What is your history for trying to lose weight before joining WLGW?
I really haven’t tried to lose weight. I’ve been heavy for a long time. I kept gaining over the years and had convinced myself that I was just fine the way I was. I started looking at WLGW in July and started the 21-DAY CHALLENGE on my Bible app by myself. I wasn’t very consistent with it. I still wasn’t convinced that I needed to lose weight. I think I did most of the lessons twice. It took me until November to finish the challenge. I think God had to shout at me. I lost 7.2 pounds in 14 weeks. Not a lot, but enough to feel like I was making progress. I finally signed-up for the online program in November and have lost 20.2 pounds in 23 weeks (during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and some travel). My goal is 135 pounds by December 31, 2020.
What was your highest weight? Your current weight?
208 (maybe higher—I refused to get on the scale; I was in complete denial. My current weight is 175.4.
What other changes/benefits have you received from taking better care of yourself?
I have more energy, sleep better without snoring, and have a positive attitude with life.
What advice/tips/suggestions could you offer to your fellow sisters on this journey?
So many things —where to start . . .
1. Set aside time each day to read the devotion. Pray and reflect on it throughout the day. Keep a journal to track your progress (or sometimes lack of progress) and what each daily step means to you.
2. Start by not eating between 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. That was a life-changer for me. I was a big-time snacker in the evenings, also throughout the day. When I discovered I could not snack between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., it made it easier to give up some of those other sweets and high-fat foods at other times of the day.
3. Get the My Fitness Pal app and track your calories, water, and weight. Be honest. Do some research about what you should weigh. WLGW devotions and website offer lots of those and so does the MFP app.
4. Exercise every day—even if it is only 15 minutes. My husband and I walk every day and we use the Map My Walk app to track our time and distance. We live in Montana so it’s not always pleasant, but we do it anyway. It’s not only good for exercise, but it’s time for us to connect with each other. Today we did 1.7 miles in 31 minutes with an 18.38 minute-mile (as compared to when I started in December at between .8 and 1.3 miles with a 24-minute mile).
5. Set small goals. 2 or 3 a month and focus on those and track these on the monthly tracker.
6. Find one or more accountability partners. My husband is my greatest supporter and I am so thankful for him. He does almost all the cooking and has changed the way he cooks. Well, actually he has always cooked healthy foods, I just supplemented it with sweets and fatty foods. I also have Rosie, an accountability partner through WLGW that I can text and she texts me and we keep each other honest.
7. Take advantage of the resources on the Weight Loss, God’s Way website. There are some great resources for tracking weight, exercise, and some great healthy recipes.
8. Food doesn’t have to be fattening to be good. My son gave us the gift of a Mediterranean Cookbook at Christmas and the recipes there are wonderful—lots of vegetables, proteins, and very little carbs. It makes eating fun when things taste good.
9. Weigh every Wednesday (not any more often than that) and track measurements and weight on the 1st and 15th of the month. Sometimes the losses are in inches rather than pounds.
Was there a specific turning point in your journey?
The turning point was not doing this by myself—I asked my husband to help me with weight release and I joined the online group. I knew I had a support group from others in the same situation as I was.
Please share some Scripture that has ministered to you on this journey.
This year I chose a word of the year, JOY—looking for joy in the things I do. My verse is “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. “Romans 12:12. It has helped remind me that prayer is a good choice anytime.
What’s the most profound principle you’ve learned in the Weight Loss, God’s Way Program?
Daily time with God has been the most important part of this journey. The small steps in each day’s lessons in a biblical context with time to reflect on it have helped me to integrate these skills into my daily life. And taking part in the forum is wonderful to see that there are others out there just like me; reading what others are thinking and reflect on those as well.
What would you like to say to other women that will encourage them to believe that they, too, can be successful?
Be kind to yourself and don’t get discouraged if the weight doesn’t release right away.
My favorite quote from Cathy is, “After all, how long did it take you to gain all that weight? You can’t expect it to come off all at once or even in a couple of months.”
Make the devotional time a priority in your life to take care of yourself. The time spent is well worth it.