Making my list of things to do to lose weight . . .

“Today is the day.  I am going to lose the rest of this weight.  No more excuses.  No more delays.  I can do this!  No more girdles.  No more wishing I could wear clothes reserved for “skinny girls.”  I am determined – this is it.”

How many times have we declared this in our weight loss journeys? I’m sure the number is too numerous for many of us to count. I can remember the days when I would get enough willpower, get the strength, and motivate myself enough to be tired of my current status and push for something more.

Every time I attempted to lose weight, I had a new item that I was going to take away or add to my list. I imagined that if I just did more of______ or less of_______ I would finally grasp my weight loss dreams that had eluded me so many times before. I knew that my weight gain could be attributed to_______ and I have finally figured out what I needed to do to fix the problem. I was on my way to eternal weight loss.

Excited and hopeful, I began to check off things on my list. No more cookies. Check. No more white flour. Check. No meat. No food after 7 PM. More vegetables. Check. Exercise. No bread. Lots of fruit. Check. Check. Check. I remember feeling so empowered whenever I would mark things off my list. I would always tell myself, "of course I will miss_________, but the weight loss is worth it. The thought of being skinny was worth anything I had to give at the time. Anything.

However, in the planning, the one person I failed to consult was my body. I totally underestimated the unbelievable fight my body would put up as I was trying to make changes to lose weight. I told my body, "no more cookies." My body told me, "Ha.” I told my stomach, "you won’t miss bread. You will get used to life without it." My stomach laughed in my face. Several cookies and several pieces of bread later, I was back to where I started. Frustrated and depressed.

In my consultations (reluctant ones) with God, he challenged me about my "list". I thought my list was more than adequate ( THAT wasn’t the problem), but somehow,  he thought I needed to add one thing at the top. “God, I cannot imagine what else you want me to do, ” I cried. I was willing to give up almost everything in order to lose this weight.  "Rachel, the one thing you need to do more than anything else on this list is this: Eat when you are hungry and stop when your body says you’re full. Bring to ME the rest of the reasons that usually make you eat."

I thought God was hilarious. And I almost thought he didn’t hear me correctly. I told him I was willing to do almost anything to lose this weight, and he told me to just worry about my hunger. Doesn’t God know that weight loss is much more complicated than that? Doesn’t he read all the academic journals and see the latest books and magazines that have come out about weight loss? Doesn’t he see but I have to go through?

Several years and almost 70 pounds later, my soul and heart, now transformed after my food journey, know the answer is a resounding yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Now did I have to fight ? Yes.  Did I have to pray? Yes. Did I have to decide to do it God’s way?  Most certainly. Am I my goal weight?  YES.

Make a list. We all have things we believe we need to do to lose the weight. I won’t argue with you there. However, I will challenge you to put "eating when hungry and stopping when satisfied" at the top of your list. Above everything else. Do that faithfully.  Worry about “checking” that item off on  daily basis. Dig up those roots, turn your heart back to God, and resolve yourself that you will pursue obedience at all costs. This could be your last list about weight.  Why not make it the right way this time?