How often do you hear that two-word phrase?
But God.
It’s amazing how powerful just two words can be in any given situation. Take a moment and think about something in your life that didn’t go the way you planned. A season of misfortune. Trauma. Disappointment. A moment where you thought, I don’t know how this ends well.
Now think about how you came out on the other side.
But God.
If you’re here, chances are you know my story. The short version is this: I walked a road known to many women and men—breast cancer. I made it through to the other side and began rebuilding my life in a way that felt aligned, intentional, and grateful.
So where am I today?
Today, I’m focused on living well—intentionally and holistically—through the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, avoiding risky substances, and cultivating positive social connections.
In a previous post, I shared my desire to regain control of my health and weight, and I returned to intermittent fasting. So far, I’ve been doing pretty well—not just watching the scale, but paying attention to the full picture: muscle mass, visceral fat, and waist-to-hip ratio.
In just two months:
- I dropped 15 pounds (some of that water and inflammation),
- Gained 4 pounds of muscle,
- Reduced my visceral fat by 3 points, and
- Lowered my waist-to-hip ratio by .02.
I wish I could wake up one morning with “perfect” measurements—whatever that even means—but I’m learning that slow and steady really does win the race. I’m practicing patience. I’m experimenting. I’m listening to my body and learning what it needs—and what it doesn’t.
One thing has become very clear:
My body does not appreciate sugar as much as my mouth does.
You might remember when I shared about the swelling in my hand that turned out to be mild lymphedema. I followed all the instructions to move the fluid—and alongside that, I significantly reduced sugar from my diet. The swelling disappeared.
Then Christmas came.
I went a little overboard with sugar, and sure enough, my hand swelled again. When the sugar cleared my system, the swelling left too. Since then, I’ve kept sugar mostly out of my diet and the swelling hasn’t returned.
Fast forward about a month—I had a delicious, mouthwatering donut. Almost instantly: headache. Stomachache. Message received.
I haven’t completely eliminated sugar, but I am very intentional about it now. It’s an occasional, special treat—not a habit.
Another pillar I take seriously is avoiding risky substances, and for me, that means alcohol. I’ve never been a big drinker—only social—but when I closed out my case with my on-call nurse, two words echoed loudly in my mind:
Recurrence. Alcohol.
I want to be among those who defy the odds and never face recurrence. That means I have to acknowledge the role I play in my own health.
I think about the road I traveled.
The battles I fought in a war I am technically still fighting.
Bruised? Yes.
Battered? Absolutely.
But I won.
And I didn’t win alone.
God gave me a team—highly trained medical professionals who carried knowledge I didn’t have. They supported me. They cared for me. They guided me.
They pumped poison into my veins to kill cancer.
They gave me immunotherapy to strengthen my immune system.
They cut into my flesh to remove what didn’t belong.
They radiated my body to stop cancer from returning.
They gave me pills as a final effort to destroy what they couldn’t see.
After all of that—after so many people fighting for me—what kind of woman would I be if I didn’t remove the things that could possibly bring it back?
When I learned of my diagnosis, I handed it over to God.
And He did His thing.
But God.
He continues to walk with me.
He continues to guide me.
He continues to surround me with people who love me.
He continues to feed me the information I need to support myself.
But God.
I will never let Him go—because I know He is holding me forever.
And for those of you fighting for something bigger than yourself…
For those standing in the middle of uncertainty…
For those believing for healing, restoration, clarity, or peace…
Picture where you want to be.
And remember—there is no one else who can help you like
BUT GOD.
