Over the last couple of months, countless people have asked me this question. The short answer is yes, I am. No, I do not have a secret to weight loss. but since I am asked this question so often, I am writing about what has helped me in the hopes that it might help others as well.
Why are they asking?
At the start of January 2024, I was the heaviest I have ever been. While 210 pounds might not be too much if I was 6’2″, at 5’5″ it is way too much. The extra weight, the high blood pressure, and a general feeling of lethargy told me my physical health was not good. Between a poor diet and lack of exercise, I could only expect this situation to worsen over time.
Like many people are prone to do at the start of a new year, Sheri and I made a list of goals. At the top of my list was to get healthy. I knew this would mean big changes and adopting significant disciplines, but I was ready to do so. We prayed together over our list, and we frequently returned to the list with brief check-ins on how we were doing.
To date, I have dropped 30 pounds and counting. This happened through a few primary techniques that include: intermittent fasting, monitoring my diet (1600 calories a day), regular exercise (running is my favorite), and allowing small rewards along the way. Still, these are just techniques that many people have used at different times and in various ways. None are a magic bullet. So how did this happen?
How has this happened?
1. Identifying my Motivation
It is one thing to have a goal, but without a purpose for achieving that goal, I find it very hard to put my all into it. Many times I have said, “I want to get fit,” or “I need to lose weight,” but without the reason for the goal, I never followed through with it.
This year was different. Sheri asked me why I wanted to lose weight. Honestly, my answer might sound crazy to you. I wanted to run!
It had been about five years since I last ran regularly, and I missed it! In the past, running was a great source of joy and solitude for me. Somewhere along the way, I stopped making running a priority, and I struggled when I tried to return to the practice. Over time, I became way out of shape. Whenever I tried to go running, the extra pound caused my joints to hurt and I was sucking wind so bad that frustration took over. So I eventually gave up.
This time was going to be different. I decided to do whatever I needed to do to make this goal a reality because I really wanted to experience the joy of running again.
2. Prayer
No goal is worth pursuing if you think you are capable of doing it on your own. There is no greater change agent than the Holy Spirit, and the first thing I needed to change was my willingness to pursue this goal slowly. I began asking God to change my heart about food, exercise, and unrealistic expectations of immediate results. I asked God to help me enjoy the journey of getting to my goal.
And you know what? He continues to answer this prayer.
3. Support
In the past, I have often set goals, but I told very few people about them. This feels safe because then if I fail, nobody is there to remind me about it. This plan is the first step toward failure.
Everyone needs a support system. If you have a goal that is worth working toward, it does not become real until you tell someone else about it and encourage them to help you stay on track in meeting your goals.
Sheri is my biggest supporter. Not only have I told her all about my goal of getting in shape so I can run, but much of the journey contains elements we do together. Now, Sheri is not a runner. It is not for her, but we enjoy engaging in other forms of exercise together. She is also a huge help on the diet aspect of this journey. I would not be where I am in this effort without her!
4. Small Incremental Steps (No Short-cuts)
When I set a goal, I want to get there as fast as possible. So, just like a little kid trying to run up steps, I am prone to try to skip a few steps on the journey. This does not work. I want a magic pill or a sudden breakthrough that gets me all the way to the finish line, but it does not work that way.
For instance, if I want to run, then I should simply go out and begin running, right? Sadly, at 210 pounds, my joints would have screamed at me and revolted if I just started running. That is what I had tried in the past, and it always ended in pain, frustration, and failure.
This time I committed to smaller, attainable goals that pointed me toward my final goal. In late January, I began to walk on the treadmill and focus on my diet to reduce my weight. Later, I began adding other exercises like weightlifting. In late March, I was able to begin running interspersed with brief intervals of walking. By May, I was running 3 days a week.
Today, I am down thirty pounds and I am running 4-5 days each week, anywhere from 3-7 miles at a time. I am not fast (speed was never my focus), but I love the time of solitude and prayer. This is my favorite time of the day!
5. Celebrate the Small Wins
I have never been good at celebrating, especially things about myself. When I accomplish something, it is so easy to focus on how much farther I have to go toward my bigger goals which can lead to an attitude of frustration and ingratitude.
Instead, I need to take time to celebrate how far I have come and to acknowledge all the blessings that have come along the way! God has answered so many prayers along this journey: my wife and I have been able to enjoy every step together; my blood pressure and my weight are much lower (I still have about ten pounds on the weight, but I will get there); and I am healthier than I have been in a long time. To not celebrate these things is to take them for granted and to not give credit where it is due.
Lord, thank you! I celebrate how you have answered my prayers and surrounded me with support and encouragement through Sheri and many friends.
How about you? What goals do you have that are lingering in the recesses of your heart that you have not worked toward for one reason or another? Your goal does not need to be about running or losing weight as the steps mentioned above can apply to almost any goal. What is on your heart? If it is worth dreaming about, then it is something God would love to discuss with you. Decide what your motivation is, begin praying about it, and share it with people who will support you. Begin to take small steps forward until you reach your goal. Do not wait to celebrate; instead, celebrate every step of the journey.