Getting the Correct Perspective Within a Right Relationship with God
First, I fasted for 48 hours. This was not for the purpose of weight loss initially. I was going through a tough time and I tend not to eat when I'm depressed, but I also needed to pray and get some things straight in my head and in my relationship with God. God showed me some things and among those was something about the concept of self-control. Self-control is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and as such we know two things: 1) it is given by God and 2) it is a key ingredient to every aspect of our lives. I believe that everyone, Christian or not, has been given some ability for self-control; however, those of us who have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus have access to an abundance of every good thing, including power over problem areas (such as our eating addictions). Self-control isn't the same as will power. It's recognizing a God-given ability to take control over and responsibility for your own actions and accessing that extra power God avails to us during those times we are weak. I learned during my fast that my lack of self-control was not only manifesting itself in my eating habits, but was also threatening other areas of my life. I decided that I was going to start calling the shots, not my stomach or my random, physical or emotional urges.
Find a Good Plan
Avoid anything that promises you'll lose an incredible amount of weight in a short period of time. It's not healthy for you and it's not likely to stay off. What you need to do is figure out what is a healthier lifestyle and adopt it. This is not just about losing weight; it's about taking control of your choices and making healthy choices. I chose Weight Watchers because it doesn't rule out any particular foods; it simply teaches you through a step-by-step plan what is healthy for your body type and lifestyle. Basically, it shows you what food intake your body needs to remain healthy and shows you how to eliminate that which isn't necessary. Also, you can follow the plan without signing up for the program. Go here to find out how many points you are alloted each day and here for the formula by which you can calculate the point value for any kind of food. And, you can find a list of all kinds of foods and their point values by clicking here.
Make It a Lifestyle, Not a Diet
Healthy eating shouldn't be a diet! It should be your lifestyle! Besides, losing weight is the most difficult part, but it doesn't last forever. Before you know it you'll be down to your ideal weight and then you'll need to just maintain it. This is a much easier place to be and you can eat a little more then--just don't let yourself slip back into old, unhealthy habits.
Identify the Lies
The first lie you'll notice is your stomach saying, "I'm hungry! You're starving me! Are you some kind of sadistic psychopath!? Don't you know that your body NEEDS food?! Without food I'm going to DIE! And if I go, you go, Buster!" Do not panic. Release the donut! Your stomach is lying to you. You will not die. You really aren't actually suffering. Jesus went for 40 days in the desert without food. You can go for a few hours between meals. Remember, you're not going without food; you're merely waiting a little longer between reasonable meals. There's a difference. There is another meal coming. There is always another meal coming.
Recognize the Addiction
If you are over weight and have ruled out medical problems as the cause, then you have a food addiction. No. You're not big-boned. Stop using that tired, old excuse. For one thing, our bones don't vary in size that much one person to the next. Secondly, they don't jiggle when we walk. It's fat, people! Fat! And fat is built up when we consume more energy than we expend: a.k.a. "overeating". So, what we have here is a classic food addiction. Admit it. It's going to be okay. G.I. Joe says, "Knowing is half the battle." He was right. And he looks pretty darn good in those fatigues.
Treat the Addiction
So, how do you treat an addiction? You starve it! With cocaine or heroine or porn you take away those things to which you are addicted--eliminating them completely from your life. It's tough at first, but it gets easier. The problem with a food addiction (like a shopping addiction) is that you can't eliminate it altogether. You do have to eat sometimes. However, you'll find that after a few weeks of eating smaller portions, your body will adjust accordingly. Your stomach, I'm told, literally shrinks over time to fit your eating habits. For me it took about 3 weeks to a month before I was feeling truly comfortable with the new portions, but it did happen--and I realized I had been eating WAY more than I needed. Finding healthy snacks that fit into the plan helps with the transition, and I've heard that eating more, smaller meals throughout the day is healthier. But don't be fooled! Don't just use that as an excuse to eat more often without drastically reducing the portions and remember that these have to be HEALTHY meals. (A bag of Cheetos isn't healthy meal.)
Make it Reasonable
I knew going in that there were some things I just wasn't willing to give up. I had come to the place where I was serious about changing my lifestyle and losing weight, but I knew that if I gave up dark chocolate I'd have to be put on suicide watch. So, I just calculated in those yummy, dark and delicious points into what I was alloted through Weight Watchers each day. You have to choose a plan that you know you will follow. If you're completely miserable on it, then it's not going to work.
Choose Your Food; Don't Let It Choose You
This is where self-control becomes essential. I stopped going into the fellowship hall during the cookie break at church because I knew there would be some delicious little calories in there begging for my attention. If you don't have a craving for something before it's presented to you, then don't eat it. Just make this a rule.
Conclusion
There are a lot of other good tips I could add, such as: set reasonable goals, consult a doctor, plan your menus in advance, get an accountability partner, etc. Those are all good ideas and there are more out there. The above is just what worked for me. I'm down to 135 lbs--my ideal weight and I've remained there for several months now. I feel more energetic, more beautiful and more confident. But in some ways I feel humbled. God showed me that without His help I tend to over-indulge. This is selfish behavior, really. It's a reflection of that terribly annoying sense of entitlement so many of us Americans have. We live in a land of plenty and we forget how precious the blessings we have been given really are, and we've forgotten the Giver. God wants us to enjoy the good things in life, but to also lived a balanced, healthy life in His strength. That's the life that brings glory to God.
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