weight loss

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One Last Tip On Weight Loss

I thought today I would write one last tip on weight loss. I had not originally intended to write a series of posts on losing weight – you can read them here, here and here – but it seemed that, at the end of each blog, there was something I needed to explain or add. 

One last tip on weight loss

Well, this morning I thought of one more thing and it’s an important tip. 

Simply put, pay attention to your body.

Sometimes we don’t do that; we don’t recognize when we are feeling just right. There is little consideration taken for how we feel. We just eat what we usually eat.

This morning after breakfast, I realized I felt really good. I was not too full and I was definitely not hungry.

People don’t think about their bodies as often as they should.

You go to McDonald’s and order the double Big Mac. Why? Because that’s what you order at the double arches. You don’t even think about what you need to be full. Maybe a single Big Mac will do.

One place where I find it difficult to focus on my body, rather than the food, is at buffets.

I don’t know how many times I’ve rolled out of a buffet wishing I had not eaten that third dessert. … It’s good that there are not many buffets around these days.

I do remember one time in high school when a bunch of the boys skipped a class and went all out on a buffet lunch. When we came back to school we went directly into the gym.

I was so full that I couldn’t run – it literally hurt to run. I couldn’t throw a basketball to the hoop. It was painful to stretch my arms because it pulled on my belly. 

It was the worst feeling in the world. 

I remember promising myself never to do that again. … That lasted until the next time I entered a buffet, saw food and ate it. 

Paying attention to how you feel is a powerful thing. 

If you can take just a minute to consider and gauge your state of satisfaction, you might curb your intake. In fact, I believe you will gain new will power to eat only what you need.

When you acknowledge that you like how you are feeling, you will want to keep feeling that way. The result will be that you will restrain yourself when it comes to what you stuff into your face. 

This is especially important at Christmas time when there is lots of food just laying around. 

For instance, right now our kitchen table is full of little dishes of candy, left over from making gingerbread houses. 

There are tins of cookies, not in the cupboard, but just sitting on the kitchen counter. 

A stroll through the living room also provides opportunity to snag a Ferrero Rocher or a couple of All-sorts. 

It’s everywhere, but if you take note of how you are feeling, that you’re feeling good, you will want to keep it that way.

And you can walk on by. 

Here’s the thing: There are lots of people who fill their lives full. They fill their ears and eyes full with sights and sounds. The result is they never take time to notice their spiritual condition. Are you empty inside? Are you filled with pain, sadness, or frustration? Is there something missing in your life? Whoever you are, it’s a good idea to take time to consider what is going on inside you. There may be a void that only God can fill. If so, fill it only with God.

That’s Life!

Paul 

Question: How are you feeling right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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The Factors That Can Derail Your Weight Loss

Losing weight never progresses in a straight line. There are many factors that can bend that line into more of a wave. 

The factors that can derail your weight loss

In my last two posts I’ve written about my general weight loss plan (read here), and then how our food plays a role (read here). 

In this post I am going to explore other factors that play a role in how we lose weight. 

Over the years I’ve found three main factors that influence the kind of shape my weight loss takes … I mean the shape of the line. We would all love to have a weight loss line graph that heads straight diagonally downward, but who are we kidding? That’s never going to happen. We would also like to see it go down fairly quickly.  

Well, one factor that plays a part in how quickly we lose weight is age. 

I remember when I was first married and still in my twenties (29). Lily would make dinner for us, but make enough to feed a family of five. She would put the bowls of food on the table and I would dish the food onto my plate. 

After a month of that I noticed I was gaining weight. I gained about five pounds in no time. 

That might not seem like much, but up until then I could not put on weight. No matter what I did, my weight never changed. 

That sudden weight gain got me worried. I had visions of looking more and more like my dad … and I didn’t want to go in that direction. 

I told Lil to just give me one plate of food and that was it. No bowls, no seconds. In a matter of a week or two, my weight went right back down.

It was nothing to lose weight then. Now, at 64, it’s a whole other story. I can just look at the wrong foods and gain weight. 

The older you are the more persistent you will have to be at losing weight. That weight loss line is going to rise and fall and be more wavy than you want it to be. There will be days that your weight goes up even though you know you did everything right the day before … how could you gain a half a pound? 

Stay steady the older you get. Losing weight is not a sprint; it’s a long distance run. Just keep at it. 

Another factor is metabolism. It’s different for everyone and it can change as we get older. You can’t compare your weight loss with someone else’s – especially your spouse or a friend of the opposite sex. 

Women, here’s where you can cry, “It’s not fair!” 

It seems to me that generally women have a tougher time losing weight. That might seem like a curse, but it just means you have to be diligent with the plan. 

Don’t complain, or compare; just stick with it. 

When your weight loss line looks like any of the roller coasters at Canada’s Wonderland, you just have to persevere because eventually the roller coaster brings you down to street level. 

Here’s the thing: I’m talking about perseverance and, when it comes to your daily walk with God, the same applies. There may be times when you don’t seem as close to God. That’s not the time to stop meeting with Him, attending church, or worshipping Him. That’s the time to dig in and be diligent in remaining close to Him. Because if you do, you will make that break through. 

That’s Life!

Paul 

Question: What is the biggest factor you need to persevere through right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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