Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever.
1 Peter 5:8-11

We’ve talked about some tips for getting through the sudden temptations, but are you experiencing daily challenges that sometimes seem almost insurmountable? You can make it! Just remember that God is personally attentive to your individual specific needs, so always pray! The desert with God is not a place of misery, but an adventure – and every time we pass a test, God will reward our victory with a jewel! Let’s think through some of your challenges so you can make it through this desert.

Do you have an unchangeable lunchtime that arrives before your hunger does? This seems tough now, but it will become easy to conquer as you get more used to your new eating habits. In fact, as time goes by, you will be able to actually change your own hunger schedule so that true hunger comes around when you need it to! For example, if you are hungry in the morning and have breakfast, eat a much smaller amount so that true hunger will come around again at lunchtime.

Another challenge might be what to do if you are ill or are required to take medicine with food. When the body is ill, it will still signal when and how much it needs to be fed. During illness, the digestive system often actually slows down, enabling the body to spend its energy where it is needed – in fighting off the virus or illness – so you may find you are hungry less often. What an incredibly efficient system our Creator invented! If you are taking medications that must be taken with food, you can take them with just a few crackers…it does not require a whole meal! Also, sometimes you can take them when you do have an actual meal, since most medications require an interval of time, not actual clock times.

Here’s a challenge you might experience if you are looking too much at others around you: feeling deprived because you know someone who can eat more than you and not gain weight. In fact, you may have even been told that your metabolism has been altered due to your dieting past. Rest assured – your metabolism is fine! Your own body knows exactly what it needs at certain times, and it delights in “just enough” to satisfy. Just like different models of cars have different gasoline requirements, our bodies have different energy requirements and work best when their particular requirements are met. So yes, people need different amounts of food based on their body and their activity level. The point is to stop looking sideways and focusing on others. Instead, focus on getting the greed for food out of your heart and taking care of the body that God created especially for you!