“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. “ 1 Thessalonians 5:18
It was Saturday morning and time for my weekly weigh-in and measuring. I put on my workout clothes, pulled out my pink measuring tape, and headed to the scale. I was anxious to see my results because I’d worked really hard that week, and I had a feeling I’d finally made some notable progress. I took a deep breath and eased onto the scale, feeling like I was waiting for a judge and jury to return with a verdict.
And then it came. The verdict was not in my favor.
I stepped off the scale as a sense of panic rose from my stomach. Seeing that higher number felt like a punch to the gut. This isn’t possible, I argued with myself. I’ve been doing so well—prepping my meals, going to the gym three days a week, and even eating vegetables for breakfast (breakfast!).
I reset the scale and stepped on it again. The exact same number stared back at me. My heart sank. I was so sure I’d lost at least a few pounds. What a waste, I fumed. I give up. Food and weight had always been my nemesis. Why had I expected anything different? Can you relate? Have you been in this place before, maybe more than once?
The ironic thing is that before stepping on that scale to assess my efforts, I was feeling pretty good. I’d been energetic and uncharacteristically optimistic about life that week, and it felt amazing to prioritize my self-care. But none of that mattered anymore—my optimism came to a screeching halt when that digital readout slapped an F for “failure” on all my efforts.
After this epic letdown, I threw my hands up in frustration and waved a white flag of surrender to my cravings. I ate “all the things” for a couple of weeks. I mean, why not? If I’m not losing weight, what’s the point of trying so hard?
And eat and eat and eat I did.
During the weeks following that weigh-in, I felt awful. Sick, in fact. It seems a sugar-soaked sedentary lifestyle has a way of doing that to a girl.
I was weary and wanted something different for myself, but my motivation was withered like a flower in the scorching sun. I couldn’t muster up the gumption to try once more—until my curiosity got the best of me and I stepped on the scale again. The upward tick of additional pounds woke me up like a splash of ice water on a chilly day. I blinked hard, but the number didn’t change.
Reality knocked, and my resolve returned once again. The more I thought about all the things I was doing wrong and all the areas I fell short, the more desperate I felt to course correct. I couldn’t live like this anymore, so I went searching for yet another diet to solve my struggles.
What a crummy way to start a new venture, don’t you agree? I find it fascinating that we often stop at nothing to make sure our loved ones have everything they need to be successful, but meanwhile, we let ourselves begin from a place of deficit.
We all love to root for the underdog when we’re on the sidelines, but starting behind the pack is a competitor’s worst nightmare. Now, I’m about as competitive as a sloth, but I know what it’s like to start from behind in dieting.
When we begin our umpteenth diet, thinking about all we’re not—forgetting our strength, overlooking our progress, blind to the blessings in front of us—that is starting from a place of deficit. Our eyes are locked on what we don’t have in hopes that our discontentment will finally motivate us to change.
But starting from a place of negativity just breeds—you guessed it—more negativity. And that, my sis, is exactly the opposite of what we need when we begin a health journey.
Let’s remember how the Word of God instructs us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18), to praise the Lord and “forget not all his benefits” (Ps. 103:2), and to trust that “he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion” (Phil. 1:6).
So, what does it look like to exchange a diet-induced deficit for heavenly focused thankfulness for our bodies? We do it by meditating on all we do have and all we are.
When you fix your eyes on the blessings in your life, you replace those perceived or exaggerated deficiencies with a knowledge of who God is and what he has already done for you. This shortens that daunting chasm between you and your goals, and you begin to see that you’re not as far away from where you want to go as you thought you were.
Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings, and that discomfort can land you smack-dab in the middle of a food fest. After all, when life is hard and nothing seems to be going your way, food is there to soothe your soul.
But what if.
What if thankfulness and gratitude reigned freely, and struggles were met with reminders of God’s grace and mercy? What if the downward spiral could be reversed and start to move you up, up, up?
What if you could stop working against yourself and watch your struggle become strength in his hands?
That’s the power of gratitude. Gratitude lights your path to food freedom by training your mind to look for the good that happens each and every day. When you are encouraged, your motivation will remain strong, and you’ll keep showing up, because this once arduous experience is now joy-filled.
Gratitude is the first step in this transformation because it aligns your thinking with biblical truth: You are chosen. Jesus died for you, knowing all of your choices, and they didn’t shake his adoration of you one bit. Let your imperfections remind you of his never-ending love. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God formed you for a purpose, inside and out.
As you work your gratitude muscles, they’ll become stronger, and you’ll start to notice the good stuff much more easily. The less time you spend feeling in a funk, the less of a hold emotional eating will have on you. It all starts with where you look.
Looking up is the way out.
{If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also like this episode of The Love Offering Podcast, where Rachael chats with Caroline Fausel, a health coach and wellness expert. Whether you’re looking for guidance on clean eating, setting up life-giving routines, or finding balance in a busy world, her wisdom will surely inspire you. You can listen to the episode here.}
About the Author:
Brandice Lardner is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and owner and author of Grace Filled Plate, which she founded in 2017. She has helped hundreds of women through one-on-one and group coaching programs, teaching them how to find food freedom by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. She’s appeared on numerous podcasts, including Do It Scared with Ruth Soukup, and has been featured as a guest expert on MyFitnessPal, TLC Online, MapMyRun, and Women’s Running. She lives in Clearwater, Florida, with her family.
