Practical Step number 1: This is NOT a diet! I am not signing up for Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig or any other "program". I have nothing against any of those programs, and in fact have used Weight Watchers in the past and may again before all is said and done. But for me, right now, this is truly a spiritual issue! I must put God back on the throne of my heart where He instead of food belongs! When I'm stressed, I need to turn to Him, when I'm happy, I need to turn to Him, when I'm tired, I need to turn to Him - NOT food!
Before I say this next part, let me say it again: This is NOT a diet! But when you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you measure your success one day at a time by the number of days you are clean or sober. That is how you celebrate your victory. This is where food addiction gets tricky! I can't stop eating...well, I could, but I wouldn't last long! And this isn't about not eating! It's about putting food in its proper place....for nourishing my body, not my emotions. So how do we measure success and victory in overcoming a food addiction? When I've asked God this for myself (I won't say this is ALWAYS true and if you are battling food addiction would challenge you to ask God for yourself also), He clearly has given me the answer that when I'm not eating more than my body needs, I will lose weight. The extra weight is from the food I eat to feed my emotions and not my body.
I believe I experienced freedom from food when I was pregnant with Journey. It was amazing! Food did not have the hold on me it does now. I didn't think of eating every time I was overwhelmed or sad or angry or depressed. But somehow in the past 11 weeks, I've walked back into that prison cell, shut the door and hid the key! I know I was freed because I only gained 21 pounds during my pregnancy (as opposed to the 50 and 35 I gained with my other pregnancies), and I lost 30 pounds in three weeks after Journey's birth (as opposed to STILL carrying the baby weight from Both girls - for a total of 85 pounds of "baby weight"- who are now 11 and 5!) Can I tell you how good it felt to be 30 pounds lighter? Amazingly good! But over the past three weeks, the scale is creeping back up....that is a red flag in my life. And as I saw the pounds start to go back on, I analyzed my spiritual life. I started noticing that when I was overwhelmed, I opened the refrigerator or pantry and was looking for comfort. So for me the scale is what God has said I am to use as my "days clean" of addiction. It will be my pounds of victory! I don't have a magic number of pounds (although I will post soon about a goal). I just know that as I walk in victory in this area spiritually, my physical body will be transformed. I am a tangible person...I need a tangible thing to encourage me and to show me if I am successful or not. God has given me the pounds to do that in my freedom walk from food.
Practical Step Number 2: One thing that Beth Moore said on Saturday that was so encouraging was this: Can you do one day? Looking at losing a certain number of pounds, looking at overcoming an addiction just seems too overwhelming to even start. So I don't. But can you, can I, do just ONE day? Yes! I can do ONE day! I can make healthy choices and avoid stress eating for ONE day. I can put God first for ONE day! This is such a scriptural, "duh!" concept! Matthew 6:34 says it like this, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (NLT) Therefore practical step number 2 is: Just do it for TODAY!
Practical Step Number 3: Because this is not a diet, I'm not doing the programs for weight loss. But you better believe I better have a game plan! Weight Watchers and such have game plans for weight loss. Well, I have a game plan for freedom! The enemy doesn't want me to succeed at this! He is seeking to devour me. He comes that he might steal, kill and destroy. So you better believe without a game plan, I will fail.
Ephesians 6:13 says that we must "take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm." So step number 3 is put on the full armor of God! The thing about the armor is that there is only one offensive piece...the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. So let's take up our swords! Get sticky notes and put scriptures that you can use when temptation comes to read out loud or speak out loud if you have it memorized so that the enemy has no choice but to RUN! Here are the ones that I am going to write out TODAY and put on my pantry door! If you have scriptures that you are using, please share!! We will build our arsenal together! You're going down satan!
Romans 12:1 "Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (NASB)
Paslm 63:2,5 "I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory...I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods." (NIV)
Praying for all of you who have already posted here or on Facebook and shared that you are on this journey too! Never too late to join us!!!
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2 comments:
I feel really encouraged by your willingness and boldness to blog about this. I suffer from the same addiction. Food has a been too much of a priority in my life. I have recently started reading Made to Crave. It is so great! I am excited to be on this journey with you! You do have freedom and you are healed. I am excited to see you walk out in it.
Just what I have needed to hear on this day... I've been doing pretty good till today...and yes, during stress I go there... thanks I'll be putting up the word too.
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