“By faith Noah, when we was warned about the things NO ONE COULD FORSEE, respected God and built an ark…” Hebrews 11: 7a

Can we talk for a minute about the future?

Are you able to visualize it?

Do you know what will come?

I used to think the answer was no.  

Now, I believe the answer is yes.

Now, don’t close your computer.  Hear me out.

When I say that I believe we can see the future, I don’t mean all the details. I am not sure about where I will be living or what car I will be driving 20 years from now.  I don’t even know if I’ll be on this earth anymore. 

But, I can say with certainty a few things about my future. 

If I am still living, I know that I will maintain a healthy weight. 

I know that I will be blessed beyond measure. 

I know I will be helping women live more abundant lives. 

I know that I will be loving my husband, kids, and the...

Don't judge a book by it's most recent cover...

Many people look at me now and think, “Oh, there’s no way she used to struggle with her weight.”

But I did.

I know what it’s like to spend the whole day thinking about what I ate last, what I’m going to eat next, and if I “deserve” dessert.

I know what it’s like to join diet programs that never lasted and to binge on large amounts of food after eating “so well” all week.

But I also know how it feels to have my clothes fit well every day, the energy to follow God's calling, and self-control over my choices.

But, I had a lot of large obstacles in the way.

I wasn’t able to find a weight loss program that centered around God’s word AND focus on my root problem.

No. The root problem is not the food or exercise.

It's my mind, my thinking.

So I decided to do the next best thing, I invested in a coaching program that helped me lose weight...

“I’ve been busy!”

Oh busy.  The common phrase we give our friends, family, acquaintances.

It probably comes as no surprise that living a frenetic lifestyle can lead to overeating. 

Rushing around all day can leave us feeling unsettled and restless.  And well, neither of those feel very good.  So why not use food to feel better?!

Plus, the busyness drains our energy, so we turn on automation mode and let our bad habits take over.

I find this to be a continual battle.  Not only for myself and also for my clients.

It can make taking care of our temples quite a struggle.

And consistency… forget it.  We have too much to do.  It is easier to focus on the kids, work, cleaning, and the rest of the to-do list than your health and well-being.

But what are the costs of this crazy life we are living?

Diabetes?  Heart Disease? Cancer? Depression?

Maybe you’re not to these points yet, but...

The following are MYTHS about what “thin” women do:

• Never eat sweets
• Exercise almost daily
• Spend a lot of time prepping their food
• Never stuff themselves at a meal
• Happy all the time

What do you think? 

Have you ever thought these about a friend or coworker?

Have you ever said, “It must be nice to be them since they don’t have to worry about their weight.”

This is what I have found out about “thin” women:

They eat food to fuel their bodies the majority of the time.

That’s it.

After talking to a lot of thin women, they just don’t stress about food.  Actually, they hardly think about it.

BUT, they still are as lazy as we are.  They still have their ups and downs (even about their bodies).

The only difference is they look at food differently.

That’s the hardest part to change when you are trying to lose weight.

Because for years you have used food to bust through the boredom and...

The experts say the average person complains 30 times per day.

I didn’t think I complained that much, so I monitored myself for a day.

Those experts were right.  Actually, I think it might be more.

I complain all day long.

It astounded me a little.

I consider myself a fairly positive person and yet…

I complained about having to shovel snow, my computer being too slow, picking up my son’s legos, and FB for not allowing me to underline, all within a 20-minute window.

Complaining feels like I am just talking about reality.  But it’s not.  It’s the story I’m telling myself about the world.

I could have admired the new snowfall, taken the moments for my computer to reboot to read, enjoyed making my own Lego creation or been in awe of that fact I can even communicate in a way for hundreds to see.

But I didn’t.

I focused on what was wrong.

And that focus, it makes us feel terrible.

There is no upside to it.

It...

You made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, huh?

Did you know this is the number one resolution made? 

But only a few of you will succeed.  And of those of you that do lose weight, MAYBE 5% of you will keep it off for good.

(I'm being generous with that percentage)

Most of you will gain back the weight. Usually, more than what you lost.

Kind of depressing…

Unless you have the right tools.  Unless you lose weight like someone that is in that 5%...

Women come to me to lose weight. That’s my jam.  I’ve done it, so they want to know all the “secrets”.

I usually start out asking them what they’ve tried in the past.

I get a whole laundry list…

• Keto
• Whole 30
• Paleo
• Carb counting
• Shakes
• Cleanses
• Pills
• Drinks

The list goes on and on.  While all of these are good ideas… none of them are the best way to lose weight with the intent to KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF.

The numbers don’t lie. ...

Losing weight for the LAST time is hard work.

And hard work stinks. 

It’s not all rainbows and daisies. Often there are no butterflies. 

There is just YOU and the work that you don’t feel like doing. 

Taking a nap sounds better. Maybe some Netflix or a little shopping. 

A phone call to vent to a friend would be nice.

Definitely, a glass of wine and a big ‘ole bowl of ice cream would make it all easier. 

ALL of these are way better than the effort of building your self-control around food to lose weight.

But then there are the results. 

The hard work turns into the energy to run around with your kids…

the joy of putting on two sizes smaller pants…

the self-confidence to start that bible study…

the connection of those intimate evenings with your husband.

Six months later you are living all the blessings of the hard work.

But more importantly, you have a new self-concept. You feel...

It’s the week of Christmas and all the talk, in our house, is about gifts. 

My kids get so excited to share what they received, what they want, and what they are “sure” they are getting next. 

It is so fun to watch their excitement.

Well, this year I know what I want and what I’m getting.

I give it to myself every year now. It is the gift that keeps giving.

It is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

The gift of friendship... being my own good friend.

I want to share part of the definition of a friend according to Urbandictionary.com:

“A friend is someone you love and who loves you, someone you respect and who respects you, someone whom you trust and who trusts you. A friend is honest and makes you want to be honest, too. A friend is loyal.”

Learning to love and respect myself has been tough work, but worth it. Now I can trust that what I say I will...

When my kids were little, I loved the IDEA of Christmas. But, once it came to executing it, I was an emotional mess.  

The emotional chaos from my personal expectations just led me to eat and drink (not water…) A LOT to try to feel better.

By the time Christmas day came, I was about ready to have the season over.

Maybe this might be a little extreme for you. Hear me out, though.

If you are overconsuming during the holiday season, it's a sign that there may be a lack of everyday joy.

Yes, I said EVERYDAY joy. 

If you're not feeling a little joy every day, we probably need to have a chat.

I learned a lot from my lackluster holidays of the past. Now, I am so thankful I learned those lessons because I LOVE feeling joy daily and helping others do the same.

Here are the top 5 key components that have created more joy in my life and in the lives of my clients. I pray you to focus on these areas so you don't have to turn to food and drinks for...

“You NEED to get to 145. This is getting ridiculous, Amanda.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that to myself. I thought I needed my “ideal” weight.

The reason I "needed" it so badly is because I thought I’d be set, I’d be happy once I got there.

So, my body is one thing I obsessed about for years, believing I could change it but feeling out of control when I tried. It left me frustrated, embarrassed, and desperate.  The exact opposite of what I really wanted.

Not something I look back on lovingly, to say the least.

If you feel like you HAVE to lose weight to be “happier”, enjoy life more, or be satisfied, then this is the lie Satan is using to keep you stuck and overweight.

How does this lie keep you stuck?

Well, one, it hurts your relationships with God.

When we think something outside of God, something in the world will “complete us,” we set ourselves up for heartache....