Remember Karen Fritzemeier? Back in April she shared with you her quest to lose 200 pounds. Last month she lost six pounds; this month four pounds. This month, though, some monumental changes took place in her thinking. I’ll let her tell you about that.—Teresa
Karen Fritzemeier and her daughter Greta, age 6, at the Mackinac Island marina in Michigan on a recent family vacation.
Weight loss is a process. That’s my take away for this month. Most of the work going on in me is internal. My mindset is changing, adapting, and some of my food habits along with it. God is very gentle with me. That’s good because this is slow going.
One thing I know: The process only works if I work it. It would be very tempting to zone out for a day or two and pretend I’m not doing these stop/starts. I’d love to say “I’m taking a day off from this.” Truthfully, for an hour or two, I’d like to skip thinking about what changes God might want me to implement, but I am a sugar addict. There is not a day off.
There is no day off when you go to Mackinac Island in Michigan (famous for fudge). There is no day off when I go to a friend’s wedding and say, “No, thank you” when someone offers me cake. There is no day off when my husband takes me out to a nice restaurant to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
I can’t pretend I’m not a sugar addict, even for one little day. If I would eat that sample of REAL fudge, just a tiny piece of cake or dessert just this once it would be like opening a flood gate of sugary treats. After that, I would stop at a bakery and eat an entire cake by myself on the way home. Think I’m exaggerating? I’m not. I’ve done it JUST for the frosting.
Make A Plan
One thing Teresa challenged us to do in one of our weekly video lessons is to have a plan—even for when things aren’t going as planned. It’s hard to make a decision in a moment, particularly when I’m feeling overwhelmed or tired.
So before I went to Mackinac, I packed some high-protein snacks that I could carry in my purse. I took some time to consider scenarios that would be most tempting, such as what I would do during the car trip when others stopped for food or were snacking and what I would do when the group went into fudge shops. I tried some sugar-free fudge, but it was not worth it.
I’ve also been reading some books Teresa recommended to our group, and learned ways I can alleviate cravings by eating in such a way that keeps my blood sugar low.
Turn Around
I mentioned to Dean, my husband, that I felt I had turned a corner in my thinking. he looked at me and said, “I don’t think you just turned a corner, I think you made a 180-degree turn!” I was surprised, thanked him, and said, “I don’t know how to explain it in my monthly post. I’m too close to the situation.”
He said, “The biggest change I notice is that you aren’t making excuses anymore. You are just doing what you need to do and not making excuses.”
Even if I haven’t lost the amount of weight I hoped to lose this month, I am thankful for the progress in my mindset. God is really teaching me some things about myself. Some bondages I have from the past are being loosened. I have more hope than I’ve had in a long time.
Stop/Starts this month:
- Stopped eating bagged snack food. Started drinking three liters of water daily. All weight loss this month has occurred since making this change two weeks ago.
- Significantly reduced carbs and grains. Increased number of exercise reps in the pool when I go to swim.
I have a long ways to go, but I’m going. God is helping me. This weight loss will likely take years, but I’m into this healthy way of eating for those years and beyond.
Each stop/start must be something permanent, do-able, sustainable that I can continue. But each stop/start must also be made knowing that God alone is my strength.1 It’s much more than simple willpower. I am asking, no begging His guidance to help me build new habits for my life that will continue for years to come.
Karen Fritzemeier is a homeschooling mom to two children. She and Dean have been married for nine years and live in Michigan. She blogs at http://blueandgreentogether.com/.
1 Philippians 4:13 NLT
