First I think that we have to realize that our will power is not enough to battle the war that rages with our genes and the calorie excessive environment in which we live. Dr. Ski Chilton explains in the Made to Crave Action Plan that God created us with hunter/gather genes that would enable us to survive a famine. And back when the Israelites were wandering in the dessert this was a good thing. But, if we're honest, most of us are not going to see a famine anytime soon.
Dr. Chilton goes on to say the marketing efforts of the food industry today pushes us to consume a diet of 3,800 calories a day. If you wanted to maintain a healthy weight you should consume around 2,000 calories a day. If you are looking to lose weight you should consume less than that. We live in an environment where our food options are plentiful.
Discovering those two things made me feel less than hopeful but the amazing thing is God never intended us to go through this life alone. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says "It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us." and 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."
When we embrace the truth about who God says we are, we have access to divine power that goes way beyond even our strongest white-knuckle willpower. It's graced power, death-defying power, transformational power-and the Bible says it's ours for the taking. {Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave}
So we pray. We ask God to go before us, to help us to make healthy choices and resist temptations. We can use every craving to eat as a prompt to pray. We can pray ourselves through the grocery store. We can rely on the power that He gave us with His Spirit. God never tires from our voice and we can depend on him to meet us where we are each and every day.
And we plan. You need to come up with an eating plan that works for you in your individual situations. This may be a good time to see your doctor or a dietitian. Do your research. A great place to start is by recording what you are eating and counting the calories. You will discover in a hurry what foods are "worth" and which foods just aren't worth it. But make sure your plan is something you can live with long term-like forever. Remember this isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change. Even more importantly than counting your calories is planning what you will eat ahead of time.
I was so resistant to this idea but I tell you it's one of the best things we have implemented in our house. It was also the most popular response when I asked the ladies that have joined me on this journey what the most helpful thing they have learned was. It takes a little effort to plan a week of meals but it's worth it.
You research your recipes. Plan out the week (or month if your ambitious) and then make your grocery list. When you go to the store you shop the perimeter (think produce, meats, dairy) and when you have to venture into the middle aisles you stick. to. the. list. Some of the women shared that they even go ahead and prepackage their snacks for the week. And when you wake up knowing what you will you eat that day or you have that healthy snack stashed in your purse or desk drawer, it's much easier to avoid a desperate feeling situation. You know what I'm talking about, those times when you feel you have to eat right now or you might fade away. It's really hard to make a good choice in those situations.
Next, find an accountability partner, or two. I can hear you groaning. I know this is a hard one. Asking someone to hold us accountable is not high on anyone's to do list. It means making yourself vulnerable to someone else. It means owning up to the choices your making. But in my experience the benefits far outweigh the potential for embarrassment.
The American Society of Training and Development give these statistics: the probability of achieving a goal is 10% when you hear an idea, 40% when you decide you will do it, 50% when you plan how you will do it, 65% when you commit to someone else how you will do it and 95% when you have an accountability appointment with the person you've committed to.
The Bible says this about accountability: Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can you be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
I really believe that praying, planning and accountability will help you build a solid foundation to making a positive and healthy lifestyle change. These verses from the book of Proverbs back that up.
The plans of the godly are just. {12:5a}
Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
take good counsel and watch them succeed. {15:22}
Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. {16:3}
Plans succeed through good counsel;
don't go to war without wise advice. {20:18}
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. {21:5}
This journey will require you to make some tough sacrifices, but I've come to look at this process as embracing healthy choices rather than denying myself. There are lessons to be learned and perspectives to be gained in the season of embracing healthy choices. These will not just be physical lessons. The mental and spiritual lessons gained in this times will be the very thing that will equip you for the long haul. {Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave}
And remember friends, it's about progress, not perfection.
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