Grace is Key to Weight Loss Maintenance

Top 20 Ways to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

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 9 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 9: Grace is the Key to Weight Loss Maintenance

You’ve heard God’s Grace is sufficient. 

In fact, you share these powerful words with those who have made a mistake and feel like they can’t get past it. 

After all, God’s grace is sufficient! He is a merciful and forgiving God who is full of love for His people. 

But … 

When was the last time you extended these words inwardly, to yourself? 

When was the last time you practiced the Grace of God by forgiving yourself, by showing yourself mercy? 

Friend, if Grace is the key to those lost in the midst of life’s mistakes, please believe that same Grace is the key to helping you through trials and missteps … yes, even if those trials and missteps are along your weight loss and maintenance journey. 

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You were created by God and for God with a purpose in mind. So yes, your weight loss and health are completely in line with God’s will and God’s Grace. 

Weight Loss Without Grace

As a Christian Life and Weight Loss Coach I have met many clients who have successfully lost weight without practicing Self Grace. The problem these clients face is that each time they successfully lose weight, they fail at maintaining the weight loss and gain all their weight back … and then some. 

Why? 

These clients don’t fail because of their lack of determination, will power, or desire. They fail because of their lack of Grace. 

Here’s a little glimpse of their weight loss and regain cycle… 

These clients work up the want to and the carry through to put a consistent exercise and eating plan in place. Day in and day out, no matter what, they stick to this plan. The hard work is paying off. The scale shows the pounds diminishing one by one and their clothes loosen up and sometimes have to be completely replaced because they are now too big. Their confidence is soaring at an all-time high. 

Until … 

They have a little too much to eat for dinner or their snack is out of line with their diet agenda. They don’t finish their exercise routine or completely skip a few days altogether. 

This is where the spiral begins. 

These small missteps are magnified in their minds. Negative self-talk begins. Confidence plummets. The scale may even reflect a small gain. 

Now, in order to get back on track, they must make up for their missteps. This usually looks like eating less or skipping meals altogether and doubling up on the exercise routine. They fail to keep up with their new, strict diet and exercise boundaries they’ve set for themselves, and motivation begins to dwindle. Sooner or later, they’ve set aside their exercise and diet plan completely, become overwhelmed with more negative feelings about their failures, and seek comfort … usually found in food. 

Weight gain begins and the cycle has gone full circle. 

Does this cycle look familiar to you? 

You don’t have to allow this cycle to keep you in emotional and physical bondage. The Key to breaking this cycle is practicing Grace. 

Grace and Weight Loss

Friend, the scenario I mentioned above does not have to be the cycle you follow over and over again. You don’t have to go one more day living in fear and shame. You don’t have to beat yourself up for overeating or making a misstep along your health journey. 

Let’s take that same scenario and change a few things. 

Rather than punish yourself for falling out of line with your diet and exercise routine, practice Grace. 

Rather than enact strict eating guidelines, skipping meals, or pushing yourself to exercise beyond a reasonable and healthy amount, allow yourself to be the recipient of Sufficient Grace. 

The first step in this process is to understand you are human … and humans make mistakes. 

The second step is to acknowledge where you fell off course and instead of taking an all-or-nothing action, simply continue where you left off. 

The third step is to stop talking to yourself in a despicable way. 

Imagine your children come to you with an imperfect report card and your response is “You need to give up everything else until you get all A's on your report card and then I may love you.” 

I know, that’s a bit dramatic. But isn’t it exactly how we talk to ourselves sometimes? We tell ourselves “You’ve failed again. You don’t deserve to enjoy breakfast or lunch or free time. You need to give up whatever it takes to get back on track and then maybe I’ll be happy with you.” 

If you wouldn’t talk to your child in this manner, you should not talk to yourself in this manner. It isn’t right, it isn’t healthy, and it simply doesn’t work in losing and maintaining weight loss. 

You are God’s beautiful creation. 

When you learn to extend God’s Sufficient Grace inwardly you can move forward in your weight loss journey, you will build confidence along the way, you will have the motivation it takes to keep going, and you will feel better about yourself - all resulting in losing weight and keeping the weight off for the long haul. 

You don’t have to take your weight loss journey alone. If you want to learn how to lose weight and keep the weight off, I can help. I am a Christian Life and Weight Loss Coach and I specialize in helping women just like you learn to embrace Grace, lose weight, maintain weight loss, and become empowered to be who God created you to be. 

Let’s chat. Connect today with a free, no commitment, Discovery Call. I promise, you will be so glad you did.