That last couple months have been a struggle for me regarding eating. It seems I’ve been doing a little more emotional eating than usual. I don’t like it one bit.
Photo Credit: greg westfall. via Compfight cc
Honestly, my weight has been fluctuating, and so have my hormones. One minute I’m crying, the next I seem to have a bowl of ice cream in my hand. Vanilla ice cream at that, and I don’t even like vanilla. If it ain’t got chocolate in it, I ain’t eatin’ it. Yet, I’ve found myself doing just that.
There have been a few people shocked to learn that I still have struggles. Since I lost 145 lbs. almost four years ago, they just assume everything is great and I don’t run into roadblocks. Afterall, I even wrote an ebook about it. Oh how I wish!
We need to be real about our struggles. (Tweet that)
That’s just what I’m going to do with you. Be real. I hope you wouldn’t expect anything less. The last thing I want to do is provide false hope for those of you fighting the health battle and convince you that once you hit your goal weight the job is done and now you sit back and relish in your victory.
It’s hard. There are days it’s really hard. Recognizing the struggle though is what keeps me going. I’ve been under more stress lately than usual, and with stress comes emotions. Unfortunately, there have been times I’ve turned to food instead of turning my fears, failures, and other circumstances over to God. I’m so thankful for his never-ending grace for me.
Because I recognize there are still some struggles happening in my life regarding emotions and food, I’ve taken some steps and implemented some things to get back on the right path. I wanted to share those with you today.
The Faithfully Fit Devotional
This is a 40-day devotional plan written to help end the yo-yo lifestyle of chronic dieting. Though I don’t use the word diet, I wanted to give this devotional a try because I watched the transformation in my friend as she went through it.
It’s a really great book. You can do it on your own, or with a friend. I highly recommend doing it with someone else. There are daily actions to take, whether journaling, memorizing scripture, planning exercise, and more. There is also a daily prayer that goes along with the devotion.
Praying Before Each Meal and Snack
“What? You don’t already do that?” you may be asking. Honestly, no. I usually pray with people when we sit down for a meal, but other than that, I don’t. But I wanted to turn food into an opportunity to praise God and thank Him for allowing me to put great things into my body. I’m trying to implement this habit into praying before snacks as well.
This habit is very new. So new, in fact, that I almost didn’t share it with you because I haven’t quite made it a regular habit yet. (How’s that for honesty?) Here’s what I’m learning: If I pray before putting anything in my mouth, how conscious will I be of what I’m actually eating? I can’t sit down to a bowl of ice cream, ask God to bless it to the nourishing of my body, then expect Him to really do it, can I? No.. there’s nothing nourishing about it.
Now, does that mean we should never eat ice cream? No, that’s not what I’m saying. We do, however, need to make sure we’re eating for the right reasons. Is it to enjoy a great tasting dessert or is it to drown out some emotions we don’t want to deal with? There’s a big difference there.
Find a Workout Partner
I don’t usually enjoy working out with others. I’m a loner when it comes to that. I like to crank up my iPod and get down to business, especially when it comes to running. But hey, I’m learning life isn’t all about me.
God provided an awesome new friend for me. She’s on a new weight loss journey. I’m working hard to stay on my weight loss journey. We’re a perfect match. I literally met her two weeks ago and last week we worked out three times together. It’s helping us both have incentive to show up at the gym on time. And we’re both Dolly Parton fans. How can this not work out in our favor?
Staying Accountable
I’ve talked about my accountability partners before. They’re great. Recently though, I reached beyond my tiny accountability circle to ask others to hold me accountable in the very specific area of food.
They are praying for me, being honest with me about my struggles, and supporting me through good times and bad. It’s caused me to be vulnerable outside of my comfort zone and though it’s hard, I’m okay with it.
There you have it. Some new changes I’m implementing in my life to stay on the course God has set before me. I’m constantly looking for new ways to grow and right now these seem to be working. I hope they work for you as well.
I’d love to hear some of your suggestions and what works for you. Leave a comment below…