(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
I maybe would have never thought of that verse in connection to health, or, more specifically, to healthy weight loss, except a friend loaned me the book "Weigh Down Diet" by Gwen Shamblin. I've struggled with my weight ever since I can remember, and after having children that magnified and multiplied till I thought I'd end up my husband's worst nightmare instead of a blessing! I gained 35 pounds from our wedding (when I was the weight I've wanted to be all my life!) until I got pregnant with our first, and then gained ten more while nursing him, then gained another 12 while nursing our second. Now I know you're supposed to lose weight while nursing, but I just didn't! After our third, as I started gaining again (though I weighed less immediately after the birth than I did when I got pregnant!!!) a friend loaned me the book I mentioned above. In the next 4 months I lost 22 pounds, back down to my first pre-pregnancy weight! And I'm staying there. Now, with the holidays coming on and the focus on really special, rich food--and LOTS of it!--I'm finding I need to be reminded again:
We must eat to live, not live to eat.
Which means, eat only when you're hungry, and only until you're full. The Weigh Down Diet in a nutshell. Which I have been fudging on, which is why I'm sure I haven't lost even more weight. You see, if we eat to live, if our appetite is not the focus of our lives, that's all we would eat. That cuts out an awful lot of food--at least for me! I was totally amazed when I started at how little food it actually took to live off of. I have self-diagnosed hypoglycemia, and I'm nursing, yet I could eat only a fraction of what had seemed sufficient before and thrive. I listened to my body a whole lot more, and the signals it gave me were amazing once I got it figured out--which took a little time. I mean, how do you tell when you're seriously hungry, and when you're just wanting to eat? You just feel hungry, right? Well, it's a bit of a different hunger, and you can figure it out after a few days. Once I read "Weigh Down Diet" somehow it was much easier to understand.
But one thing that totally makes sense is that most Americans are in love with food. And I really struggle with that too. It just tastes SOOO good and you want to keep eating because your tongue wants more and more of that stimulating flavor/texture, etc. Plus with being a full-time homemaker, so much of my day revolves around food. From when I get up and fix breakfast to when I go to bed with plans for tomorrow's meals bouncing around in my head, I feel like I'm doing stuff with food more than not. My excuse. But not a very good one!
What if my life revolved around something else besides food? What if what I eat really doesn't make that much difference to my tongue? Well, shouldn't it? Case in point: When I got engaged 7 wonderful years ago, my life was wrapped up in this wonderful young man who was to become my husband. I was busy planning a wedding, and getting to know this intriguing, handsome figure who had rather suddenly entered my life. Did I really care too much what I ate? Was food the focus of my day? No way! And to prove it, I lost 20 pounds from the weight I'd worked to maintain from my high school graduation, without once even thinking about wanting to, or about dieting. I simply ate when I was hungry, and quit as soon as I was getting full--I didn't have time or energy to waste eating!
So how does that help today? Well, who is my God? My belly, or the Lord Jesus Christ, my heavenly Bridegroom, who is jealous over my wholehearted love? Oh, to love Him more! He gives strength to overcome that temptation to eat "just one more" bite. He helps me discern when it's real hunger or just wanting to eat hunger. He loves when I come to Him with my negative emotions and problems instead of just eating them away. He is helping to give me new habits. And all because He wants to be my Everything, my All-in-all--He doesn't want to share my affections with the monster called food! Oh, He knows we need to eat, for He made us, but He wants our love and focus to be on HIM as we get up and fix breakfast or wonder what to put on the menu for supper.
Guess this might be a bit of a funny post for a health blog, but how many things have we seen that point to the benefits of not being overweight? Come, let's focus on Jesus and let food take it's proper place!
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