Food: friend or foe?

I once saw a book at the local Christian book store called, “Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire With God, Not Food”.   I thought, “Wow, that would be really good for me to read since I have become such an emotional eater!” I did not buy the book.

Fast forward about 3 or 4 years, countless desserts and tubes of cookie dough, 1 pregnancy, and 40 extra pounds and here I am with that book finally in my hands. A small group at church is doing the study so I jumped at the opportunity. It’s about time I faced the problem head on.

“What problem is that” you say? The problem where I eat too much junk. And where I use that junk to comfort myself. Where I have virtually no self control over what I eat. The fact that I am quickly, or maybe not so quickly, outgrowing most of my clothes. And it’s not because I’m growing taller. The fact that I get offended, defensive and take it personally when anyone starts talking about diet and what is best; even to the point of being a hypocrite and defending the diet I don’t follow.

The problem is not that I don’t know about nutrition. I have done my research and educated myself. I know what foods are best for me and my family. I know the benefits of eating healthy foods. I know the benefits of exercising regularly. I just don’t put what I know into practice. I don’t have a knowledge problem, I have a will-power problem.

I feel hopeful about the study I’m beginning because it addresses that will-power problem head on. It encourages its readers to let the Holy Spirit be their will-power. I feel confident that this issue is important to God. My body is, after all, the temple of the Holy Spirit. When God says in the Bible to take care of that temple, I don’t believe He was only referring to smoking and drinking, even though that seems to be popular opinion in the church today. Our eating habits truly affect every aspect of our lives. They do not just affect us physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally too. It’s high time I started living like it.

I am asking for God’s grace in this process. I am confident He will show His power through this.

I still have a few concerns though. First, getting my husband to want to eat healthier too. That one is definitely going to be in God’s hands.

Second, and this is kind of a big annoying one, is finances. I know, I know, you are probably rolling your eyes that I’m complaining about money again. That is not my intent. My family’s budget has always been, except a few exceptions, “spend as little as possible.” However, because God has blessed us with a second income for the time being, we are going to have to be even more careful to watch where our money goes. I have a grocery budget. Lately that grocery budget has been maximized by spending money on cheap and unhealthy, but filling, foods like potatoes, pasta, hot dogs, etc. I went through a phase where I was making bread a lot to fill up on grilled cheese sandwiches and the like.  The new diet, and I mean that in the literal sense of the word rather than the 2 week weight loss plan version, I intend to go on does not include those things on a normal basis. It is instead filled with meats, vegetables and fruit. You know, the most expensive things at the store.

I am concerned that I will need to increase my grocery budget if/when I make this switch. I am worried that I won’t be able to make that increase or that it will cause other areas to be neglected. I guess my health is pretty important though. And if God wants me to eat healthier, which is really a no-brainer, I have to believe that He will provide to make that happen.

And so before I go, do any of you have any tips to save money on groceries? I know about meal planning and looking through the grocery ads to shop what’s on sale. I don’t use coupons because it hurts my ADHD and 99% of the time the store brand is still cheaper than the coupon-ed item.