That's the second time this year I've heard that. On Oprah's Best Life show in which she discussed her weight loss struggles, her trainer, Bob Greene, used those exact words. "It's a matter of the heart."
Is it?
Is being overweight simply a matter of the heart, of things that weigh us down mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?
I'm not sure it's that simple, because there is absolutely a physical component relative to how the body responds to food intake and to energy expenditure, but I do believe it's worth consideration.
As one fellow blogger in the struggle quoted, the Bible tells us
"...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."I definitely wrestle with losing weight. So what am I really wrestling with and what heart issues do I need to resolve through Jesus?
I'm not sure.
I know I eat when I'm bored.
When I'm stressed.
When I'm alone.
When I'm idle.
The best thing I've done this year is make a commitment to be deliberate about my writing. If I'm writing, I'm not eating. Better yet, if I'm writing away from the kitchen and the pantry, I don't even think about eating. That makes my evening, and thus, my daily calorie consumption plummet.
Nonetheless, the notion gives me pause. I've heard it before. Although Bob and Oprah tried to make this seem like new revelation for them, they pretty much said the same thing when they teamed up nearly fifteen years ago and put out that first diet book together, Make The Connection: Ten Steps to a Better Body and a Better Life. Even the title sounds like more of the same, right? I no longer have a copy but I recall that the book encouraged you to dig deep and find out what issues remained unresolved in your life.
Back then, in the mid-90's, I wasn't open to the idea that there was anything more going on with me other than consuming too much of the wrong foods and not getting enough exercise. I now know it's not quite that simple either.
If you're aware that you have issues that make you eat more than you should, by all means, deal with the issues. Go to God. Get help. Be healed and set free.
If, like me, you're not so sure, or the issues are buried deeper than first glance, take some time and think about it. Pray. Meditate. Journal. Ask God.
Then, be healed and set free.
I'm seeking freedom from the weight-loss struggle this year.
BTW, I maintained over the holidays and I'm down 3 lbs to start the year!
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
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2 comments:
I believe the whole thing comes down to what I Cor. 9:27 says:
"But I discipline my body (or 'treat my body harshly' as one translation says) and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
Disciplining our bodies in this culture is extremely difficult. We are battling sedentary lifestyles and processed foods, but we CAN do it.
I just think the whole concept of weight loss is very complex. Discipline is certainly one aspect. Mental and emotional triggers that impact food consumption and/or the focus and discipline required to make good choices is another. Then, there's the physiological aspects relative to what's going on inside our bodies -- vitamin/nutrient deficiences, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. -- that plays a role, no matter what we do. All of these things have to come under subjection for us to be successful.
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