Fat chance

by Elaine Follis

It’s not what you chew, but what you chew over in your thought, that packs on pounds. This is not a novel insight; “Dr. Phil” would probably say the same thing. But I’ve proved it from the standpoint of Christian Science, and that moves the discussion to a whole new level.

It all depends on where you start. If you start with a material body, believe me, you will never be satisfied. I experienced a significant weight loss in the 1980’s. Before the loss, people commented on my fat thighs. Afterwards they-in some cases the very same individuals-asked whether I was anorexic. I mean, give me a break! “People” are never going to be satisfied; and if you take what they say as gospel, neither are you.

This is where the “new level” that Christian Science presents enters the discussion. Instead of starting with the material body, we can start with God. What does God think of you? What does He see when He looks at you? Thunder thighs? A disgusting blob? Well, even a supermodel’s material body is nothing more than about $2 worth of chemicals, mostly water. Look long enough and deep enough, and anything merely material is pretty much the same blob-just in varying quantities.

Ah, but that’s not who you-or any of us-are! It’s just a case of mistaken identity. Who are you, really? The Bible says each of us is the image and likeness of God (see Gen 1:26, 27). How could the image and likeness of God, Spirit, be matter-the very opposite of Spirit? Does God make us cheap knockoffs? Or are we God’s very best work-work that makes Him smile-work He described in Genesis 1:31 as “very good”? Again the Bible answers: “…thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:” (Ps 8:5,6 from the King James Version, which accounts for the “thou-type” language). That’s how God sees you and feels about you.

But is it how you see and feel about yourself? That’s the question! Even if you’re a movie star, it probably isn’t. And if you’re struggling to fit into last year’s swimsuit, it surely isn’t. Your view of yourself is where the change has to happen. Take seriously then, as Christian Science does, that you are God’s likeness, made in His image; that means you are an idea, not a lump of matter. So, what is your body? It’s a concept. It is what you think of yourself, made visible. It follows that if you want to change your body in some way, you need to address the cause. You need to address thought.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, writes:

You embrace your body in your thought, and you should delineate upon it thoughts of health, not of sickness.

I am really impressed with the word embrace. Too many women today-myself included at some points-don’t embrace their bodies; instead, they resent and hate them. They pick at them and criticize them and moan and groan about them. No wonder the body doesn’t look or feel happy, with all that abuse leveled at it!

What would happen if you really did embrace your body, give it a hug, and appreciate and reassure it? The body is not you-you are much, much more than a body-but it is yours. It is basic transportation, and it is a means of expression for you. It is your property, and you have the God-given right to keep it clean and in good repair, and to banish from it images of awkwardness, pain, disfigurement. You can-and you should-control your body. But don’t try to use willpower on it, unless that will is in alignment with God’s will. I don’t think God’s will is for all of His children to wear a size six. But God’s will is for all of His children to express beauty, harmony, and contentment, each in a unique way.

Now, this part is really important! If you are harmonious and at peace, you won’t need to eat a gallon of ice cream or a mountain of buttery mashed potatoes to make you feel better. You also won’t need to jog or lift weights to fix anything. If you eat, you eat because that’s normal. If you jog or lift or play sports, you do so because you are fit, not to get fit. There’s a big difference. One is fun, and the other is drudgery that makes a lot of people rich by cashing in on your insecurities. With God, security and safety come free as your spiritual birthright!

Here’s more about that weight loss I experienced. It happened about twenty years ago, and it all began with something Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health:

Consciousness constructs a better body when faith in matter has been conquered. Correct material belief by spiritual understanding, and Spirit will form you anew.

As I prayed with that statement, eating habits (both likes and dislikes) changed, extremes evened out, and I eventually had to buy lots of new clothes :-).

Yes, I did change what I ate. But it happened naturally. I did not weigh myself. There were some adjustments from time to time-I noticed I gained weight when I was anxious or unhappy. But never again did I believe it was food that was the critical factor. I knew I needed to “lighten up” in my thinking. And that approach had a definite effect.

So this was my experience-I’ve seen it work for others as well. A mental housecleaning is the best way to uncover a “new you”-or better, the real you. And I wouldn’t say that if I hadn’t been there myself!

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2007 at 6:40 pm and is filed under Self-esteem. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.