Wednesday Weigh-in: Week 10

So here's some good news...

I'm wearing shoes again!  I was able to wear my loosest-fitting tennis shoes yesterday.  It was uncomfortable, but not excruciating.

I was able to do some light exercise on the Gazelle yesterday, too!  Thank you for your prayers.  The Lord is healing my toe, much faster than I anticipated.  He has blessed my dieting efforts this week as well.  This week...

I lost 1.6 lbs.

bringing my weight-loss total to 21.2 lbs!

Okay, since I have lost consistently for ten weeks (there was one week with no loss, but no gain either), I want to share a little tip.

This is the first time I have dieted that I have not tried to eat particular foods in particular amounts.  For example, dieting in the past has always meant eating at least one salad every day.  For some reason, in my world, diet = salad.

Well, after a week of salads, I get tired of them and my stomach begins to cramp.  Not pleasant...and after a few weeks, I start "cheating" and eating things like potato chips. 

That restrictive feeling of having to eat a certain number of fruits and veggies each day while keeping the fat to a minimum and watching carbs... aaaahhhhh!  It always backfires.  It makes everything except for salad seem like the forbidden fruit, and I want the "bad stuff" all the more.

Before I began this diet, I evaluated my eating habits and found they weren't really that bad.  Most nights I cook dinner at home and include lean meat and a couple veggies.  Breakfast usually consists of something good, too.  Lunch was my most problematic meal where I often opted for something fast, like PBJ's.  I have made the biggest change there, substituting lean meat sandwiches or lower-calorie soup.

Simply put, I am counting calories but I don't get too worked up about how those calories stack up.  I'm eating fruits and veggies every day, yes, but not a salad.  And I'm not eating according to any set diet plan.  No counting carbs or eating cabbage or counting sevings of each food group or points.  I eat as best as I can each day and keep track of it, stopping at 1500-1600 calories.

I make room for some things I enjoy, too.  For instance, I like to start my day with a soda, not diet, the real thing, so I have that one soda each day.  It's my cup of coffee, y'all.

And there is plenty of room in my food budget for snacks.  Sometimes even potato chips...not the whole bag.  I have to keep to the serving sizes but I remind myself that getting to have 14 chips occasionally is better than no chips at all. 

I am trying to learn to live with self-control which I know is a fruit of the Spirit and so I pray about these things.  I know when I am lacking in one of the fruits that I am sinning and must repent.  When I am struggling with patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, etc., I must pray for extra measures of grace.  Those fruits are not my work but the work of the Holy Spirit. 

I covet your prayers and appreciate them so.  Please pray for me this week as follows:

1. Complete recovery of my toe.  Praise the Lord and give Him thanks for the healing thus far and that I can wear shoes again.  Ask Him to help me as I get in small exercise routines each day and work back up to my norm.
2. For continued self-control, particularly through the holidays.  There's a lot of blogging going on about how we are to celebrate and about the bah-humbug syndrome.  Not trying to fall into that category...there's no inner-grinch residing within me.  However, this is, for me, not the time for grand and long-lasting celebrations.  I plan to enjoy particular days with family, but cannot use the holiday season as an excuse to indulge day-after-day.  Though there are many who are in a position to let the wine and cookies flow and can celebrate His goodness and abundance this month, for me, that would not be worshipping God but self serving.
3. For my friends who are dieting with me.
4. For God to be glorified.

Happy Healthy Living!
Dawn