This is a place where we talk about education…so let’s educate ourselves today a little, mamas.
Self talk is important: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23) In other words, keep a careful watch on the thoughts and affections of your heart because they will influence everything about your life.
I had a sort of epiphany recently regarding my thoughts about food, eating, and dieting. Everything sort of rolled up into a ball of self talk that had been part of me from the time I was little.
My mom was a Depression era kid. She would tell stories about how tight money was, and how on frequent occasions they had “corn starch pudding” for meals. She was little enough that she thought it was great–dessert for breakfast! But because there had been such a focus on the lean pantry and even leaner income, it forever influenced how she viewed food. Sayings I heard in our home as a girl:
- “wrap some bread around it” (when I wanted to just grab a piece of cheese from the fridge for a snack)
- “clear day tomorrow” (praise for finishing everything and not being allowed to leave the table if something remained uneaten)
- the proverbial “starving children” (being reminded that unfortunate children across the globe would be grateful for the food I’d snubbed)
- “you might be hungry later” (encouraged to eat when I wasn’t hungry in preparation for later when I might not have food at hand)
Many of these thought habits she was not at fault for…she had been conditioned to conserve, to stretch provisions–in short, to survive. The last one probably makes me the saddest…being convinced that panic/preservation eating needed to be a thing.
So, I remember these adages and I internalized them as well, for the most part. And they are not all wrong–being wasteful is never a good thing. First–maybe take smaller portions? 🙂 Then–we should absolutely be responsible stewards of what we have. But instead of treating our bodies like a trash can, if we simply can’t bear the thought of pitching what’s left on the plate, I could suggest keeping that half a hamburger or 1/2 cup of green beans and creating your own little mini-smorgasbord meal with all the bits and bites. Charcuterie is cool, right? 😉
A few other snippets of reeducation on food:
- Food is fuel…if we are not training for a marathon, it’s likely we don’t need 3,000 calories for a meal
- Food obsession indicates a problem. Our physical appetites need to take a back seat. It’s no surprise that Satan’s first choice of weaponry in tempting Jesus when He came out of 40 days fasting in the wilderness was to appeal to fleshly appetites. Jesus straightened out his perspective. We should learn from this. And cravings? They can mean you are dehydrated or malnourished. Your body might be screaming for missing nutrients…or just water. I find that lack of sleep/exhaustion drives me to simple carbs that hit my system and do provide an energy boost really quickly, but then will drop me like a rock. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
- Put away the pacifier–if food is our go-to when we are stressed, it is just as ridiculous as if we were walking around with a binkie. Talking to myself here…I understand stress, cortisol, and that connection very well. Here is a good place to go for great thoughts on biblical stress management. Saltines and butter were my mom’s go-to stress food. I remember her snacking on them by the kitchen sink. She had some big stressors in her life–I know that now when I look back as an adult–and she did not yet have the Holy Spirit in her life to help and instruct her. I do…I’m empowered as a daughter of the King. I should behave accordingly.
- Balance. If you go on a full-on, diet ninja, spirulina/tofu/sprout fast with no reprieve ever…trust me, there’s a chocolate torte or something around the next corner waiting to jump you when you least expect it. Something I love about the Weight Watchers app is that you can use your points on anything. Splurge. Totally okay. You eventually learn from experience that more food that is better for you and makes you feel better and energized is a much happier experience overall.
- “Enough is as good as a feast” (I learned that one watching “True Grit). Slow down. Savor. Learn to listen for “full”. Another saying I heard in my childhood home: “That tastes like more”…that will get you into trouble, girlfriend.
- Be kind to yourself. If you are struggling with health issues, the journey is going to be harder. Get your heart and mind in a peaceful place and it will make the rest so much easier. I understand this as I deal with multiple chronic autoimmune conditions (some made worse by carrying excess weight–it’s a terrible cycle that needs to be broken).
- You may not “deserve” a hot fudge sundae (don’t use food as incentive/reward for you or your kids…it ends badly), but you can certainly permit yourself to enjoy a treat. I used to feel miffed and even sabotaged when my husband would buy me a bag of York peppermint patties or some other favorite treat. He was just trying to help me have some balance. He’s good for me like that.
What things have you learned on your weight loss journey? I’d love to learn from you! Comment on this post!
ps If you want to help those starving children, how about contributing to or volunteering for your local food pantry?