Announcing Weight Loss Wednesdays (and a winner)
First, let me say thank you to all who left comments on the subject of the last two days: frenemies. I never dreamed one little word could drum up so much emotion. Seems we’ve all either had or been a frenemy. I pray we handle these sticky situations better in the future after our little cyber discussion.
And congrats to the winner of the Starbucks card. She is:
Melinda Timestamp: 2009/10/14 at 10:03pm
Congrats! Email me at [email protected] so I can get your home address and mail you your Starbucks card.
Now, for the kick-off of a new feature:
Weight Loss Wednesdays
I know it isn’t Wednesday, but I couldn’t start this on Wednesday this week due to the Proverbs 31 devotion I had running. So, to begin, we’ll talk about this today. Next week, check in on Wednesday. K?
Here is the dealio……many of you have read my story or watched my interview on The 700 Club. For those of you who haven’t. In 2005 I began a weight loss journey and lost over 100 pounds.
I wrote about it.
I was interviewed about it.
I spoke about it.
I was asked about it on the streets and in numerous emails.
Then, I was begged to start an online weight loss group for women for the purpose of accountability.
I hemmed and hawed. I toyed with the idea, but didn’t follow through. I had enough on my plate (pun intended) already with homeschooling, writing, speaking and such.
Besides…..I didn’t need an accountability group. I’d lost and kept off 100 pounds!
Enter the year 2009.
- My husband was laid off from GM on Christmas Eve 2008 (yes…..Christmas Eve, thank you very much). He didn’t return to regular work until this September. That is 9 months without work, people.
- We were forced to move from our dream home in the country, complete with a pond, 8 acres of woods, a cute little creek, a deluxe whirlpool and an executive, custom-built two story house with a stone fireplace. Bummer.
- My only daughter and BFF graduated and moved 15 hours away to North Carolina.
- We experienced some stress and illnesses in our extended family.
To sum things up……. 2009, thus far, has stunk!
And, as a result, instead of totally throwing myself at Jesus’ feet…..I threw myself a big ‘ole pity party.
Oh, and I invited some old friends.
Namely chocolate, salty chips, cheese and ice cream.
I, the weight loss queen, put back on 1/3 of what I lost.
*Gasps*
*Dissonant creepy organ chords*
*Shocked raised eyebrows*
Ahem……..Humbled blogger.
Now, it is I who is in desperate need of an accountability group.
And shame, shame, shame on me for not doing it sooner for all of you who asked.
Will you forgive me?
I want to break up (again) with my old love- food.
For good this time.
Anybody else feel my pain?
I want to hit the “restart” button. To get serious about my health again and quite flirtin’ with the brownies, for the love of Pete……..er Pan Peanut Butter! (Oh, I do love that stuff too!)
How about you? Are you in?
Let’s start simple.
If you want to drive a stake in the ground and say “Enough, already!”, just leave a comment today with a very basic thought.
What is your motivation? Why do you want to see the scales go down and your health increase?
I know for me, I want to feel again like I am at the weight God intended for me to be. To not feel as if I have a “Says she follows God but is a total failure with her eating” sign on my back.
Oh….and fitting into all of those smaller size clothes I bought and had given to me would be totally fun too!
Okay….your turn…..
I hope LOTS of you respond.
But if only one of you….or two or three do, that is okay.
We’ll be weight loss buddies. We’ll check in every Wednesday and let each other know if the scale went up or down. (No weight will be given, just the # of pounds lost or gained….mostly lost, I pray :-)) And we’ll tackle some topics, share some recipes and chat it up about the many facets of this universal women’s struggle.
Oh….and I’ll make sure to work in some give aways too for rewards and incentive…….
Ready?…..
Set?…….
Comment!
And above all, thanks for still loving me when I failed to take my own advice and let some pounds creep back on.
I so *heart* you for that, sweet cyber-sistas!
Ready to re-enter God’s Weighting Room together,
Hello ladies! I would love to join this group also. I will weigh in the morning and report in next week also. My cholesterol was sky high this week and I must get it under control with proper eating and exercise. I’m looking forward to chatting with all of my sisters in love. Blessings to all! Brenda
I would like to join this group. I weighed this morning so I will start next week.
Thanks,
Regina
OK – I am ready to do this. Tired of being 40+ pounds overweight. My back hurts, my knees hurt, but most of all my heart hurts. This chubby person walking around is not me. It is all the stress, disappointment, and discouraging thoughts that I let dominate me. I am in here – under these extra pounds and I feel encouraged by all of you! I eat when I am bored, lonely, tired. The really sad thing is that most of the time when I am eating a “snack” I don’t even taste it as I scarf it down. And it is not like I am snacking on carrots mind you, more like chips, cookies; whatever is around that I supposedly buy for the kids! Happy to have found a place of encouraging and understanding friends.
I love you at Hearts at Home. I have 30-40 pounds to lose. This sounds like a great group, count me in. I just want a different new year’s resolution because this one is done! I want my husband (tri-athlete) to be proud of me. I know he loves me…but I could do better. I want to be an example to my children not just healthy eating, but that I run to Jesus FIRST for everything.
Thank You
Wendy W
My past year has been rocky to say the least too and I am an emotional eater – so guess what…I gained weight this year. Big shock! So count me in too.
I have struggeld with weight issues my whole adult life. Like others on this site I too have put on and taken off many pounds. I am ashamed at how much I weigh and am looking for support from ladies in the same boat to help me to defeat this struggle. I know I will never be a “skinny” woman but want to be healthy. I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me but it also helps to have a little “earthly” encouragement as well. Thank you so much for starting this and may God bless our efforts!
I came to your blog for the first time last week after your frenimies devotion. I’ve had a few health problems in the last couple of years that would be helped with weight loss. I too am shamed by the mirror every day. I want to look in a mirror and not hate who looks back. I’ve been more dedicated to exercise in the past 4 months but can’t gain control over the food adiction! I LOVE TO COOK! I LOVE TO EAT! I want to be healthy. I have to get my cholesterol lowered or will have to start taking medication again. It makes me hurt all over and I don’t want to go back there. God led me to your blog last week. Perfect timing!! (should I be surpised? lol) I’m in! Looking forward to sharing my struggles with those of a like mind (and weight).
Thanks for sharing your story and starting this blog. I look forward to getting to know more about you all.
God bless
Vicki Foss
Five years ago I lost 65 pounds…with lots of hard work, healthy eating and the Lord’s blessing on my efforts.
I can so identify with where you are right now…I have gained almost all of it back…no excuses but difficult life situations have plagued me, as well.
My motivation is to be healthy…to honor the Lord and to care for myself as His temple.
I look forward to joining you in this!
Connie Hughey
Hi,
I started my weight loss journey after a “not so annual” trip to my Dr. He very kindly suggested that I start counting calories. That was 8 weeks ago and I have already lost 15 lbs. So far it has worked to keep a food journal, (I try to stay below 1600 calories a day) and I try to work out 3-4 times a week for 30-60 minutes.
In August, I interviewed for a full time job that I really wanted but didn’t get. At first I was very sad and disappointed but had I gotten that position, I would not have the time to work out and have more consistant quiet times. God knew what He was doing!
I’m excited about hearing other ideas that work and for recipes to try. I am also hoping to be in your wieght loss class at Hearts in November!
p.s. I live in MN too and have found some great walking dvd’s . So far I lilke anything by Leslie Sansone. The dvd’s are inexpensive and you can get them at Target.
((HUGS)) Karen. My heart breaks along with yours for your stinky year and the lost (pounds) finding you! I had lost alot of weight and was in my best shape ever after I had my 2nd child. When I first weighed in at the gym, my body fat % was almost 50%. I was sick about that. I felt I failed God. I have gained it back because I can’t afford $ to go to the gym.
Since Easter I have been convicted about my body as God’s temple. I have been exercising pretty regularly since, but the pant size has not gone down at all. I have seen tops are looser and I love seeing muscles in my arms. I threw out the scale a long time ago, not wanting to be obsessed with numbers. I weighed myself a couple weeks ago (at my inlaws) and UGH I think I’m heavier than I’ve ever been (not including pregnancies).
The main reason I want to lose weight is because of it being God’s temple. Health is another rmotivator. I don’t want to get diabetes or cancer that is in my family history.
I hate loving food! sigh Why do I love it?? If I knew why, then I’d know how to fight back!
((HUGS)) LET’S DO THIS!
Count me in, my friend!
I love how God moved both of us at the same time to make this commitment to Him and to cleansing our temple.
I hope to see “less of you” in Minnesota in a few weeks!
Count me in. I am been trying to lose 40 pounds for over a year. Joined Weight Watchers lost 25, had to quit because of finances and have gained 10 back. It’s been a not so good couple of years for me. My 20 yo daughter quit school after her freshman year, moved in with her boyfriend, moved out, begged to come back home, moved back out within two weeks with another friend, left there, back home, left again, back home again, has been back and forth dating other guys, been through job after job, stolen from us, lied all the time, we could not trust her in the house, got another job, moved out for two months than told us she is pregnant. Lost her job, the “father” wants nothing to do with her, she has no job, is currently staying in a maternity home and has no where to live after she has the baby. We have told her she can’t come back this time. Tough love is so very hard!
We have had several other family issues with extended family this year too.
Wow, that was a lot to unleash.
I definitely need accountability and suggestions for food. That is one of my struggles, knowing what to make.
Hi Karen,
Count me in, too! I need to lose weight left over from my second pregnancy. . .and would like to feel better overall. I would love to be able to lose 20-25 lbs by next summer. I have three young kids, so they keep me busy. . .but I would like to have more energy for them. I need some accountability and this sounds great!
Cindy
Count me in! I’m hoping to drop about 30-40 pounds to get back into a much healthier weight range for my age…
Hi, Karen
Please count me in also. I also struggle with me weight. Three years ago I had lost 40lbs. I have gained it all back. I need to be apart of a support group for my health.
Kudo’s for you Karen. It’s hard trying again after you have felt like you have failed. I just discovered your blog and am going to join you and the other ladies in our Wednesday journey. I too am a homeschool mom and it seems that me time is so hard to come by. I know in my mind that I will be a better Mom and Wife if I just take care of myself – but putting it into practice is so hard. I have about 100 pounds total to lose, but I cant’ think that far ahead, I am going to try for 50 now and I know that will make me feel so much better and give me lots of energy. Thanks for setting this up for us to interact, Karen.
Hi! My name is Jenny. I’ve been overweight my entire life and was picked on incessantly by people at school. When I did try to lose weight while in high school, my family said I looked anorexic and made fun of me, so what did I do? I went to food. I’m now well over the 200 mark and would really like to get under that. My husband is super supportive and we’ve actually started a competition between the two of us. We each want to lose a certain amount of weight by mid December. If we do, then we are each able to buy a new outfit (we’re going on a cruise in June). I want to be at a healthy weight and also be cute (I know subjective). I have a 4 (almost 5) year old and want to be healthy for her so I can run around with her. So, I’m thankful for you, Karen, that you’ve started this group. I pray that it will help keep me accountable. Thank you and good luck to everyone. My first goal is to lose 23 pounds. I’ve lost 3 so far, so let’s keep it going! [enter cheer] Take it off, take it off, Way off!
I am needing accountability to help me provide structure in my daily eating. I have lost the desire to make healthy choices for myself and just keep eating what is in front of me at the moment. I have lost the desire to be active and healthy. As a result, I look in the mirror and am disgusted with what I see and constantly live with shame of who I have become…undisciplined in my health and life in general. I have been most successful with accountability in the past and hope this will help get and keep me on the right tract to loose approximately 30 pounds.
Hi Karen,
Don’t be too hard on yourself. We succeed, we fail. We always brush ourselves off and get up to try again. I’m really impressed you lost 100 lbs. That’s really awesome. I’d love to join the group and get inspiration and ideas for weight loss. I need to lose some weight (20lbs to get to the highest limit of my BMI range) because I was recently told I was pre-diabetic. I’m 36 and never expected to hear that news. I’m ready to make small but significant changes to my diet. I’ve never really lost and more than 5-10 lbs in my life. It would be a major accomplishment for me to lose 20.
Accountability helps with reliability, I have many medical issues connected and interconnected to my weight, I have been struggling to lose weight and ironically Wednesdays is My Weigh in Day for my Doctors office so I have an accurate picture for them too…Unlike normal people I have a lot of physical limitations making Diet my only real answer right now, and so I need all the accountability I can get, to make sure that something isn’t sneaking in my mouth that shouldn’t be.
Great idea Karen!! I just started meeting with a group of women from our church 4 weeks ago for weight loss accountability and Bible Study. I have lost 1 pound so far. I think it will be fun to have accountability here as well.
Count me in! Just found your blog through the Proverbs 31 site. I have gained 20 pounds in the last year and a half, and it’s not a matter of vanity, it’s about my life! 20 pounds or 100, it’s hard to get it off, and that 20 pounds compromises my prognosis. I had a “rare, aggressive and deadly” breast cancer in 2007, and weight gain is associated with increased risk of recurrence. The treatments threw me into early menopause, I got a desk job for awhile (yech) and I married a wonderful man who thinks I’m beautiful no matter what. That’s a grand thing, but it is awfully easy to not be diligent when my husband is so unconcerned!
I know what to do. Walking and yoga would be the ticket, and I love doing both of those things, and I know they work for me. It’s just hard to get motivated, with two kids, a husband, and treatment-related fatigue.
A kindly kick in the tush is just what I need! See you Wednesdays!
Count me in, too. I’ve been waiting for Karen to start something on weight loss. I am 54 and 150 pounds heavier than I should be. I “blame” my first 50 pounds on birth control pills from many years ago, then the second 50 on my first pregnancy, and then the third 50 on my second pregnancy. My second child is now 29 so I have been carrying this weight around a long time and I’m tired of it!!! Fortunately, I have no over weight health related problems. I really can’t exercise because I am too heavy but I do try to walk when weather permits. I will see you on Wednesdays.
Accountability—-that is what I need. I stepped on the scale yesterday and I am at my heaviest. When I was in high school, I had an eating disorder. I was 5 foot 8 and wore a size 1. The sad thing is I look pictures of my self from those days and I still don’t see what everyone else saw. I look in the mirror now and at photographs and I see double chins and fat rolls (truthfully). I am 100 pounds heavier than I was when I graduated high school and that is just too much for my body to handle. I was doing great for a while when I was 50 pounds lighter. Then my marriage started to fall apart, we took in my mother-in-law for health reasons and then we seperated. Through all of that I gained 50 pounds and I need to lose them. My back cannot take anymore poundage. I tried weighing myself every week and writing it down. After a while though I quit because it was just for me. So thank you for your support. I am in this journey with you!!!
New to your blog, but count me in! Just started WW and lost 10 lbs, but then took a trip and found myself slipping. Can’t wait for accountability!