfit that makes her look so much better!

    Too Baggy!

    That’s me in the middle with the black top and wide-legged jeans.

    They actually make my legs look bigger!

    Too Short!

    Oh my! What was I thinking? This polka-dot top needed 8 more inches to be right for my body. And, to think, I was onstage at our conference. Yikes!

    God calls us to so much more.

    “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.”

    1 Timothy 2:9

  • What Not to Wear, Part 1

    What Not to Wear, Part 1

    “And I want women to be modest in their appearance.
    They should wear decent and appropriate clothing
    and not draw attention to themselves
    by the way they fix their hair or
    by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.”
    1 Timothy 2:9

    Or by wearing clothes that are too tight
    or unflattering
    or could get us featured in a “People of Walmart” post.

    At the risk of pointing fingers at anyone–including myself, let’s talk about what not to wear for us curvy girls.

    Really, you ask? What does that have to do with not being diet addicted? Stick with me here.

    When we dress appropriately, we feel better about ourselves. And when we feel better ourselves, we’re more motivated to make healthy choices.

    Girls, we are beautiful! Even with all our curves. But, let’s be honest, no one needs to see all our curves or ripples or bulges or…well, you get the picture.

    Just in case you’re not getting the picture…

     

     

     

    There’s a better way. I’m no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I’d like to share with you in my next few posts.

    And I’d love to hear from you secrets you’ve learned along the way to dress modestly and appropriately for your curves.

  • Gaining Wisdom to Lose Weight

    Gaining Wisdom to Lose Weight

    God will use our recovery from diet addiction to grow us in wisdom. As we draw closer to Him, depending on Him instead of diets to save us, we’ll learn more about His Word and His ways.

    As difficult as this journey can be–the ups and downs, the beautiful thing is that we’re learning more about who God is than about the latest diet fad. We’re spending time crying out to God, searching His Word, being accountable to Him instead of a diet program.

    Growing in wisdom is a gain that’s greater than any weight loss.

    I believe God longs for us to be wise. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He told them He was sending them out among wolves. He warned…

    “Be wise as serpents
    and harmless as doves.”
    Matthew 10:16

    This message is reinforced by Paul who said in Romans 16:19 to be “wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”

    May God use our daily challenges to teach us to be wise in what is good!

    I needed to be more wise on a recent trip. My sweet sister-in-law called to see if I was okay with her bringing Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream over. I didn’t stop to think long about it. Thinking that I can eat anything in moderation, I said yes.

    While it’s true that I can eat anything, it’s not true that I can eat the entire carton in a week. And the price I’ve paid in the malaise of my spirit and returning to focusing on the Spirit instead of my flesh has been high.

    I was not wise in my choice of understanding the danger this Blue Bell temptation would be for me. I should’ve said no to her gracious question. There are some foods that can trigger my appetite and I just need to keep them out of hand’s reach. I needed to be wise as a serpent.

    So how do we learn to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove? Consider these things I’ve learned about serpents.

    Snakes have senses that other animals don’t. Snakes don’t smell; instead their forked tongues taste chemical compositions in the air. Snakes don’t have eyelids or ears and their eyes don’t move. To hear, they feel vibrations through the ground.

    May God give us a spiritual sense through the Holy Spirit to see and hear and taste what is true rather than what we experience through our five senses alone. 

    Snakes know to get out of the cold since they can’t produce heat.

    May God give us the wisdom to avoid danger and temptation–to get out of the cold that will freeze our desire for good.

    Snakes don’t have to eat often because their metabolisms are so slow.

    This can just be an unspoken prayer!

    Snakes adapt to their environment. Corn snakes use their scales to climb bark. The Paradise Tree Snake of southeast Asia can “fly” by swinging its body into the air and flattening to a C-shape.

    May God give us the wisdom to adapt to any environment to thrive–even on vacation, at parties, over holidays–so that we walk in His Spirit instead of our flesh.

    Snakes don’t attack humans. When threatened, they try not to be noticed. Snakes use camouflage for protection.

    May God give us the wisdom to react for self-preservation in pursuing goodness instead of reacting out of our emotions and turning to food to meet needs that only God can.

    “Therefore be careful how you walk,
    not as unwise men but as wise.”
    Ephesians 5:15