A new way to start

I feel like an alcoholic who hits bottom and acknowledges "I am powerless." I am admitting that I have a drug problem--and my drug of choice is food! I am not grossly fat--but I need to lose 20-30 pounds to be healthier. 

I know all the ins and outs of good eating. I am a former Lifetime member of Weight Watchers. But I keep fall off the path.

Last week, I was notified that Guideposts is excerpting my book GRACE ON THE GO: Quick Prayers for Determined Dieters in Jan and that news prompted me to reread my own book. 

And I have made a NEW commitment.

I am going to stop with the "diets" and instead "Work with a Higher Power" to bring my eating under better control. Every morning, 

• I will  find a prayer in GRACE ON THE GO, say it aloud, and WRITE a version of the prayer for the day on a page in my notebook.
• I will commit to eating 1400-1600 calories a day and to WRITE every thing I eat.
• I will NOTICE when I overeat, write down WHY and WHEN I am doing it.
• I will look for reinforcement through websites such as Calorie Count.
• I will commit to stop obsessing about food (obsessing is as easy to do when dieting as when not dieting. Either way, life can revolve around thoughts about food) and simply try and practice moderation.
• I will remind myself that over time such a plan will make me healthier in body and in mind.

Original Post by bbartocci:

I feel like an alcoholic who hits bottom and acknowledges "I am powerless." I am admitting that I have a drug problem--and my drug of choice is food! I am not grossly fat--but I need to lose 20-30 pounds to be healthier. 

I know all the ins and outs of good eating. I am a former Lifetime member of Weight Watchers. But I keep fall off the path.

Last week, I was notified that Guideposts is excerpting my book GRACE ON THE GO: Quick Prayers for Determined Dieters in Jan and that news prompted me to reread my own book. 

And I have made a NEW commitment.

I am going to stop with the "diets" and instead "Work with a Higher Power" to bring my eating under better control. Every morning, 

• I will  find a prayer in GRACE ON THE GO, say it aloud, and WRITE a version of the prayer for the day on a page in my notebook.
• I will commit to eating 1400-1600 calories a day and to WRITE every thing I eat.
• I will NOTICE when I overeat, write down WHY and WHEN I am doing it.
• I will look for reinforcement through websites such as Calorie Count.
• I will commit to stop obsessing about food (obsessing is as easy to do when dieting as when not dieting. Either way, life can revolve around thoughts about food) and simply try and practice moderation.
• I will remind myself that over time such a plan will make me healthier in body and in mind.

 

 

Hi. I commend you for wanting to continue on your weight control path. What does it mean to be a former lifetime member of WW?

By "WW" I meant Weight Watchers and I am certainly a fan and believer in the WW system because it involves a healthier way to look at food in general. But you know, somewhere I read that "sex, religion, and dieting--all start first in the brain!" and I think there is truth to that.

I'm going to align myself prayerfully and try and get away from obsessing about food (whether I am dieting or not dieting, I am still obsessing). I want to begin looking at food in a moderate way.

Today, I wrote this prayer in my food journal: " Today I fill my body with God's good food and commit to right eating throughout the day." I wrote the prayer at the top of the page where I am tracking the food I eat for today..

Original Post by bbartocci:

By "WW" I meant Weight Watchers and I am certainly a fan and believer in the WW system because it involves a healthier way to look at food in general. But you know, somewhere I read that "sex, religion, and dieting--all start first in the brain!" and I think there is truth to that.

I'm going to align myself prayerfully and try and get away from obsessing about food (whether I am dieting or not dieting, I am still obsessing). I want to begin looking at food in a moderate way.

Today, I wrote this prayer in my food journal: " Today I fill my body with God's good food and commit to right eating throughout the day." I wrote the prayer at the top of the page where I am tracking the food I eat for today..

Hi. i appreciate your sentiments. I, too, believe in God and when I prayed to Him about losing weight (i.e., controlling myself), He helped me. I am practicing normal eating, which is not a diet but simply using good judgment and learning to recognize your hunger and satiety signals. There are lots of decent books on the subject. I'm learning to stop when I feel full and not eat when I'm not hungry, I'm working on it. I appreciate your thought about filling your body with God's good food, I assume (?) that means you will avoid transfatty foods, chips, and the like? (junk food, as Dr. Boz put it today on TV) What do you think?

This is what I could good conversation on healthy dieting/eating. I too realized that I could not do this myself either. For a lot of people or I should say for me, overeating and obsessing about food stems from some other root whether emotional or mental. The key is to ask God to reveal the root of the problem and give you strength to destroy the root of the problem. Food can be used for a pacifier, an anesthetic, or even confidant for some people. Trying to fill a void that only God and fill. So for those of you who have come to the realization that only the creator knows its creation the best rest assured you will see the lasting results