I am what you might call a fat expert. I was a fat baby,afat kindergartner, and a fat Jr. Higher. Shopping for new clothes at the beginning of the school year was not a joy to me because I would spend hours crying in the department store dressing rooms, frustrated that nothing fit. Oh, that I had known about Button Encouragement back then!

My mother didn’t know about Button Encouragement either. So at 10 years old, she sent me away to the ultimate in 1970’s pre-teen health: Fat Camp. While my peers were spending their summer at cheer-leading camp, art camp, and ballet camp, I was whisked off to fat camp.

In high-school, I lost my fat, and kept it off until I married. But with the stress of marriage and raising a family, I returned to my old friend Fat and soon, my weight soared to twice my wedding weight. Fifteen years into my marriage, I got very sick and under a doctor’s care, I again lost all of my fat. But once my health returned, so did my fat.

In the past, I have gone public with my weight struggle in the hope that baring all would motivate me. (Read past posts about my weight loss challenges by clicking here. ) But what was missing from my past efforts was the opportunity for encouragement. Oh, I had tried having someone be the Food Police for me. And once, I even reported my weekly weight to a friend, hoping somehow that the brutal honesty would shame me into compliance. But it didn’t. Somehow, I always ended up feeling like I was back at Fat Camp, with the counselor slicing the quart of Weight Watcher’s ice cream into half inch servings.

Button Encouragement

So a few weeks ago, I came up with the idea of rewarding myself with a button for each pound that I lost. This way I a had visible symbol of the progress I was making. I could make something meaningful out of my 150+ plus buttons when my Button Journey was done, and it was a fun and more comfortable way to talk about my weight with my friends.

On June 27th at 6:51 p.m., I told my 1,000+ Facebook Friends about my Button Encouragement idea:

So for those of you who were chatting with me about something I could use to mark/celebrate each pound I lose, I wanted to let you know that I decided on buttons. For every pound I lose I get to hang a button on my wall, each string of buttons will represent a week. I figure I could attach them all to a skirt or scarf or something one day… when I’m at my goal weight. And, it can be a nice way for my friends and family to chat with me about it, as in “How areyour buttons?” instead of “How is your weight loss coming along?” Similarly, I can post about my buttons, and only those who are reading and following me will really know what I’m talking about. Sooo, this week was the end of my first week, and I earned 4 buttons. So naturally, I had to run to the store to buy some cool looking ones. BTW, if you are so inclined, send me your buttons… ! I will needs lots and lots of them and would love to have fun, meaningful, collection from people who love me and are cheering me on.

The response was overwhelming. Immediately people were writing me, encouraging me, and sending me buttons! When I saw them in person they would ask me how “my buttons” were doing. I was excited and motivated and felt like I had finally hit on something that with God’s help was going to help me succeed.

Button Failure

Well, wouldn’t you know it, my 2nd week into my Button Adventure, and I didn’t lose any weight. Here, I had a cyber arena or friends cheering me on, and I couldn’t post that I’d lost anything. I was very upset because I’d worked very hard to earn some buttons. But then I realized, that I had a decision to make. Either I could slip back into hiding, lick my wounds, and head to my favorite ice cream shop; or I could stand fast and be open about my button failure.

Thankfully, I chose the latter. It was a difficult post to write, but I knew that if I was ever really going to overcome my problem with fat, I had to be accountable and stay accountable. Here is the post about my button failure:

July 4, 2015 FB POST

The hardest part of my Button Journey is when I am not successful. It’s easy to be all out there when I’m riding high, but it is much harder to do the same when I am not. So because I believe that accountability is so vital to overcoming any kind of human weakness, I must force myself to post even when it is uncomfortable.Accountability is meaningless unless we can be truly honest…all the time, not just when we have a reason to rejoice.So you know where this is going… I earned no buttons this week, and I am not sure why. I fully expected to earn several and hang the ones from Sis. Ilia David​ on my wall and rejoice. But with no buttons earned, I don’t get the privileged of doing that.Honestly, I stayed within my points, actually even below my points most days b/c I have been so excited about all of the encouragement from others etc. And I exercised 5x this week. And yet no buttons…So this post isn’t a pity party for Debbie. Instead it is a determined commitment to do all for the glory of God, and not the glory of Debbie… Perhaps that is what the Lord is trying to teach me this week.Love you all. Thanks for your continued encouragement. “I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling…”

The responses I received from my Button Failure posttouched me so deeply. Here are just a few of the comments I recieved:

Perhaps it’s one of those days where it’s nothing but a plateau and you have to jump start like in the beginning before you can again add some buttons. If you did what was required to earn buttons perhaps your being too hard on yourself and you just need a little change in what your doing to be on track for more buttons. Good job so far and keep on keeping on. Sometimes it’s not always in the exact numbers but in the effort

I think you should do something nice for yourself to celebrate your success in exercising everyday and sticking to your points. Great job

Sis Goff, your accomplishments are not solely on losing the weight even though that is your goal. Accomplishments can also be when you did all that is in your power even though you did not get the results you expected. Your true accomplishment in my opinion is that you are trying and are not giving up, God is your strength and he will help you through it. In Jesus Name!!! Just take one day at a time like our walk with God!! Love you!!

Join Me On My Button Journey

If you, like me, struggle with your weight, why not join me on my Button Journey? It’s a lot of fun, and will keep you encouraged as others rally around you and give you buttons they picked out with you in mind.

I received two lovely gifts of buttons just today. I have so much to lose that it’s going to take me a year or more to do it right, and it would be ever so much fun to have you along on the journey.

Let’s Pray

Lord Jesus, you are God of all the buttons. You know our frame, and remember that we are dust. But you love us too much to leave us in our weakness. Oh how well, you know our struggle with our weight. Please help us to overcome. We want to be more like you, and we know that in order to do so, we must lay aside every weight and sin that so easily besets us. We can’t do it our own. But with your help we can. And Lord, will you send us friends to do the Button Journey with us? Your word says that “two are better than one, because if one falls in the ditch the other can help him up.” We love you. We need you. Please help us Jesus. In your name, Amen.

Please, please, leave a comment if you plan to join me on my button journey!!And share this post with everyone you know who might like to join us too!