Midnight Snacks

 I struggle with my weight.  It's something that bothers me daily and there are some mornings that I absolutely hate the way I look and it immediately puts me in a bad mood all day.  I miss having a neck. I miss having a flatter stomach.  I miss clothes fitting on me comfortably.  It's a definite stumbling block for me right now. I avoid looking at myself in the mirror because I don't like what I see and sometimes I try to make myself look worse because it matches how I feel in my head.  

That being said, I don't do much about it. I hate water. I hate healthy foods. I like binge eating. I like bags upon bags of chips. I'll cut you if you take my pasta/bread/carbs. I've tried Weight Watchers, keto, calorie counting...I can't afford some of the other meal replacement plans out there but I know me and I know my thinking. I am defeated before I even begin. 

As a Christian, when I look for Biblical guidance, I don't find any diet plans. I don't see the apostles sitting around measuring their fish with Jesus making sure they only get 3 oz. and drink 1/2 gallon of water and substituting olive oil for .... well I guess they did use olive oil. Plus one for them. But there is a lot in God's word about taking care of our bodies. In the Old Testament, there are verses that told the Isrealites what they could eat and what they couldn't eat. Deuteronomy 14 is pretty solid in that they can eat clean birds but no horned owls. No flying insects (whew). I am sad that they didn't get to enjoy bacon though since pigs were unclean.  

But this is Old Testament law and much of this was refuted by the coming of Christ and the Death and Resurrection. While we are absolutely grateful to God for the gift of his Son, let's also take a moment and be grateful for bacon. Yum. Further on in the Bible, Proverbs discusses one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony. Vocab day! Gluttony is overeating or drinking to the excess.  An example, a few nights ago I woke up at 2AM and was wandering around the house because I couldn't sleep and I was bored. So I ate three granola bars (one of each kind in the box...can't discriminate) and a Drumstick ice cream.  There was absolutely no point to that eating and that indulgence. It was 2AM. I was not hungry. I was eating out of boredom and because it felt sneaky and I could. Which quickly makes my pursuit of food an idolotrous practice and I was overcome by gluttony. I felt bad after but I had a full belly, went back to sleep, and then woke up full of guilt and calories.  

In the New Testament, Paul reminds us that our bodies are a temple. And if that is the case, and it is, that means that we should treat our bodies with respect and keep it as healthy as possible. If we overeat, chances are that will lead to a multitude of health issues. A former youth minister friend once said that if we believe we are to spread the Gospel so that no one misses the grace of God, then it is our Biblical mission to keep our bodies healthy so we can do this to our fullest. If I was put here to spread the Gospel, my weight or bad habits could keep me from sharing Christ because I may hurt too badly to go on mission or I may have other ailments that keep me from doing what I need to do.

Also let me remind you that being overweight is not the same thing as gluttony.  There are many different medical conditions that cause people to gain weight. My depression medication caused me to gain a few pounds, although not as many as I'd like to blame it on, but there are so many outlying things that can cause weight issues. Just know that thicc doesn't always equal sin.

But there are the majority of us who have weight issues because we are out of balance. I know you've heard the saying "eat my feelings" or people who "stress eat". I can check all of those boxes. While the Bible didn't give me a diet plan, it did give me a plan to deal with stress and with dealing with my feelings. In Philippians 4:6-7 it says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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." 

So as I attempt to take better care of my body this month, my focus isn't on my actual weight or my body, but on connecting with Christ. I don't want to become obsessed with my body because that is sinful but I do want to keep in mind that I am trying to upkeep my temple to the best of my abilities and to do so requires me to lean on God. So, July is becoming a month of maintenance for me. Instead of being lazy and not cooking when I literally have the entire day off, I'll cook a meal that is better for us to eat than take out.  Instead of buying a ton of snacks that aren't healthy, I'll be a better steward of my money and buy healthier foods. Instead of stress eating, I am going to sit down and read the Word. Instead of boredom eating, I am going to try prayer. Instead of midnight feasts, talking to God. Instead of Popeye's, I'll go to Chick-Fil-A since that is the Lord's chicken and surely there aren't calories in that, right? Right? I sure hope not.