Author: Elizabeth

It’s that time again. Grab that tape measure and see how many inches have disappeared.

When you are done, take a moment to reflect on the progress you have made and share with us!

When I started on my journey, I had a total of 143 pounds to lose. That number seemed astronomical and unattainable. Thinking about losing 143 pounds, when losing just one pound seemed difficult, could be very discouraging.

I quickly learned to set small goals, no more than 5 pounds at a time. A small, attainable goal was all it took to get me motivated and on the move! It is exciting to reach a goal and give yourself that proverbial high-five.

I even wrote my goals down. I had sticky notes on every cupboard in the kitchen that held food, in my wallet to remind me when I was spending money and in other locations that helped me retain my focus.

Of course, if your entire goal is to lose 5 pounds, then your focus should be one pound or even a half a pound at a time. We simply use small goals to keep ourselves motivated throughout the journey.

What size goal do you have?

It’s a stressful day, nothing is going my way. Some unforeseen urgent task has just landed in my lap. The kids are hungry and I’ve skipped a meal. I’m off my plan and ready to eat everything in sight. Does this sound familiar?

Food can seem like a good place to turn. It can provide temporary comfort with long term consequences. Stress and the need for comfort are never the right reasons to eat.

In the past, I turned to food all too often. Now, I turn more and more to prayer. There is no situation that I find myself in that God doesn’t already know about and can’t handle. We all know this truth, but living it can be more difficult.

Plus, God puts people in our lives to help us along the way. Just this week, I was in just such a situation. I sent a text to a friend asking for prayer. Knowing a friend was praying for me made a difference and kept me on track.

What about you, where do you turn for support?

Exercise is not always fun. In fact, sometimes it can be downright boring. Sometimes you have to force yourself through.

The best way to beat this is with an exercise buddy. Your spouse, your best friend, or even an acquaintance with an interest in getting fit. The time you spend together will not just help you physically, but emotionally as well. There is alot to be said about having a friend to vent to when things go wrong. Just remember to spend as much time listening as you do talking and you’ll have a buddy for life!

Do you have an exercise buddy?

Before I began my weight loss journey, God dealt with me about what I was eating. I knew I was supposed to give up white potatoes and soda. They were the staple of my diet.

I ate french fries, hash browns, baked potatoes, chips, potato soup, mashed potatoes and fried potatoes. It was rare for me to have a meal without potatoes in some form.

I also drank 10 to 12, 20 ounce colas per day! Yes, I had that amount of empty calories and sugar each and every day.

I was extremely sick, which probably doesn’t surprise you. However, it was actually ongoing digestive issues that put me into this way of eating. Potatoes were one of the few foods that I could eat and keep down. Therefore, potatoes became one of the few things I ate. Not to mention I love them-too much.

The sodas were drank in such large quantities to keep my blood sugar spiked. Colas can give us a sudden spike in our blood sugar followed by a sudden crash. I had to keep drinking to compensate.

So, here I was, depending on potatoes and colas for a miserable existance. But, God had other plans for me, complete dependance on Him. So, I gave up the potatoes and sodas almost 3 years ago and have gained so much more!

Is God directing you to give up something? Share with us.

We all see commercials every day for different weight loss programs. They push a particular piece of fitness equipment, an exercise routine, or a pre-packaged meal plan. If you watch the commercials closely, you will also see a fine print disclaimer that reads, “results not typical.”

Well, I am here to tell you, that YOU CAN lose weight. You CAN reach your goal. The reason I know this is I know the secret ingredient to losing weight – it’s you, yourself. That’s right, YOU are the secret ingredient to your weight loss.

If you can keep your focus on God and seek Him daily for your eternal living water and submit the physical food and drink to his guidance, then you will have success! Following God is a success guaranteed plan!

I have had a personal struggle with pitted edema or water retention for years. This is especially true in my feet, ankles and legs. However, it has sometimes been so severe that even my fingers and arms were swollen. Over the next two Mondays, we’ll cover how water retention affects weight loss and what we can do about it.

Water retention, personally, makes me feel tired. I can tell a huge difference in my energy level on the days when my swelling is at its worst. The worst effect, however, is psychological. When watert retention is high, the scale goes up. It can make it difficult for me to feel like I’m making progress. Even when sticking to my plan, water retention can make the scale jump up 3, 5, 10, even 15 pounds overnight.

Yes, i have had the scale jump up 15 pounds in less than 24 hours! In fact, I let it get to me too much one time and stopped trying to lose weight. When I finally got the water weight gone and got back on the scales, my true weight was up. I had let myself fall into some old sinful habits and I had to work even harder to get back to where I was. Although, in some ways, it grieves me to remember the hard work I had undone, I really learned a hard lesson about keeping my faith and trusting that God still has my back.

Have you had issues with water retention? Next week we’ll cover some ways in which we can combat water retention. So, if you’ve found some things that work for you, share them and we may include them in our article.

As you begin to lose weight, you should begin feeling better. Every 5 pounds we lose is 20 pounds of pressure off of our knees. Your other joints should be less stressed from the loss of excess weight also. Your muscles will be stronger from strength training. Clothes will begin feeling looser. Our energy levels will increase.

Yes, if we are losing weight the right way, we will start seeing a lot of changes, physically, in how we look and feel. I love the amount of energy I have now and how much better my back and knees feel. Are you seeing changes yet? If not, contact us at WAVES either by phone (706-745-8632) or by email for a free personal evaluation.

A lifestyle change, instead of just a diet means making changes that you can live with the rest of your life. It is a daily commitment to live differently, eat better, exercise more. Yet, we  are all going to have days when we slip or even fall.

Maybe it was a church gathering, a wedding, a birthday or some other special occasion. In these situations I have seen many people beat themselves up emotionally and verbally again and again. This isn’t necessary or helpful.

So, what should we do? I like to think of what our Heavenly Father does for us, no matter our sin or our slip up; God shows us grace – amazing grace.

So, perhaps, you were in sin when you over ate. That sin is called gluttony. God instructs us to simply confess our sin with our lips and then repent. When we do this, God forgives us, washes the slate clean. We can move on and be free from guilt with God’s forgiveness.

What did you do the last time you slipped?

A long day, an argument with a friend, a financial setback; there are lots of reasons we need a good friend to turn to.

Too many times, I would turn to food. I can’t explain to you why I did this. I know food can’t listen to me, offer Christian advice or help me to find a good solution to any problem. Yet, it somehow became my crutch and the first thing I did for comfort.

Well, praise God, I am no longer bound by that habit anymore! Jesus has taught me to run to Him instead. If I need Comfort, He is there! If I need a friend, He is there. Jesus is the one friend that never lets me down, never leaves me nor forsakes me. Jesus is always there and supplies my every need. Do you know Jesus as your savior and friend?