Less of Me, Wk#5

Well, this week was a tough one. I thought that I was doing so well. I guess I was mistaken. I did manage to lose 0.2 lbs. Hey, a loss is a loss, right? I've lost 10.2 lbs as of today and I am know at 200.6 lbs. Still on my way to less of me in 2009. Check back next week to see how well I did.

Less of Me, Wk#4

I am happy to report that with God's help, I lost 2.6 lbs this week. I have lost a total of 10 lbs. I now weigh 200.8 lbs. God is faithful. It's only been 4 weeks. Look what God has done. I am so proud of myself. Please continue to pray for me. I have started the year off right and plan to continue the journey. I look forward to you seeing less of me in 2009. I'm well on my way.

Less of Me, Wk#3

Well, not much to report this week. It was a tough one. I indulged a little more than I should without counting the points. The key to this weight loss plan is to write everything down and plan for the little something extras so you don't feel deprived. Well, I wrote everything down but I didn't plan very well and ate a little more than I should. All in all, I did okay but I could have done way better. With that said, I still lost weight, 0.4 lbs. So now, I'm down to 203.4 lbs. Not much, but it's still a loss. I count every victory. I pray that this week is much better than the last.

Mom's home

I just thought I'd give you a little update. Mom made it back home from Kuwait. Her flight came in Saturday. My dad, Adrian, and Trinity picked her up from the airport.

The flight from Kuwait was extremely long, 14 hours, and the plane was jam packed. So unfortuneately she didn't get much rest at all. She flew into Dulless in DC and was held up in customs, almost missing her connecting flight to DFW. Thank God she made it.

Now the hard part, re-adjusting to our time zone. She was 9 hours ahead in Kuwait. Pray for her. Her poor body is all out of wack. I am now aware that jetlag is very real. Hopefully her body adjusts quickly.

Less of Me, Wk#2

Today, I am happy to report that I am down another 3.2 lbs for a weight loss total of 7 lbs. I'm bringing it on down. Not bad for 2 weeks.

As I mentioned previously, I have fallen victim to the emotional eating pitfall. Well, I can honestly say that this is no longer my reality. Here are a few Weight Watcher tips to help you avoid this deadly trap.

1. Regularly check in on your body's signals -- If you let yourself get too hungry, your body will prompt you to eat, eat, eat -- whatever's available. Listening to your body's signals will put you in the best position to make smarter choices about what and how much you eat. Ask yourself: Why do I want to eat? Am I bored? Tired? Stressed? Once you know the answer, you can find another way to manage your feelings.

2. Find non-food ways to deal with your feelings – Try “Reframing” by….
(a) Identifying the behavior you want to change – For example, falling prey to your office’s mid-afternoon baked goods supply
(b) Figure it out – Again, pinpoint why you are eating if you’re not hungry
(c) How else can you get that benefit – If boredom is the culprit, could you take a walk?

3. Just feel hungry all of the time? – Filling foods will help you feel fuller longer. A filling food is anything that’s full of water, air, and/or fiber – all of which take up lots of space in your stomach; they may be also high in protein. If you’re hungry often choose more filling foods. A few of my favorite filling foods include: popcorn, marshmallows, any fruits or veggies, salad, whole grain cereal, milk, or any lean protein.

4. Do you often eat past the full feeling? – To slow things down, try these …..
(a) Don’t take another bite while there’s food in your mouth.
(b) Put the fork down between bites
(c) Switch the focus to conversation and relaxation
OR
(d) Mentally divide the food on your plate in half
(e) Eat half the meal, then Stop, Rest, and Assess your hunger.
(f) If you’re satisfied, take the rest of the food away so you don’t have a chance to ignore your body’s signals and continue eating.

A New Thing

My weight has long been an issue for me, for as long as I can remember. It has always been a source of pain. Over the years, I have used food as a coping mechanism. I have been an emotional eater as so many people are. I eat when I'm upset about something, happy, or even just plain bored.

I had been praying for some time for God to show me what to do to lose weight. As I was seeking God, He asked me a question, "Why do you use food as a comfort when I sent you the Holy Spirit?" All I could say was wow! What a huge revelation. I had never thought of it that way. God sent us the Holy Spirit to be our comforter. Instead of running to him, I run to food.

With that said, I decided that I needed a new strategy. I can no longer eat emotionally or allow food to take the Holy Spirit's place. You see, 1st Corinthians 6:19 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own". Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within me, I've been crowding Him out by all of the food that I have been mindlessly comsuming. I've gained more weight than I ever thought I would. But enough is enough. It is time to do "A New Thing".

So I decide that I am ready to change. But, I can't do it alone. I need structure. After much prayer, I decided to join Weight Watchers. Then the Lord sent me confirmation about this decision. I knew that this time will be the last time that I live with all of this excess weight in my life. I can only imagine the possibilities at hand: more energy to play with my kids, I can keep up with my husband, I will feel much better about myself, and I looking forward to the day that I don't have to shop in the plus-sized clothing section.



As the old saying goes: If you want something you've never had, you have to do something that you've never done. So, I choose to do "A New Thing". For the 1st time in my life, I am being completely honest with myself. I choose to no longer allow my weight to be a source of pain. It will no longer be a tool that Satan can use against me. I have only discussed my weight with three people: my mom, my best friend, Nia, and my Aunt Valencia. I'm letting the elephant out of the closet. For the 1st time in my life, I'm, telling the world how much I weigh and guess what?, I am no longer ashamed of it because I know that I am on my way to a healthier lifestyle.

I began the Weight Watchers program last Saturday, December 27th, 2008. I weighed in at a whopping 210.8 lbs. I also took my measurements.

Body Measurement Chart

Right Upper Arm (13 ½ in)
Waist (43 in)
Hips (44 in)
Right Thigh (26 in)
Bust (39 in)


I am happy to say that during my fisrt week on the program, I have lost 3.8 lbs. So I now weigh 207 lbs.

I plan to update my blog weekly so that those who are interested in tracking my progress can do so. I would really appreciate your support. I did not put this weight on overnight so I don't expect to lose it overnight. I'm hoping for a steady 2lb loss per week. My goal is to reach 145 lbs . So that means that I need to lose 65 lbs. I really believe that this is a goal that I can obtain this year.

I am so motivated. I have approached this in a very different way that I have in times past so I know that it will work. I've already started cooking healthier meals and my family loves it. I am so excited! Knowing that Adrian and Tamesha are planning an August wedding gives me a great incentive to stick with the program. I want to look really nice for their wedding.

Nothing tastes as good as thin feels so I am getting this weight off and keeping it off. I look forward to you seeing LESS of me in 2009. Thank you in advance for your prayers and encouragement.