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What’s up, family? It’s Brian. I wanted to hop on here and share something that’s been heavy on my mind—and even heavier on my stomach lately. This might be a stretch, but I think it is something to chew on and consider. Me and my son were leaving the gym the other day and I was telling him that this day 6 of my 16:8 intermittent fast has been a struggle. I have not been quite hungry, just lots of stomach growls. I am committed, just it is difficult. I told him that this makes me feel like a person that is addicted to something and they are going through withdrawals. Now, let’s be honest, I don’t have personal experiences with that, but this was my best description.
I told him that I had never considered myself to be addicted to food. He asked what I mean by that, because he had not ever seen any signs of food addiction from me. I told him that I was just used to eating whenever I got hungry. The concept of structure, what to eat when breaking my fast, and how blessed we are to eat whenever we think about it is something that we may have gotten wrong. I quoted Matthew 4:2-4: “2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ 4 But he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” It made me really think that while he was truly hungry, at some point we have to put food under our own control.
Here is the stretch. Just because we have the ability to eat whenever we want and whatever we like, should we? The addiction is the access to have what we want when we want. At least this was a first reflection for me. I know we have theories and facts of why obesity is rampant in the US, but I have not heard many people suggesting that we just eat too much too often. Just because we can, should we really? This is when my son suggested to me that maybe Jesus from way back then was trying to show us how to “Battle Big Back Culture.” For me, big back culture is our access and how social media allows us to over-glorify it.
I am not saying I have not watched the various social media posts; we have mukbangs, food reviews, food hacks, and food shows. I feel like these keep people in a position to eat whenever they think about it. You watch a video, then you feel hungry, so you go and order a meal and something extra. We can repeat this process 2-4 times a day. Some might argue, “Well, I cook my food and don’t eat out.” Even in cooking food, we are conditioned to prepare large meals. A cooked breakfast is composed of grits, bacon, eggs, and sausage—and I was being modest, many others will include fruit, hashbrowns, and pancakes. I am only asking, is that too much? What is wrong with a bowl of oatmeal? That’s it!
I could be overreaching, but noticing that Jesus didn’t suggest he would or could not turn the stones into bread, he replied that man shall live by every word that proceeds from God. I feel like he was saying to us that just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. Not suggesting you eat off the scriptures—lol—but I am suggesting that smaller meals could be a solution to your weight concerns. Heck, if you have a family, it might even help out with the finances and the grocery bill.
This conversion, I am not saying is easy. Like I started, I am only on day 6 and my stomach growls often. I just am in a place where I am asking myself, “Are you really hungry or are you wanting the convenience of having food?” My body is well aware that there is a pantry full of food. There is nothing stopping me from eating it. The only thing stopping me from eating is me. In those moments, I can see Matthew 4 extremely clear. This is a battle of your will. You know the feeling when you have no money, it is easier to resist food. Soon as you get paid, you’re ordering everything. It is our will that we have to deny, and that is the “addiction” I spoke of earlier.
I feel like that is a battle that we all must overcome—the ability to tell our wants “No,” even though we have the access and resources to get what we want, when we want. As you might be thinking, this applies to other areas in our life too; finances is one that comes to mind. If we can overcome the addiction of having our way, then we might have more energy, resources, and longevity to enjoy this thing called life.
Thus far it is a battle, but at the moment I am committed. I’m being honest with myself and taking it one day at a time. I am changing my concept of eating. Especially when my fast is over, I have to tell myself: “Just because I can eat what I want in my 8-hour window, doesn’t mean I should.” What I eat in that window matters too. Just consider the concept and hopefully, it can help you on your 2026 goals in various ways. Let’s do the work and keep building.
