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Clare Smith

Training Body & Soul

{Shed & Share Wednesdays} Zinnada H

January 25, 2012

I couldn’t think of a better way to end our {31.3 Jump} than with a real life story. If you are new to “Shed & Share Wednesdays” be sure to check out our other stories! Meet Zinnada H!

♥♥♥

{The Basics}

Name: Zinnada H.

Age: 35

Profession: Homemaker

How long have you been on this weight loss journey? It’s been 1 year!! I started around this time last year! Woo-hoo!

Weight Loss/Inches Lost: 45 lbs / 4 dress sizes

Blog/Facebook Page: Blog: www.growinghodges.blogspot.com and I can be found on facebook as Zinnada Hodges

{Your Story}

What was your “low point”?

It was when I finally confessed my sin of idolatry to food to the Lord. The Lord began to put His finger on the issue with me in 2008 after I had my first son when I started a bible study called “The Lord’s Table”. When I realized that I had made foods such as sweets (cakes, candy bars, sodas, and ice cream) as an idol, I thought I had repented from desiring to eat them and I lost some of my weight. But, once I got pregnant again, with our last son in 2010. I gained all the weight back and was 180 pounds wearing a size 14-16.

I was greatly discouraged about my weight. Especially since I remember being a size 4 when I got married and I was very athletic in high school and college. I hated the fact that I just let myself gain so much weight. I tried doing the bible study again, but my heart was not in it. I was trying to “cheat” my way through it in order to get the reward of weight loss. So, I continued to go after foods and continued to gain weight. Weight wasn’t the only thing that I was gaining, I was becoming more and more discouraged about my appearance.

Then the Lord lead me to a women’s bible study at my church. The study helped me to deal with the bondage that I was in. That’s when it became clear that I was held prisoner to food addiction and that it was time for me to break free from its hold on me through the power of God’s Spirit and His word!!

How did you get started?

When the new year began, the Lord made it clear that it was time for me to walk away from my old eating habits and to began learning to walk in new ones. He used a dieting devotional to help me to start. In the devotional, I wasn’t to eat anything white (no sugar, flour, or potatoes) and no corn. When I saw that, I knew God was meaning business because every one of those things were the foods that I craved. The devotional also challenged me not to eat anything after 7 pm. Night snacking was the worst habit I had formed. After having a hard time with the kids, ice cream and candy bars were my “drug” to take to sooth away all of the stresses of the day.

As I began doing that for 2 months, it helped me get on the path of healthy eating. I was blessed with a set of exercise DVD’s that I used every morning. As I continued eating better and exercising, I started seeing the weight fall off of me every month and now a year later I’m 135 pounds wearing a size 8! Praise God!

{Help Us!}

What are your top 3 favorite resources that helped you along the way?

1. Leslie Sansone’s “Walk At Home” exercise DVD series
2. Beth Moore’s “Breaking Free” bible study
3. “Fit For My King” Dieting Devotional by Sheri Rose Shepherd

What one piece of advice would you give to someone who is sitting on the sidelines and waiting?

Trust the Lord that you can lose the weight. His grace is so sufficient!! He can give you the strength through His Spirit to say no to those habits and can help you to develop new ones. You’ve got to trust in His power and His word. He will offer a way of escape.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone who is in the process but is feeling discouraged?

Continue to trust the Lord for the desire to loose the weight. Remember, “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask the Lord…” Seek His face as to what else you may need to do to loose the weight. I remember when I stopped seeing the scale go down and I started to feel discouraged and wanted to give up. By God’s grace, He helped me to “take my thoughts captive”. I had to fight the temptation to give in to the lie that “It’s not working.” “Just give up!” When you think about it, it’s truly the enemy trying to discourage us and keep us on that path of unhealthy eating. So, continue to fight the flesh, trust the Lord, and keep pressing constantly “casting your cares on Him” to get you to the desired weight you’d like to be.
Also seek the Lord as to why you’ve gained the weight. Have you been eating turning to food instead of Him? Are you lazy and need to learn how to come out of it? Why do you really want to loose the weight? Is it to look good for others? Search your heart on the matter.

Think of a plan. If you can’t keep certain foods out of the house due to others liking them, ask them to not eat the food in front of you or to hold you accountable of not eating them (and listen to them when they see you eating them!) I had to do that. Also think of healthy foods that you do like to eat. Just because carrot chips are healthy for you. If you think they’re nasty, don’t try to eat them. Only eat the good foods that you like. But, also began to try different foods as you continue to grow in your new eating habits.

Lastly, remember to “die daily” to your old self. Your old eating habits were build in you and now you’ve got to learn to walk in your new way of eating. By God’s grace, He helped me to see that since I’ve repented and have given my eating to him, I had to be reminded of that daily. I still fall short, but when I do, I continue to seek and ask Him to keep me from those foods that turn me away from finding comfort in Him. I also had to realize that I couldn’t eat certain foods anymore due to my addiction to them. By God’s grace, I haven’t had certain candy bars in a year and I don’t drink any sodas. When I eat  ice cream, I choose a flavor that I don’t really care for (vanilla) and I get a child’s size cup.

Once you lose the weight, give God the glory! It was Him who helped you so let others know it. Once you tell it, be diligent to keep it off. That’s been my biggest thing. I didn’t want to profess and tell others that it was the Lord who helped me to loose it only for others to see me gain it back! So, as a witness of what God can do, I strive daily to maintain my weight.

If you are a parent, how have you balanced everything?

Being a mother to 5 kids aging from 8 to 2 years old, I arise early in the morning to exercise. I also run around outside with my kids instead of sitting and watching them play and we love it!

Anything else you would like to share?

It’s a blessing to have a supportive husband. My sweetheart never took his eyes off of my body. He loved and desired it always!! His encouragement helped me to desire to give him a better and healthier me. Now, I’m even more happier to have the energy to serve him in many ways. Plus, it’s great to have the energy to serve the rest of my family. To God be the glory for what He has done!!

♥♥♥

Thank you for sharing your story, Zinnada. What encouragement for all of us!

Do you have a Shed Story that you want to share? We want to hear it! Please contact me below or clare@peak313.com to be a part of the series! Stay tuned because I have many more women with more inspiring stories to come!

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Filed Under: Featured, Good Living, Shed & Share, Spiritual Tagged With: real life, Shed & Share, spiritual 25 Comments

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Comments

  1. Jenny says

    January 25, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    WOW! What a gorgeous family! You have inspired me today Zinnada! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I relate completely to your old habits (using food for comfort at the end of a long day with kids, I have 5 too). I will look for those Bible Study books!! What a testimony you have!!

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 25, 2012 at 8:55 pm

      Praise the Lord, Sister. I pray that those studies will be a great blessing to you like they were for me.

      Reply
  2. Jessica says

    January 25, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    Congrats to you Zinnada. Thank you for your reminders from scripture. Gluttony is so often looked over in the church. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard a sermon preached on it. I myself have lost 51 pounds since last January and have had to deal with the realization that I am a food addict. Drug or alcohol addicts can refrain from using those things but food addicts can’t stop eating food. It’s about learning to eat the things we were designed to eat and to eat for fuel not for fun or comfort. I saw a picture the other day that said, “Try Organic Food or as your grandparent’s used to call it…food!” That’s why I have loved this #313jump challenge because it’s all about eating clean! Congrats again! You look amazing and have a beautiful family!

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 25, 2012 at 8:56 pm

      Thanks, Jessica!

      Reply
  3. Lindsey says

    January 25, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Just what I needed to hear today. I’m feeling a little frustrated with my weight loss plateau and the voices telling me to give up and go eat ice cream and chips! LOL! Thanks for reminding me that the enemy wants me to fail (even in my weight loss and healthier lifestyle) so I’ll be getting on my treadmill rught after I finish this reply. God bless you Zinnada and Clare!

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 25, 2012 at 8:57 pm

      THat’s good Lindsey. I remember hearing those same words, Sister. By God’s grace, you can do it.

      Reply
  4. Kim says

    January 25, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    Wow that is so inspiring and awesome! Thank you!

    Reply
  5. Ingrid says

    January 25, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    First, what an adorable family 🙂 Those kiddos are precious! Second, I LOVED this story because I can relate. I run to coffee (with lots of cream and sugar) for comfort. I know that I should pray instead! I also get lazy and tend to eat what is easy which isn’t always healthy. I weigh about 160 & wear a 12-14 size. After having my first 2 boys I lost weight and felt awesome, weighed 135 and was a size 8. After my youngest was born I ended up at the 160/12-14 size. I’m not happy. 20 lbs. feels impossible to lose. This story was encouraging to me.

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 26, 2012 at 8:42 am

      Ingrid, I can totally relate. Tea has become my latest thing. But, I try to make sure that I have my limited amount of cream and sugar. I watch the calories on what I put in it. I try to make sure that my heart is right in drinking it too. It can be so hard due to the sweetness and the warmth that we feel when drinking it. I just try to remember that sweetness isn’t a sin. I just have to make sure that I’m not turning to it for comfort instead of God when I do drink my tea with all it’s trimings. LOL Let’s pray for each other whenever we are drinking our hot sweet drinks. Stay encouraged, Sister. Our God is able to help us.

      Reply
  6. Kris says

    January 25, 2012 at 9:34 pm

    What a beautiful family you have! What a tremendous story of victory through Christ!! You are a beautiful and inspiring person, thank you so much for this!!

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 26, 2012 at 8:42 am

      Bless your heart, Sister Kris!! Thank you and may the Lord bless you.

      Reply
  7. Janice Ray says

    January 26, 2012 at 11:35 am

    What an inspiration you are to those of us that need to lose weight. Thank you for sharing!

    Blessings to you and your beautiful family!

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 26, 2012 at 5:32 pm

      Bless you, Janice. May you look to our Lord to do this (and Peak313 Fitness! LOL)

      Reply
  8. Shaunta says

    January 26, 2012 at 2:54 pm

    Zinnada,
    What an awesome story! I love how you connect all of this to the Lord and He can certainly be seen in your story. I’m going to send this to my mom. She lost 4.6 lbs last week and I know this will inspire her. God is good, Sister! Keep on praising Him, Tay

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 26, 2012 at 5:33 pm

      Thanks Shaunta! Love you, Girl!

      Reply
  9. Joy says

    January 26, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    Zinnada,

    My sister is Shaunta’. She sent me your story, whoa, amazing! You look so strong and fit. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 26, 2012 at 7:43 pm

      Thanks Joy! Your sister is a blessing to me. Take care and thanks for the encouragement.

      Reply
  10. Cynthia Caine says

    January 26, 2012 at 10:01 pm

    Hello, I’m Shaunta’s mom. Thank you so much for your story. Oh what a mighty God we serve. You better go girl!

    Reply
    • Zinnada Hodges says

      January 27, 2012 at 6:06 pm

      LOL Thanks Mrs. Caine

      Reply
  11. Jinka Bloom says

    January 30, 2012 at 8:59 am

    Zinnada, Thank you for sharing! You look beautiful and STRONG- I love it! Your family is gorgeous. Thank you for shining light on an issue many have become numb to. We are to be aware of what we bring into our temples! Via it be through our eyes and what we watch, our ears in what we listen to or our mouths by what we eat.

    Reply
    • Zinnada says

      February 24, 2012 at 6:57 pm

      Thanks. YOu are so right!

      Reply
  12. Jane Smith says

    February 2, 2012 at 7:57 am

    This is exactly what I needed to read this morning. I have been on this weight loss journey my entire life. I have gained & lost over 200lbs total with 4 pregnancies. My youngest is two and I am at the highest weight I’ve been since 2000. After reading your post I realized I am simply back to the habits of using food for a comfort. I was SO encouraged by your story. You gave it to God and He brought you through. Thank you for sharing. I loved the picture of your family…I can tell in the picture how healthy & strong you feel! Thanks again for your example…

    Reply
    • Zinnada says

      February 24, 2012 at 6:59 pm

      Praise God, Jane. I hear you. By God’s grace, you can do it, Sister. Keep pressing and trying.

      Reply
  13. Summer says

    March 7, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    Thank you for sharing your inspiring story! This is yet another encouragement in my goals…thank you! Good job, and to God the glory!

    Reply
  14. Veronica says

    September 15, 2012 at 8:52 pm

    Hey Z! I have just started browsing this amazing site. I was more than thrilled to see your success story here. Praise God for victory. You know oh too well my struggle. Your testimony and life have been a great blessing to me. So glad to call you friend.

    Reply

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Let your complicated, challenging, nuanced situati Let your complicated, challenging, nuanced situation(s) be what forms you. Let it build you into the person God is bringing you to be. It’s not the ability to live life unscathed and perfect that creates a beautiful soul. It’s the ability to feel the heat and pain and come out more tender, authentic, and loving that makes you a person who is set apart for use. A person like this is refreshing and that person absolutely is you. #abeautifulpurpose

(Quote not my own)
I’ll keep this short because I want you to read I’ll keep this short because I want you to read the poem. We can bring our burdens many places nowadays- friends, Instagram, Facebook, text, to gym, to work, to sleep.. you get the point. But let’s make sure we bring our burdens first to Jesus. After the week.. month.. year.. many of us are having, there’s no better time to do this than now. #sweetunfailingrefuge

(I found this tucked in an old book at my family’s 100 year old farmhouse that we were selling this summer 🤍)
•My house was a mess with everyone being home to •My house was a mess with everyone being home today
• I only had ingredients for one batch of soup
• I don’t drink alcohol on Mondays
• Hubs had the sink totally apart in the middle of a project
• The kids were in and out of our deep conversation

Sometimes the quick stop to say hello turns into a therapy session with dinner and wine. Everything was stacked against me – so I thought- but the mayhem is often beauty and normalcy to the person’s life who is spinning. Sometimes “the plan” goes off track... but it’s not off track in God’s eyes.

Living life knowing that the minutes of your day are not yours but for God to use to encourage and be there for people who are hurting changes everything. It changes who you marry. It changes how you spend your money. It changes what you do with your time. Dinner portions may not be what you planned but God always finds enough to fill those who come to His table to be loved on and heard.

If I know one thing – it’s this. People are hurting right now. Some things are private and some are public. What would it look like if our homes became safe places for people to land? For our hearts to enter in the pain? For our embrace to provide the temporary relief needed? We can be people who talk about bringing the kingdom here on earth or we can be people who do what we can with the little we have to be the hands and feet of Jesus. 🤍
I’ve been on a “physical” comeback over the I’ve been on a “physical” comeback over the past few weeks. Between an insane December, Covid recovery, Ohio winters, and the mere fact I don’t have the bounce back that I used to (#thisis40) it’s been a slow go for me to get to feeling where I feel best physically. It’s been discouraging to say the least and I feel like I just turned a corner last week. 

While a lot truly was physical exhaustion, it was more of a mind game I was playing. I had to be my own #hypeman and tell myself to keep chipping away at the goal. I had to tell myself that the only way to the end was through it…no shortcuts. Just time and steady work. I often dismissed the small wins I had because I hadn’t hit the finish line. Well that thinking wasn’t helping me and one day had the “aha”that while I wasn’t yet at the goal, I was BETTER.

Each of us have something in our lives where it’s not what we want. We are on the path to achievement but it sure ain’t there yet. It can be with some of the obvious things such a health or financial goals but I see this often with people regarding relationships. The marriage, friendship, child or community in which we live falls just short of “perfection” and so we just settle instead of putting in consistent, hopeful work, which allows room for the Holy Spirit to work. 

I just want to encourage you to keep chipping away because while things may not be what you want, they can be better. In fact the way we reach what we want is not by snapping our fingers and it magically appearing but by a process or journey which involves ups and downs, straight stretches of boredom, and then finally a renewed energy as you see the end in sight.

What have you given up on achieving because it hasn’t come to fruition in the time you wanted? Remember… things can be BETTER. And that counts for something. 🤍
I was recently telling someone my journey or where I was recently telling someone my journey or where I am today in regards to what I do for a living... the crazy road I’ve travelled over the last 10 years to get me here. It’s changed a lot and if you’ve been here online with me, you have seen it! If you would have asked 18 year old Clare what she saw herself filling her days with at 40 years old, it would be about 5% of what I’m doing. Goodness...none of this was even around when I was 18!

I look back and see all the twists and turns. All these tiny moments and conversations. Many open and closed doors. Things that I thought were just random or not a big deal, but in hindsight, they were a huge deal. I appear to be a very type a “has her stuff together and a plan” type girl but the truth is, I am (was) taking everything day by day.

All I know is that everything I stepped into prepared me for the next thing. Many times I didn’t even know it! But I look back often and am like, “ohhh, God, I see what ya did there!” 

My encouragement to you is this- no matter what age you are- trust the path you are on. Let peace be your guide... not some assumed plan an “expert” or author told you. Sure- be wise with your time. Put in the work with diligence wherever your feet may have you, but be open to the nudges of where to go.

Maybe I’m crazy but living a life of faith in God is one of the most exciting and fulfilling things. I don’t know what He has for me in 5 years let alone 1...and for whatever reason, that thought alone gets me up and helps me live with a holy anticipation. I trust Him.  I live less with resistance to the unexpected now. God is indeed preparing you for what he has prepared for you. What a loving Father!
We all know this but it’s so easy to forget. Rem We all know this but it’s so easy to forget. Remember that seeds are buried and “in the dark” before anything springs forth. Our journeys in life can often feel like that. Do the daily work. Tend your “heart garden.” Time is on your side. And when it’s time...it’s time. 🤍

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians‬ ‭6:9‬
A few years ago I was the speaker for a women’s A few years ago I was the speaker for a women’s retreat in the Chicago area. I just finished a session & a lady ran up to me asking if she could ask me a few questions. She was early 50’s, striking in appearance… fit & confident. She started telling me that she resonated with my health/fitness message & wanted some encouragement on starting “this late in life”, but as we continued talking, her demeanor changed & tears started to fill her eyes.

She told me that was she was struggling with something that had been weighing on her since she was 18…the decision to have an abortion. The tears were streaming down her face, the clear guilt she carried from it weighing heavy on every part of her beautiful stature. Not many knew about it. Her current husband did not…many friends did not. She felt it was keeping her from this life she saw that was just within reach. The more she sat in silence, the heavier the chains felt. She needed to speak and I watched the tears fall like visible chains.

We chatted a little longer, prayed & hugged, & as I walked away I couldn’t help but think of many women I’ve encountered with this same story but I would’ve never known. Walking through life seemingly fine, yet carrying a deep wound inside, questioning every bit of her worth and ability to make a difference. Heartbreaking. 

If you relate to that woman, I want you to know that you are loved & seen. Your past, as hard as it has been, has formed & shaped you into the woman you are today, & a woman that God greatly desires to use. He wants your broken, fragile heart. He will bind it up and heal it. He will walk with you in the shadows. He will lead you beside still and soul-quenching waters. There may be many words you can attach to your situation but there is one more powerful than all that I want you to keep remembering…RESTORATION. Jesus is renewing and reviving something within you that will bring light to yourself & others.

For the rest of us who may not have this as a part of our story, let’s remember that we are walking amongst those who have & that we are to be healing arms, not ones of judgement & legalism...but ones of compassion & grace. 🤍 DM me if you need prayer!
This came up on my Facebook memories and I just fe This came up on my Facebook memories and I just feel it’s always applicable! There is always something in our lives that if we could just “get our hands on” would work to our favor. We dream about what it would be like if we got that thing/person etc. We think about the 2 tweaks that need to happen for it to occur. We pray about it. Perhaps obsess over it.. sound familiar?

But we also start to resent our current lives. We stop living in what God has fully given us. We live everywhere but the here and now and alongside that dream of yours comes a side dish of anxiety and sadness. So then we get our hands in it, perhaps without God’s “OK” and then we see a mess unfold. We’ve all been there. If only we had waited. 

This is the grind of living in reality. We are pulled from living what is before us into living into a dream we have deep within. Here’s the cool thing. We don’t have to choose.. reality or dream. It’s not an either/or but both/and. We can live fully here while also giving energy to our hopes. The difference is how tightly we hold into those things and how much they get elevated in our hearts.

If you are here this morning I just want to encourage you that you aren’t alone! I truly believe with everything I am, that God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) I believe in His sovereign timing. I believe that the work He started in you (and everyone else in your life) will be completed. (Phil1:6) Keep praying, stay faithful to where you are now, walk in the “peace path” and hold onto Jesus. He will lead you. 🙏🏻
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