Made to Crave Study, Chapter 3: Getting a Plan

Continuing with the Made to Crave Bible Study hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries, in chapter 3 Lysa describes a neighbor's beautiful garden and the wish that she had a beautiful garden, too, then the realization that the garden didn't just spout up without a lot of work behind it. That tends to happen with weight loss issues and making healthy changes, too: "we want the results but have no desire to put in the work required" (p. 34-35K).

Lysa went to see a nutritionist even though her "taste buds never did agree with the rest of" her body. "Somebody had to learn the discipline of giving up some things, and that someone was me. And those 'things' were poor food choices that were sabotaging my body, my mental energy, and even my spirit" (p. 37).

Lysa worked with her nutritionist on a plan (which she doesn't tell much about, because each of us needs to develop our own plan) and gradually grew to love it, though she confesses there were hard days. She acknowledges that the sacrifices are tough, but she's come to look at it as "embracing healthy choices rather than denying myself" (p. 37). But even the "lessons to be learned and perspectives to be gained" even in this season.

I have to admit this is where I usually drop the ball. I can make lists of reasons to lose weight, look up applicable Bible verses, acknowledge the folly of succumbing to so brief a pleasure as eating something I shouldn't when it has such dire results - and then not do anything about it. I do struggle with diet plans that are too restrictive or with a couple of food issues, etc. The one plan I had good results with a few years ago was the Exchange Diet plan used by diabetics. It allowed a certain number of servings of each category of food with a list of what constituted a serving. I've looked that up a little bit online and will continue to do so. I also got a Cooking Light magazine while at the grocery store. :-)