By Janet K Brown, author of Divine Dining
To me, DIET is a four-letter word. My mother started me on my first one at age fourteen. Through the years, all the experts and my mom urged me to be strong and use willpower to control my food. In truth, permanent weight loss comes from giving up and admitting powerlessness.
Willpower drives us to eat more and more. When we feel we can’t control much in our lives, we cling to the notion that no one can tell us how to eat. No one can. We are the captain of our ship. We hold the fork. We make the decisions, but where there’s our will, there’s a weight to our efforts.
USING WILLPOWER TO CONTROL EATING IS LIKE POURING GAS ON A FIRE
I succeeded with many diets through my strong will, but then my will drove me to regain the weight. I once lost one hundred seven pounds, bought the diet franchise, and ran it for three years until I regained my weight and was forced by the mother company to close. I reached lifetime status with Weight Watchers but didn’t continue the meetings or the way of life. Whatever diet I tried, I longed to get back to eating “normally.”
When I finally kneeled before God and said, “Lord, I’m powerless over food. I can’t do this anymore. If you don’t change me, I will one day weigh five hundred pounds.”
At that time, I weighed two hundred fifty pounds.
One day at a time, I saw miracles.
Several times, I drove toward work intending to stop for doughnuts, only to arrive at work, having forgotten them. Believe me, that was God. I’ve entered a store planning on buying a package of candy. God would bring a friend into my path, and I would check out without my treat. One step at a time, He took control.
One week at a time, pounds began to drop.
Two years after that first prayer, I realized God had even stopped me from biting my fingernails. When God heals, He does it completely.
Remember Jesus, in human form, prayed, "Not my will, but Thine be done."
HOW TO BE STRONGER THAN YOUR DIET WILLPOWER
To become stronger than our willpower, we must disregard the devil's lies.
Satan seeks our destruction. When we say aloud, "I'm fat. I'll always be fat," he jumps on those words and magnifies them in our thinking. He defeats us through our mindset.
HOW YOU CAN BE STRONGER: Apply truth to your self talk.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me.
We might say to ourselves. “I’ve worked hard. I deserve something sweet.”
Apply truth: We don’t deserve anything but death. Jesus took our place on the cross.
We might say, “I’ve never kept off the weight, and I never will.”
Apply truth: This could be your time. It happened for me. It could happen for you.
TO BE STRONGER THAN YOUR WILLPOWER, PUT YOUR EMPHASIS ON DRAWING CLOSER TO GOD
Count me in as a yo-yo dieter. A lady in my weight controllers class told me she'd tried every weight loss plan known to man. Why do we do that? When we lose weight but then go back to "normal" eating, we gain again. Common reasoning tells us to join a group, research the latest fad, or seek out the new diet plan.
HOW YOU CAN BE STRONGER: When you're faltering, start reading your Bible and inspirational books. We must have the power of God.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Anytime, we find ourselves returning to the old mindsets, draw nigh and seek the mind of God. Healthy eating for a compulsive overeater or food addict is directly contingent on his/her spiritual condition.
BECOME STRONGER THAN YOUR WILLPOWER – LOSE WEIGHT BY SEEKING BALANCE NOT RIGIDITY
Years of study in nutrition and weight loss drives us to find an eating program and follow it exactly. We fear that if we eat anything not on our list, we ruin it all and can't lose. We think we must exercise each day for thirty minutes, or we’ll regain our weight.
God is the author of freedom. To please God takes faith, not obsession in either overeating or dieting.
HOW YOU CAN BE STRONGER: Seek a balanced life, not overdoing activity, or obsessing over every bite eaten or not eaten.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
When we surrender our eating to Christ, we will choose to change our way of cooking. I love shrimp but always ate it breaded and fried. Don’t be afraid to try new seasonings. Cooking can be exciting again.
So, let’s get this going. Here are a couple of recipes that I love. They are simple and healthy.
INGERDIENTS:
1 pound deveined shrimp
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons sesame oil
McCormick Perfect Pinch, salt-free Southwest seasoning
PREPARATION:
Spray skillet.
Heat oil
Add shrimp.
Sprinkle with seasoning.
Cook until shrimp is pink.
Another healthy spice that can be tried is Mrs. Dash, salt-free southwest chipotle seasoning, or try a different flavor altogether.
This recipe serves up a stronger option by including healthy oil and salt-free seasoning, and it’s delicious.
It is one of America’s favorite comfort foods. This macaroni and cheese dish is a stronger recipe that is great tasting.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups uncooked macaroni which shrinks to about 1 cup when cooked.
2 oz. fat free cheddar cheese
Smart Squeeze butter spread
2 T fat free or 2% fat milk
5 oz. fresh or frozen broccoli
PREPARATION:
In a sauce pan, cover uncooked macaroni. Cook until tender.
Steam broccoli in covered microwavable dish
Drain water from pasta.
Toss pasta with cheese, butter spread, and milk.
Put pasta in microwave to melt cheese and warm milk about 30 seconds on high.
Toss pasta mixture with broccoli.
This side dish will go well with your shrimp or most any entrée, or even as the main dish.
The recipe is stronger than most macaroni and cheese dishes because of reducing your fat in the milk and cheese and adding more needed vegetables for fiber and nutrition.
As you can see, you travel a stronger path to weight loss by not following your willpower but by making God your king, not just your Savior.
Success in weight loss and weight maintenance comes from
1. Facing your powerlessness over food.
2. Keeping communication lines open with Christ.
3. Surrendering to God's will, not yours.
4. Standing back up, when you've been knocked down.
Where there’s a will, there’s a weight. Be stronger than you diet willpower. Put God in control. This article appears in the June/July 2016 issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine.
Faith & Fitness Magazine is a non-profit Christian ministry providing content like this for free since 2003.
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