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Last week, we did Day 1 and Day 2 of Barb Ravelings Weight Loss Bible Study. If you haven’t yet done that material–no problem. Go at the pace that works for you. Just keep moving forward!
I shared last week that we have to be willing to renew our minds–to think differently, if we are going to act differently for the rest of our days. This will ensure that the transformation we experience is lasting. We made a “renewing of the mind” goal, in fact. How is that going for you? I would love to hear.
I wanted to share some thoughts that I have as I look over my notes from doing Day 2 of Barb’s study. Because I am colossally lazy :-), I will do that in video…
Thoughts on Day 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEU_XohAz78?rel=0&w=640&h=480
Here is a preview of what you will be studying this week. Beneath the video, I have posted your assignment for this week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKvWa7SUZAQ?rel=0This week:
- Continue with your Renewing Of Your Mind goal. You are proactively taking time to think God’s thoughts (that pass the Philippians 4:8 test) about whatever it is that you need to renew your mind about.
- Additionally, be alert and on your guard to any other thoughts that are NOT His thoughts about your body, size, eating, 0 to 5, boundaries and anything else pertinent to this journey. Take captive your thoughts so they don’t take YOU captive!
- Do Barb’s Day 3 study on “Justification Eating.” Be alert to any mention of “calories” and trade dieting terminology for something that is congruent with 0 to 5 and Thin Within.
- Make a list of lies that you tell yourself to justify eating outside of true physical hunger and true physical satisfaction.
- Complete Barb’s Day 4 study on “Indulgent Eating.“
- Did you take Barb’s challenge last week? To have three days of not eating outside of your boundaries? Why not take the challenge this week. Just three days of truly sticking with 0 to 5. See what happens!
Note: If you are struggling with thinking about food all the time, you have to choose to think about something else. You can’t just tell yourself to stop thinking about food! The best thing I have found to think about is what God says is my true portion…HIM. At my other blog, I have a boatload of resources that can help with that. I especially recommend establishing and adding to a God List and using that to have a Praise-Fest.
- Don’t forget to post here to the blog to support one another, ask questions, share your insights! Each time you do, you get entered in the drawing for a Thin Within book (donated by the Thin Within ministry), a Hunger Within book (donated by Arthur and Judy Halliday) or an hour of personal coaching with yours truly.
Thank You so much! I am getting so much out of this study,
you and Barb make a great team!!
Thanks, Nancy. I am being blessed by the material in Barb’s study, too! I just finished doing the Boundaries bible study and questions again…SUCH great stuff!
Comments on Day 1/Day2 Study last week… I really struggled for a few days refining my renewing of the mind goal. The result: “I want to think differently (THINK GOD’s TRUTH!) about how eating “0-5″ is the training ground for my current 5-year season.” The quick background is that I’ve had a major wake-up call that 5 years from now my daughter will graduate from high school AND my husband plans to retire. (talk about huge life changes to look forward to!) God’s made it super clear to me that He’s got bigger plans for my life than my just losing the same 10 lbs. over and over again. So, how perfect when I got to Day 2 and read such beautiful confirmations such as:
1 Timothy 4:7b urging me to “train myself” and Hebrews 12:11 reminding me that “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Being “in training” is clearly a theme for me! Looking forward to this week’s study.
Wow. Mary, I totally get that! It really IS a training, you know? We seem to think it will all be easy and done someday. It may not be. We may need to keep at it! I think it will get easier to keep at it. 🙂 But we will have to keep at it! LOL!
It isn’t a stretch for me to think of alcoholism with food addiction. I’ve been in NA for food addiction for three years now. Being in Thin Within has changed my concept of ‘clean’ big time. Now, it’s the boundaries of 0-5 so I don’t go outside those boundaries or I have to take a white chip and start all over. In the three years I’ve been in NA, God has changed my concept of clean several times. Before this I had gotten my diet from Kay Shepard, the most restrictive of the Food Addicts Anonymous food plans. But until God dealt with a 40 year stronghold I couldn’t do Thin Within. Two weeks ago He removed it after He showed it to me and I repented. I can’t tell you what a difference that has made, especially since I have been trying to make TW work since 2001.
So, I am VERY glad to be here and not doing this journey alone.
And I am SO thankful to have you with us, Joan!!!
I have been so encouraged by this study so far. I am seeing the importance of renewing my mind so important in EVERY are of my life, not just with eating, but like even with potty training! Ha! For me, it’s like having a mental preparedness for what’s ahead. I guess that’s what we call being “proactive”. Last week I stopped tracking points and really just focused on eating between 0-5. I have had SO much peace! I also wanted to share that instead of spending my evenings researching about food/health/nutrition (which I was very unbalanced about), now I am reading other things and spending time with my husband. I felt like I was stuck in a rut and needed help climbing out. God has picked me up and dusted me off. Praise God!
I had a similar obsession with health websites and newsletters. One can never eat healthy enough with them coaching. Such a great freedom being able to trust Him to lead us into the truth we need to live the way He wants us to live
Oh, Christina! I am thrilled to hear this! Thank you for sharing it. And I am so glad that Joan chimed in, too. It is wonderful that you are using some of that time to spend with your hubby. You are right, too…we can renew our minds about ANYTHING. EVERYTHING! LOL!
Heidi, I think you have the wrong link for day 3. 🙂
And day 4. Oops!
Oh my word. Thanks for telling me! Fixed now!
Thanks, Heidi!
In doing lesson 3, Justification Eating, I was forced to look at some truths. I break my boundaries because I don’t like my boundaries!! I don’t want boundareis! I don’t want to wait for hunger to eat and I don’t want to stop when I am full! I actually started asking God if I had picked the wrong boundaries. Maybe I needed to follow weight watchers, or better yet, some low carb plan so I could eat all day long. And then I read the scriputers in lesson 3 and it hit me. These are not MY boundaries, they are the boundaries that God instructed me to follow. I know this because
1) I have to give up my will and my sinful nature (greed) to adhere to these boundaries
2) I can’t do this by my own will power, I need God’s power
So,I have to trust that God knows what is best for me and the next time I go to break my boundaries, I will remind myself exactly who’s boundaries they really are.
Linda
Linda, I notice that when I don’t eat within the 0-5 boundaries that all of a sudden I feel this condemnation and then I feel like I should punish myself by going back to tracking points, eating low-carb, no sugar, etc. So I totally relate to what you are saying!
Wow, Christina. Great insight.
I don’t know if I said this already…I was planning on it…but WOW…GREAT insights, Linda! Thanks so much for posting. What you have said is so challenging to me…but so ENCOURAGING as I allow the Spirit of God to have His way!
I think this is why my renewing of the mind goal has to do specifically with LOVING 0 to 5 boundaries! I find it is beginning to work. I use Evernote so my list of why 0 to 5 boundaries are great, good, godly and DELIGHTFUL are synced to all my devices. 🙂
Yes, we GET to give up our will and our sinful tendencies…it is a wonderful way to have these general sinful attitudes exposed, isn’t it? I mean, God is so good to show me that this is how I am GENERALLY by showing me specifically in this area of my life! And also your second insight about how I can’t do this on my own with will power. I need to depend on Him. He is so kind and sweet to show me that I must depend on HIM in this challenge–just like any challenge I face!
Thanks so much for posting!
Well, once again I’m way behind! Seems to be the story of my life … I WAS going to just give up and wait for “the next time” – but I started reading this day’s blog and comments and it got me all inspired again! So I’m going to continue even though I’m still on week one! Last week I had to go to an out-of-town dr appt and then we went to see the Joyce Meyer conference which was all about GRACE! So that definitely fit with what we’re learning here!
Heidi, I did want to say that your idea of using EverNote was awesome! Don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that before! But you’re right! I have started using it for this study, and it’s wonderful to have it on my iPad and my Mac! So thank you!
I also wanted to say the videos are awesome! Please don’t call yourself lazy for doing a video instead of writing! I find I actually get way more out of the videos since I’m such a visual person!
So… Just recommitting to continuing NOW instead of later (procrastination is a huge issue for me!) – and letting you know I’m still here even though I’ve been quiet 🙂
Jacki
Jacki, you have been on my heart this morning. It is so great to see you here again! Thank you for checking in. Yes, go at YOUR pace. I am so glad that the idea of using Evernote (for those who don’t know what I am talking about, it is at my other blog http://heidibylsma.com/techie-tuesday-02/) has been helpful!
Thanks for your kind words about the videos here, too. LOL! I am SO glad you are hanging in there!
Hugs,
Heidi
just so you know, Heidi, I’ve tried a couple of times, a couple of ways, to leave a commnet, it’s not working. 🙁 But just had to email so you’d know, you comparing the eating out of 0-5 to an alcohlic having just one drink, WOW! That’s powerful!! And is helping me in my thinking. Thank you!!
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:04:31 +0000 To: simplydalena@hotmail.com
It worked THIS time, Dalena! Thanks for persevering! I appreciate it! Barb Raveling gets the credit for that comparison. The material in her bible study is really awesome! I hope you are enjoying the study! Thanks again, Dalena!
Loving 0 to 5 boundaries?? Wow, that is really something to think and pray about. Asking God to renew my mind so that I LOVE the boundaries he gave me. Huh…. Thanks!
“If you are struggling with thinking about food all the time, you have to choose to think about something else. You can’t just tell yourself to stop thinking about food!”
This is totally where I am at right now. It’s not necessarily about *food*, but about what approach I should take to eating (weight watchers and low-carb keeps haunting me). So I have to choose to think about something else. Easier said than done, but possible in Christ!
Years ago I really struggled with some fears. Like paralyzingly, afraid to walk outside my door kind of fears. After battling for some time, God showed me that He gave me a mind to use constructively, not DESTRUCTIVEly. And so I began to think about and do other things (like digital scrapbook). I just needed to give my attention to other things. Like my mind was bored and wandering too much.
I’m starting to see how I’m really obsessing over WHAT to do because I FEAR gaining weight by eating within 0-5 boundaries. I need to think about something else. I’m getting there. What I need to do is write down a scripture that I can whip out on arrival of those obsessive thoughts. The Word is my weapon!
Wow! God really just spoke to me in what I just wrote.