When we have weight issues, thoughts of food can
consume us. Sometimes our craving for food gets the best of us, and in many
cases it has nothing to do with being hungry. Also, our fear of gaining
weight can cause us not to eat at all. Why do we over-eat? Is it stress; is
it emotional pain from the loss of a love one; is it excitement; is it
loneliness; or boredom. What reason do we tell ourselves why we need to eat
that pint of ice cream, that big bag of chips or that big candy bar? On the
flip side, what makes us afraid to eat? Here is what I know – We have to
take control of those thoughts and emotions that are not truth based. We
cannot allow food to control our mind and our behavior. Now is the time to
have an honest conversation about food, about weight, and about bringing our
mind under control. The Bible says in II Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ.” This scripture speaks against
allowing our emotions to control us. God wants us to have a healthy body
and mind. If we align our minds with the truth, our bodies will follow.
If we are struggling with our weight due to overeating or not eating enough,
it is time to make a concerted effort to change this behavior. The good
news is that it is never too late to change. The solution is three fold:
1) be honest; 2) understand what is triggering these unhealthy behaviors;
and 3) discover new ways of coping with our emotions.
Power
Source
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"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he
becomes."
-M.Gandhi
|
Be honest:
There are several things that we need to be honest about. We need to be
honest about the fact that obesity is unhealthy and in many cases shortens
our life span. It is well documented that it can result in high risks for
diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. It is important
that we honestly face these truths so we can get motivated to protect
ourselves from illness due to being overweight. Nobody wants to be sick.
This is an area that we can make a positive change. John 8:32 says, “And you
shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Facing the truth
about our weight and our health will give us a freedom to make some positive
changes in our lives.
What triggers our unhealthy eating habits?
We are emotional people and it is our unbalanced emotions that cause us to
overeat and/or avoid eating? When our emotions get the best of us, we turn
to food for comfort and relief; or turn away from food because we have an
unhealthy body image. Food does not cure anyone’s problems. It does not
satisfy our hurts, our worries, our fears or our anxieties. This is an
illusion. Remember, our emotions and our feelings will lie to us. We may
feel unloved, but the truth may be there are many people who love us. It is
never a good practice to react to our emotions; rather take a moment of
pause before we engage in unhealthy eating. If we know we are emotional
about food, we should make a conscious effort to seriously think about why
we are eating or not eating.
We
cannot be emotional when it comes to food. Food is meant to fuel the body,
not solve our emotional issues.
Discover new ways of coping with our emotions:
We have to think of other ways of coping with our emotions. What are some
activities or hobbies that we enjoy doing?
We should seek to connect with a support group that
helps us process our unbalanced thoughts. It is important to get our
emotions under control. If we are suffering from sadness or depression,
anxiety, or loneliness, we should seek professional help. These feelings
can be overwhelming and dangerous. A
healthy mind and body can be achieved by controlling those emotions that
lead to unhealthy eating habits.
In closing, let’s be
encouraged because we can be free from allowing ourselves to be controlled
by food and our emotions. This is not about dieting, but rather knowing the
truth about what is causing us to have unhealthy eating habits. This type
of behavior is causing us to have an unhealthy body. I Corinthians 6:19-20
says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” Are bodies
are temples that we should take care of. If we are emotional about food, we
must find other ways of coping with these emotions. We all want to be
healthy. We do not want to be slaves to our bodies or thoughts.
As we strive to live a healthier life, we should
seek help from
our doctors, our friends or other support outreaches. We can be free!
