Good morning friends. Again, I thank you for your help yesterday. I guess I was having my own private, Tackle it Tuesday! Don't we all get to the point where we need to stop and just clean the house?
You may have noticed on my sidebar that I've been reading a few diet books lately. I've not really talked about this much because I have been trying to muster up the courage to go back on my diet. I have had a problem controlling my eating since the age of 12 when my parents divorced. I gained 50# that year. Since that time, I have gained a lot more and I have lost a lot and gained it back and then some, many times. With a history like this, I am weary of trying again. But I really don't have a choice, not really. Right now, God has extended grace to me with my good health. But I know it is not going to last forever. The consequences of being overweight will catch up with me. Just like other consequences I am dealing with (my past overspending.)
So here I am again. Three years ago I was at the same place and I began a journey where I ended up loosing 75#. At first I lost 30# just by paying attention to what I ate and praying for self-control with some good friends. Then I joined the low carb life style movement. That was a huge mistake. I started loosing hair, had horrible leg cramps, constipation with bleeding, and a nervous tick. No, just kidding about the tick! But I did loose weight quickly and was excited about that.
Unfortunately I have never maintained a sizable weight-loss. Right around the time I had lost 75#, a godly friend of mine with cancer died. She had been a big supporter of me. Her death struck a cord of fear in my heart that unleashed my eating monster. And here I am. I think I have worked through my struggles with her death. I know that I will never fully understand the way of the Lord, but I have to trust His plan for me as well as others. This realization has been tested quite a few times lately as 4 other young parents I know have passed since Cathy. One more just last month.
I am currently joining Kristy of Passion For Purple and a few other bloggers in a support blog called Diet Diva's. Kristy and I are reading The Beck Diet Solution by Judith Beck. It's really a unique book. Right now I am on day 4 of a 14 day training period before I begin my diet changes. Already it has me thinking about a lot of choices I make, so who knows, I may loose a pound before my actual diet starts!
I tell you all of this because I know that more than a few of you are struggling with your eating and I want to encourage you and I want to ask for your prayers and encouragement as well. I am also going to share with you my reasons for wanting to loose weight, something Ms. Beck has us write down and read twice a day....
It will please the Lord (my self-control and turning to Him instead of food)
My husband will have a more attractive wife
I won't feel so self-conscious
I'll have more energy
I'll be less self-critical
I won't be ashamed to go to the pool
I'll save money, not having to buy new clothes every time I gain /loose weight
I won't hate shopping for clothes
I'll feel better
I'll be happier when I look in a mirror
I'll be healthier, maybe avoiding some diseases
"Lord,may I not turn aside from following You, but serve You with all my heart. May I not turn aside to go after worthless things which do not profit or deliver me, because they are useless." (1 Samuel 12:20-21)
"May I trust in You, Lord, and do good" Psalm 37:3
Dear Jenn, I will pray with you. You are not alone, The Lord is near those who call upon Him and answers them.
((((((( 24The LORD bless you, and keep you;
25The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
26The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.))))))))
Good for you, Jenn! For some more encouragement, visit a friend at janne.cc/blog. (She's an awesome mother of 9 kids.) She just did a post on her weight loss and has several entries about her struggle which you can access in her sidebar.
You are not alone. I need to go on a diet too. I am dreading it, because I have alot of the same history of gaining and lossing and gaining. My main reason for wanting to loose the weight is for health. My husband is leaving for Iraq in a few months, and that may prove to hinder the diet some at first. When my husband comes back, we want to have another baby. However, I have had pre-eclampsia with both pregnancies. No matter what the doctors say, I really believe that my weight has a lot to do with it. maybe we can support each other.
Best Wishes & Prayers on your new healthy way of eatting and losing weight. I'm with you right there too. I REALLY need to lose weight too, but have had such a hard time starting & staying on a diet more than 24 hours. Althought I don't think I'll join the group at this time, I will try along with you to move it and lose it.
I'm a yo-yo, too. Up and down, up and down! You are not alone. My parents divorced when I was 15, however, I remember being weight conscious ever since the fifth grade. I've never been a skinny minnie, never will be either. I really feel if I could just get up and moving I'd be doing a lot better. I'll be praying with you!
I am going to be praying for you. I have struggled with my weight too. I believe for me it is a stronghold/idol in my life that is so generationlal that God alone can only break. I think about it all the time and for ME that is a sin. I have prayed and asked forgiveness and told the Lord I want to think about Him more than what I want or am eating or how bad my pants look etc... The only way I could figure on how to do that was to either name attributes of God, pray or try to quote scripture I have memorized each time I think about food or my weight. It really has opened my eyes to how much I think about it. I am not sure if that's kind of goofy, but it helps me. The Bible continuesly said through the OT that if my people would only humble themselves and pray I will hear their cries and rescue them. So I will be praying for you and me in this difficult time. Thanks for sharing, this comment is hard to write you are so brave to post about it. God is on the move and working in so many lives. He knows just the right time to workout certain areas. He wants to show us we don't have to attain victory it has already been obtained through Christ, we just need to walk in it. This is really getting long sorry; /
:>Michelle
Jenn I know the struggle you're dealing with and I know how difficult is can be! Sometimes it will seem impossible, but in those times call upon the Lord for strength! I know you can do it.
Wow, thank you for being so honest with your struggles with food. I think you are right, that we all deal with that issue. I know with me it's portion size, always has been. I pray that the Lord continues to show you the things He has for you in all of this, and that you will reach your goals. :)
JoAnn
Jenn,
I wish I could give you a real hug right now. I will pray for you and I will share my struggle of what has happened and why I have my weight issues and the struggle behind it. I will tell you a sneak peek. I have challenges with diets b/c I am a recovered Bolimarexic it is a combination of anorexia and bulimia. So I am trying to figure a way to loose weight without falling back into that. It scares me my SSiC. There is a war going on inside of me and I too need prayers. I am here for you to the end.
Sounds like a really good book to read! I'm in the same boat of yo-yo dieting. I'm off of my diet right now but I have been weighing myself each morning and then analyzing what I ate the day before and how it affects my weight. It is really interesting and I have learned a lot about what sort of things I eat that may not be really bad for me but affect my body differently. Doing this has helped me to keep my weight constant now without gaining which I'm happy about *grin* I'll keep you in my prayers as you continue with your diet : )
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
I will be praying for you as you go through this journey. I too need to lose some extra pounds, but I am nursing now and have a more voracious appetite. I am trying to eat healthier.
Please know that I will be praying for you every day. I added this to my prayer journal, along side the prayer request for Ryan. ;o) You're husband is too funny. He'll sacrifice by eating your desserts. LOL.
Hey Jenn! Here's the comment I've been promising you all day. My husband is going through the same struggle as you are. Unfortunately he did get some bad test results that gave him a wake up call. Luckily, I think it was caught before there were any serious problems. I also know I need to lose weight, but mine is not as serious as my husbands nor do I yo- yo, I've been a pretty consistent weight since I had Little One, I know one of these days I will have to get serious, but right now I am taking baby steps. I am not one that can make radical changes and make them stick. I have noticed I am eating a little better since my husband has started his diet. I try to avoid the junk food more because I don't want to eat it in front of him, so that is helping me. I really feel for you, I know this must be really hard especially since you guys have a bakery. I can't imagine what type of temptation that must be for you. Geesh, I can barely walk down the cookie isle at the store with wanting to buy it out! Since I have decided to help hubby that temptation has been worse. I will pray for you that you have the strength and the endurance to loose the weight. Good luck! :)
Jenn,
We made it home tonight!! I am so glad to be home.
Thanks for posting this one, there is one other way we are alike. I too gained a lot of weight when my parents divorced. I kept it off until I had back to back babies! Thanks for the encouragement. I have been walking alot this summer, but I have a long way to go!
Melissa
Jenn, I have been here 3 times to comment but I get called away each time. Great post Jenn, so honest about an issue that we have trouble confessing our struggle with. I love your husband's sacrifice he is willing to make for you, such dedication :) I'm praying for you.
I have put my post out sorry for the delay, for punishment I might go and do another one :)
Tracy
Hello and welcome. My name is Jenn. I am honored to be the wife of 14 years to my best friend Jeff. I also have the privilege to be the stay-at-home mom of 3 wonderful home educated children ages 10, 9, 6 here in beautiful Central Indiana. This blog is where you'll find recorded the happenings of a very busy family striving to be a light in our world for Jesus.
