Moms of 16 children are not your typical candidates for diet books. But Wendy sure is. Her 2008 book is still a great seller, and for good reason. Here’s her response to the frequently asked question….
Wendy chronicles her journey in weight loss in her book Love in a Diet.
Losing weight is a trial when you are having a baby and nursing every year! I struggled for many years before I found “the key” for me. I decided one day that I was going to find out why I was overweight. I went and bought a new notebook and just started to write down everything I put in my mouth, even a mint. I simply ate like I always did for about a week and found that I was eating way too many calories. I won’t tell you how many (sheepish grin). Then I analyzed my log and thought of ways I could cut back on my unhealthy habits.
The result? I lost 50 pounds! That was years ago and I have had many more kids since–one set of twins. I made it a regular habit to write down everything I ate, analyze the list, and figure out where I could feasibly cut back.
I also learned to move more. I really didn’t exercise much other than chase kids and keep the house clean. I would consistently remind myself that I didn’t need to be sitting around long. When I would feel the temptation to sit around, I would tell myself, “Wendy, get up and move!” So my motto to lose weight is, “Eat less, Move more!” Even bouncing your foot when you have to sit is burning calories. I came up with this plan out of necessity: I knew I couldn’t join a fitness center or Weight Watchers.
Another important thing about my weight loss was being relaxed, not desperate, about it. I did stick to the real foods, real butter, real cream, eggs. I didn’t just eat egg whites but the whole egg. I didn’t buy any diet food. I read all the labels. I bought a food book that showed calories. I cut out white flour and white sugar as much as I could. Another trick I found was to try to eat every two hours even if it was just three bites of an apple of a few crackers.
I would not stuff myself at mealtime and would look forward to a little snack later. In the morning, as soon as my eyes open, I would take 3 bites of something to break the fast of overnight. See, what I learned was when you starve yourself your body just goes into starvation mode and hangs onto everything so you don’t really lose weight. If you put 3 bites of somthing into your tummy every 2 hours and eat small meals your body can “trust” you and will drop the weight. I saved desserts for special parties and would be right back at it the next day. Sure, I had some days that I would overeat, but the key was to get back at it the next day. Have more good days than bad. Drink your eight or so glasses of good water every day. Soup is huge. A cup of soup is very satisfing but doesn’t stuff you.
I figured that my stomach was a muscle and that I needed to shrink it. I was used to eating too much at once. I didn’t think anything of 3rds at supper time! Now I am content with a simple serving at mealtime and small healthy snacks throughout the day.
I had to watch out for false guilt. I hated to see things get thrown out, and I used to often finish my children’s meals after dinner. I prayed and asked God to help me not to feel responsible for every scrap. He always met me there! So I stopped finishing any of the kids plates or anything else.
The transformation has been so dramatic that some of my friends have asked me what happened to my face! My brother saw me after 3 years and he said I was 1/2 the size I used to be. I dropped 5 sizes.
About Wendy Jeub
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