Defeat the sin of gluttony by the power of God's grace!

In 2013 I lost 65 pounds after having been convicted by the Holy Spirit that I was not treating His temple obediently. At that time, I topped the scales at a very unhealthy and unholy 205 pounds! I'm a little guy so that is a lot.

I was sinning and needed to repent of what I have come to realize was one of the least discussed sins in the church today, gluttony. I was very much the glutton.

Since then God has given me the grace to essentially maintain my goal weight with a couple of times that required reboots, if you will. Due to my "service connected" (military) injuries it is not easy for me due to not being able to run like I use to love to do. So, today I mainly rely on healthy eating practices to maintain my weight. Staying off the sugars and processed flours are a huge help and my wife has been awesome at supporting me in this. I must say that Trim Healthy Momma has been the foundation of healthy eating that we have come to trust.

I have currently learned that I exceeded my "maintenance goal weight" for the second time and this time it was by 35 pounds. I have not weighed myself in a long time but when I did so the other day I knew I had to do a reboot of my "kick it into high gear ketosis weight loss" on June 3rd, 2020.

This is the second reboot I have done and to me it is the most significant. My wife and I discussed why I had gained back the weight as well as why she was having difficulties losing her own weight. While Trim Healthy Momma is great with providing wise directions for one’s healthy eating it really works best if it is administered properly, especially in the areas of healthy portion sizes. I have found personally that gluttony exists even within healthy eating and that it can take root in the form of portion sizes. I was eating healthy carbohydrates and low sugars with a purposed mindset to avoid processed sugars whenever possible. My protein intake was for the most part lean regarding the fat ratio with some exceptions along the way, but it really was the portion sizes that was hurting me.

Today it is 1/24/202 and I have lost 15 of the recently added pounds. I started the reboot on June 3rd, 2020. My focus is first on obedience to God and my heart attitude is one of joy and excitement. This really helps me stay on task. More importantly though, staying in prayer and in God’s word, is extremely crucial throughout.

I am seeing my midsection, where I always carry the excess weight, quickly reduce in size. My wife, who has joined me on this venture for the first time, is seeing success in her measurements as well but the weight for her is coming off more slowly than it is for me. This is typical as men tend to burn off the fat and weight faster than woman. My wife and I are joyfully coaching and encouraging each other. I have to say that I rely more on her than she does me, at least that is how I see it…But we both are relying, first and foremost, on God’s power to succeed.

Going back to 2013 I weighed in at a whopping 205 pounds. This was the most I have ever carried on my very small-boned body. I am 5'8" so, with my small bone frame, 205 was way too much weight for me. Just recently I weighted myself and saw 175 pounds on the scale on 1/3/2020, that according to my doctor was within range, but it was obviously not a healthy range for me due to the way I carry it on my midsection. I could personally feel and see that I was not in a healthy shape or condition.

I started the initial weight loss on June 11, 2013, when I weighed in at 205, and through using a 5 and 1 style meal program without compromising I ended up with amazing results. I am once again seeing these same results with my reboot today but I want to provide the details around the initial weight loss journey here.

Essentially the idea of the weight loss is to lower the glycemic count in the food intake while raising the protein which in turn pushes the metabolism into ketosis and this consists of fueling the body using it's own fat. The daily food intake consists of five or six meals consisting of 100 to 125 calories derived mainly from proteins along with low carbs and sugars. These meals are supplemented with one low sugar, mainly green vegetable and low fat and high protein meal or what is simply referred to as, a lean and green. Along with these meals I take a complex b-vitamin, probiotics (acidophilus) and omega 3-6-9.

Once I started losing the pounds back in 2013 my metabolism kicked in with a fury and I shed over 50 pounds in a very short period. I weighed in at 146 pounds on Oct 1, 2013. My Goal weight was originally 150 pounds and I shot past that and a lot sooner than expected. I changed my goal weight down to 150 and I ended up shooting past that and reached my newly adjusted goal weight of 140 in amazing time. I weighed in at 143 pounds on Oct 9th, 2013, My goal date was Oct 29th and I hit that easily. I was not kidding about my metabolism kicking in!

I have always been a very active person but over the previous 15 or more years the additional weight on a very small-boned frame and at a height of 5'8" was causing me many health issues. My blood pressure was pre-hypertensive and I was on cholesterol medications as well and with two reconstructed knees and a reattached left Achilles tendon (I had a very active past military life…) the excessive weight was too much to bare. At that time my wife and I had adopted four wonderful children from very troubled backgrounds. This was on top of the two children we had already at that time. All of this and I felt like I was literally dying due to my health issues from being overweight. Something had to change.

Some may think prior to going into something like this that it would be a huge sacrifice. While it was challenging, it really was a blast. The food was not bad either.

I continue to pray that God will keep me focused on a proper path in life that includes proper maintenance of His temple and I praise Him for the opportunity to be faithful for Him in this and all other areas of my life!

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-11

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:17-21

#gluttony