So What Do You Eat? Seven Things To Keep In Mind! August 7, 2008

My previous posts on weight control have seemed to create a lot of interest. I am pumped up that so many readers have decided to hit this issue head on.

One of the questions that has been asked of me is, “What do you eat?” Let me say right up front that I am NOT a medical expert and that the following advice has worked for me…but it may not work for everyone. I HIGHLY recommend consulting a physician and/or a nutritionist. (For those who have asked–you should receive an email within the next 48 hours with several recommendations.)

Let me handle the eating deal first…here are a few things I did/still do…

#1 – I began drinking water with all my meals.

This change alone allowed me to drop around five pounds in two weeks! Most people don’t realize that drinking sweet tea and/or soft drinks are doing nothing except adding “empty calories” to their meal. So, if you pound out four glasses of soda and such…that is around 500 calories per meal, possibly around 1,000 per day that you could shed if you simply drank water.

AND…please don’t ask, “What about diet drinks?” Ditch them! Drink water, trust me…you feel a lot better…and water actually helps keep you feeling full. How much water should you drink? Ask your doctor/nutritionist! :-)

#2 – I “reward” myself

When I was in “extreme” weight loss mode I would allow myself one cheat day per week. Now, I didn’t go flippin’ crazy and eat a gallon of ice cream…but I would eat a cheeseburger, maybe get dessert, have some fries…whatever. The thing this did was to help keep me focused…because, in most cases if you swing to the obsessive side and begin eating bean sprouts and almonds…you will get frustrated and eventually swing back to the other side…HARD…and the results will just not be good.

#3 – I don’t “snack” after dinner.

Just imagine anything that you eat after about 6:30 or 7:00 pretty much goes straight to the gut (men) or the hips (women!) So…a late night pizza or bowl of ice cream…not good! Personally…supper is the last meal I eat that day.

#4 – Eat Breakfast (every meal for that matter!)

I know WAY too many people who skip breakfast…which is NOT a good idea at all! You’ve got to give your body some “fuel” to begin the day with. And…you can’t skip meals throughout the day and expect to lose weight because, when you do eat, your body will be in panic mode and automatically begin storing all of the food it takes in as fat! Trust me…if you want to lose weight…you’ve got to eat.

#5 – When I’m Full–I STOP!

One of the things I used to do is clean my plate–no matter how much food was on it. Now…when I’m full, I stop! Too many people feel like they need to clean their plate…not true! I know your grandmother told you opposite…but, she’s wrong! :-)

And…for me…when I am through I usually push the plate away OR remove it from in front of me completely! If it’s not in front of me…it’s not a temptation!

#6 – I eat normal stuff!

I am not a fat free, sugar free, organic type of guy! I eat what “normal” people eat…I just make wise choices. For example–instead of fries as a side with my chicken sandwich I might choose a salad (with VERY LITTLE DRESSING!!!) Or, when Lucretia and I get dessert we usually split it! You don’t have to begin eating tofu!

#7 – Stop Making Excuses!!!

I hear people say that it’s hard to eat “right” if you are traveling/on the go. I completely disagree! When you are in a restaurant…get grilled chicken or fish (NOT FRIED) with a baked potato (yes, you can have a LITTLE butter) and maybe bypass the bread. You can get that at just about any restaurant!

And then there are parents who are feeding their kids fast food and watching them balloon up at alarming rates…and then blaming the fast food companies. Uh…can we stay STUPID anyone? Yes, it’s tough to be on the go all the time…but being on the go does not negate the fact that we still need to make wise choices instead of convenient ones!

Other excuses are, “I can’t help myself!” THEN GET HELP! “I don’t realize how much I am eating.” THEN KEEP A JOURNAL! “I have to have this type of food.” NO YOU DON’T! “My kids won’t eat anything except for…” IT’S AMAZING…IF YOUR KIDS GET HUNGRY…THEY WILL EAT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING!

Those are a few of the steps I take. Currently, I eat anything I want. Seriously…if I want a cheeseburger, I get it! Ice cream…DONE! But…honestly, because I work so hard at taking care of myself I usually do not “crave” the bad things as often.

I hope this helps/answers questions

Wrestling With Weight Issues–Part Two August 5, 2008

Yesterday I shared my story…today let me walk you through six steps I believe we all can take to honoring God with the bodies He’s given us to steward. If you want to lose weight…

#1 – Understand That Stewardship Of Your Body Is A Spiritual Issue

I know I sound like a broken record here…but there is a reason a lot of pastors just aren’t talking about this…and it’s because they look like they are about to give birth to a toddler!

You and I will never begin to wrap our minds and hearts around this issue until we fully understand that how much we weigh is a spiritual issue. God wants us to be healthy, to not abuse our bodies by abusing anything…including food.

#2 – Understand The Importance Of Time.

If you want to lose weight you’ve got to understand that it’s NOT going to all come off overnight. It didn’t get there that way…and it’s not leaving that way.

Fad diets don’t work! I honestly don’t know anyone who lost weight on the whole protein kick a few years ago and managed to keep it off.

If you want to lose weight then you’ve GOT to commit to walk through it and be patient. It takes a special mindset! Day by day, pound by pound…but, when you get there it is so worth it!

#3 – Take Responsibility & Stop Blaming Everyone and/or Everything

One of the marks of an adult is that they will actually take ownership of where they are in life without trying to blame everyone else. Other people can impact our decision to eat…but they don’t stuff the bag of Dorito’s down our throats!

I remember having a conversation with a guy once who asked me, “What is the first step in losing weight” and I told him, “You’ve got to get pissed, REALLY pissed!”

He looked at me, sort of stunned…so I continued.

“You’ve got to get pissed at yourself. You literally have to look in the mirror and say, ‘You did this…but I’m coming after you…and this is going to be the end.’”

You will NEVER take responsibility for losing weight if it is always someone else’s fault!

#4 – Consult A Doctor and Establish A Plan

Some reading this blog need to seriously set up a doctors appointment today and consult them before beginning any type of physical activity. Seriously, BREAK OFF A CALL RIGHT NOW!

Some may need to join a gym and hire a personal trainer! (Admit it–you don’t know what in the heck you are doing in there!)

Some may need to actually sit down and hire a nutritionist to walk you through establishing some sort of eating plan. I know a lady who is incredible and is definitely worth the $$$! In fact…

If you need a trainer, a doctor OR a nutritionist then PLEASE email me…I will be glad to recommend someone for you.

I once heard a guy tell me, “Fail to plan, plan to fail!” That is SO true. You are NEVER going to overcome this without some sort of plan. And let’s face it…if you knew what to do then you’d have already done it…you need instruction AND accountability! Speaking of…

#5 – Invite Accountability

Ask other people to hold you accountable as far as losing weight/eating right. The more people you have praying for you AND encouraging you (AND REBUKING YOU) the better!

#6 – DO IT!

TODAY! RIGHT NOW! DON’T PUT THIS OFF! Seriously, let me tell you the exact thing that some of you are thinking.

“Well, it’s Tuesday, you don’t start anything new on Tuesday…so, I will wait until next Monday and start!”

NO YOU WON’T! That is the mindset of a lazy person! Break off a call to a gym now! Call your doctor now! Email me about the nutritionist now! You are NOT going to overcome this by being passive or procrastinating!

Let me say this to anyone who is struggling here! I believe in you! You CAN do this! Philippians 4:13 promises us we can do everything through Christ! I have fought this fight…I still do! And I know that Christ is faithful & will honor our attempt to try to live healthier lives.

One more thing…please, please, please don’t do something crazy like say you are going to go on a crash diet and try to exercise two hours a day (or even twice a day!!!) It takes TIME! Give it TIME! And…as you walk through this please keep me informed of your story through email…I would love to hear how it is going!

Wrestling With Weight Issues–Part One August 4, 2008

I’ve been very open on this site and when I speak about my struggle with weight.  I know I’ve shared some of this before…but let me walk you through my story…and then tomorrow offer six things that I feel everyone can do in order to overcome weight issues.

In about the fourth grade I began stacking weight on like crazy!  I would get home from school and go to my grandmother’s house–where she would have a meal ready for me (at 3:30!)  I would then go home at around 5:30 or 6:00 and eat another complete meal.  I didn’t know it then…but this was the beginning of allowing the abuse of food to having a stronghold in my life.

By the time I hit the sixth grade I had a size 36 waist!  (In the 6th GRADE!!!  This is what size of pants I wear now.)  Around the 9th grade my dad became very concerned about me…so he took me to the doctor to get checked out.  (I think the fact that we went shopping for pants and he had to buy me a size 50 really freaked him out!)

I weighed in close to 300…and I remember being told by the doctor that if I didn’t lose weight he thought I was in serious trouble because the fat inside of me was in danger of taking over and shutting down my liver.

SO…I lost weight…a lot of it.  In fact, I went from 300 to 215 and from a size 50 to a 36!  (I did this in a time period of about a year and a half.)

BUT…then I hit college!  (Did I just hear a groan?)  We’ve all heard of the freshmen fifteen…well, it didn’t stop with my freshmen year!  In college I ate like crazy.  Seriously, as I look back food was pretty much my god.  By the time I graduated in 1994 (was it THAT long ago) I was pushing 270, in a size 40 pants & needed to probably go to a 42 or 44.  (But, like a lot of men, I refused…I just kept pushing them down until I had a serious belly overhang!)

I was FAT & in ministry!  (Like I blogged about yesterday…76% of pastors are either overweight or obese!)  And when I began seminary…the eating increased like crazy.

Then the Holy Spirit hit me in the face like a TON of bricks!

I was sitting in class one night with all of the pastors who were attending (it was a one day a week deal) and they were all going off on the people in their church that smoked, drank and cussed.  It was actually getting pretty brutal as these men slammed the people in their church who had “issues.”

Then a dude named Derek in the back stood up and said, “Guys, I know this isn’t going to make me popular, but…I think you’re being hypocritical.  You are sitting here talking about the people in our church with problems when most of us are overweight, fat if you will.  And Scripture speaks against that but none of us will because it would get too personal!”

Silence!  Seriously, you could’ve heard a cricket break wind!

Some of the men began to grumble and say, “Who in the heck does he think he is?”

However, the Holy Spirit used Derek’s comment to SLAM me!  God clearly spoke to me heart that night and told me that food was my god…that I loved it more than Him and my love for eating and my lack of exercise was a horrible way to be the best steward of the body He had given to me.

So, on the way home that night me & the guys I was riding with stopped at a convenient store/McDonalds where we usually loaded up on sweets & such…but…that night I made a decision that everything was changing…so I ordered a diet coke.

Seriously, I made the decision that night…and haven’t looked back.  It took me a lot of time…but I lost back down to a 36 in the waist again and am right now around 220-225.

Folks, let me as honest as I know how here–there isn’t a day that goes by without me thinking about my weight.  I wrestle with this more than anyone would ever know.  Yes, I talk about food a lot in my sermons…but…I have to be SO careful!  I have the metabolic rate that is slower than Congress!  I exercise like crazy…and I really am careful about the things that I eat.  (Although I am not obsessive.  I do enjoy desserts…but it took me awhile to get there.  And I don’t think you need to commit to a life of eating bean sprouts and spinach!)

One of the things that I know about overweight and obese people is this–you are not happy living the way that you are.  You dream about change.  You are miserable.  And no matter how many times you say, “This is how God made me,” you know you are lying.  God didn’t shove Twinkies down your throat.  Don’t put that on Him!

BUT…the one thing I do know about you is this…you CAN change.  Jesus Christ IN YOU gives you the power to overcome anything, even weight issues.  Jesus in me has made all of the difference, both in this life and the next…and He can and will do the same for you.

Tomorrow I will give six steps I think anyone can take in this area and start on the road to a better and more healthy life.