Have You Thought about It?

Most women have looked in the mirror…

and been less than thrilled with the weight of the image looking back at them. Although I will discuss some, not all, of the most common pitfalls women make in weight loss, be easy and gentle with yourself. A kind heart is more beautiful than any overly thin supermodel. Beauty fades, and making it your focus is vain. The focus is to be healthy, a healthy weight so that you can do what you are called to do.

I have the utmost respect for a pastor I met who could not go to a house to do a Bible study because he was too heavy to climb the stairs to their home. It flipped a switch in him, and he knew his weight was stopping him from doing what God commanded him to do. He began an exercise program and diet that day. He lost over 100 pounds. What a good example he set for his church, friends and family! I also think his perspective was correct. It was not for vanity. It was to be useful.

The major error women make is mentally with food. I have a unique perspective on this, as I am able to have conversations with women, multiple times a day…many days a week. Over time, I have noticed a typical pattern that is not successful. It involves a major component. Food is seen as the culprit rather than a medium.

First, thinking wrongly about what we eat, can doom us before we start.

Often, we have emotional ties to our food. If we don’t get a treat, we feel unloved or under appreciated. Or food reminds us of happier times, or is used to fulfill our emotional needs. There IS pleasure in food. Enjoy it, but don’t pervert it. It is imperative that you recognize what you do. I can personally tell you that I have wept over want of pasta (Atkins :-)). Set yourself up to succeed. If you feel content only when you have carbohydrates, look for alternatives and make sure you eat often enough so you don’t have to battle hunger and your emotions. Be truthful with yourself (Phil 4:8) and be aware of your emotional, non-thoughtful eating. Set yourself up to succeed.

Secondly, we treat food like an alcoholic treats alcohol.

We avoid it and binge. This is wrong on so many levels. The avoidance of food is self-destruction disguised as will-power. Will-power is found in moderation, not starvation. Ladies, time and time again, skip meals. Right there they have messed up their insulin levels which causes the body to store calories, not burn them. Then, let’s mention that insulin has impact on our female hormones, our thyroid hormones, our adrenal hormones…hormonal systems have huge effects. Smaller, frequent meals are better for us on multiple levels, but in the mere fact that they balance insulin, they are invaluable. (If you are trying to drop weight, you can only succeed if your insulin is balanced.) Make sure your food is nutritionally dense enough to nourish you. Immense satisfaction can occur if you eat food that nourishes you.

Now, I am not negating the importance of food, but way too often it is seen as the magic bullet that solves all our health and weight issues. It is A component, not THE only component. Remember that health, not thinness, is the goal. Thin and weak are nothing to strive for; as life can be hard, be strong.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. – Proverbs 31:17

Now I am not saying you have to lift weights, but you could 🙂 ( and yes, I AM IMPLYING that you need to exercise). Put healthy and strong in your head, not thinness; that is no indication of health, or even godliness.

Now you organized ladies will enjoy this…plan ahead. Have snacks thought out and prepared. Plan your meals and even be ready for those days you don’t have the energy to do it all right. Maybe freezer-ready snacks and meals are something you could do. I do that. I also find I don’t eat wrong things when they are not in my house. Romans 13:14 commands us to make no provision for the flesh. Be ruthless and get the junk out of your house.

Have you noticed a pattern? More failure is seen in diets because of the “head games” played, than the actual component of calories in versus calories out. Take food, even your “not eating food,” off the throne. Isaiah said that butter and honey shall he eat. Food is filling, fulfilling and pleasurable. It should not BE our all consuming fulfillment and pleasure.

If your only goal is losing weight, you will not succeed. Weight loss is an empty goal. Aim higher than that. What do you want to do? What are you called to do? And as I have said before, charge at your goals. Lukewarm, half-baked effort is not going to do it. One huge help is to find what you enjoy, whether it be food, exercise, health care…it’s only hard if you are not having fun. It’s a mindset.. set your mind. Be steadfast. (Sound like a character trait we should develop?)

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. – Colossians 3:23