Skinny jeans here I come!!

My baby is 6 months old! Losing weight after pregnancy has been so tough for me. Since I had Gavin, I've lost the weight faster than I have with any of my 3 other kids. I've lost 41 pounds! I feel great! Going to God for help and setting goals has made a world of difference.

We all know portion control and exercise is the way to go but we need to know where we are going. Goal setting is crucial in losing weight. I set a goal of being a size 12 before Jeremiah's wedding. How good did I feel when I put that size 12 dress on and zipped it up?! It motivated me to continue on. One of the keys to weight loss is to start small. If you set your ultimate goal and no others it feels impossible to reach.

First, figure out where you are at. Next set your long term goal. A BMI of 24 is a healthy range. So your ultimate goal might be a BMI of 24. Don't set a date for your ultimate goal. You want to be a BMI of 24 no matter how long it takes.

You will want to lose about 1-2 pounds per week. I am losing 1 pound per week. It is a managable goal for me and I don't feel the huge disappointment when I can't reach 2 pounds per week. Plus it's a huge bonus if I go beyond my goal. So start slow.

I picked a special event that is coming up and then set my goal by how many weeks that was away. Country Jam is 7 weeks away; my goal is to lose at least 7 pounds. More than that is all bonus! Do you have a goal now? Is your goal realistic? We all want to lose a lot of weight and fast. But you will feel so amazing when you reach your goal and it will motivate you to keep going.

The most important key to weight loss it to pray and fill up on God. Filling up on God oddly makes you less hungry. He fills your comfort needs so you don't eat for comfort. Don't obsess about losing weight. Focus on Him and He will help you do it. One thing I ask Him, is to make overeating repulsive to me. LOL!! It really helps!

Here's a work sheet to set your goals. Be realistic with yourself.

Goal-Setting Worksheet
Date:
My weight:
My BMI:
My waist size:
BMI Calculator

My long-term weight-loss goal:
For my height, a weight of ___ will put me within a healthy BMI range.
I will need to lose ___ pounds.

My starting goal:
I will need to lose ___ pounds in ___ weeks.

Jesus, help us all get into our skinny jeans!!