I am obssesed wiith health and beauty

[Sunshine]

hi.my mind is consumed with this a lot of the time. Lately especially. I keep thinking how to stay healthy and have a beautiful skin. Keep reading, searching on info and getting myself deeper into obsession. Most of the time I eat healthy, and am strict about it. But I feel embarrassed to show it, to let people know about it. I have a history of anorexia and bulimia. Felt similarly then, but I was destructing my body and now I think I am trying to ''fix'' it. I put so much energy into thinking whats good and whats bad for my body, like food, and sleep, suplements, activities. A lot of things I do, doesn't happen without me thinking how it is going to effect my health and my skin. See, I have a bit of acne, and am quite sensitive about it. So skin is my No. 1. I am soooo ashamed of it, to tell anyone. People just think I am health conscious, but I think I am obsessed. I don't even go to doctors, (and I probably should cos I have some pains and aches that are bothering me)I just try to know a lot myself and ''do the right things, eat right foods, be the right kinda person''. Deep within I am very easy going person, optimistic, light hearted and genuinely can say I love normal kinda food, not vegan, not vegetarian, not just healthy. I feel like I am dragged into some SINFULL paralyzing thinking when it comes to them things. Read books and articles about ''right diets and so on'', want to get them out of my head, and can't. It's as if I opened some door and can't close it. It gets better at times , but I am never completely free of obsession or acne on my skin, which in fairness isn't that bad, no matter what I do or don't do. Please, God, help me.

[Dani H]

What are you afraid of?

Obsessions/compulsions are usually rooted in some sort of fear.

[Sunshine]

I am afraid to not be able to have children..in case I did something wrong. There is more fears I have, and I understand it better now, Thanks Dani H for pointing it out to me.

[Dani H]

I am afraid to not be able to have children..in case I did something wrong. There is more fears I have, and I understand it better now, Thanks Dani H for pointing it out to me.

Well, push comes to shove ... you can always adopt a child. There is usually more than one solution instead of just the one we're fixated on.

Instead of being afraid, focus on giving your body the good things it needs. Not just for a future child that doesn't even exist yet, but for YOU. Because YOU matter too. Especially to God. Okay?

Let yourself off the hook, alright? The universe isn't going to implode because you did one thing imperfectly. There's lots of wiggle room and lots of ways to make up for our former, stupid decisions by making better decisions after we learn better. It's all good.

[ebed]

Well, push comes to shove ... you can always adopt a child. :

Gods' Holy Word tells us that "The woman who has no child of her own, has all humanity as her children" (my translation, forgive me, my Bible has none of the numbers added by men, Funny though, I can turn to any given passage faster than anyone who is using the "numbered" method!!!) And I can attest to the absolute truthfullness of this statement from my own personal observations of over 65 years.

Note from moderator: Ebed, it would be helpful if you could post at least the book of the Bible where that verse you cited came from. It's fine that you have a Bible with no chapters and verses marked. I have one of those, myself, and enjoy reading it. But for here at the counseling forum we like to make sure that the person in need of counsel can read and meditate on any scriptures given.

I cannot find the verse you have mentioned, but are you speaking of Isaiah 54:1 - ? “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband, ”says the Lord." If so, the desolate woman here is captured Israel and the Lord is telling her that she will have more (spiritual) descendants than physical ones.

If that's not the verse in question, then I apologize, but I would like to see the reference.

Thanks -
jayne

[Lexie]

Gods' Holy Word tells us that "The woman who has no child of her own, has all humanity as her children" (my translation, forgive me, my Bible has none of the numbers added by men, Funny though, I can turn to any given passage faster than anyone who is using the "numbered" method!!!) And I can attest to the absolute truthfullness of this statement from my own personal observations of over 65 years.

This is interesting to me. I am childless (by choice) and now in my 50's. During my working years I always commented to my husband about how the younger women in my building seemed to gravitate to me and tell me all their problems. Some of them even went so far as to call me "mama". I'm sure this may not be the intent of your post but I couldn't help thinking about it.

[Michelle71]

Seems there are extreems with everything. There isn't anything wrong with eating healthy, wanting to keep out of the Dr's office by natural means etc. For those with a tendency
toward OCD, anything can become the sole focus of every waking minute of every single day.

By and large the problem rests in impulse, and the key out is self control. Trust that the Lord will give self control in this area when you take it to prayer. Repentance is important
because anything that we allow to become our obsession is also the very thing that is exalted above God.

[jayne]

hi.my mind is consumed with this a lot of the time. Lately especially. I keep thinking how to stay healthy and have a beautiful skin. Keep reading, searching on info and getting myself deeper into obsession.

Hi, Sunshine. I think a lot of women go through periods where we obsess about how we look. The Bible says few things about the beauty of a woman.

Proverbs 31:30 says that there are things more important. "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." In the New Testament, Jesus praised a woman for her "beautiful" deeds. When others criticized her for anointing His feet, He said, "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me." Matthew 26:10.

The world believes that beauty is superficial, but the Bible teaches that beauty is in how we behave.

In 1 Samuel 16, God tells Samuel that he shouldn't be paying attention to King Saul's height nor appearance, that God wasn't interested in that and that He had already rejected Saul. God goes on to say that He looks on the heart.

Let me leave you with this. If you suddenly could have perfect skin - the kind of skin that all other women envied - to be honest, you would just obsess over another part of your body. That's how it is with obsessions. They aren't particular. Anything will do.

Spend time in prayer and tell the Lord that this is bothering you so very much. And come back and chat with us about it.

[Sunshine]

Thanks to all of you