20 Ways to Lose Weight and Keep it Off Part 3: Weight Loss Starts with Love

You aren’t new to the weight loss struggle. 

You’ve tried countless diets and exercise routines. You’ve even been successful at shedding some pounds. 

… but those long-lost pounds seem to keep finding their way back to you and you are just plain tired of this seemingly endless battle. 

Friend, you can lose weight and keep it off by learning the top 20 things that no one tells you about how to truly be successful on your journey. 

This is part two of a 20-part blog series that will give you a strong foundation of strategy you need to lose weight, keep it off, and start living the life you were born to live! 

Some of what I share will be opposite of what all the diet gurus tell you, so read on with an open and prayerful mind and let God work on you from the inside out of your health and fitness journey! 

Part 3: Take Action Out of Love 

Do you really love yourself? 

This is a question I asked in a blog a few months back. 

This is a powerful question … one I’m asking you again today. 

Do you really love yourself? 

Take time. Reflect on this question. Answer yourself honestly. 

After all, this is truly a starting point when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off … it all boils down to love. 

Believing in the love God has for you and learning to love yourself … to truly love yourself 

This is a struggle many Christian battle with. 

You spend your days, nights, finances, and energy on taking care of others … in your home, workplace, and community. 

You are typically spent out by the time you need a little of your own TLC … or you feel guilty for turning some of that TLC back toward yourself. 

Friend, if this resonates with you, this message is for you! 

It’s hard to pour from an empty, tired, overdrawn cup. In fact, it’s impossible. 

Love is key, I’ll tell you why. 

After I ask you another question. 

Do you like to be scared? 

I know, the two subjects of love and fear don’t seem to connect - but they really do when it comes to so many parts of our lives. 

I’ve hated, and I mean HATED, being scared since I was a little girl. 

I have always been terrified of anything scary. 

One day, when I was in high school, I put myself in the position to see a horror movie with friends. Yes, I was scared of horror movies, but I also had other fears tugging at my heart, encouraging my decision. 

The fear of missing out. 

The fear of what my friends would think about me if I didn’t go. 

The fear of what people would think if they even knew I was afraid to be afraid. 

These fears seemed to overpower my sense of decision-making at that point in my life and I made the decision to go see a movie I wasn’t at all looking forward to seeing. 

Of course, you guessed it, it absolutely HORRIFIED ME! So much, in fact, I spent months freaked out about the terror from that movie and not wanting to be in dark places. 

I promise, this story does connect to what I have to say to you. 

You see, the same types of fears I had as a child didn’t go away, they followed me into adulthood and just changed flavors a little bit. I started seeing them in my health and eating habits. 

Can you relate to some of these fears? 

Fear of what people will think. 

Fear of being overweight. 

Fear of never feeling good. 

Fear of disappointing yourself or others. 

Fear of missing out on foods or mealtimes with family. 

Fear of failing … again. 

Fear of not being enough. 

Which of these fears tug at your heart the most? 

Believe me when I tell you, fear is not the way to make health and diet decisions. 

The problem with making your decisions out of fear is because when you make a decision based on fear, you aren’t making that decision with God. God does not guide in fear, but He does guide in love. 

Decisions made with love aren’t always comfortable, but they do lead to the best and most consistent results. 

What do I mean by that? 

Well, I’ll answer that question with another question. 

What if the next decision you made about food was made out of love? 

You're standing at the counter with a big plate of freshly baked brownies in front of you. 

The smell of the sweet yumminess sets off all kinds of senses and you can just imagine biting into that moist, chocolate goodness. Then, all of a sudden, you are at war within your own mind.

Your senses and grumbling belly are telling you to take a bite, but your mind is running through all the fears … fear of gaining weight … fear of not fitting into your clothes … fear of eating the whole pan … fear of failing yet another diet. 

You could make the decision out of fear, walk away from that pan of chocolate temptation a victor, and pass the brownie test. You would also walk away with a feeling of missing out and not be completely at peace with your decision. 

What if you made a decision out of love? 

Instead of weighing the fears, you put love on the scale.

A love for your body … a love for your health … a love for your future … a love for the woman God made you to be. 

The more decisions you make driven by love, the better you will feel about those decisions, and you will be more likely to be consistent with making them again. 

Love-based decisions lead to healthy, life-giving habits that become a lifestyle rather than a diet trend. 

Give love a try. 

Ask yourself why you are making the health and diet-based decisions you are making or thinking about making. 

Love your body. Listen to your body. You were created in God’s image and He has given you everything you need to be the happiest and healthiest version of you possible. 

You can take a deeper dive into learning to love yourself and learn simple, effective, God-centered tools to help you lose weight and maintain weight loss with a free discovery call. Set your call with me today and get on the way to getting the simple, proven, and God-rooted steps to walk and live in weight loss success.