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When I woke up one day and found myself at a size 24 again (I had lost 100 pounds with a popular weight loss program previously and gained most of it back in a very short period of time) I realized that I didn’t get that way magically. It was action upon action that had gotten me to that place. Actions come about as a result of thinking.
So, it made sense that the key to why I gained weight again so readily is I had never learned to think differently. It was my thinking that caused me to act in such a way that all that extra weight landed on me. By the time I lost the weight in 1997 with Weight Watchers, I was even more obsessed with food and exercise than when I started. I know this may not be the case for everyone, but it was for me. While the outside of my body was changed physically,my heart and mind had been changed too…not for the better either. My mind was riveted to food as never before. I thought about it constantly. When an overuse injury kept me from being able to exercise excessively as I had been, my thoughts and actions about food and eating were betrayed. The weight poured back on.
It was time for me to realize that, if I wanted to see an outward change–to be a healthy size once and for all–I needed to not only act differently, but also to think differently.
In all honesty, this process continues to this day. It is a constant training!
James 1:14, 15 speaks of a progression. We have a thought. We mull it over. We ponder it and allow the thought to grow. Finally, it incites us into action.
Before it ever gets to that place, Paul in 2 Corinthians urges us to take the thought captive and submit it to obedience to Christ.
It stands to reason, if we want to act differently (knowing that health is found there), we have to learn to think differently. We have to train our minds.
This takes work. But anything worthwhile is worth working, fighting for!
And notice this…all along the way, we have a choice about what we will think. We can think the thoughts that lead to actions that don’t correspond with our godly goals and with truth. Or, we can choose to think thoughts that align with my desire to honor God with my eating and drinking and with my living.
Here are some things that we may need to think differently about–that we may need to renew our minds about.
ABOUT THE BATHROOM SCALE
Thoughts you may have now:
- I need the scale to land on this number ______.
- I need to see the numbers go down.
- The scale will tell me if I have been doing this “right” or not.
- The scale tells me if I am a failure or not, if I have value or not.
- I need to get on the scale each day (or multiple times each day).
And other thoughts like these. The thoughts you actually have may be more subtle, of course.
Do these thoughts pass the Philippians 4:8 test? Are they true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? The answer goes without saying.
What is really true?
- The bathroom scale is a piece of metal and springs with an arbitrary number system on it–that is ALL.
- I can survive even if I don’t get on the bathroom scale. I can use other tools to evaluate my progress in losing weight–such as how my clothes fit or what I see in the mirror.
- God is after my heart and the scale can’t measure that! I can go to the Lord and ask Him if I am doing this as He would have me. HE is the only one I will go to for approval–not a machine made by man.
- God redeems all my past mistakes. He has declared me precious and holy in His sight. He has declared me HIS. He declares forever that I reflect HIS success through Jesus on the cross. He determines my value and worth. Not the scale.
- I do not need to get on the scale each day. In fact, I will survive if I never get on the scale again. (Yes, you really will.) The scale is designed to be a tool to help me. If it is not helping me, I can get rid of it until the time comes when I can think about it differently.
If you are feeling down about what the scale is telling you, my suggestion to you is get off the scale. Replace the thoughts you have about the scale with God’s thoughts about it.
Did you find yourself responding like this to my suggestion? I could never stop weighing myself at LEAST once each day!
Replace that thought, too! How about with this thought: Ok, God is doing a new thing. Me staying off the scale really WOULD be proof of that! I will choose to stay off the scale and I will survive! 🙂
ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FOOD NEEDED BY YOUR BODY
Many are surprised about how little food it takes to satisfy physical hunger between 0 and 5. You may have thoughts like these about the small amount of food it takes to sustain your body:
- I can’t believe that I am not still hungry. Of course I need more food than that little bit!
- I really HATE that I can’t eat more that this without being over a “5.” God couldn’t possibly expect me to live on so little food!
- I will never be able to live like this the rest of my life! I love food just too much!
Here is another opportunity to see if these thoughts pass the Philippians 4:8 test! Are these thoughts true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy?
What is really true?
- My body is remarkably efficient! I don’t need that much food to sustain me. How COOL is that? God, I am fearfully and wonderfully made!
- God empowers and strengthens me to break strongholds such as eating more food than I need for reasons other than physical hunger. He is in the business of sanctifying–purifying–perfecting and this is part of that work. He is teaching me to depend on him so much. He is calling me closer to His heart through this struggle. With an invitation like that, I can definitely learn to feast on the Lord and release my hold on so much food!
- For my entire life, I get to walk with God in humble dependence on Him as He continues to work this fact–my need for so little food–into my life. I can’t fathom the great intimacy with a mighty, good, and wonderful God that is yet ahead for me!
- God promises to be my portion. I know that he means what He says and His promises are true. He will work into my life a deeper love for Him than I currently have for food.
- I have the wonderful privilege of selecting foods from all that is available. I may not eat very much of it, but I get to relish each and every bite and enjoy it thoroughly. What a gift that is!
What other thoughts could you use to replace the negative thoughts that don’t pass the Philippians 4:8 test relative to the small amount of food it takes to sustain you?
ABOUT THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND
You may have thoughts about the process mentioned in Romans 12:2 about the renewing of your mind.
- It is just too much work to change the way I think!
- Do I really have to sit down and journal about all of this EACH time I am faced with the temptation to eat?
- This renewing the mind stuff takes too much time. Just gimme a diet so I can GET THIN!
These thoughts don’t pass the Philippians 4:8 test either. How about replacing them with:
- This will be worth fighting for, worth working for. This is transformation I am after and God will do it in me. I will participate in it with Him as He calls me. It will be worth it!
- I sit down to do things all the time (tv, read, computer, etc.) so I probably have more time to sit down and journal than I want to admit, but I also know that as I develop renewing my mind as a habit, I will be able to do it “on the fly” and won’t always need to sit down to do it! It is a process and I am in the early stages! It is worth learning. Romans 12:2!!!
- I have done diets before and gotten thin(ner) before. But they haven’t worked for me. I want a change that will draw me closer to God and change my inside AND out–for the rest of my days! This is it!
What other thoughts have you had that you want to renew your mind about?
Were you in my mind this morning?? haha! I was feeling the same thoughts this morning!
It’s a GREAT reminder this is a PROCESS of renewing our minds! I so needed that reminder today! ONE step at a time to grow closer to God!
I especially liked the reminder that I can eat ANY kind of wonderful food. It doesnt need to be yucky fat free foods but the delicious ones God provides, in small amounts, to be savored!
I can make the time to journal every time I’m tempted when not truly hungry. I think I’ll work on starting that habit. It was freeing as well when you mentioned it’ll help to do this in the beginning and then we’ll improve over time and may not have to journal all the time.
Thank you, thank you for sharing and reminding me of these wonderful things today!!!
Hi, Michelle. LOL! Yes…I will be harping on that a lot during these weeks we spend together. THIS IS A PROCESS! The fun thing for me is that even as I am reminding all who may visit this blog, I am reminding ME! LOL! God is so good. He brought you all here for this right when I needed you all! 😀
This was so good today. It seems like so many things to grasp, I have to go back and remind myself one step at a time. This isn’t going to come over night unless God changes it for me. I have been in the diet world for so long and having my mind on food and scales it is easy to be overwhelmed. Taking my thoughts captive and setting boundaries and 0-5 eating are my first goals. It doesn’t take much food for me to stay at the same weight either so hearinhg that we don’t need that much food was good, Thanks for your post today. It gave me alot to think about and act upon.
Hi, Penny. I am so glad that this is helpful. You are right. This is a process. We so often focus on the quick fix (something else we could renew our minds about!), but it is the looooong haul that really matters. Great goals for you, too. I am so glad you are along with us on the journey!
I find that I need help around me. I printed the Careless Eating Questions from day 2 on Barb site and posted them next to my computer at work and near the pantry at home. Trying to retrain my mind, like you say a little at a time.
Thanks everyone.
What an AWESOME idea, Holly!!!! I love it!
I want to begin renewing my mind about going out to eat with friends/family. I went out to eat with some friends last night and I was unprepared:( Can anyone relate??? I “unconsciously” ate way past full and felt so yucky physically and spiritually. Socializing and food seem to go hand-in-hand all the time.
So glad that you see the need to do this, Becky. You can also observe and correct. Come up with strategies for being more aware. I was talking with one of my clients this week about going out to eat for Mexican food (my favorite!). She mentioned that she slowed herself down by eating with her left hand! I LOVE IT! I am meeting a friend for lunch today. I will renew my mind about it (because of your suggestion)… “I can slow down. I can enjoy my friend and eat 0 to 5. The meal will be just as enjoyable when I eat less…actually MORE enjoyable!” I will use my left hand and see how that goes. (I am horribly right hand dominate and can do very little with my left! LOL!) Thanks for sharing your insight, Becky.
I am learning so much with this study and with all these suggestions. I too like the idea of slowing down by eating with the left hand. I will try this with my next meal. I also love the idea to journal when tempted. Thanks to ALL for sharing these wonderful ideas. Tonight I will re-read and study Philippians 4:8 so I can be better equipped to replace my wrong thoughts with God-centered thoughts. Thank you!
WOOT! 🙂 YAY!
Whoa, Heidi!! This message hit on my 3 struggles! The scale tells me “You didn’t lose weight today, see this hunger/fullness stuff doesn’t work! Go on a real diet!”. I know God is directing me to stay off of the scale! I get disappointed when I feel fullness after only a few bites, when I should be thankful that God is allowing me to eat whatever my little heart desires! I have time to watch TV, read, ect….but lack time with God so that he can renew my mind. Talk about conviction! I need to give up a few things so I do have time to work on this study. I loved the test you provided and plan to print this blog out and put it somewhere so I can be reminded everyday that I need to look towards God’s truth! Thanks. Linda
Hi, Linda. I am so glad to hear that God used the message to encourage you in ways you needed to be encouraged! 🙂 I hope you will let us know how it is going as our study continues. I am so glad to be linked up with you again! I feel like this study is almost like a reunion! Old friends connecting again and welcoming in new friends, too. PERFECT!
I also am going to print these up. The scale has been eyeballing me in the morning and at first I was sticking my tongue out at it but I have been weakening and today I almost stepped on it, until I heard God specifically tell me not to. Now I am placing it in the cabinet because I have a better way to measure progress…through journaling and listening to my body and to the Lord to start/stop eating when I need to.
The left hand thing might work for me…until I get good at using it. I was thinking it might not be good for me because it is like a gimmick, but if it helps me retrain my brain and hands to slow down, then it can be a useful tool.
Yes, Susan…it is great to train us to slow down. By the time we learn how to use our non-dominant hands well, we will (I hope!) have learned to slow down so it won’t matter if we return to our dominant hand! Regarding the scale…I found that doing as God directed in that was so rewarding. Yay for you for putting it where you won’t constantly stand on it! You are so right!
I love all the videos and messages here and on youtube. I love the video on what true hunger feels like and how much it takes to get to a 5. I have much work to do, each day brings a new challenge. I can’t tell you how many times of during the week I think “just gimme a diet”! I know I need to renew my mind more throughout the day to stay on track. Love this study!
It is a process of training our minds, Kris! It will happen. God is doing a new thing!
I’m a little confused because all the comments are way earlier than today’s date (March 18th) . . . but I’ll post here anyway. If there is another place that I should have posted, please let me know. I loved the video Heidi – and I’m struggling with giving up the scale – I guess I can say that I feel a freedom in weighing one a week. And yes I am excited when I see it go down each week. I’ve tended to hide from the scale when I’m not eating the way I know God would want me to eat. So it’s a freedom in a way to not hide from the scale. :o) I’m so enjoying speaking truth to the thoughts that are not God’s thoughts about my eating. I’m kinda trying to eat less fat stuff because I recently had a cholesterol check – and even though the overall number is not so high the good its not high and the bad is too high. Is this a gauge we shouldn’t be considering – is it a man-made tool? I don’t know what to think about that.
My daughter thinks I’m starving myself with the little food I eat. I so love being back to a sample of something is enough and that I don’t have to eat all of something!! Hunger is a good feeling!!
I’m really enjoying the Scriptures and the questions that go with them in Barbs study too.
Hi Connie. The reason the comments are from another date is you just happened to post on a blog entry dated a little over a week ago. That isn’t a problem at all. I hope everyone will go at their own pace and your name will be in the drawing for *this* week (the 18th). We will have drawings through April, probably. Maybe longer! I think everyone needs to invite God to show them if the scale is a positive tool in their lives or if we are giving it too much power. There are times when I have felt led by God to get rid of the scale, times when I sensed him inviting me to step on it. I don’t think the scale is the point at all…my heart, though, is! Thanks for your comments. I am so glad the study is helping!