Hunger as the Best Spice of Life
“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
– John 14:26
Hunger can be physical and emotional. Allowing hunger helps us to recognize waves and layers of hunger in our body. It allows us to connect lovingly to our bodies so that we can care for it appropriately.
Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so it deserves our attention and care. Nutrition, portion sizes, slowly consuming food, and movement are so important, but sometimes we are just too busy to think about it all.
Hunger will happen when you are first beginning the Delay and Pray™ program, as you train your body and soul to be hungry for God instead of sugar, flour, and alcohol. So you will need some good tools to collect data for the Great Experiment of getting fit in body and soul through Spiritual Fasting.
One of these tools is the Hunger Scale and I use it all the time. It helps you eat to enough. You can hear all about it in this week’s podcast episode. I share insights on recognizing and managing different levels of hunger and fullness.
When you have an urge to eat within your fasting window, ask yourself:
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- Are you physically or emotionally hungry?
- What is the thought behind the emotion?
- What can you do to just pray to the Holy Spirit, let the emotion be there without eating, and dine win with Jesus for just a few hours?
Dining in with Jesus is not eating for a few hours and using the fat that is already on your body for fuel. Every time I am hungry, I know that my body is using fat stores for energy. I say to myself – “I’m losing weight!”
Other options you may want to consider when you are emotionally hungry, are:
– Move your body and go for a walk
– Distract yourself and get out of the kitchen
– Pray a decade of the Rosary
– Read Scripture
– Play with your children and marvel at the mystery and gift that they are.
Remember, we are practicing the art of Delay and Pray™, not deny and Pray. Hear about my personal struggles, experiences and strategies, as well as practical steps to align your fasting practices with your spiritual goals while achieving permanent weight loss. Let’s dine in with Jesus together.
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