Confessions of a Dieter!

Since most of my readers are friends (or at least not enemies), I thought it was time for a little transparency. I've been dieting since January 1st.

1. This is not the first time I've dieted but it is one of the hardest.
   
   
   
   1. Back in the early 80's I was over 280. I was pastoring at Moorestown Bible Church.
      
   2. That year I started in January and lost 100 lbs.
      
   3. I kept a daily food diary.
      
   4. I walked probably 3 miles a day.
      
   5. And after I had lost some weight, I bought a new bicycle (a single speeder!) and would ride my bike almost every day.
      
   6. That year I lost on average 3 lbs a week.
      
   
   
2. Thing are different now. I am 23 years older. I am handicapped. No more bike riding or three mile hikes. I was not as heavy when I started (275 this time)
   

What am I doing and how is it going and what have I learned:

1. I keep a daily diet diary (a private blog really!). I score each day as success, neutral or failure.
   
2. I have a plan that sounds austere but works for me. It is mostly vegetarian except for: a thin slice of ham or turkey on a sandwich every weekday. A hamburger every Sunday after church, and meat with a meal ever Saturday night (last Sunday was a 6 oz steak). Every Friday we go out to eat at Subway. It's not fancy but it is satisfying and low calorie.
   
3. Today is day 128. I started at 275. Today I am 245. So I have lost 30 lbs in 127 days (.23 ls a day / 1.65 lbs a week / 7 lbs a month)
   
4. The rate is not the super-successful 3 lbs a month 20 years ago, but I am not doing any exercise except normal walking.
   
5. I am targeting 200 lbs. That's another 45 lbs. I hope to have this accomplished by the end of the year.
   
6. Hard times: I was stuck at 255 for almost 2 weeks. Now I am stuck at 245 for the last three weeks. So the .23 lbs per day / 1.65 lbs per week / 7 lbs a month is not a steady rate. One recent week (in March) I lost 3 lbs.
   
7. So far, I have not felt hungry or deprived. I have a couple of tricks. Every night for 'dessert' I have 2 dates and a piece of dried apricot. It is really yummy and satisfying with a cup of coffee.
   
8. I had 2 days that were out and out failures: Superbowl Sunday ... and the recent BCP event.
   
9. We have turned down (don't be offended) invites to go to Perkins after church on Sunday nights. I just can't do it. I just cannot have a meal after church and blow that day off as neutral or a failure. So after church, I come home and have a bowl of grape nuts.
   
10. Eating out does not work. The portion sizes are too large, there are few diet options, the restaurant food must be laden with salt, etc. The couple of times that we have eaten out have either slowed the loss for a week or resulted in a weight loss plateau. (Eating out cannot be totalling avoided -this Saturday we are taking the family out to celebrate Rachel's graduation - but to lose weight eating out has to be minimized.
    

Why am I going public? Most people who know me at church and work know so it is not a big deal. Well I hope that you would pray for me ... and invite me out to Perkins for a little Christian fellowship!

This is something I pray about every day. I cannot blame God for being obese, but I will praise Him for the successes he empowers me to exerience as I discipline myself and yield to Him.

Philippians 1:20,21: "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain"

1 Corinthians 9:27: "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified"