Shedding the Blubber: The Simple Truth

By Dani Shine

This is an inspirational journey to discover your true self. Many lies surround us every day and keep us from finding our true self. Typically our true self is hidden under multiple layers of blubber waiting to be set free. Come take this journey with me to shed the blubber, and discover your true self. On a personal note, proceeds of this book will be donated to ALS Research for my friend.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dani Shine
• Release date: Apr 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301089215

Dani Shine

I am a Registered Nurse that specializes in Gastrointestinal nursing. I've lived in Springfield and Bend Oregon and served in the military four and a half years. During my enlistment I lived in Germany and Saudi Arabia. I am also a wife, and a mother of a nine year old daughter. Plus I have two great stepchildren and my first grandbaby. I am currently living and working in beautiful Bend, Oregon.

Book preview

Shedding the Blubber: The Simple Truth

Published at Smashwords by Dani Shine

Copyright 2013 Dani Shine

I dedicate this to my beautiful Grandma, Cora Mae Best, Corky your spirit, love, and compassion will truly be missed.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Attempts to Shed the Blubber

Chapter 2: Core Strengths

Chapter 3: Overcoming Obstacles: Past and Future

Chapter 4: Emotional Hurdles

Chapter 5: Physical Limitations

Chapter 6: Spiritual Realization: Giving God the Glory

Chapter 7: Peaks and Valleys

Chapter 8: Life Gets in the Way

Chapter 9: The Grief Factor

Chapter 10: What Next?

Chapter 11: The Simple Truth

Chapter 12: Forgive to Live

Prologue

Shedding the Blubber:

The Simple Truth

I am a frustrated, fortyish, menopausal, sarcastic, stubborn, overweight woman. Constant battles emotionally, physically, and spiritually have left me exhausted. Like many working mom’s I’m burning the candle at both ends, and tend to focus on everyone else’s needs but my own. Somehow along the way I lost myself, and began to stuff down any and all feelings with food. As a Registered Nurse, I know this is a poor coping technique, but can’t seem to stop it. In this book I will discuss my past behaviors, and which ones have worked for me and also the ones that haven’t. My constant battle of the bulge has left me feeling quite miserable and helpless. So, I began to pray for strength, for guidance, and most of all for forgiveness. I feel like I have failed myself, my family, and even my profession. Sound familiar to anyone?

One night a couple of weeks ago I woke up with a God inspired thought, which prompted me to write this book. Hopefully along the way it can inspire others to rediscover themselves, and remind them that God loves all of us. Emotionally I discuss my walk through the darkness of depression, and my success at living with this mental illness. Physically I have struggled with asthma and orthopedic dilemmas, but am still determined to remain heart healthy and active. As for my spirituality, God has given me a new start, and I felt compelled to share this journey with others. My goal is to encourage others to begin their own journey of self- discovery.

Writing this book is my way to dispel the lies that surround us every day, and keep us from finding our true self. Typically our true self is hidden under multiple layers of blubber, waiting to be set free. These layers can consist of self-doubt, guilt, depression, alcoholism, obesity, stress, denial, anger, any number of things. Come and take the journey with me to shed the blubber emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and discover your true self.

Chapter 1

Attempts to Shed the Blubber

When I say blubber, I mean fat. Fat can mean the garbage that society feeds us, or the garbage we put into our mouths. Blubber can also mean a covering or a layer of protection. In my crazy mind I see a fat wall built around my brain keeping the truth out and the lies in. Truth number one is this: obesity is everywhere, and it is on the rise (no pun intended). I personally have tried so many diets that even I can’t keep track of them all. For example, I tried the eat veggies only one day, eat fruit the next, then combine the fruit, and oh joy eat tuna the third day, and then eggs, and blah, blah, blah, to no avail. Next attempt was the South Beach diet, which was fairly successful. At the time I weighed 180 lbs. and lost twenty. Feeling good, I met my husband to be, and felt that my life was right on track. However, happy and satisfied, the pounds crept back on. Over the next two year I gained it all back and then some. I weighed in at over two hundred pounds when I got married, WOW, when did that happen? I still managed