P.R.E.T.T.Y. Fit for Life

For some people who seemingly have a healthy relationship with food, evidenced by a healthy body, the concept of losing weight is simple—say no to that meal you’re craving and exercise more. For many people struggling to push their plate aside, losing weight is not that simplistic. There are many dark moments that we don’t discuss for various reasons—for me, I hoard my dark moments to avoid judgment. I am learning to share my struggles to help someone else break free. As you proceed on your healthy journey, know that you will find freedom when you share your struggles with others traveling on your path.

One of the biggest challenges I face with losing weight is not the constant images of food that flood my in-box, the billboards I see while driving to my destination, the magazines I read during my downtime or the dear friends who text me beautiful pictures of the meals they are preparing. My biggest challenge occurs at night when I rest my head on my pillow and feel good about staying on track throughout the day. My biggest challenge is the dream about food that rests its ugly head next to mine.

My recent dream was about eating a butter cookie. Not just any butter cookie, but the largest and sweetest butter cookie you could imagine. I could smell the cookie and feel the warmth of slightly burnt edges melting on my tongue. Sometimes, I wake up with self-inflicted bite marks on my jaw after eating the food I dream about. Some readers may find this hard to believe, while others will be able to relate to exactly what I am sharing. Dreaming about butter cookies or any food may leave you feeling ashamed and deflated, but you don’t have to be defeated. You can rise above the dreadful dreams about food.

My strategy for battling the butter cookie in my food dreams is prayer. Pray God’s Word because His Word is the weapon that will come alive when your words disappear behind the curtain of your dreams. Instead of worrying about making the right food choices, I pray. Rather than search for internal strength to resist tempting foods, I pray. Regardless of making the right choices at the end of the day, I am thankful to God even when I fail. I leave you with Philippians 4: 6,7 NLT: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”