I’m having a ‘light bulb’ moment. Or maybe I am just having a moment, but I thought I saw a flicker of light. Either way, bear with me while I try to think this one through.
Doing What I Love
As an adult, in my spare time I can pretty much do whatever I want to do. I have the freedom to pursue the things that bring me the most joy. You don’t have to beg, threaten, bribe or reward me to do what I like to do. I just do it.
Take reading for instance. You will never have to twist my arm to make me read. You don’t need to teach me why it is important, send me to remedial classes or hang post-it notes all over the house to make sure I don’t forget.
I love to read, and I read at every available opportunity.
When given the chance, we all do what we love to do. It comes easily, naturally and joyfully. It’s our default mode.
When Love is Lacking
I don’t love to diet. No surprise there. And because I don’t like to diet, I have to work consciously and continually so I’ll remember to do what I said I was going to do.
Unfortunately, when the stresses of life hit, I reset to my default mode, which is junk food every time. Why? Because I love it.
Insight Ahead
Okay – I think the light bulb is getting brighter. If I want to eat healthy all the time, even during times of stress or fear, I need to do more than tweak my behavior and put some safeguards in place.
I will need a changed heart. Somehow, I will need to embrace healthy living with the same zest that I adore reading.
But, how can I change what I love?
Lord, Change My Heart
I will need to be captivated by the beauty and value of sacrificing what I naturally want – junk food – and begin to see battle to eat healthy food as something so glorious that my heart’s affections begin to shift.
Where is the beauty in having a lifelong struggle with food? What is the song that I can sing to my heart to help it fall in love with living in utter dependence upon God?
Benefits of Battle
Here are just a few of the benefits that I want to embrace.
A lifelong struggle to eat right helps me…
- know God better
- develop a tender heart and sensitive spirit
- learn wisdom
- increase my capacity to tell myself ‘no’
- demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, mainly self-control
- be more compassionate with others in their struggles
- yearn to embrace my true identity in Christ
- demonstrate obedience for sheer love of God
- take care of my body which is the temple of God
- remember that He loves me and thinks I am worth having the best
- feel His power over my entrenched habits
- live in integrity - doing what I say is important
- realize that I want Him more than anything
- pray more
- learn to be thankful for the food I have and not covet the food that I can’t
- want to live a life of no regrets
- develop discipline
- live by the Spirit
- learn perseverance
- walk in humility
- enter into the abundant life He has for me
Jump Right In
To increase accountability and encourage others PLEASE take a minute to comment below: introduce yourself, share your successes or struggles, add your food list or simply say ‘hi.’
The journey to change will be more successful if you walk it with others.
What reasons motivate your desire to eat healthier?
What plan are you going to use for the journey ahead?
What does having this struggle bring to you?
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Kim, I loooooove your list! You’ve inspired me to create my own.
This sentence you said also really resonated with me: “Where is the beauty in having a lifelong struggle with food? ”
That’s key I think, to this whole thing. The author says again and again that this journey has to be about more than a smaller pants size. In fact, it was this statement that made me have my own lightbulb moment when I first heard the author in a radio interview and learned about this book. I’d been wondering what was missing from my plan. I wanted to lose weight, but somehow in the “heat of the moment” the cookies, brownies and candy always won out. “Oh, I’ll never be successful anyway,” or “I can’t live my whole life without these treats!” were my responses, even after pouring my heart out to God earlier that morning, begging him to help me get some self-control and finally be able to wear shorts and not feel ashamed!
It’s the realization that it HAS TO BE ABOUT MORE. My weight is about more than overeating-it’s about using food to self-medicate. And the solution has to be about more than denying myself treats-it has to be about filling myself with better things. Better food and a better relationship with God.
I’m off to create my own list now…thanks for the example!
Powerfully said, Joyous. Thanks!!!
And let us know what’s on your list. I’d love to see it.
I am printing and posting your Benefits of Battle list - and dating the ones I have noticed and will notice!
God is showing us all ways to rely on Him.
I am also slowing down with reading the book - only because I am finding little bits in the book each day along with the scripture and want to digest them and pray about them. The impact is the biggest I’ve ever experienced. What a feeling God is giving me!
Hi Katey - Good for you for going at your own pace and taking the time to savor each chapter.
I am so thankful to hear that this is already having an impact on your life. God is so good!!!
It takes about 21 days to create a habit in your life and about 42 days to make that habit a natural behavior. So, why not find something - program or project - that you can do for that amount of time that will “reset” your natural behavior?
Several weeks ago I was blessed to try out a green smoothie detox that took 21 days - unfortunately a few trees fell on my house shortly there after. But even in those few short weeks I could tell a HUGE difference in my preferences and my go to eating habits.
Katey, I applaud you for taking the time you need. This is my third time reading the book and I’m still learning new things and hearing God speak to me-maybe more now that I’m “open” to Him and not just thinking, “Ugh, I could NEVER do that. Or that. Or that!” I love what you said, “The impact is the biggest I’ve ever experienced. What a feeling God is giving me!” That’s powerful!
Kathryn, a green smoothie detox sounds very interesting. It wasn’t through an online blog called “Happy Foody” was it? Can you tell us more? And I appreciated the reminder about how long it takes to reset/create new habits.
I appreciate the reminder about creating new habits and just wish it didn’t take so long! But I’m hanging in there.
I, too, am reading slowly - reading the chapter on Monday and re-reading on Tuesday and taking the time to write out my answers to the questions, not just thinking about them.
All of you are very encouraging!
And wanted to share this link sent to me by another friend. I know issues surrounding food and weight can turn us into legalistic maniacs but if you’re interested or your approach is calorie counting, this might be helpful.
http://www.freedieting.com
There’s a place you can determine the number of approximate calories per day to eat for weight loss or maintenance too. My friend has lost about 70 pounds in 16 months and she writes down EVERYTHING she eats and says this has made a big difference for her. So thought I would share the idea.
Now, if this friend would just bring God into all her life-changing pursuits it would be awesome…so if you think of Michelle - pray for her!
http://www.loseit.com is another website to track all your food and exercise. When you set up your account you program in how much weight you want to lose per week, and it shows you your calorie limit for the day. My trainer then gets me daily food list so I have accountability. It has made me aware of what I eat rather than trying to stay in denial.
Hi Lane,
I just checked out the Loseit.com site. Very cool. And free, too. I love all the wonderful resources available to us on the internet.
Thanks for passing this one along!
Kim
Due to the seriousness of my weight loss needs (200 pounds!!!) I have been making major periphrial changes in my life that have brought more peace (Increasing my personal integrity, setting healthy personal boundaries with others, letting go of over-responsibility, more quiet time in prayer, adding a joy-filled activity to my daily routine and taking steps toward a dream). I had been “stuffing” the real me down in order to live for everyone else…. because I had always thought Jesus girls don’t get angry and were supposed to people please. What I didn’t realize was that the more I did NOT deny the true ME God wants me to be, the less I need the “self-medicating” sugar and simple carbs. It is becoming a more and more powerfully spiritual process as I see the red flags of wanting to “numb” with food…..I stop and ask myself what do I truly want deep down below the superficial wants?
It may be:
A needed conversation with someone,
Processing a fear-based “gremlin thought,
Saying “NO” to a request,
Refueling with something joyful,
Asking for help with something (instead of
feeling like I need to do it all),
Or just a much needed nap!
I seek to embrace the real ME God wants me to see and leave the sugar BE! ha!
So far, I have lost 9 pounds this week. Whew-hew!
Hi Montana Kim,
Wow - what powerful insights God is giving you. What you said about ‘stuffing’ the real you to please others leading to pleasing yourself with food makes so much sense.
And I love the list of potential items that may need to be addressed instead of eating. I’ve found that receiving criticism is also something that ‘makes me hungry for food,’ when I could be taking it to God. The awareness of what is going on with all those things shines a bright light on Satan’s underhanded lies and tactics. Thank you.
And congratulations on the 9 pound weight loss this week. Whew-hew, (is that a Montana expression :)) indeed!
Hi All,
I have heard of another great resource from one of you and I’d love to pass it on.
It’s called Daily Challenge and what they do is send one challenge a day to your email box re: something that will improve your health or fitness. For example, yesterday’s challenge was to eat a red vegetable or fruit.
It’s also has a social networking component so that you can connect with friends so you can receive some friendly encouragement as well.
The website is: https://challenge.meyouhealth.com.
Have fun exploring!
My brain twists in a knot at that question-where is the beauty in having a lifelong struggle with food?! I cannot wrap my mind around that question. I had a 90 y.o. grandmother I adored, and watched struggle with obesity all her life. She was a widow, she ate her feelings. She suffered terribly in her life from her food addiction. She loved her food, but it was about the only thing she really had in her life-sad indeed. So what is beautiful about having this struggle? Hopefully for me it will be in overcoming, finding peace and purpose in things that are truely life giving and not junk foods that steal life…literally from our bodies! It pushes me to the source of life-our God.
Robin - you have truly managed to capture the beauty in our struggle with food when you said, “It pushes me to the source of life - our God.”
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Thanks for sharing.
All I can say is, “Awesome!” in regards to the Benefits of the Battle. Some I have achieved. Some I am working on. Some require a life long journey (like I can never be close enough to God, I just keep getting closer). Other’s seem but a small (thankfully) distance away.
Thanks Kim!
Glad to see that you are sticking with the program. Kudos!!
I love your list, Kim, & will undoubted use it as the inspiration for my own list. I’m going to check out ioseit.com too. I think I’m going to keep re-reading the book as I go along to help me keep the main thing (getting closer to God) the main thing.
I hope you come back and share any additions to the list. I’d love to read them.