Church fellowship is precious — but oh that weekly time of fellowship that involves snacks!  It can be (and often is, in my case) a deadly time for a healthy eating plan.

Perhaps I had better explain that our church has a different schedule than most in our neck of the woods. We meet at 1 p.m. for worship service, followed by Sunday School and a break time that includes food before a second service.  It’s a all great — except for the food.

How do you handle a weekly time of temptation? Here are a few things I’ve figured out.  Maybe they will help you deal with similar situations in your life, and for the holiday party season coming up in a few weeks.

1. Focus on people, not food.  If you are seeking out people who are alone and trying to make them feel a part of the group, you may find yourself too busy to hear those chocolate cupcakes calling your name.

2. Be busy serving.  Helping the children fix their plates and lending a hand in the kitchen is a great way to keep those hands out of the chips.

3. Fix something you can eat and take it with you.  That’s one reason I have cookie and treat recipes frequently on my blog.  You are better off not eating them at all, but if a healthier alternative can keep you from binging on sugar, it’s worth the compromise.

4. Ask yourself — will the few minutes it takes me to eat this chocolate cake worth the sugar hangover I’m going to get from it?  Will it be worth the fight to get back on track? Will it taste good enough to make up for those new pants feeling too tight?

5. If you still want that cake, after taking into consideration the negative repercussions that could happen, go ahead and eat it. Diets fail mainly because people feel too deprived.  If you allow an occasional splurge, you may be able to avoid a bigger and more permanent fail.  Just plan to stop at one small piece and to do some extra exercise to make up for it.  If I give myself permission to indulge, I find I often no longer crave that sweet so desperately.  That’s just part of the perversity of our human nature, I guess!

Proverbs says, “Surely in vain the net  is spread in the sight of any bird.”  (Prov.1:17)  Be a smart bird and keep your eyes open for those nets by preparing ahead of time!

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown