Don’t get too hungry, too angry, too lonely — and don’t get too tired.  That’s a hard one if you are a busy person with a lot of responsibilities.  It’s also difficult advice to follow when you have a low level of health and are tired easily.  It’s true, though, that you are the least prepared to make good decisions when you are worn out.  We all will pick the easiest option when we are tired.

So, make sure you don’t get to the point of exhaustion, if at all possible.  Pace yourself and take breaks along the way.  Do your best to get plenty of rest at night, which will be a boon to your metabolism anyway.  And prepare ahead of time so that the easiest choices will be the wise choices.  If  you know that a particularly busy day is ahead, for example, fix a low glycemic dinner in the crockpot so that it will be there waiting for you when you get home and can relax.

If you are too busy to take a break — maybe you are just too busy and something in your life needs to go.  Spread your schedule before the Lord and ask Him, “Which of these things MUST be here?  Is there anything on my to-do list that You didn’t assign to me?”  People who have a hard time saying “no” tend to take on too many projects and get overwhelmed.  The emotional and physical strain takes it’s toll on our bodies and on our willpower.  (Guess how I know that?  You’re right — I’m always “on” for a new project, although it isn’t always God’s will for me.)  It may be that you have to back off of some activity, even a good activity, if it isn’t God’s plan for you.  He definitely wants you to take care of the body He gave you. Stuffing it full of comfort food because you are too tired to make good choices isn’t a good way to do that!

So make it easy on yourself.  Don’t over-plan your day and don’t get too tired.

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown