Grace Over Guilt- Navigating Holiday Food with Peace

 Titus 2:11–12 says: “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.”

Here are three ways to replace guilt with grace this holiday season:

1. Remember Grace Teaches, Not Shames- The enemy wants you to live in guilt and shame — to believe that if you overate, you’ve failed. But guilt says, “I messed up; I’m worthless.” Grace says, “I messed up; I’m still loved.” 

2. Practice Mindful Enjoyment, Not Restriction:

So many women swing between two extremes during the holidays: all-in indulgence or total restriction. Neither brings peace OR results no matter what diet culture tells you. We see an insurgence of weight loss this, and new years resolutions that. We’re not going there anymore, God’s plan is better.

1 Timothy 4:4 says, “Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.”

3. Plan Ahead with Wisdom and Freedom- Grace doesn’t mean we ignore healthy choices; it means we approach them with peace. Before the holidays, plan simple ways to stay balanced:

• Eat a protein-rich breakfast before big dinners. Focus on water first and loading up with veggies at your dinner. 
• Bring a dish you love that aligns with your goals. Make sure to get a workout in that morning so you’ll feel accomplished! 
• Decide ahead of time what matters most — maybe it’s Grandma’s pie, not every dessert on the table. Or if there are a few you want to try, 1-2 bites of each, share with your spouse.

Father, thank You for Your grace that doesn’t shame us — it shapes us. Teach us to eat, live, and celebrate with wisdom and peace. When guilt tries to steal our joy, remind us that You are not disappointed — You are delighted in our progress. Help us extend grace to ourselves as freely as You extend it to us. In every meal, every choice, every celebration, may we honor You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Ask yourself this week:

1. When do you tend to feel the most guilt around food, is there an environment or person that brings it out? How can you invite grace into that moment?
2. What does “mindful enjoyment” look like for you this season? What are the treats you must have? Enjoy them! Eating an entire dessert is OK! 

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
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  • Follow a MACRO based plan that allows you to eat the foods you love.
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  • 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.
  
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Transcript

You're both. Thank you so much for showing up today. I'm so glad you're here.

So if you've ever felt the hit in your stomach after a holiday meal, the sense of, oh, I blew it again, this episode is for you.

Today, we're talking about grace over guilt and how to walk through the holidays with peace, joy, and self-control without falling into that exhausting all or nothing mindset. So let's start with the truth that steadies our hearts.

Titus 2, verses 11 and 12 says, For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people, and we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures.

We should live in this world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. I love this passage because it reminds us that grace isn't a free pass to overindulge. It's the power to live differently.

Grace teaches, grace strengthens, grace transforms how we eat, think, and live. There have been so many instances in my life where I struggle here, even within the last week. My first thought is to go to condemnation.

Why? Why am I so focused on my failures when God calls me righteous? We are forgiven and made perfect in His image.

So why do we instantly go to shame when the word clearly tells us differently? I don't know about you, but I am ready to release my shame and my weight for good and let God lead me through this holiday season.

So let's focus on gratitude and His goodness, shall we? Yes, let's. All right, stay tuned.

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, friend, I'm Lindy Schlabach, Christian Fitness & Nutrition Coach. I gained 100 pounds in my late 20s and struggled for years to get it off. Nine years ago, I found a system that works and has helped me lose over 90 of those pounds.

I've worked with women in online fitness and nutrition ever since.

In this podcast, I'll teach you how to reframe your thoughts about weight loss and your ability to achieve lasting results and lose weight in a way that honors God without obsessing about the scale and meal plan and prep for your family.

So grab your pre-workout and let's chat. Don't forget, free Christmas Bootcamp kicks off December 2nd, but you have to join my free community. You can find the link to join us in the show notes at herweightlossmindset.com.

That's herweightlossmindset.com. If you click on the link, subscribe to my email list. I'm not going to spam you ever.

I just send you encouragement and recipes and all kinds of fun things. Then there will be a link to join my free community. Join my free community, answer the questions.

On December 2nd, we're going to talk all things, holidays, Christmas season. I'll share fun dessert recipes with you, how to stay on plan, how to treat without guilt and shame, what to eat. So be sure to hop in and join us.

2:46

Grace Teaches Growth

So today, we're going to walk through three ways to replace guilt with grace this holiday season. The first thing is remembering that grace teaches, not shames. So have you ever heard this little quote, if it's good, it comes from God.

If it isn't, release it. Well, I'm giving you permission to plant that truth in your heart today. Because the enemy wants us to live in guilt and shame.

He wants us to believe that if you overate, you failed. But guilt says, I messed up. I'm worthless.

Grace says, I messed up, and I am still loved. Grace teaches us. It's a gentle correction, not a harsh punishment.

So if you slip, don't spiral. We just talked about this last week. Do the next right thing.

Ask yourself, what can I learn from this? So maybe you skipped breakfast and came to dinner starving. Maybe you used food for comfort instead of prayer.

We will always be a work in progress until God calls us home. So remember that we're not taking advantage of grace. His word clearly tells us to die to ourselves and take up our cross daily.

And that grace is there when we need it. And through the holiday season, whether with food or maybe hard to deal with family or people in the world in general, we all need grace. All the grace we can get, right?

The best gift ever. So whatever it is, take the lesson and let him change you. And remember the last episode we read from John that apart from him, we can do nothing?

He's the vine, we're the branches, remember. Let's lean into that. He wants to do the work in you.

So let him. His ways are higher than ours. His thoughts are higher.

And we're going to lean into that beautiful gift and embrace the conviction that it brings this holiday season. Think about guilt and what guilt does to your brain. Guilt keeps us stuck, but grace helps us grow.

When you start to feel that guilt rising, pause and speak truth over yourself. Lord, give me what I need. Remind yourself, grace is teaching me how to live wisely, righteously, and devoted to Jesus.

That is Titus 2, 12, in action. We know that he works for good for those who love him, right? So let's cling to that.

When the guilt hits, we are releasing that lie for good. I have Romans 8, 28 on my wall. And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, those who have been called according to his purpose.

Such an incredible promise.

5:16

Mindful Enjoyment

So the second thing you can do is practice mindful enjoyment, not restriction. There are so many women that I've worked with in the last almost 10 years that swing between the two extremes during the holidays. All in indulgence or total restriction.

Neither of those brings peace or results, no matter what diet culture is going to tell you. We see an insurgent of weight loss this, New Year's resolutions that, but we're not going there anymore. God's plan is better.

Mindful enjoyment is the middle ground. It's where freedom and wisdom meet. That looks like praying before you eat, slowing down and chewing your food, and enjoying your favorites without shame or excess.

That means remembering that there's a time to feast and a time to fast. So one of our trainers in Beachbody, her name is Alana Molstein, I think you should follow her on Instagram. She shares tons of good recipes, but she always says a bite to taste.

So if you're someone that wants to try different desserts through the season, just have a bite to taste. We've talked about this before, even if somebody looks at you funny and you cut a piece of cake in a half or a quarter, so what?

You're not eating for them, you're eating for the Lord. If you want to try that thing that looks absolutely delicious, and you feel that that's part of your plan, then you just go right ahead. But I want you to think about fasting during the season.

Fasting is a gentle reminder of Christ's birth that led to his resurrection, and we can find such peace when we release the control that food often has on us. So let the Lord tell you when to feast or fast or somewhere in the middle.

Where he guides, he more than provides. Maybe he's going to call you to do some intermittent fasting throughout the day. Maybe he's going to tell you to not eat on Sundays or Wednesday night.

Ask him if there's a season or a time that you need to fast and then trust that if he calls you there, it's not going to be easy but he will sustain you. When Jesus fed the 5,000, he didn't rush.

He gave thanks, he broke the bread, he lifted it up to heaven. There's such a rhythm of gratitude in God's design for eating. Here's a simple prayer that you can whisper before your holiday meals.

Lord, thank you for this food. Help me eat in peace with gratitude and self-control. So I just read recently that chewing your food 20 to 30 times before you swallow will help with digestion, it will help you be in the moment.

Put your fork down between bites and don't front load your fork. So I have a really bad habit of I'm chewing my food and then I put food on the fork for my next bite. Put your fork down.

Bear, don't front load your fork. Don't stare at your phone. Don't stare at a TV screen.

Do what you're doing. Take a bite. Put your fork down.

Cue 20 to 30 times. Have a conversation with Grand Aunt Sally. Take a drink of your water.

Focus on your vegetables. Then take another bite. Slow down.

Focus on the people around you this holiday season. And enjoy your meal. You're not honoring God at all by eating food.

You honor him by receiving it with thanksgiving. So first, Timothy 4 says, since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it, but receive it with thanks. There you go.

God put beans and potatoes and cows on this earth to eat. So giddy up and get your fork out.

8:40

Plan Ahead Wisely

So the third thing that you can do is plan ahead with wisdom and freedom, because grace doesn't mean that we ignore healthy choices. It means we approach them with peace. So before the holidays, plan simple ways to keep that balance.

Eat a protein rich breakfast before your big dinners. Focus on water first and loading up with veggies at your dinner.

So if you know that you're going to Thanksgiving dinner, maybe it's a good time to intermittent fast that morning, and if you're having, let's say, lunch at one o'clock for your Thanksgiving meal, maybe have a protein shake around 10.

If you're not eating until five, maybe eat a breakfast and focus on three to four, maybe five eggs with a couple cups of spinach.

You could do that if you know that you're going to eat a carb-heavy dinner, because the average Thanksgiving dinner, I think, is anywhere from 1,500 to 2,200 calories, like, for one meal.

So just think about all that your body's going to take in during that time. It's really hard for your body to digest all of that.

So small bites, putting your fork down, drinking water, these are things that's maybe going to prevent you from eating that many calories in one meal and feeling miserable the next day.

So the next thing you can do is bring a dish that you love that's going to align with your goals.

So if you know everyone typically brings like really heavy, carby dishes, maybe make a really light power green salad with some cranberries and feta cheese or strawberries or something like that. Bring something that aligns with your goals.

And then that morning, make sure you get a workout in so you feel accomplished. I know for me, I work out five to six days a week. Sundays are a rest day for me.

But I know that Thanksgiving morning, I'm going to get my sweat on because I'm going to, I'm going to make sure that I get that movement in and that my resting heart rate is going to burn through those calories a little bit more.

And then decide ahead of time what matters most. Maybe it's grandma's pot pie or pumpkin pie. But not every dessert on the table.

Maybe you really like mashed potatoes, but you can pass on the stuffing. You love green bean casserole, but corn doesn't really make you feel good.

You don't have to try everything just because you know Aunt Sally or grandma made it and they think it's your favorite when it's really not or doesn't make you feel good. It's okay to say no.

Remember, we're setting boundaries and protecting our peace this year. So if you want to have a couple of desserts that you want to try, maybe take a bite or two of each or share with your spouse or your husband.

Cut something in halves or quarters so that you can try a bite.

Like I literally had a guy at a church dinner try to shame me because I cut a piece of cake in quarters because I just wanted the corner of it because I had like three other corner pieces of dessert on my plate.

And I'm like, listen, I'm not okay being bullied to take a portion of dessert just to waste it. And I told him as much, like don't worry about others are doing, you just mind your own. I'm not like, I'm not telling you what to put on your plate.

So don't worry about what I'm putting on mine. And planning ahead, knowing that you're going to have a couple of desserts, it removes the pressure from being in the moment. Peace is a fruit of the spirit.

We read that in Galatians 5 22. And if the Lord is in you, you have peace, you have gentleness, you have self-control. So pray before your event, pray before your meal, pray on your way and ask the Lord to quiet any noise that comes in.

He will. Then pray over your plans. Lord, help me honor you in what I eat, how I think, the words that I speak, how I love the people around me.

My friend, that's living with wisdom, righteousness and devotion, just as Titus says.

12:17

Reflection and Prayer

Father God, thank you for your grace that doesn't shame us but shapes us. Teach us to eat, live, and celebrate with wisdom and peace. And when guilt steals our joy, Father, remind us that you are not disappointed.

You are delighted in our progress just because we're your child. Help us extend grace to ourselves as freely as you extend it to us. In every meal, every choice, every celebration, Father, may we honor you.

It's in Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen. So a couple of questions to you right in your journal this week.

When do you tend to feel the most guilt around food? Is there an environment or person that brings it out? And how can you invite grace into this moment?

Listen, I've talked a lot lately about like my grandma's house being a trigger point for me. And this week, like last Friday, I just totally binged on sugar. I think I ate five cookies at her house before 11 o'clock in the morning.

Like it was stupid. And the Lord was like, When are you going to stop blaming her? Like, you're 43 years old, you have total self-control.

She wasn't pushing those cookies on you. They were sitting on the counter. Like, take responsibility.

And continuing to pray that Psalm 139, 23, 24, that was a moment where God reached in and pulled something out of me that needed healed.

So maybe there's an environment or person that brings it out and you need to repent from that and move on from it. But then you also need to take responsibility. Invite grace into that moment.

And then the next question I want you to journal about is, what does mindful enjoyment look like for you this season? What are the treats you must have? Enjoy them.

Release the shame. Chew your food. Eating an entire dessert is okay.

Don't eat your feelings or fulfillment. By golly, if you love pumpkin pie and it's your time to have it, girl, go ahead and have it. Extra whipped topping, please.

Remove the shame. Shame is a lie from the pit of hell. We're not living there anymore.

The next question I want you to ask yourself is how you can plan ahead with both wisdom and freedom this holiday. It might look different for you this Thanksgiving than it will at Christmas.

The Lord is going to continue to work as long as you continue to wake up and pray and seek his will. Sweet friend, this week, let grace sit at your table. You are not bound by guilt.

You are guided by God's grace. Keep walking one step, one wise, grateful choice at a time. You got this, girl.

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 the 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.