This news is so good; you won’t want to take it standing up! Sitting down? Good, because what I’m going to tell you this month can change the way you eat, and as a result–the way you look. The best part of it is that this transformation of body and mind will take place in the comfort of your favorite chair. Sound easy? It is! 

Do you realize just how often you eat on your feet? Most of us don’t realize it, but when we stop to count the many times we graze without thought we discover that we’ve picked up a small meal here and there without consideration. 

Do any of the following sound familiar? 

• Samples at the grocery store
• A cold pop sitting on the counter while you tend to housework
• A flavored coffee while you shop
• Tasting a few bites here and there while cooking dinner
• Grabbing a candy from your purse
• Grazing the table at a party
• Accepting the “try one of these…” from a friend
• Grabbing a cookie on the run

This type of weight gain brings the old catch phrase to mind “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach,” which isn’t just a snarky remark to toss out at a buffet line—it’s an accurate description of most human beings. If we aren’t visually satisfied with the volume we see on our plate, we aren’t satisfied with our meal, regardless of whether we’re comfortably full or not.

With any reasonable diet, you’re looking at calories-in verses calories-out, whether they’re referred to as “calories” or “points” it’s just basic math. The problems that we face when it comes to this simple equation is that we either choose to ignore the small numbers in hopes that our bodies failed math 101, or we feel cheated when it comes to mealtime because we’re facing a deficit in our account. Been there? I have—today in fact, but I’m waking up and pressing on, with a constant reminder that I am not a slave to the flesh.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. –Romans 8:12,13 KJV

The solution is to offer your body meals that are appealing to those over-sized eyes, yet not so appealing that we break the bank. How do we do this? We behave and we save. A good way to save is by sitting down each and every time we eat. If you feel like grabbing a cookie at 3:00 pm, then do so, but put that cookie on a plate in the kitchen for inclusion in your snack or meal plan. Want an apple at 3:30? Fine, but do the same—put the apple beside the cookie, and wait for your designated time to sit down and eat. Whether you’re eating at 5:00 with the family, or waiting for that physical sign of hunger, you can rest knowing that the cookie and apple are waiting in the kitchen for you. Remember, they don’t have legs—they’re not going anywhere!

By grouping our food into set meals, we combat a two-fold internal struggle we face:

1. Feeling of deprivation
2. The “I have a poverty stricken diet” mindset
    

When it’s finally mealtime, fill your plate once and sit down to eat. By placing the cookie and the apple alongside your meal, you have visual confirmation that you have enough. You may even find that you’re not hungering for that cookie anymore, and so you’ll return it to the jar.

That’s a good thing!  

Once you’re sitting down, stay seated. There’s no reason that you need to run back to the kitchen for seconds. If you filled your plate well the first time, and you feel comfortably full, you’ve had enough. That second plate of food is a sure-fire way of depleting your account.

Drink a cup of tea or sip on some water for a bit while your food does its thing, then get up from the table and walk away from the food. Remember it takes about 20 minutes for the body to message the brain that you’re full, but it will!

Lust comes in all colors and sizes, ladies. It might be a mink coat for one, a man for another, and a fudge brownie for you. Regardless of how we slice it—our bodies are constantly combating lust.

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna! –Numbers 11:4-6, NIV

Just because we live with a longing for food, that doesn’t mean that our appetite has the power to control us. We can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us—amen? Amen! Start eating this way today, and I trust that you’ll see a difference in your mentality immediately.

And while you’re sitting, there’s just one other little thing I encourage you to do. It’s truly one of the best motivational tools that I have, and I want to share this secret with you. Grab a pen and paper or a recipe card right now, and start writing a list. List the reasons why you want to lose weight, which may include things like:

• I’ll feel younger.
• I’ll look prettier.
• I’ll be healthier.
• I’ll feel confident.
• I can wear a bathing suit next summer.
• I’ll buy regular-sized clothing.
• I’ll gain self-control.

Some of you may have written a list like this when we started out, and if so that’s great, I hope you refer to it often. What I encourage you to do—and what I do—is read the list every single morning, and again once or twice throughout the day. Every day that I do this I find that I am stronger than the days that I don’t. In fact I had a busy morning today, forgot to read the list, and therefore I’ve encountered a bit of slippage this evening. But as I’m writing, I’m remembering the reasons why I want to Live Well!

Read more articles like this in my monthly column, “Live Well!”

When I started out writing this column, I assumed the articles would generally be about living well—not particularly on weight loss. But as the readership grew, I started receiving feedback—lots of feedback—
from women who were struggling with weight. It was then that I realized that God was using me to minister to other women who, like me, struggle with food issues.

Because of this ministry, and my focus toward it, I am continually finding scripture that speaks to the struggle. I’m encouraged with the knowledge that God understands our desire to lose, and gives us the tools necessary to win.

So this week, in our home Bible study group we talked about meekness. How does that relate to appetite? It completely relates when you understand what the true meaning of the word is, and how it applies to our life.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
—Matthew 5:5

Let’s look closer at the word meek:

The Greek word is praeiv, translated in Strong’s Concordance (#4239) as: mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness.

So the idea is that a meek person is someone who is gentle, tolerant, patient, and long suffering, and someone who is submissive to their Lord.

Contrary to the way the world would see it, meekness does not equate weakness—in fact it’s the exact opposite. Meekness is being strong yet controlled.

When studying the word I found that the Greeks would often equate meekness with the taming of an animal, such as a horse that was broken in as apposed to one that is wild.

This reminded me of our old Pit bull, Bailey. With her incredible jaw and body strength, she was capable of doing severe damage, and yet she was the meekest animal I have ever met. We knew she was a good pup when she first rolled over on her back to greet us—a submissive sign that we recognized.

By the time Bailey was a few years old, she was trained to respond well to her leash. She was also trained to stop at each corner, and look both ways before crossing the street. One evening while out for a walk, Bailey was harassed by a dog one-tenth her size. The little dog charged across the street with a bark far bigger than his bite. I knew that Bailey could take the little squirt out with one gulp, but instead of retaliating, she remained under control. Following the lead of her master.

I look to Jesus whose very life was a reflection of His desire to follow the Father.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. –Isaiah 53:7

And the same meek and gentle, Jesus Christ…

…entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves. —Matthew 21:12, NIV

Always ready to defend His faith, yet never defending Himself. Therein lies the strength of the meek, in the ability to control ones passions and desires.

If we learn to control our passions in the small things of life, we equip ourselves to be further controlled in the larger issues. On the other hand, if we let our emotions rule us, we become a slave to them.

It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search their own glory is not glory. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
—Proverbs 25:27 & 28.

Jesus equipped Himself for ministry by fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, bringing His body under subjection to the spirit, can you say no to an extra brownie or two? Can you say no to pop and grab water instead? Each time you let your passions rule your choice, you are letting them rule you. Isn’t that a discouraging thought?

Can you imagine how great a force we could be if we could live a life of meekness in the same manner as Him. We become a conquering force not only able to reject the next binge, but to stand up for our faith when the going gets tough.

If controlling our appetite weren’t of great importance, why would fasting be of any use? It’s a form of self-denial, and any healthy denial of self teaches our soul that our Spirit is the one in charge.

Losing weight is great, ladies, but our pant size is not what bugs us the most, is it? It’s our failure to control our appetite time and again. It’s the overwhelming feeling that we’re in bondage to food. It’s the feeling that we’re trapped in a body that has control over us. That’s why we want change. That’s why we need change!

The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
—Psalm 22:26

©2008, Darlene Schacht

*We advise that you always consult your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.