n
Set realistic, measurable goals.
n
Keep trigger foods out of your house and out of your reach.
n
Get at least seven hours of sleep each night to reduce
carbohydrate cravings.
n
Take at least 20 minutes to eat a meal. It takes that long to
begin to feel full.
n
Put your fork down between bites to slow your pace of eating.
n
Find a way to distract your mind and body.
Most cravings will subside within 15 minutes.
n
Set clear boundaries and stay within them.
n
Develop a backup plan so a temporary
lapse will not derail your progress.
n
Strive for modest goals for weight loss;
just 1–2 pounds per week is the most
sustainable long term.
n
Choose an exercise you enjoy and will stick
with for 30 minutes a day, four or five times a week.
n
Start low and go slow to ensure steady progress.
Stewarding Our Gifts
It’s not about simply having more willpower — this can be
elusive. Practically speaking, it’s more about being mindful
of the patterns of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that as a person “thinks in his heart,
so is he.”
We are indeed more than just our thoughts or our emotions,
but they significantly contribute to the behavioral choices we make.
While we may have spontaneous thoughts that are not compatible
with our health goals, these need not dominate our thinking.
Paul reminds us that we are responsible for our choices, and he
encourages us to dwell on what is good (Phil. 4:8).
God designed us to eat, and He created a variety of foods for
us to enjoy. But like all of His good and perfect gifts, we are called
to be stewards of both our bodies and the foods He has given us
to nourish them. Galatians 5 tells us that we are called to freedom,
but we are warned not to let our freedom be our undoing. Paul’s
admonition that everything is permissible but not everything is
helpful (1 Cor. 6:12) provides a balanced perspective that empowers
us to make better choices in our behaviors and our environments
so we can freely enjoy God’s gift of food without letting it have
mastery over us.
The goal is improved overall health. When we make lifestyle
choices compatible with that goal, we are more likely to please God
and improve our quality of life.
Milton Becknell
is a Professor of Psychology at Cedarville. He received
his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Southern
Mississippi, and he is board certified in clinical health psychology by
the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is a licensed
psychologist in Ohio, and he maintains a small private practice
in Centerville, Ohio. You may contact Dr. Becknell at
.
For further reading
:
Made to Crave
by Lysa TerKeurst;
The LEARN
Program for Weight Management
by Kelly Brownell;
Dr. Dean
Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease
by Dean Ornish
It’s amazing how unhealthy thinking distorts both your sense
of time and reality: “If I don’t have that right now, my head will
explode.” Esau famously traded his inheritance for a bowl of stew
exclaiming, “I am about to die!” (Gen. 25:32). When the ice cream
calls, take comfort in knowing that in about 15 minutes, the craving
will pass. It may return, but with each victory you have over it, the
craving will weaken. Even if it doesn’t go away entirely, it will not
have the same strength when you refuse it.
Choose a distraction that will occupy your mind and body until
it passes. This can be any activity that allows you to redirect or
refocus on something besides eating. Try taking a brisk walk or
doing some physical chore around the house. You will distract
yourself from eating and burn calories.
Strategies
for Success
