We create all our emotions and feelings because of the core beliefs we hold on to and our patterns of thinking. I want to stress this because I believe that this is the root cause of all our internal dis-ease, dissatisfaction, and discomfort and consequently all our unnecessary pain, struggles, and suffering. Furthermore, this eventually manifests as problems in our lives, like weight issues.

HAVE YOU BEEN STRUGGLING TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Understand that losing weight requires taking into consideration several factors and you must understand how each relates to your situation. It is not simply a matter of balancing your calories in and calories out. One must understand that it is also about energy expenditure and conservation, then there is the imbalance or the lack of the body’s response to the chemicals produced by our neuroendocrine system. Of course, there are also the 4-W’s of weight issues. Then you add to this the core beliefs that you have. By now you know that when we do something often enough it becomes our default choice (habit). In everything, I propose that you always ask yourself these two questions:

1. Why am I holding on to this belief?
2. What benefits do I gain from thinking this way?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOURSELF?

This was an eye opener for me. I knew that what we think influences how we act, and still I did not connect the dots that how I think about my body was impacting how I cared for self. If you do not accept and love your body unconditionally as it is right now, you will struggle to lose weight. Remember, internal conflict produces stress, which increases our production of cortisol, which leads to weight gain, etc. Furthermore, you will struggle to keep the weight off. Where you are right now is a consequence of the choices you have CONSISTENTLY made. Your body is not the issue, rather it is your beliefs and choices that are the issues.

AFTER IDENTIFYING YOUR CORE BELIEFS

Now that you have identified your core beliefs and deconstructed them by applying truth and love, we now must take a closer look at the 4-W’s of weight issues. The idea is to eat only when PHYSIOLOGICALLY hungry; yet we know that many of us often eat when we are not physiologically hungry. How do you treat or care for something or someone that you love? I propose that you start treating or caring for yourself the same way. Stop abusing and punishing yourself with food. The 4 W’s of weight loss:

1. Why am I eating? [your reasons]
2. What am I eating? [quality and quantity]
3. When am I eating? [your triggers/cues]
4. Where am I eating? [location]

UNDERSTAND HOW YOU THINK ABOUT FOOD

Stop being afraid of food or your emotions. They have power, because you have given them power over you. If you find yourself thinking about food all the time, then food has become your idol. As Christians, we know that there should be no idol but Jesus Christ. Therefore, if you are using food as a DOC, then it is time to realize that:

1. Food has never solved the problem [seek God]
2. Your use of food has created your weight and other problems
3. It is time to change your approach
4. Know that this is not about FOOD

NOT ENOUGH MAY BE THE CULPRIT

When we BELIEVE there is not enough or there is lack, we tend to grab as much anxiously or greedily as we can for a rainy day. The problem with storing extra food in our bodies is that it gets stored as excess weight. Thus, it is time to remember that THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH! Furthermore, you will not die from starvation if you don’t eat for 24 hours.