Breaking Free from Dieting with the Lord’s Help

It was half an hour past my bedtime; I should have been cozy in bed, fast asleep. But here I was, pacing around my kitchen—­again—­my attention fixated on the box of granola bars in the pantry.

I know I shouldn’t eat one.

More pacing.

It’s not on my plan.

I paced some more.

But it has chocolate chips!

By the time I entered my staring contest with that granola bar, I’d already spent hours ruminating on everything the enemy wanted me to believe.

I’ve already blown it.

It’s too late to make a different choice.

I might as well eat the granola bar and try to do better tomorrow.

I was stuck, and I couldn’t see a way out. Maybe you feel that way too.

How We Get Stuck

The truth is, I wasn’t able to keep following all the diet rules for long. I broke those laws every single day. 

Do it “right” or don’t do it at all, my Diet Dictator demanded. So I handed over the remaining threads of hope I held. That’s the nature of all-­or-­nothing thinking: It shines such a blinding spotlight on even the most insignificant imperfections that our brains begin to believe the only logical solution is to give up.

I want you to know that you’re not alone. This pattern is so common—and so predictable—­it can be boiled down to a series of well-­worn steps.

Step 1: You start out the day with the best of intentions. Today is the day you’re going to nail your eating and say no to every temptation that comes your way!

Step 2: Your intentions are challenged by an unexpected treat (“Oops, I ate so fast, I hardly tasted it!”) or the desperate need for an escape (“I just need a break—­now!”).

Step 3: Feelings of failure and regret well up in your heart and mind. You feel terrible about your eating mistake and can’t stop thinking about how disappointed you are in yourself.

Step 4: You answer your slip with the promise that you’ll eat better—­no, perfect—­tomorrow.

Step 5: Those well-­intentioned promises of perfect eating ramp up your fear of restriction, plopping you right into Last Supper Eating—when you eat like it’s your last chance, before everything is off-­limits tomorrow.

But this is not an addiction to food; it’s a reaction to restriction. Can you imagine how different things would look if you stopped yourself at any one of these steps?

It’s not because you lack willpower. It’s not even about willpower.

The Power in a “Little”

I’m not a gardener, but I married a man with a green thumb. The planting season is an exciting one as my husband and daughter gather new packets of seeds on the patio table. 

I bet you’re wondering what this analogy has to do with food freedom. Well, the reality is that we find ourselves planting seeds all the time. Seeds are our thoughts, behaviors, and actions that grow into the framework of our lives.

If you’re planting seeds of doubt and fear, your mind is probably pretty anxious. If you’re planting seeds of unrealistic expectations and perfectionism, you’re probably pretty stressed out. And if you’re planting seeds of dietary restriction followed by a lack of restraint, you probably feel at the mercy of your cravings.

But what if you started planting a new kind of seed? The kind of seed that would produce the kind of relationship with food you longed for?

A Seed of Self-­Control

Your tiny seed could be swapping out one soda a day for water or “tithing bites” by leaving three bites of food on your dinner plate. These are doable actions but still require a small sacrifice on your part so that you have the opportunity to rely on the Lord for his strength. But, unlike a diet, you’ll make sure the action is easy enough for you to be consistently successful.

The “go big or go home” methods of dietary improvements have not worked for us in the past because they were based on self-­effort. It’s time to step out in faith and trust that God can do a lot with our little.

Reflection:

How can you trust God with your tiny seeds of change when it comes to your diet? 

If you liked this blog, check out Fully Nourished by Brandice Lardner. We love how she helps you ditch diet shame and embrace a Christ-centered view of food and yourself.

Brandice Lardner is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and owner and author of Grace Filled Plate, which she founded in 2017. She has helped hundreds of women through one-on-one and group coaching programs, teaching them how to find food freedom by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. She’s appeared on numerous podcasts, including Do It Scared with Ruth Soukup, and has been featured as a guest expert on MyFitnessPal, TLC Online, MapMyRun, and Women’s Running. She lives in Clearwater, Florida, with her family. Connect with her online @BrandiceLardner on Instagram.