Tired and Hungry

Read 2 Samuel 16-18

2 Samuel 17:29 "And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness."

Some people, when they are exhausted, are too tired to eat. That’s not the best way to save on calories.

Tired and hungry is a diet-dangerous combination. We eat to satisfy the hunger.

But because we’re also tired, it may be difficult to know when to stop eating. We may find ourselves eating to take care of the being tired part, not just to satisfy the hunger.

Fear

Read 2 Samuel 13-15

2 Samuel 15:14 "And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

It’s just about the end of the third month of the new diet and exercise regimen. We’re either pleased with the progress we’re seeing, or ready to give up on the whole plan.

But if we’ve had any kind of a health scare, the fear is going to keep us motivated. Maybe we have a friend in similar condition who has heard bad news from the doctor and we want to prevent the same thing happening to us.

Maybe we’re the ones who have no choice but to change our lifestyles, maybe it was merely a doctor’s suggestion. If fear is what is needed to keep us going for the time being, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Binge Eating

Read 2 Samuel 10-12

2 Samuel 11:13 "And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house."

We meant to only eat one cookie. We exercised, we stuck to our food plan all week and were looking forward to the treat.

Before we realize it, the package is empty and all the cookies are gone. The first one tasted so good, we ate another and another until we ate every last one.

Now we feel awful because we never intended for the binge eating to happen. Next time, we will take the one cookie out, set it aside and put the rest of the package far out of reach to avoid another binge.

Changing Opinions

Read 2 Samuel 7-9

2 Samuel 7:17 "According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David."

There are a few constants in the dieting world. Vegetables are good for you—sugar, not so much.

But there seems to be an ever-changing chorus of expert opinions. One food will be hailed as a not-to-be-missed dietary must.

A few months later that same food is found to be a major cause of disease. All we can do is stay aware and let common sense guide our food choices.

Celebration Exercise

Read 2 Samuel 4-6

2 Samuel 6:14 "And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod."

Exercise is good for us. We do it because we have scheduled it into our routines.

We don’t dare ask ourselves if it’s something we want to do, because the answer is likely to be no. And once we admit how little we want to exercise, it’s too easy to pass it up.

So what a blessing it is when we feel like celebrating something—when we’re so happy we just want to dance. We can give ourselves permission to celebrate with exercise as often as we can, and let all that extra exercise show.

Pleasing Others

Read 2 Samuel 1-3

2 Samuel 3:36 "And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."

We want to please others by our eating habits just the same way we do in other areas in our lives. When someone goes to the trouble of cooking our favorite foods, we want to make them happy by enjoying the treat.

We can please people by sticking with our food and exercise plan, too. As we stay strong and those pounds begin to drop off, we might encourage others.

If we can do it, they can do it, too. The inspiration might not be limited to weight loss—a determination to stick to a plan and develop better habits can be applied to most anything a person might want to do.

Eat For Strength

Read 1 Samuel 28-31

1 Samuel 28:20 "Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night."

Normally we eat when we are emotional and envy those who can't eat when they are stressed out. But that is not a better response.

It might save calories, but it doesn’t help us cope with problems. The harder life gets, the more we need our strength.

Food fuels our bodies and our inner selves depend on our bodies to be strong. We just need to control what it is we eat.

Gift of Food

Read 1 Samuel 25-27

1 Samuel 25:35 "So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person."

We give gifts of food on many occasions. The first that comes to mind is at Christmas time.

Whether it’s baked goods, homemade candy, or a gingerbread house we put together, Christmas is a great time to give food as gifts. But there are other occasions, too.

When someone we know is recovering from surgery or loss, we often bring food to them. In those occasions, it is just as likely to be a casserole as a dessert—even sometimes a whole meal.

Safeguard

Read 1 Samuel 22-24

1 Samuel 22:23 "Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard."

Some foods are like a safeguard. We can eat as much of them as we want and not be in danger of gaining weight.

Things like lettuce, celery, and most vegetables can be eaten when we continue to be hungry after a meal, or in-between meals. The trick is to resist dressing them up.

No cream cheese or peanut butter in the celery, no rich dressing on the lettuce, no dips or sauces for the other vegetables. Otherwise, we ruin their safeguard nature.

Missing A Meal

Read 1 Samuel 19-21

1 Samuel 20:27 "And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?"

David knew Saul would notice if he missed a meal. Some try to diet by cutting down on the number of meals they eat.

If they can eat two meals instead of three, think of all the calories saved! Then they might be challenged to cut down to one meal a day.

The problem is, our bodies are designed to prevent starvation. Missing meals only triggers our bodies to conserve and all that sacrifice has the reverse effect.

Strength Beyond Ourselves

Read 1 Samuel 16-18

1 Samuel 17:37 "David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee."

Dieting is hard. Exercising each time can seem overwhelming.

Losing weight is impossible. So how are we going to manage?

We don’t have to do this on our own. The Lord is ready and waiting to help us through this with His strength beyond ourselves.

Refreshment From Sweets

1 Samuel 13-15

 

1 Samuel 14:27 "But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened."

 

Sweets are something to be avoided when we’re trying to lose weight. Sweets are one of the reasons we need to lose weight to begin with.

 

Depriving ourselves seems necessary and noble. We’ll do without now and add them back into our lifestyles later on.

 

But we can get a little refreshment from sweets. As long as we keep the portions small and the occasions seldom, we can enjoy the treat.

Sticking With It

1 Samuel 10-12

1 Samuel 12:3 "Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you."

Some might keep a food diary. We write down everything  that we eat as it happens.

Others might have a food list for each day and check things off the list as we eat them. It lets us know what is left of what we can have if we get hungry.

But any sort of record can help us make sure we are sticking to it. Keeping track can keep us on track.

Like Everybody Else

Read 1 Samuel 7-9

1 Samuel 8:5 "And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

Dieting sets us apart. We have to be vigilant of the temptations all around us.

Sometimes we get tired of being different. We want to be like everybody else.

We’ll get used to a healthy food plan. Once watching calories, fats, and carbohydrates becomes second nature to us, we will feel less different.

Fats to be Healthy

Read 1 Samuel 4-6

1 Samuel 5:7 "And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god."

We spend so much effort getting the fat out of our diets, we can forget that fats aren’t the enemy. We need a certain amount of fats each day to stay healthy.

The trick is to whittle down the amount we consume, not get rid of it completely. We can measure out what is healthy and stick to our limits.

If we plan right, we can enjoy the taste of butter and the rest without guilt. We don’t need to be afraid of fat, just wary of too much of it.

Eating to Feel Better

Read 1 Samuel 1-3

1 Samuel 1:15 "And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord."

When we’re sad, food makes us feel better. We eat to comfort ourselves, even if what we prefer is not know as one of the “comfort foods.”

Unfortunately, we are most likely to choose high fat, high calorie, high carbohydrate foods. And we tend to keep eating, since food can only go so far to make us feel better.

As we keep eating, hoping to feel better, we are going to feel worse when all those calories, fats, and carbohydrates stick around. We don’t want to undo all the hard work we did, getting those pounds off and will want to find something else that will make us feel better without regret.

Leftovers

Read Ruth 1-4

Ruth 2:16 "And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not."

When we say leftovers, people groan. Leftovers have an undeserved bad reputation.

Hating leftovers can be a good thing if it inspires us to cook less and eat less, so nothing is left over. It’s not a good thing if we eat more, just to use everything up in one meal, though.

Planning for leftovers can save us work, if we cook once and eat more than once. It also gives us a chance to use our imaginations to make the leftovers unrecognizable.

Food for Others

Read Judges 19-21

 

Judges 20:26 "Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord."

 

We may have responsibilities to others. We may have families to feed, or have made a commitment to bring a dish to a party.

 

If we are on a very strict diet, the foods we eat may not be suitable to serve others. Or those we are feeding may have favorites from us they look forward to eating.

 

Even if we don’t feel like eating or are putting a huge temptation in our own way, we will need to step up and do what’s right and expected of us. Providing food for others is a privilege—that’s what we have to keep in mind at times like that.

Whatever Works

Read Judges 16-18

Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

There are so many diets and exercises to choose from. Some offer quick results and some claim to be the healthiest choices.

Some are hard to stick to, but if we were to get the promised results, they seem worth the sacrifice. Some seem too good to be true, but if they work for others, maybe they’ll work for us.

The first consideration must be not to take too many risks with our health—crazy diets and too strenuous exercises will take a toll on us. But the second consideration is that anything might be undertaken for a short time without putting our lives in permanent jeopardy—we can do whatever works.

Be Sensible

Read Judges 13-15

Joshua 13:23 "But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these."

When we get our aerobic high from exercising, it’s tempting to make grandiose plans. There’s nothing we cannot do, or so we believe.

We’ll exercise like this three times a day. We’ll live on water and vegetables for a year or at least until all the weight we wanted to lose is gone.

But those plans are not sensible. We can enjoy those feelings of anything-is-possible and not get sucked in to foolish commitments.

Bewail

Read Judges 10-12

Judges 11:38 "And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains."

Our metabolism is slower than others’. We can’t eat like we used to without paying the consequences.

There are plenty of things we could bewail about ourselves and our circumstances. There are any number of things we would change if we could.

But we need to put a limit on our mourning about these things. Once we stop bewailing, we can start making the most of what we have.

Bring Your Lunch

Read Judges 7-9

Judges 7:8 "So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley."

The Israeli warriors came prepared. They brought their food with them.

We don’t know exactly what we’re eating when we eat from vending machines or at restaurants. They’re better at labeling than they used to be, but there is still room for doubt.

But when we bring food from home for lunches or snacks, we have complete control over what we’ll be eating. We’ll also know that what we need to eat at that time is going to be available.

Upgrade

Read Judges 4-6

Judges 5:25 "He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish."

Most of us dieters are already on a budget, so being frugal is not a new concept. We just extend that frugality to calories, fats and carbohydrates.

We’re not only buying healthy foods, but we’re buying the generic brands and the store brands, saving both money and our waistlines. If we can find a coupon good enough, we might even get a brand name product—at least on double coupon days.

But every once in a while, we need to upgrade what we’re getting. We don’t need to be afraid to splurge, and as long as we don’t do it often, we won’t mess up our budgets, either.

Ask For What You Need

Judges 1-3

Joshua 1:15 "And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs."

What would help us stick to the diet? What would help us get out and exercise?

Maybe we already know what we need. Maybe we can spend a few minutes and brainstorm a list.

Then we can be bold with those who are closest to us—those who encourage us and want to see us succeed. We can ask for what we need.

Symbol

Read Joshua 22-24

Joshua 22:26 "Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:"

What are we aiming for? What image do we call to mind to keep motivated?

It might be an image of what we hope to look like this time next year. It might be a celebration we want to be at our best for.

We might keep a symbol of whatever motivates us nearby. Whether it’s a bikini or a snow globe, we can look at it when we feel ourselves weakening to remind us why we’re going through all this trouble.

All Came to Pass

Read Joshua 19-21

Joshua 21:45 "There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."

Keeping track of progress can be discouraging if there doesn’t seem to be any. Weighing or taking measurements seem as wasteful as thinking we will ever reach our health goals.

Weighing and measuring not only highlight a lack of progress, they make us look at how much farther we have yet to go. No wonder we are tempted to give up.

But sticking to our weight loss plan will eventually pay off. We will be healthier, stronger and lighter—all will come to pass.

Women vs. Men

Read Joshua 16-18

Joshua 17:6 "Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead."

It can be discouraging if a woman and a man are losing weight together. Discouraging for the woman, but encouraging for the man.

A man is able to eat more, exercise less, and still lose weight faster than a woman. Even an out-of-shape man has more muscle in his body than a woman and the muscle burns through the calories faster..

The trick is to not compare ourselves by results when the comparison is so unfair. Instead, concentrate on the process and keep dieting, keep exercising. He may reach his weight goal first, but she will reach her goal in time.

Give Me the Mountain

Read Joshua 13-15

Joshua 14:12 "Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said."

More than two months in 2013’s new diet and exercise routine and we’ve had ups and downs. There were times we couldn’t bring ourselves to exercise like we said we would and times when overeating was too hard to resist doing.

The new healthy habits we’ve been trying to get into aren’t habits yet. We still have to work hard to remember what we planned to eat and find new ways to motivate ourselves to keep exercising.

But all of this hard work is going to pay off one day. When that mountain of fat is gone, the promise we made ourselves by following the food and exercise plan, will be fulfilled.

Effortless

Read Joshua 10-12

Joshua 10:13 "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day."

It usually happens at the beginning of a diet. We approach the new food plan with enthusiasm and we greet the opportunities to exercise with excitement.

The pounds drop off easily, seemingly effortlessly. There’s a way to keep it all feeling painless.

But it means sticking to the diet and exercise regimen without second-guessing it and without expecting any reward. Then, when more pounds drop off, it seems just as effortless.

Ambush

Read Joshua 7-9

Joshua 8:7 "Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand."

High calorie foods may ambush us. We may discover after the fact that we have eaten more in fats and carbohydrates than we expected.

We may feel cheated because we didn’t get to choose whether or not to spend our calories on that particular food. We may even feel cheated because we might have savored it a little more if we had known ahead of time.

Ambushes can’t be prevented—they happen without warning. All we can do is not dwell on it—ignore what happened—and keep going with our food plans.

Unconventional Solution

Read Joshua 4-6

Joshua 6:20 "So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city."

There are times when we find ourselves in the middle of eating dilemmas. It might be when we’re hungry and have nothing but vending machines around.

We can just give up and indulge or we could resort to unconventional solutions to keep reasonably on target. If we’re hungry and have to choose from a vending machine, we can first of all, choose the most nutritious, least sugary or carbohydrate and fat loaded food available.

We can also drink an extra glass of water or diet drink and take a brisk, though brief walk to help stave off the hunger. If possible, we might go outside for some fresh air or do a little stretching—anything to keep us from completely blowing our diets.