It’s been a long time since I felt this great! For the longest time I have been overweight and unhappy with the way I look and feel. Rewind to the year 2007, to a young mom in her early 20’s with 2 children, weighing around 143 pounds of whom her children and husband’s company kept her busy. Now, fast forward ten years to 2017, the same young mom in her 30’s now with 5 children and overweight at a whopping 182 pounds. Starting to feel like something wasn’t right. I started to get the feeling of tight throat, arm numbness and tingling, excessive tiredness during the day, with a huge lack of energy to run around after my kids. Sad to say I felt pathetic… I’m only 32, and I feel terrible.
What makes it worse, is, there is a vital reason for me to maintain a healthy weight. I’ll explain why…
Back in April of 2004, I had a surgery to correct a tethered spinal cord. Upon going into the area to be untethered the neurologist found a benign fatty tumor, which was not detected by MRI’s, and was formed over and around the nerves that control my bladder. Due to the removal of this fatty tumor, damage to my bladder nerves caused the use of my bladder to be permanently affected. The neurologist explained, despite the removal of the fatty tumor, that the tumor could eventually come back at some point. Obviously, that’s hard to say when this could happen. Nonetheless, it may occur once more if I’m not taking care of myself.
With this in mind, you’d think I would have from that moment on taken precautions to avoid weight gain. With the logic that the tissue of the tumor was predominantly fat. Nope… I didn’t, I kept going with the same terrible eating habits. The habit of snacking on whatever I felt I was in the mood for. Of which were not healthy choices. The more I gained the worse I felt.
I’ve tried different types of diets. The HCG diet. The Military Diet. Diet pills such as, SlimQuick, Ab Cuts, Hydroxycut, and a few more that I can’t remember… sad…. I also calorie counted. Tried to eat lower calorie foods like Special K products (rolling eyes), basically, foods that promise a lower caloric value. All of which, of course, did not work. I may have lost some weight but gained it all back and some. From then on I had decided, diets were not for me, and left it at that for a while.
Occasionally, I attempted to control portions and avoid certain foods. All of which again promised no permanent change. Anytime I attempted to use a diet pill, or start a fad diet, I lasted no more than a week. If I was strong enough. Again… sad. There were many attempts of exercise for weight-loss, but no real change. All because I did not change the way I ate into a lifestyle change instead of a quick fix. Of which weight loss isn’t and can’t be.
After my fifth child I was beginning to feel tired during the day even though I had a reasonable amount of sleep. On days I chose to over eat on breads, sweets, and chips, I felt my throat become tight, my arm had poor circulation, and my complexion wasn’t any better. I realized in fear that something was going on with my body due to my weight and eating habits. I refused to make mention to my husband of how I felt in fear of his recommendation of going to the Dr’s to see what was going on. I didn’t want to hear the inevitable. Dr’s for me meant, a reveal of doom. Some sort of medical procedure that may need to be done or permanent medication that needed to be dependent on.
With that I decided to reduce my carb intake, I saw a difference in a psoriasis like rash that kept spreading on the lower part of my scalp, start to recede. But still no major weight loss only a maintenance of weight.
Now, for a while I’ve asked in prayer for the Lord to give me the control and the will to eat better and exercise. Nothing… why you ask? God answers prayers right? Well of course He does! But in the right timing. If we have the right intentions. You see my intentions went from selfish self-centered, to having a desire to learn how to fast and maintaining body as a temple of the Lord’s.
Fasting is something I have learned is vital in the believers walk. Jesus did it, and so should we. There was also a feeling of heaviness, (finally) of concern that my fatty tumor may have come back. My prayers changed. And for this reason I believe He granted me my request. Yes, I said it, it was an answered prayer that gave me the will to start and maintain the Keto Diet. Cause my will revealed no commitment, no success.
But you might ask, how did you know the keto diet was for you? Well… It all came in a text one morning from my younger sister. She text me asking how my weight-loss was going and I told her that I was still trying. She was asking cause she had just become keto certified. How coincidental…. I think not… but the Lord. I felt a peace about it. So instead of refusing to start yet again another diet, I agreed and thus the journey began.
I’ll be quite honest I was a bit nervous. Worried… that I may fall into the same habit of not following guidelines. Counting calories, tracking what I ate. I was terrible at the strict structure of it all… but it’s just that… it’s not strict, its more of keeping watch, staying away from what was bad for me. And the Lord granted me the will.
Now I’ll be honest, I had some help from essential oils, to help me control cravings and the mental want to eat whatever, whenever. You can find the essential oil recipe I use in my post called, My Top 3 Secrets to a Successful Keto Diet.
I used this essential oil recipe to help me curb cravings in the beginning of my journey through ketosis. This recipe worked so well for me. I hope it works for you too. Currently, I am not using this blend but I probably should. Anyhow, using this blend helped with my appetite like I mention. But it also is great to help boost your metabolism. Awesomesauce!! (doing my happy dance)
So as of now March 2019, I have lost about 26 pounds in 6 months. Hooray! What a blessing indeed. I feel great! My energy levels are awesome! My clothes fit! In fact they are starting to become noticeably loose. And I’ve dropped 2 pant sizes! Woohoo!
I started out in September 2018 at 175 pounds and now this March 2019, I weigh 149 pounds. It has to be said… 26 pounds to some, may not seem as much as other weight-loss stories, but let me tell you, it really is a lot of weight. Its super noticeable, not only visually, but the way I feel physically. Despite the current loss, I still plan on losing the weight. I am not at my goal and want to get to a healthier weight.
Honestly, I may say weight but the scale is not so much of my focus.
Its more of the feel and look of where I am trying to get. My personal goal is to reach 120 to 115 pounds, about in the area of the healthy weight for a person my age and height. My height is 5’2″ and I am 32 years old. On a weight chart I should weigh between 100 to 120 pounds. My intent isn’t to be satisfied with what the scale says but how I feel with the weight I am at, at the moment, say when I reach 120 at least. Maybe I want to stop there, maybe my body is telling me not to stop there but keep going. The plan essentially is to listen to my body. That’s exactly what I am doing now and I will keep doing till I feel satisfied where I have arrived. I can tell you now… I love the way I feel even now how I can worry less about that way I appear to others in public. Such as, my muffin top pouring out of my pants. Or how tight my shirt may look around my midsection when I sit down no matter how straight I am sitting up to smooth out whatever fat I can. I feel comfortable in me. When at the park with my kids I can run after my youngest without being in pain or of tiredness. I can climb the rock wall with him to make sure he doesn’t fall from the tall play set he loves to climb cause the other kids are doing it. I can sit with my legs crossed on the floor without feeling as though its hard to keep a sitting position looking like I’m struggling to simply sit. Needless to say, I’m blessed to be where I am at now and will keep going because this is not the end.
Staying away from carbs and sugars are the best thing that has happened to me in any diet. I told myself, “I’m a carbaholic, I could definitely not give up breads and pastries.”. Shocked at the thought to forsake my mornings of enjoying a delicious coffee crumb cake paired with my coffee heavily diluted with hazelnut creamer. What me!? No way! Please don’t speak of such horrid words! (hand over wide open mouth, with a look of disgust eating a Hostess chocolate donut)
It has to be said… that is the worst mistake I could have ever chose. The Con’s out weigh the Pro’s hands down.
The 15 to 30 secs of what I thought to be pleasurable, is not worth the weight gain that sticks with you for many years. But not only that, causing health issues. Of which in the long run become a downer on life in general. Really! What was I thinking? Thinking of the long-term logically, should be enough to make me or anyone else realize its just not worth it. There are so many other better alternatives. It is a huge lie to think that you can’t have sweets and delicious food without the sugar and carbs. It’s just dumb. There are so many options to choose from its elementary. And oh so much more simple to make. There only needs to be effort. Effort to change. Effort to make the right choices. Effort to make the change once and for all.
Sad to say… once I began this keto diet, about a month into it the Lord revealed to me that groceries lasted longer. The fridge by the end of the week didn’t look bare. And to think I would blame that on the children. Extremely, upsetting to me that was. It was me. So sad. Ugh! I mean they are like ravenging racoons that scour through the pantry to satisfy their hunger. But not entirely. I was the bear fattening up for the winter, all year long.
It’s not going to be easy in the beginning. Smells will trigger cravings. The sight of old favorite foods once enjoyed will be enticing. Seeing others enjoy foods not acceptable for you will be mentally exausting at times. But again its just not worth it. You must push through. You’ll reap the benefits and thank yourself later for not caving in. I did. And so can you! Believe me.
I will admit, during my 2nd month into the keto diet I cheated. We were traveling and I cheated at a Texas Roadhouse in North Carolina, for my mom’s bday. I had their dinner rolls, jalepeno poppers, fried onion bloom, seasoned rice, and so on…. (shame). It all tasted great! But I felt it the following day. The heaviness of the carbs and sugars. I felt gross, tired, simply terrible. I regreted it immensly. All my hard work for 2 months. All the times I stayed away from my beloved hazelnut creamer with my morning cup of joe. The in between snacking whenever I felt like it.
From there on I tried to get back on the keto wagon but the cheat made it difficult to get back on. I tried one day, but later caved. I tried another day, and then caved again. The holidays proved to be a difficult foe. Despite that I told myself I’m not going to stop just cause I messed up. I’m going to get back on and into ketosis. This is not my defeat. This is just a learning curve. A bump in the road that makes me stronger. To remind me of the terrible feeling I feel when I intake carbs and sugars, not taking care of my body. So I prayed and asked the Lord for strength, and to take away the desires of compromise. It took me about 1 and a half months to get back.
But here I am, and going strong. Thank you Jesus! Without Him, alone I am weak. He is the Rock of which I have built my house upon. And in Him shall I not fall/fail.
One more thing…. The curse of allowing yourself to become overweight and unhealthy, is the extra skin that the fat made. Maybe stretch marks. Mine are mainly from childbearing. But I have loose skin. This is something we will have to face. The constant reminder of where our poor decisions brought us. Although, predominently 95% of my weight-loss is from diet alone… I will mention, to consider exercise along the way. I am and plan to start. Once those energy levels increase its a good idea to start working out to firm up what you can. The body is great at recooperation, when allowed to. God has made our bodies so wonderfully, that when you treat it with the proper care it deserves, it gives back. And I have yet to begin, only because I am seeing this now, is of necessity. You will go from the satisfaction of seeing the weight come off to the left overs of the past. You can do it! I can do it! Let’s do it together! Excercise is important for health. Not just weight-loss. It just keeps getting interesting doesn’t it?!
I hope this motivates you to jump start your journey! Have a blessed day… better yet, have a blessed journey!
– Angelina
kissofmilkandhoney.com 