Destination Discipline

Have you ever clung to a habit you sort of kind-of thought might be bad for your body or mind, but it was so ingrained in your lifestyle you never actually considered giving it up?

I met Gil a few years ago at a ballgame. I work with his lovely wife, Beth. Beth mentioned my weight loss story to Gill and he was inspired. He peppered me with questions and then went out and did something about it. He began to exercise and eat right and lost about 50 pounds. He had more or less been living a healthy lifestyle for a few years but had one habit he didn’t quit: Diet Coke.

Beth had urged him to stop drinking it since he drank about a 2 liter a day. Gil also has type 2 diabetes and has been striving to get his blood sugars under control. Recently, Beth shared with me that he had finally quit the libation. I know many people who have not been able to shake his habit so I asked her why, and how he did it. When she shared his story, I was so amazed, I asked for their permission to share his here. I will let Gil share his story in his own words.

Margaret: What was your goal and what did you accomplish?

Gil: My primary goal was to lose weight and get my blood sugars lower.

Beth and Gil Weingart

I tried to lose weight with diet and exercise. I recently went to my doctor and my blood sugar was still out of control. I became very frustrated, taking metformin, exercise, and diet I could not get below 295-297.

I went to the natural way to see if there was a natural approach. When the employee talked about my life style, I told her about my diet and that I drink a lot of Diet Coke. She said that is it, aspartame is horrible and causes everything you are experiencing.

So I immediately got off of Diet Coke and any artificial sweetener. My typical blood sugar was 180 and within days they started to dropped significantly, 150 – 140 – 120 -110 – and now I am having mostly 90’s. I had trouble getting lower than 180 for years. Unbelievable. In addition she told me about probiotics, she told me aspartame destroys good stomach bacteria.

The results: low blood sugar. I have lost 12-15 pounds in three weeks, no more stomach nausea, no more mind fog, NO MORE CRAVINGS! I did not change anything but getting off aspartame and adding probiotics. I have always awakened around 2 or 3 am to eat due to cravings, every night. This is gone. I have dinner and do not eat again until the morning.

Gil Weingart before and after

The change is unbelievable. Not to mention that my blood pressure was always around 140 over 90. Recently it was measured at 126/64. My doctor took it twice thinking it was wrong.

I feel better than ever, I drink Unsweetened Tea with Stevia, water, Zevia and Zero Vitamin Water. My research found that Stevia is actually good and can help reverse metabolic syndrome. My diet is still the same, diabetic diet.

I truly believe that Aspartame caused – Type 2 – Metabolic Syndrome – Weight Gain – Cravings – High Blood Sugar – Mind Fog – High Blood Pressure – Nausea

Thank you, Gil, for sharing. I hope your story encourages a lot of people to stop drinking diet colas with aspartame and other sweeteners that are toxic to the body. I’m so proud of you

So you’ve started a diet. A fat-busting endeavor. A torture chamber called, “This sucks!” And you really don’t want to do it because you like the foods you eat. I mean, who doesn’t love French fries and pizza and Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches with extra cheese. But you are tired of the struggle. Your back hurts. Your knees groan. Your pants are shrieking at you, “DO NOT EAT THAT!” And, well, it’s just time.

So you go online and you look for a detox. Or a pill. Or a regimen with guaranteed results. And you plunk down some cash and give it a go. And, at first you see results. But then you hit a plateau. And you just really, really want your old favorites.

Oh, boy! I know exactly where you’re coming from. I mean, I played the yo-yo game with my weight for years. Lose  20 lbs, gain 40 lbs. Until finally I gave up and decided (yes, it was a choice) that it was impossible to lose weight and I may as well just eat as I pleased.

Which was a lie. I believed that lie for far too many years and I was miserable. I was sick inside. I felt like a wretched nobody because I was powerless over my food addiction.

And that is why I write. If you are reading this and you want to get healthy–you can trust me. I’ve been there. I know how horrible it is and I want to help.

So I’m going to give you some advice for free. That’s right. No money will exchange hands. No looks of condemnation. No expectations either. Consider this a warm hug on a cold night. Because I want you to know that you really don’t have to spend a bunch of money, or join a gym, or do a cleanse. All you have to do is learn to embrace the vegetable of gladness.

Did I lose you already?

I know. Vegetable is a four letter word. Except that your body really does love vegetables. I mean, even taters are vegetables. And you can still eat them (in moderation). You just have to learn how to cook them without frying them and buttering them to death. And you will have to eat smaller portions.

“Oh, ack!” You say. “Shoot me now!” You say. “I want lasagna!” You say.

Dear friend. You are precious and dearly loved and you deserve better than the physical life you are living right now. You already know that or you wouldn’t be reading this. You want hope. And I’m here to give it to you.

Tonight I thought about you and pulled out some veggies. They may not be something you think you like. You may even stick your tongue out. But bear with me. Have a little faith. I’m not trying to poison you. I promise they will taste good.

Bell peppers, mushrooms, and brussels sprouts

So I pulled out a pan and rubbed it with butter. Yes, I love butter and so do you. I just try to keep it light.

Then I layered the pan with brussels sprouts.

Then I layered in fresh bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and one diced serrano pepper. Then I sprinkled them with paprika pepper, pulled some fresh thyme and rosemary from my plants, and put on 2 tablespoons of butter.

And then I covered them with tin foil and put them into a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes until they were all toasty and sweaty. And then they lost the foil and cooked for another 15 minutes uncovered. And when they came out…

So, Dear Reader, I know you said you don’t like vegetables, but please give these a try. They are tasty and super low calorie. These can be a meal by themselves or you can add your protein of choice (fish, chicken, or another lean meat).

I know you want to lose weight. I know you want to feel better. I know you don’t have a lot of hope right now that you can eat food that both nourishes your body and satisfies your taste buds. I also know that each healthy choice you make is a good choice. Each healthy choice–whether it is going for a walk instead of watching a movie or eating veggies instead of French fries–matters. So just start with today. This moment is yours. That is how positive change happens. One choice at a time.

Go forth and conquer!

“Now it is quite true that there will probably be no occasion for just or courageous acts in the next world, but there will be every occasion for being the sort of people that we can become only as the results of doing such acts here.” C. S. Lewis

Whoever thought of exercise as a courageous act? Certainly not I. Courage is for heroes.

And what is hero anyway? Isn’t a hero someone who puts others before himself?

One of my favorite heroes is not a real person. In the stories I have read, he was a hero disguised as a ranger. His name was Strider and he was not at all what he appeared to be. He entered the story at a most opportune time and much to the relief of the little fellows he laid down his life to protect. Of course, he didn’t look much like a hero. With muddy boots and a dark green hood that cast a shadow over his face, he was mysterious and unwieldly. He convinced his new hobbit friends that they needed a guide—and so they did. Thus, readers were introduced to a king in the form of a servant.

“I am older than I look. I might prove useful. You will have to leave the open road after tonight; for the horsemen will watch it night and day. You may escape from Bree, and be allowed to go forward while the Sun is up; but you won’t go far. They will come on you in the wild, in some dark place where there is no help. Do you wish them to find you? They are terrible!” – Strider

There are many heroes to choose from in The Lord of the Rings stories. I have always been taken with the quiet strength of Sam Gamgee but I find Strider a most beautiful representation of true honor. He was a king—the rightful king of that land—and knew what it meant to sacrifice for the greater good.

In my youth I wanted to be a hero but I had no concept of sacrifice. I lived for the moment and for Queen Me. I was self-indulgent, greedy and deceitful. Of course, I pretended to be brave but my words (gossip!) and my thoughts (vanity!) revealed the shell game. Liars chase lies with more lies like a drunk chases drink. We always think this one will be the last. Unfortunately, the people we lie most to is ourselves.

Now maybe you are thinking, what does this have to do with exercise? Well, Dear Reader, I’m glad you asked.

Physical activity requires courage—especially if one has long been inactive. Exercise is painful and—let’s be honest—fearful. It doesn’t always feel good and there is not usually an immediate reward. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned after losing weight, it is that exercise is worth the pain. If one can be mobile, one should be mobile because our purpose is far greater than living only to ourselves. We live in community and the people around us need us just as much as we need them.

I need look no further than my own neighborhood for examples. The elderly couple across the street is not able to rake leaves. The woman down the street has MS and at times can barely move. Others can’t walk, drive or leave the house. Even if they have resources, they need somebody who is able bodied to help with any number of household tasks. Some will say it’s not my responsibility but I don’t think that is true.

Exercise is my way of keeping my body in shape so I can help others. Eating foods that nourish my body instead of poisoning it is my way of rebelling against a selfish, self-indulgent lifestyle. It takes courage to abstain from ice cream, cookies and my mom’s homemade fudge—just as it takes courage to keep my tongue from speaking lies or gossip.

So, no. I’m not trying to kill you. I simply want to peel back the curtain to show you that there is more to life than you. If you are reading this and know you are overweight, it’s time to do something about it. Stop making excuses. Excuses are for cowards. I know because I once was one—and at times—I still am. By God’s grace I am learning to face my fears and correct the toxic behaviors that make me less human.

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27

I follow Jesus—not because it is easy—but because He loves me. I know he is the only way to peace and joy. He came to set me free from sin, and when I surrendered my life to him—yes, especially the food I put into my mouth and the quantities thereof—he rescued me.

Strider’s real name was Aragorn. He accompanied Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry on their journey to destroy evil. He served and protected them at great cost to himself—not unlike the way Jesus walks with and protects me. He gave me the courage to walk around the block at 310 pounds, and again at 305 pounds, and again at 170 pounds. I still rely on his grace and mercy to keep me from consuming those foods that poison my body and would hinder me from doing the work I need to do for his kingdom.

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” Romans 6:6-7

Exercise is an act of obedience. For some people—like me—it is not natural and comes at a high cost. But if this simple call to care for the only body I get for my whole life is God’s will, who am I to argue? He has a plan and a purpose for me far beyond what I can think or imagine and I don’t want anything to hinder it.