Saying No to Cookies

It happened. I put on my “fat shorts” and they were too tight. When we rolled from winter to spring to summer, I thought since I was getting outside more and walking around our school’s campus more, I’d be able to shed the winter extra, but it didn’t happen. I thought that moving to my summer job, where I work outside and move a lot more would help. It didn’t.  But also, for the record, I was still eating cookies most days, ice cream most nights and living my best life off of Chick-Fil-A waffle fries and nuggets. I can’t stop their Polynesian sauce, my friends.

But everything was a little too tight. I was a little too uncomfortable. Don’t even get me started on the idea of putting on a bathing suit!

So, with some friends, I decided to do follow one of the major weight loss programs where you pay a nominal fee monthly to use the app. Basically – eat all the fruits and veggies and lean chicken or fish you want. Cause let’s be real – it isn’t corn or peaches or plain chicken breasts that are making people gain at the waistline. On the other hand, “bad” foods have a cost… But don’t they?

Candy – high cost. Red meat – low cost. Avocado – low cost. Soda – whoa high cost. Chick-Fil-A fried goodness – yiiikes high cost.

My personality works well in a box like this program requires. I like having lines to color in and a budget to work within. And over the course of the first few weeks, with minimal mess ups, I began to notice a few things, like:

• I felt better. Just overall feels. No crashes after lunch. No carb crashes (not eating much bread anyways).
• I began to not desire things like cookies and candies and fried foods.
• My body immediately let me know if I ate something that I shouldn’t have.

My face is a little clearer (insert eye roll here that this is even a statement). My pants are a little looser (insert praise hands emoji). The jeans I’ve loved but were a little too uncomfortable are more comfortable than they were a few months ago. I’m a little more comfortable in my own skin. I’m working the program. And you know one of the best things I’m learning? It’s ok to say no to myself.

Actually, it’s more than ok. It’s right. And it’s Biblical.

Self-control is an underrepresented fruit of the Spirit in our American culture. We want what we want, when we want it. We want more money. More food. More plans. We want more things more quickly than ever before. And with the invention of the smart phone and fast food and frozen dinners – we can have it all!

But learning to say no to what I put into my body is a reminder that self-control is important and right. And a born-again Christian has the power to have self-control – no matter the life area. Maybe we need to say no to more bad food or hours of television. Maybe we need to say no to toxic relationships or binge spending. Maybe we need more self-control that points us towards moving our bodies and not sitting on the couch. Maybe we even need more self-control around the hours we spend working.

And truly friends, our greatest example of self-control was Jesus himself. He exhibited perfect self-control. Where He could have said no to the cross, he didn’t. Where he could have called down angels to rescue him from the torturous execution he chose, he didn’t. He was the perfect example of self-control. And since we are co-heirs with Christ, we share in his ability to have greater and greater self-control over all the areas of our lives.

And I want to be like him. I know I’ll never be perfect, but I do want to be more and more like him.

Truthfully, it’s been a learning curve. Like most things, some days are better than others. Like most new lifestyles, they take a little while to get a hold of. However, with a reminder in my soul that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that I want more of, and seeing a little progress, I’m, for the most part, saying no to cookies.