"
But you don’t look like you need to lose weight," said Kay as she sized up the man she had just hesitantly and cautiously let in the door to the Weight Watchers center so early on that January morning. I had arrived early for my first meeting and registration only to find that the meeting time had changed and I was way too early. Kay was in the process of opening for the day when I surprised her by knocking on the locked door.
I responded to her, "
I have some weight that I want to lose but more significantly I want to get control over my out of control eating." I was out of control because of a series of events that had occurred in years past. I found I was a compulsive eater without self-control. I ate too large of portions. I ate to handle stress in my life. And I had a ‘pastry demon’ that I didn’t want to live without!
So Kay signed me up! That was January 29, 2010. I am now 30 lbs lighter and have achieved my goals of self-control and portion control. I am now at the weight that I want to maintain for the rest of my life! I am also now a lifetime member of Weight Watchers!
Here’s what attending Weight Watchers did for me:
1.It gave me the tools, instruction and accountability to achieve my goals.
2.I learned portion control and the valued ‘point system.’
3.I was accepted into a group that had common goals. (Even though I was a man! ‘Men!’ I heard often as my weight declined almost every meeting!!!!)
4.I stayed with my points daily.
5.I rarely used any of my weekly bonus points.
6.I used the WW iPhone app continuously with nothing going in my mouth, bought at the store, or ordered at a restaurant without first checking the points beforehand.
7.Followed guidelines in ‘Eat This Not That’ books, website and app to help make food choices.
8.Restaurant meals were preplanned. Most of the time I determined what I was going to eat in advance of going. As a pastor, I eat out a lot. For instance during last year’s Mission Conference I ate in restaurants 7 days in a row, twice on a couple of days and gained no weight!
9.I have a ‘pastry demon’ meaning I love desserts. I limited my eating of them and followed the ‘3 bites rule’ to be satisfied. I used WW Ice-Cream sandwiches often as a reward.
10.94% Fat Free Kettle Pop-Corn saved me many a night before bedtime so that I didn’t go to bed hungry. Mini Caramel Rice Cakes helped also.
11.I found a new appreciation and delight in eating fruits, especially oranges.
12.My exercise included treadmill work and weight training.
13.I had an encouraging, fully engaged spouse to walk through this with me, thank you Debi!
What I am doing now is maintaining the weight I lost! It has become a lifetime goal to stay at this weight. I still follow the portion control, only eat when I am hungry, and have the ‘points system’ in my mind at all times. It has reminded me that I am in control of what I eat; not my spouse, not the cook, not the restaurant.
‘A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.’ (Pro. 25.28 ESV)
I have finally rebuilt my walls destroyed by years of a lack of self-control!
