If you’ve ever tried to lose weight and keep it off, you know that it doesn’t happen overnight. In today’s podcast interview, Teresa Shields Parker talks about five stages of the weight loss journey.
Teresa is the author of several books on weight loss, including Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor. Teresa helps others lose weight through her books, coaching, and website and has kept her own weight off for more than five years.
Following are the stages of the weight loss journey that we’ll be discussing on the podcast:
5 Stages of the Weight Loss Journey
- Wishful Thinker – In this stage of the weight loss journey, we dream about losing weight but don’t want to go through the suffering to make that happen long-term. Instead we want the quick fix. We think, If I could just find the magic plan that works. When we accept that we’re overweight and need to lose weight and that there is no magic fix we’re ready to move into the next stage.
- Willing Owner – This is where we own our addiction. Teresa tells how she was addicted to sugar. She lost weight whenever she gave up sugar and flour but whenever she got to her goal, she would reward herself with a high sugar or high carb foods and then she’d be back to gaining her weight back.In this stage you’re committed to a lifestyle change – to learn how to lose weight and keep it off. You’re saying “This is my issue and this is what I need to do to gain victory.”
- Watchful Learner – This is another long stage where we’re learning the disciplines we need to break free from the control of food. At the end of stage two we know we need to do certain things to change, but we don’t know how to make that happen. In this stage Teresa learned something she called “start stop” – stopping the bad habit but starting some good habits.She started by giving up one bad habit (eating candy) and adding one good habit (exercise). Teresa explains more about what this stage looks like on the podcast.
- Wholehearted Traveler – In this stage we learn about how to deal with difficulties while still following our eating boundaries. This is the stage where we work through emotional eating and understand that failure is a part of the process. We also learn how to deal with failure. If we visit failure for too long, we’ll need to go back the Watchful Learner stage to relearn the tools we learned in that stage. We may even need to go back to the Willing Owner stage where we make another commitment.
- Wise Overcomer – In this stage we feel like we’ve mastered the journey. This doesn’t usually happen until we’ve spent two years in the wholehearted traveler stage.
With all of these stages of the weight loss journey, it’s about following God, submitting to Him, and learning to rely on Him for help with life. Teresa talks more about the process in the podcast.
For further information on Teresa’s resources, click here: Teresa’s website
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What an amazing podcast for this phase of my journey! A couple of years ago I found your book “Freedom from Emotional Eating” and it was eye-opening. I learned so much from it, but I still hadn’t done much about my eating habits. January 1, 2017 I made a commitment to change, and the journey began. I started with low carb/Keto and prayed to like eggs, because they aren’t my favorite but they are used a LOT in that kind of plan. But I still had my once a week dessert, thinking I was in control. I lost 20 lbs., then started slipping. Last August I joined my first DietBet and continued to lose 30 more lbs. on a lower carb eating plan, but I started slipping again. I knew something needed to change, but I felt unable to. Then I learned about something called Bright Line Eating and it was from the LORD. It is a secular book, but has been a huge help to me in understanding my flour and sugar addiction. At the same time I ordered your study “Taste for Truth” and have been working through that. I have not had flour or sugar in 7 weeks and I’m within 5 lbs. of my goal weight (70 lbs. lost so far and I’ll be 62 in a couple of weeks!). I feel like God has continued to bring material into my life at the time I need it. And now THIS! To have some of the concepts from Bright Line Eating along with a Biblibal focus is exactly what I need right now. I can ‘t thank you enough for putting your materials together – they have changed my life in more ways than just my weight. They have made me see areas in my life where I was believing lies and needed to replace them with truth. And thank you for bringing people onto your podcasts that can help us on our spiritual journey, which does include what and why we eat. This is long, but I just needed to let you know the difference you have made in my life.
Wow, Sandy! Within 5 pounds of your goal and 70# lost so far! That’s amazing and what a wonderful testimony of perseverance! I’m so glad that Taste for Truth and FFEE helped and that you’ve been replacing lies with truth. I’ve heard several people talk about Bright Line Eating too and how helpful that was. At some point, I’d love to have you think of doing an interview for the podcast! If you’d be willing to do one a few months or more down the road, let me know. It would be fun to visit with you!
Congratulations Sandy! You have persevered and your determination and new reasons for eating are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Loved this :) I read Teresa’s book last year – it was great! Over two months ago I decided to face my sugar addiction head on. She’s absolutely right that you must not only “stop something”, you must “start something” in its place. Thank you for sharing this with us, Barb :)
I loved that point too, Jules, and had never thought of it that way until she said that. That’s great that you’re facing your sugar addiction! Scott and I have been on the sweets for social occasions and holidays and once per trip plan for over a year now I think and we love it! Gives us the perfect amount of sweets without being too addicted. :)
Barb,
Thank you for putting all my thoughts and emotions and lies into words! I have enjoyed your bible study, Taste for Truth, and listen to your podcasts. I have realized that food is an idol for me. But so is being skinny! I don’t know how to conquer one without feeding the other! Please help!
Joni
I think most of us can relate, Joni! If you ever want to do a possible podcast interview on the subject with me, let me know! You can email me through the podcasts and resources tab at the top of the blog. I can’t remember if I’ve had a podcast devoted to this but I think we’ve talked about it on some just because it’s one of those things most people struggle with.
I actually think you can work on them at the same time and it’s a good thing to work at them at the same time. For the skinny idol, you’d just renew your mind whenever you feel like you have to be skinny or beat yourself up for eating too much. And for the other, renew your mind whenever you break your boundaries.
It’s one of those things that seems like it will take forever to get over and maybe even that you’ll never get over it, but then at some point it happens if you continue to renew your mind. I also think that getting a paid coach or counselor can be helpful or another person or group to work with!
Barbara,
I have recently discovered you and your fabulous materials. I am day 15 in the Taste for Truth and it is so helpful on this journey. Like the I Deserve a Donut app too. I travel A LOT for my job and to have this on my phone where I can pull it up is awesome. I enjoyed listening to this podcast, too. Appreciate all the helps you have for those of us on this journey called weight loss
Hi Eileen! It’s hard to be on that journey when you travel alot. I’m glad the app, podcast, and Bible study are helpful!