From Stronghold to Strong Body-Overcoming Food Addiction

According to Olympic Behavioral Health The average prevalence of food addiction globally is 20%.In the US, more than 70 million adults are believed to be addicted to food The global prevalence of eating disorders rose from 3.5% in 2000 to 7.8% in 2018, reaching approximately 9% in 2023. • Eating disorders cost about $64.7 billion annually.• Women are over twice as likely to develop food addiction compared to men. It's estimated that 8.60% of women and 4.07% of men will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime.

LGBTQ+ youth are three times more likely to experience an eating disorder than their heterosexual peers. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

What if breaking free from food addiction starts with spiritual strength or letting go entirely?

So how can we practice overcoming food addiction through a spiritual lense? Here are a few things we work through in the Biblical Weight Loss Framework:

1- Pray over your triggers, what they are, how to identify them, then how to lay them down, using scripture to confirm God's message and intention for our lives and bodies. 

2- Learn to replace those cravings with a spiritual discipline. Scripture reminds us in Ephesians 1:19-20 "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms." If you have Jesus, you have everything you need.

3- Seek support from an accountability partner or join the BWLF and let's work together in my group coaching program, it is never too late to let God work in your life and biblical weight loss journey!

Are you sick of trying diet after diet and NOT losing weight?

Hey there friend, I'm Lindy Schlabach, Christian Fitness & Nutrition Coach. I gained 100 pounds in my late twenties and struggled for years to get it off. Seven years ago, I found a basic system that worked and has helped me lose 90 of those pounds. I’ve been working with women in online fitness and nutrition ever since to break chains of diet culture, embrace their bodies and fueling instead of dieting.

In this podcast, I'll teach you how to:

• • Lose Weight in a Way that honors God without obsessing about the scale
  • Meal Plan and Prep for Your Family
  • Follow a MACRO based plan that allows you to eat the foods you love.
  • Recognize and pray through triggers keeping you stuck.
  • I’ll help you Plan your week and schedule your self-care time.
  • Cultivate a spirit of self-discipline in your workouts you actually enjoy.
  
  It's time to give God your health journey and watch Him make you new, from the inside, OUT.

Join The Biblical Weight Loss Framework: https://www.herweightlossmindset.com/framework

Join my FREE Community: https://bit.ly/JoinTheChristianWeightLossCommunity

Join my Insiders List with weekly tips for weight loss for Christian women: http://herweightlossmindset.com/herweightlossmindsetinsiders

Transcript

According to Olympic Behavioral Health, the average prevalence of food addiction globally is 20 percent.

In the US, more than 70 million adults are believed to be addicted to food.

The global prevalence of eating disorders rose from 3.5 in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2018, reaching approximately 9 percent in 2023.

Eating disorders cost about 64.7 billion dollars annually, and women are over twice as likely to develop food addiction compared to men.

It is estimated that 8.6 percent of women and 4.07 percent of men will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime.

LGBTQ youth are three times more likely to experience an eating disorder than their heterosexual peers.

So what does God's Word say?

1 Corinthians 1031 says, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

So what if breaking free from food addiction starts with spiritual strength or letting go entirely?

Are you sick of trying diet after diet and not losing weight?

Are you tired of doubting your ability to actually lose weight in a healthy way?

Do you wish you could find a laid out for you plan that will help you stay accountable to your goals?

Hey friends, I'm Lindy Slayboss, Christian fitness and nutrition coach.

I gained 100 pounds in my late 20s and struggled for years to get it off.

So grab your pre-workout and let's chat.

Are you ready to finally break away from food addiction and give God your weight loss journey?

Join the biblical weight loss framework and take a Holy Spirit led approach to weight loss God's way.

You can find the link to sign up in the show notes or at herweightlossmindset.com/framework.

That's herweightlossmindset.com/framework.

So the Bible is very clear about food and not living on bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God and we know this.

We've heard this, but we still think that afternoon latte or cupcake or cookie is going to give us what we need to make it through the day.

When the truth is only God can give you what you actually need.

It's the truth of the gospel that sets us free from food addiction or even fear of food.

John 8 36 says, So if the sun sets you free, you will be free indeed.

If Christ is in you, you are free.

So, what keeps us from walking in the freedom that he offers?

If I'd have to guess, it's a control.

I know that's my own personal struggle and one that I continue to lay down over and over.

I often think that God has to be so exhausted from my constant failings.

So why bother him?

But that is a lie straight from the pit of hell.

He cares and he cares so much.

He filled scripture with constant parallels using food.

When we remember and realize and walk in the fact that our strength comes from God alone and that struggling with food addiction and wanting to be free from it, that's God probably putting Holy Spirit conviction in your heart.

So I'd like to ask you, when was the last time you truly laid down your struggle with food addiction at the cross instead of running to the pantry right after?

I'm guilty.

I've told you a thousand times.

Nothing I share with you on this podcast is anything that I've nailed completely.

These are things that God continues to work on me with and has called me to share my journey with you.

You're not alone.

So think about the shame that we feel when we binge or maybe break a fast before we should.

Now let's be clear.

Shame comes from the enemy.

OK?

Shame is negative.

Shame puts fear in our lives.

But Holy Spirit conviction whispers softly that you are loved and that you can try again in the next choice.

Not tomorrow, not Monday, not next week, not next month, and the next choice.

Do the next right thing.

That's what our pastor used to say.

So how can we practice overcoming food addiction through a spiritual lens?

So in the Biblical Weight Loss Framework, we cover a few of these things I'm going to share with you below.

There are three of them, so get your notebook ready.

So first step, we're going to pray over our triggers.

Ask God to reveal them to you.

How do you identify them?

And then how do you lay them down?

And then we're using scripture to confirm God's message and intention for our lives and for our bodies.

We have so many things that can trigger us.

It can be emotions, it can be a Facebook post, it can be the weather, it can be a relationship, it can be someone in your family, it can be a lie that constantly runs through your head that is not of God.

Learning to pray through those and recognize them is key to overcoming food addiction.

Two, we learn to replace your cravings with spiritual discipline.

So one thing I learned from reading the 40 Day Sugar Fast is that when I feel pulled to eat, I'll pray, I'll say, Lord, am I hungry?

If so, guide me to what I should eat and if I'm not, take this thought from me.

And guess what?

He comes through every time and he will for you too, but you have to pray, you have to ask and then you have to have the strength to walk out the obedience part.

It's up to you to make the hard choice to walk away from the pantry or to go outside, but you can because scripture reminds us in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 19 to 20.

It says, I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in him.

This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.

As such power is within us through the Holy Spirit, but we don't operate in his power.

Why?

How can we take our doubtful thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ?

As Paul tells us to do in 2 Corinthians 10.5.

Lord, reveal my weaknesses to me.

Show me the struggles, show me the triggers, show me the moments where I black out and have to fill myself with some kind of food instead of spiritual food.

He will show up for you.

The more and more you start to pray through these triggers and recognize them, the easier it's going to become to move through them, pray through them and say, Lord, give me what I need.

We just have to be still and trust that he's going to provide and that it's not our control.

We don't have control over our lives and our bodies.

We have control in the fact of the fruit of the spirit where we can give God the things that we struggle with and he will make them new.

Step three, seek support from an accountability partner or join the Biblical Weight Loss Framework and let's work together in my group coaching program.

It is never too late to let God work in your life and your Biblical Weight Loss journey.

He wants to heal your food addiction so that the only craving you have is a Holy Spirit craving.

I just want to encourage you today, my friend, you can do anything that you set your Christ-filled mind to but don't discount yourself just because you fought for decades and you still struggle.

Maybe you've lost 20 pounds last year and you found yourself gaining half of it again.

You will always struggle.

We read in John that in this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world.

God has already won the battle.

He's won your battle.

You will always struggle but just like I struggle too still every day.

But now I know and I can lean into the promises of Jesus who reminds me that I remain in Him.

He will remain in me because apart from Him I can do nothing.

Find that verse in John.

Apart from Him we can do nothing.

I am the vine and you are the branches.

If you remain in me and I remain in you, you will bear much fruit.

Apart from me you can do nothing.

You can do nothing without Him.

But the work has already been done in your weight loss journey.

He's already done the work.

Now it's time to tap into the Holy Spirit power inside of you and lean into the obedience He's calling to.

You can begin your journey to freedom today.

You can lay that control down today.

Food addiction no longer has a stronghold over you.

God is breaking chains of food addiction in your life today.

We are claiming that.

We are receiving His gift of healing in this area of our lives because food cannot give us comfort.

Our comfort comes from the cross and Christ that dwells in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

You don't need food.

You need Jesus.

Wake up every morning with intention.

Pray.

Ask Him to fill your mind and your heart with good things, things that are going to fill you with Him, not food.

I'm not saying that you don't need to eat.

You need to eat a lot of the right kinds of food.

But if there's something in your life that you think, I could never give up sugar.

I could never give up coffee.

That's the thing you probably need to fast from.

I can't give up fast food.

I can't give up X, Y, Z.

I can't eat carbs.

Fast from that thought.

Let the power of the Holy Spirit in you remind you that our strength comes from God alone and that with him you can do all things.

Hey sis, I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

If so, would you take 30 seconds and share it with a friend?

Also please leave a quick review for this show on Apple Podcasts.

It lights me up to know this podcast is helping you.

Okay, it's time to go make a protein shake and get my sweat on.

No more standing in the kitchen waiting for motivation to appear.

I will meet you back here for another episode.

God Bless.