In my last post, I mentioned going through a plateau in my weight loss journey. There have been a couple of times when I needed the Lord’s Wisdom as to why my weight loss had stalled. In each instance, He has shown me where I’d missed it and gotten me back on track.

With this recent plateau, which has lasted at least two weeks now, I’ve noticed some bad habits trying to creep back in and reverse all that God and I have accomplished in these five months. For example, my cravings for sweets have increased exponentially. It seems most of the recipes I research are for Keto-friendly desserts. Being someone who has lived addicted to sugar for the majority of my life, sweets are something I need to lay down for good – regardless if they are considered healthy or not. All I’ve done is found a way to make eating sweets OK; I have justified it, because it’s Keto. If you think about it, that’s like a recovering alcoholic drinking “near beer” and saying it’s fine, because it’s not really alcohol or has very little alcohol. If the taste is still there, it’s the equivalent of a shark getting a taste of blood. No matter how small the taste, it’s going to feed that addiction.

I’ve also been missing the “control” in my portion control. Not every time, but with this way of eating, it should never happen. Keto and low-carb/high fat is a natural appetite suppressant, so with this being an issue, I need to reevaluate.

I have been asking the Lord for Wisdom. For a while now, I’ve been hearing the phrase “Get back to the basics” in my head and in my spirit. When I started Keto, I didn’t have any fruit, sweets or flour (Keto-friendly or any kind). If you have an addiction to sweets and carbs, it’s highly recommended to stay away from any and all fruit and breads when you’re beginning, because they cause cravings. I didn’t incorporate any fruit, Keto-friendly sugars or flour until I was a couple of months in. The only fruit I have allowed myself to have throughout this journey are berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, because they have the lowest carb counts. However, knowing what I know now, I should have left fruit alone. I’m not saying everyone should omit fruit completely. This is what I feel I need to do. Will I eat fruit in the future? Maybe, maybe not. I’ve read more than one success story where the person didn’t incorporate fruit back in their diet after they reached their goal weight for the same reason I feel it needs to be omitted from mine (and by diet, I mean the food I eat, not a diet in the traditional sense). It triggers a sweet craving, and for those like me, that can’t happen. And, that’s OK.

So, it’s back to the basics I go! I’ll follow up in a couple of weeks to let you know how it’s going. God has always shown me where I’ve missed it, and I believe this is where He’s leading now. 

On a side note, plateaus are a normal part of weight loss. They don’t necessarily mean you’re doing something “wrong”. From what I’ve researched on dietdoctor.com, if you are doing everything that’s recommended and you plateau, just keep doing what you’re doing. It should right itself. There’s no set time of when, but more than likely, it will. I personally believe my recent plateau is the result of my choices. That’s the great thing about my Father: when you ask for Wisdom and don’t doubt that He’ll give it to you, He will.

James 1:5-8 (The Passion Translation): “And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace. ⁶ Just make sure you ask empowered by confident faith without doubting that you will receive. For the ambivalent person believes one minute and doubts the next. Being undecided makes you become like the rough seas driven and tossed by the wind. You’re up one minute and tossed down the next. ^7–8 When you are half-hearted and wavering it leaves you unstable. Can you really expect to receive anything from the Lord when you’re in that condition?”

Is God amazing, or what?!

For the past two or three weeks, I have been on a weight loss plateau. I began my journey on November 5^th, 2016 and until recently, the weight has been falling off of me. Right now, the scale and the inches aren’t budging. At all. Granted, they aren’t going UP, either, which is relatively great news. At least I know I’m not doing anything wrong, I just need to, 1. be patient, and 2. maybe tweak some things to jump-start the weight loss again. The research I’ve done suggests this type of thing does happen, and they say just keep doing what you’re doing, and it should right itself. Remember that #1 where I said, “be patient”? Yeah, SO not my forte at the moment. My patience fruit of the Spirit is more like a raisin than a watermelon, but God will finish what He started! I REFUSE to give up. I REFUSE to quit. So, I won’t. It’s that simple.

I’ve been feeling as though I’m in a spiritual plateau, as well. I love the Lord so much, but it just seems daunting to get in the Word, prayer and everything in between. The amazing thing about my Father is, He’s still here. He still speaks to my spirit. I feel His presence, and lately, even with all of this, His presence has been even more tangible. The ENORMITY of His Love for me and for you is BEYOND human comprehension, and I want to understand and know it as much as I can on THIS side of Heaven. He’s been speaking about certain things for me lately through a VERY dear friend, and He is ADAMANT that it’s time I get with the program, dig in my heels and do/be what He has called and created me to do/be. The abundant life he spoke of in His Word isn’t for when we get to Heaven; it’s for here. Now. At this very moment and in every moment. John 10:10 (The Passion Translation): A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!” Life on this earth is far too short; there is far too much to be done. 

I’m so glad God doesn’t give up. His Love never changes never diminishes never falters. Life is a journey of valleys, mountaintops, wildernesses and deserts. But the great news is, these too, shall pass. In the meantime, He is ALWAYS here. NEVER will He leave us or forsake us. EVER (Deuteronomy 31:6). There are numerous situations in the Bible where mankind faced trials, tribulations, peril and even the possibility of death. But there are two words that bounce off the pages like a basketball on a gym floor: “But God.” As my friend and I discussed today, He is our Defender and our Champion. Trials will come. But God. Tragedies will happen. But God. Life happens. But God. 

These plateaus are temporary, but His Love is eternal. THANK GOD!