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When I saw this image, it totally reminded me of ME! She has that “I can TOO eat this if I want!” rebellious look about her. AND she is redheaded and freckled like yours truly. Do you ever feel this way? 🙂 I hope not! But if you do, I am in company with you. I praise God that he is at work in me, though, and the moments when I feel this way are fewer and fewer! YAY, God!
I want to cover a lot of ground today. This post includes:
- A Video about Overcoming Failure Eating
- Announcement: Who is the winner of this week’s drawing
- Updated Bible Study schedule
- Poll asking you for what you would like to study next.
Video About Failure Eating – If you subscribe via email. please visit the blog to see the video.
Even if you haven’t been doing the study with us, you can probably relate to a day when you gave in and ate outside of 0 and 5. You may have given up for the day, not even trying any more to maintain your boundaries. This is NOT uncommon! This short video is an option for what to do instead! I hope it helps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zhxwI2qF80?rel=0&w=640&h=480Now, on to Blog Business! 🙂
Winner of This Week’s Drawing
The drawing this week is a bit…well…unusual. I prayed as is my practice and my hand landed on NATALIA! She won the week of coaching week before last. So, if Natalia would like one of the prizes, she will get one.
But it also seemed like I should reach in again…so I did. We have two winners. 🙂
The second winner is Lesley UK. 😀
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I will send you both an email and you can let me know which of the prizes you would like:
- A Thin Within book (donated by Joe Donaldson of the Thin Within ministry)
- A Hunger Within book (donated by Arthur and Judy Halliday)
- A week of One-on-One Coaching (donated by yours truly)
Schedule
This is what is ahead for the remaining weeks of our Weight Loss Bible Study:
- Evaluation: How are you doing? Use this worksheet to find out. Week 5 March 31-April 6
- Emotional Eating: “This will make me feel better.” Week 5 March 31-April 6
- Losing-Weight-is-Hard Eating: “I’ll start again tomorrow.” Week 6 April 7 – 13
- Hopeless Eating: “I’ll never get over this. I might as well eat.” Week 6 April 7 – 13
- Good Food Eating: Hey, that looks good. I should eat it. Week 7 April 14-20
- Bad Scale Eating: I didn’t lose weight. I might as well eat. Week 7 April 14-20
- Social Eating: She’s eating. I should eat. Week 8 April 21-27
- Preventative Eating? I have to write this one up if we are going to look at it, but I think it bears doing! Week 8.
Then I will probably have a wrap up during a week 9. A chance for us to debrief about some things and a looking forward to what might be next.
What Do You Want To Do Next?
What’s next? Well, let me know what YOU would like to see! 🙂 Here is a poll to help me figure that out. 🙂 This is the first time I have tried this “polls” feature, so here’s hoping it works!
[polldaddy poll=6998572]
Practical Questions:
You may see by now that I like to end most of the blog posts with a “bringing it home” set of questions. So let me ask you: What practical steps can you take today to maintain your 0 – 5 eating boundaries? What have you learned during the past month of our study that really stands out as something you can apply today? 🙂
Gosh, am I the first to comment? This really hits home today. I find if I am feeling bad-it could be physically, emotionally, etc., then I tend to eat bad (poorly?) And I supposed even the most “normal” of eaters wants comfort foods at times. The problem is that I have such perfectionist tendencies that if I’m not pleased with the choices I’ve made that day, even if I didn’t eat a lot in quantitiy, I think about throwing in the towel! This is true of the study, too. I get behind and instead of doing what I can I give up altogether because I wasnt to do it roght.
Hi, Beth. I am so glad you are participating at all and I know that it delights our Lord, too! If we could get our eyes off of the food and see that it is about our hearts, we might be amazed at how God has been doing a work inside of us! He has been in you! 🙂 Sometimes it is easy to forget that all foods are permissible and no food is unclean. While not everything is beneficial, and we don’t want to be mastered by anything, the food isn’t the problem. Our hearts are. I think so much would change if we could just believe that!
I’ve been away at camp and came home late last night and got up early for a Sunrise Service today since it’s Easter Sunday – then headed to our regular Easter Service at our Church. I was tired and did eat a little beyond 5 – not at any single time, but then I guess I didn’t wait until 0 to eat. I tried to tell myself it was Entitlement Eating/Holiday – I deserve it! So I was doubly blessed to listen to this video and get a first hand glimpse of remembering what it’s like to take my mind captive and “refocus” and get my heart/mind aligned with God. Thank you Heidi! I’m going to go dump out that can of pop I have not finished – and I don’t even like nondiet pop, but it was in the fridge. If I could do a cross eyed smiley face I would!!
Whoops! that last sentence should read “I give up because I want to do it right”! Now that makes more sense. Need to proofread better.
No worries! I knew what you meant! 🙂
Hi everyone! I have learned so much this past month from Heidi, Barb, and all the people on this forum. Somehow, God uses the thoughts and experiences that are shared here in powerful ways to help me change my thinking and actions. So, for me, I have been changing the way I think about this struggle in that I am no longer focusing on being thin. Instead I want the Lord to fill my heart with truth and in the process get rid of all the lies I have been living with regarding food, my body or anything else. Basically I want the Lord to change my heart in such a way that I desire Him more and that I surrender to His Will. Coaching from Heidi has been a great help for me in keeping me focused on God. When I am about to eat outside of boundaries I think of Heidi and then I think of all the great tips and before I know it I am in the Word of God. Thanks to Heidi and all of you, I am turning to the Lord more frequently regarding food issues as well as other issues in my life
I feel the same way about the community, Lisa! And about learning from Barb, too, of course! It has been SUCH a blessing to me to see how tender hearted you are. You are such an example to me and coaching you has been and is SUCH a privilege.
I have really learned so much during this study. I just spent some time reviewing my journal from the past 2 weeks. What really stands out for me is that this is a heart issue for me. While I like to think that I’ve been following thin within principles for a while, the truth is that I have been very resistant to change my ways. There have been some small and consistent changes, but I never have committed to follow my secondary boundaries. I am realizing that I hold onto the old ways (eating in front of TV and standing are the 2 I am focusing on) for several reasons, but most stem from fear and wanting control. I fear that the boundaries will feel like the old dieting days and I rebel against them. I fear that this won’t “work” and that the dieting rules of the world know better. My routine gives me comfort and I like my routine. These are just some of the issues that I will “truth journal” on.
I read James 1:-8 yesterday and part of it says …”but ask in faith, never doubting.” The truth is that when I resist His ways, His paths, His guidance out of fear, I am not asking in faith, but rather doubting Him. If I trust the Lord, then I should trust my body and its signals because He made me wonderfully and in His image. I listen to other body signals without doubting, why would hunger and fullness be any different? – OK enough rambling….
Wow, CMK. I am so glad that this material has ministered to you. I totally can relate to it being a heart issue. I was the same way with my secondary boundaries. This study has been so helpful for me in committing to those. It makes a huge difference! Great insights from James 1, also. Thanks so much for sharing that. Please ramble ANY time.
I struggle with eating in front of the TV too. I read recently that if I want to eat while watching TV I need to get up and eat in the kitchen away from the TV, maybe I will give that a try.
oh, also – it will be difficult to answer the poll! They all sound like great options! I’d be interested to learn more about the Eating with the King book. I do know that the TW workbooks are wonderful and Barb’s study has been great – so, I’ll have to think on it!
Yes…a tough choice! 🙂
The “no exceptions” way of thinking regarding not breaking boundaries that I am embracing, which is making a difference. Boundaries are there for a reason, they are not to be broken, no exceptions!!! I have been making exceptions or excuses all my life for my rebellious behavior.
Wow, Glenda. Great insight. Yes, me, too! It is so easy to justify making exceptions! But you are right. Boundaries are there for a reason.
I agree with all the comments, struggles and statements above. I am oh so in the right place at the right time – why am I so amazed by that?
For MY need to stay honest with this group I confess that I have not been able to keep up with all the reading, I have completed “some” truth journaling, and have been successful with 0-5 eating only at work. I want you to all know that your comments on this site resignate with me, and are confirmation I am in the right place with likeminded wounded warriors.
Big surprise when I read today that we get to participate in another study, I guess I had figured this was “it”…oh boy, mixed emotions of “bring it on” and “oh crikey” as I sense my heart changing work on the horizon.
Heidi, as I am an audio/visual learner and not an avid reader, I was wondering if you plan to have videos in any of the other studies listed in the “vote”? The videos have been a great help.
Chuffed to bits to be a winner this week, and waiting with great anticipation of my prize 🙂
Thank you for your sacrifice Lord Jesus.
Did you get my email Lesley? I sent you a response with two files attached. Let me know if you didn’t get it. Yes, I plan to include audio and video in any of the studies we do. It helps me to be accountable! 🙂
Today’s quote from my CS Lewis app was very fitting to this blog entry. I have been struggling with letting the enemy put me down when I fail. I go from happy and obedient to “I can’t believe I ate outside of 0-5, I have such a rebellious heart!” I know God can help me and forgive me but I don’t think I can forgive myself. After I “fail” 0-5 I don’t even want to talk with God, I lose the desire to feed on His Word and its a viscous cycle. I ate because I ate and feel even worse and grow further away from the One who has called me to change. After watching today’s video about failure I am ready to let God renew me after I fail. So this quote hit home today. I have got to stop focusing on how obedient to the Lord I want to grow but instead I need to put all of my energy into knowing Him. My ingrown eyeballs need some readjusting! Thanks Heidi.
Your real, new self (which is Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. Does that sound strange? The same principle holds, you know, for more everyday matters. Even in social life, you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you are making. Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. The principle runs through all life from top to bottom, Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in. C. S. Lewis
Thanks for posting, Tina. i think we have all been in a similar place. i remember acting as if i felt since God wouldn’t hold my sin against me, i surely needed to hold it against myself. i now come back to the truth that i can’t hate myself into positive change. Now i try to think of it this way…We are on a quest to be Christ-like, agreed? 🙂 So, we want to follow Christ’s example in all things, right? 🙂 if he extends grace to us, we, too, want to extend grace to us. If he paid with his blood to forgive us then for us to refuse to forgive ourselves is to say his blood isn’t sufficient and his example is not compelling. OUCH! I want to let his suffering and all he intended by it wash over and through me. His kindness leads me to repentance! Love so amazing!
Just read this in a devotional by Laura Story. I thought of you!
if there exists even one person—including yourself—against whom you still harbor ill will, it’s time to forgive and move on.
My goodness, Tina, what a great post and a great reminder that this is all about following Christ. The principles you speak of are so different than what the world would recommend. I pray that we may all follow 0 to 5 eating as a way to grow in the Lord. If we submit to His will, we will certainly gain in all areas of our life. Thank you to all for the support we get here.
It is amazing that our God uses something as mundane as eating to draw us closer to his heart!
CMK, your post really hit. I think that deep down fear stops me. I fear the work this will take, I fear what I might discover, I fear that it won’t work, I fear that it will but only if I’m miserable (like in the old dieting days-I got results but couldn’t wait for it to be over!). I fear most of all that this is just who I am and people associate me with being “heavy” even though I don’t think I think that way about others. (Do I? Hmmmm . . . . .) Oh, so much work to do!
Beth, are you peeking over my shoulder because I could so easily have written exactly the post you did – exactly!!!
Beth, I could have written that as well. We should all do some truth journaling with those thoughts that keep us from being victorious. Thanks
Beth – thanks for sharing that. I had started feeling so insecure about sharing so much. And it’s work and it’s not work, right? If we surrender to Him, abide in Christ and admit our weakness and let Him be our strength, He’ll do the heavy lifting. I wrote in my Truths the first day of the study that His yoke is light – He will take on our burdens – if only we will turn them over!! And then that’s where I see my resistance coming into play – the absolute surrender.
Let’s remember this (from my lenten devo today) – “We have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” Romans 6:4. Let’s focus on our newness of life, not past failures/experiences/fears.
I’m so excited you are planning to do another study! Thanks for allowing us to input. I plan to do the study no matter how the votes turns out. This blog has been such an encouragement to me. I love the very “real” nature, the videos, and you coming along side us in a very honest, loving way. This format is great also, because it allows the study to be done at any time. Thank you!
I am excited YOU are excited! 🙂 Thank you for your kind words, too. Feel free t invite friends to come on along. 🙂
Here is one of my poems that can be found at a Christian online chronic pain site. I wrote it back in 2004, but felt it fits in with our discussion of drawing near to God to find that abundant life:
Come as you are with your pain and tears,
God will give you comfort and soothe your fears.
Come as you are with your sins laid bare,
God forgives and surrounds you with his care.
Come as you are, with dreams shattered and torn,
God will restore you and bring a new morn.
Come as you are, the sick, the poor, the weak,
God will provide you all that you seek.
Come as you are, in the dark, bleak night,
God is calling you into the light.
Come as you are, with hearts full of grief and loss,
God gives you hope at the foot of the cross.
Come as you are, to serve, to worship and praise,
God will love and bless you the rest of your days.
So, girls, we don’t have to be perfect to approach God for he calls us to come as we are and he gives the true, abundant life!
Sue DeVecka 2004