I Need to Lose Weight: How Christian Counseling Can Help

Tis the season for food and lots of it. We are bombarded with tasty treats every moment of the day during the holiday season whether it be Christmas cookies, Halloween candy, Pumpkin Spice lattes, or a huge turkey dinner with all the fixings. Not only do we have to deal with the temptations of these goodies but there is also the constant messaging from commercials and videos that awaken our senses to go and buy what we crave.

Then there is the other side of the holiday season – the mental/emotional side. The holiday season can bring its own stress and anxiety, including things like being forced to be with people we otherwise would avoid, being away from family members due to distance or loss, financial worries, time constraints, job loss, or sickness. It can exacerbate feelings we might otherwise ignore such as loneliness, loss, anxiety, anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness.

Each of the above situations gives us more than enough reasons to eat. Eating has become a favorite pastime for many as well as a source of comfort. We eat for fun, for fellowship, to soothe our emotions, or because we are infatuated with it. We might also mindlessly eat as we sit and do our work or watch a show or our favorite Christmas movie.

Weight Gain and The Holidays

It is not surprising that not only is this the season for food, but it is also the season for weight gain. We see it in the mirror, and we feel it in our ever-tightening clothes. We are grateful for stretchy clothes and layering. We can at least feel like we are camouflaging the bulkiness even though we are miserable.

Advertisers are well aware of this trend for just as soon as the last bite of the Christmas meal is over, commercials promoting various weight loss foods, powders, pills, and ads promoting fitness center memberships abound.

Weight gain during the holidays may not be just about the food but it could be about the why of the food. Why do we need to eat so much? Why is there little to no self-control during this time? Why is it that at this time of the year, we just don’t pay attention to the amount of food we consume? Why do we feel the need to eat in order to numb the pain?

Christians are equipped to deal with weight loss

Christians are unique in their struggles with the things of this world and that includes our eating and our weight gain/loss. A basic truth is that we are beings who have both a spirit and a physical body.

If we know Jesus as our personal Savior, we need to also know that God has given us tools that others in the world do not have access to. Below is not an exhaustive list of everything at our disposal but is certainly representative of the many different ways we can gain victory over our weight loss struggles.

• The Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• The Word of God.
• Spiritual armor.
• Every spiritual blessing.
• Promises
• Power to overcome and gain victory.
• Spiritual guidance and help.

The Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The amazing truth is that we have access to the Triune God at every moment of every single day (Psalm 16:8; Isaiah 43:2, 41:10). We are encouraged to bring whatever concerns us to them to find help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). In fact, we are to come boldly before God’s throne in prayer to find grace and mercy (Hebrews 4:16).

The Word of God

One of the most powerful assets we have as believers in Jesus Christ is His Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s Word can get at the root of our eating issues and thus, provide the help and hope we need to overcome.

Spiritual armor

In Ephesians 6:11-17, God has made us aware that there is a continual spiritual battle raging against our souls. To face the battles and overcome, we have been given a suit of spiritual armor. Every piece of that armor is specifically designed to handle whatever type of assault the enemy has to bring against us.

Every spiritual blessing

We have been given every spiritual blessing that is in heaven at our disposal. In fact, Ephesians 1:3 states that very thing. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Whatever our need is on this earth, God has already made provision for it.

Promises

God has given us many promises in His Word. He is a promise-keeping God. If He says He will do something, we can take it to the bank for there is no one more faithful than He is. We must get into His Word, find these promises, and apply them to our lives.

2 Peter 1:4 tells us, “For by these [referring to verses 2-3] He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” We apply these promises not just by reading them but by putting them into practice. Meditate upon them and pray for God’s guidance to help you walk them out in your daily life.

Power to overcome and gain victory

This power was made available to the believer through Jesus. He states in John 16:33, “…In the world you may have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” And in I John 5:4 is the promise for the believer, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”

So once again, it isn’t enough for us to know the Bible verse or have read a devotional about weight loss, we have got to put action to it. This is the faith referenced in the above verse. Faith and action work together to give us the power to overcome and gain victory in our lives.

Spiritual guidance and help

We have so many incredible benefits at our disposal as Christians as shown above. Another powerful help for us is spiritual guidance and wisdom from fellow believers. We are meant for community and it is in the midst of this community that we can find greater fulfillment than just trying to lose weight on our own.

Another person in the body of Christ may have already overcome the struggles you face and can offer help from their journey. We can receive encouragement from one another which gives us strength to carry on. Also, we can obtain the wisdom, skills, and training of a professional Christian counselor for help.

How Christian Counseling Can Help

Sometimes, the struggle of losing weight is just too big for us. We have tried every diet plan out there. We have followed the advice of every social media influencer. We have searched far and wide on the internet for what else we could do to finally make this nightmare of the bulge to go away.

We have prayed and pleaded before the Lord more times than we can count to no avail. The pounds just keep coming on and our ability to overcome the struggle to lose weight is all but hopeless.

This is where the expertise of a Christian counselor can help. Christian counselors are not only skilled in all things psychological, but we also have the added benefit of knowing about the Christian world.

We live out the daily walk of being Christians and understand the struggles that are unique to believers in Christ. We realize there is more to life than just the physical realm and that there are spiritual forces that are constantly waging war against our souls.

Because of our unique skillset, we can work together with you to help you learn how the spiritual walk is of great benefit in your weight loss journey as well as give you tools suited specifically to your needs to help you finally reach your goals. We can also go deeper into the reasons for your struggles to help overcome those areas so they will not be a burden to you any longer.

If you or someone you know is struggling with weight loss and are ready to finally do something about it, please reach out to me or another Christian counselor. We would love to see you reach your weight loss goals. Please contact our reception team at Keller Christian Counseling to schedule an appointment with me or another one of our capable counselors at 469-333-6163.