Confession

Yes, I am a runner, focused on fitness, living a healthy lifestyle, and a certified personal trainer (that hasn't really committed my time to training others just yet), but let me tell you something about myself that I may have already mentioned in the past.... I love food. Sweets and baked goods are my weakness. I would eat snack cakes, pastries, breads, ice cream, etc. all day long if I wasn't able to discipline myself. So how do I stay fit and handle my sweet obsession? I have help!

You have to find ways to indulge and satisfy your cravings without letting it rule you're life. I was reading in 1 Corinthians this morning, about marriage. About how God would prefer us to stay unmarried so that we keep our eyes fixed on Him alone and not this world we live in. But He warns that if remaining unmarried leads you to a life that's impure, then He prefers you to be married. I think this is a good lesson, or warning, that could be applied in so many areas of our lives. But for the sake of this blog, and my point, let's talk a second about how it applies to food.

Anytime we feel deprived, we stand a great chance of failing. Insert any situation that leaves you feeling unsatisfied, and the risk is always the same. There are clearly times that this does not apply.....for example, if I don't allow myself to smoke 5 cigarettes today, I know I will smoke an entire pack before lunch tomorrow. This may be true for you, but this is an example of what I DON'T mean. Common sense applies to this line of thinking, obviously. When I was reading the warning in 1 Corinthians that I mentioned above, I was reminded of my own sweet obsession. I was relating that when I deprive myself, I risk failing. My love for sweets takes over and I become stressed over the fact that I'm not enjoying this one thing I love so much. I'm not telling you to over indulge on the things you love so that you stay focused.....I'm saying that I believe finding ways to enjoy the things we love in moderation, helps us to stay satisfied.

Just to clarify, no , I don't relate all bible readings with health and fitness..... And health and fitness was not the only thing I was able to relate this warning to in my life. But as I said, for the sake of this post, I will keep it fitness related. I do want to encourage you to always go to the "good book" with any struggle in life, healthy living included! If you're relying more on The Lord, and less on TV shows, news articles, your workout buddy, counting calories, etc....you will have the best chance to succeed and never be facing your battle alone. Who better to rely on, than the One who created these bodies and the food we need to keep them maintained? Why would we even think about putting all of our energy into diet pill popping, juice fasting, shake making, extreme calorie restricting, or any other possible idea I've not mentioned, when we have a source of strength available to us 24/7 that understands our weaknesses like no other?

The title of my post today is "confession". How about taking a moment today to spend with the One that knows you best, and confess to Him your own weakness. Ask Him to help you when you feel tempted, and to help you avoid those moments. Ask Him to show you how to enjoy the things you love in moderation so that you don't feel deprived, but rather satisfied. Ask Him to help you learn how to take care of the only body you will have here on this earth. And ask Him to stay with you until the end, so that you never find yourself in such an overwhelming situation, and never end up off track and out of control again.