It’s Not About the Food

It’s Not About the Food

Image courtesy of Apolonia at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Apolonia at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It may be controversial, but I think we blame the food too much when it comes to our weight.  When it comes to releasing weight and getting thin within, I personally believe it’s not about the food.  In the past, when we want to shed the pounds, we change the way we eat.  We count.  We measure.  We weigh.  We change what we eat.  Essentially, we blame the food and start to label food as “good” or “bad”.  There’s way too much emphasis put on the food, but not about the emotions or the habits…or the heart and mind.  Our physical weight and even the mental “weight” is just a symptom of what’s going on deep inside of us.  It’s not about the food itself.

People can get really defensive about food.  It has become a really personal and passionate topic.  The opinions on food changes day to day from person to person.

We can have all sorts rules when it comes to food.  We can limit our food intake.  We can count and track, but ultimately, that’s just an external change.  The thing that sticks is the internal change, in our heart, mind, and soul.  Because really, how many diets exist in this world?  Hundreds upon hundreds!  And some of us have gone from one diet to the next, from one eating style to the next, from one restrictive plan to the next, and we lose weight, we gain it back, and then we lose, and then we gain MORE back.  Why is that?  I personally believe it’s because it’s not about the food; it’s about our heart.  When we don’t get to the core issue of our eating habits, we lose sight of what’s truly important.  Our eyes are on the types of food we eat and the quantity of food we eat, and we never glance at the condition of our heart and the patterns of our thinking.  So if food isn’t the issue, why do we keep blaming the food?

When I first started this journey, I had a lot of fear about food.  I thought that if I ate sugar, that I was tempting God and that it would kill my body.  I had an extremely hard time pushing past the fears and the thoughts that plagued my mind.  I cried out to the Lord for help and He answered my prayer.  He showed me His truth.  Even before this part of the journey started, I tried all sorts of ways of eating: food combining, eating right for my blood type, eating only raw foods, juicing, counting, weighing, measuring, etc.

We know what the always-and-forever-changing opinions of this world say about food, but what does God say about food in His Word?

  • He has given us every herb and tree to eat of. (Genesis 1:29)
  • Every animal is food along with herbs. (Genesis 9:3)
  • Food has taste. (Job 6:6)
  • He causes it to grow for the service of man. (Psalm 104:14)
  • He gives all animals as food. (Psalm 136:25, Psalm 147:9)
  • He gives food to the hungry. (Psalm 146:7)
  • Eat only as much food as you need. (Proverbs 25:16)
  • Food is for nourishment. (Proverbs 27:27)
  • He gives us food. (Ezekiel 16:19)
  • We aren’t to worry about what we eat. (Matthew 6:25)
  • Food doesn’t defile a man. (Mark 7:19)
  • Life is more than food. (Luke 12:23)
  • Food strengthens. (Acts 9:19)
  • All food is pure.  Don’t eat with offense. (Romans 14:20)
  • Food is for the stomach and vice versa. (1 Cor. 6:13)
  • Food doesn’t make a difference in our relationship with God. (1 Cor. 8:13)
  • No one is to judge us in food and drink. (Colossians 2:16)
  • God created food to be received with thanksgiving. (1 Timothy 4:3)

I wrote down scriptures on notecards and read them each day until those fears dissipated.  I knew from His Word that I can eat and enjoy all foods, but I needed more of an understanding of what God meant.

I looked up Galatians 5:1, which says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

And 1 Timothy 4:1-5, which says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,  forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;  for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

And then I looked up both sets of scriptures in the Matthew Henry’s commentaries.  These are the notes I wrote down in my journal:

  • We are to look upon food as that which God has created; we have it from Him, and therefore must use it for Him.
  • What God has created is to be received with thanksgiving.  We must not refuse the gifts of God’s bounty, nor be scrupulous (strict) in making differences about food where God has made none; but receive them, be thankful, acknowledging the power of God, the Maker of them.
  • Not only has He given us permission to eat all foods, allowing us the liberty of the use of these things, but He also promises to feed us with food that’s convenient for us.
  • Every creature is God’s, for He made all.  Every creature of God is good.
  • The blessing of God makes every creature nourishing to us.

God also says in His Word, “Have you found honey?  Eat only as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit” (Proverbs 25:16).  This is what Matthew Henry has to say about this verse (what I wrote in my journal): He talks about how we are allowed a sober and moderate use of the delights of sense.  Honey is not forbidden.  We may eat of it with thanksgiving.  God has given us permission to make use of our taste buds.  “Eat as much as is sufficient, and no more.  The pleasures of sense lose their sweetness by the excessive use of them.  Eat food with sobriety.”  Eat between hunger and satisfaction (0-5).

Before anyone throws rotten tomatoes at me for sticking up for ALL foods–I also want to add that everyone has different convictions and preferences when it comes to food.  When Paul was addressing the food issues in Romans 14 (it’s a really good read on this topic), he was letting us know that Christ has given us the liberty to enjoy all foods.  He says not to be judgmental about it.  He says not to eat food offered to idols.  He says to eat with thanksgiving.  He says not to make others stumble by what we eat.

So let no one judge you in food or in drink. Colossians 2:16a

When I was at a certain place in my journey where the Lord was showing me that I can eat all foods, I was so tempted to go back to some of my old ways of completely cutting out sugar because the lie was still there that sugar is evil.  So as the Lord was showing me His truth that I could eat sweets within my boundaries (eating between 0-5 of hunger and satisfaction), the enemy was also trying to ensnare me with the lies that if I ate sugar then something really bad would happen.  Someone even made a comment to me that sugar is “poison”.  Wow!  And they compared it to drugs.  Ouch.  Honestly, that was another hurdle I had to jump over with the Lord’s help.  We have to be SO careful about our convictions and what we say to others.  I bet that person had no idea that what they said would trip me up and cause me to stumble.  Obviously, that person is passionate about not eating sugar, but God has been working so hard to free me from any rules man has made about food.  Now, this doesn’t mean that all I eat are sweets; I believe in eating in moderation.  What we eat over a long period of time is what counts; it’s not one meal or one day of eating that makes or breaks us.

Image courtesy of akeeris at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of akeeris at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And then there’s also foods that some of us cannot eat because it makes us physically ill.  Maybe you have a gluten intolerance.  Or maybe you are lactose intolerant.  Whatever the case may be, I think we can be mindful of the food our body enjoys and be careful and considerate about sharing our convictions when it comes to food.

On pages 186-189 in Thin Within, it talks about how there are pleasers, teasers, total rejects and whole-body pleasers when it comes to food.  The pleasers are foods you know you enjoy, maybe even by specific brand.  They “hit the spot and bring physical satisfaction” (page 186).  The teasers are foods that you don’t really think about until you see a picture of the food or someone mentions the food.  They aren’t as satisfying of foods, so we may think that “more is better”.  Total rejects are foods that are “simply not worth eating”.  They may be too sweet, salty, artificially flavored, etc.  Whole-body pleasers are “foods that make you feel good overall”.  It’s the “foods that your body calls out for, are enjoyable while you eat them, and they leave you feeling energized afterward” (pages 188-189). I really like how Thin Within talks about these different ways we respond to foods.  I believe different foods will fit in different categories for different people.  What may be a whole-body pleaser for me may be different for someone else.  Most of all, I just love the freedom God gives us when it comes to food.

I can either listen to what the world and the diet creators say about what I should or shouldn’t eat, or I can listen to what the Creator says about food.  I will choose the latter because that’s where my peace resides.  I’m choosing to turn my eyes away from all of the babble and confusion about it, and I’m choosing to fix my eyes on Jesus.  He won’t lead me astray.  I will listen to His voice.  This is where it all boils down to–Jesus.  He came to set us free from the law.   And I believe in that freedom, He meant for us to be free even in what we eat.  The world makes laws and rules about food, but God gives us the liberty to choose what is satisfying to us.

How about you?  Have you been bombarded with all of the “billboards” about what the world says about food?  Will you take a stand with me and turn a deaf ear to it and listen to the One who knows your needs when it comes to nourishing your body?  Maybe you do have some passionate opinions and convictions on this subject, would you be willing to join me in being extra careful about sharing those convictions?  Let’s walk in love!

P.S. Heidi wrote a great post about this a little while back.  Click here to read!

Prayer – Lesson 11 TW Class 2014

Prayer – Lesson 11 TW Class 2014

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:6-7

 

This Week’s Video:

Video Questions:

1. God wants me ____________ more than he wants me ________________.

2.  Can you stop the video and pray about your desire to release weight, or to defeat your anorexic tendencies, or your bulimia or…? How about stopping and doing so now and waiting just a bit in his presence. If you feel led, share with the community here at the blog what you dared to ask the Lord for.

3. What is the one “rule” that I mention? What part does prayer play for you in this journey? Is there room for growth? How so? Is there a way you can be intentional about it?

4. Have you been keeping a God List? If this is new to you, have a look here for what a God List is and how to create one. It can be transformative!

5. Have you used your God List to do a Praise Fest? Here is a series of posts about the Praise Fest and also links to Sound Files that are examples of what a praise fest might look like. When I exalt God, I am not likely to exalt myself! Give it a try! Share with us what happens.

6. Can you think of a time when it might help you in your journey if you were to have a Praise Fest?

7. How can Praise and Gratitude profoundly affect our journey? “Instead of proclaiming myself as ________ over my life, I proclaim Him __________ over my life” (04:24). Why does this matter?

8. Praise is _______________________________________________. (05:30)

9. Gratitude is _____________________________________________. (05:35)

10. When I struggle with obedience, there are three questions I can ask (05:58). What are they?

11. How do these three things relate to Prayer?

12. What difference can any of this make to you?

Renewing the Mind

This week, ask the Lord in prayer to make you aware of any lies that you still believe. Invite him to show you HIS “Big T Truth” that can replace any lies or, even, “little t truths” that you are giving too much sway in your life. Create new truth cards from what He shows you.

Pick One (book or workbook):

Trade Book

We have completed the assignments for the Thin Within trade book.  It was a ten-week study for those using the book. However, now would be a great time to go back through the study guide pages and the book itself and complete any exercises or questions you haven’t yet completed. Use this week and next as a chance to catch up. 🙂

Workbook Assignment

1. Read, highlight, mark 🙂 Lesson 11, Prayer, on pages D34 – D38 or listen to the “audio book” version of it at Sound Cloud.  Discuss it here in the comments section below this post or at our Class Facebook Group.
2. Complete the exercises for Lesson 11 on pages D40 – D46. Next Monday before the webinar, respond to the Review questions on page D47 or even better–do so at our Facebook discussion group!
3. Use the entries for Day 71 through Day 77 in the Temple Tool Kit. What have you learned through your use of any of the tools in the Temple Tool Kit?
5. Memorize Psalm 139:23-24. Personalize it and add it to your truth cards.
6. Join us on March 24th for our live webinar at 4:30 Pacific Time. We will be wrapping up lesson 11 on Prayer.

How About You?

We have a new class starting up on the heels of this one. On March 31st (the same day as our last webinar for this class), Karon Ruiz is launching into a study of workbook #2 in the series. Visit our class page for more information.

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NOTE: The Webinar wrapping up Lesson 10 on Forgiveness is here.

Here are the Webinar Lesson 10 Discussion Questions on Forgiveness.

A Thanksgiving Day Praise-Fest!

A Thanksgiving Day Praise-Fest!

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When someone asks me what transformed my journey from one of not succeeding, not experiencing victory to being able to release the weight and to stay a healthy weight (for the first time in my life) since 2007, I know immediately that growing in gratitude is at the top of the list. Related to this is my willingness to develop a heart and life of Praise. It really is NOT about the food OR about the weight. God wants to do so much more in us!

The reason that I believe praise and gratitude are such effective weapons against the enemy and my flesh is because:

1.) When I praise and give thanks, I am exalting the Giver…God

2.) When I exalt GOD, I am, by definition, taking my place at his feet…recognizing that HE is the potter and I am the clay–this is a posture of humility

3.) When I take a humble posture, I am not as prone to argue with him about MY food, MY will, MY way, MY body, MY eating, MY MY MY. Instead, I am focusing “GODwardly.”

Today seems like a great day to share yet another praise-fest with you all. I hope this encourages your heart:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/122025333″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

While to me, praise and worship is about declaring God’s attributes and characteristics back to him, gratitude, to me, is expressing thankfulness for his gifts. His gifts are a product of his grace. Again, as I thank him for his gifts, I exalt him. I say, in effect, I am the one in need and he is the one who needs nothing but gives everything.  This transforms me. If I am feeling sorry for myself (something that has often led me to eat outside of my boundaries), practicing gratitude — thanking God for his gifts — or praising Him — proclaiming who He is and what He is like, are sure-fire ways to get me out of my “woe is me” mentality.

I have a 1000 Blessings Blog here. I am counting my way to 1000 of His gifts! Slowly, but I am doing it…and He is changing me!

How About You?

Why not have a praise-fest today? If it would help, refer to these pages: http://heidibylsma.com/step-6/ and http://heidibylsma.com/step-7/

You can also begin a gratitude blog or journal. Here are some thoughts about that: http://heidibylsma.com/step-9-fostering-a-heart-of-thanksgiving/

What will you do to humble yourself today and exalt God? How might that affect the way you view all the tantalizing options available to you to eat today?

Gearing Up for the Holidays

Gearing Up for the Holidays

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The holidays are quickly approaching, with Thanksgiving (in the United States) just a couple of days away.  This means there may be a lot of opportunities to practice staying within our God-given boundaries.  There may be temptations lurking around every corner, but with every single temptation, God has provided a way out.  This is such good news!

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

There is nothing wrong with the sweets and goodies that surround our holiday parties and traditions.  The Lord has said that ALL foods are hallowed in His name.  I am determined to view all food as being “good”.

 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.  1 Timothy 4:4-5

Six years ago, I was practicing the principles of Thin Within for a short time.  I released 5 pounds and was delighted to see that eating within 0-5 truly works!  But then shortly after, I went home around Thanksgiving time and everything came to an abrupt halt.  You see, my grand-parents make the most amazing and delicious turkey dinner my taste buds have ever laid their eyes upon.  That is, if taste buds even had eyes!  Since I knew this was a meal I only partook of every few years, I ate way more than my body needed.  And then there were the leftovers, which were just as good as the fresh, out of the oven delicacies.  And for some reason, I lost momentum and went back to overeating and struggling with my weight and body image.

Looking back, I realize it didn’t have to be this way.  I could have enjoyed smaller portions of their amazing turkey dinner during the actual meal AND leftovers.  And because I did choose to overeat, I could have observed, corrected, and then continued eating 0-5 and releasing weight.  I let the guilt and condemnation weigh me down.  I believed the lies that I would never get back to being a normal eater.  And after this incidence I struggled for years with dieting, eating, and food, all because of one turkey dinner and its leftovers.

I blamed the food.  That’s a diet mentality.

I felt so guilty that I decided to eat more and more.  That’s a diet mentality.

Since that Thanksgiving meal, I asked my grandmother for her recipes.  On a recipe card, I have typed out each step of how they prepare their turkey dinner, from brand names, to minutes of stirring.  I have replicated this meal several times over the last several years, and though it’s not quite THE turkey dinner my grand-parents master, I think I have come pretty close!

You can do the same thing with holiday meals or foods.  When you know that you can have that food later (even if it has to be next Thanksgiving or Christmas), you will find that you can actually relax and enjoy each delightful bite!  Ask for the recipe!  Take leftovers home!  Freeze cookies.  There are so many options to having that food for future enjoyment!

Heidi posted about the importance of being proactive in our eating in her post titled It Takes Energy!.  On one of my truth cards I have copied some questions she asked:

How much energy do you put into lamenting poor choices…after the fact?

                How much emotional energy do we put into beating ourselves up and then trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps?

                What if I put some ENERGY into changing the way I think?

What if we went into the holidays geared up and ready?  What kind of truths can you focus on to renew your mind about eating during the holidays?  Do you have truth cards prepared for these moments?

My plan is to go into the holidays being proactive.  I will have my truth cards.  I will type out scriptures in my ‘notes’ section on my phone to read.  I will read through the sections in Barb Raveling’s ‘I Deserve a Donut’ app.  I will pray and ask the Lord for His strength.  I will give thanks.  I will have joy in knowing Christ has come to give us life and peace!

Those are all choices I can make BEFORE the holidays are even upon us.

I can be ready to turn down every temptation.

I can immediately expose every lie of the enemy with TRUTH!

Remember:

  • You can always have those foods again!
  • It’s completely possible to eat within 0-5 during the holidays.
  • Eat what you enjoy!
  • If you did choose to overeat, you can observe, correct, and wait until 0 the next time to eat.
  • ALL foods have been blessed by God and hallowed in His name.  Give thanks and enjoy His provision!

How about you?

How can you prepare in advance for the approaching holidays?  Do you have your truth cards ready and handy?

Written by: Christina

Day 5 – Morning Beginnings

I choose to begin this day with gratitude. I have posted at my Gratitudes Blog.

I know for a fact that gratitude changes, transforms, flips things around. When I choose to praise, thank, worship the Lord no matter what happens, things change…*I* change.

When I make fleshly, sinful, ungodly choices, it is really an expression of pride–that my way, my will, is being exalted above God’s. There is no way that pride can exist when worship–true worship–is going on. That is because worship, thanks, gratitude given to God puts me where I belong, in a humble place.

So, today, I choose to praise, worship, thank the Lord for anything and everything I can think of. I will take captive any thoughts that are not obedient, surrendered and submissive to Christ.