Caryl McAdoo -- "Fluffy be Gone"

Fluffy be Gone  

By Caryl McAdoo

No Fluffy isn’t my cat or pet bunny. It’s what I’ve been since in my teens with a few brief respites. Praise the Lord that my sweetheart said he prefers fluffy. I weighed one hundred sixty pounds at sixteen when we met and gained twenty by the time we married two years later. All my life—up to a point about thirty years ago—I’ve fought this fluffy stuff.

Back in the 80s, in my thirties, I gave up the fight.  Got with my Father and made some changes, wanting to accept me and like me just the way He made me. I can’t imagine why I ever thought I could improve on His creation and plan for His daughter.

I quit cutting, curling, and coloring my hair. No more make-up for me either—ever. I also told Him I was done dieting. That I would be obedient and if Holy Spirit said, “Don’t eat that” I wouldn’t. And so, we rocked along happy together. He continued to bless me. My hair grew longer which my husband loved.

For a while, several years, I did alright. We got the grandsugar boys (took in four in 2002, ages 6, 4, 3, and newborn) and inherited twelve quarter horses. Both additions put more exercise into my life. But then, when we got all the little fellers in school and I started sitting at the computer all day writing…my weight went up.

And up and up.

One time that I spoke with Abba about it, I said, “But I hardly eat anything fattening. This isn’t fair.”

Holy Spirit came back at me. I love God’s sense of humor. He asked, “But what do you drink?” Huh? My sweet tea? So I fasted that summer, nothing but water and lost a little more.

Then in July of last year, my brother-in-law visited and had lost fifteen or twenty pounds. He shared a high protein/low carb/no sugar weight loss program with Ron and I and offered to help us get started if we’d commit. It was about a thousand a month for both of us. But we committed and got started, believing God was in it.

The weight literally fell off. And we were eating so much more healthy. To hike the results, I started drinking Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) water too…no more sugar sweetened tea…I use stevia. Four cups of vegetables a day (plus some) eight ounces of protein plus other protein in shakes, bars, and even pancakes!

Thanks to Walden Farms’ sugarfree syrup and other products, I’ve never felt deprived, and certainly not starved. As of this date, I’m seventy pounds lighter, and I know that I’ll never ever weigh two hundred and fifty-seven pounds again. It’s helped so much with pains and energy and stamina.

As in all things I do, I give God the glory…for bringing the high protein/low carb/no sugar model into our lives, then showing us a less expensive way to keep going using the same protocol. He has led me every step of the way, and told me what not to put in my mouth. I turn sixty-six in less than a month and still plan to lose about thirty more pounds—at least.

It has been a lifelong issue, and with God’s help, I have been able to overcome it. He’s strengthened me on days I was weak and encouraged me to keep going when I’d get stuck on plateaus…I’m on one now, but still committed. I have no doubt that I’ll reach my goal of losing one hundred pounds.

And my most precious prince of a husband lost over fifty pounds, too—much more healthy on our hearts and everything. Extra weight can be so detrimental to our wellbeing. I would never ever want to make anyone feel bad about extra weight. I rejoice when friends post they’ve lost weight, and am thankful to God for helping me join their ranks!  

Giveaway: I'm giving away a paperback copy of Sins of the Mothers, one of Caryl's many wonderful books.