Plateau plateau plateau . . . !

So 

two weeks ago I was so excited because I lost 2 lbs.  

I officially gained it back last week.  

This week, no change.  What is it with my body that's keeping me from losing this weight?  I've been EXACTLY the same weight (give or take a pound or two) for almost a YEAR now!  

Yes, a whole year!!  

It doesn't seem to really matter what I do - I eat healthy, stays the same, I exercise, stays the same, I count calories, stays the same, no matter what I do, 

IT STAYS THE SAME!

I think it's time now for me to ask myself why.  

Does God WANT me to be this weight for some reason?

Is He trying to send me a message?

I'm really trying to figure out why this is happening to me.

I refuse to use pills

I refuse to have surgery

I refuse to start yet ANOTHER fad diet that will do me ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD WHATSOEVER

I want to do this the RIGHT way

But the right way doesn't seem to be working 

FUNNY OF THE DAY:

Disappointed

I gained a pound this week.

I know that for most people that's not necessarily a big deal. And I probably need to look at it a little differently - this has been a "hormonal week" and I've had a little stress on me this week. But those are just excuses.

Looking back at my food journal for the week, trying to figure it all out I noticed a trend. In the afternoons, I get bored. When that happens, I tend to forget to listen to my signals and just eat out of boredom because I have the "munchies". So I guess what that means for me now is that I need to find something else to do during the baby's nap time.

I am about halfway through the first exercise in the workbook. I am taking it slow, trying to really think about and ponder my answers. Some of them are secretly tricky, I've noticed. I am a little worried about going through the book without an actual group doing it with me. Hopefully this site will suffice for the "support group".

My husband has jumped on the ball a little bit as well. I noticed the other day he only took one spoonful of dinner instead of three. I secretly smiled to myself. He did go back for seconds, but that's okay because in the long run he still ate less than he would have originally.

I am hoping my daughter (6) starts learning to listen to her cues as well. She will keep eating something and say "I'm still hungry". I know she can't still be hungry, but she will cry to get more food. I am hoping she watches me and learns. I fear that DH's children (13 and 14) are a lost cause in this aspect. Especially the 14 year old. He will eat until he's sick just because something "tastes good". They even went home and told their mother that DH and I were "starving them" because we wouldn't let them go back for thirds! Insane. I am really fearful for their future health.

My goals for this week are to find something better to do with my time during the afternoon, finish the first exercise in the workbook, and to pray for my children and their eating habits.

Think Small . . .

I know, that sounds like a contradiction in today's over-zealous "think big" society.  But I fully believe that that "think big" attitude is what has made the US the fattest nation in the world.  Big cars have replaced walking or biking from place to place, and big roads and highways have made it very unsafe to do so anyway.  Big chain restaurants are feeding us big portions (and some with very big price-tags).  Big clothing chains have been forced into creating bigger sizes for their bigger clientele. We all have the desire for big, bigger, biggest in our lives.  That's where we make some of the biggest mistakes in our lives.

As a result, our bills are bigger, our debts are bigger, our stresses are bigger, and ultimately our waistlines are bigger.

So what do you do to solve this?  You have to change your thinking.  You have to go from "think big" to "thinking small".

Smaller cars, for example, are more economical and most are "greener".
Smaller portions in restaurants means smaller checks and smaller belts.
Smaller bills mean smaller stresses.

But this blog is about weight loss, not economics.
How does this apply to weight loss?
Well, quite simply, eat small, weigh less.

Is it really that simple? Well, yes, it is.  Eat smaller portions off a smaller plate - it'll make it look like you have more.  Eat with a smaller fork.  It'll take longer to eat and you'll feel fuller much quicker than you would if you were shoveling in your food with a giant fork.  Eat small.

Yes, it takes some will power and work.  But then, weight loss isn't supposed to be easy.  But it will be so worth it when you you're "smaller thinking" leads to smaller sizes!

PLATEAU BROKEN!!

After LITERALLY months of being the exact same weight, I have finally broken through my plateau!  I lost three pounds this week!  So what did I do?

Well, I stopped eating when I wasn't hungry.  Is it REALLY that simple?  YES IT IS.

Dr. Rita Hancock (I've mentioned her before) wrote the book "The Eden Diet" where she discusses just that.  According to her (and she uses scripture to back this up) the bible gives us all the instruction we need on eating.  I had never thought of it that way, but she's right.

Of course right now I sound like an over-zealous paid actor, right? Perhaps I should give it a longer time period before I call "success!"  But all I know is this - I wasn't losing weight, and now I am.  There was only one thing that changed.

People tell us all the time that we have to eat every two hours to keep our metabolism going!  You know what I say to them?  HOGWASH!  You're telling ME that I have to eat something I don't like every two hours weather or not I'm hungry?  I don't think so.  I like Dr. Hancock's theory better - eat smaller portions of food that you actually LIKE - but only when you're hungry.  If you're still hungry, eat a little more.  If you're not hungry (now here's where the challenge comes in) STOP EATING.

**DISCLAIMER:  I am a Christian - I started this as a weight loss blog for Christians.  If you're not a Christian you may want to stop reading right now, or turn away from the screen.**

My whole life has revolved around food.  When was I going to get it, how much of it I was going to eat.  I focused on meal planning, recipe writing, watching food network, reading cookbooks.  The whole purpose behind the Eden Diet is different, though.  Instead of focusing on FOOD (what and how much you should and should not eat) you focus on GOD.  Thanking God for the feeling of hunger as a sign when to eat.  Praising him for the glorious food that you are about to receive.  Enjoying the food to His glory.

When you "diet", your focus still stays on the same thing - food.  You worry about how many calories, carbs, or fiber is in something.  You check fat content and concern yourself with things like "trans fat" and "cholesterol".  But is that really where your focus should be?

Our focus should be on God every hour of every day.  We should do ALL things for his glory from housecleaning (blogged on that one on The Supermom Blues) to hobbies, to reading, to even cooking and eating.  God should be on our focus at all times.  Once we regain sight of that, we can do anything.  Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me".  It's time - for me anyway - to "let go and let God".  To thank Him for every aspect of my life and allow him to rule my life.  I need to remember that GOD is in control of me, NOT FOOD.


That is a lesson for all to take with them when it comes to weight loss.  We allow the food to control us, when we need to be the ones to be in control of the food, and relinquish our control over ourselves to God.