My weight loss counseling sessions with God
BLESSINGS-
Remember this song?
“Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God Has done.”
How often do you get over loaded and burdened with the struggles of life? Do you notice your blessings? Have your struggles and disappointments overwhelmed you? Stress can be caused by just looking at what you see. Wish I had a dollar for every time God spoke these words to my heart as I looked at what I saw and became over stressed. Continue reading
(Written May 28) Day 1. Sat: early am- coffee 
Breakfast: Salad w 2 T croutons, 1 T dressing. 2 oz. rotisserie chicken-(Yes, sometimes I do eat salad for breakfast. I’m having a love affair with romaine lettuce.) 4 baby carrots ( for my chewing issue) 1 oz cheese – water (3 large glasses) Continue reading
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8 NKJV
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Last week a friend asked how I ate. I tried to answer her questions. She wanted more information. I thought a picture is worth 1,000 words, so I’ll just take pictures of my food.
Disclaimer: I apologize to all who eat clean, carb free, or follow diet rules. These food pictures don’t fit any of those plans. This is how God instructed me to eat. I’ve lost 87 pounds, gone from a size 18/20 pants to size 10 pants and from size X-L /14-18 tops to size S/6-10 tops. Wow!
Taken May 2013, weighing 241.
I’ve failed every diet I tried with 41 years of failure. My first paid weight loss group was in 1974. We ate tuna fish 5x a week. Yuck. It’s amazing what we do to lose weight. I never tried surgery, only because I was afraid.
In May 2013, I weighed 241 pounds. In desperation, embarrassment, and total defeat I cried out to God. I’d tried everything only to end up in failure. I was broken in defeat with no hope, no other options and turned to God begging for help. Considering all the people in the world with severe needs, it was pathetic.
God didn’t care how pathetic I was, He reached out to help me. I was a food drunk eating almost 24/7.
God whispered to my heart, “Eat three meals a day with no snacks. Eat anything you want including desserts, but no snacks. Do this for 40 days.”
Seemed simple enough. I thought maybe I can do this. It took 60 days to achieve 40 days of three meals with no snacks. Then I asked Him, “What now?”
Again He spoke to my heart, “Continue eating your three meals with no snacks. Now cut your food in half.”
You won’t believe how I eat now, yet continue losing weight. I feel like a walking, talking miracle. So here goes, food pictures:
Friday: Breakfast- I/2 apple with peanut butter & a caramel flavored rice cake. (I like the flavor and crunchiness.)
Lunch- Forgot what I ate, don’t keep a food journal. Mostly I just eat half of whatever, so I don’t need to write it down. It may have been soup & 1/2 sandwich.
Supper- We went out with friends to a new Italian restaurant. I ordered house salad with Thousand Island dressing, Penne Basilica with extra mushrooms, and Tiramisu for dessert. (Shared dessert with husband.)
New Italian restaurant. ***** five stars- great food. Highly recommended. Large portions, enough to take home for later.
Our friends ordered an appetizer of fried onion rings. I ate one with the mariner sauce.
The side salad. I ate the large vegetables and left half the lettuce.
Penne Basilica- chicken, broccoli, pesto cream sauce with pasta. I ordered extra mushrooms. My plate was the largest serving on the table. Wow!
Tiramisu- Hubby and I both ate half. Not my favorite.
I took home half the entrée with a piece of bread. I ate a half piece of bread at my meal.
Now for Saturday’s food :
Breakfast: One large serving cheese grits from a gas station that served breakfast. I left about three large bites and threw it away. Hubby and I were out and about.
Lunch served on a saucer, half the leftover pasta. The other half was still in the go box. I added three pieces of fried squash. (Southern favorite. The only way Hubby will eat squash.)
A favorite dessert, ice cream with pear pieces and juice. I usually eat half a coffee cup of ice cream (about 3 large spoonful’s.)
Lunch: Leftover pasta, fried squash, and dessert, ice cream with canned pear pieces.
Saturday supper: I ate one whole can of soup 200 calories. Don’t count calories, but thought it was okay to eat all the soup due to low calories.
My dessert with Saturday supper. One, yes I said one Hersey’s kiss. Let it melt in your mouth, lot of chocolate pleasure for only 22 calories
Skipped breakfast. Hubby insists on being at church at 8 a.m. for his music practice before church. Hoping someone brings a treat to our Sunday School class.
No treats in Sunday school. After church we ate lunch at a favorite neighborhood restaurant, “Neighbors”. Large servings, plenty to bring home for later. Great food, whatever you order. Five stars. ****
Almost forgot to take a picture. Ordered three-piece chicken dinner with sides of turnip greens, mac n cheese, and corn bread. The plate came with four pieces and a roll. I asked for cornbread. You can’t eat turnips without cornbread.
I ate half the turnips, half the mac n cheese, two small pieces chicken, and one half of the corn muffins. There were four pieces of chicken, so I thought I could eat two of the smaller pieces. That’s half, right?
Sunday night after church there was a reception to honor our pastors. Since I didn’t eat breakfast, I could now eat cake. Yea, my favorite. This would be my second meal today.
I love, love cake icing. I know, pure sugar and lard.
Since I eat half the cake, I eat my favorite part, the icing. Throw away the cake part.
When we got home from church it was soup and sandwich again. I overstocked canned soup so we’re trying to eat it.
For late supper I ate a whole can of soup. In hindsight, I think I should have eaten only half because I felt too full afterwards. Lesson learned, don’t eat past full. Hubby has two slices of bread and two slices cheese, grilled in butter. Mine is one slice bread, one slice cheese, grilled in butter. That’s a half serving, right.
Another half coffee cup of ice cream with a half cookie for dessert. I like ice cream. Can ice cream count as a milk serving?
Then for dessert, more ice cream. I always eat my ice cream in a coffee cup for portion control.
I haven’t weighed since mid-Sept. I’m seeking God’s will for my goal weight. Now I can wear size 10 dress pants. Wow! I don’t ever remember wearing that size in my life. I plan to weigh on November 1. I’ll let ya’ll know how it turned out. Then I guess I’ll discover what maintenance is.
87 pounds forever gone!
So far, 87 pounds of excess weight gone forever. Since I’m not on a diet, I have nothing to go off of. I am eating normal just less. I can live with that. I feel like a walking, talking miracle. God has set me free from a lifetime of obesity, obsessive dieting, (another form of bondage, and a failure complex. I’m walking in the gift of His victory for me. It’s not through my works, but through His grace. He has healed me and set me free.
Lord, thank You for helping me at the Feeding Trough.
I chose to eat there instead of the Chinese Buffet. At the buffet you can’t bring food home, but at Lambert’s you can. I’ve eaten so many half-meals at restaurants that I feel cheated if I can’t bring food home. It feels like you’re getting two meals for one price, twice the enjoyment.
Hubby and I took the day off and went to the Shrimp Festival at Gulf Shores, Alabama. Because of a late start we decided to eat lunch first.
First the fried okra. I ate half.
Then the “throwed roll”. Really big.
I ate my half of roll with honey. Yum.
After much discussion, we decided to eat at Lambert’s, “Home of the Throwed Rolls.” We call this place, The Feeding Trough for obvious reasons. At this restaurant customers are encouraged to eat. Servers walk between the tables offering free pass-arounds, fried okra, smothered potatoes, black eyed peas, macaroni with tomatoes, apple butter, and the best of all, hot fresh rolls. Just one meal in this place is a binge in itself.
Before walking in, I started praying. Lord, I need Your help. What do I eat? Help me not overeat. It would so easy to eat myself sick here. Lord, I need You right now. Help me.
Then this idea came. Take pictures of what you eat. Post on the blog. This will keep you accountable. Since several friends have asked about what do I eat, it seemed like a good idea. Now I can show them how I eat. Thank you Lord.
Fried chicken gizzards with sides. My meal.
This is what I took home. Ate off of this four more times. I think we got our money’s worth with this meal.
Hubby’s leftovers.
I ordered fried chicken gizzards, a southern delicately. The sides were mushroom gravy, carrots, and sweet potato and one of the free pass- arounds, smothered potatoes with onions. I quickly got full and didn’t eat the sweet potato or carrots There’s no way to eat half of all this. So I got a go-box to carry home. Hubby carried part of his meal home too.
After lunch, on to the Shrimp Festival to look at all the art and crafts. 
There was live music too!
Live music
This is my favorite of all the artwork. Finally someone painted a plump woman in a very complimentary way. I thought it was beautiful.
Lord, I’m so ashamed. For the first time I gloated over another woman gaining weight. Please forgive me.
There she was in front of the stage clad only in her bikini, dancing and flaunting her semi-nude self in front of the crowd. I looked at hubby, and yes he was watching her intently. I turned green with jealously and filled with anger.
Hubby asked, “Isn’t she the same lady that danced in front of everyone last year?” I peered at her. “Yes, she’s the same one.” Last year he told me , “Oh she’s just having fun.” Now here he is again watching this exhibitionist flaunt her semi-nude self. I remembered being irritated about it last year too. I turned another shade of green and gritted my teeth. Self, don’t hit him now.
Then he said those words. “I believe she’s gained weight since last year.” I peered at her again, “Yes, I think she has.” That wonderful man spoke again, “You’re looking good, honey.” I smiled. Love that man.
Lord, forgive me. First for my jealously, then for my gloating over her weight gain. How can I? I can’t believe after all my struggles with excess weight that I’m glad someone else gained weight? I’m so mean. Yep, guess I’m just a mean girl. God forgive me.
This is the first time I’ve been glad someone else gained weight. As I watched her dance, parts of her body bounced that shouldn’t have. If I were dancing by her there would be more parts of my body bouncing than hers. I knew this.
But she wasn’t bothered or ashamed of her bouncing parts at all. Hmmm? Why am I embarrassed by mine?
This is a bikini I can wear. Not.
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26 NKJV
Lord, I told Hubby not to buy Valentines candy until after Valentines when it’s half- price. He bought a lot and now I’ve overindulged. I stayed within the confines of eating only a half serving and only at meal time. I did only eat half, but it was half of that, half of this, and half of another chocolate.
Lord, both You and I know that it was just too much. After all we have been through. I still ran to the chocolate for pleasure. Please forgive me and help me to resist this temptation.
I remind myself of the child placed in a circle for time out. Her Mom told her, “Stay in the circle.” Later that child had all her body out of the circle except for one foot so she could still technically say she was in the circle.
I followed Your instructions of half servings and only at mealtime, but it was still too much. I had four or five half chocolates. Too many half servings makes too much.
My child, sin is crouching at your door waiting to steal your victory. You choose whether to embrace it or refuse it. Pleasure from self-indulgence is short. Pleasure spent with Me is eternity. Which do you choose?
I want to choose You, but this chocolate is so enticing.
You’ll find that My will brings true pleasure. Come to Me for I will direct your path. Victory and many blessings will come forth. I’m here for you. Never doubt my love, even as you look at your failures. Look to Me for I am your joy, your strength, and your deliverer. Only through Me is true joy found. Only I can set you free.
I have not said you’d never face temptation for it is the temptation that causes you to seek Me. Even your failures cause you to seek Me. I’m here for you. Only I can guarantee your victory for its sealed with My blood.
I realize this is a trigger food for me. Even though I can have it according to the plan You gave me, it’s causing stress between us because my heart longs for it. Lord, I want my heart to long for You, not chocolate.
My child, fasting from something is not so for pride in your “holy sacrifice”. No, it’s to grant you strength over temptation. Yes, I do want to be the love and wish of your heart more than the desire for chocolate.
Your salvation and freedom is not found in works, so your sacrifice does not bring salvation. Self denial does help you gain strength, wisdom, and power over your temptation. I want My children strong and victorious, not defeated. I’ve come to bring you victory, even victory over chocolate.
Your enemy is not the chocolate. Your enemy is the stronghold of chocolate. I’ve come to set you free.
Oh Lord, circumcise my heart. Cut away all that is not pleasing to You. Grant me to an obedient heart. Open the eyes of my heart.
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— And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24
— Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
— And the Lord will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:8
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Lord, thank you for the coffee cup hubby brought for me. It was half price too. You know how I love half-price.
Lord, if I could I’d give You hugs and kisses.
Love others, My child, love others.
The Old Chair
Lord, I just want to thank you for helping me kick that heavy woman out of my house. I couldn’t have done it without your help. I needed a lot of strength to get rid of her and You provided all that I needed.
This large woman liked to flirt with my hubby. She wanted to sit in his lap but wouldn’t because her heaviness would squash his legs and he couldn’t breathe. So she’d sit on the arm of his chair to flirt. One time she sat on the arm of his easy chair and she broke it. You could feel the broken board under the blue material. Continue reading
