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Getting Thin God's Way - A New Weightloss Blog

 

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

 I Corinthians 10:31


Hi friends,  As I said earlier, I felt the Lord wanted me to start a blog about losing weight God's way. I don't in any way claim to know all about that--in fact I'm just starting out on this journey and am certain  the Lord will show me what 'his way' is. :)

But He has a lot to say about eating and over-eating in His word, as well as self-control and about resisting temptation.

I think I accidentally changed myself from admin to only author and this site needed updating but for some reason I couldn't change the template yesterday either. I was not sure if I should just post here or start a new blog, but it seems that starting a new blog might be best. :)

So if you would like to join me as I seek the Lord on how to eat, and lose weight, by obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the voice of my conscience when it says eat this or don't eat that, then please feel free to join me at a brand new blog,

Getting Thin God's Way

I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to teach us each day from His word as we seek to obey Him in the area of eating, drinking and truly in whatever he puts on our hearts as we draw closer to Him.  

I really believe that our weaknesses give us a desire and an opportunity to seek the Lord with all our heart. Besetting sins bring us face to face with the Lord in our desperate need. He has already given me freedom in so many areas and I know he will help me in this too.. and you as well.  Looking forward to seeing you there and hearing how the Lord is helping you too!

In Christ's love,

Donna

Is Over-eating Sin? If So, then God Can Help

 

  If you use your lives to do what your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life. Romans 8:13

Hi friends, It's been a long time I know. :)  I have been through such a journey this year with the Lord after a year of struggling and  failing in so many ways.  I have been writing about my journey back from there daily on a devotional blog, At Home With God.

One thing that has amazed me, as I've been seeking the Lord with all my heart, is the self-discipline and self-control that have resulted in so many areas of my life!

Whether it was procrastination, anger, fear, worry, envy, laziness, needy-ness,  pride, over the last eight months, the Lord has given me so much freedom from the power of the flesh. It is ALL the Holy Spirit's doing as I can assure you, I have not a single ounce of self-discipline.

Day by day, week by week, the Lord has freed me from bad habits and besetting sins.  One area (just to show you what I mean) was procrastination and laziness. My bad habits of putting things off and just not being able to make myself do what I 'ought' was just misery to me.

I remember thinking, "Wow, If I could just make myself work--and stop putting things off--how different life would be."  So knowing what a mess I was, I simply offered that need up to the Lord, and kept my focus on Jesus.. leaving the 'fruit of the Spirit' up to Him to produce.

As I began to seek the Lord, that was one of the first things the Lord gave me strength to do--work.  There are so many emotional reasons, needs and struggles that contribute to not being able to do something now.. or to do something we aren't in the mood for. Yet I can now work all day long.. I mean.. all day.. till I can't walk another step, and be happy.  This is another miracle--only one in a long train of miracles.

Food is just like so many other 'ammoral activities.'  When we use food for the wrong reasons, it becomes an idol in our lives.

The reason I'm telling you this is that I want you to know that the power to stop overeating is there... if we recognize overeating as 'sin' and repent. It is sin of course, and our conscience knows it doesn't it?  The guilt is legitimate and the shame is real. Yes God loves us anyway, but He doesn't approve of sin.. however minor it seems to our eyes.

And the way to stop over-eating permanently (the bible word for that is gluttony), is to get the Lord's strength to say no. 

But that comes from the Lord.. and abiding in Him.  We will never have enough self-control to say no to our flesh apart from Him.

 For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. Romans 8:13

Isn't our flesh just like a spoiled child.. dictating to us what it wants.. and oh boy-- if we say No--it throws a fit!  But if we keep giving in, how miserable we will be! 

If we seek the Lord, spending time with Him in the word and prayer, and ask for his help, he will help us. As we stay close to Him and agree with Him about our sin and repent, his Holy Spirit will give us the power to choose to eat right instead of doing what our flesh wants.

 When the Holy Spirit prompts you to not eat that, or that you are done and should push away the plate--we need to obey! If we know a food is especially tempting, and we feel it's bad for our health or too dangerous to eat, then we need to not eat it. Our conscience is  the best guide we can have to what we should eat.. much better than a list of rules.

I'm not saying a diet, counting calories, waiting on hunger and stopping when full, or any other weight-loss method will not help.

Any weight loss method that's healthy can be incredibly helpful. But they are all useless unless you follow them and don't cheat.  Therein lies the real heart of our problem. 

We cheat, lie, steal, and indulge... about food and our weight and our problem. This is the proof that our weight and our eating are a spiritual issue.

We eat for all the wrong reasons. We turn to food for something only God can give us.. comfort, love, happiness, peace.  

We often diet for all the wrong reasons too--pride being the biggest one.  Then too, diets are a fast way to 'fix' the evidence of our late night forays into the fridge, or the sneaky bites we take all throughout the day. I think diets often set us up to fail.
 
So for some reason, after all the struggles and sin habits the Lord has freed me from, over-eating is still an issue for me. It's the last hold out of my flesh I guess. One reason I believe the Lord has not just wiped this away, besides my own selfish love of food, is that he wants to help others.

This is one area where I'd like to experience victory.. with others, who are also trying to obey the Lord in the area of eating and lose weight too. It's better to do this sort of thing together isn't it? I want our success to be all to God's glory and I know He does too.

For a couple of weeks now, or maybe longer, I've been feeling a conviction that I should publicly challenge myself and anyone else who wants to try it to lose weight with the Lord's power and help as we seek Him and give our love to Him not to food.

 I want to try to lose weight a new way--by simply obeying my conscience.. and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

I have a feeling the weight loss will be slow. But I think that's a good thing. Everything I've read says that when you lose weight over a period of a year or more, the weight loss tends to be permanent.

Oddly enough, if we ate only the calories we needed to support our ideal body weight, we'd guaranteed lose weight.. eventually.

The feeling of deprivation would be eliminated to a great degree.  Counting calories might help tremendously,  so we at least know how much food is proper and how much is not 'ok'. But waiting on hunger and stopping when full is also a great plan.

A better way to lose weight--in the long run- may be  to simply eat right and stop over-eating.

Any plan, again, is useless without the Lord's help. Self-determination just doesn't work does it? How many of us have tried again and again to lose weight?  We need to quit being the 'Lord' of what we eat, and let Him decide what is ok and what isn't.  When He says stop.. we need to stop.

Really, if you'd like to try this approach to weight loss, then I would challenge you to just go with what you have always felt in your heart was the right one, but this time, listen when your conscience says no. If you think you need to eat 1400 calories and stop. Then ask the Lord--is that what he's saying? And follow through from that point. If you think you need to avoid junk food--I sure do--then do so.

If and when you fail, just repent, tell the Lord you're sorry, and keep going.  It doesn't matter how many times a day--don't give up. Keep praying, reading the word, and repenting. He will help.

Remember, the Lord does not condemn us for being prone to sin and if we fail, he will forgive us if we ask him to.   If you don't think overeating is sin, then you're on your own. Me--I need help. lol

So I'm gonna try to lose weight on God's time table.. by nothing more than not indulging in the sin of gluttony.  He is the only one that can help.  My plan is to post my weight and challenges and even failures daily.

I've not been doing great yet.. but I know for a fact that because I have repented and am not going to argue about this any more, the Lord will help me. I can't lose weight and keep it off.. but the Lord can help me and you too.

Praying this was not too hard to read and that the Lord will help you in your weight-loss journey as I am fully expecting him to help me in mine.

Blessings,
Donna

Saying Yes to God and No to Food

 “·Be careful [Watch yourselves] not to ·spend your time [or become dulled by;let your hearts be weighed down by] ·feasting [carousing; debauchery], ·drinking [drunkenness], or worrying about worldly things. If you do, that day might come on you suddenly,  ·like a trap. For it will come upon all people who live on the earth.  Luke 21:34-35

 I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with self-discipline.. especially as regards food. In our culture, over-eating or indulgence in a myriad of ways is the norm. In the church, over-eating has been the 'unspoken' sin that no one wants to acknowledge, yet everyone knows in their heart, is an indicator of a person living to please the flesh rather than having their hearts set on the the things of the spirit.

12All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them.  I Cor 6:13

When I read the passage above, I knew what it was all about. In fact, I was feeling convicted about not eating healthy foods and over-eating before I ever picked up my bible this morning. The Lord knew exactly where we were headed.  I am decidedly NOT enjoying writing this post today. Sigh.. But I am glad He is addressing this yet again. It needs to be dealt with.

The Lord has done such a work in my life up till now and it is no surprise to me that the area of food has become for me the final 'stronghold'.  If He can give me the grace to obey, by removing laziness, procrastination, and self-indulgence in so many areas.. helping me to work and work hard with a happy heart.. then He can give me the grace to say no to my flesh in the area of food.

"Discipline, for the Christian, begins with the body. We have only one. It is this body that is the primary material given to us for sacrifice. We cannot give our hearts to God and keep our bodies for ourselves.”  ~E.Elliott

 

Day by day, the Lord has been moving from room to room.. from closet to cabinet in my 'soul' and heart and pointing out the things that must go. So many of those things seem 'innocent' yet how can they be when they master us? They cannot be. 

Oswald Chambers often reminds us that the Holy Spirit will 'hone in' on the one thing you consider 'small' in God's eyes. What is small in our eyes is often quite big to Him. He wants all of us.. and it is often in the little things that we fight the hardest.

 Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you.

 You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself” 

— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. ~Oswald Chambers

When I looked up the word surfeiting.. it described being so 'over full' of both food and drink, that you felt heavy.. with headaches and other after effects.  One word that came up in my research was "Epicurians'. We have considered them today to be just people who are food lovers.. or picky about the taste and quality of their food.. but the original followers of Epicurus.. the 'loose' ones sound more like today's culture. They literally took the enjoyment of food and drink to a new level.. that of worship. Ouch. Sounds way too much like we Americans today.

 These were so called from Epicurus, the son of Neocles, who was born 342 years before Christ, and taught philosophy at Athens, in his garden; .....His followers were called "Epicureans"; of which there have been two sorts; the one were called the strict or rigid "Epicureans", who placed all happiness in the pleasure of the mind, arising from the practice of moral virtue, and which is thought by some to be the true principle of "Epicureans"; the other were called the loose, or the remiss Epicureans, who understood their master in the gross sense, and placed all their happiness in the pleasure of the body, in brutal and sensual pleasure, in living a voluptuous life, in eating and drinking, &c. and this is the common notion imbibed of an Epicurean.

So today, yet again,  the Lord, after pointing out so many areas of my life this last 7 months that need to be brought under the Holy Spirit's control, is now 'honing in' on what I eat and drink.  It's fine.. no it's wonderful as I certainly don't want to be found focused on this world and it's pleasures and cares, when the Lord returns. I want my heart and body, soul and mind to be in such a state that when he returns, He will be pleased. The Lord wants us to hold nothing back from him.

We mustn't say No to God, regardless of how 'innocent'  or small the indulgence. I know there is so much good on the other side of obedience, however difficult the discipline may feel right now.

Praying I will say yes.. to Him and be responsive over every bite.. doing all to His glory.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God I Cor. 10:31

Dear Lord, You know this is hard for me.. and I bet for some of my readers too. But you do not ask us to do what you cannot make us able to do by your grace. Just as I have given up so many other things in response to your conviction, enable me to give up the love of food too. Without your help, we can do nothing, but with your help we can do anything. Thank you for your grace. Help us to love only You, and simply 'use' food and drink and enjoy it in a proper manner. Amen.

Day 3 -- Bittersweet

Good thing I've been keeping Mom under close scrutiny the last two days because this morning she was put to the test.

Sickness decided to camp out in my respiratory system this morning and I had to skip work. That left Mom's breakfast unsupervised. My hard work paid off though -- Mom stuck with her diet and even went for a long walk while I was sleeping!

After some medication and extra sleep, I was back on my feet in time to oversee our lunches right before we headed out the door. Which reminds me...

No More Cast!

We took a trip to the clinic today and Mom's cast was removed from her left wrist! Waiting on her for an hour tested my patience and I seriously considered finding a pair of scissors and doing it myself next time. Nonetheless, we were elated that Mom was set free. This incident led to a humorous remark from the Doctor as he was giving Mom instructions for therapy:

"Don't be doing anything strenuous with your wrist right away. No pushups or anything."

How did he know???

We won't have any trouble adjusting Mom's cardio/strength training so she can tackle it single-handedly. Literally.

Day 3 Progress Update

Weight Progress: -1lb
Total weight-loss: -2lbs

Lesson Learned today: even if your trainer is sick, you can still decide to exercise and eat right on your own.

Go Mom!

My Mother is The Biggest Loser

For those of you who thought this is my actual opinion of my mother, shame on you. I love my mother dearly and she is about as far from being a loser as you possibly could be; until now. You see, my mother is starting our version of "The Biggest Loser" challenge.

The Coach

As her coach, mentor, dietician, and #1 fan, let me introduce myself; my name is Rebekah Rodgers. Since I was big enough to walk, I have led a fairly active/healthy lifestyle; developed a pattern of habits that cultivate healthy eating choices, active hobbies, and determination to stay fit. At 21 years old, I still maintain those habits.

But my Mother has spent the last 20+ years taking care of five kids, a house, and husband. Somewhere along the line, she neglected to take care of her own health and wellbeing. That's where we find ourselves today. She has decided to make a change right now to save her health and live better.

The Biggest Loser Challenge

For the next 6 weeks (or however long it takes) Mom will be following the diet plan and exercise routines outlined in "The Biggest Loser" by Cheryl Forberg (and others). In order to motivate her to stick with the program, I have decided to diet and exercise with her through all 6 weeks.

We have four charts on the fridge: water intake, diet check, exercise check, and weight progress. I also had Mom put up a picture of her goal -- herself nearly 20 years ago -- as well as a list of excuses she's made since then that got her so far away from her optimal weight.

- For water intake, we aim for 128oz of water a day in four 32oz increments.

- Our diet plan follows the 1,200-1,500 calorie balanced meals listed in the book. (Note: 5 small meals a day makes a huge difference in hunger and cravings.)

- Exercises vary each week in type and intensity but in addition to the workouts, we walk 30-45 minutes outdoors. Mom's favorite warm-up is hula hooping while listening to Country music.

We are currently on Day 2. Weight progress = -1lb

Quote of the day:

Mom: "What?? I can't run!"
Me: *rolls eyes* "If one of your children got hit by a car, would you walk to their aid or run?"
Mom: "... I guess I can run."

Lesson learned: You CAN exercise beyond what you think you can. You'll never know your limits until you push them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's where I need your help. Mom needs all the motivation, support, encouragement, (and prayers) you can give her. Comment below and let her know you're cheering for her!

Gaining Weight While Away from Home

How did the holidays go for you all? I was thrilled to discover that I only gained two pounds over the holidays. I never weighed and I was expecting a lot worse.  Sadly, I rejoiced a little too soon.

We headed off to Seattle for three weeks where I promptly broke my wrist.

Guess what happens when you sit in a recliner for three weeks and do nothing but eat and sleep and take pain pills?  Add to that...that you can't politely choose your own food..as someone else is cooking that whole time.  Then add several dinners out.    It was a recipe for disaster.

I gained four pounds and feel bloated. Drat!

So do I give up? Of course not.  This is a journey. I just need to buckle down and keep going.  It's time to get back to healthy eating choices...like Jaime has suggested..and to get moving again.  Walking..hooping...and just good ole' housework should get me back on track.

I'm going to start logging my food again on Lose It. Accountability works wonders!

How are you all doing?  Let me know! And let's welcome a new member..   Debra of Florentine Lily to our group. What better time to get posting again than a new year!

Love you all!


Donna @ Comin' Home