My gracious and loving wife has been married to me for 15 years this month. Before we got married, my wife and I dated for 3 years. I had an exciting thought this weekend: I don't know exactly what I weighed when Ruth and I started dating, but I know that I have weighed over 300 pounds since my freshman year in high school. That means that at some point in the not-too-distant future, I will weigh less than I ever have since we have been together. I have weighed over 300 pounds for more than 1/2 of my life to this point and it is thrilling to know that I will be under 300 pounds before too long. These thoughts are especially sobering to me when I think that 6 months ago I remember telling my friend Jon Long that I did not believe I could lose weight. I remember telling Jon that just after I had seen God do a miraculous work in my life.
In my professional life, I tell people how to manage debt. As a mortgage loan officer, I have encouraged my friends and clients to budget for well over 10 years now. The sad reality however is that while I counseled others on managing debt, my own debt was out of control. In June of last year, the Lord convicted me that I needed to change that. For the first time in my life, I charted all of my debt on a spreadsheet and it was breathtaking. When I charted my debt in 2010, aside from my home mortgage I had $87,900 in debt. I prayed and begged God to do a miraculous work in my life. I begged the Lord to enable me to pay off my debt in 6 months. Well, the Lord did not pay off our debt in 6 months, rather He paid off that $87,900 in debt in 6 month and 2 weeks, The second week of January 2011 all of that debt was paid in full!
Even after experiencing that amazing miracle, I remember thinking that debt was one thing, but my weight was an insurmountable goal. In fact, I remember telling Jon that it would be easier to tackle a million dollars in debt than tackle my weight issue. I sit here today a man who is humbled by God's grace and broken when I think of how much He loves me. It is sobering to me to think that because of my lack of faith, I have confined the work that Christ has been able to do through me. Friends, what things are you harboring that are limiting you from accomplishing all that you were meant to accomplish?
This week I am 3 pounds closer to being the man God intended me to be.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
101 pounds never felt so good! (334 pounds)
Our lesson last night in church really struck a chord with me. The teaching was on I Peter 4:1-7 where the Bible says:
1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 6For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
In particular, verse 2 stuck out to me with regards to the road I have been on long term with my weight. There is no secret that I have given myself over to the "lusts of men" when it comes to eating (making food my idol.) Verse 2 is great though because it explains where I am. I do not want to live the rest of my life giving in to the lust of my body, rather I want to concede my will to the will of my Father in Heaven.
Oh yeah, in case you were wondering... I lost 6.8 pounds this week which means I have lost over 100 pounds in the last 20 weeks! Believe me when I tell you that 101 pounds never felt so good!
1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 6For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
In particular, verse 2 stuck out to me with regards to the road I have been on long term with my weight. There is no secret that I have given myself over to the "lusts of men" when it comes to eating (making food my idol.) Verse 2 is great though because it explains where I am. I do not want to live the rest of my life giving in to the lust of my body, rather I want to concede my will to the will of my Father in Heaven.
Oh yeah, in case you were wondering... I lost 6.8 pounds this week which means I have lost over 100 pounds in the last 20 weeks! Believe me when I tell you that 101 pounds never felt so good!
Monday, June 13, 2011
I am healthier than I was last week (340.8 pounds)
Tough week for sure, I gained 3.4 pounds. How that could be, I really don't know. I did all the right things this week and only cheated by eating 2 small pieces of watermelon. I don't know how or why I gained weight this week, but I do feel that even though I gained weight I am healthier than I was last week. I am trying to talk myself in to not being discouraged about this hiccup. I lost 95+ pounds by making wise choices and I will lose the next 95+ pounds by making wise choices as well. Yes, it is a bummer, but my resolve has not been shaken.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
I am resolved (337.4 pounds)
On this past Saturday, a close friend of mine and I left for a few days of relaxation in the sun in Mexico. We had booked a resort that was all inclusive (all food and drinks are included.) Well, I have never really been attracted to drinking, so I knew that saying no thank you to drinks would not be a problem. All of the great looking food and deserts on the other hand, were standing in the way of my continued weight loss success.
It is awesome when the Lord puts something in your mind and you know that He is the one who puts it there. This happened to me on Saturday night when the hymn "I am resolved" started to run through my mind. The first verse goes like this:
I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by world's delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.
This song played through my head throughout my vacation and served as a reminder that I have been charmed for too long by the delights that world offers and because of it I was fat, broke and bald (OK, maybe the baldness didn't come from the world's delight, but it fit there.) When I gave the Lord's will preeminence in my life, things that are higher and things that are nobler came in to focus for me.
So, to answer the question, I did not cheat on my diet on vacation, not even a nibble. It was not hard to be focused, there were plenty of great foods that fit in my diet that I ate and enjoyed. I had egg white omelette's with ham, jalapenos and onion and cheese for breakfasts, I had raw tuna and salmon for dinner one night, chicken breast and salad for one meal and a steak another night. The food was great and fulfilling because I didn't compromise. No matter what the scales would have said this morning, I felt great. I felt elated though when it said I lost another 9.8 pounds in the last week and a half!
It is awesome when the Lord puts something in your mind and you know that He is the one who puts it there. This happened to me on Saturday night when the hymn "I am resolved" started to run through my mind. The first verse goes like this:
I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by world's delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.
This song played through my head throughout my vacation and served as a reminder that I have been charmed for too long by the delights that world offers and because of it I was fat, broke and bald (OK, maybe the baldness didn't come from the world's delight, but it fit there.) When I gave the Lord's will preeminence in my life, things that are higher and things that are nobler came in to focus for me.
So, to answer the question, I did not cheat on my diet on vacation, not even a nibble. It was not hard to be focused, there were plenty of great foods that fit in my diet that I ate and enjoyed. I had egg white omelette's with ham, jalapenos and onion and cheese for breakfasts, I had raw tuna and salmon for dinner one night, chicken breast and salad for one meal and a steak another night. The food was great and fulfilling because I didn't compromise. No matter what the scales would have said this morning, I felt great. I felt elated though when it said I lost another 9.8 pounds in the last week and a half!
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