This is on my mind alot lately as I am attempting to retrain my thinking about food. I like food. I'm a good eater - too good. Because of my eating habits for the last 20 years I am fighting my weight. Gluttony is an ugly word and even uglier in the mirror.
So what's a girl (an almost 40 year old girl) to do? There are innumerable diet plans to sign up to follow. In fact, I have been watching a good friend go through with one particular plan - she has to pay to weigh in weekly, she can't eat a 'normal' diet therefore has to have vitamin shots three times per week, and take several multi-vitamins, calcium, iron, and so on. She is losing weight significantly - 80 lbs. in 7 months. The successful loss of weight makes these diet plans look so enticing. However, I have never been someone to jump on any bandwagon. Let me share my process for examining this issue:
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Because this verse is my daily goal, I am actively seeking to glorify Him with my health! It isn't about being skinny. It's about recognizing that being thankful for my daily bread means not eating more than I need. Like the Isrealites and the manna God provided to them, but they were only to collect enough for each day - no more (Exodus 16:4 &5). That has been my first step - only eat when I'm hungry and only eat enough to satisfy the hunger.
My next step, if I'm seeking to glorify God, I have to question does a diet plan do that? My conclusion was 'no'. By combining foods, or omitting foods or taking supplements as replacements for food - any success falls to glorifying Dr. Atkins or Dr. Bernstein, etc., or me!
These diet plans may drop the weight, but they don't go toward building my self control, or to build my trust in the Lord, therefore they don't improve my health. So where do I find the answer?
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Proverbs 30:8&9
Since November I have lost 16 lbs. Not terribly dramatic, but success none the less for me and with another 24lbs to meet my personal goal. I am already pleased, and I'm thankful, and I'm encouraged because of the Lord's guidance. And when someone asks me how I'm doing it, I can give the glory to God - all of it!
...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11b
3 comments:
I really enjoyed reading this post. Thank you for sharing-it was a great encouragement to me and also convicting as well. Holly
Thank you for this post. I am with you on this one !! I am learning to eat as healthy as I can and then self control with exercise it what God has shown me. I know God gave food as a gift and we need to treat it with respect.
Sending you Blessings and ((HUGS)) my SSiC
In Him<><
-Mary
This one is very thought provoking! I've always disliked diet plans because they tend to just lead to temporary weight loss. Once you lose the thrill and interest, you miss your favorite foods, go back to your old lifestyle, and put it all back on plus some. This post ads a spiritual element as well.
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