Angie's Aim

Everyone would likely agree that any effort to eat less and move more (whatever shape or form the method may take) should yield favorable and healthy results. So, it’s quite a conundrum that a formula can be so simplistic (to understand) yet so complex (to carry out).

In other words, if you want a smaller butt, there’s more to conquer than the mere physics of weight loss. Whenever I read Paul’s tongue-twisting description of always doing what he doesn’t want to do… it’s this struggle that comes to my mind. (BTW, if you re-read that text at the end of Romans 7, don’t stop there! The outlook is pretty bleak unless you continue on into chapter 8! Bad chapter break!) Similarly, there’s more than one law at work here.

Every person who is battling their bulge has their own set of contributing factors that work against them. And some of us have more than others. Everything combines in such a way that no one component can take the blame. Here are some examples:

GENETICS:  It’s Not My Fault

Although genetics aren’t the scapegoat many are looking for… their role cannot be denied. If we were looking at a pie chart (mmmmm…. pie!), genetics are only one slice. I am the farthest from a scientist that one can get, but here are my deductions from all the studies I’ve read: What you inherit through your genes can produce a susceptibility to become overweight (or resistance for some – you know, those people you hate because they are able to eat so much more without gaining!). So, what we’re looking at is a greater or lesser genetic tendency, and everything from poor metabolism to complex hormonal processes are in on this scam. Genetics are not a definitive predictor, but they can up your likelihood when combined with a few other components.

Our bodies, even the ones in the absolute worst shape, are remarkable in that God has designed us to be able to adapt to some pretty extreme circumstances…(like going into shock in a moment of impact or surviving long periods of time without food or water). Unfortunately, when a person becomes obese, the likelihood of losing weight and keeping it off greatly decreases because the body has had to make so many adjustments to sustain such a weight gain. Even when you lose weight, the fat cells that were created shrink, but never disappear… And the body almost acts as if it is being starved because it has been re-trained to support so much more. The situation isn’t impossible… but definitely more difficult.

PSYCHOLOGY:  The Little Engine That Couldn’t - “I don’t think I can… I don’t think I can…”

I’ve had to wrestle with a few mental blocks that stem from a subconscious negativity or feeling of hopelessness. It’s really tough to believe that losing weight and becoming healthier is even possible since I have a track record of one failure after another. Those things weigh heavily (pun intended) on a person. It leads to sabotaging any new efforts, perhaps by allowing one bad day or one mistake to spiral out of control rather than just fixing the flat tire and moving ahead. My history is filled with short-lived optimism and resolutions made on a full stomach. Mental blocks are any ploys Satan can use to divert attention from the fact that God can be trusted to set us free from self-imposed prisons and to provide new possibilities in life for any of us who love Him. And when we doubt those truths, our lies start sounding right on target.

TEMPTATIONS:  Simply Irresistible

Also, not understanding the anatomy of temptation has gotten the best of me time after time – being tempted to overeat at meals, binge eat late at night, always leave a clean plate, graze all day... It’s not as if we make one decision that we’re going to say no to this thing and that’s it. It’s a commitment to making that decision over and over and over again. I’d hate to show you my tally of times I’ve gotten it right and times I haven’t. If I could use an egg-timer on one of my typical temptations, I’d say that the actual moment of crisis only lasts about 2 seconds. And what I decide to do in those 2 seconds is crucial. So, what resource pile will I draw from? Without a daily reinforced commitment, it’s likely to be my history, what is habitual, my self-serving appetites… Concepts of self-denial and delayed gratification that are part of our Christian story are the farthest from my mind – not to mention taking every thought captive to bring it under His submission. If those things are not embedded in my mind and heart as a way of living, then my weakness is sure to win me over every time. Extra: Andy Stanley of North Point in the Atlanta area has a great series on temptation called “Pause” (available online or podcast on iTunes) in which he emphasizes that in the moment of temptation, there is so much more at stake than what we think (much more than a chocolate cupcake or cheese fries).

SPIRITUALITY:  We Got To Pray Just To Make It Today 

Since one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control, at times I’ve felt that my weight weakness is a spiritual deficiency, a mark against my character in Christ. Christian based weight loss programs seek to address this. Without a doubt, there are spiritual forces at work here, but I caution that they can be easily misrepresented, producing immobilizing guilt. It has only been recently that I have begun to understand that the fruits of a Spirit-led life are not a checklist to confirm whether or not the Spirit of God abides in me. It’s not “either you got it or you don’t.” It’s more about nurturing self-control in order to possess it in an increasing measure - not being trapped in guilt because I feel I don’t have any. Hard to comprehend for an “all or nothing gal” like me.

And self-control isn’t the only internal issue that has surfaced… the deeper I dig, issues with control, pride, trust, fear and a host of other things are revealed.

CULTURE:  It Must’ve Been All Those Deep-fried Twinkies…

Where you live and who you interact with plays another part in how you learn to make healthy choices about nutrition and exercise. I grew up in the deep (fried) south. And Mississippi has the highest rate of obesity in the nation. School meal programs and physical education vary from state to state. Healthy food choices are not always affordable or easily accessible to some. You may have heard of the “urban grocery store gap” which describes the lack of supermarkets in some inner-city neighborhoods, making junk food from convenience stores and fast food the only option for many. People who receive food stamps are more likely to be obese. Also, where you live plays a part in what exercise options are available. I have a friend who HATES to exercise… but she has had limited exposure to activities. There’s a walking track here. That’s it. No gym, no aerobics, no indoor swimming pool, no fun classes in jazz, salsa, kick boxing… Much is left to being a self-starter.

BEHAVIOR:  You Mean… You Don’t Hide Food In The Dishwasher?

Both my parents are an average weight. My mother has had more issues struggling with weight than my father, but their lifestyles have kept them from getting out of control the way I have. But Mama has some seriously quirky habits that I’ve picked up on. I’ll save the dishwasher story for another blog series (The Chronicles of Martha), but the point is sometimes we pick up on abnormal eating behaviors that contribute to gaining weight. Eating late at night before going to bed has hurt me the most. And we could do another series on emotional eating alone! Also, there are scads of people who have been sexually abused that have used food to cope by turning weight into a type of protection.  Food may have been intended to be for fuel, but we've resourcefully managed to use it for countless other things. 

To top everything off… these repeated behaviors can, over the course of time, become addictions for some. Our minds “record” how we treat our bodies and come to expect more of the same. Take binge eating for example… The body actually craves the euphoria from a high-calorie binge and longs to re-create that temporary pleasant feeling – like a drug. All the cerebral mechanisms involved in this process are yet to be understood.

So… that’s just all the info that fits in my catchy title categories (and the experts could’ve made a much better case than I have!). But there’s so much more... There’s the food itself - junk food, soft drinks, fast food. More unhealthy yet very cheap and easy food options are available now than ever before! And the time we live in has seen such incredible advancements in industry, technology and globalization… and has provided us a plethora of food available with little to no effort. We certainly don’t hunt and gather anymore. And tending a vegetable garden is a lost art to most of us.

Just to reiterate, it doesn’t work to blame any of these factors, so don’t even think I’m alluding to that. But the culmination of these things are relevant in determining who might have a more difficult journey becoming an after. And... what gets you overweight and what keeps you there are often two entirely different sets of factors!