As we revisit the "saving calories" theme this week, I'm suggesting that you try incorporating one of my personal mottos into your life. Yes, I do mean to suggest that not drinking calories is one VERY effective way to maintain weight loss for a lifetime.
Last September, I not only quit drinking calories, but I even quit drinking calorie-free diet sodas (because they contained unhealthy chemicals) and I quit ALL bubbly waters because they are proven to bloat the belly. Prior to September, I would rarely drink any calories--meaning...no smoothies, no shakes, no coffees with calories...none, nada.
Here's my reasoning. As a busy 54 year old, it is difficult for me to get out and exercise, other than walking and weight lifting--therefore, I won't/don't burn very many calories each week through exercise. That means I have to carefully watch my caloric intake--about 1600 to 2000 calories a day. I PREFER to eat those calories--nuts and seeds and avocados and milk (I consider milk an essential protein for my aging body)!
So give it a try. Only eat calories. When "out", drink water with lime or lemon. At home, fill a pitcher of water with lemons, mint, cucumber and ginger (called Sassy Water in the Flat Belly Diet) and drink of it endlessly. It is refreshing and tasty. As for coffees and teas...add some of your daily portion of skim milk (perhaps only 20 calories per cup of coffee and an important protein for your bones) and stevia ( a chemical free sugar substitute) to sweeten.
You can do it!
Becky
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Becky,
ReplyDeleteHave you heard of the Christian based WeighDown Diet and Gwen Shamblin? It's basically waiting for hunger and stopping when satisfied and going to the Lord in prayer or His word if you're eating for any other reason other than hunger...emotional eating. If you have what do you think of it?
I've really been convicted in my heart about my body being God's Temple. The CYL daily reading for July 29 was 2Chronicles 24:5ff.
ReplyDeleteIt is telling about Joash beginning the repair of the Temple of God..verse 5 says....do not delay! verse 13...worked hard, and they made steady progress. They restored the Temple of God to its orginal design and strengthened it. I know God was speaking to me about His temple now, my body...work hard and make it what He intended me to be when he designed me. To honor him in the way I treat the temple He has blessed me with. I've read these verses before but never applied them to my body, it was such a blessing to hear his words. Knowing obedience is the key to fully loving God.
It went on in verse 17 to say....they abandoned the Temple of the Lord and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! I know I displease God when I put anything before him, whither it's food, money, praise of man, or any idol.
I just wanted to share what God's word has meant to me the last few days of study, how generous and loving He is to do this for us.
Hope you all have a blessed week that glorifies our Lord and Savior.
Winnie, I love when/how the CYL Daily Bible connects the dots for all of us--no matter what we are facing, God Talks!
ReplyDeleteIn response to WDD...I have heard of it; I don't know enough about it to endorse it. Perhaps others in our group have heard of it?
Becky
Hi All: I missed the call yesterday, due to having my dear Mom over for lunch.
ReplyDeleteI think I am tracking half ahead and half behind on the assignments.
Last week I had shopped my closet, made some plans about that and we had a small yard sale.
Then I didnt get to the garbage bag task.
This time, I stocked my fridge with 'no calorie' juice/water drinks. I do have a problem with bad tastes in my mouth and as a type I diabetic, I cant drink regular juice so these no calorie juice/water drinks taste good.
I use no sweetener in coffee or tea, and use lactose free, fat free cream.
So, anyway, once I again I feel like I am sort of in-between on the assignments, but still making some changes and often making them one week ahead of the blog assignment! I'll be watching for that emotional snacking....which I do when I get grumpy with someone!
Thanks to all for sharing, you are all such a blessing.
Winnie, I am from a strong evangelical church in Escondido called Emanuel Faith, Dennis Keating is the pastor, at one time we offered WDW and I took it several times, but after a while the church pulled the program because the founder changed some of her biblical teachings to where they do not match God's word. I still have her workbook called " Rising Above, The Magnetic Pull of the Refrigerator" I did it in the class before she changed biblically and it is very good. If you want to do a diet focused Bible Study the workbook is strong biblical and you can learn the principles to eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. However, I would probably stay away from her tapes and teachings. It was last copyrighted in 1996 by the WDW.
ReplyDeleteBecky has an excellent book on Keeping the change and the change your life journal (spiral bound 60 days) will give you the tools that are necessary to lose weight. The night before, I plan what I am going to eat the next day and I plan my exercise on Sunday for the coming week. I then book my appointment with God and what I have to get done at work the next day. Becky presented several times back the 20/20/20. Plan, play and pray. Currently I am not eating food I am on a medically supervised fast, but the journal works.
If you want additional accountability, Dr. Nick Yphantides has a cute saying, we are to be the temple of the Holy Spirit not a cathedral. He lost an amazing amount of weight, and has kept it off 7-8 years. His other saying is your have to "Change the way you see before you can change the way you look." I post weekly on his web page, I am Diana 167. This site is http://www.healthsteward.com Nick is a strong christian and has helped many with their weight loss journey. You do not have to join to check out my story or see my progress.
Blessings.....Diana
On a personal note, I so related to the telephone call and thank full I listened. I call my emotional hunger "head hunger".
ReplyDeleteIn January through May, I gave into emotional eating and broke all my own rules. I know I eat whether I am glad, sad, or mad. I self-punish by eating too much, too late. I reward myself for a job well done, a job gone bad, do you get the picture. I am a hugh stress eater. Who doesn't have stress? I broke my own ways I save calories, for example, if you eat out, share the meal. I quit exercising, but weight loss is a math problem. You have to burn more calories than you eat. If you do not exercise 3 to 4 times a week weight loss is really hard. The other rule I broke was that I quit taking my own lunch. If you want to save calories you have to brown bag your lunch at least the majority of the time. Calculate your calories. I also broke my own rule of the food that was brought by others was not my food to eat. I am in a office where there is always food available. I began to eat candy that did not belong to me.
Becky is right about liquid calories. Plus water helps you flush out toxins from your system. The more water you drink, the more you will want. I used to be an avid Diet Coke drinker and after the withdrawal from the caffeine, I love water. If you do not like to drink water, for every diet coke you have, drink 8 ouches of water. It works, I rarely have a soda now and after reading about bloating, I will probably stop that.
So what happened by breaking my own rules. You see in 2005, I weighed 245 pounds. I started the 3 hour diet and lost 25 pounds. I then did a medically supervised fast and I lost down to 170, but in that five months, I gained from 180 to 211 pounds. I am in recovery now. I am a compulsive overeater, probably a food addict. I have used food to soothe away my emotional pain. I have used being overweight for a variety of reasons with one of them being protection. I have found much help from Dr. Nick, Becky and Overeaters Annonymous. But the most help is from God. I do not have a higher power, I have the Holy Spirit and God's Word. Prayer is the answer and also less TV. When I am emotional hungry, God meets my emotional needs. I have the Life Recovery Bible that has the 12 Steps and this auguments my CYL Bible. So my last tidbit is "Food is for nourishment and food is not a solution to emotional hunger." Taste and See that the Lord is Good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8
In Step three, I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to God. In step one, I admitted I was powerless over food and my life was unmanageable, and in step two, I know from the depths of my soul that there is a power that comes from God and it is greater than me and He alone has restored me to sanity.
I am sorry this post is so long, but today I went and cleaned out a cabinet, I came across a prayer list of my mother's (my mom past away in 1977) and my husband was on the top of her list and I was next. She was preparing for a revival and for herself she was asking God on her sin list questioning and learning to wait on God. I have been emotionally drained because my oldest son still has not called and then to find pictures of my grandmother on top of my mom, today was a day of sheer feeling the emotions and pain. But for once, I am hungry for God not for food. I have revival and recovery in my life right now. My sins are many and I rejoice that I can confess and feel God's love. Be still and know that I am God.
If my story can prevent any one of you from gaining excess weight and suffering the consequences of bad joints and pain, I will rejoice through the tears that are in my eyes.
Here is a song that comforts me the most.
Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife and He made something beautiful out of my life.
Blessings....Diana
Diana:
ReplyDeleteYour blog really touched me and when I got to the song, I sang it and tears are now in my eyes. I have recently lost weight, but for the past two weeks I have eaten without control or much thought. Kids are getting back in school and I have been unfocused. I did pick my exercise back up, and started drinking my water again. I already feel better. I like how Becky talked in the first or second call about "not cheating". I definitely am a sugarholic. If I go without it, I am okay, but once I give in and have sweets...I crave more. I have decided my response when offered these foods..."no thanks, I'm allergic to that". Or I guess I could say, "no thanks...I'm a recovering sugarholic." ha. I love this group, and I really need the encouragement and accountability. I NEVER want to gain my 60 pounds back. My mom is 75 and struggles with food issues and is obese. She has really given up and has just accepted herself fat. She is a prayer warrier for me and my siblings, and she is always encouaging me. She sounds so depressed when any conversation comes up about weight. Please pray for me and for my mom.
Let's stay focused!!! I love you all.
JoyBeth, I am there with you and I will be praying also for you and your mom. Let go and let God is one of the sayings in OA. And you are right to say "no thank you" another good one is that is not on my food plan. FOCUS-Faith, Obedience, Call to God through prayer, Unlimited love from God, Stick to your plan. Blessings....Diana
ReplyDeleteDiana, Thank you for your openness and honesty. I too am an emotional eater. I lost 145 lbs on a medically supervised diet, and have gained over 100 lbs of it back currently. Becky's week Six really spoke to me about emotional eating. I particularly liked her point that emotional hunger wants to be satisfied instantly, but physical hunger can wait. Please pray for me as I try to daily and hourly turn this area of my life over to God for healing.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to Gwen Shamblin's Weigh Down Diet, I lead her program for about a year at College Ave Baptist Church. I will always remember her description of the growling stomach as a sign of physical hunger. I am even on some of her tapes in the background at her national convention. Gwen started opening the Bible pointing and taking verses out of context. I began to feel more uncomfortable about her biblical interpretations at the last convention I attended. My church also dropped her program shortly after that when she denied the Trinity of God on her website. While her earlier teachings were helpful, I would also avoid her tapes and videos.