Comments on: You Are Not in Control of Your Body

By: kscott

kscott — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 19:15:25 +0000

Great thoughts Sara! There is so much good stuff in that comment to digest (sorry, bad pun, couldn’t resist). Thank you for sharing your personal experience and the book recommendation. I just went and bought it off of Amazon and am looking forward to reading it. I have to say that my foundation with how I mentally approach food is in flux right now. I am not sure what the final outcome will be. I know that there are certain rules that I need to follow, like no gluten or else I can be pretty miserable. Right now with my diet and exercise I am trying to establish a healthy attitude with both. For diet that means focusing on eating really nourishing foods (and making them taste really good) because that is what I need to help my body heal from some long term damage. For exercise I am trying to exercise because I want to and not view it as something that I hate and have to force myself to do. For me that means only doing exercises that I like, such as soccer every week, T-Tapp, walking, shinkendo, and hikes.
That is really good information on temperance. I am going to have to start applying it. Thanks for sharing!

By: kscott

kscott — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 18:58:01 +0000

Glad you enjoyed it!

By: Sara Perts

Sara Perts — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 17:55:17 +0000

I’ve had some very bad experiences with the concept of “control”, having struggled with an eating disorder for half my life now. In my personal experience I’ve found that trying to follow rules or prescribed plans when it comes to eating and exercising is only a sure way to set myself up for self-deprecation when I don’t follow them. For therapeutic reasons many years ago, I went on a fast from all rules when it came to eating and exercising, originally thinking it would be a temporary thing until I could get a mental grip on my own personality, and it was one of the best thing I’ve ever done. (Some great books which I’ve read and reread, probably at least once every year, are The Weigh Down and anything written by Geneen Roth. Maybe a little offtopic? lol) In fact, until only two years ago when I found out I was gluten intolerant, I have taken none other than that approach. Cutting out the gluten was the first “rule” I’d experienced in quite some time and even that one continues to be a struggle, despite how much better I feel when abstaining from the stuff.

This past Lent, I had one of the best confessional experiences in my life while confiding in the priest (not my regular confessor) my particular struggles with “control” over food. He recommended that I stop focusing so much on “control” and “gluttony” and instead look to the virtue of temperance.
First, we need to UNDERSTAND what temperance what it is (and what virtues are in general) by some serious study of what is written about it in the Catechism. We also need to understand that virtues are gifts, not things that we can go out and get for ourselves.
Secondly, to DESIRE it. Sometimes when it comes to food, we don’t really WANT temperance, even if we really DO want whatever follows it (nicer bodies, optimal health, etc). We need to ask God for the actual desire for a gift before we can properly receive it.
Thirdly, We need to humbly come before our Father and ASK for what we want. If we truly want it and it’s truly what we need, we can have confidence that He won’t deny us.
And Fourth, we need to RESPECT that gift when He gives it to us. Thank Him daily for it and ask that He continually instruct us in how to best use our gift.

By: Blue Henn

Blue Henn — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 01:45:45 +0000

Wonderfully expressed! I’ve been pondering that for a while now, whenever I hear claims of a new miracle food. Glad I’m not alone. I hope you all feel better soon!