Weight Loss Round Three

Introduction

The word “gospel” means good news. As Christians, the good news we share with others is that Jesus came to redeem us from our sins. When we trust in him, we do our best to please him in every area of our lives for his glory and our good.

As I matured as a Christian woman, I noticed areas of my life in which I didn’t apply the gospel, which included diet, exercise, and just generally how I took care of myself. Subconsciously, I think I labeled these as moral “gray areas” because the Bible doesn’t prescribe a particular diet, exercise, or health care regiment. While that may be true, the good news applies to both our eating habits and how we treat our bodies. We can use both to either bring glory to God or dishonor his name.

The Bible talks about gluttony, which happens when we place our desire for food and pleasure above our desire to love Jesus. [1] Food becomes our idol. Overeating falls under this sin. I struggled with overeating for most of my life, and didn’t experience any success with weight loss until I realized I had a heart issue instead of a diet issue. Jesus alone brings salvation, not the food we eat or don’t eat. The Bible also gives us a standard of beauty, which includes modesty, self-control, and good works. [2] The Bible doesn’t demand that we fit into a certain size dress or weigh a certain amount. Our beauty comes from reflecting Jesus’ character in all that we think, say, and do.

So, before you go on to read about my personal weight loss story, and especially if you’re looking for ideas about how to lose weight, please make sure your desire to lose weight doesn’t come from wanting to conform to a worldly standard of beauty, but comes from a desire to honor God. If you’re concerned you may have a problem with food, I recommend one of my favorite books, Love to Eat Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick.

I hope you find this post helpful, no matter why you’re reading. I thoroughly enjoy reading stories about people’s lives, and I’m guessing you do, too, since you’ve come this far already. Here’s my story.

My Weight Loss Story

Over the course of the ten years since Brian and I got married, I’ve gained and lost the same amount of weight a few times and learned to apply the gospel to this part of my life in the process. The Lord brought me closer to himself as he changed first my heart and then my actions.

My and Brian’s first year of marriage felt extremely stressful, with many changes and new situations. We worked opposite shifts, Brian went back to school to become an LPN, and I finished my last year of college by student teaching. After I graduated, I managed a local coffee shop, constantly surrounded by tasty, sugary coffee drinks and pastries–not a great environment for someone who likes to consume both and overeats when anxious! Life stayed busy, everything felt different, and I often turned to food for comfort in the midst of all the adjustments that come from graduating college and getting married. I gained a significant amount of weight during our first year of marriage and the few years that followed.

I decided to try losing the weight shortly after I left my job as manager of the coffee shop. I lost five pounds the first month after I quit, and felt so much better that I wanted to keep going. We also planned to go back to the Boundary Waters for a second time, and I wanted to be fit and in-shape for all the hiking, canoeing, and heavy lifting. (We never traveled back to the Boundary Waters for two lively, wonderful reasons, who are almost old enough to go!) I lost the weight this time by exercising 4-5 times a week in the morning before breakfast and limiting myself to three meals a day plus a small snack before bed. For my workouts, I focused on weight-lifting and cardio. I love the book A Woman’s Guide to Muscle and Strength by Irene Lewis-McCormick. At this point, I didn’t see the strong connection between my desire to eat and my emotional state, so I found no gospel application in my weight loss endeavors.

Samuel was born just after my and Brian’s five-year wedding anniversary. During my pregnancy with Samuel, I initially lost a lot of weight because my morning sickness lasted all day, every day, for most of my pregnancy. After Samuel was born, I gained back the weight I lost followed by even more. I also developed Grave’s Disease, which once I started taking medicine caused my metabolism to constantly fluctuate. I had no idea how much to eat. I started to earnestly evaluate my eating habits when my endocrinologist asked if I’d like to visit a dietician.

I knew my weight gain was not due to a lack of knowledge. I grew up in a very health-conscious family and clearly understand the ins-and-outs of eating well. Instead, I considered why I struggled with food, particularly overeating, in the first place. Here’s a quote from a post I wrote a few years ago during this time of growth and sanctification.

First, diagnosing the spiritual problem behind my over-eating was the key to losing weight. I realized that since I was young, I had been turning to food for comfort instead of to the Lord. So, now when I feel stressed out, nervous, or just plain uncomfortable, I turn to the Lord in prayer and then find something else to do. I frequently play piano, play with Samuel, sing, or color. I praise the Lord for giving me self-control and trust in Him!

I started to exercise 4-5 days a week again (this time during Samuel’s nap), again emphasizing weight lifting and cardio. I closely watched my portion sizes, eating six small meals a day around 300 calories each. Exercise kept my energy levels high and made me less likely to sit on the couch and eat at the end of a long day.

During this time, before my pregnancy with Ruthie, I found a balanced self-care rhythm that honored God and helped me feel my best. I thank God for giving me this time of refreshment between children. My body, however, seems to follow the same trajectory during and after pregnancy. After Ruthie’s birth, I gained the same amount of weight back at the same pace I gained weight after Samuel’s birth. My struggle with overeating returned with all the anxiety that comes from caring for a newborn.

I read the book Love to Eat Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick (mentioned above), which gave me a greater understanding of how the gospel applies to our eating habits and taught me how to replace destructive eating habits with behavior that glorifies God. I learned again that as a Christian my comfort must come from Jesus instead of worldly pursuits. I consistently remind myself how I find overflowing hope, joy, and comfort in Jesus instead of birthday cake, coffee, chocolate, or tortilla chips. I’m astounded by God’s patience as he continues to teach me the same lessons over and over again.

Why lose weight this time around?

I’d like to lose weight this time around for mostly practical reasons. I’d like the endurance to do more activities with the kids, such as playing tag in the yard or biking as a family. I own some beautiful clothes that don’t currently fit. Brian and I would like to take the little explorers to the Boundary Waters next summer, and I know I’ll enjoy this trip more if I’m not exhausted after days full of canoeing and portaging. Losing weight will put less pressure on my body overall, which often feels strained and tired. I’m only in my thirties!

In addition to reminding myself about the gospel, I remind myself that my size doesn’t matter. What matters the most is that I eat in a way that honors God, exercise in a way that helps me feel the best, and generally take care of myself to God’s glory. When I start to feel uncomfortable about my size, I repeat these truths to myself. I don’t want to lose weight so I can be the “right” size or fit the standard of beauty the world defines.

Weight Loss, Round Three

Many people I know find success losing weight with supplements, diets that cut out certain foods or food groups, and intermittent fasting. I like the slow-and-steady, tried-and-true approach to weight loss: fewer calories and more physical activity. No extra products to clutter my kitchen, no cutting out foods I like, and no signing up for special programs. This simple approach looks different to different people, so I’ll tell you what methods I’ve tried so far and what I think will work for me during round three (hopefully not followed by a round four).

First, I tried following the Mediterranean diet, which made me feel great but wasn’t sustainable. Then, I tried cutting out all processed food, but that didn’t last long because I thoroughly enjoy eating frozen pizza with my family after church on Sundays. Finally, I tried snacking on only fruits, vegetables, and nuts between meals, but ended up feeling hungry and cranky by dinnertime. I tend to be an all-or-nothing type of person, so following a method of eating sometimes, but not all the time, doesn’t result in success for me.

I do believe I finally found a solution, which looks similar to the way I ate during my second round of weight loss after Samuel’s birth. I eat six small meals a day, except this time I fast for about twelve hours overnight. A dessert can count as one of my six small meals if I start craving something sweet. I try to combine foods from different food groups for all six meals, even a smaller meal someone else might consider a snack. These days my workouts must remain short or non-existent, so I exercise 2-3 times a week using HIIT protocols. I love the book The HIIT Advantage: High Intensity Workouts for Women, also by Irene Lewis-McCormick. Sometimes I go on a short run or bike ride followed by light weight-lifting. I don’t exercise at the same time every day, although I’d still prefer to exercise right away in the morning before breakfast. This isn’t always possible with the little ones and Brian’s work schedule.

Most importantly, I read my Bible often and pray for self-control. I certainly don’t view either of these two Christian disciplines as “cures” for my behavior, but I do believe in the life-giving truth and power that come from spending time with the Lord. I never tire of reading this verse: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Conclusion

Jesus brings us such good news when we contemplate his death on the cross and his resurrection. He came to forgive us for our sins, which includes overeating. He came to give us life by reconciling us to God, and life means we can enjoy all the good gifts he gives us. We can view food as a wonderful blessing while not making it into an idol. We can view exercise as a way to boost our energy levels, making us able to serve God perhaps more actively than we could before. We can honor God by taking care of the bodies he gave us. [3] That might include losing some weight, but we can do this joyfully for the glory of the one who came to save us!

[1] Proverbs 23:20-21
[2] 1 Timothy 2:9-10
[3] 1 Corinthians 6:19-20