My Continuing Weight Loss Journey

Last summer, I posted this article about my eating habits. I’d like to give you all an update about how I’m faring with my new lifestyle, diet-related choices!

I ended up not losing any weight following what I outlined last year. This was tough, and incredibly frustrating. When I started exercising on a regular basis, I started eating more to compensate for the extra calories I burned. I see a Family Medicine doctor at our local clinic, and at my last appointment she explained that this is a common experience. She encouraged me to reconsider what I eat (fewer carbs, more protein) instead of how much I exercise. She stressed the importance of exercise, though–just not for meeting sustained weight loss goals!

When I started trying to figure out why I wasn’t losing weight, I used an app on my phone to keep track of how many calories I ate. This helped me get a sense about what and when I tended to overeat. I knew I didn’t want to enter calories into an app long-term, so I mostly used this practice to “reset” my thoughts about how much food I needed to eat. After a couple weeks, I stopped using the app and felt ready to attend to the following habits instead.

First, losing weight, for me, began with thankfulness. One of my struggles with overeating was feeling like I had never eaten enough–like I just needed a little something more. I found myself wondering: “What if I get hungry later? Don’t I need to eat more calories? How many calories can whatever-I-want-to-eat-more-of really amount to?!” To combat these questions, when I know I’ve eaten enough I stop eating and think something like: “What a delicious meal! I thank God for providing me with such good things to eat and the skills to make meals for my family.”

Second, and this goes along with my first point, I started to eat slower and tried to enjoy every bite I took. I learned to listen to the signals my body sends my brain so that I can stop eating as soon as I feel satiated. I do not eat another bite after that. Instead, I talk with whoever I’m eating with (usually Brian, the kids, or my sister) and try to give them my full and complete attention. I try to savor my time with them just like I tried to savor every bite of my meal! God gave me these special times with these people I love, and I don’t want to rush through them quickly and carelessly.

This video from the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) summarizes what I’ve been working on well, and is a great place to start for anyone struggling to lose weight.

As far as more practical steps, I typically eat four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a bedtime snack. (I like eating a bedtime snack and budget what I eat earlier in the day accordingly. Usually in the summer my bedtime snack involves a large amount of watermelon.) I eat until I feel full and then drink plenty of water, tea, and coffee between meals (only the essential beverages for me). If I get too hungry between meals, I eat a fruit, vegetable, or nuts, but I can usually go between meals without needing to eat. I eat mostly whole foods or almost-whole foods, such as minimally processed crackers or chips, whole wheat pastas, and oatmeal. I think this is what makes it possible for me to go between meals without snacking too often. I also try to avoid as much processed sugar as possible, but I do make exceptions for dried cranberries and occasional desserts.

I exercise two or three mornings a week (continuing with my HIIT workouts). I take the kids out for walks and we canoe as a family. Just staying active in general helps me keep my appetite down and my focus on other things besides food. I also found that going on long hikes without stopping to eat a snack helps reset my appetite too.

In the last couple months, I’ve lost about seven pounds and two inches around my waist. My clothes fit a little different now and I feel more energetic and lean. What a blessing!

God is surely faithful to His people and will provide for all of our needs, including our need for self-control and thankful hearts. If you’re struggling to lose weight, I know you can do it by finding some practical lifestyle changes that work for you and staying with them. If you’re searching for true and everlasting heart change, only Jesus can provide you with the living words you need. The gospel transforms us from the inside out–what’s in our hearts will show in what and how we eat, and whether or not we do either with self-control and gratefulness. God delights in helping His people become more like Jesus, which gives me so much hope and encouragement!

Before I wrap up this post I’d like to know, if you’re willing to share: have you lost weight recently, and how? Its fun and interesting to hear about all the different healthy eating habits floating around in the world today.