How to Stop Overeating – God’s Way

Stop-Binge-Eating

Is your tongue writing checks that your body can’t cash?

God once led me to do a study on the scriptures about gluttony (overeating) and this is the unusual definition He gave me of it:

Overeating is your tongue writing checks that your body cannot cash.”

That certainly makes me understand how this habit can bankrupt you in mind, body, and Spirit!

In this article, I’ll show you how to stop it.

But first, let me explain why you should work to eliminate this habit as soon as possible.

How Drunkenness and Gluttony are Linked in the Bible

The reason comes from Proverbs 23:21:

“For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”

Did you notice the scripture puts a person who habitually consumes too much alcohol and too much food in the same category?

Both mean that the substance has more control over you than you have over it. The scripture also explains why this is a serious issue.

It says that both the glutton and the drunkard will come to poverty. Here is why.

Gluttony Wastes Resources

Money is a God-given resource that takes care of your living expenses and helps to build up God’s kingdom.

If your money is not managed wisely (and spending more than is needful on food and alcohol is unwise), then you have less money for giving to your church, charity, and investments that can grow wealth.

I once read that regular overeating costs the average family nearly $500 a year – about $42 a month.

What if instead, you were able to donate that money to your church, to hunger relief, your child’s college education, or financial vehicle?

Many of us are eating our futures away – literally.

Gluttony Makes you Open to Enemy Attack

The second consequence of eating too much is that the scripture says that it makes you drowsy.

That makes you unaware of what is going on around you – you can’t think with clarity and do just enough to get by.

You aren’t able to be sober and vigilant as the scripture commands you (1 Peter 5:8) and so are wide open to the enemy’s attacks.

Proverbs 25:28 says,

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.”

In ancient times, enemy hordes frequently invaded cities, plundering its possessions and carrying the people off into slavery. Having a wall around the city was an essential part of ensuring the city’s protection.

It was the first line of defense.

Unfortunately, many people are tearing down their own walls with poor health choices. Growing statistics of obesity and all the diseases that go with it like diabetes, heart disease, stroke and others is the evidence.

The scripture also says that drowsiness ends up clothing a man in rags. We assign little value to rags; they are typically used and thrown away.

Remember: You cannot reign in life if you live unrestrained.

Wisdom requires that you set boundaries as to the behavior you will or will not accept in yourself.

I’m going to introduce you to a word you may or may not have heard before: “Temperance.”

It’s an old-fashioned word that means self-control or moderation.

When you think of a climate that has temperate weather, pleasant images come to mind – clear skies and gentle breezes. There are no extremes of heat or cold. Such an environment is optimal to live in.

Concerning your spirit (lower case ‘spirit’ typically means your mind, will, and emotions), you also want your thoughts to be temperate so that your outward habits are temperate.

Whenever you do not submit your thoughts, will, and emotions to the obedience of Christ, you leave yourself vulnerable to temptations such as overeating.

Changing the overeating habit starts with a decision. Ask yourself, “Do I control this behavior or does it control me?”

An easy way to tell is to imagine giving up the habit of excess eating from this day forward. Did a feeling of deprivation come over you?

If your feelings are neutral or indifferent to it, then you have control over the habit.

I ask you to eliminate the habit  for the sake of others who may be watching you. This is especially true if you appear to be fit and healthy, but eat to excess when you are around friends or family.

They may get a false idea that you overeat all the time when you likely don’t.

However, if the vision of giving up the habit makes you feel deprived, uneasy, or fearful, then the habit controls you. You are in danger and need to give up the habit for your own sake. 

God’s Goodness Leads to Repentance

God is about restoration, not condemnation. A change of heart and mind is required, which is the definition of repentance.

Compulsive overeating can cost you your health or even your life.

This is the attitude you need:

“I must change this habit with God’s help. It is no longer acceptable to me. I must change it now. I am committed to changing, no matter how long it takes or how many times I stumble. With God’s help, I will change and He will get the glory!”

Do you hear the resolve in this statement? It naturally leads to repentance.

After you’ve made the decision that you will no longer accept the behavior in yourself, then speak the previous words out loud with as much conviction as you can.

I mentioned that another word for temperance is moderation. When I read that word, I immediately thought about a moderator in a debate.

Did you know that there is always a debate going on inside of you as to which choices you are going to make each day?

You as the moderator get to choose who wins each debate. Your actions show you which side won!

The SANE Way for Ending Overeating

Here are the actions to take to ensure that you are eating only to satisfy your body’s needs and that the right side wins. The concept is called SANE eating. The acronym S.A.N.E stands for:

  • Start when you are hungry
  • Appreciate every bite
  • No food is forbidden
  • End when signaled

A word of warning before you start eating SANEly (in your right mind): When you practice eating with temperance (moderation), it is going to feel weird and wrong at the beginning.

You will be amazed at how much you eat when your body is not hungry and how often you are tempted to eat past the signal point. However, the more you practice this in faith, it will start to feel normal and right. So stick with it until your change comes.

In addition, 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises you:

 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

So be humble and ASK for God’s help in prayer when you are tempted to go back to your overeating behaviors and ask Him to show you the way of escape. He will do it as you wait upon him. Now for the SANE eating principles:

Start When You Are Hungry

You may not have allowed yourself to become physically hungry in a while, but eating to satisfy bodily hunger is the way God designed you.

Be very careful about your food choices because some processed foods interfere with the brain’s natural hunger/fullness signals.

If you overeat habitually, monitor the foods that you are eating to determine if your diet contains deceptive foods.

If so, the wisest thing to do is replace deceptive foods with those that help you, not hurt you.

If you have eaten a good meal and are tempted to return for seconds, then place your hands on your stomach to tune in and ask, “Is my body hungry?” If the signal is coming from your tongue or your emotions (thoughts), then they are trying to write checks that your body can’t cash! You should not eat yet, otherwise, you’ll have an overdraft.

Do the following instead:

Drink a glass of water, brush your teeth, or chew on a stick of sugarless gum. Make sure the gum has an intense flavor, such as mint or peppermint.  Wait 10 minutes and then check again.

Do not merely sit during those 10 minutes; find another task to occupy your time. Preferably, the task should be a physical one, such as a prayer walk, tidying up, or engaging in a hobby.

The goal is to distract your mind (where the tempting thoughts are coming from) and get focused on your body.

After the 10 minutes is over, ask yourself the question again, “Is my body hungry?” By then, you should have either a definite “yes” or “no” answer.

For “no” answers, ask yourself another question, “Why then do I want to eat?” If it’s emotional eating, then take out a piece of paper and start writing a letter to the Lord about what is going on and asking for help. I think praying on paper is one of the most powerful tools you can use.

Another way to tell if your body is hungry is after placing your hands on your stomach, rate your hunger according to the following scale:

  • 5 – I have no hunger pangs at all; in fact, I am full from a previous meal.
  • 4 – I have no hunger pangs at all; I’m not full, but I am satisfied with the moderate amount of food in my stomach.
  • 3 – My stomach feels vaguely uneasy. I have a little food in my stomach, and I could eat something.
  • 2 – I feel hunger pangs; I have no food in my stomach. I definitely need to eat.
  • 1 – I feel strong hunger pangs; I have a headache and I feel slightly nauseous. I can’t think straight; I want to eat everything in sight.

Your goal is balance —not to experience the severe hunger of level 1 and not to eat when you are at levels 4 and 5.  If you allow yourself to get as low as a level 1, then your brain will not care what type of food you get as long as you eat. It thinks you are starving and will likely crave high fat, high sugar foods to raise your blood sugar level up as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, if you eat at levels 4 and 5, you will be giving your body food that it doesn’t need. Since it’s not needed, this food will likely be stored in your fat cells. Again, you are writing checks that your body can’t cash!

Ideally, you want to eat when your hunger level is either 2 or 3. At that level, your body does require food, plus you will have the presence of mind to make wise decisions as to what to eat. When you eat according to your body’s signals, it can easily cash the check.

Appreciate every bite

Have you ever wolfed food down so fast that you didn’t even recall eating? Taking time to sit down and savor your food may seem like an indulgence, but it is an important component to your weight loss efforts. Here is why.

An area of our brain called the Appestat monitors our food intake and sends signals to indicate when we have had enough to eat. But the Appestat  is a bit of a slowpoke; it takes 20 minutes of eating before registering satisfaction. Many of us hurriedly consume our meals within the space of 5-10 minutes.

If your brain has not signaled that you have had enough, then it is quite possible for you to eat twice as much as your body really needs. So, you want to take the time to enjoy your meals, silently thanking God for each bite, and giving the  time to do its job.

Finally, you want to relax and make your mealtimes as stress-free as possible. If you are stressed, your body manufactures Cortisol.

Among other functions, this hormone contributes to the storage of fat around your midsection. By taking time to savor your meals, you can help relieve stress and prevent this mechanism from taking hold.

In addition, you will get more pleasure out of your meals, so you will be satisfied with eating less.

No foods are forbidden

This guideline might surprise you if you are accustomed to restrictive eating.  You can have any food you want.

Having said this, a smart strategy would be to become educated on the effects that certain foods have on your body. Some foods have a positive effect and will lean your body down and some foods will have a destructive one and make it more likely that you will store fat.

Since your body constantly remakes itself based on your food intake, the beverages you drink, and the movements you make, you want to consider your choices carefully. If you want to build a high-quality body, you must give it high-quality building materials.

While you won’t “forbid” yourself to have certain foods, realize that some foods will slow down your weight loss goal and make it harder for you to make healthy choices. These foods are:

  • Sugars
  • White flour products
  • White rice

These foods are simple carbohydrates, which mean that the body can break them down quickly into glucose (also known as sugar). When your body breaks down these foods, it releases the sugar into your bloodstream.

The body produces insulin, a hormone that is designed to move sugar into your muscle cells where it can be burned as fuel, thus lowering blood sugar.

In some cases, the blood sugar is lowered rapidly. This causes a domino effect: With a lowered blood sugar, your body wants to bring you back into balance as quickly as possible.

Food cravings are triggered. You crave foods that are high in fat and sugar. Your body sees this as a necessary measure, thinking it is in a crisis state and these foods will bring your blood sugar up quickly.

The insulin that your body produced also encourages fat storage, so the extra food you consumed will likely be stored as fat. Your body’s health account is in “overdraft” status.

In addition to fostering weight gain, these types of foods make it more difficult to make wise choices. Your thinking becomes unfocused and you experience mood swings when your blood sugar fluctuates to extremes. This makes it more likely that you will make poor food selections.

A wise practice to adopt is paying attention to how you feel after you eat certain foods. Did your body like the food that you ate or not? Some clues that your body may not like a particular food are:

  • You feel drugged, numb, or suffer from “brain fog”
  • You feel bloated or nauseous
  • You feel sluggish or sleepy

The food you eat should give you energy, not deplete it. If a food affects you in a negative way, start recording the reaction. This will give you a helpful guide so that you can start eating food that your whole body likes, not just your tongue. It will also assist you in deciding to limit foods that affect your body negatively. The best strategy would be to eat them only on rare occasions or to practice portion control when you do eat them.

End when signaled

To ensure that you stop eating when signaled, you will need to pay attention while you are eating. That means when you are eating, you should only be eating, not multi-tasking with T.V. watching or reading a book.

Eat until the point when your body is no longer hungry.

Three to four bites after that is usually the signal point for most people, but you will need to monitor yourself to discover your own point. When you reach it, stop eating. If you continue, you will go into overdraft. Take the attitude that you would rather store the extra food in a container and freeze it for later than store it on your body.

Now that you have the SANE eating principle, work on practicing it every day until it feels normal and right. Then you know that the habit has become automatic for you.

At the end of each day, evaluate yourself: “Did I eat temperately?” If so, you are on the right track. But if not, then discern what is causing you to stumble then adjust your approach the next day until you perform that step consistently.

Eating temperately seems like a small thing, but it isn’t. Remember, Satan used the temptation of food to usher sin into the world!

So failing to take control of this “small” area can lead to big consequences. Jesus tells us in Luke 16:10: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”

Practice temperance in your eating and I believe it will strengthen your faith and your character so that you can experience more of the abundant life Jesus promised!

Be Blessed with Health, Healing, and Wholeness,

Kimberly Taylor

Author of the Take Back Your Temple program

P.S. Do you struggle with overeating sugar? If so, you are not alone!

Overcoming sugar addiction was a key factor on my weight loss journey; I lost 85 pounds and dropped from a size 22 to an 8.

In our 14-day Sugar Detox Challenge online course (inside the Take Back Your Temple program), you’ll get the same success strategies and support to gain peace in your eating habits and achieve lasting weight loss.

Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple program.

“Prayer for Weight Loss”

About the author 

Kimberly Taylor

Kimberly Taylor is a certified Christian life coach and has a heart to help others struggling with emotional eating and weight loss. Once 240 pounds and a size 22, she can testify of God’s goodness and healing power to overcome. She lost 85 pounds as a result of implementing techniques to overcome emotional eating and binge eating disorder.

Kim is the author of "The Take Back Your Temple Program," which teaches Christians how to take control of their weight God's way and the books "The Weight Loss Scriptures" and "The Weight Loss Prayers."

Kim has been featured in Prevention Magazine, Charisma Magazine and on CBN’s 'The 700 Club' television program.

  • Hello Kimberly. This article was an eye opener. I am an emotional eater and it has stagnated all my efforts at weight loss. I want to walk in the newness of more than a conqueror lifestyle. So I realized a lot has to change. I woke up this morning and realized I need the help of the Holy Spirit. This article is encouraging and I pray it will help others. What is your Instagram handle so I can keep in touch.Thank you.

    • I am So glad that the article was helpful to you Oghoghi! I pray the Lord continue to prosper you in health even as your soul prospers! Although I have an Instagram account, I’m not active on there and don’t remember the handle. Sorry!

  • Thank you so much for sharing. I have been struggling for years and I am a Christian but this one thing has been hard for me – the way I handle my food intake. My physical body hurts.

    • Hi Melissa – just know that God wants you free even more than you want to be free. Day-by-day, He will lead you in walking out your healing and deliverance. Will it always be easy? No. But it will always be worth it. God loves you and has great plans for your life.

  • Boy, do I need this! I am so upset at myself. I ate pizza and junk tonight and now it’s time to try to go to sleep and I CANNOT! I feel so guilty, so sick, so full. Please pray for me to STOP this INSANITY!!! Thank you for this beautiful article and your help! GOD bless you!

    • You are welcome, Mar! The important thing to remember is that the Lord is about RESTORATION, not condemnation. He knows you from the inside out and already has a plan for your recovery. Your role is to seek Him continually to guide you to the next right step to take for your healing. Trust Him to give you the peace that surpassing all understanding to guard your heart and mind. And He will receive the glory!

  • You put that God tempts us. This is not the case. He will never tempt us. He will test us, however. Only Satan tempts us: “…he tempts us when we are vulnerable, hungry, sick, and tired.” Luke 4:1-13. I would change this in order to not confuse anyone reading.

    • Hi Miranda – I just checked the article and don’t see anywhere where I say God tempts us. Please let me know the sentence where it says that because you are correct and if that line exists; it will be corrected. Thank you!

  • Hello. Kimberly Taylor. I reading this article after giving into night time overeating again. I do have a food addiction and overeat emotionally. I know it is in the way of my relationship with God. I question my salvation because I confess, repent, so okay for short time frame then fall and overeat. It is a nasty cycle of sin, confess, repent. I feel defeated and afraid I might go to hell for giving into this habitual sin of gluttony. I also out of control when I binge eat. I need prayer and I also a some advice on how to overcome gluttony for good. I appreciate your help.

    • Hi Andrea – My sister, I believe the core issue that you are experiencing is that you are viewing the issue backwards. You wrote: “I do have a food addiction and overeat emotionally. I know it is in the way of my relationship with God. I question my salvation because I confess, repent, so okay for short time frame then fall and overeat. It is a nasty cycle of sin, confess, repent. I feel defeated and afraid I might go to hell for giving into this habitual sin of gluttony.”

      God is about restoration, not condemnation. It is His goodness that leads us to repentance. The enemy wants to keep you trapped in this cycle of running from God when emotions overwhelm you and running to food. So addressing the issue must begin with how you see God. Your salvation is not based on what you do but on what Jesus has already done.

      Bingeing/Gluttony is a heart issue, not an eating issue at its core. So in order to heal, then that is the part that needs to be submitted to God for change from the inside out.

      Here are a couple of articles that may help to start:

      What is your God View?
      Know God Personally (this is the basics of knowing God so you have confidence in your Salvation in Him)

      I am praying with you that the Lord open your eyes to the truth.

    • Andrea, I as well run to food at night and overeat. I am writing what Kimberly says in the section about- if you are full then do the following instead. I am going to place this on my night side and when I am wanting to eat at night due to emotionally head hunger , then I am going to pray and if I am not at 2 or 3..Then NO FOOD, BUT PRAYER!! I truly believe God will help Us, my sister. God Bless

  • Thank you for posting this article on overeating I struggled with this for ever I lose the weight and I gain more that I think it’s passing on to my kid’s my mom had this problem and dead from it God told me that this overeating was going to go with her but I can’t seem to overcome this food addiction I have asked God for help . I pray that your article helps me overcome this food addiction

    • Hi Maria – I am joining you in prayer for healing. May the Lord open up your spiritual eyes so you can see clearly how to apply what you learn. With faith and patience, we inherit God’s promises!

  • Thank sooo much. All symptoms you’ve described are actually happening to me. I thought i was bipolar or something for feeling so terrible after eating. This has also affected my relationship with God. May the LORD bless you for this. Thanks

    • I am glad this was helpful to you, Keika – the foods we choose affect our brain chemistry so we want to be sure we choose foods that help us and not hurt us. All praise to Him for giving us good things to satisfy our mouths!

  • It’s really much simpler than this. Does anyone overdrink water or overeat vegetables? No. So if you have a problem with gluttony you’d better off fleeing from every food that makes you overeat – sugar, bread, pizza etc. Those foods aren’t wrong in themselves, but your interaction with them is wrong if you can’t control yourself. Just like you shouldn’t be around someone if you can’t stop sinning when you’re with them. Sin is serious, and you should be serious about cutting it off.

    • Absolutely, Janet – its about building health so that we can enjoy abundant life in Christ and fulfill God’s purpose for us with energy and vitality. May you experience abundant life to the full!

    • That is awesome, Teresa! It makes a difference too to keep the things you want to do, close to you but keep the things you don’t want to do far away from you!

  • Thank you for your article. I would love to have a copy of your book. I am a Pastoral Counselor who specializes in Eating Disorders. May God bless you.

  • Thank you Lord for leading me to this website. I am currently struggling with overeating. I didn’t think this was a problem until I began to pay attention to my eating habits. Now I want to get back to where God wants me to be. Starting this evening I’m making a change.

  • I agree with most of what you’ve stated and I understand what you’re trying to convey in regards to overeaters “wearing rags”. However, let us not place too much value on our outward appearance such as our clothing. A daughter of the Most High God should be clothed in strength, dignity, humility, peace and love. For some folks their daily rags are their only robes. I wouldn’t want someone to misunderstand what you’re trying to convey. -M

  • Thank you so much for this. Your words have just brought a lot of clarity to my struggle. I’m going to practice SANE starting immediately. Thank you for posting links to other helpful articles as well. Your post was exactly what I was searching for. Tears were streaming down my face as I was reading it, and thanking the Lord for leading me to it. Thank you again so much. God Bless.

  • Hi thanks for sharing this article – I’ve just read some of it. The thing is that I don’t think I’m eating when I’m hungry a lot of the time – I’m eating because I feel stressed. I have had health issues, one of which is ptsd – I think over the years I have been turning to food because of anxiety and stress. I have tried not to turn to food, and the emotions are so overwhelming that I have prayed, but then still eaten afterwards. I want to download your book – I just wondered if this was something that others relate to?

  • I appreciate you and thank God for this article. I needed some concrete words like these to help my stop over eating.
    I believe this is what i needed to help.
    God is Good. Thanks

  • I’ve prayed, I’ve repented, I’ve quoted scripture to myself, but the problem only seems to increase over the years. I’ve yo-yo dieted, yo-yo fasted, but I’m still a compulsive eater. I’ve had spiritual counseling, psychological counseling, and nothing, absolutely nothing, has worked. I will probably die from compulsive eating, and yet God completely delivered me from alcoholism, sexual addictions, and drug problems thirty years ago. He has miraculously healed me of heart disease, cleansed and healed me of hepatitis A, B & C, so that I can donate blood. There is something about sugar and peanut butter, however, that has a supernatural grip on me that I cannot control. My wife and I are called to the mission field, but unless God delivers me from this curse, and I fully believe it is a curse, I fear I will never fulfill the calling God has upon my life.

    • Hi Chris – when I read your post, I thought – Boy are you in the right place! I believe God led you here because He has a word in due season. I just prayed that you have ears to hear what that word is because it will set you free.

      First of all, you are a loved, redeemed child of God through Jesus Christ, correct? He is the author and finisher of your faith and He can do through you what you cannot do on your own. Even the apostle Paul struggled with doing the right thing. Check out this article for insight into where the battle really is: Power to do the Right Thing

      You wrote the 2 things that are helping to keep you bound:

      * “I will probably die from compulsive eating”
      * “unless God delivers me from this curse, and I fully believe it is a curse, I fear I will never fulfill the calling God has upon my life”

      These point to lies that you are believing. Your mind needs to be renewed to the truth in God’s word. That is what true repentance is – it is not saying “I’m sorry” but a change of heart and mind. That is what you need and it is only through God’s wisdom and power that it will happen.

      Here is why these 2 statements are lies:

      * LIE: “I will probably die from compulsive eating”
      * TRUTH: “I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord (Psalm 118:17).

      * LIE: “* “unless God delivers me from this curse, and I fully believe it is a curse, I fear I will never fulfill the calling God has upon my life”
      * TRUTH: Jesus has already delivered you from every curse: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:12-14).”

      The truth is that the enemy has hacked into your brain through the foods you are choosing to eat. For more about that, check out this article: The Hidden Reason you Overeat

      Finally, the enemy has you trapped in fear and feeling helpless. But Jesus came to give you a different way to live so you can fulfill your calling in Him: Five Scriptures when you Feel Helpless.

      Since you’ve been living in this stronghold for a long time, it will take time to tear it down. But it is not willpower that will do it; it is God’s power.

      I believe you will get free and bring others to Christ Jesus on the mission field. But you’ve got to get free yourself.

  • Just found this site and so glad that I did. Food has been my enemy for so long. Don’t know if I am using it to make myself so large that I keep others away or if I’m using it to commit slow suicide, but I definitely need this site to help me get back to a normal way of life……

  • This article was extremely well written, and I’m grateful for you and your words. I can’t wait to digest all of this knowledge!

  • Thank you so much Kimberly Taylor! I was in my bathroom looking at my face in the mirror. You see, I’ve had this acne for almost 3 years. Ever since Jesus became my personal Saviour, I could really see the changes God has made in my life! I’ve been asking Him to heal my acne and I said that I’d be waiting for that time. I guess this website is my answer for over 3 years! Oh Kimberly :”) may God bless you :*

  • I have used food for the past 2 years plus to transform my body, and I’ve done it with God’s guidance. But the one aspect that I didn’t realize I was allowing Him to help is in my desire to emotional eat. I didn’t realize I was still managing to emotionally eat even when I was eating more healthfully. I think your blog is a breath of fresh air. I love that you speak what is your truth as a Christian and many of your words were just what I needed to hear. Plus, your talent for finding scripture to relate is appreciated.

  • I read all of your postings and replies. I too I have been suffering with an eating disorder for 30 yrs. I feel like a failure and at my wit end. How do I overcome this? Deborah

  • I really appreciated your article. God has been dealing with me about abusing His temple. I googled to find some scriptures regarding this subject. That’s when I found you your article. The thing that I enjoyed the most about it is that there is no judgemental tone at all. It can be very discouraging to reach out for help when you know you have a problem, only to feel condemned and preached at from another brother or sister. Thank you for your humble spirit. This is exactly what I need. God bless you for reaching out to help others.

    • You are welcome, Becky – this is a daily walk for sure. Change starts with loving yourself the way God loves you and then believing His word enough to start applying it. You can do this. Praise God for a fresh start on your journey. He will be with you every step of the way!

  • Hi! I really enjoyed your article as this has been an area of struggle for me too. I’ve been recently reminded of Philippians 3:19, “their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame.” Please pray for me because I’m tired of the compulsive eating/non-stop dieting and constantly condemning my body! Ready for redemption! 🙂

  • This article made so much sense. It’s what I have known and been led to see and believed based on Holy Spirit revelation. This just solidified in my mind the correct approach to eating. Have no idea, other that the enemy leading me mentally astray, why it hadn’t just stuck in my brain. Eye-opening for me. I love the acronym SANE eating. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

  • I am grateful for you. I do believe you heard from God before writing this article. It is EXACTLY what I have needed to hear, and I read it on the day I decided to take dominion over the desire to overeat. I happened to bring my lunch to work, only a salad, hard boiled egg and strawberries, BUT by the time I finished reading the article, I felt sated. The salad was enough. I decided the egg and strawberries can be for another time I’m hungry. I know this sounds silly and simple, but usually, I would have eaten everything at one sitting simply because I brought it to eat. EVERYTHING you wrote the Spirit in me agreed. I know now that I will be successful with this lifestyle change. Again, thank you for being obedient and writing this article.

    • You are welcome, Char! I am agreeing with you in prayer “I know now I will be successful with this lifestyle change.” You will because God is with you with every choice you make, as you saw. To Him be the glory!

  • I just want to thankyou so much for the information. It truly has been an eye opener for me because i have been struggling with over eating for so long. I now understand that the devil uses food to get to me and the scriptures say so. Thanks to Jesus for blessing you with this knowledge that has now been passed on to me.
    God bless and keep up the good work

  • I find that I can fast from unhealthy foods for quite a long period of time, but as soon as my fast is over, it’s like I go on a binge to eat all the things I couldn’t during the fast. I end up gaining weight I’d lost on the fast, and lately I’ve even gained more than I was before the fast. I tell myself in the morning I’m going to make healthy choices, then the next thing I know I’m driving through Burger King. I’m not terribly overweight–slightly obese for my size–but now that I’m older, the weight sticks with me and I’m concerned I’m going to get so out of control that I will become huge, like others in my family. I’ve asked the Lord for solutions to this, and one is to meditate on the word of God. The problem is I don’t even really have a desire to eat healthy–even though I know I should. But I do admit this is a problem I know longer have control of, and Jesus said to speak to the mountain…so I’m saying to the mountain of unhealthy food addiction “Be cast into the sea, be gone out of my life, in Jesus’ name! I curse you at the root and command you to be dried up and removed.”

    • I have been forced by migraine symptoms to eliminate wheat gluten. Then I stopped sugar; next I stopped the extra salt (to lower blood pressure to 90 over 60). Due to health I can only exercise up to 150 minutes a week, so my metabolism is low. I eat a keto diet and am gradually adding more vegetables, including limited starchy veggies. I was on a school project where I had to lose 9 lbs in 6 weeks as part of a goal-setting training the trainer. I was motivated by the desire for a high grade and the teacher’s comment, “can’t u lose more than 9 lbs?” For now I read recipes and dram of where my self-awareness journal disappeared to in my laptop. I recall that after losing that 9 lbs 4 years ago that my body was in burn mode and wanted to drop more but I stopped it by consuming too much corn. I long for the motivation of fearing a bad grade, however, I prefer no negative stress on the body. I was wondering if in effort to avoid the cortisol flush, am I becoming a lazy dieter? Most of my efforts merely maintain or go down a couple lbs at a time. I have started to wonder if extra fasting, extra veggies, or more protein are really the answer. Perhaps less is the answer, less corn, less food, less of everything! In addition, hormones make the low metabolism feel more like a crisis than a blessing. I still consume vegetables while fasting, so it takes longer to lose lbs with that method. I have debated if eliminating dairy is required, since I only add cream to decaff. coffee once a day. I know that self-awareness is important and have found that ginger tea adds energy. How can I combine all of these methods to improve outcomes over shorter periods of time?

      1. Awareness of hunger or not
      2. Adding green veggies
      3. Not fearing starchy veggies
      4. Not fearing dairy products
      5. Not feeling deprived of gluten
      6. Balancing faith and feeling
      7. What the Holy Spirit tells me about food
      8. What the Holy Spirit tells me about clothing
      9. What the Holy Spirit tells me about exercise
      10. What the Holy Spirit tells me about worship
      11. What the Holy Spirit tells me about keeping warm
      12. What the Holy Spirit tells me about emotion
      13. How awareness differs from the voice of God.

      My blog has helped empower me to listen to the Spirit of God first and how this voice empowers me to feel again, sense hunger levels, breathe into exercise and to accept a smaller me, not just what less food feels like to eat. The most important acceptance of how it is to be smaller, leaner and more able to take deep breaths.

  • Wow, I am so glad I read this. I have been struggling with my weight my entire life. I eat when I am sad, angry, hormonal, anxious, irritated, bored, happy, relaxing, tired…the list is endless. God has delivered me from cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol addiction. I know if I yeild to Him and seek Him with all my heart I can conquer thus self destructive habit with these simple steps.To God be the glory!!!

  • Thank you so much, I believe this will help me and many others too. My main problem is that, I can’t share any bad experiences to God and family. So I end up eating too much, for example I finish a loaf within 20minutes. But I know the Lord will help till I come back so smile again.

  • I feel saddened because I feel like a bottomless pit when I eat. I do it just because I get bored or just because I want to. I think about food half the day planning on what to eat. I know it’s not healthy and I always say it will be different and I get my act together for a month or two then BOOM back to old ways.. I know I need to focus on Christ.. This article was very helpful.

  • If only it were so easy. I have been struggling with an eating disorder for over 30 years. I know what scripture says about how I eat…if I could eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full, I would be so grateful for I would know it was by God’s grace and power! If you are reading this and have an eating disorder, don’t be discouraged. It doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you or that you are outside of God’s love and forgiveness and healing – No! It means there is something RIGHT since you what you are ultimately seeking is Christ. Keep fighting to be well. Keep asking God for healing and for HIS power. Do not let blogs and articles that make it seem like you should just be able to turn it off like a light switch discourage you from continuing on the journey. Perhaps for some the healing is instantaneous. For others, it takes time and effort and commitment and suffering! Paul had a thorn in his flesh and it kept him focussed on Christ! When I am weak He is strong. Don’t give up – know that Our Lord sees your every effort and is with you in your struggle. Offer it to Him. He loves you.

  • I am so there. I am looking at knee replacements in the future and my Orthopedic will not do the surgery until I lose at least 50 lbs. That sounds like a life sentence in my own mind but I know that through Christ all things are possible. To be my weight I obviously lack discipline. I will try to incorporate your suggestions as I start this new quest to the rest of my life. I surely need prayer partners in this journey.

  • Hi, I found your website last week and now inspired. This particular post has really helped me this week. I love the acronym SANE and have reminded myself of it the past 3 days. For years, I’ve tried losing weight by following strict guidelines or extreme diets. You offer simple steps that actually help me think different. This week, I’ve simply listened to my body question whether it’s hunger or craving. I’ve also tried to wrap my mind around that no foods are forbidden. I had an instance when some folks I was with were enjoying ice cream. I looked at the ice cream and said, I can have you, but I choose not. That ice cream may have been permissible but not the best idea. I rejoice in my choice not to indulge and thanked God for the power he gave me to make the best choice.

    I plan to keep reading your blogs and ask you remember me in prayer. You are inspiration and totally blessed for providing support and insight to so many who struggle.

    In Christ,

    Buffy

  • Thanks for this article, and the scriptures you provided, they are very helpful and I’m going to look up more and use them to help me lose weight.

    One problem I have though is with the end when signaled. For some reason my signaling mechanism is very slow to respond. It can take over an hour sometimes to tell me I’m full. I can have a large meal and still feel ravenous afterwards.

    I reckon this mechanism probably needs healing. I’d appreciate your prayers for this.

    • Hi John – thanks for your post! Remember, the stomach is only about the size of your fist so for me, the key is not to fix myself a large plate to begin with. Otherwise, if I eat it all, I’ll overstretch my stomach with overeating. It can be hard to control your eating if you tempt yourself with large portions. After you eat, also put your hands on your stomach after your first portion and check to see if the “Hunger” is coming from there or from your head. If can even be coming from your tongue if the food is good because you just want more of the taste. If your hunger is not coming from your stomach, then wait 10 minutes before getting more food. Occupy your mind with something else – preferably something physical like taking a walk, doing some wall push-ups, or squats. That will help to relieve some of the muscle tension that occurs from saying “No” to yourself. Also, if you are in a location where you can – brush your teeth to give your mouth a new taste.

      To overcome this habit, start changing small things in your practice of it. You’re working toward interrupting it. For more information, check out this article ‘How to Interrupt Overeating.’ I’m praying for you too.

      • Please pray for me I have been overweight my entire life. I have been controlled by the insecurities and depression that goes along with it I want this bond to be broken.

      • God bless you, I have no idea except that God put your message in my Brand New cellphone today,after I signed up to see a Dietitian and chiropractor for my back as I have allowed my body to be almost shipwrecked…this is truly the Mercy of God’s love reaching out to me as I have felt like there just us no heart change with me for so many years going in circles but today of all day’s,..my new phone I just got today and you message right after I met with the Chiropractor and will see her and the dietitian next Tuesday.. well it’s totally God.. thanks Kim …you didn’t even know., Helena

    • I want to quote a Christian doctor, Don Colbert…he said when we take our first deep breath when we are eating, that is the signal that we are full and we should stop eating.

  • Great article… Sarah and Ann i feel just the same way. Only realize that i can not do it by myself. I desperately need God. Only He can heal. It is such a hard thing to overcome. I work so hard to be in shape and a week on bingeing blows it all. Im really tired of this vicious cycle that is killing me inside. I wish there was a Facebook group support of some sort to help each other.

  • Sara,
    Great scriptures to remember. I feel exactly the way you do, mad, lousy and sad. I beat my self up when I fail. I work so hard just to blow it later,
    I will pray for you too,

  • Well, that’s a lot to think on, don’t much like it but gonna have get used to the idea. It helps bc I was wanting to overeat for emotional reasons. Now I don’t want to as much.

  • Thank you! This is the good that I know I must do…now I just need to do it. Do you have a support group on Facebook or anything? I look forward to drawing closer to the Lord through this grief In my life….I’ve been such a failure and lousy steward for soo long….I almost feel as though I’ve overdrawn to much and need to go to debter’s prison….my life is stuck and stale cause I can’t get a decent handle on this. Each little season of gumption causes 4-5 pounds of loss, only to snap and pig out, putting another 8pounds on, along with despair and anger,a nd recently fear…what is wrong with me? I know I’m missing out and bringing my own demise on me, so why can’t I stop? Why haven’t I changed?! I also ‘know’ the answer (read and tried weight down workshop again and again, just keep failing or getting tempted and frustrated). This is very hard work:). Thank you for all you do. Pray for me as I desperately need the Lord.

    • Hey Sarah, no idea if you’ll ever see this but when I read the ‘Take back your temple’ article (which is excellent) & then I read your reply, I suddenly thought that we could connect via email & support each other on a daily basis ie we could email each other at end of day on how we went

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