Battling An Addiction

I have battled food addiction my entire life.

In the last few years, I have broken many bad habits that I’ve had and lost quite a bit of weight that I carried all through college and into my mid-20’s. I’ve been able to maintain it within about 10 lbs, which has always made me pretty pleased. This year my “New Year’s Resolution” was to eat less. I had no idea that God would use this year to break the stronghold completely.

I was on Weight Watchers for two years and lost weight and really loved it. It taught me a lot about what I was eating and that I was eating food that I didn’t really even like that much just b/c I could eat it. When I met my husband, I knew that I didn’t want to live a life of counting points. I wanted to enjoy my family and not be “dieting” or cooking separate meals for the rest of my life. It was then I decided to start changing a few things to live healthier.

I’ve maintained my wedding weight (thankfully), but was still a slave to food. I struggled to stop eating or say “no” to certain things. I began counting calories so that I could drop those 10lbs. One morning, I realized I was still trying to be in control and not letting God work this stronghold out of me. I’ve realized that this stronghold to food is giving in to the desires of my flesh…choosing my flesh over walking in the Spirit.

That is where I was before going to the Biggest Loser Retreat. That retreat changed my life!

I knew I wanted to live a life free from giving into my sinful desires and not be weighed down by my addiction to food. I was having a problem grasping “how”. What I realized at this retreat was that I was living a defeated life. I was living as if I didn’t have power over my “flesh”. All I was needing to do was change my thought-life.

There were a few things that changed that for me:

1.) I had to take control of my thought-life. Start telling myself and BELIEVING that I am FREE from food! Already! I’ve asked God to free me from this and He has! I am no longer a slave to food. I am free!

2.) Positive “self-talk” is powerful! Retraining my mind to believe that “I love water”, “I love to workout”, “I don’t need to eat _____”. Its incredible! I’m so thankful that we have the Holy Spirit, God, living in us and that we can speak truth into our lives! Taking my thoughts captive and not allowing my thoughts to go to “I’m not good enough” or “I’m lazy”….that’s not truth! God doesn’t want us to live a life believing lies. I loved this quote from the retreat, I allow all people to speak to me, but only a few are allowed to speak into me and over me.” It’s so powerful! We need to surround ourselves that speak TRUTH into our lives!!! We can let all people talk to us, but I am free from believing the negative things that people say.

3.) I need to let the Spirit be in control of this area of my life. Romans 8 tells us that we are no longer under any obligation to do what the flesh tells us to do.

4.) Making the exchange. One of the quotes I walked away with was , “The only difference between your past and future is the “exchange”. What are you going to exchange?” I replaced my negative thought life with a positive one…believing that I am free from food b/c God has freed me! I replaced watching TV every night with doing something active with Ken. I’ve replaced diet coke and crystal light with water. There were some health things I walked away with also that I’ve replaced in our house.

God allowed it all to just “click” with me at that retreat….healthy lifestyle and walking in the Spirit. I was SO excited when I realized on the girls’ trip (that I STILL haven’t posted about) that I truly was free from food!!!!! I didn’t crave diet coke. I didn’t eat everything in sight. I was able to leave food on my plate. And, I didn’t “have to” go to the fun candy, ice cream and fudge shops that grace Eureka Springs.

I stand in awe of God that He has taken these “chains” from me. I’m not saying I won’t have hard times or have days that those lies creep back in, but I do want to continue to follow Him and where He is leading me this year.