Many people who struggle with weight issues get discouraged because they are focused on the external aspects of losing weight, rather than focusing on the internal aspects of weight loss. REALIZE that the internal aspects of losing weight are not only MORE IMPORTANT, but getting healthy inside will give you the SUSTAINABLE external results you desire.

YOUR WEIGHT ISSUE IS A SYMPTOM OF INTERNAL DIS-EASE/PAIN

I have said this before; however, maybe I need to rephrase it. We are overweight because of the HoWs of weight issues [a topic for another article]. For many people struggling with weight issues, their HoWs became unhealthy because “they were or are USING food as a DOC.” Food has become the DRUG OF CHOICE you use to numb the pain, distract you from the pain, or calm the internal dis-ease.

DIS-EASE AND PAIN, INTERNAL ASPECTS OF WEIGHT ISSUES

What the world can’t see, but you are THINKING is what is driving you to seek food constantly. What the world can’t see but you FEEL, is what is causing the unrelenting dis-ease, discomfort, restlessness, and pain that has caused you to SEEK something outside of yourself to remedy the situation. KNOW that the solution will NEVER be outside, it has always been inside of you. However, you must be WILLING to look inside for the solution.

Our weight issues are signals that we have some BURIED pain and dis-ease, that we DO NOT WANT TO FEEL, so we numb ourselves, distract ourselves, or bury ourselves in FOOD. BTW – you can replace food with sex, drugs, alcohol, the gym, work, gambling, restless movement, controlling behaviors, perfectionistic tendencies, procrastination, hoarding, etc. Anything that you USE to distract yourself from CONFRONTING the pain, dis-ease, or restlessness that NOW is manifesting as PHYSICAL disease, FINANCIAL problems, a SPIRITUAL crisis, or PSYCHOLOGICAL problems, is your DOC.

THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE DIS-EASE AND PAIN

Something is causing you to FEEL shame, guilt, not good enough, that you do not deserve better or forgiveness, disappointed, like a failure, discouraged, empty, never satisfied, sadness, disconnected, alone, isolated, restless, you don’t like yourself, or chronically exhausted.

Something that you are believing and thinking about yourself is causing you to FEEL. Taking it a step further, you believe and think that you cannot FACE these feelings without food. Worse, you believe and think that you CANNOT deal with these feelings at all.

That something for many people is that they have FORGOTTEN their worth [the cost paid for them], and their value [how important they are]. These two factors are very important aspects of our spiritual health. When we IDENTIFY ourselves as Christians, we should automatically KNOW our worth and value. Sadly, too many things have caused us to lose sight of these IMPORTANT TRUTHS.

What WE MUST UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT

First, nothing you have done or did not do is so unforgivable that God won’t forgive you. More than likely, it is not the absence of God forgiving you that has you turning to food, rather it is YOU NOT FORGIVING YOURSELF.

Second, ACCEPTANCE comes into play because you must accept that you made a mistake, for after all you are human, and NO ONE is perfect. The other and equally important thing is you have to ACCEPT yourself unconditionally with ALL your faults and flaws. BEATING up or PUNISHING yourself with food, or whatever you use, is NOT the solution. That is you FINDING an excuse as to why you cannot confront or examine your feelings today.

MAKE TIME FOR YOUR FEELINGS BEFORE THEY DESTROY YOU

Remember, our feelings are indicator lights that go off to alert us to the fact that something NEEDS our attention, something needs to be fixed. Four things to remember that will put your mind at ease:

1. Give praise and thanks [gratitude and appreciation] that God is ALWAYS in control.
2. Know that GOD will always LOVE you. He may not be pleased with some of our choices and decisions, but He will NEVER stop loving us.
3. There is and will ALWAYS be enough.
4. The source of ABUNDANCE is within every believer.