Four Keys to a Healthy Weight

In conclusion, I will tell you the four keys to a healthy weight (drum roll please. . . . ):

1. Exercise regularly.
2. Eat more vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains.
3. Eat less sugar and processed foods.
4. Adjust portion sizes so that your calorie intake is appropriate to your calorie burn.

There you have it. Four points, everything you need to know, free of charge. Thank you very much.

But I think you already knew those. So why do so many Americans struggle with their weight?

Perhaps the problem is spiritual. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. . .” (Romans 14:17). Perhaps we need to master the four spiritual keys to a healthy weight:

1. Recognize all food is provided by God.
2. Be content with the food God has provided.
3. Embrace hunger and self-denial.
4. Dedicate your body to God’s purposes, and care for it accordingly.

In an earlier blog post, I blamed my weight gain on a sedentary office job, teenaged boys at home, and getting older. I was not being honest. I gained weight because I violated the physical and spiritual keys described above. I do not know how long the journey to wholeness will take, but I am grateful to be on a better path.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.” (Philippians 3:12-13). Thank you for taking this little trip with me. Part of me was afraid to share with you, since I have only been meditating on these things for a couple weeks. I was afraid I would fail to live up to my own standards.

Of course, I will fail, continuously, and hope to rise again. The change I am seeking is not primarily physical. I have been medium-sized and uncoordinated my whole life. Will I be seized, like my beefcake brother, with the sudden urge to run a triathlon? Unlikely. Will I ever feel comfortable in a swimsuit? Also unlikely. Will you be seeing before and after pictures on this blog? Extremely unlikely!

But God willing, I will press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). I will learn to hear God’s voice, and when he calls me to refuse the donut, or the mantou, I will joyfully obey.