Do you ever struggle with weight loss impatience? I know the feeling!
But the following short story and Biblical principle may help.
A Proper View of Time
A mature lady in her 60s decided that she wanted to become a doctor. She told a friend about her intention.
But instead of support, the friend scoffed.
She said, “Are you crazy? How long is that going to take…8, 10 years? Why, you’ll be in your 70s by then!”
The lady looked at her friend and replied gently, “Time is going to pass anyway. I choose how I want my time to pass. I am choosing to pass my time working on my dream.
And if God should grant me to live into my 70s, I will get there AND I will have my medical degree!”
Weight Loss and the Power of Time
To bring this story back to weight loss, let’s say that you decide to lose 50 pounds. You thought it would take 6 months, but 6 months have passed already and you are disappointed that you’ve “only” lost 25 pounds.
What do you do with your time after that?
- Choice #1: Go back to your old habits. Since they made you gain the excess weight in the first place, you’ll regain the 25 pounds you lost and likely more. As someone once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, but expecting different results.”
OR
- Choice #2: Say to yourself “I guess this is going to take longer than I thought,” and celebrate the 25 pounds you did lose. Then recommit to giving the process the time it needs to finish. You decide to keep working on your dream each day, confident that your choices are leading you to become fitter and healthier.
Just like the lady in the story, you realize that time is going to pass anyway – whether you are pursuing your dreams or not.
You choose how you want your time to pass.
Choice #2 implements a Biblical principle:
“…that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12).”
Did you get that? It takes two things to inherit God’s promises: Faith and patience.
Many people have faith, but don’t exercise patience. So they abort the change process because they get impatient and quit.
But here is the sad part: A few months later, they catch a glimpse of a fuller face in the mirror, see a new roll of fat on their bodies, or have problems getting into an old outfit.
They get depressed and to make themselves feel better, they start a new diet. But it doesn’t last either. The newness wears off after about 10 days.
Impatience rears its ugly head again. Soon afterwards, they quit again.
It is like night following day!
That is a losing cycle. To get out of it, you must get the following reality into your heart. Repeat this statement out loud:
“Impatience leads to quitting. Quitting increases my chances to 100% that I will never reach my dream. Quitting is not an option. I will add patience to my faith each day and LIVE in the meantime. With faith and patience, I will obtain God’s promises.”
Stopping the Insanity of Impatience
Think about this principle another way: A farmer plants corn seeds because he wants a cornfield. But suppose the farmer goes back to look at the garden he planted, but the plot of ground looks exactly the way he left it. The farmer says to himself, “This is taking too long!“
The farmer proceeds to dig up the seeds he planted.
He moves to another plot of ground, planting more corn seeds. But again, after a week, the same thing happens. The garden plot looks the same on the surface.
So he digs that one up too.
If the farmer kept repeating this pattern with new plots of ground and seeds, wouldn’t you say that he has a short-sighted outlook?
Wouldn’t you advise him to stop moving about and just work his plot of ground faithfully, watering and taking care of the seeds he’s planted until the harvest comes?
That farmer failed to understand the process of time is built right in the middle of seedtime and harvest. God designed it that way and there is no way around it:
“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease (Genesis 8:22).”
Time is the great multiplier. Our daily choices build upon one another (compound) over the years.
So spend your time working on your dream, even if you do something small to move you in the right direction.
Praise God during the process, cultivating a thankful heart. Praise gives you strength and it will help you grow in patience.
Remember, you can’t get God’s promises without patience. So add patience to your faith and keep praising during the process. With time, you will obtain God’s promises!
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2).”
Be blessed in health, healing and wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor
Author of the Take Back Your Temple program
P.S. Do you struggle with eating too much sugar? If so, you are not alone!
Overcoming sugar addiction was a key factor on my journey to losing 85 pounds and dropping from a size 22 to a size 8.
In our 14-day Sugar Detox Challenge (inside the the Take Back Your Temple program), you’ll get the same success strategies and support to gain peace in your eating habits and achieve lasting weight loss success.
Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple program.
I have not written in months because I have not follow through on my spiritual journey this is my why I am not moving in the direction I want. I am doing this like a repeat offender. This message today as encourage me even to get up and try it again. Thanks for staying the course
Great Nancy – It is never too late as long as you draw breath – you have the source of hope in you, Jesus Christ, the Hope of glory. In Him, you have the victory 🙂
I read your post. It is very informative and helpful to me. I admire the message valuable information you provided in your article.
Thank you for your excellent encouragement. I had felt overwhelmed with my life and with the healthy changes program and “fell off the wagon.” “Real life” got in the way and I got very stressed. As I read your article the Lord gave me a picture of patience. I have waited 30 years to get back on track with my art, taking it a step at a time. Sometimes I was very productive, then I would get sick and weak. But the Lord had me keep pushing, keep walking. Today I am happy to report I have a home art studio and have been doing little bits of work most days. This is the commitment and push I need to have with the TBYT program. Also, to know that I do not do it alone or secretly. But it is a group effort. Thank you so much!!!!! I am back!
Glad to hear that, Gladys! This is a DAILY journey – just like life is. It’s not a “one and done.” But the Lord is faithful through it all. Today is a new day and a fresh opportunity to experience God’s blessing in it. Embrace it 🙂
I love this!! Great, practical examples to remind us to have patience and stay the course. Thanks, Kim!
/sg
You are welcome, Shana – Love when the Lord gives us these practical examples to follow 🙂
Very encouraging for the journey. After 8 months, I have lost 50 of the 90 pounds I am working on losing. For some reason I thought that I would be 80 pounds down by now. But the journey has been worth it. I have learned so much more about the reasons that I struggled with my weight- and now, my focus is on the health benefits, much more than the pounds. I am living the lifestyle that I need to manage my weight and health for the rest of my life.
Praise the Lord, Pam! Thank you for sharing your encouraging testimony 🙂
Thank you, Kimberly!
I have been so impatient over the years. Which has resulted in gaining a lot of weight, instead of losing.
This has been a good and inspiring read. I don’t know how many times over the years, I have set goals to lose weight by a certain time and when that time arrives, I am heavier than before…because I quit not long after I set the goal.
Praying, this time will be different.
Hi Teresa – it WILL be different if you take one day at a time, one choice at a time with God’s help. Praying that you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers!
Thanks again,
I have started to gain weight again because I continue to eat mindlessly, but I want to keep at trying to lose weight. This is something I had not thought about having patience with faith.
Hi Nancy – as we say in TBYT, the journey is not about losing weight but learning to live as a fit and healthy person, day by day with God’s help. When you change your identity to living as a fit and healthy person each day, you can ditch that temporary/diet mentality, which is the only way that the weight you lose will stay gone!
Praise God for the encouraging words!! I must keep in mind that the weight did not come overnight, and continue doing what God gives me to do.
You a truly a blessing. Thanks for the encouraging words,scriptures, and positive motivation
God bless you Kimberly. You are such an encouragement, and the truth of God’s word is sharper than any double edge sword. I really needed that encouragement today, as I have been climbing what seems like a never ending slippery slope, constantly stumbling and sliding back down. The set-backs often rob me of any weight loss I have previously made, and it is so hard to start over again. I know I need to change my mind set (Romans 12), but it is doing it every day!
I will look out for your devotional every day to keep on track! Thank you.
Thank you, once again I realise I can’t do anything without my Maker my King…
Hi Kimberly. …this is a SUPER AWESOME POST!!!! I know you are right about having patience & faith……however, I must admit I have pretty much given up. KIM I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXHAUSTED with this weight battle. Last time ive.lost.weight I lost a total of 93 lbs.!! HOWEVER, I’VE GAINED BACK approx. 50 lbs….! I feel so stuck….I’m approaching 50 yrs old in November and I just knew I would’ve been on program by now, instead I’m steadily gaining and just can’t seem to get it together. Thanks for this post I’m going to read it daily.
Thanks Paula – I am glad that you are going to keep reading this. Praise God that you have kept off 43 pounds! Re-commit to take back the rest, one day at a time. Sometimes when it comes to these things, we can be like a kid going to Disneyworld – “Are we there yet?” But know that you are going to get to “Disneyworld” soon enough. Life is short, so it is best not to save your joy until you get there, but enjoy the entire trip! May God bless you.
Cancer set me way back cause it was the exercise that was helping me to release some weight. In another week I will be able to do whatever i want, God willing. Thank you for keeping me connected emotionally and mentally to this program. I don’t need to be a rabbit to release weight, just move my body the best I can with bad knees and a bad hip. Weight is coming off but very slowly. Progress is good.
Thanks for your awesome post. I’ve missed my goal of losing 30lbs by June and infact gain back 5lbs of the 17 I did lose from poor choices and discouragement. I needed encouragement this morning and you gave it to me thru God’s word and great advice!
You are welcome, Julie – this is a day by day process. I learned on this journey that you have to encourage yourself EACH day to do the right thing. Otherwise we forget all too easily the work we put in to obtain success. I am so glad that you are on the right path again. Praise God you kept off those 13 pounds and take back the others – one day at a time.
This really hits home with me.
Great, Sherry! Time is going to pass anyway. You choose how you want your time to pass 🙂