Most of the time, I prefer to focus my eyes and my blog posts off of the scale. I believe the scale is, typically, not our friend. Many of us who may be walking free from dieting and counting calories or points, still struggle with obsession with thin and with weight.
I hope this post will bridge the gap a bit between obsession with numbers on the scale and the focus that really does make the difference in life, in eternity *and* in weight.
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This may sound totally cheesy! This may seem ridiculous, in fact, but I assert that:
Praising God can help further me toward my weight loss goals!
It isn’t any secret: I don’t believe in dieting. God removed 100 pounds from my body just by my finally (it took many years for me to “get it”) eating between the parameters of physical hunger and physical satisfaction. I am returning to basics again, as some of that weight has returned to my body. Some of it, as I have shared, may be due to hormonal fluctuations, but some of it is a result of my choices outside of godly parameters. I know God will show me what weight he intends for me to carry and what isn’t, but I will get there by praising Him and obeying Him. This I know. He doesn’t want me thin nearly so much as he wants me to be his. Sometimes, in an extreeeeeme effort to be thin, I keep my heart from him. What I write about here is also an antidote to that tendency!
It sounds simple to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are not. And it is simple.
But it is far from easy!
Why is that?
There is a well within me…and within you. A well that calls to be filled. It *demands* to be filled. It is a well, an empty open space that I believe Solomon refers to when he says “He has set eternity in the hearts of men” in Ecclesiastes 3:11.
We were made for eternity! That is why so much on this earth grates against us, why we long for beauty and peace! If we realize that these longings are satisfied with Him and go to Him to fill them, then we will stop misinterpreting them as something that is answered with a physical solution–like food. Often, we turn to food to quiet the hunger in our hearts that is really for heaven.
Conversely, we may be tempted to look to *diets* to quiet the same hunger for beauty, perfection, or success in our hearts. If reason that if we can only string together enough “good” diet days to lose weight and get thin, we think, somehow, that the ache in our hearts will subside.
As I have been slooooooowly developing a life of praise and gratitude–what I was born to do–there is a deep, abiding sense of satisfaction that has taken root… It is the “magic” solution for the emptiness I have often fed with food, in fact. The days when I don’t sense this satisfaction are the days when I have taken my eyes off of God and placed them on my circumstances. It is so obvious that there is a connection for me.
As I choose to focus on God’s amazing attributes and choose to give praise and thanks to him, there is a transformation going on in my heart *and* mind *and* body. I begin to think of *my* food, *my* body, *my* way, *my* will less and less. And food and body issues don’t seem to be such a struggle.
Here is how it works: My teenagers and I homeschool. We are together a lot. In my “hypothetical” situation, let’s say my kids start fighting. I don’t handle this very well (partly due to my own upbringing). I get agitated. (This happened yesterday. It was amazing how it just clicked on with the fighting that was happening in my home!) My natural inclination is to get irritated with God, “I don’t care what you want me to do right now. I want food. I like food. Food makes me happy and since you aren’t answering my prayers about peace in my family, I will do what I want!” (Can you hear how spoiled and “tantrum-y” this is?)
Truly, I tend to want food to comfort and numb me to the pain that emerges (partly from my past).
But, the way praising God helps is in these moments, I choose, instead, to say, “Lord, I thank you that you have given me two children who are precious to my heart. You are creative and king over all conflict and king of all peace. You are the precious shepherd who leads us beside the still waters. You delight over us with singing. You have given yourself so that we could live the abundant life and be free from having to sin. I am so thankful God that you have given me a new life in Christ…”
I cry to you, O LORD;I say, “You are my refuge,my portion in the land of the living.Psalm 142:5
Ok, if I am honest, it typically isn’t *that* easy either. Sometimes it is just a “You are God. You are my helper, so help me, please!”
Sometimes I pick up my guitar and sing “And I….I…I..I..I.. I’m desperate for you. And I…I….I…I..I.. I’m lost without you…” Truly…I have to choose to do this with an act of my will. But as I choose to focus on Him instead of the yuck happening in my face, something changes in me. As I do this, I am swept up in my heavenly calling…to worship God. My desire for food dissipates as I discover something that satisfies the ache that I have. It is a spiritual and emotional hunger that He alone can address.
I don’t end up grabbing for the food when I am not hungry.
How about today? Will I? Will you?…choose to praise the Lord when we aren’t hungry and exalt him for his greatness, his provision, his presence in our lives?
Thank you! No matter what my circumstances are I have reason to praise God for WHO HE IS. When I live this way I focus less on myself and more on Him, just like you said. Thanks for reminding me the truth of this in my own life.
Thank you! No matter what my circumstances are I have reason to praise God for WHO HE IS. When I live this way I focus less on myself and more on Him, just like you said. Thanks for reminding me the truth of this in my own life.
Thanks for this post, Heidi… It is gently taking me back to the basics…
Thanks for this post, Heidi… It is gently taking me back to the basics…
Oh Amen you two! AMEN! The basics are where we need to be to have our heads and hearts where they need to be. 247mama, you are so right! AMEN! Thanks, Ladies, for your comments today. 🙂
Oh Amen you two! AMEN! The basics are where we need to be to have our heads and hearts where they need to be. 247mama, you are so right! AMEN! Thanks, Ladies, for your comments today. 🙂
"Will you?…choose to praise the Lord when we aren't hungry and exalt him for his greatness, his provision, his presence in our lives?" I believe "choose" is the correct word. We sometimes have to choose to praise even when we don't feel like it. Don't we all wish we would get that warm gushy feeling every time we praised our God? I know I sometimes wonder what's wrong with me if I don't feel the emotional high when praising the Lord. I have to remind myself that sometimes, I will need to bring a sacrifice of praise. In doing that, I will often find the feelings following the sacrifice–not every time, but often enough to bless my life with joy unspeakable you can't take away.P.S. I received Ethel's book in the mail today. I can't wait to dig in! Thanks again!
"Will you?…choose to praise the Lord when we aren't hungry and exalt him for his greatness, his provision, his presence in our lives?" I believe "choose" is the correct word. We sometimes have to choose to praise even when we don't feel like it. Don't we all wish we would get that warm gushy feeling every time we praised our God? I know I sometimes wonder what's wrong with me if I don't feel the emotional high when praising the Lord. I have to remind myself that sometimes, I will need to bring a sacrifice of praise. In doing that, I will often find the feelings following the sacrifice–not every time, but often enough to bless my life with joy unspeakable you can't take away.P.S. I received Ethel's book in the mail today. I can't wait to dig in! Thanks again!
You mentioned doing another 10 week session….I would like you to! I have not been to your blog in a while because I gave up on ever "Getting it". I still don't know why I can't get it, but I would like to try again. Does it ever become less effortful?????
You mentioned doing another 10 week session….I would like you to! I have not been to your blog in a while because I gave up on ever "Getting it". I still don't know why I can't get it, but I would like to try again. Does it ever become less effortful?????
Jennywren, I am planning on it. Check out the blog tomorrow morning. I am announcing a new study starting in June! For those of us who struggle with knowing what we want to do and should do and we keep NOT doing it, I keep recommending the Hallidays' other book…Get Thin Stay Thin (also published at Thin Again and Silent Hunger). It isn't a magic bullet or anything, but it really helps to understand that there are reasons behind our doing these things. We aren't nuts. You may want to give it a shot.Kim…so true! We have to CHOOSE even when we don't FEEL like it. FEELINGS don't define FACT, but if we choose to praise the Lord in the moment, it is amazing how much our feelings often follow. I am so glad to hear you got Ethel's book. I will be eager to hear how you like it and how God uses it to minister to you!
Jennywren, I am planning on it. Check out the blog tomorrow morning. I am announcing a new study starting in June! For those of us who struggle with knowing what we want to do and should do and we keep NOT doing it, I keep recommending the Hallidays' other book…Get Thin Stay Thin (also published at Thin Again and Silent Hunger). It isn't a magic bullet or anything, but it really helps to understand that there are reasons behind our doing these things. We aren't nuts. You may want to give it a shot.Kim…so true! We have to CHOOSE even when we don't FEEL like it. FEELINGS don't define FACT, but if we choose to praise the Lord in the moment, it is amazing how much our feelings often follow. I am so glad to hear you got Ethel's book. I will be eager to hear how you like it and how God uses it to minister to you!
Hello! I just discovered your blog through SparkPeople, and I'm your newest subscriber. I'm excited to read more! 🙂
Hello! I just discovered your blog through SparkPeople, and I'm your newest subscriber. I'm excited to read more! 🙂
Hi, Betherann! Welcome! I am so glad you were able to find this blog via a link on Sparkpeople! I hope that you find this a source of encouragement to you. Blessings on your journey. 🙂
Hi, Betherann! Welcome! I am so glad you were able to find this blog via a link on Sparkpeople! I hope that you find this a source of encouragement to you. Blessings on your journey. 🙂
Hi Heidi…it's me again. I decided to go back and read some of your earlier posts. I LOVE this one. I have often thought about the verse that talks about bringing a sacrifice of praise to God. Sometimes it can feel like a sacrifice. And yet, I have come to understand that that is just another one of our adversarie's lame attempts to get us to believe lies about God, about him and about ourselves, because Praise sets us free! I especially enjoyed this line "Often, we turn to food to quiet the hunger in our hearts that is really for heaven." That really caught me tonight as I struggled with wanting to eat when I didn't need to. I spent time trying to figure out what the problem was and I couldn't come up with anything specific. Then I read that line and it was like a light bulb went on. My heart is longing for Heaven and somehow in my human way of looking at things I thought that chocolate in my pantry would, for a moment, fill that longing…Thanks for helping me better understand this about myself.
Hi Heidi…it's me again. I decided to go back and read some of your earlier posts. I LOVE this one. I have often thought about the verse that talks about bringing a sacrifice of praise to God. Sometimes it can feel like a sacrifice. And yet, I have come to understand that that is just another one of our adversarie's lame attempts to get us to believe lies about God, about him and about ourselves, because Praise sets us free! I especially enjoyed this line "Often, we turn to food to quiet the hunger in our hearts that is really for heaven." That really caught me tonight as I struggled with wanting to eat when I didn't need to. I spent time trying to figure out what the problem was and I couldn't come up with anything specific. Then I read that line and it was like a light bulb went on. My heart is longing for Heaven and somehow in my human way of looking at things I thought that chocolate in my pantry would, for a moment, fill that longing…Thanks for helping me better understand this about myself.
Hi, Peggy. Thanks so much for posting a comment on this earlier post. It brought me back to some things that God definitely wanted me to see. Thank you for letting him use you that way. THANKs so much.
Hi, Peggy. Thanks so much for posting a comment on this earlier post. It brought me back to some things that God definitely wanted me to see. Thank you for letting him use you that way. THANKs so much.