FIFTY WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER (FOOD)

Someone asked me to share my secrets for losing weight. So I’ve listed 50 dieting helps that I’ve used throughout this journey.  These have been posted before, but it’s helped me to review them again. Sometimes we just have to return to the basics again.

1. Read your Bible daily. There is a lot about food, strength to resist temptation, and encouragement in there. Remember the first sin was eating the wrong food. 

2. Pray seeking God’s will about what and when to eat. Listen in submission for the voice of God. Pleasure food usually screams at us, “You know you want me.” God’s love speaks softly, “I want your love”.

3. It is true, “When in doubt, do without.” I have asked God to give me a heart for Him versus food. Excess food is a bad lover; the pleasure is good for a short time, but before it’s over you get hurt.

4. When you are facing a large amount of food treats, snacks, or desserts at parties or buffets, don’t look at it. Walk away, Remember the first sin came as a result of “it was pleasant to the eye” and it is “the lust of the eye” that gets us in trouble.

5. Take a “before” picture, preferably in your bathing suit. (I have one of myself. Yes, in all my glory.) It will help you see yourself as others see you and you’ll have something to compare to as you lose weight. You won’t regret it, I didn’t. I’m glad I did it, evidence of God’s healing power.

6. Keep the blouse, pants, dress, etc. that you wore when nothing else fits. I got sick of my pink blouse because I wore it so much, so I gave it away. I wish I had it now.

7. Keep a food journal. I did in the beginning, but I also wrote my feelings and my conversations with God. Talk to Him about it all, He can handle it.

8. I was a compulsive overeater that ate throughout the day, sometimes in bed too. Then God told me to just eat three meals, with no snacks, to help me gain some form of self-control. Baby steps.

9. Set short time goals to experience success, then set another short time goal. My time goals were in periods of 40 days. Jesus fasted for 40 days, so I thought that just maybe I could fast snacks and eat only three meals for 40 days.

10. Write “Thank you Lord” for every successful day on your calendar. It does help to see your successes and to praise God for the victory.

11. I wrote “Day 1, Day 2, etc. on my calendar. If I messed up, it was back to “Day 1” until I had 40 successful days.

12. It helps to get an accountability partner. I had four and failed all four, but I was good at starting over again. “Failing is not falling down, it is not getting up to start over again.” It seems that I’m really good at starting over.

13. Find a support group if you can, even if it is a group of ladies at church or work. Since I failed so many partners, I concluded I needed a whole group, so I went to the Celebrate Recovery program at our church. (A 12-step program that focuses on Jesus.)

14.  My advice from experience: When cooking for a group, give away the leftovers, don’t’ eat them on the way home like I did. Once I ate a whole banana bread loaf on the way home.

15. The leader (an ex-drug addict) of a woman’s addiction class told me that those with a drug or alcohol addiction could put the “tiger” in the cage and walk away with God’s help. But the one with a food addiction had to take the “tiger” out of the cage, pet it three times a day and then put it back in the cage. I think about that every day.

16. If you know someone who has had successful gastric bypass or a skinny person, watch how and what they eat. I have noticed that they eat what they want to, but in very small amounts. So why not copy them, and lose weight without the surgery. I have a friend that had a gastric bypass, I watch her eat and try to copy her.

17. After I succeeded eating only three meals for 40 consecutive days, then God said, “Now cut your food in half.” This is mainly what I still do, although when I realize that my love for desserts is becoming greater than my love for God, I give them up for 40 days

18. I had a family birthday party during a time of fasting 40 days from desserts, so I cut several pieces of birthday cake and put them in the freezer for later. Frozen birthday cake is not as good as fresh. Someone told me to let it thaw out first, but I ate it frozen. Sigh.

19. When going to a restaurant, share a meal; it will satisfy you and save money too. If your friend doesn’t want to share, then take half your meal home and enjoy it again the next day. You get to enjoy two meals for the price of one. I do this all the time, twice the pleasure.

20. Desserts are pleasure, but God allows me this pleasure as long as I seek His will first. If your order a desert from a restaurant, cut it in half and then cut the half in half. You will get four times as much pleasure if you spread it out over a period of time.

21. Chocolate kisses are a lot of pleasure for 22 calories. If you freeze them, they will last longer in your mouth. Let them melt in your mouth to increase pleasure, don’t chew.

22. I have used honey and cinnamon to help with colds and sore throats. I’ll take one capsule of cinnamon with a spoon of honey 3-4 times a day. A teaspoon of honey slowly sipped has stopped my coughing. Side effect: Honey has now become medicine and I don’t like it anymore. Yuck.

23. Chocolate kisses also help a sore throat as they melt down your throat. Now that chocolate is a medicine will I lose the desire for chocolate? Uh, no. A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands. Caution: Eat only one to two at mealtime for dessert if you choose, no more.

24. Keep sugar-free popsicles in the freezer. It helps to have something as a free food that is sweet and you can chew. They aren’t considered a snack, but just frozen liquid. Protect your clothing from colored drips, they may not come out in the wash, I know.

25. Buy M&M’s in the individual packages. When you want a little chocolate, divide the package in half. Then eat your half one by one holding in your mouth until it melts. I have divided my package by thirds and was it was enough to satisfy. Now that’s victory.

26. Easter Canterbury eggs can be sliced into fourths if they are kept in the refrigerator. Eat one-fourth at a time for your dessert. My husband brought them home, not me. I am amazed, now that I allow myself a little chocolate if I want it, the desire is just not there. Amazing.

27. My favorite dessert is nutty bar snack cakes (Little Debbie, go figure). Since I eat half, that’s one twin bar. I break apart the different layers and eat them one at a time. It lasts longer that way. Then I put the second bar away for another time.

28. If you choose to have ice cream with your meal, eat only a half cup serving as slowly as possible to savor each mouthful. Sometimes I add strawberries to the cup, makes it look bigger. Sometimes I choose one cookie instead, tiny bite of cookie, tiny bite of ice cream, then tiny bite of cookie. You get it.

29. We eat supper at church on Wednesday night. If I want the cake they have for dessert, I usually cut the top half off and eat it, then throw away the cake part. Sorry, I love icing and I want my half of cake to have icing.

30. If you are with other people and they’re still eating, but you aren’t, get something to drink and hold it in your hand. Sip it if hot, eat the ice if cold. This keeps your hands busy and your mouth full. I would suggest water, but that is boring. Coffee with cream is more interesting, or even fancy hot tea; use something that makes you feel special, not deprived.

31. I am not disciplined enough for structured exercise, but I do walk outside when I feel stressed. Fresh breezes blowing your hair, beautiful flowers blooming, and birds singing their praises to God will always lift your spirit. I’ve also walked through the neighborhood singing my praises to God.

 32. Prayer walks” are good when you need to get of the house, but still need an intense conversation with God and you can pray for your neighbors too. I have walked praying out loud. It’s just occurred to me that my neighbors probably think I am crazy. (By now, you probably think so too.)

33. I have noticed that if I wake up with an empty feeling, I am losing weight. If I wake up feeling bloated, then I need to drink more water and be more careful with food choices. Focus to get the empty feeling again.

34. Usually, I weigh once a week on Sunday mornings. If the scales go down, I go to church  praising God for this miracle. If the scales go up, I go to church asking for forgiveness and strength to resist temptation. I used to weigh on Mondays, but changed it due to eating out with friends after church. Eating supper so late does affect the scales.

35. Use extreme caution at Mexican restaurants, I can gain weight from just one Mexican meal. In the old days, I’d gain as much as three pounds from one meal. Yes, it’s true. Those chips are dangerous.

36. One weight loss program said that 12 Mexican chips count as one serving, so I only eat 6 with lots of salsa. I get my own salsa bowl to double dip.

37. When I order a taco salad, I have requested “no taco shell please”. I also use the salsa for a free salad dressing. Usually I just ask for my own bottle of salsa.

38. I have ordered different quesadillas, with a side order of lettuce and tomato. (I don’t like enchiladas.) Then eat half the quesadilla and take the other half home. Leftover quesadilla make a good breakfast.

39. At the Chinese buffet, I start praying before I walk in. I try to choose vegetables, a small serving of fried rice, and grilled meats. I do eat the egg roll with sweet sauce but only half of it. They usually have fruit, good for dessert.

40. Yes, you can eat just half a fortune cookie, and enjoy the fun of the fortune inside. Don’t bother saving the other half for later, they get stale too fast, this I know. Some things you just need to let go.

41. You can lose weight cooking country food, I did by eating just “half servings” in submission to God. My mother in law (in Heaven now) lived with us for four months and I cooked for her, some type of bread every day, dumplings, chicken n rice, field peas with ham n okra, fried chicken, dessert every day, etc. I did lose weight during this time.

42. I enjoy the crunchy part of bread, so I just eat the outside edge of the bread and give the soft inside to the birds outside. You get to enjoy watching God’s beautiful birds as a treat. I usually ask for corner pieces, but I have punched a hole in my muffin or biscuit, then ate the outside crust

43. I’m trying to drink cups of water in between my cups of coffee to increase my water servings. No, I don’t measure and drink my 8 glasses a day, I’m still working on self-discipline. (This was written a while back. I’m now trying to drink those 8 glasses.)

  44. My sister told me to pinch up the skin on my hand, if it stays wrinkled, I’m dehydrated and need more water. Okay, my skin looks like that of an old hound dog, guess I need more water.

45. While traveling in the car, carry a full glass of ice with some water. When you get back in the car after shopping, you still have cool water. If it spills, usually it doesn’t stain the car, I know..

47. I usually eat a whole ice cream cone if that is my breakfast and that’s all I have. If it is my dessert, I ask the server to just fill it to the top of the cone, no more. You try eating a half of an ice cone, I have done it, but it is really hard

48. My husband and I go out for steak every Thursday night. I eat half my steak and bring the rest home for another meal. Sometimes he is willing to share his steak, so we save money.

49. Once God told me that for every day I surrender my food to Him that He would give me blessings and I was to keep a record of these blessings. He always blesses me, but I guess He just wanted me to stay aware of what He is doing in my life.

50. Play with your clothes every day. You’ll be delighted as you pull out those smaller clothes you saved to get back into. Back in the 80’s I bought a classic expensive suit for over $100. I kept it all these years and finally got back in it. Yes, I wore a thirty year old skirt to church, got a lot of compliments, and felt great too.

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— Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

— Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. . I Corinthians 10:31

— But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.                 I Corinthians 15: 57