I had the pleasure of working with a Louisiana Tech Dietetic Intern this week and it was so refreshing. She took great interest in eating disorder recovery and was so eager to learn how to help others that struggle with this life-controlling issue. Part of her assignment with me was to write an article about something she felt passionate about and I believe her words are covered in so much life-giving truth. I’m excited to share Olivia Hurst’s article with you below:

Have you tried several different diets but none work? Maybe you’ve succeeded on a diet just to regain all the weight back plus some. A study showed that the majority of people who lose weight on a short-term diet will regain the weight within one year. Diets may work for short-term weight loss, but they are not working over the lifetime.

Did you know the Bible talks about enjoying the foods that God has given us? Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 says,

“I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”

God has given us gifts to enjoy while we are here on this earth and He wants us to take pleasure in them. It’s okay to eat a cheeseburger or have a cookie. God has given you that gift of enjoyment and He wants you to give thanks to Him for that rather than not allowing yourself to enjoy that gift.

Even though God has given us these gifts and wants us to take pleasure in them with thankfulness, the Bible is also very clear on practicing self-control. In fact, self-control is one of the fruits of the spirit. Self-control should be in all aspects of your life, whether that’s with eating, what you are saying, or being diligent on a task that must get done. Proverbs 25:16 says,

“If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit.”

Practicing self-control around food is something that takes time. We should be patient with ourselves and know that it’s okay to mess up. We should always be able to enjoy our favorite foods with absolutely no guilt or shame. The problem occurs when we are consistently eating past the point of fullness and not considering hunger and fullness cues. We create a strained relationship with food when we ignore our bodily cues. Eating to the point of satisfaction is a way we can honor this body that God has given us. Remember that learning to understand hunger and fullness cues takes time. There is grace in the process of creating a healthy relationship with food.

Your body is the temple of God; therefore, we should take care of it to the best of our ability. Yes, we can take pleasure in eating dessert or enjoying movie nights with friends, but the Bible warns against gluttony and laziness. It is important that you give thanks to God for the gifts He has allowed you to receive, but it is also important that you are a good steward of the body He has given you. 1 Timothy 4: 8 says,

“For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

We know that exercising and eating nutritious foods is good for us, but that should never come before our walk with Christ. We should glorify God in our bodies and always point to Him, but we should never be so obsessed with our own bodies that we forget it is a gift He has given us and that it is home to the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 31:30 says,

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

Outward appearance is so temporary. The Bible talks many times about our inward character being much more important than our outward appearance. If you are eating healthy and working out only for your outward appearance, you may need to rethink your intentions.

No matter what you are doing, glorify God in everything. Give thanks to Him for allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods, but glorify Him in caring for your body. Give thanks to Him for giving you an amazing body that keeps breathing throughout the night, and don’t be ungrateful for what He has made you to be.

So, you may be saying to yourself, “Yeah this is great, but I still think I should lose weight.” Did you know there is evidence-based research that supports the idea of not dieting? In fact, there is research showing that the more an individual restricts themselves of a certain food the more likely they are to binge eat, leading to more weight gain. 

There is evidence suggesting that when people allow themselves to eat the foods they are originally wanting, they are more likely to not overeat. Do not create foods for yourself that are off limits, but allow yourself to eat freely in moderation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Know that your body was perfectly crafted by the same creator Who paints every sunrise and every sunset. 

Know that God allows us to take pleasure in our favorite foods and He wants us to thank Him for our favorite foods.

Know that your body is a temporary gift and you should take care of it, allowing it to eat nutritious foods and move but also allowing it to have your favorite foods and relax. 

Know that your walk with Christ and your inner joy say a whole lot more about you than your outward physical appearance.

Know that diet culture is not the answer, and everybody is beautiful in their own way.

I challenge you today to be guilt free when you are eating. But I also challenge you to try new, fun recipes that maybe have a vegetable you’ve never eaten before.

Life is about glorifying God in all that we do, and it’s definitely not about how our bodies look.

REFERENCES

Begin, C., Carbonneau, E., Gagnon-Girouard, M.-P., Mongeau, L., Paquette, M. C., Turcotte, M., & Provencher, V. (2019). Eating-related and psychological outcomes of health at every size intervention in health and social services centers across the province of Quebec. American Journal of Health Promotion, 33 (2), 248-258.

Rothblum, E. D. (2018). Slim chance for permanent weight loss. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 6(1), 63-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/arc0000043