Many years ago, I naively set myself to the task of finding a solution to the problem of overeating. I figured I should take control of my life and reinvigorate my motivation to eat well and lose weight. After selecting a diet and exercise program, I shored up my willpower and vowed to be vigilant in healthful eating behavior. I also believed that a religious discipline should be added to the effort. Armed with all of this, I thought I’d soon achieve permanent weight loss and be able to share my success story with others. I had no idea what I was in for.
There was so much I didn’t know. I didn’t know that my problem with overeating was going to intensify despite my attempts to take control. Nor did I anticipate that those wonderful times of high motivation were going to shrink. Willpower was going to weaken. The inner conflict was going to wear me down. It seemed the harder I tried, the more I failed.
Eventually I caught a glimpse of a better way: a way of inner transformation. I know that sounds hazy, if not impossible. Yet I believe it's more reliable than willpower and more effective than laborious self-monitoring. Certainly, we must put forth our best effort. But we also need the transforming power of God. From a new vantage point of spiritual living, we can begin to rise above the everyday temptations that have become life-consuming problems.
This book will take you on an exploration of four enduring spiritual principles and how they can help in the struggle with overeating. I’ve interspersed my thoughts with passages from the Book of Psalms and the Book of Proverbs. Quotations from Psalms depict strong human emotion and spiritual longing. These ancient writers were not hesitant to address God directly as they reached out for help. Their religion was a firsthand, dynamic experience. We would do well to follow their lead.
I also offer observations about my own experiences with food that helped me to normalize my own eating patterns. I wanted to diminish food cravings and naturally reduce consumption. I sought clarity and simplicity in my eating decisions. Bear in mind that I am not a health professional. I can only hope that my observations will contribute something to the greater, ongoing conversations about normal eating.
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