Leah Stirewalt

Out of Deep Waters

Not Quite (a Makeover Monday post)

by 4 Comments

Thanks for meeting me here again this week. If it’s your first time to my website…check out my first Makeover Monday post to see what Mondays are all about here at Out of Deep Waters.

Well, it’s been quite a week – weight loss speaking. My husband came down with a wacky virus that landed him in the hospital for a few days. That’s never great for someone that’s trying to eat healthy (yours truly, in this case). It seems the stress of a hospital adventure for the caregiver either leads to eating the wrong things or not eating enough. Add to that the lack of exercise, rest, and enough water, and you end up with a potentially ugly situation. In all honesty, I didn’t do great, but it also wasn’t a complete disaster either.

The first 24 hours resulted in me eating a total of about 400-500 calories (too few, obviously). The next 24 hours left me very hungry, resulting in “wrong” eating. I won’t say overeating, because I really didn’t do that in this case. However, I did make food choices that weren’t the best for me. High calorie or high carb with little protein. Add to that the fact that I didn’t get a post written last week to report in about my weekly weigh-in at my doctor’s office.  What a week!

But, you know what? That’s life friends. The challenge comes in learning how to adapt to the obstacles that are thrown our way and not completely “fall off the wagon” so to speak. But, if you do, get back up and start again – right where you’re at. Historically, when I failed…I threw in the towel…permanently. This time, I’m having to choose (with a little prodding from my hubby if I’m being truthful) to give myself a little grace when needed. This is a journey…a lifelong journey. While I won’t always be in strict weight-loss mode, I will always be battling this thing called slow metabolism and food addiction. I’m just calling it what it is…addiction.

We were at the beach this past weekend for a brief getaway. While there, we met a gentleman in one of the stores we shopped at who happened to share his testimony with us. We learned that alcoholism left him homeless for NINE years! Homelessness for NINE years friends! I couldn’t fathom it. But, I could fathom the hold an addiction can have on a person. My addiction isn’t alcohol, but it’s still an addiction nonetheless, and it still has life altering repercussions at times.

OK…enough of that for now… Two weeks ago (or in my last Makeover Monday post), I promised to report in on how I did with my goals. Did I reach them? Well…not quite…but, I moved a little closer in some areas.

Goal 1 – Lose 5 pounds. I DID lose 5 pounds…just not in one week like I thought was possible. Rather, I lost exactly 5 pounds over the last two weeks, so I’m up to a 31 pound weight loss. That was probably a more realistic outcome considering the two weeks that I’ve had. I was actually quite thrilled!

Goal 2 – Exercise 4 days for at least 30 minutes. I didn’t get to that goal at all. But, I DID get exercise in 3 days for each of the last two weeks, and a minimum of 20 minutes each time. The BEST workout I had was this past Thursday at our local YMCA. I did 21 minutes on the eliptical, 25 minutes on weights, and another 12 minutes on the walking track. I felt great! I’ll be headed back there tomorrow evening and hope to make this a regular part of my week.

Goal 3 – Seven days straight of drinking my personal minimum water requirement. Nope! Didn’t reach it. I managed to get in ALL of the water 5 out of 7 days each of the last two weeks. So, I’m almost there.

That’s where I ended up with my previous goals.

My next goal list:

1 – Lose 3 pounds this week.

2 – Exercise 4 days for at least 40 minutes.

3 – Try to reach that 7 day water minimum.

There you have it friends! 31 pounds lighter, and I’ve also lost 5 overall BMI points. I learned that each BMI point that I lose adds 4 months to my life. So, I’ve potentially added another 20 months to my life. That’s really what this is all about…good health! Sure, I want to look better, but what’s going on internally is truly the most important aspect on this journey!

Thanks for being faithful followers and prayer warriors! I cherish you more than you know!

Scale Redemption (a Makeover Monday post)

by 7 Comments

Welcome back to those of you that joined me for Makeover Monday last week. If you haven’t any idea what I’m talking about…you might wish to start HERE and then come back and join us for this week’s Makeover Monday.

After last week’s confession of my 7.5 pound gain over a two-week period, I knew I had my work cut out for me. There’s just something about announcing your struggles for all the world to see that equates to accountability. I worked hard this past week, because I didn’t want to let God down, my hubby down, me down, and all of you down. Last Thursday, I went to my doctor’s appointment for my weekly weigh-in, and…drum roll please…

I lost 8.5 pounds!

Yes…8.5 pounds in ONE week! I don’t know that I’ve ever done that in my life. Granted, a lot of it was water weight that I had allowed to creep back on from too much sodium I had taken in the two weeks before, but several pounds of it was pure-T fat! My doctor happens to have one of those fancy scales that measures not only overall pound loss/gain but fat, water, muscle mass, etc. I learn a lot about what’s going on inside this evolving body of mine. I (nor the doc) dreamed I’d lose all I gained in one week plus a pound, but – by God’s sweet grace – I did! So, I’m up to a 26 pound weight loss. Little-by-little, a day (sometimes an hour) at a time…I’m getting there.

It’s funny how losing weight reminds me a lot of what it was like when I first became a widow. I never thought I would feel happiness again. Gracious, I couldn’t wait for evening to come just so that I could close my eyes, take a little sleeping pill and go to sleep for the rest of the night. I literally lived hour-by-hour in those early days, because I just couldn’t think past the moment.

In a similar way, I know that I’ve got quite a lengthy journey in front of me. But, just as God has worked miraculously in my life before…I have no doubt He’s got a handle on this too. So, for now…I focus on the small joys…the baby steps until I reach that end goal.

Speaking of goals…I find that if I make some small ones along the way, I feel success a little sooner.

This week’s goals: 

1) Lose 5 pounds…I know that seems extreme, but it’s possible with the type of program I’m on (not every week but occasionally). I’m going out on a limb and trying for a 5 pound weight loss this next week.

2) Exercise 4 days for at least 30 minutes. This is a STRUGGLE for me. I used to love to exercise, but I injured my knee a little over a year ago and ended up having surgery to repair my meniscus, so exercise isn’t quite the same these days. I’m praying God would restore that desire again.

3) Water – I’m doing fairly well in drinking 64 ounces a day of pure water plus other liquids, but there are some days I’m a little short on the water. I’d like to change that for this week and have a successful 7 days straight of drinking my water minimum.

I’ll report in next week on how I did with my goals. I promise to remain accountable to you as well. Would you keep praying for me? I need all the prayer I can get to reach goal. I’ll eventually share more about how long I think it’ll take, etc., but I’m just not quite ready for that yet. Baby steps…

For those of you joining me in making some health and/or fitness changes…how did your week go? I would LOVE to hear about it. Good week or bad week…I’m cheering you on!