Today I am 60 years old and 250 pounds lighter than I was when I was 50. Not only that but realage.com says I’m actually 13 years younger than my age. who knew that was possible?
Let me explain. According to the website when I was 50, my real age was 61. This was because of my weight, lack of exercise, poor food choices, high blood pressure, stress, diabetes, heart disease and unhealthy lifestyle among other things.
Right now though my biological age says differently with the various changes, my real age is calculated at 47.
Teresa Parker on left in 2004 at 430 pounds. Today, she has lost more than 250 pounds and she’s still planning on losing more.
A lot has changed in those 10 years. The most gut-wrenching for me was the admission that I am and always will be a sugar addict.
When I began gaining weight as an adult, I knew there was something wrong. I knew my life revolved way too much on sugar and starches that just turn into sugar in the body.
I told myself it wasn’t that bad as I watched hundreds of pounds pile on. After all, I could still walk, sort of.
I had a belief scientists would discover some magic cure that would allow me to continue eating whatever I wanted and lose weight. Looking for that fantasy allowed me to deny my problem existed as I continued to eat what I craved.
I literally could not stop eating anything that contained sugar. I had to have it. It was like life to me. When I hear about drug addicts who would sell their momma’s wedding ring for a fix, I totally understand. I had this driving desire to eat sweets and starches all the time. If I hadn’t had money to get my “fix”, who knows what I would have done.
One of my favorite scriptures talks about managing our appetites lest they control us. “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”1
I so wanted to follow that admonition, but I just didn’t know how to battle my overwhelming cravings.
Scripture also told me I should put a knife to my throat if am a glutton2 (or given to appetite as some versions say). Putting a knife to my throat would mean I was in control. It was obvious, I was not in control in the area of eating. I was out of control.
I would give my problem to Jesus and then go eat some more. It seemed I could not get a handle on the problem any other way than to dig into it with a fork.
Of course it’s not wrong to have a sugary treat every now and then. For most people, that’s a normal way to live. However, for me it is not possible to really live a productive life when I start eating sugar.
I cannot eat anything with processed sugar, ever. I get hooked and it’s extremely difficult to stop. It’s like a snowball rolling down the hill. It overtakes me and keeps rolling making me a part of its momentum.
Sugar took over my life. When I reached 430 pounds, a rude cardiac surgeon told me I had less than five years to live. So I did a drastic intervention. What I did helped to a certain degree, but it was just a temporary stopping place. I was still searching for the magic wand.
I lost weight and then began putting it back on as soon as I could. It reminds me of an alcoholic who goes to rehab, comes out clean and remains that way for a few months until she takes a drink again. Then very quickly she is back in the bottle hitting rock bottom.
The problem was I had not attacked the main issue in my life—my craving for sugar.
The day I stopped eating candy was a major turning point. It started me towards giving up sugar and having the control over my appetite I’ve always desired. When I took the step that said, I am changing the way I eat for the rest of my life, a switch flipped in my brain.
I am metabolically broken. I am sugar sensitive. It affects me differently than many people. If you have an extreme weight issue, it probably affects you the same way it did and does me.
I stopped eating anything that contains processed sugar and then I choose to give up gluten. Most foods with that substance convert to sugar in one’s body.
I did this because I was sick and I was tired of the way I felt. It made sense to me that if an alcoholic could turn her life around by not drinking alcohol, a sugar addict could turn her life around by not eating sugar.
At first I thought I could never live without sugar. Then I realized that was a lie. Of course I can live without sugar. It’s not necessary to my survival.
Today, I don’t focus so much on what I can’t eat as what I can. I eat meats, fruits, vegetables and nuts.
It makes eating more of an adventure. I oversee the direction the adventure is taking, but I love going along for the ride of my life and feeling healthier every day.
This journey has not been easy. Today, though, I can honestly say the craving for anything extremely sugary is gone.
I share a lot of what I went through in my new book, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor. By the way, it’s now 255 pounds, but who’s counting!
The book will be out September 14.
There will be freebies for those who pre-order the book, but I’m not ready to announce all of that yet as finishing touches are still underway.
However, since this is my birthday, I have decided to celebrate by giving away free books. I’ve decided to give away at least five pre-release copies. This contest will be going on all month so please invite your friends to come and enter as well.
Leaving a comment of at least two sentences on this blog post will get you started with the entry. The comment must be done by clicking in the entry box below. The entry box tells additional ways to enter the contest. Commenting on additional posts in the coming days and weeks will give additional opportunities to win.
This giveaway will be going on until midnight, Sept. 5. Take advantage of entering each day. Books will be sent to the winners after the contest has closed.
By the way, my friend has a different kind of math than I do. She said if when I was 50, my real age was 61 then by all rights I should be 71 today so if my real age is 47, I really turned back the clock 24 years. Whose math is right? I don’t know but that’s a lot of years to gain either way you look at it.
Now, go turn back your clock. Today’s a great day to start.
11 Corinthians 6:12, NASB
2 Proverbs 23:1-2, NIV
She also offers Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy and VIP one-on-one coaching program, both available under the weight loss tab. To book Teresa for your next event, check the Speaking tab on her website. Also check out her blog and Sweet Grace for Your Journey podcast under the tabs by those names.
This is a test post to see if the giveaway is working correctly. This is the place to leave a comment.
Great job, Teresa! I am glad you turned your life around. And I can’t wait until your book comes out.
Thanks Anastacia! And thanks for tweeting!
Teresa, so great to read this. I look forward to your book coming out. It’s a pleasure to know you.
Thanks Linda!
This is so timely for me, Teresa. I cut out sugars and starches two weeks ago. While I am at a ‘normal’ weight, (high end), I have joint pains, have been insulin resistant and hypoglycemic, and just all-around feel crummy. Wrapping my head around the idea that I must choose this way for the rest of my life is depressing. I lost 22 pounds and reversed my insulin resistance once before with a diet change, but have allowed my eating habits to slide right back to where I began. I look forward to reading your book and getting some encouragement from your story.
Many times what seems overwhelmingly depressing is just our body wanting to hang on to to stuff that is poisoning our system. It does not make sense, really, that it would trick us like that. But the processing and refining of foods today have sufficiently tricked our bodies to believing we need the junk. It takes consistent belief that what you are doing is the right thing for your health and continuing on the path. I am working on a post right now about mind set shift. It definitely takes pushing the reset button. Our thinking should be I get to eat healthy rather than being depressed about eating stuff that is slowly killing our bodies. I understand the joint pain, the hypolycemia and all around crumminess. I had type 2 diabetes for years. I do have MS so I still have some joint pain. Sugar, however, is a major contributor to joint pain as it is an inflammatory agent. The cure may not happen overnight but with consistency you will feel better. Remember, you GET to do this. You certainly don’t HAVE to do this.
Thank you for your encouragement. I definitely need a mind set shift. I look forward to your post on that topic.
I had never heard the term “sugar sensitive” before reading your MS, but it certainly was eye-opening. Thank you for telling your story so openly and courageously. I know it will be a blessing to others.
Thanks Lucie. I just hope it helps some people avoid making the same mistakes I made over and over again for at least 20 years of my life.
I am ready
That is so awesome, Linda. What is your plan? What is the first unhealthy habit you will stop and what is the thing you will start in its place?
Teresa, what an inspiration you are!! Can’t wait to read your book! Happy UN- Birthday!!
Thanks, Sue.
You have no idea how much better I feel than before. Well, if you like at my face in the former pix you can have some insight. I can’t even remember me like that.
Thanks Mary Beth.
Your story sounds like mine in many ways. Without writing my whole book here, I will just say I feel your pain deeply. I know exactly what it’s like. It takes a mind-set shift which is very scriptural, actually. My next post, the one I’m working on now, will talk about that. Hope you subscribed to this blog. If you didn’t go to the purple box, put in your name and email and confirm the links to be subscribed. Then you’ll get updates when I post. You will also get my book Gift of Purpose which talks some about the whys involved in any endeavor of lifestyle change. Be blessed.
Teresa, I have never heard anyone else say this but myself…”The day I stopped eating candy was a major turning point. It started me towards giving up sugar and having the control over my appetite I’ve always desired. When I took the step that said, I am changing the way I eat for the rest of my life, a switch flipped in my brain.”
I have said I need my ‘switch to flip’ so many times. I am an ‘all or none’ person. Either I have to have sugar everyday or I need none. When it is none…my switch flips!
Thank you for sharing your story my friend and congratulations on your success. I am in the process of losing 136 pounds to get to my goal. Right now I have lost 18 #…I lose it one pound at a time….the same way I gained it.
♥ glenda
Glenda, that’s the only way to lose it!
Im working on a story about topic Glenda. Probably will be posted on wed.
It is possible. Not easy but possible! Thanks, Beth
Teresa, this is amazing. YOU are amazing. Happy Birthday, and I’m so glad you made this dramatic change in your life and are telling the world about it, a message that is desperately needed in this time when so many people are suffering from self-induced metabolic disorders. Bless you.
Thanks Kathleen. I’m just beginning to understand the magnitude of this problem!
I’m glad my journey speaks to you. It helps me to know that admitting my past failures and current successes helps others. Kerp going.
Amazing story, really inspires me, especially as someone who needs to lose only 30 pounds (which p me is a lot, but small in comparison to your amazing achievement. Happy birthday & congratulations Teresa!
Thanks James. I still have about 25 pounds I want to lose. The amazing thing is when I do, I will still keep eating the way I am eating now. Lifestyle change, not diet.
Wonderful story! I think I may have the same problem so this is very interesting to me. I was also just diagnosed with cancer, multiple myeloma. I’ve heard it said that cancer feeds on sugar so I am determined to beat this thing, not feed it! Thanks for the information!
Lots of good information about beating cancer and other diseases by cutting out processed everything and eating organic fruits, veggies, free-range chickens and beef, wild fish. I am not entirely familiar with that but I have read some about it. Colon cancer runs in my family and sugar and starches that turn to sugar actually clog up the colon and become the start of the cancer. Of course 20 years ago when my mother died I started having colonoscopies. I didn’t go sugar free and gluten free until a few years ago, but you can do it.
Many times I felt I just would die if I gave up all sugar but since doing it I have been given an abundance of new food choices that I never ate. After more than two years of eating this way, I can definitely say I don’t even want to go back. I’ve been set free!
An absolutely inspiring story and such an example to all of us!
Thanks so much Pat!