SWEAT- I choose a strong body and to treat my body as Christ’s temple. 

from 7 Shifts, Moving you Forward Faster by Jenny Price

At the beginning of May, I had an awakening about my health.  I needed to do something different, or I was going to reach 190 pounds. I was gaining weight and I was discouraged.

When I was 36 weeks pregnant, I weighed 185 pounds. I started my pregnancy at 170, so I had gained the recommended pregnancy weight.  While pregnant, I ate like I had “always” eaten, which included refined sugar and flour: breads, pastas, treats, processed foods, etc.

2 weeks before I had Trevor (weight 185)

When I came home from the hospital in January 2012 with Trevor (my second baby), I was eating all the amazing food our friends brought over.  This food was high calorie, high carbohydrate and extremely yummy. In addition, I was eating cookies and brownies almost every night.

My addiction to sugar had reached an all time high.

I was using sugar like a drug: to comfort, relieve stress and to feel good. I was creeping upwards on the scale and none of my clothes were fitting.

I knew I needed help in overcoming my sugar and food addiction.

So, I reached out for help and found a few close friends who had success with using HCG to reset their metabolism.  What is HCG?  Read more about it here:http://www.healthierpost.com/what-is-the-hcg-diet-why-you-should-try-it/

I did a lot of research and found a professional who said it was safe for me to do the HCG program while breastfeeding, as long as I continued to eat at least 1000 calories or more a day and drank plenty of water.  Most people who do HCG eat a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) of just 500 calories.

I was fully committed to this program because I wanted to end the insanity of my battle with the scale.  I immersed myself in further research and found so many inspirational blogs and success stories.

I began pinning new and healthy recipes to my pin board on Pinterst called “Eat Healthy” http://pinterest.com/twerthem/eat-healthy/  I reprogrammed my mind and body about food.  I ate lean meats and a variety of fruits and veggies.  I drank over a gallon of water a day.  I eliminated refined sugar and starches.

I followed the program like my life depended on it.  It does.  Having a baby (my second) was a huge contributor in me making this shift.  I am almost 41 and I want to live a long, healthy and abundant life.  Being a mother and a wife are the most important roles in my life and to be effective at these, I instinctively knew I needed to take better care of my body.

As a result of my making these healthy choices, I have released over 20 pounds.

My start weight was 178 on May 10,2012.  Today, I weigh 155.

I went from a size 16 to a size 12.

My BMI has gone down from 30.6 (obese) to 26.6(overweight).

I have added exercise into my daily routine.  I have set a goal to finish a ½ marathon in November 2012: http://everydaylifeline.com/services/wellness/  Would you like to join me??

Here is a picture of my new and improving body:

June 28, 2012

My family is eating differently and my husband is losing weight too.  I am retraining my children about food and they are learning to eat super foods like Quinoa. http://www.queenofquinoa.me/get-to-know-quinoa/

I no longer crave sugar or bread or other processed foods. I have learned to listen to my body and eat only when I am hungry.  I eat every couple of hours and snack on almonds, fruit and low fat cheeses.  I consume about 1600 calories a day and enjoy a feeling of fullness. I use very little artificial sweeteners and my favorite sweeteners are Truvia and Stevia.   I have replaced my sugar cravings with broccoli cravings.

I am passionate and excited about learning new ways to cook healthy. My husband has cheered me on all the way and I am so grateful for his support.

Jacob said to me recently:

It is really amazing to see what you have accomplished.  You are a real inspiration.  I think you’re hot!

This shift into a healthier lifestyle has not been easy.  There were moments when I thought I would cave and eat a whole bag of marshmallows.  But, God equipped me in a miraculous way.   I have slowly gotten rid of most of the refined sugar in our home.  What has gotten me through the difficult moments is knowing that Jesus is with me.  I have a verse that really helped me:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

This body that I feed is His temple.  This life I live, I live unto Him

I hope this post inspires you to take action in your life.  Will you share about your experience with food, good or bad.

This is a safe place and you never know who you could be helping by sharing your story.  Please share in the comments.

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If you would like help in making a food shift, I would love to coach you.  I am offering a free ½ hour consultation to the first five people who contact me.

You can reach me at tammy@everydaylifeline.com

Related articles

• My “No More Sugar” Shift (by Tammy Bolt Werthem) (iwokeupyesterday.com)
• How to reset your metabolism hcg diet? (weightloser7.blogspot.com)
• How to get a Free copy of “7 Shifts, Moving you Forward Faster” (post by Tammy Werthem) (iwokeupyesterday.com)