The Stress Test

About a week ago, one of THOSE events happened...you know, those highly stressful moments in life that make you take a big gulp because you know you're about to have to face something huge.  The kind of thing you hear people go through and think "Ugh. Poor thing. Hate they're having to go through that." We all have them happen in life (and pray hard we don't encounter more than one at once). For blogging's sake, the details of this life event are irrelevant; the reason I even mention it is because such events are often what sent me over the edge when it came to emotional eating. Sure, I used to eat for emotional reasons pretty much every day, but on these days, I downright binged. No nice way to say it. I've been doing this for about 7 weeks now and had managed to avoid such days until recently. So I find myself facing this OVERWHELMING urge to bury myself in some comfort food. I'd firmly answer myself with a "NO--I'VE WORKED TOO HARD!" only to find the urge returning 20-30 min later. Finally, genuine hunger arrived and I ate something content in the knowledge that 1) I hadn't thrown myself off track and 2) I'd managed to face down the enemy even in the midst of a significant stressor.  The more I think about it, I'm happier about that victory than I am to see the scale go down. Why? Because it tells me I've got a real, live chance at ensuring that scale stays where it's supposed to be. If I can consciously turn to God in those times (rather than the choco chips), I feel all the more confident that I won't have to continue fighting the battle of the bulge. I can't control everything that happens to me, but I CAN at least make an effort to control my reaction. And then my body has no choice but to directly REFLECT those actions. I've got a ways to grow in terms of faith, but I think God just helped me take a baby step I won't soon forget!