Health

588 Days to Winning the Weight Battle

By Melissa Muhammad | Last updated: Sep 5, 2011 - 4:48:54 PM

What's your opinion on this article?

One sister's inspirational story of success

588_days300x225.jpg
(FinalCall.com) - Every New Year many people set out with resolutions to change. At the top of that list for many is to take on the struggle to lose weight. In “How to Eat to Live,” Book II, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad writes that fat is against life.

Sister Lorraine Muhammad of Bloomington, Illinois, set out to win the weight battle and was successful. Over the course of 588 days, the mother of six lost 64 pounds. After her success she decided to write a book about her weight loss journey; beginning with how she became overweight.

In her book, “588 Days! Balancing Act of Faith, Family & Finding Time For Me” published by Crescent, Printing, Sis. Lorraine Muhammad chronicles her struggles from day one. She takes an honest look at how she would justify eating.

“I was so excited about being pregnant. … I was not prepared on how to get myself back in shape, both mentally and physically, upon the birth of our baby girl. I guess in my mind I would just snap back in shape.”

After the baby was born, “I was still in the mindset of eating for two. I was nursing our little girl and just thought that all of the food that I was taking in was for the good of the baby. I also thought when I eventually stopped nursing, my stomach would flatten … and I would be back to my old self. Well, that didn't occur.”

As Sis. Lorraine continues detailing her weight loss journey, she shares the techniques she used, the mental preparation and the physical work she did to reach her current weight of 140 pounds. “I've tried to find methods of taking these Teachings and sharing it with the Lost-Found, as well as find means to strengthen and encourage the Believers.

“In Minister Farrakhan's lecture called “Strong Relationships,” he talks about sisters weighing more than they (did) and how husbands may now have a new way of looking at their wives and are possibly looking at their neighbor's wives. This lecture went on to talk about obesity in our society and how it has struck our women and our men. One point in his message that was near and dear to my heart and feelings, particularly as a mother was: “You have a baby or two and it seems like your world has come apart and you don't care to look like you cared to look when you were single. You won't go to the gym. You won't let the gym come to you. By that I mean a little stepper or a little treadmill or something. If you have it, then you let it collect dust.”

In her book, in the 19th chapter, Sis. Lorraine describes her weight loss as a spiritual experience. “The spiritual side of this experience is more than words can describe. … While I am on the treadmill or the elliptical machine, I read. “Read in the name of thy Lord!” as we've been instructed. … For so many years, with the birth of the children, working full-time and homeschooling, I've made excuses and rationalized as to why I didn't have time to read. … As I started to read … it was like I was a brand new student all over again.”

Most importantly, Sis. Lorraine acknowledges that prayer was key to her success. “There were SEVERAL times I wanted to just quit,” but she drew strength from the Hon. Min. Louis Farrakhan, “There is no such thing as personal success without Prayer, if our conscious Desire is to build our Will that we may do His Will.” (Self-Improvement: The Basis for Community Development—Building the Will, Part II Study Guide #6.)

“588 Days ...” is an inspiring and truthful look at one woman's struggle with her weight, how she overcame it with faith and perseverance and how other women in the same situation can overcome the weight battle, too.

(For more information regarding Sister Lorraine S. Muhammad's success, or to obtain a copy of her book, visit www.findtimeforyou.com or call 309-531-0032.)