January 6, 2009 7:51 AM
Diet dish - what's on your plate?
Sparked by a friend who wanted to lose 3 pounds, Danielle Bean posted 3 Things I Hate About Diets yesterday, and while she made some good points, I felt I needed to explain that:
*Some of us who are drastically overweight need to take drastic measures - and I believe that is entirely appropriate - physically and spiritually.
*That some of us are motivated not just by self-loathing over how we look but how wrong our priorities are and the pattern of denial that needs to be broken.
*That none of us can judge the motivation of another woman.
*And that in all the confusion of voices of spiritual mentors, it is important to always remind women that they must listen for the still small voice of God and follow that no matter the opinions of others.
When I was drastically overweight, it did disgust me no end when someone thin would complain of being fat. My own experience with confronting many issues during the dieting process has made me less swift to judge. Sometimes weight may be a stand-in for something else.
I do agree with Danielle about self-loathing. I just want to make sure that we're clear that this is not the prime motivation for the women I know on the MommyLife Diet 2009 group - now 85 strong.
While some of us may need to examine whether we are trading one obsession for another, I am confident that during this time of fasting from unhealthy foods, God will have many opportunities to speak to each of us individually not just about food and weight, but about many aspects of our character that He would like to refine.
This was my experience in 2006 when I lost 80 pounds. And while I regained 10, evidently there was enough character formation during that time that I've drawn the line here and am returning to meet my original goal of 100 pounds - with God's help.
So while I think I know where Danielle is coming from, I hope she understands a little bit more where we are coming from :)
Comments
I responded also on Danielle's site. I do think that most women who diet are still just demonstrating their same old obsession with food. The only "diet" that truly works is the one that permanently alters a person's relationship to food, if that relationship was a bad one.
Food and eating are often a control issue. Many women just exchange the "Nobody else can tell me what I can't eat" control, with "I'm gonna control every bite that goes in my mouth" when they diet. It's not a deep, fundamental change.
That's why I liked what you initially stated about needing to alter your attitude toward food. I hope you can motivate other women to break away from that bondage, and not exchange it for ANY other obsession, including an obsession for exercise.
Posted by: mary kathryn | January 6, 2009 9:37 AM
Barbara, I don't have time to read the post above other then just skim it. But I saw this quote in the Lord's Table Course this morning and I thought you should read it. This is from a person who went through the program lat year.
" I thank God for bringing me to The Lord's Table. Through this course, I have developed a deep love for Jesus and I am no longer a slave to food! I now realize that food can never satisfy my hungry heart the way The Bread of Life can!
In the last 6 months, I have lost 76 pounds of disobedience and have gained riches beyond measure. Truly the Lord has released my feet from the snare of sin."
The "76 lbs of disobedience" is the perfect description of excess weight. I thought you would appreciate the stark honesty of that sentence.
Posted by: Imajackson | January 6, 2009 11:12 AM
I'm interested in joining your 2009 group. Your articles and blogs hit home and feel that with your help I will be able to listen and obey God commandment with glutony. I hope it's not too late to join.
Thank you
Jaky
Posted by: Jacquelyn Banken | January 13, 2009 9:49 PM
