Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. Like most of you, I indulged myself during the time-frame of mid-November (cruise time!) through Christmas. The end result was a weight regain of 7 lbs. The old me would have been very distressed about this, but I now take these things in stride. EVERYONE gains some weight around the holidays. The true test is what happens afterwards.

At the end of December, I began my low-carb eating again, and I’m happy to report that I’ve lost 3 lbs since then. It wasn’t easy, but I never really gave up my low-carb mentality (even when I was eating more carbs during the holidays). I’ve remained true to my turkey bacon-and-cheese breakfasts the whole way through. My husband said I was to blame if there were not enough turkeys for everyone else for Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

I’ve had my struggles over the last few days and wanted to “stress eat” very badly. I actually prayed while driving home one evening, after a particularly stressful day, for the Lord to help me not to turn into McDonalds for an ice cream cone. He came through, of course. The line at McDonald’s was LONG, so I drove by easily. 

I also asked the Lord to provide me with a sign that He was with me now, and especially over the next few days as we have an upcoming bariatric Center of Excellence survey. I returned to my office after lunch to find a note on my desk with a header of “Jesus Calling.” A Hug From Heaven! Can you believe that? It contained a beautiful verse announcing “Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present Help.” I was so moved, I actually had tears. Thank you Lord for the reminder. 

Whether my struggle is with weight regain or just the day-to-day operations of the office, God is with me. He is with you as well. Turn to Him, lean on Him, let Him guide you and help you remain at peace. As I begin 2015, I know all will be well. I will continue to keep you informed of my progress and my tips along the way as I continue my weight-loss journey. I ask that you keep me in your prayers, because we all need prayer.

Goal for the Holiday Season

Hi everyone. I hope you enjoyed your recent Halloween evening. My husband and I love the holidays and it starts with Halloween for us. We are big “kids” at heart and decorate our home for all the young children in our neighborhood.

As far as my weight loss goes, I’m down 20 lbs. It has been slow going and I’ll admit that I have had a few more carbs in my diet in the last month. My goal during holiday times is to hold on to my current weight loss. This is not a race for me. I’ll lose the other 20 lbs after the first of the year. I have a vacation planned in the near future and Thanksgiving/Christmas is right around the corner. 

I remain in faith with the Lord knowing he will strengthen me during times of weakness….and we all have times of weakness. One of my weaknesses is that I love to bake this time of year. I modify the recipes as I can…but I’m not the “Food Police” during the holidays. I will continue to do the best I can and you should as well. Don’t worry if you overeat during a party, etc. Just try to do better the next day. 

I’m thankful for the 20 lbs I lost in 4 months and I know God helped me to find my path. He will continue to grant me grace day after day for as long as I need it. That’s the wonderful thing about the Lord….his love and help are limitless.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas season this year. I look forward to all new possibilities in 2015…and you should too!  

Calling on Heavenly Back-Up

Hello everyone.  Time for another update on my progress, or dare I say, temporary lack of progress.  I was prepared to begin my regular exercise journey on the recumbent bike but had to postpone it.  For the past two weeks, I have had new floor tile laid throughout my house and a new back splash installed.  While beautiful, this did limit me to living in one room in my house during the installation.  My bike was placed in the garage while my furniture was stacked in closets, the garage, and my kitchen.  I don’t know if you have lived through a large renovation before, but it’s not pleasant.  There was dust an inch thick on everything.  With my kitchen out of commission, my husband and I ate out for over a week.  Needless to say, this did not work well for weight loss.

My dietary choices were good for the first few days and then I gave in to my desire for more high calorie fare.  The only exercise I got was washing floors (repeatedly to remove the grit) and lifting and moving furniture….which I might add has caused quite a few sore muscles.  All in all, I did some exercise…..although not in the manner I anticipated.

Of course, this means no additional weight loss at this time.  You would think that this might have deterred me, but it has not.  You see, I don’t let temporary circumstances rob me of my joy.  I choose to rise above the difficulties and have patience because I know that God has infinite patience with me.  God’s love is a sure thing.  He never forsakes us and he will get me there in the end.  I’m going to call on “heavenly back-up” for the next two weeks as I get back on track.  I would prefer to pray and ask God to take away my food addiction, but He does not work that way.  However, He does promise He will help me overcome the addiction as I put in the effort.

My house is almost back together and I can now bring my exercise bike back into the house.  So starting tonight, it’s game on!  If you have been in a position where you made a good start on weight loss and then stumbled, you are not alone.  Don’t feel defeated.  God has placed power in us and we can overcome all obstacles.  So, until we talk again, believe in God’s power to help you triumph….I know I do!