Tag: Diets

This journey is a spiritual journey–filled with wisdom from God and learning to walk closer to Him.

But there are times that I need practical physical steps. It’s one thing to pray about mindful eating, but it’s another to live it out.

I’ve asked God How do I maintain focus?

And I sensed God asking me, “How do you focus on anything?”

At first, I thought I focused on nothing, but then thought of when I’m focusing on food. What do I do?

I pay attention to the urge.
I think about it.
I plan for it.
I act on it.

These are the four steps of focus! And I need to apply them to my hunger.

In God’s goodness, here’s an acrostic (that when I stop to remember it, helps me say NOPE to eating.)

Notice the urge.
Observe.
Plan.
Engage.

If we use this when we crave but aren’t hungry, we’ll be more mindful.

Here’s how it works. I’m watching a TV show and I think “Nutella.” (the urge) Then I think, “We have Nutella.” (0bserve) I think, “I could go get some and eat it with a spoon.” (plan) I get up and go get the Nutella and eat it–even though I’m not really hungry. (engage)

Instead, I could’ve said NOPE! and focused on something else.

Here’s what to do instead–just say YES!

Yield to hunger–only.
Extol God.
Savor.

When I say YES, I wait until I’m genuinely experiencing hunger (and truthfully, food tastes better then). I stop to extol or praise God who gives us all good things. And then I eat slowly and savor each bite.

In fact, the eating, tasting, savoring can become an act of worship as we continue to extol and praise God for the wonderful things He has made, for the freedom He has given us, for His Spirit who bears the fruit of self-control in us.

Say YES to God today!

“God gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free.” Psalm 146:7

Praise God!

“The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.” Psalm 145:14

God, I praise You because You never give up on me. A thousand million times I fall, I cheat, I indulge…and You love me and pick me up again.

“The Lord is kind in all His deeds.” Psalm 145:17

Praise You!

“The eyes of all look to You.” Psalm 145:15

This is mindful eating. Every day–all day long–I have the opportunity to look to You for my food. To wait. To trust. To honor You with my choices and in how I eat.

Do I eat with a mindful heart of praise and gratitude? Do I stop to give thanks to the God who gives me my food? Do I honor You with temperance?

“And You give them their food in due time.” Psalm 145:15

Waiting on You for hunger. That is the due time. My body is due food–because it’s growling. Wait for God!

“You open Your hand.” Psalm 145:16

I’ve never thought about Your hand being closed. But it’s not open all the time. It is Your grace that opens Your hand. Your kindness.

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” Psalm 145:17

What if the “growl” lets me know that Your hand is open to…

“And satisfy the desire of every living thing…” Psalm 145:16

What if with every bite I thanked You for satisfying my desire?

Would this kind of mindful eating before You lead to You satisfying my desire for my body to be lean and healthy?

Give us this day our daily bread. Even the Lord’s Prayer acknowledges that food comes from God. Do we eat with that awareness? Every time we eat, it’s an opportunity to show God what’s in our heart–a desire to obey and focus on Him satisfying our hunger.

The choice is simple: Do I eat with a self-centeredness to feed my appetite and belly and overeat like the Israelites? Or eat just what I need?

Every day, I have the opportunity to approach food with an attitude of contentment and gratitude, eating to satisfy my hunger rather than my appetite. That means I wait until I actually experience hunger before I eat. For me, that means I wait for an actual growl. For my husband, he knows when he’s hungry without the growl.

Why wait for the growl? Because for me, after 40 years of not being able to conquer this issue, I don’t trust my flesh, my senses, my appetite, my “hunger.” I’m very aware that I have triggers (like stress, anxiety, boredom, memories) that will make me want to eat. Just the other day at work, I got a little stressed and said to my friend, “now I want to eat something” and she said “me too.” But I wasn’t experiencing physical hunger so I didn’t eat.

For me, I have to wait for that physical “empty tank” feeling so I don’t eat for the wrong reasons.

“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.” Philippians 3:18-19

Every day I have the opportunity to eat to satisfy my hunger instead of my appetite. To do otherwise means that my mind is set on earthly things and I am an enemy of the cross.

Ecclesiastes 10:16-17 says “woe to you if your princes feast in the morning–instead of eating at the APPROPRIATE time…for strength (hunger)…and not for drunkenness (appetite).”

The right reason to eat? Physical nourishment, not meeting emotional needs. Not seeking the food high.  And there is a food high. If I’m looking to food to meet my emotional needs instead of God, I am like an addict seeking a fix.

Using physical hunger as my gauge helps me stay true to eating for strength and not drunkenness. Ask God to show you what real physical hunger feels like for you…and then wait for that signal that it’s time to eat.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31