Week 6 Weigh-In

Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by to check on my progress. The time you take to read my posts means so much to me, and your encouragement is part of what keeps me motivated. So, thank you so much!

Some of the highlights from this past week were buying pumpkins with Husby, enjoying pumpkin ice cream afterward, photographing the In the Round Concert, and celebrating Crystal's birthday. I was able to do all of those fun things and stay within my calories each day. Week by week, I'm learning that I can lead a healthier lifestyle and still fit in things I enjoy.

Eating better and exercising is having all sorts of benefits: I'm losing weight, we're saving money (I plan on posting about that at some point), and I clap so much better at church. Seriously, all that clapping while doing aerobics is really paying off!

We're still measuring everything so we can ensure we're eating the proper portions. To make that a little easier, I purchased multiple sets of measuring spoons and cups that can nest within one another. Then I hung them on the back of a cabinet door using hooks I purchased from Dollar Tree. (The measuring spoons and cups came from the dollar section of Walmart.) Having multiple sets means we're less likely to skip measuring because the utensils we need are dirty.

I made quinoa stuffed bell peppers last night. They were so delicious! Maybe I'll post the recipe one day. Would you all enjoy it if I post a recipe from time to time?

I lost 3.8 pounds this week, bringing my total weight lost up to 22.6 pounds and my current weight down to 301.0 pounds. Yay! I'm so thankful for the progress the Lord has enabled me to make. My goal for next week is to be under 300 pounds. I'm really looking forward to that!

It's time for another set of comparison photos. Again, I can't tell a big difference. I think it's a mental hangup I have. This is going to sound weird, but entertain me a little. When the average person loses 20 pounds, it's very obvious. That loss of 20 pounds may even bring that person down to a healthy weight. Because of that, when I look in the mirror, or when I put on my clothes, I expect bigger results. Then I have to remind myself that I have a long journey ahead. Losing 22.6 pounds is great! I'm really excited about my progress, and I'm so thankful for the Lord's help. I just have to keep in mind that this is just the beginning.

So, I say all of that to ask you to pray for me as you look at these comparison photos and maybe if you think of me after you've read this post. Pray that even when I feel discouraged, I'll lean into the Lord and trust Him to lead me through the rest of this journey. Because it really is a journey I want to take.

When Husby and I went to Sam's the other day, I posed with 20 pounds of sugar to illustrate the 20 pounds I had lost (I knew on Saturday that I had reached 20 pounds). I'm a weakling, so they were heavy! It was good for me to hold 20 pounds and remember that I was just carrying that much extra weight all the time. 

I'd like to end my post today with something for you to ponder. Last night, I purchased mini cupcakes for the ladies in my Bible study group to enjoy and to celebrate Crystal's birthday. We had a dozen extra, so I sent them with Husby to his group. As we were heading home, I asked Husby if his group ate all of the cupcakes. He said they only ate a few of them. "Then where are the cupcakes?" I asked. I really wanted them! He told me that one of the guys in his group took them home after saying something to the effect of, "Joseph, I know you're trying hard to lose weight, and I know these cupcakes will be a temptation for you. I want to remove that temptation from you. I'll take them to work, so know they'll be eaten."

Honestly, at first, I was disappointed. Like I said, I wanted those cupcakes! Then I was really thankful. The man was right. We didn't need the temptation of those cupcakes. I appreciate that he was willing to remove the temptation.

Do you have people who do things like that for you? Do you help others by removing temptations for them? It doesn't have to be about food. There are a million other things in this world that tempt us. I challenge you to think about that today, and then I challenge you to ask God to show you how you can love your neighbor by removing a temptation for him/her. To go a step further from an idea in my Bible study this week, it's likely you're either tempting someone to sin, or you're helping someone resist temptation. It's unlikely you're completely neutral. Which side are you going to be on this week?

My DTR with Fast Food

Dear Fast Food,

     You and I have spent many, many years getting to know one another. You know right when to call: when I'm busy, bored, sad, happy, celebrating, driving down the road, sitting on the couch, on my way to school, on my way home from school, on my way to church, on my way home from church. Let's just suffice it to say, you've got my number on speed dial.

     You know what I like: deep fried, greasy, cheesy, ooey, gooey, yummy, fast, convenient. And you usually give it to me, except at some of your establishments during their final hour of the day. But I've never held that against you.

     You've been a strong leader in my life. You led me to impulse eating. You led me to the mall to purchase clothing of a larger size. You led me to the doctor for blood pressure medication.

     You've been a constant friend and companion. Often, we've started our day together with breakfast in bed and ended our day together with a late night foodie call.

     Now, it's time I determine the relationship I have with you, and this DTR is long overdue.
   
     I will no longer answer to your beck and call. We will no longer see each other on a daily basis. Instead, we will be mere acquaintances, seeing each other only when absolutely necessary.

     You are being replaced in my life by Someone Who values me more than a super sized meal. He will care for me longer than it takes to order chicken tenders and a sweet tea in the drive-thru at lunchtime.

     So you can remove my number from your speed dial. You can prepare yourself for the sting of rejection when you tempt me. You are no longer my master.

Sincerely,
ChubbyChelle (For Now)

Week 5 Weigh-In

Overall, this past week has been pretty good. It included Fall for Greenville and a very quick trip to my hometown and back.

Fall for Greenville went better than I anticipated. I made sure to exercise that afternoon, and I knew how many calories I had left for the day when we arrived. I enjoyed lobster mac and cheese from 21 East, pimento cheeseburger sliders from, um, I'm totally blanking now, and a melt-in-your-mouth-oh-so-good mini pumpkin spice cupcake from The Chocolate Moose. I must have another one of those cupcakes before fall is over! I was pleased that I was able to enjoy the evening with Husby and still finish the day within my allotted calories.

During our quick trip to my hometown, we both faced a very strong temptation for real Chick-fil-a food, meaning salads weren't going to cut it. We calculated the calories and determined we could splurge. I ordered chicken tenders and fries (at least I didn't order a soda, too!). As soon as we drove away, I had Drive-Thru Remorse. I was going to call it DTR, and then I remembered DTR is already taken, which inspired me to write a post that will be coming soon: My DTR with Fast Food.

I lost 3.5 pounds this week, bringing my total weight lost up to 18.8 pounds and my current weight down to 304.8. Woo hoo! God is such a sweety! Being a tenth of a pound away from 10% of my total goal is pretty cool. Oh, that reminds me. I keep forgetting to mention that my weekly goal is 1% of my total weight. So far, I think I've met that goal each week.

During my Bible study today, God brought to my mind Romans 8:26-27: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

In those moments when I'm feeling weak, when I want to do everything and anything but obey the Lord, the Holy Spirit is interceding for me. When I don't know what to pray because temptation is so strong, the Holy Spirit is praying for me according to God's will. That's a beautiful, powerful thing, and I'm convinced it's why I'm still on this journey after five weeks (about the time I would normally throw in the towel). There have been numerous times when I have stuck to our eating plan or exercised when I didn't feel like it, and I know it was the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me. I'm so grateful for Him!

Week 4 Weigh In

This week in review:

• Drinking water is becoming more consistent. I think I've been in the 6-8 glasses range most days this past week. Once I'm at 8 glasses a day consistently, I'm going to increase my daily goal.
• We were fairly busy this past week, including shooting a wedding on Saturday, so I think I only exercised 5 days. I'm not complaining about 5 out 7 days, but I actually kind of missed it on the days I didn't exercise. That is evidence of the Holy Spirit's work in my life, because this girl has no motivation to exercise in and of herself. Also, shooting weddings should be in the exercise category of MyFitnessPal. I was pooped when it was over!
• Shooting a wedding reminded me of one of the big reasons I want to lose weight. Being on my feet for the majority of 9 hours was painful for me. Over 300 pounds of weight on my feet is more than my body was designed for, and I'm looking forward to the day when I have a healthy amount of weight on my feet. I'm sure my feet are looking forward to that day as well. Poor things. Bless their hearts. Let's move on.
• Oh, speaking of the wedding, I think you'll laugh when I tell you one of the items that was on the buffet: buffalo chicken dip! Seriously. I have never been to a wedding that served buffalo chicken dip. I had to laugh, because, as you know if you've been reading my blog, buffalo chicken dip is my one true weakness. I'm proud to report that I ate it. Ha! I think you thought I was going to tell you I had a noble moment where I resisted temptation. I didn't. I ate it. It was delicious.
• Did I mention I shot a wedding Saturday? The wedding was for friends of ours, so they made sure we were able to eat (planning a wedding? make sure your photographers can eat). I thought I was doing really well. OK. Honestly, I thought I was doing sort of well. When I guesstimated and entered everything into MFP, I was shocked! I consumed over 1200 calories at that wedding, and I thought I was being fairly good. I didn't go back for seconds. I didn't go hog wild and eat everything in sight. And it was still over 1200 calories. That experience was very eye opening for me. I'm glad I took the time to log everything.
• While I was logging everything from the wedding, Joseph was VERY amused. With each item I remembered eating, as I watched the total calories increase, I grew more and more exasperated ... and more and more animated. Finally, I shouted out, "I ATE THREE GRAPES!!" To which Joseph replied, in his best female actress in Steel Magnolias voice, "Oh, lordie!" I had to laugh. I'm thankful he keeps me grounded.
• I lost 3.7 pounds this week, bringing my total weight lost up to 15.3 pounds and my current weight down to 308.3. Being under 300 pounds is getting closer and closer, and it feels great! The Lord has been very gracious to me.

One of the things that came up in my Bible study this past week is moving beyond conviction to action. That topic resonated with me. Doing something about my laziness and poor eating habits has been a source of conviction many, many times, but I've rarely taken any action to change. James, the brother of Christ, talked about being a hearer only of the Word and not a doer. He said not taking action is like looking intently into a mirror and walking away and forgetting what you look like (James 1:22-24). At many points in my life, I've done that literally. I have stared at myself in a mirror, pinching and jiggling fat, feeling convicted about my weight. Then I walked away and didn't do anything. I forgot what I saw in the mirror. I forgot the conviction I felt. I forgot what the Lord was doing in my heart, and I stuffed myself with whatever tasty food I was craving at the moment. I was a hearer of the Word and not a doer. 

I don't want that to be true of my life any more. I want to be a doer of the Word. Even in this area of sin in my life, one that has been a stronghold for probably 25 years. I know that's going to take walking in step with the Spirit so I don't gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). For me, that is going to be a second by second walking in step with the Spirit. I'm so thankful He's there to walk with me and to enable me to make the right choices, to do the good things God has called me to (Philippians 2:13).

Week 3 Weigh In

Just a quick update this week:

• I exercised 6 days this past week. I've tried walking outside twice, and it feels like the calf muscle on my right leg is being ripped from the bone. I don't like that. The Walk Away the Pounds videos are still my go to workout.
• I'm doing a little better with water, but there is still room for improvement. Thank you for the helpful suggestions!
• I'm relearning the saying "Failure to plan is planning to fail." When we have a good plan, we're much more successful. The days we don't have a plan, it's much easier to give in to temptation.
• Speaking of temptation, it has been fierce this past week! I haven't always fled from it either. Chips were consumed in a Mexican restaurant. There may or may not have been some queso involved. 
• I'm also relearning that when I give in to temptation once, it gets easier and easier to give in to temptation again. 
• I lost 3.5 pounds this week, bringing my total weight lost up to 11.6 pounds and my current weight down to 312 pounds. God is good!
• I'd like to be under 300 pounds before Thanksgiving. I think that's doable at a healthy pace.
• Joseph and I decided we will be rewarded with $10 cash each time we lose 10 pounds. We can spend it immediately or save it to buy something more expensive. I'm buying sunglasses today. :O)

As promised, here's the first set of comparison photos. I'll post them every 10 pounds. I can't tell a difference. Because of my size, I think I'll need to lose about 30 pounds before there is noticeable change. That's OK. Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement!