WEEK 7….WEIGH IN

Week 7…Current Weight – 257…Total Lost -11

 I lost another pound this week and I feel good about it.

My grandson Dominic recited a Bible verse to me last night at Vacation Bible School which was from 1 Samuel 16, verse 7,” The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

As I thought about it later I realized what a great reminder that is about why I started this journey towards physical and spiritual health. That verse reminded me that I’m not all about getting thin and certainly not about looking good. The purpose here is to become obedient to God and to take much better care of this body He has provided for me.

Here’s an interesting thought; Less of me / More of Jesus

Shine On…Craig

 

What is Recovery?

Recovery is more than just physically overcoming or rejecting our old habits and addictions. Whether our issue is food, drugs, alcohol or some other obsession; full recovery must also include a total about-face in our attitudes and beliefs. It is not enough to have physically overcome; there is a mental and spiritual aspect too. There are always consequences to sin; I’ve been carrying 50 or 60 pounds of consequences around with me for a long time. I can and should attempt to deal with this bodily manifestation of my sinful past but it is only God, who is changing me, that will give me victory.

Because of the freedom I have in Christ I am no longer a slave to the desires that so easily entangled me in the past.

 Check out these verses from Romans, chapter 6…

²¹ What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 What benefit was there from all the drugs and alcohol of my youth or from the continued self abuse as I attempted to eat my stress and troubles away? NONE, no benefit at all, only potential long term health issues.

So what does full recovery look like? I’m not sure yet but I know I’m on the right path and I’m sure too that at least a portion will involve being much more excited about holiness and pleasing God than about the things that I think will please me.

Just a thought… Shine On

Craig

WEEK SIX….WEIGH IN

Week 6…Current Weight – 258…Total Lost -10

It has been another good week; another 2 pound weight loss. Certainly, it would be great to just lose this all at once and to get on with life without having to go through this long process of relearning how to eat healthily and how to please God with how I eat. However, the quick fixes have never worked; they don’t honor God and they don’t teach me the lessons I need to learn.

As I continue on this journey towards physical and spiritual health; I hope never to lose this perspective. I’ve thought quite a bit this week about the Israelites as they trekked through the wilderness after God had led them out of Egypt. When they were captives in Egypt they moaned and lamented and prayed for God to release them from their bondage. He did, but then after a while they began to complain about their circumstances again; thinking they had been better off in bondage.

I can relate a lot to this story. God is setting me free from bondage to food addictions and obesity. At the moment I’m excited about the freedom but I need to be cautious not to begin grumbling or complaining about what I feel I might be missing. As important as the weight loss is, even more important is to continue this process in a way that honors God and what He is doing in my life.

Thanks for caring, shine on…

Craig

WEEK 5….WEIGH IN

Week 5…Current Weight – 260…Total Lost -8

Another 2 pounds this week which has been amazing. I’m being constantly reminded that God’s plan, done God’s way with God’s timing always results in God’s results. Several well meaning people have suggested that I tweak my program a little to get even better results but I need to remember this is about a process of obedience not about trying to get quick results.

Another exciting health event happened this week. I had been going to the cardiologist for the past year or so and at my appointment Tuesday he told me I didn’t need to come back and took me off some of the medication. God is good….

Finally, I’d like to comment on something else that happened this week. Two very near and dear friends moved away. We didn’t see each other as often as we should but the depth of our relationship brought a great sense of peace knowing they were close in times of need. Because I believe they may be reading this I just want to say that even though God has taken them in a new direction, we’ll always be close.

 

Shine on everybody…

Craig

WEEK 4….WEIGH IN

Week 4…Current Weight – 262…Total Lost -6

It’s been another good week. So far, I’m on track, averaging about 1-1/2 pounds of weight loss per week which was what I’d hoped for. That’s how the weight went on when my eating was out of control, a little at a time, and I’m not looking for a quick fix. I’m looking to become more obedient to God in this area of my life. Food is to be a tool for life, not a reward.

I did have one interesting incident yesterday at Vacation Bible School training. They brought in pizza to eat which caught me by surprise. Now, I can eat pizza if I’m prepared for it. I chose not to though because I was unsure of how many calories were involved and that is a major part of my program; strictly enforced limits on calorie intake and exact calorie counting. So I chose not to have any but as others were eating I felt a need to eat something. I realize now that I should keep a couple of fiber bars or something like that in my car for such situations and that is my “small change to make a big difference” for this week to be more prepared.

God’s grace though is more than sufficient even in the small things like this. As others ate their pizza I remembered that someone had brought in some fresh veggies from their garden for people from the congregation, so as others munched away on their lunch, I was very content to snack on a green pepper and a tomato, which equaled 2 servings of fruit or vegetable of the six I needed for the day; less than 80 calories and sufficient to last me until I got home to have the lunch I’d plan.

Don’t know why I should be surprised at how this turned out. God’s grace and provision for my life have always been sufficient for my needs. Thankfully, He has a plan…

Thanks for caring,

Shine on… Craig

WEEK 3… WEIGH IN

Week 3… Current Weight 264

It’s been a good week. Knowing that so many people have been holding me accountable has been very encouraging as have been the comments and e-mails. Thank you.

Lost one pound this week, if I was only focused on the numbers this could be discouraging but it’s more about the process; if I continue to be faithful to what I know I’m supposed to do the results will happen. I’ve been at or below my target calorie count every day, a couple of days possibly to far below.

One thing I’ve noticed is how much easier it has been to stick to the plan on work days because there is so much structure built into the day. There were no real temptations this week although it was unusual to sit through a 3 hour movie without any popcorn.

This week’s “little changes that make a big difference” is to quit adding salt to food. I thought I was doing pretty good until I started keeping track and I realized I’ve been putting it on veggies, fruits, microwave popcorn and salads. No longer…

Thanks for caring…

Shine on… Craig

Perspective

 

Last night I was reminded how important it is to keep everything in it’s proper perspective. For me this weight loss journey is a spiritual struggle. It’s important to remember what is my part to do and what is God’s. No matter how much discipline I may have, only He can change me on the inside. Only He can change the desires of my heart. What I long for even more than a fit and healthy body is a deeper relationship with Him. My part, is to be obedient to what He shows me to do and to allow Him to be in charge.

Last night someone in our men’s group quoted a portion of Proverbs 3…

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding.

Acknowledge Him in all your ways

and He will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes

but fear the Lord and shun evil,

This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

 

This is exactly how I end up sabotaging my weight loss programs. I start out strong, fully aware of what God is doing and what the process is but part way through, after a little success I start to take over from God. I’ll start tweaking the process thinking that I can rush it or alter it and make it better. Rather than acknowledging God I become wise in my own eyes. Inevitably, it fails. It was me being in charge that got me into this condition, why would I think it would be different this time?

In preparation for a lesson tonight, I read this quote and it seems an appropriate concluding thought, “God is much more interested in who you’re becoming than in what you’re doing”.

 

Shine on….

Craig

 

WEEK 2 … WEIGH IN…

WEEK 2 … WEIGH IN

CURRENT WEIGHT 265,    3 POUNDS TOTAL

It’s been a good week, I’ve been at or below my calorie goal each day and I’m beginning to feel that as long as people are holding me accountable here, this is possible. There were no real issues this week, the only potential problem was a family fellowship dinner at church Sunday night. I’m reasonably sure I could have eaten and been well within my limits but without knowing for sure how many calories were in the dishes I figured it was easier to eat at home and be sure.

I’ve been reading a book entitled “Seismic Shifts”. One premise of this book is that we often look at goals and changes and seem overwhelmed by the enormity of the process rather than break it down into small, attainable goals. While the book is written with spiritual disciplines in mind I believe the concept can be readily applied to health and weight loss. While 50 or 60 pounds seems a huge weight loss goal, 1 or 2 pounds a week seems very reachable.

There are dozens if not hundreds of changes I need to make to become healthy and stay there. Each week I’ll add one or two more “Small changes with big differences” that will help promote my newer healthier life. Last week I committed to abstaining from fast food and journaling everything I eat. This week I commit to ensuring that all dairy products I consume are fat-free and that I have I have at least 5 – 6 servings of fruits and veggies.

Shine on… Craig

WEEK 1… WEIGH IN

WEEK ONE WEIGH-IN

CURRENT WEIGHT 268

COMMENTS: My first weigh in, it’s been an interesting week getting to this point as I struggled with 2 major temptations.

First, as you may know I’m a stress and emotional eater and Saturday certainly had the potential to be both stressful and emotional. Saturday marked 25 years since my daughter Angela was killed in a car accident. God is gracious though, It was most definitely emotional but thanks to the kids keeping me focused on positive things, it was a really good day and not stressful at all.

Second was this intense desire before the first weigh in to go eat all the things I think I’m going to miss the most but I made it through; no potato chips or candy and no McDonald’s or Taco Bell. And so it begins…

First small goal: to lose 9 pounds by the last weigh in of August which is 6 weeks away and would put me below 260.

 

WHO I AM

WHO I AM

Hello, my name is Craig, I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ who has struggled with weight issues for the past 20 years or so. I’ve ridden on this weight loss roller coaster several times; I’ve joined gyms, been involved in weight watchers and various other plans and each one was successful for a while. Lack of discipline, lack of faith, poor diet and exercise habits, as well as lack of accountability has all been problems at some time. It is my hope that through this blog you will be the accountability I need to keep me focused on the goals.

Welcome to my journey towards spiritual and physical health.

 

WHAT I HOPE TO DO

This will be both a physical and a spiritual journey. It will be physical because I need to adhere to the diet and exercise plan knowing that doing so will get the physical results I want and need. It will be spiritual too, I’m a stress eater and in life’s difficult moments I need to consistently seek my comfort and solace from God instead of food. My God is the Light of the World but often I’ve found myself attempting to solve my problems before the light of the refrigerator.

 

 MY GOAL

God deserves my best, my goal is to be obedient to Him in this area of my life and no longer be ashamed of how I look. I’m tired of buying shirts and wondering if I’ll look fat in them. Of course I do, it’s not the shirt, it’s me.

I currently weigh about 270 pounds and buy 2XXL shirts. Today I bought a size L shirt that I hope to wear to a Superman festival that my family and I will attend next June. By then I expect to be below 220 pounds and wearing size 36 jeans.

Along the way I plan to set several smaller, shorter term goals and hope you’ll celebrate with me as I reach those milestones, (sorry, no cake).

 

SPECIFIC PLAN

I am logging food intake and exercise. My target is to lose an attainable 1.5 – 2 pounds per week which obviously requires me taking in fewer calories than I’m using up. Also to ensure I stay healthy during this process I need at least 6 servings of fruits and veggies, plenty of water and at least 30 grams of fiber. For anyone interested in viewing my daily calorie intake log I can make that site available for you too.

I’ll weigh in on Mondays and post the results here.