Nearly everyone I know who wants to lose weight has faith in dieting (or sometimes called a “lifestyle change”) to accomplish the goal of a slimmer, more healthy body. Nearly every one of them has lost weight in the past by adopting food rules of some sort, sticking to those rules for a while, and then regaining part or all of the lost weight. They strongly believe their failure is due to a lack of will power. The thinking is, “Had I just continued to stick to the program, I would not have gained this weight back.” They rarely see the program as part of the problem.
But food rules really are a big part of why people regain the weight they had lost when they followed the rules. There’s a cycle of deprivation, making up for lost time with favorite foods, shame and self-loathing, followed by engaging in the deprivation again – and all along the way, there’s a sense of failing, not only on the diet, but also before the Lord.
So I hope this is NOT the “wagon” you hop back onto this coming January. How about a nice new shiny wagon that involves “casting your cares upon him for he cares for you”? (1 Peter 5:7) How about no longer following the “basic principles of this world,” such as “do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” all of which “indeed have the appearance of wisdom,” BUT “lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence”? (Colossians 2:20-23)
What if you turn to the indwelling Christ and ask Him how you were designed to relate to food by acknowledging physical hunger and satiation, how you were designed to relate to your emotions by turning to Him for comfort and calm rather than to food, how you were designed to depend on Him for protection from your own desires or the desires of others rather than depending on your large size for protection.
No, it’s not a 10-step plan and there is nothing to count, such as grams or calories or points. What you count is the cost of truly surrendering to Jesus to guide you, even in your eating.