Rebuild - Part II or Why My Weight Loss Program Is Working

I have written before (June, 2010) about wanting to get my weight down to 202 lbs. on a eat less and do more (EL&DM) program. It didn’t work then, it is working great now, but with a difference.

Things changed in July 2011 when I began breaking down, which I wrote about here. I also wrote about my initial rebuild efforts here. Progress was being made, but I was circumspect in my reporting then.

Not so now. I started out 67 lbs. overweight. That was stage one obesity and I was at the high end of stage one, headed straight towards stage two. Things were not good. Today, I am no longer obese, but I am still overweight – 16 lbs. overweight. I have lost 51 lbs. in just over 12 weeks.

How did this happen? In the second week of the Part-1 Rebuild I was walking across the Great Miami River on the Main Street bridge and stopped midway across. It was then I realized my efforts were doomed to failure.

Even though I had my weight going down and was doing what was necessary I had not asked God to guide my efforts. I am able to do a lot on my own, God has given me great strength of will, but I believed that would not be enough for the task at hand – a return to real health.

My thoughts were guided by a study of Genesis and the trouble Abraham got into time after time when he went off on some direction or action either without involving God in the decision making or not seeking God’s approval. This turned out to be true for his offspring as well until Joseph. My thoughts were also guided by Matthew 12:43-45 where by strength of will a man drives a demon out of his house (out of himself), but the man does not bring God into his heart – the demon returns and brings along seven others. Things end up worse than where he began.

So in the middle of that bridge on a hot (very hot) afternoon, holding on to the railing, looking over the river, I prayed God would involve himself in my seeking for spiritual strength to pursue the weight loss and health as He would have me pursue them and to change in such a way the effort would focus on Him and remain focused there.

God has been faithful throughout the process. I have tripped a few times as I have moved forward on the “Eat Less and Do More” program, but with God as my partner in all I do I have not fallen down. He has always been there to help me avoid eating a single sweet in this time period. He has also provided me with an incredible helpmate – my bride, Sharon. She has walked with me almost every morning and evening.

The program itself has me eating fewer calories than needed to maintain my weight (sufficient to lose some weight) and also to walk 2 to 4 miles of a morning and 2 to 4 miles of an evening. And in my (our) walks, I have reinterpreted WWJD from “What Would Jesus Do” to something new and wonderful “Walk With Jesus Daily” and it works and continues working.

I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful it feels to have His strength when sweets are placed in large number before me. The season for snacks and sweets is upon us now. My likely failure during this season is turned into an expected success with the Dietician I am working with day in and day out.

Bottom line: include God in your efforts and let Him give you the strength and ability to succeed. What do you have to lose (literally)?

ADDENDUM
On our walks together Sharon and I normally hold hands, building intimacy over our normal three or three and a quarter miles. It is an amazing blessing to us. Lately however, I have taken carrying a 10 lb. barbell in each hand for two to 4 mile. Now the blessing is a real increase in muscle tone and strength in the arms and shoulders. Not bad for 63 rapidly approaching 64. God is Good – All the time.

202 & ELDM

Have signs up all over my office with only "202" typed on them. Don't get so many questions now or odd looks. Every once in a while I get, "How's that "202" coming along. I usually reply not so bad.

In truth though it is not going so well. Those of you who are overweight will recognize it right away - a weight goal. From starting at 225 lbs. my interim goal is 202 lbs. I have made it down to 217 twice, but it's been a yo-yo so far. Right now I am at 226 lbs. Do I have to tell you I am sick of this.

I know the real secret to losing weight. It's caught in the acronym ELDM ... Eat Less, Do More. What could be easier? I don't know, but I am not doing it somehow. One thing discovered, a bit more sleep each night - 30 to 60 minutes - and my appetite goes down while my energy goes up - with less food. Maybe if I could sleep 23 hours per day. By the way I did not invent the ELDM.

Used to work with a LtCol (USAF) who was also an electronic warfare analyst and he was a butterball. Then one day (or so it seemed) I turned around and he was almost slim. Of course I wanted to know his secret. He said, "Okay, but you won't like it." But I didn't care and demanded to know his secret. He smiled and said, "Eat Less and Do More." Then he turned and walked away.

I didn't listen. I was too busy with work, with family, with chess, with stuff and I didn't want to modify give any of it up. And so it went until my weight stabilized at 240 lbs. It would go higher.

Job changes, more pressure to succeed. I was loving life. The kids were growing up well, things were great. And we were going to church for the first time in our married life. What a change there. Then tragedy hit. A terrible family situation and I went into a deep, very deep funk. In months my weight had ballooned to over 290 lbs. I quit weighing myself then. It was too frightening. My knees went bad. Had to have knee surgery on one. Better, but never the same.

Finally, my bride and I gave up the situation to God and started to get on with life. I started on the Atkins Diet. It worked, sorta. Weight dropped down to 220 lbs in about 4 months. It was amazing. But then it leveled off and life got very busy again. Too busy.

Then I found out about the diabetes. Whoops. So that was what was causing those emergency stops so I could go urinate somewhere - anywhere. I was no longer laughing at getting old in my late 50's. My 90 day blood sugar (HbA1c for you purists) was 10.4! I was a prime candidate for a heart attack or a stroke. Something had to be done. So I ate less, almost no carbs (back on the Atkins Diet), exercised and brought my numbers down to the normal range, 6.2 to 6.9 and sometimes over 7 or barely over 8. I was taking this serious, but not serious enough.

A few years go by. And then a cousin, wonderful guy, gets killed in Iraq. Decided to go there as well if they could use a 60 year old engineer. First time it didn't work. Blood sugar was over the limit, but not by much. Got it back into line, but it was too late, that job was gone. Then another opportunity arose. My blood sugar was 5.7 (great!) and my weight was down to 202 lbs (also great). So off I went to Iraq with two short trips home before returning after 14 months. One for our wedding anniversary and the other for my father's funeral.

My knees had gone from bad to worse while at Al Asad Air Base all those months. So, six months after my return got a brand new set of knees. Wow! And OWW! 13 months later now and I love them. No more pain. Able to stand up for extended periods without crying. WOW!

Now I just have to figure out how to use them for that "Do More" portion of ELDM and I will be back on the path to 202. But first I think I will take some time in prayer and once again put God in charge and see what happens. 202, here I come!