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Day 1: Let’s Begin by Being Honest
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15 NIV
Anyone who struggles with an addiction can identify with thoughts like: What is wrong with me? I should know better! Why can’t I just stop overeating? I remember saying these words to myself each day. It is comforting to discover the same feelings in the Bible from a faithful man of God. Like us, Paul was keenly aware of his own internal battle and didn’t understand why he couldn’t just “do what is right” either! But in this scripture, Paul is also modeling the type of ruthless honesty that is a necessary starting point for change.
It isn’t easy to come to terms with the reality that everything you’ve tried has failed, but it is the very place where God can begin working in your life. If you want to take your first step toward healing, you must begin with the admission that your way is simply not working. It’s time to accept that you need help!
Freedom Reflection
I’d like you to list all of the diets you have tried and the results of each one (Go ahead and write out the whole story— the temporary successes, the failures, all of it.). Do you wake up promising yourself today will be different, only to end up in the same mess tomorrow? Be honest. How much money do you spend on binges and fad diets? How much time and energy goes into the process of fighting your food addiction? Is it really working? If you want to take your first step toward healing, you must begin with the admission that your way is simply not working.
Day 2: Yes, I Am Full of Despair
I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Psalm 6:6–7
It is so important to begin with the admission that you are spiritually and emotionally exhausted from this battle with food abuse, but also to understand that you are physically worn out because the food itself makes you feel ill. Sugar causes you to become depressed, moody, and lethargic, and your excess weight may be affecting your quality of life!
Be honest with yourself: You know in your heart that you are out of control, and this causes you deep sorrow.
The heaviness of your addiction is always present in pain, sadness, and hopelessness. The despair of the Psalmist is also your despair. Yet it is in these very psalms that you can discover the power in being honest with yourself and the God who loves you.
Freedom Reflection
Write about how you really feel about your eating, weight, and body image. What do you think about what is happening in your life? Be thorough and honest. Before we can focus on solutions, we must face our true feelings about this problem.
Day 3: It’s Okay to Say, “I Don’t Know”
Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 1 Corinthians 8:2
I understand that you may have learned how to eat better or lose weight. You might know enough to teach classes on nutrition and behavior modification. You may even have schooling on the topic like I do, but that knowledge will not solve your problem. If you are going to really change, you need to become teachable!
Today, I want you to allow yourself to simply say, “I don’t know.” I want you to become a student again. Learn to be curious. Be open to new ideas! Some of what you’ve already learned will come in handy, but don’t hold on to the idea that you have all the answers. With that attitude, you might just miss the help you need! This is your time to learn and grow, and that can only happen when you are open and humble.
Freedom Reflection
Spend some time writing about how it feels to let yourself be teachable, especially when you already have a head full of knowledge. In what areas do you struggle with a know-it-all attitude? How might that hinder you from getting all you can out of this process?
Day 4: Am I Addicted to Sugar?
For you have been called to live in freedom. Galatians 5:13
Did you know that science has only recently discovered that sugar is an addictive substance? Dr. Mark Hyman, author of Eat Fat, Get Thin, writes, “Sugar and processed foods have been shown to be eight times more addictive than cocaine.”1 Scientists can now actually identify the difference between people who have sugar addictions and those who don’t by simply looking at brain scans! I’m willing to bet that you had no idea when you first enjoyed a sugary treat that you were indulging in a behavior that could ruin your life. Society, family, and friends have all told you sugar was good, fun, and enjoyable; and on top of that, it is readily available everywhere you look. No one warned you about the possible addiction, the way they did with cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol. You didn’t know the risk! To be fair, no one knew until recently.
You are different from other people in the way you relate to food. You understand it isn’t normal to hide, sneak, and lie about what you eat. The truth is, you have a problem; it’s not normal to think about food all day long and to make meals and snacks the focal points of your day.
Freedom Reflection
Be honest about your daily habits: Are you addicted to sugar? Do you consistently eat more than you intend? Do you ever eat until you become sick? Do you eat large quantities? Do you crave it? Do you eat for emotional reasons? What other foods may you be addicted to?
Day 5: Make These Cravings Stop!
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41 NIV
We have to understand the forces we are fighting against if we are going to make lasting progress. Science now tells us that there is a deep connection between sugar and uncontrollable cravings. In fact, sugar actually hijacks your brain and makes you addicted! Dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical in your brain, becomes overstimulated when you eat too much sugar. And when that happens, you need more and more to get—and to sustain—those good feelings. The cravings eventually become unmanageable. You see, that drive is biological, and until you detox your body from sugar, those sugar-induced cravings will be an obstacle for following any sort of healthy eating plan! 2
Now that you understand you are in a battle with a physiological addiction, you can better equip yourself to overcome it (Remember that sugar is actually hidden in many of the foods we eat, and refined carbohydrates have the same effect that sugar does on the body)!
Freedom Reflection
Go through your kitchen and examine the labels on the foods you eat. What are the ingredients (Go online to find a list of all the names for sugar so you know what to look for)? The ingredients in what you eat are always listed in order from most to least. If sugar is past the fifth ingredient on the list, the item probably doesn’t contain enough sugar to “trip” the addiction wire. Make a habit of reading labels in the grocery store, too. There is power in better understanding what you are putting into your body. Most processed foods are loaded with sugar—including the ones that claim to be “health” or “diet foods.” Write down what you learn from reading your labels.
Day 6: Let Go of Self-Condemnation
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
Let’s be honest. You would never allow someone to speak to a family member or a loved one the way you talk to yourself! If you are a parent, what would you do if you overheard someone speaking to your child with that kind of negativity? Maybe it is time to remember that you are God’s child. I pray that you will hear this truth today: You’ve beaten yourself up long enough! All of this negative self-talk is destructive. It is time to accept some grace. You didn’t know the sweets you enjoyed as a child were more addictive than cocaine! You didn’t know when you turned to food for stress relief or comfort that you could become hooked. You may not have become overweight and imprisoned by addiction if you could have avoided it!
My prayer for you is to realize that you are forgiven. God holds nothing against you: He wants you to stop beating yourself up and start trusting in His forgiveness and grace! The discouragement that follows your negative self-talk will only lead you back to needing food for relief. Instead, I want you to remember the truth: You are a child of God. You are not condemned. You are forgiven. Today, I hope you will begin to embrace that unconditional love!
Freedom Reflection
Take time to research and write a list of scriptures that affirm God’s unconditional love for you, and then meditate on them today (It is even helpful to memorize a few of them and recite them whenever you begin to think badly about yourself!). Spend some time writing down what these verses mean to you, and how the truth of God’s love can help you let go of negativity and food addiction.
Day 7: Finding Strength in Your Weakness
That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
I know it is not easy to admit weakness. Some days, the simple acknowledgment that you need help can be so difficult! In our “have it all together” culture, admitting you need help can be terrifying. Maybe you feel that no one will understand your food addiction. You imagine them saying, “Just eat better and exercise. Simple, right?”
I believe it is empowering to take Paul’s approach and learn to “take pleasure” in your weakness. Admitting your own weakness opens the door for God to come into your broken places and bring strength. When you let yourself be honest and broken before Him, you can then invite Him to help—and He is able to do far better things than you can imagine.
It may not make sense to take pleasure in your weakness. It goes against all you’ve ever learned about being strong and fighting the good fight, but this is the day to let Him be your strength.
Freedom Reflection
Write what the words in this verse mean to you: For when I am weak, then I am strong. How does this Biblical truth apply to your recovery and healing from food addiction?
