Learning to Lose

Like so many others, my background includes childhood trauma. (That’s another story for another time.) To deal with the emotional pain, I over-indulged in food for decades. There were times I tried to eat healthy, but like a yo-yo, I went back and forth from bingeing to dieting. I tried various fad diets and quickly lost weight. But when I returned to normal eating habits, I regained the pounds I’d lost plus more.

Finally, I cried out to the Lord, and asked Him how to be victorious. As I yielded all food, weight, and health issues to Jesus, He taught me three things that were key for me to develop healthy eating and exercise habits. As I applied what God showed me, I lost 90 pounds. This was several years ago, and to date I have maintained the weight loss.

1.) The Battle is the Lord’s – 1 Samuel 17:47

With a background in legalism and perfectionism, I used to think I could change my habits through effort and hard work. But each failure showed me that willpower alone wouldn’t work for me. 1 Samuel 17:47 tells us that the battle is the Lord’s. I learned to focus on God’s power, strength, and ability to fight and win this battle through me.

When I was tempted to binge on unhealthy food, I said, “the battle is the Lord’s” and He helped me resist. When I felt too tired to exercise, I asked the Lord to energize me, and He did. My part was to yield to Him and ask for His strength. I realized that apart from the Lord, I can do nothing (John 15:5b), but through the Lord, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

2.) Something is Better Than Nothing – Zechariah 4:10a

The second thing the Lord taught me is that something is better than nothing. The concept comes from part of Zechariah 4:10 that states, “Don’t despise the day of small beginnings.” This simple lesson had a profound impact on my habits. In the past, I’d swung from one extreme to another. For example, I’d exercise for hours a day, or not at all, or, I’d swing from starving myself to bingeing.

The Lord encouraged me to start by making small changes. Initially, I exercised for just 10 minutes a day and tracked everything I ate. I eventually desired more exercise, so the time increased. As I tracked what I ate, I became aware of how my food choices impacted my health. Over time, it became easier to choose healthy foods in smaller portions, since I wanted to hit my daily budget. Because I started small, I didn’t see quick results and in the past, I would have given up. But this time when I became discouraged, the Lord reminded me that something is better than nothing, and I kept going!

3.) Do Whatever He Tells YOU – John 2:5b

A third thing I learned was to do what God told me would work best for me. Over the years, I’d followed the diet advice of “experts” or people who shared what worked for them. Other times, someone judged me for not eating and exercising their way. But their plans weren’t a good fit for me. The Lord knows me best (see Psalm 139) so I asked Him to help me customize a plan that would work long term. Food tracking worked because I’m a list maker by nature. I enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, so walking outside also works for me. As I gained understanding in what worked for me, I also learned to extend God’s grace to allow others to do what works for them.

When someone asks how I lost weight, I share what I learned. I’ve also found that these lessons apply to other areas of life. The Lord taught me how to gain victory, and He can do the same for you.

Related Scriptures:

• 1 Samuel 17:47b “for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.”
• Zechariah 4:10a “Indeed, who despises the day of small things?”
• John 2:5b “Do whatever he tells you.”

Application Questions:

• In what ways do these lessons resonate with you?
• In what areas would you like to experience more of the Lord’s strength?
• How might you get started?