The Real Reason So Many Christians Are Obese

From my earliest memories, I lived to eat. Today, I eat to live. Ten years ago, I felt I would never be able to say that.

For years my weight-loss journey could be characterized as a quest to discover the easiest, best, quickest way to lose the mountain of flesh that had somehow attached itself to my body.

I tried many diets. Many of them I would have success with until I stopped and went back to the same way I’d always eaten. Then I’d fail again miserably and go back down the road to weight gain.

Each time I did this I gained more weight than I lost, putting me behind in the weight-loss game rather than ahead. Finally I vowed to accept myself as I was—fat and all. I rationalized it would be better than the yo-yo I was putting my body through.

Gain Weight by Just Looking at Food

I knew God had the power to fix me. I just didn’t understand why He didn’t take my problem away and let me eat normal like everyone else. Why did I have to be the one who seemed to gain weight just by looking at hot rolls, cakes and cookies?

Although that seems ludicrous to think that you gain weight just by looking at food, photos of our favorite foods set up cues that make us want that food. Consider beautiful photos of luscious foods in your favorite magazine.

Obviously, you can’t smell the food, but just looking at it makes your mouth water. The saliva rush tells your brain food is coming. When it doesn’t come your brain orders your body, go get the food! The next thing you know you’re surveying your cabinets for ingredients to make that or something similar.

Going to an event that has some of those foods, even if you’ve vowed not to indulge will set up an even greater desire to eat them. You can see them, and now you can smell them. You start salivating even more because you not only see them, you smell them which signals your body to eat that food!

Basically, you’re toast. You’ll probably indulge unless you’ve thought ahead and brought an alternative or made a contingency plan.

I Don’t Want Sugar Now

I am far enough along on this journey to not even want sugary, bready foods anymore. I know they will make me feel sick and bloated. However, I still wouldn’t knowingly put myself in the way of temptation.

For instance, I wouldn’t go to a dessert-cooking class. I wouldn’t go to a fun day of cookie baking and packaging homemade cookie to exchange. I wouldn’t volunteer to make homemade cookies for any event.

Any situation where I am exposed to temptation for long periods of time would be like hiring an alcoholic to be a bartender. It might last for a while, but eventually the close proximity and easy access to something you’ve had a struggle with for years would win out.

Today I make choices about what I eat, what I do, what I look at, and where I go based on what’s best for me health-wise. I don’t apologize for my addiction. I don’t shy away from saying no for my health.