How to Break up with Food {From a Former Food Addict}
Growing up in the blustery winters of Wisconsin, I was surrounded by a large, boisterous family and our gatherings centered around laughter, love and food.
Lots of food. At every holiday there were tables of decadent desserts and rich, buttery entrees, all which called my name. At a young age I gorged myself on delicious dishes, purging after every holiday because I had stuffed myself so much.
Naive to the ways of health, I thought that everyone had this relationship with food. I thought that gorging myself until I was so stuffed I could barely breathe was normal.
But it wasn’t.
Thus, began my life long battle with weight and an unhealthy love affair with food.
As you can imagine, I wasn’t a tiny girl. I would see these thin, size-two women and desperately want to be long and lean like them.
I wanted to wear shorts with freedom and tank-tops without my flabby arms jiggling in the wind. The thought of a bathing suit made me want to run and hide my chubby body behind inflatable pool toys.
Although I was desperate to feel better about myself, I could not break the cycle of binging.
Every emotion gave me a reason to eat.
If I was happy, I’d celebrate and treat myself to food.
If I was sad, I would drown my sorrows in something gooey and covered with chocolate.
I was obsessed with food and it would occupy my thoughts; always preoccupied with my next meal and planning what to gorge on next.
I LOATHED myself for the extra weight, how heavy I felt, and for never having energy.
It wasn’t until I became friends with my wonderful husband, who was and is an avid exerciser, did I find success in weight loss.
He showed me how to eat right, lift weights, and to embrace a healthy lifestyle. And it worked! I lost weight, felt great, but soon after we were married, the weight came back on.
For twelve years I yo-yo’d up and down on the scale, and often joked how I was like Oprah, you never knew if you were going to find me fat or skinny! Ha!
In April of 2013 everything changed. I was a mom who was overwhelmed, unhappy and couldn’t keep up with my kids because of my weight.
I knew something had to change. I had lost myself and knew there was a healthier person trapped in the fat suit I was living in at the time.
Since I had been thin before, I knew how to lose weight and what to eat, I just wasn’t doing it. I believed the lie that I was incapable of keeping the weight off for good.
So on April 15, 2013, I broke up with food for the last time and am now healthier than I have ever been.
I lost 30 pounds {even though I’ve had a few pounds creep back on!}, and have so much more energy. I can finally keep up with my kids!
If you’re like me, needing to break up with food and embrace a new, healthy lifestyle, may these 10 Truths for Breaking up with Food help you make the move toward a renewed heart and mind about food!
10 Truths for Breaking up with Food
1. Realize you have an unhealthy obsession with food and your mentality is NOT normal.
2. Admit that you’ve placed food on a pedestal and made it an idol.
3. Stop thinking about food! Every time you find yourself focusing on what you are craving or really want to eat, stop! Think about something happy, how you’ll feel when you lose weight and most of all, pray for strength!
4. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring! There are many amazing tasting dishes that are friendly for watching your weight and leave you without guilt.
5. Keep a healthy stock of food ready to snack on and enjoy. Get rid of ALL junk food in the house!
6. Pack snacks to go and eat small meals often throughout the day.
7. Don’t starve yourself! When you feel hungry, legitimately hungry, it’s time to eat something packed with protein.
8. Protein sources are your friend! They will help keep you full longer and build lean muscle.
9. Having a “cheat meal” once a week will help you not feel deprived and keep from binging.
10. Focus on a journey of health, and love yourself in the process!
These truths have changed my life. I have more energy, am in great health, and no longer carry the burden of an unhealthy relationship with food! You don’t have to be chained to the guilt associated with being overweight anymore! Start today, put one foot in front of the other, and break up with food! You can do it!
Need more resources for Christian weight loss? Faithful Finish Lines is the ultimate source to help you break up with food as a Christian woman!