Weight problems are hidden

Weight problems look pretty obvious to you, right? Well, yes, you can see the results of overeating but the reasons that cause one to overeat are hidden below the surface and not obvious at all.

When I work with clients that have weight problems we rarely talk about eating. I am not that interested in the diets they have tried unsuccessfully or the failures of will power they have experienced because those are not the reasons they struggle with their weight.

We need to look much deeper and find why they overeat. When we get to the root causes and weed them out, then we can talk about new habits to get them healthy and weight problems will no longer be an issue in their lives.

So, what are some underlying causes of weight problems?

Pain and self-comfort

Most of the time I find that my clients overeat as a way to bring themselves comfort. Somewhere in life they learned that eating made them feel better or not feel at all. They could soothe or numb hurts, disappointments and daily blocked goals. Food becomes a faithful friend always ready to "comfort" and never judge.

Soon the habit of comforting oneself with food becomes a daily occurrence and the weight starts to pile on. What needs to happen is to get to those hurts, losses and problems and allow the Lord to heal and solve them. As He brings healing He becomes comfort instead of food and one learns that He is a much more faithful and loving friend then food could ever be.

Boredom

Sometimes eating too much comes from boredom with life. Few people I know are living out their passions and talents. Most are working to live rather than living their work and loving it.

Without passion, interests and dreams life becomes monotonous, life-sucking, and depressing. Every day seems like the one before and there is little to look forward to tomorrow. But there is television and food and both are used with little conscious presence. We eat and stare and are barely there. Before we know it we are ingesting hundreds, maybe thousands of calories mindlessly.

Here what needs to happen is to find that God-designed life for which we were made. When we find the reason and purpose of our lives then boredom becomes a distant memory as every day is filled with life and Christ. No longer is food a way to pass time because time is filled with interesting and fulfilling life.

Heal your life and food takes a new role

Whether your issue with weight stems from unresolved issues for which you self-comfort with food or boredom with your life causes food to become a mindless activity you can be set free. I know there are hundreds of diets out there, and I'm sure you've tried most of them, but they haven't really worked have they?

Find the root causes of your pain, disappointments and you won't need to comfort yourself with food.

Discover and live the life God wants for you and you won't numb yourself with food.

Then you can learn the skill of caring for your body well (including the use of food) and be free to live your life well.

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