Tag: weight

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Body Image

The other day my beautiful niece shared this quote on her Facebook page:

“It’s crazy how I adore women of all body sizes and shapes but I can’t accept my own.”

It was the last straw, and I knew I had to talk about it here. After hearing several people (in person and online) complain about the extra weight they’re carrying around and joking about overeating and not exercising, I knew I wasn’t the only one dealing with body image issues.

You see, I’ve been more than a little disgusted with myself whenever I look in the mirror. I see extra bulges of flesh and I know how they got there. I’ve gotten into the terrible habit of overeating to combat stress. I know I’m doing it but I can’t seem to stop snacking throughout the day.

I know there are other people who look in the mirror and see fat that isn’t even there. They convince themselves that they shouldn’t eat much of anything because they hate how they look.

Then there are people who don’t seem to mind being overweight. The culture applauds people who love themselves no matter what size they are, even though obesity can lead to many health problems.

So what are we supposed to do about body image?

Maybe it’s too complex to explore in one blog post, but I came across an online course a couple of weeks ago that wants to set women free from their struggles with body image issues. In 21 days, they say we can develop new habits and learn to get our eyes off of our body/weight/size/shape and onto God’s truth.

I thought and prayed about it and then I signed up. I’m ready to get some advice and encouragement so I can get back to eating in healthier ways (instead of snacking all day long).

God loves us just the way we are and he’ll keep loving us no matter what size we wear. But I believe he wants us to love him more than food, or exercise, or anything else.

He created each of us. We’re made in the image of God. That’s the image we should be focusing on; looking more and more like Jesus every day. Then we’ll be able to look in the mirror and see him reflected there instead of our imperfect bodies. Now that’s something to love!

I’m including a link in case you want to check it out and join me on this 21-day journey to a healthier mindset. It starts on Monday, February 1, 2021. (It’s $49 if you sign up by Sunday, January 31 and $59 after that.)

https://comparedtowho.me/refocus-christian-body-image-course-online/

It’s fine if you don’t want to sign up, but take a little time this week to consider your own body image:

Do you sigh (or cry) every time you step on the scale?

What do you think when you see yourself in the mirror?

Are you obsessed with food (either eating too much or depriving yourself)?

Is what you think of your body holding you back from doing things that you’ve always wanted to do?

Are you always comparing yourself to other people?

Consider a few verses that might help you see yourself as God sees you:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14 NIV)

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV)

You are beautiful, my friend! Ask God to help you believe that. Try to focus more on your relationship with God than your relationship with food.

That’s what I’m planning to do. I’ll check back in a few weeks and let you know how it’s going.

How much do you struggle with body image? How can focusing on God help you to live a healthy, happy life?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Three Steps Forward

Back in 1997, Chuck Swindoll published a book called Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back. I don’t know if it’s an actual saying that people use now. When I tried to look it up, the closest I got was “One step forward, two steps back.” Now that’s a discouraging thought, trying to move ahead and ending up even further behind than when you began.

What got me thinking about all of this was my scale. I had a couple of really good weeks a while back, watching what I was eating and exercising a little bit more. The scale went down two weeks in a row and I was feeling great. I was sure that I was on my way to going down a pants size and losing the rest of the pounds I had allowed to creep on over the last few years.

Then we moved Blake to Chicago.

I skipped exercising for several days.

We ate out while we were on the road.

Klondike bars were on sale at the grocery store by Blake’s apartment, so we just had to get some and eat three in one day because there was no way to take them with us on the bus and the L when we headed back to our hotel.

When we got home and I weighed myself, I found that all of the pounds I had lost were back. Bummer.

So what I want us to focus on this week is “Three steps forward.”

For a couple of weeks I made good choices and dropped some pounds. That’s good progress.

If I focus on the “Two steps back” that happened because we traveled and I made lots of poor choices, I might decide to just give up and not worry about my weight at all. But that wouldn’t be good for my physical or emotional health.

Instead, I’m going to focus on the “Three steps forward” and remind myself that better choices and hard work produce good results. It’s inevitable. I can’t give up just because I slid back a couple of steps.

We can apply that to any area of our lives.

We learn to control our temper and don’t yell at our children for two weeks straight, then we have a bad morning and totally blow it, scaring our kids with a giant temper tantrum.

Focus on the “Three steps forward.” Apologize to your children and move ahead with the resolve to do your best and be as calm as you can be. Not perfect, but better.

We decide to get our overspending under control and refuse to shop online for a whole month, then our favorite store sends out an email with an amazing sale and a super coupon, and we order enough to get free shipping.

Focus on the “Three steps forward.” Unsubscribe from the store’s email list and either enjoy your purchases or maybe return some of it next time you go to the store. Not rich, but less poor.

We go to work, clean the house, and keep on top of the bills and laundry for six months straight, then we call in sick, binge-watch Netflix all day, and let everything fall to pieces around us.

Focus on the “Three steps forward.” Go back to work, do the dishes, and save Netflix for a treat on the weekend. Not a workaholic, but a hard worker who enjoys life.

Whenever we have a setback – physically, emotionally, or spiritually – we have to focus on the “Three steps forward” we’ve made, not the “Two steps back” (or more!). Only that focus will help us to press on and not give up.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 ESV)

Have you fallen “two steps back”? How can focusing on God help you to focus instead on the “three steps forward” you’ve made?