I used to think of the term ‘mindless eating’ and the thought that crosses my mind is, ‘Uh-oh. I don’t ever want to be a mindless eater.’ I listened to the fear mongering around ‘mindless’ eating for a long time. Today I want to redefine mindless eating or give it a more specific term, especially for a girl who spent years thinking over every single thing that I put into my mouth. I want to encourage mindful thankfulness and us to be more mindless of the little anxieties that try to creep in about food.
Life so much more than food, and I don’t spend all my days thinking about calories or food or whether or not I ate enough vegetables or fruits or carbs or protein or fat.
That was an idol to me; eating was an idol, so I had to step back and look at why I ate; I had to ask myself:
“Why is eating ‘healthy’ or counting calories so important to me?’
#1) Because I loved the idea of people thinking ‘well’ of me (‘Oh she’s the healthy disciplined girl)
#2) Because I thought that ‘mindless’ eating (AKA: not really thinking about what you’re eating as much) was a sin.
In today’s podcast I’m going to break down my problems with the restrictive labels of: ‘clean eating’ or ‘mindless’ eating and how these affect someone who is already obsessed or tortured by the idea of eating ‘too much’ or not thinking enough about what they eat. I want to gently and truthfully share why these terms can be hurtful instead of helpful and why it’s so important to think about using these terms and why you use them.
Mindless eating in my mind often took on such a negative connotation, and so I thought if I spent time OBSESSING over it, I would fight off the temptation to just mindlessly eat.
Our society is obsessed with food, but one thing I learned in the past year, especially after saying goodbye to my dear grandma and two REALLY dear friends, I have been reminded again and again that treasures in heaven are what matters.
So in this podcast I share:
– The difference between me mindful eating and obsessive eating
– Why I love more mindful thankfulness around food
– Being mindful about eternity when it comes to even food
– FREEDOM in eating takes a fight
– Separating yourself from a society that is obsessed with food and calories and diets
– Encouraging friends who may be more into diet talk to focus on the broader picture
– Why part of less obsessive eating for me meant posting less pictures of food on Instagram
– Why thankfulness can replace obsession in eating
My favorite Bloggers on Eating Mindfully but Not Obsessively or Anxiously
Scriptures on Eating:
1 Corinthians 8: 8-9 (On Loving the Weaker Brother or siter by not flaunting your freedom to eat) – ‘Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.’
Romans 14:1-3, (On not despising someone who doesn’t eat a certain food) – ‘As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.’
‘“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, since it is made holy by the word of God and by prayer” (I Timothy 4:4-5).’ (On receiving God’s gift of food with THANKSGIVING)
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