Taste for Truth - Weight Loss Encouragement

Do you ever feel guilty for focusing on weight loss and your health? Or, do you need to lose some weight but believe that you simply don't have the time? If so, you may be believing lies that are sabotaging your efforts to improve your health. Sara Borgstede from theholymess.com and I discuss these and other lies on today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast (links down below). Things We Discussed on the Podcast how we are better able to care for others when we care for ourselves the specific challenges we face in today's culture with regard to losing weight how Sara lost over 100 pounds and has kept it off for two decades managing our environment to help with weight loss what gluttony really is if God cares what we weigh Resources Mentioned on the Podcast Faithful Finish Lines - Sara's weight loss and coaching program Free 5-Day Challenge from the Faithful Finish Lines Program theholymess.com - Sara's website Overeating is a Sin (Here's How to Overcome It) - blog post Sara mentioned Taste for Truth Bible study Freedom from Emotional Eating Bible Study

Do you struggle with vacation eating? Are you quick to throw all of your boundaries out as soon as you head out of town? Upon returning home, are you filled with remorse and find it difficult to return to healthful eating? In this coaching interview with Stacie, we'll discuss how to control vacation eating. (Find the links to listen down below.) Things We Discussed on This Episode The challenges we face and lies we believe when we binge on vacation How much more difficult it is to return back to "normal" life after being on a trip How out-of-control eating on vacation often can last for weeks or months after we are back home The emotional and physical draining we experience when we break our food boundaries We need to decide what kind of life we really want We need to rid ourselves of the cultural perspective on self-control How we need to learn new ways to "have fun" on vacation that don't revolve around food Resources Mentioned on This Episode Stress Eating and How to Truth Journal with Stacie Taste for Truth  I Deserve a Donut  I Deserve a Donut App James Bible Study - My newest book now available on Amazon! How to Listen to the Podcast Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts.  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”   

Do you find it challenging to maintain your weight after weight loss? Are you experiencing difficulty knowing what new boundaries to set for maintenance? Are you struggling with different lies than you did while losing weight?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, today's episode (links down below) with Michelle will be tremendously helpful! Lies We Discussed on the Podcast I don't need boundaries anymore! I'll start again tomorrow. I shouldn't have to track anymore now that I've reached my goal. I can relax my boundaries now.  Other Things We Discussed on the Podcast Different boundaries for losing and for maintaining Alternate ways to renew your mind if your regular method is getting boring Why it's good to have multiple tools for mind renewal How the maintenance phase is like a "new trial" How to know if using the scale is helpful or harmful Resources Mentioned on the Podcast Taste for Truth  Freedom from Emotional Eating   I Deserve a Donut App The Renewing of the Mind Project "How to Truth Journal" blog post "How to Renew Your Mind" blog post New Book! Check out Barb's new bible study on the book of James! This study is great for individual study, one-to-one mentoring, and small groups. Anyone interested in spiritual growth through the word of God will benefit from this book!  Available on Amazon here. How to Listen to the Podcast:  Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts.  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” 

Breaking free from sugar cravings and managing your weight is about more than diet and exercise. Sugar is highly addictive and requires multiple steps to break free from its bondage. In this podcast episode, I am interviewing Katrina Sequenzia; Katrina is a Certified Health Coach and Registered Nurse on a mission to help Christians fulfill their God-given purpose by sharing the tools and resources to live a healthy lifestyle.    Katrina shares Seven Habits To Stop Sugar Cravings in today's interview, based on the signature framework from her life-changing programs. By the end of this episode, you will understand why some foods are more addictive than others, the impact that food and stress have on our bodies, and how you can begin the process of healing from your food and sugar addiction.    Episode Highlights:   [00:01:17] Understanding why we become addicted to sugar and other foods? Katrina breaks down the spiritual, physical, and emotional aspects of cravings.   [00:03:48] The body's chemical reaction to sugar and why we were created to love sweets.   [00:04:48] Dopamine is the feel-good chemical that our brains release, but can we have too much of a good thing? Katrina explains why the answer is Yes!   [00:08:24] Have you ever wondered why diet and exercise sometimes fail to produce results? Katrina and I discuss why and you should avoid extreme diets and fads.    [00:15:49] Katrina reveals the Seven Habits To Stop Sugar Cravings and provides a deeper insight into kicking the sugar habit once and for all.   [00:18:14] The importance of relaxation and hydration and how it can help or hinder us in our journey.   [00:19:15] Sleep and movement and why it's more important than you think.   [00:24:03] Where to start your weight loss journey and how to use Katrina's framework to lay the foundation to healing your relationship with sugar.   [00:24:58] Special gift for podcast listeners.    Key Takeaways:   When we attempt to break free from the bondage of food addiction, we often start with exercise and food preparation. Still, the areas that are often ignored make the most impact in our journeys, like putting our faith front and center, rest, and relaxation, to name a few.  Food isn't the enemy- the goal of any program should be to develop a relationship with the glorious foods that were created to be consumed according to God's instruction. How to Listen to the Podcast:  Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts.  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” 

It's January 19th, and many of us have already given up on our commitment to "Be Healthy This Year!!!!" It's not that we don't want to be healthy. We do! We're just demoralized by the constant failures that go along with working on a be-healthy habit. So what do we do to get out of that slump? Pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and make a commitment to try again tomorrow? I don't think so; I used to do that all the time and it didn't work. I didn't have enough self-control to make myself do the things that would lead me toward health or not do the things that kept me unhealthy. If we really want to be healthy--and we're not one of those people who love exercising and eating healthy--we need to renew our minds. The Bible tells us we're transformed by the renewing of the mind. This works for anything we do in life, including becoming healthy. The more we get God's perspective on life and food, the more we'll want to do things that will lead us toward health. If you'd like to become healthy this year, here is what I would suggest. 5 Steps to Becoming Healthy if You Don't Have Oodles of Self-Control Renew your mind about food 2-3 times a day by doing 1) the questions in I Deserve a Donut (app or book), 2) the questions in Renewing of the Mind Project, or 3) truth journaling. I would suggest renewing at lunch and again sometime between 3:00 and 5:30 to prepare you with enough truth to make it through the evening. Make a commitment to exercise. If you don't already have a habit, make this a really short commitment: 5-15 minutes or 3000 steps a day. Then increase it as you gain more self-control in that area. Renew your mind when you can't make yourself exercise. You can use the questions in Renewing of the Mind Project in the Starting a Habit section for this. Here are some of the thought in that section of the book that have corresponding questions and Bible verses: This is so boring. I really don't want to do this. I shouldn't have to do this. There's a good reason I can't do this again. This is no fun. I'll do it later. I'm too busy. Will this be worth all the work? Memorize a few Bible verses and meditate on them throughout the day. In the Bible we see Jesus use Scripture to battle temptation. If Jesus used Scripture to walk the straight and narrow, how much more do we need to use it? Here are a few suggestions of Bible verses you could memorize: Luke 12:15, Romans 13:14, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Timothy 4:7b, Philippians 4:11-13, Hebrews 12:11. JULIE - could you ad links to these maybe using the ESV translation?  Do a weight loss Bible study. Renewing will help you with the lies that make you overeat and avoid exercise. But it also helps to have a biblical foundation for the truths that will set us free from an unhealthy lifestyle. Bible study will help with that. People often ask me which of my Bible studies to do first. I recommend Freedom from Emotional Eating first if you struggle with emotional eating or entitlement. And Taste for Truth if you're more of an indulgent, careless, or bored overeater. If you like variety, I'd recommend doing the first six lessons in Taste for Truth, then switch over to Freedom from Emotional Eating and go back and forth between the two. But What If I Can't Make Myself Do Those Things? Now you may have noticed one tiny little problem. All the things I just mentioned also require discipline! This is where you need some friendship or group support--to make yourself renew your mind. Usually we use accountability to make us follow our eating guidelines or make ourselves exercise. This is nice, but it doesn't change the way we think about eating and exercise. And we need to change the way we think if we want to have lifelong change. So I would suggest finding a little group. In my last podcast episode with Dr. Melanie Wilson, called How to Achieve Your Goals - 10 Tips, we talked about how to gather a couple of people for the purpose of following through with goals. This would be the perfect thing to do to avoid getting discouraged about your attempts to be healthy. You could start a Bible study at your church (even though that might be scary) or just gather two friends and meet weekly or even monthly. You could do daily accountability for renewing. Let each other know what your goals are (I'll renew 3 times a day, for example), then each morning text each other and ask, did you renew? Just remember as you do this, though, that you will have bad days. We all do when we're working on a new habit. The key is just to get through those bad days and don't give up. Don't beat yourself up. Don't say mean things to yourself. And don't despair. Every single person on the planet has something they can't get over. Eating too much might be that thing for you. But... we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! We just need to keep going to Him to get that strength! In today's podcast episode, you'll get a chance to do that. Following are the questions we'll be visiting with God about on today's podcast: Tired of the Struggle Questions, Bible Verses, and Tips Note: The questions, Bible studies, and tips are all from I Deserve a Donut (and Other Lies That Make You Eat). Do you ever wish life were easier? Why do you think it's so hard to lose weight and keep it off? What do you usually do when you get discouraged about it? What will happen if you keep doing that? Do you want that to happen? How do you think God feels when He sees you suffering? (Hebrews 4:15) What do you think God wants to do for you in the midst of your struggle? (See Hebrews 4:16 and the other verses below for ideas.) What do you think He wants you to do in the midst of your struggle? (See verses below for ideas.) What will you gain if you go to Him for help with this struggle? When you think of all you'll gain, is it worth taking the time to fight the battle with spiritual weapons? Would it help to have someone hold you accountable to the renewing of your mind? If so, who could you ask? Bible Verses Psalm 30:5b Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.  Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me? Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Tired of the Struggle Tips Let's face it. It's hard to keep dealing with the same problem over and over. Sometimes we feel like throwing in the towel and just giving up. Don't do it. Spiritual battles are just what they're called: battles. And battles aren't easy. You can't enter into battle without entering into suffering. Here's a comforting thought, though. It's far better to suffer with God than without Him. Spiritual battles can be intense, sweet times of fellowship with God—so sweet it almost feels like it's worth struggling through the problem just to have those times with God. I want to encourage you to keep going to Him for help. Renew your mind. Take off those lies and put on the truth. Let the Holy Spirit work in you and minister to you and conform you to His image. The journey won't be pleasant, but afterwards, you'll experience the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11). And that will be worth the struggle. Other Podcast Episodes Where You Can Renew If you'd like to listen to more podcast episodes that allow you to renew while you listen, check out these episodes: Renew: Indulgence Eating  Renew: I'll Start Tomorrow Renew: Vacation and Holiday Eating Renew: Entitlement Eating Renew: Failure Eating Renew: Careless Eating Renew: Sneakiness / Opportunity Eating Resources Mentioned on the Podcast Taste for Truth Bible Study Freedom from Emotional Eating Bible study I Deserve a Donut  book I Deserve a Donut App Renewing of the Mind Project "How to Truth Journal" blog post How to Achieve a Goal - 10 Tips with Dr. Melanie Wilson and Barb Christian Accountability Partner: A Beginner's Guide How to Listen to the Podcast:  Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts.  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”   

It's that time of year again when parties and treats abound! Many of us who already struggle with overeating find it even more difficult to resist temptation during the holidays. What's a person to do?! Well, there are actually some ways to healthfully navigate this tempting time of year. Let's look at some helpful tips to stop overeating during the holidays. Change Your Mindset First, we need to adjust the way we think about food. We do this by renewing our minds and confronting any lies we believe that make us overeat. When we overindulge (or with any bad habit, really), there's usually something going on in our minds that is creating that intense desire to overeat. We may think, I've waited all year for this [insert special food]. We begin to anticipate all of the goodies that we don't regularly eat during the rest of the year. When we start to fixate on our favorite holiday foods - without trying to stem the tide of these thoughts - the desire for them just grows bigger. Many of us also probably have a strong association between eating and holiday festivities. It's almost as if - in our minds - every party or event is primarily centered around what we plan to be eating. It's often our first thought! We have to learn to focus on the people and fun at the events to begin to decrease the allure of indulgent eating. If all we are looking forward to is the food, then we're setting ourselves up for failure. Another lie we believe is I only get this food at this time of year, so I better eat up while I can. Here's the truth: almost of all of our favorite foods can be made at any time of the year if we are able to cook it ourselves. We just don't usually think of making it during other seasons. Telling ourselves, you can make this any day you want, will help us avoid the frenzy to eat all of it at once. We may also think, This is so delicious, I need to eat more! The truth is, the actual taste of the food diminishes for us when we eat too much of it. It's actually way more delicious if we eat a small or just regular amount! We can eat slowly and savor every bite. Get Things Done Early Another reason we overeat is to avoid doing the things we don't feel like doing. This happens throughout the year, but even more so on the holidays because we often have more on our plates at that time of the year. The more we work on overcoming procrastination, the less likely we'll be to overeat. One way to overcome procrastination is to make a list of your top three things to get done each day. Don't put things on the list that you'll do anyway. Put those things on the list that you hate to do and know you'll procrastinate. Get those things done first and you'll be less likely to overeat during the day. If you struggle with procrastination, here's a podcast episode that will help: The Dream Planning Podcast - How to Overcome Procrastination with Barb Raveling and Polly Payne. Go to God for Help with Negative Emotions Often we turn to food, not God, for help with life. Something is going badly and all we want to do is eat. Drown our sorrows in that yummy bowl of ice cream. The more we go to God for help though, the less we'll feel like overeating. He'll help us see life from His perspective, and give us strength and comfort. Eating on the other hand, will only give us immediate relief. It's a temporary fix that leaves us with a life of consequences. In my experience, it's far better if I go to God early. When I first start feeling upset with something. If I wait until later in the day--when that small emotion has become an overwhelming emotion--it's hard to let go of it. On those days, you often just have to wait until the next day to feel better. If you'd like some tools for dealing with negative emotions, check out the Renew Your Mind tab at the top of this website or the Live in Peace tab. If you're reading this on a mobile device, you can find those tabs by clicking on the menu at the top of this post. Go for Quality, Not Quantity When I was in high school, my mom encouraged me to buy fewer clothes but higher quality clothes. This was back in the days when there weren't a lot of discount stores around. Because of this philosophy, I missed out on some fun clothes. But what I gained was an uncluttered closet. Most of us would be better off if we had less belongings. Less to take care of, less to clean, and less to clutter up our lives. Most of us would also be better off if we had less food! What would happen if you started thinking about quality, not quantity in the food department? I'm not talking about being a spoiled person (I'll only eat food if it's high quality!) I'm talking about a philosophy. To enjoy each and every bite of any food you eat, but to stop before you reach the food equivalent of an overflowing closet that adds stress to your life. If you'd like to give this a try, you could say a little prayer before each meal and ask God to help you dwell on the good, to be thankful, and to praise Him for each and every bite. Let each meal be a time of fellowship with God and with the people with whom you're sharing the meal. Hold Weight Loss with Open Hands Focusing on weight loss often leads to overeating. It seems counterintuitive--shouldn't I eat less if I'm trying to lose weight?--but here's what happens: every time we break our boundaries and eat too much, we go on a binge. Why? Because we've already broken our boundaries and this is a brilliant opportunity to eat more before we get serious again tomorrow. If we instead just focus on developing healthy habits--like following our boundaries, for example--we'll be less likely to overindulge. Does that mean we can't go on a diet to lose weight? No, we can still do that if we want. We just need to remember to hold weight loss itself with open hands. Give Yourself Grace In some ways, this tip is tied to the last tip. If we're holding weight loss with open hands--not feeling like we need to be skinny to be acceptable--we'll be far more likely to give ourselves grace. We beat ourselves up when we feel like we're a total failure. But if life isn't about being skinny (which it's not), then we're not a total failure if we're not skinny! This is just one aspect of who we are. If you're tempted to beat yourself up after eating too much at a holiday party, come home and do the self-condemnation questions or the regret questions from my I Deserve a Donut app as soon as possible. This will help you avoid that late night binge session. Usually, we haven't even "messed up" as bad as we think we did. We just ate more than usual. It's the late night binge sessions that really contribute to our weight gain. Take Practical Steps to Stop Overeating We'll be far less likely to overeat if we take some practical steps before we're in that tempting situation. Here are some practical steps you can take to stop overeating before you ever start. Don't keep your favorite treats in the house. When baking, make smaller amounts, or freeze some of it. Make sure you're not completely famished when attending a holiday event where there will be lots of tempting foods. Renew your mind before every holiday eating opportunity. Do a Bible study like Taste for Truth or Freedom from Emotional Eating to better prepare your mindset. Create a simple plan (like a specific menu) for the days following an event so that you can more quickly get back on track. I hope these tips have been helpful. We talk about some other things on the podcast as well to help stop overeating. In fact, you could listen to the podcast on the way to an event where you'll be tempted to overeat! Resources We Discussed on the Podcast 10 Things to Thank God for When You're Trying to Lose Weight Community Sugar Fast beginning in January 2022 - hosted by Wendy Speake The 40 Day Sugar Fast Taste for Truth Freedom from Emotional Eating How to Listen to the Podcast:  Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts.  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” 

There is no more powerful influence in a child's life than that of her parents. But what if those parents are negative, critical, and broken people? How can we overcome the detrimental messages and negative body image that this can cause us to have, even into adulthood? That's our subject on today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast. Things We Discussed on the Podcast How the beliefs and messages we receive as children follow us into adulthood The lasting effects of parents who have their own health and negative body image problems How we have to change our mindset before our behaviors or habits will change Pushing back against society's wrong notion that only skinny people are beautiful The truth that there is "beauty at every weight" Trusting that God can work all things together for good Lies We Discussed on the Podcast It's inevitable that I'll break my boundaries. Why even try? You're just going to break your boundaries anyway. Resources Mentioned on the Podcast I Deserve a Donut App Going Gray by Anne Kreamer (This is a secular book but it does have some helpful things on body image as it relates to aging in particular.) How to Listen to the Podcast:  Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts.  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” 

Do you ever find yourself struggling with your eating boundaries when your normal routine is interrupted? Do you find it difficult to get back to "real life" after coming back from a vacation or a holiday? If so, you'll want to listen to today's episode of the Taste for Truth podcast. I get to talk with Linda, who is a school teacher, about the challenges she faces with her eating during those transitional times in her life. Types of Transitions We Talk About on the Podcast - when plans change suddenly - from summer break to school or school to summer - from vacation to real life or from real life to vacation - from weight loss to maintenance. We didn't talk about transitions from one task to another on this podcast, but I find that's another common time for us to break boundaries. For this type of transition, the first step is to be aware of it. It's often caused by procrastination. We don't want to switch to the next activity so we procrastinate. And we often eat to procrastinate! This type of transition eating could be solved by doing the procrastination questions in the I Deserve a Donut app or by asking two questions: 1) Why am I procrastinating, 2) What's the first step? Then focus on the first step. Tips for Overcoming Transition Eating 1. Plan for Transition. 2. Renew more than usual. 3. Plan some things you like to do for the first 2-3 days of a transition to help ease yourself into it. 4. Remember how much you enjoy life with boundaries. 5. Practice gratitude and let go of entitlement. 6. Make time to think and prepare ahead of time (like putting notifications on your phone to remind you to think about it). 7. Let go of unrealistic expectations (for how perfect you should be by now, for regular life, etc.). 8. Focus on being nourished by God (rather than feeling like you need good food and fun vacations to get your nourishment needs met). Resources Mentioned on the Podcast Taste for Truth  Freedom from Emotional Eating  I Deserve a Donut App How to Pray with Thanksgiving blog post How to Listen to the Podcast:  Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts.  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” 

Do you find yourself turning to food when life is stressful? Do you find it hard to recommit to healthy eating after breaking your boundaries over and over again? Did you know that truth journaling is a powerful tool to help with both of these things? On today's episode of the Taste for Truth podcast, I talk with Stacie, a registered nurse, who has been finding it increasingly difficult to handle all of the recent stress in her life without turning to food. Stacie is new to the idea of the renewing of the mind and truth journaling, so we get to go pretty in-depth on the practical steps of truth journaling. Lies We Discussed on this Episode 1. Food calms me down after a hard discussion. 2. Food is a good comforter. 3. I have no control of my food right now. 4. Life is so stressful now I can't follow my diet. 5. I might as well break my boundaries now and start again tomorrow. 6. This is going to make me feel better. 7. This is just what I need.   Resources Mentioned on This Episode I Deserve a Donut App How to Lose Weight on 3 Meals a Day blog post Freedom from Emotional Eating Taste for Truth   How to Listen to the Podcast Google: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Podcasts. Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts.  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” 

Do you ever have a hard time getting back on track after you break your boundaries? In today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I visit with Brooke about how to get back to your boundaries as quickly as possible.   Topics We Discussed on This Episode How perfectionism messes us up How food can still be an issue even when you are at a healthy weight What people who never struggle with weight loss do after they eat too much Perfectionism lies and how to overcome them with truth How we feel when we break our boundaries Why it's hard to stay on track once we break our boundaries Lies that make us break our boundaries for days instead of getting back on track How to adjust your boundaries for different events or seasons in your life Strategies for getting right back on track when we break our boundaries Shifting our mindset after a setback Emotional eating I need more interviews! If you're interested in doing a coaching or victory interview, please click here. I will be accepting interviews for a limited time. Not all interviews will be used for the podcast, but it's a great way to get a free coaching session! How to Listen to the Podcast  Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”   

Do you constantly think about losing weight? Do you struggle with a healthy body image? On this episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, Heather Creekmore gives insight into her own struggle with body image and how she learned to stop obsessing about weight loss! Heather Creekmore writes and speaks hope to thousands of women each week inspiring them to stop comparing and start living. Her first book, Compared to Who?, encourages women to uncover the spiritual root of body image issues and find freedom. Her new release, The Burden of Better, offers women a journey into the depths of God's grace to find a way off the treadmill of constant comparison. Heather has been featured on Fox News, Huff Post, Morning Dose, Church Leaders, For Every Mom, along with dozens of other shows and podcasts, but she's best recognized from her appearance as a contestant on the Netflix hit show, Nailed It. Heather and her fighter-pilot-turned-pastor husband, Eric, have four children and live in Austin, Texas. Connect with Heather at Comparedtowho.me. Topics We Discussed on This Episode: The "Body Image Idol" and modern day idolatry Being obsessed with weight loss and exercise The treasure principle found in Matthew 6 as a test for idols in our lives Looking for salvation in the next new diet and being controlled by rigid food rules The cure for idolatry The lie about loving our bodies A grace-filled approach to looking at our lives Resources Mentioned on This Episode: Heather's Website: www.comparedtowho.me Heather's Podcast:https://comparedtowho.me/podcast/ Heather's Books: Compared to Who? and The Burden of Better How to Listen to the Podcast:   Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.  Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.)  Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android.  Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.  Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” 

Do you struggle with consistency in following your boundaries? Are you halfway through your weight loss journey and looking for help with the second half? Do you ever feel like you need to be skinny to be loved? Have you experienced chronic pain? These are just a few of the topics we discuss on today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast. This is both a coaching interview and a victory interview. Lexi is a young mom with four kids between the ages of 2 and 12. She lost 30 pounds with three meals a day boundaries. Then she switched over to Weight Watchers which helped to jumpstart her weight loss again. Before losing weight, Lexi struggled with chronic back pain. She is almost pain-free now. Here are a few of the topics we discuss on the podcast: What Lexi did to lose 30 pounds with three meals a day boundaries How Lexi renewed her mind Why she answered the I Deserve a Donut questions in writing Lexi's advice for others starting out - Be easy on yourself! Plus more tips How to work on losing weight without making an idol out of skinny Why it's so hard to follow your boundaries when you experience chronic pain Lies that make you break your boundaries with chronic pain How weight loss can (sometimes) help with chronic pain Lies that contribute to the skinny idol How to determine a goal weight (and do you need one?) How you decide what your goal weight is The importance of renewing in writing How to know when you're breaking a boundary with Weight Watchers How to use the activity and weekly points with Weight Watchers Note: If you're not interested in Weight Watchers, skip ahead to the last four minutes of the podcast as that's where Lexi gives her tips for weight loss. Resources Mentioned on the Podcast. Going Gray by Anne Kreamer I Deserve a Donut Freedom from Emotional Eating Taste for Truth Bible Study How to Listen to the Podcast Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.) Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify. Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”

Do you feel overwhelmed when trying to choose weight loss boundaries? Or do you fear that if you choose something as simple as "3 meals a day" for your boundaries, that you won't lose weight? On this episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I go over how to use 3 Meals a Day as an effective boundary for losing weight. How it Works For this set of boundaries to be effective for weight loss, you would need to: Eat only 3 meals per day, plus one or two snacks (if needed), Not have second helpings, unless planned, Try to eat as little as possible at each meal. How to Renew As with any set of boundaries, it is important to renew your mind when you break your boundaries. For the 3 Meals Per Day, boundaries, you would need to renew: Every time you have an extra meal or snack, Every time you have an unplanned second helping If you're still not losing after a couple of weeks, consider adding a 3rd time to renew your mind: every time you find yourself eating as much as possible rather than as little as possible. (Don't try this "as little as possible" idea, though, if you have anorexic tendencies.) Truth journal or answer a set of questions from I Deserve a Donut or the Renewing of the Mind Project in writing every time you break your boundaries. Here are the examples of truth journaling that I mentioned on the podcast: If You Don't Find Yourself Losing At the end of the day, think back to what you ate and count calories or points to see if you're eating too much to lose weight. Consider giving up your problem foods altogether (sweets, for example) or limiting them in some way. I discuss several ways to limit them on the podcast.

Are you someone who doesn’t know how to deal with negative emotions in a positive way? Do you find alcohol numbing and emotional eating attractive when you’re under stress? If you’re finding it difficult to handle stress and worry, join this episode and be inspired as Jana shares her journey to losing 82 pounds on Weight Watchers. Jana has been amazing with keeping it up with her weight loss program for six years. Admitted to having had an alcohol and binge drinking problem to numb emotional pain, she surrendered her life to God, and through the Holy Spirit’s conviction, her alcohol addiction had rapidly left. However, having that removed, all of a sudden, her habit of drinking away the pain has morphed into binge eating. As her weight skyrocketed, she got introduced to a weight-loss program called Weight Watchers which began her weight-loss journey. Things We Talked About: How Jana had the opportunity to put an end to her binge drinking and alcoholism by accepting the Holy Spirit into her life What Jana did when she gained the weight back to lose it again Dealing with alcoholism and emotional eating How Jana deals with stress Lies that Jana commonly believe in How Jana handles a negative emotion Is Jana still struggling to turn to food during stressful times? Does Jana still follow the Weight Watchers boundaries for maintenance? Jana’s advice to someone like her way back years ago Quotable Quotes: “I was impressed with the Holy Spirit saying, it’s not too late to try.” - Jana “Believe that God has got this under control, no matter what it is. That’s where your comfort should be.” - Jana Resources We Talked About on the Podcast: Telling Yourself the Truth: Find Your Way Out of Depression, Anxiety, Fear, Anger, and Other Common Problems by Applying the Principles of Misbelief Therapy by William Backus and Marie Chapian I Deserve a Donut App How to Listen to the Podcast: Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.) Google Play: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play. Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify. Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”

When I ask women what time of day they most often break their boundaries, I usually get one of two answers: either mid-afternoon or evening. Since I've already done a couple of podcast episodes on how to end evening eating, today I'd like to talk about how to stop overeating in the afternoon. Let's begin by looking at why this is a tempting time of day. Who struggles with afternoon eating? While anyone can struggle with overeating in the afternoon, here are the most common groups of people: Stay-at-home moms Homeschool moms Retired people People who work from home: entrepreneurs, writers, etc. Homemakers I think the reason these groups struggle the most is because we're actually at home in the afternoon! Chances are good that people who work outside the home would love to start eating at 3:00 in the afternoon but their jobs prevent them from eating at that time. Although if you often pop down to the vending machine at work or in your college dorm around 3:00 in the afternoon, you know the struggle to stop overeating in the afternoon. Why do we feel like breaking boundaries in the afternoon? If we want to stop overeating in the afternoon, we need to first find out why we're tempted to eat in the afternoon. This will be different for everyone, and also different on each day of the week. You may find that you eat for all of the following reasons. Let's take a look at some of the reasons we're inclined to overeat in the afternoon. We've already used up all our willpower for the day. In my interview with Drew Dyck on how to increase self-control on the Christian Habits Podcast, Drew said that we each have a limited supply of willpower. Towards the end of the day, that willpower starts to dwindle--so what we could have said no to in the morning, we may not have the strength to say no to in the afternoon. We're bored. Often we've been busy all morning working or spending time with the kids and by mid-afternoon we're bored. We want some excitement in our lives! We're physically tired. We may also be plain old tired and in need of a nap! The problem is that we're often either not in a situation where we can take a nap, or we're in a situation where we can take a nap but for whatever reason we don't do it. When that happens we feel like eating because we think a snack will perk us up. We're tired of working. Sometimes we're not physically tired, we're just tired of working. Tired of always being on task and always responsible. If we don't feel like we can justify taking a break, we'll be tempted eat in rebellion. We're emotional. If something happened earlier in the day to upset us and we didn't take the time to process our emotions, those emotions will keep getting bigger and bigger throughout the day. Soon they'll be so big, they'll spill out and cry, "Let's get something to eat! WE NEED A TREAT!!!!" That often happens around 3:00--and sometimes earlier! We're procrastinating. Another reason we eat in the afternoon is because we've been procrastinating some terrible job all day and one of our best coping techniques for procrastination is to eat. Until we actually do that job, we'll probably feel like breaking our boundaries and eating. We're beating ourselves up for what we didn't get done that morning. Often when we procrastinate, we have a tendency to beat ourselves up. We say, "You got nothing done today, you lazy oaf!!" This just makes us want to open the fridge and eat everything in sight to drown out the sound of our failures. How do we stop overeating in the afternoon? Now that we've seen the reasons for afternoon eating, let's look at some solutions that will help us stop overeating. Try not to have treats in the house. (Depleted Willpower) If we don't have treats in the house, we'll be far less likely to break our boundaries at 3:00 when our willpower is depleted. We could still drive out and get those treats, but often we're so tired we're unwilling to make the effort to drive anywhere. Another option is to ask your spouse or roommate to hide the treats from you until they get home from work. If you do that, though, don't get mad at them if they don't tell you where they are when you call to ask! The minute you do that, they won't want to hide them anymore. They could also take them to work with them if you're the type of person who searches for the treats until you find them. Take a break and do something fun. (Boredom) This doesn't have to be a major fun event. It could be as simple as turning on some great music and dancing to one of the songs, bundling up the kids and going on a walk, calling a friend for a visit, or reading a few pages or a chapter in a non-addictive book. If you have more freedom, you could have a bath or run out and do errands (if you enjoy errands). Anything you can do to give yourself a change of pace from normal life will help you avoid eating due to boredom. Another thing that helps is to change your expectations - life is not a vacation! The more we learn to enjoy regular life and work, the happier we'll be. For more on how to overcome boredom eating, listen to this podcast episode: How to Stop Boredom Eating.  Take a nap or do some exercise. (Tired) So often we think food will perk us up, but it will only perk us up if our body needs food. If our body doesn't need food--or if we're feeding it unhealthy food--it just makes us more tired. One of my friends used to go to our local coffee kiosk to get a beanaccino (a white chocolate frappe) for a little pick me up in the afternoon. After a week or so, he discovered that every time he did that, he was energized for about 30 minutes and then had a big crash. So while the 30 minutes was nice, it wasn't worth the rest of the afternoon of being tired. Taking a nap or getting a little exercise will do wonders to give you the energy you need to get through the day. For more help to stop overeating because you're tired, click here: 8 Questions to Help with Tired Eating Take a mandatory break. (Tired of working) People who work in an office take breaks throughout the day. They talk to co-workers, take phone calls,  and even check their emails. They also have a lunch break and some of them take two other 15-minute breaks. Yet those of us at home sometimes think we need to keep working ALL day. That's crazy! Not only is it stressful, it's also unproductive because we don't get the reset that a good break gives us. To remedy that situation, take mandatory breaks--even if you feel like you can't. Those breaks may look different for the stay-at-home mom than the empty-nest entrepreneur (not quite as cushy with kids afoot), but they can still be wonderful and refreshing. If you work at home, consider having a hard cutoff time for the day's work, then celebrate being done and go do something else. If you're not trying to force yourself to work when you shouldn't be, you'll be less likely to break your boundaries because you'll no longer need to eat in rebellion! An added advantage is that it gives you the fresh start that Drew Dyck talked about in my interview with him on how to have self-control. If you take a mandatory lunch break for example and a little time with God at that point, that could do wonders toward giving yourself a fresh start and replenishing your willpower for the afternoon, which will help you stop overeating. Renew your mind. (Negative emotions) If something has happened to upset you during the day, the sooner you renew your mind the better. Take some time to truth journal, go for a prayer walk, or do the questions from I Deserve a Donut or the Renewing of the Mind Project so you can get rid of those negative emotions. If you get rid of the emotions that make you feel like eating, it will be much easier to follow your boundaries during the afternoon. Break dreaded jobs into a series of small tasks and start on the first task. (Procrastination) If you're tempted to eat because of procrastination, the best way to get rid of the temptation is to just do the task and get it over with. That said, we all know how hard that is to do! It's far easier to focus on one small step than the whole huge task. Pull out a sheet of paper and start writing down little action steps. You may have three or you may have ten. Each action step should be easy enough that you can make yourself do it. If you'd like more help with procrastination, check out my Bible study on procrastination. Give yourself grace. (Beating yourself up) Self-condemnation is a tool of the enemy. He uses it to get us so discouraged and hopeless that we want to give up. We think, "What's wrong with me that I can't follow my boundaries?" But here's the truth: we all struggle in some area of our lives! No one is perfect and we all fail daily in many ways. So if you're struggling, this is nothing shocking or terrible. It's life as a frail human being and life as a sinner. Go to God for help, confess your sin if you've been sinning, and then move on, walking in the grace, strength, and hope that God gives. I hope these tips have given you some ideas of what to do when you feel like breaking boundaries in the afternoon. The next time you feel that way, begin by asking, "Why do I feel like breaking my boundaries?" Then look at the list above for suggestions on how to get back on track.

Struggling with weight loss for the longest time? Overwhelmed with a lot of programs out there? Confused because you felt like nothing really works for you? You’re not alone. Listen up as Angela Pryor talks about her struggles in her weight loss journey and how she came about losing 80 pounds with God’s help, just accepting him into her life and acknowledging his agenda. Angie is a reader of I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat): A Christian Weight Loss Resource book. She renewed her mind with the questions she found in the book and by meditation. She has been on the weight loss journey since she was 12 and found herself struggling with every weight loss program that she tried until she finally found Bright Lines Eating and accepted it as God’s gift. She shares how meditation with scriptures helped her follow her boundaries. Things We Talked About: Is Angie still following the Bright Lines Eating guidelines? Angie talks about her struggles with insecurities and overeating in her weight loss journey  How Bright Lines Eating not only helped Angie with her weight loss but also with her lung disease What Angie does if she broke her boundaries especially at the beginning of the program How having a goal to renew the mind changed the way Angie thought about food Making the commitment to renew, not just following boundaries Ways Angie renewed her mind How often did Angie renew her mind then and now to follow her boundaries What does God want to teach Angie with her experience? How God showed Angie his love during her experience Angie on loving herself Angie’s advice to someone struggling with weight loss Quotable Quotes: “Only the Word of God sets free, not boundaries.” “Whatever God gives you to seek him, that’s the way you would have to renew your mind.” - Angie “Meditation on God’s Word replaces those thoughts that come from the enemy”- Angie Resources We Talked About on the Podcast: Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin and Free by Susan Peirce Thompson PHD  I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat): A Christian Weight Loss Resource by Barb Raveling Freedom from Emotional Eating by Barb Raveling The Renewing of the Mind Project by Barb Raveling How to Listen to the Podcast: Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.) Google Play: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play. Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify. Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”

Today on the Taste for Truth Podcast, I’m excited to visit with Dory about her Thin Within weight loss story. Dory lost twenty pounds using Thin Within’s hunger/satisfaction boundaries. She shares the struggles and victories along the way in this interview.  She also shares examples of some of the truth cards she made to help her renew her mind. (Keep scrolling to see those.) Here are a few of the things we discuss on the podcast: Things We Talked About: Why Dory felt like she couldn’t trust herself around food What Dory realized the day she moved out of her family home for 25 years How did Dory do on her hunger-fullness boundaries? Dory’s hunger and fullness signals Handling emotional eating Dory’s ways to renewing her mind Did Dory feel like quitting? How Dory saw God’s love through this experience Dory’s advice for someone who’s weight has been going up and down Quotable Quotes: “What I really try to do is taste my food and use my senses and take in–more than just ingesting but actually take in– that this experience is such a blessing and enjoy my food.” – Dory “The biggest thing is giving myself permission to ask questions.” – Dory Resources We Talked About on the Podcast: Thin Within: A Non-Diet Grace-Based Approach Truth Cards 101 I Deserve a Donut App I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) by Barb Raveling

Have you ever lost weight and then gained the last 5 or 10 pounds back? Or lost a bunch of weight and then stalled at the last 5 or 10 pounds? Join me in this victory and coaching interview with Anne as she talks about her weight loss victory and losing the last 10 pounds. Things we Talked About: Is setting food boundaries effective? How Anne finds time to do Bible studies and renew her mind How has the pandemic affected Anne’s eating habits? What would be a good reason to lose that last 10 pounds? What are the benefits of having self-control as opposed to just ignoring boundaries for a part of the day? How to follow your boundaries Anne’s biggest takeaway on what can help her get back on track to losing the last 10 pounds Quotable Quotes: Once I start controlling the food, I have more time and space to connect with God because I’m not overcome with guilt and I’m not trying to live in secrecy. - Anne Once I start making those little changes, other bigger changes that I want in life start to happen. - Anne Resources We Talked About on the Podcast: Perfect Portions Freedom from Emotional Eating by Barb Raveling I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) by Barb Raveling I Deserve a Donut App The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren The Renewing of the Mind Project by Barb Raveling Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study by Barb Raveling (Link to Anne’s Art project) (Link to the BLANK art project) How to Listen to the Podcast: Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.) Google Play: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play. Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify. Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”

Do you have a hard time making yourself exercise? Or do you ever find yourself becoming obsessed with exercise? In today’s podcast, Jessica Hottle shares three lies that keep us from exercising and the truth that will help us want to exercise. Jessica also talks about the problem of putting too much importance on exercise and appearance, and how God can help us change no matter what side of the spectrum we lean toward. Jessica Hottle is a successful online entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcaster, and faith-based fitness coach who helps women find freedom from their past and healing in their bodies. While she believes that we’re called to steward our bodies well, what matters most is what’s in our hearts and our standing in Christ. Things We Talked About on the Podcast: Lies that keep you from exercising Why it’s important to be consistent with exercise and how to discover what consistency looks like for you What to do on the days you miss your workout How to avoid becoming excessive with exercise How all-or-nothing thinking affects exercise and how to get rid of it Why it’s important to ask, “What does my soul, spirit, and body need?” Other questions you can ask for self-evaluation How to make time for exercise What to do if you’ve always failed at creating an exercise routine in the past Quotable Quotes: “Your body is your biggest storyteller.” - Jessica Hottle "Ask yourself these questions: 'What does my soul need? What does my body need?'" - Jessica Hottle Resources We Talked About on the Podcast: What’s the Truth Podcast with Jessica Hottle Jessica's Instagram I Deserve a Donut App Know Your Worth by Jessica Hottle Own Your Worth by Jessica Hottle How to Listen to the Podcast: Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts. (If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast on Apple, this can sometimes take a few hours to update.) Google Play: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play. Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify. Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”  

In this episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I go back to the old "Ask Barb" format of some of the podcasts a few years ago. This is an episode I found in the archives that I hadn't ever posted. Here are a few of the things we talked about on the podcast.  Questions We Talked About: How to choose weight loss boundaries Which weight loss Bible study to do first: Taste for Truth or Freedom from Emotional Eating Beating yourselves up and feeling guilty about eating too much Feeling depressed about trying to eat with boundaries How to renew your mind for pain, tiredness, and non-situational depression Helping teens and older kids with eating boundaries Resources We Talked About: FB Live Video: How to Choose Weight Loss Boundaries Without Going Crazy RALLY Bible Study—a Bible study that will help you with trials Freedom from Emotional Eating Bible Study Taste for Truth Bible Study Self-condemnation questions I Deserve a Donut App Tired eating questions Online Christian Counseling – This is an online counseling organization where you can get help. They’ll assign a counselor to you and you can visit with the counselors by Skype or phone. How to Listen to the Podcast: Apple Podcasts:Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts Google Play:Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play Stitcher:Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Android:Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify. Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.”

Do you ever have a hard time making yourself renew your mind? Maybe you've found that truth journaling or doing the I Deserve a Donut questions works, but you just can't make yourself do it. Or you're willing to do it, but can't remember to do it. In today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I'll be coaching Jamila about how to renew consistently. We'll talk about what renewing looks like and how to do it in less than five minutes. Other Things We Talked About: How perfectionism gets in the way of renewing Can you truth journal in less than five minutes? Why it's important to start small with Bible study and renewing A new way to look at failure Practical things you can do to help you remember to renew How to find the time to renew How to renew consistently Lies We Talked About: I'm hungry (so I should eat). I'm tired (so I should eat). I already broke it so I might as well eat. I'll start tomorrow.

Do you ever feel like you have to be skinny? Do you obsess over what boundaries to choose? Do often find yourself with too many boundaries? If so, this podcast will help. Anne and I will be talking about how to let go of weight loss obsession. Things We Talked About: How to let go of the idol of skinny The dangers of seeing ourselves as “skinny” The dangers of seeing ourselves as “fat” Why we need to stop seeing ourselves as one-dimensional A helpful way to see ourselves How obsession with weight loss (the skinny idol) keeps us from losing weight Why it’s necessary to let go of weight loss obsession if you want to stop bingeing How junior high and high school is different than the rest of life (and why we need to start believing that!) The value of truth journaling through the past Lies We Talked About: I need to be skinny to be acceptable. If I’m not skinny, I’ll lose my friends. (One thing I forgot to mention on the podcast is this: If our friends will only like us if we’re skinny, how valuable is their friendship?) If I’m not skinny, people won’t like me. Resources We Talked About: Freedom from Emotional Eating Taste for Truth Dear Daughters Podcast by Susie Davis: How Memories Impact Your Spiritual Life The Christian Habits Podcast The Neil Anderson episode of the Christian Habits Podcast FB Live Video: How to Choose Weight Loss Boundaries Without Going Crazy How to Listen to the Podcast: Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts Google Play: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Android: Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Spotify: Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify. Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Taste for Truth Podcast.” (Please let me know if this doesn’t work. I’m not sure if you have to be subscribed to the podcast to get “her” to play it.)

Do you struggle to find time to renew your mind amidst the everyday chaos of parenting? Do you emotional eat due to stress? Do you find yourself saying, “It’s just one bite?” If so, today’s episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast will help. I’ll be visiting with Amy about some of the following topics: Things We Talked About: Dealing with everyday chaos Emotional eating due to stress Spending enough time with God Renewing the mind when you’re too frazzled Things to accept about parenting Truth journaling as a parent Children having a good relationship with God Letting go of perfection Lies We Talked About: I don’t want the food to go waste. It’s just one bite. It’s not going to hurt me. I can’t lock myself in my room to renew. It’s unfair to my children. Resources We Talked About: Freedom from Emotional Eating Taste for Truth Renewing of the Mind Project How to Listen to the Podcast: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple podcasts Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Click here to subscribe or listen on Spotify.

Do you have a hard time following your weight loss boundaries when you go out to eat? Does exercise make you so hungry you feel like breaking boundaries? Do you wonder if you should add calories when exercising or going out to eat? If so, today’s coaching episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast will help. Here are just a few of the topics we’ll be discussing on the podcast: Things We Talked About: Should you add calories for exercise and going out to eat? Craving for snacks after exercising Internal rewards Ways to eat out while trying to lose weight Immediately putting half in the box when eating out The three-bite rule Renewing your mind after breaking your boundaries Importance of priming yourself in the morning Lies We Talked About: I deserve a snack because I exercised. I’m going out to eat; I deserve to eat all of it. I’ll just choose a healthy option at dinner…. I’ll just eat healthy tomorrow. How to Listen to the Podcast Click hereto subscribe or listen on Apple podcasts Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher. Click here to subscribe or listen on Android. Click hereto subscribe or listen on Spotify.

Sarah struggled with her weight ever since she was young, dieting as early as 13-14 years old. After the birth of her son, she decided to address her eating issues. She found Freedom from Emotional Eating and started losing weight. Here are a few of the things we’ll be discussing on today’s episode of the podcast. Things We Talked About: Finding motivation after multiple failed weight loss attempts Importance of having well-defined boundaries Changing portion sizes Overcoming sugar and simple carbs addiction Reminding yourself of the truth every day Having a reward system as motivation People-pleasing Addressing underlying causes of unhealthy eating “Treating” anxiety with food Lies We Talked About: If my husband’s having this much, I should be able to have this much. It’s impossible to say no to your addiction. Life would be so boring if I gave up sweets. Resources We Talked About: Freedom from Emotional Eating Taste for Truth

On today’s episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I visit with Joy, who is just getting started with the Freedom from Emotional Eating Bible Study and also with truth journaling for weight loss. Joy listened to the podcast for a year before she decided to jump in and start a Bible study and renewing. Here are a few of the things we’ll be discussing on today’s episode of the podcast. Things We Talked About: How to truth journal throughout the day. Stress eating Eating to make you feel better Why it’s better to truth journal more often The hurdles to truth journaling Effective motivations for truth journaling Secret eating Lies We Talked About: I deserve this big portion because I haven’t eaten all day. I’m so stressed this will help me calm down. It’s been a hard day. This will make me feel better. I already dished it up so I might as well eat it all. Resources We Talked About: Freedom from Emotional Eating Renewing of the Mind Project Trim Healthy Mama Craig Groeschel sermon series on addiction (See the following links for those sermons.) https://youtu.be/BrPpYO0osP8 https://youtu.be/Y4yL0J9a2kU https://youtu.be/ptDuPxyS5lY https://youtu.be/XoeE6PQN7DQ

It's that time of year again. When we throw caution to the wind and break our weight loss boundaries left and right eating Christmas cookies and other goodies! On today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I do a coaching call with Judy and Amy about how to follow weight loss boundaries during the holidays.  Amy and Judy have been working through the Taste for Truth Bible study, and they have both been losing weight. Amy has lost 10 pounds so far and Judy has lost 22 pounds! I hope today's podcast will help you as we head into this holiday season. Here are a few of the lies we'll be covering that make us eat too much: Lies That Make Us Eat Too Much Over the Holidays I don't like being left out (during holiday parties so I need to eat like everyone else). If everyone is snitching cookies, I want to have my fair share. I need to eat this when no one is looking. It's the holidays. I'm going to indulge a little bit. It only happens once a year (so I need to live it up!). I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. That's so good, I should have another. I'll just have one more. We'll get to these lies at about the 8 or 10-minute mark. At the beginning of the podcast, we'll be talking about making Christmas cookies and how to do that without eating too much. How to Listen to the Podcast Click here to listen on Apple podcasts Click here to listen on Google Play Click here to listen on Stitcher. Click here to subscribe on Android.

This is a podcast episode I've been wanting to do for a long time. I guess it's appropriate that I finally made the commitment to do it after publishing my new Freedom from Procrastination Bible Study! In the podcast, I'll share my own weight loss journey and how God set me free from the control of food. Overeating and weight gain was an issue in my life from the time I was in high school until I was writing my first book, Freedom from Emotional Eating, in 2006. I published that book in 2008 and at the time I worried I would gain my weight back and be embarrassed that I had written a book on how to gain freedom from Emotional Eating! I didn't realized that I ate for procrastination and whenever I set out to write, I felt like procrastinating! It was disconcerting to be writing on weight loss and feeling like breaking boundaries while writing.  Thankfully, God has kept me on the straight and narrow and I have continued to live free from the control of food. I've found that it's a much more peaceful way to live and -- surprisingly -- a more fun way to live! Overeating may be fun in the moment but eating with control leads to a much more fun life.  It's take me hundreds of truth journal entries to break free from the control of food, but that freedom has been long-lasting. If you'd like to hear more about my journey and how God set me free, listen to today's podcast episode.  

Do you find that it's hard to get back on track after vacation with your weight loss boundaries? Even if you followed your boundaries while you're gone, it's often hard to follow them when you get home. Not only are we tired and in catch-up land with all the work that piled up, but we also often find ourselves feeling sad when we get back. We miss vacation--or if things went badly on vacation, we're sad about what happened.  Thankfully, God can help us recover from the post-vacation blues and help us to follow our boundaries. On this podcast, we'll talk about 7 things we can do to get back on track after vacation.    7 Ways to Get Back On Track After Vacation Give yourself grace. Process the vacation, if necessary.  Get a biblical perspective. Make a plan to slowly get caught up. Re-establish your eating and exercise boundaries ASAP. Make a "fun" plan. Spend extra time renewing the first few days back. How to Listen to the Podcast   Click here to listen on Apple podcasts Click here to listen on Google Play Click here to listen on Stitcher. Click here to listen on Android.

Do you ever rebel against losing weight because you just can’t stand following the rules? Do you feel like other people want you to lose weight, and that kind of bugs you? Do you hate authority, especially when it comes to diets and weight loss boundaries? If so, this podcast will help! We’ll talk about what to do when you want to lose weight but hate following rules.    In this coaching interview, I visit with Trish about how to change your mindset towards rules and authority so you don’t really mind having weight loss boundaries and may even learn to love them.    Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss:    Why it’s important to associate consequences with breaking weight loss boundaries  Authority: Is it good or bad? What makes it good or bad?  Why parents and significant others often want us to lose weight  How to not let it bother us when people want us to lose weight  How to change our attitude towards weight loss boundaries or rules  How focusing on renewing our minds rather than following our boundaries can keep us from feeling like failures when we break our boundaries.    Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  I Deserve a Donut (and Other Lies That Make You Eat)  Taste for Truth Bible Study  I Deserve a Donut app (There is an internal link at my blog for this – you can find it under the weight loss tab.)  How to Listen to the Podcast:  Apple Podcasts: click here  Stitcher: click here  Google Play: click here 

Do you ever feel like you keep doing the same things over and over, and the needle on the scale never moves? On today’s episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I’ll be answering a listener’s question about what to do when you’re discouraged with weight loss.  Resources Mentioned on the Podcast  I Deserve a Donut (and Other Lies That Make You Eat)  Online weight loss Bible studies  How to Listen to the Podcast:  Apple Podcasts: click here  Stitcher: click here  Google Play: click here 

You know what it's like. You finish dinner, clean up the dishes, and sit down to relax. That's when the cookies start calling your name. Or the ice cream. Or the chips. It's hard to say no to their insistent voices because you're tired of saying no all day. In today's podcast, Kimberly Taylor will give us some help with saying no and overcoming night eating. Kim blogs at takebackyourtemple.com and she recently did a session on overcoming night eating with her blog members. She asked everyone why they ate at night and came up with three groups of people: 1. Soothers. The soothers eat to ease their emotions. They may be stressed, lonely, or emotionally distraught in some other way and eating makes them feel better. 2. Sleepy Eaters. Sleepy eaters eat because they're tired and feel like they need a little pick-me-up to make it through the night. 3. Social Eaters. Social eaters eat because their spouses or kids or friends are eating and they want to join in the fun. Kimberly tells us that what we really need to do if we want to overcome night eating is to ask the question, "What do I need?" then listen for the answer. Usually the answer won't be food! On the podcast, Kim gives lots of examples and practical tips for each of these groups of nighttime eaters.  

One of the beliefs that keeps us from losing weight is the belief that we should be able to eat “what we want when we want.” The truth is, we can eat “what we want when we want.” We just don’t lose weight when we do that! In today’s podcast, we’ll talk about how to break free from entitlement eating so we can lose weight and keep it off. This is a replay of a recent Zoom chat.

Do you ever find yourself eating too much at dinner? Do you ever feel uncomfortable at social gatherings and console yourself with food? Do you feel like you’re wasting time at some event and eat to while the time away? In today’s Taste for Truth podcast episode, I’ll be coaching Becky McGeorge about these subjects.     Here is a sampling of the topics we’ll be discussing:  eating too much at meals  failure eating  overeating at social gatherings  eating because you feel uncomfortable at social gatherings  how the I Deserve a Donut failure eating questions can help you avoid a binge  how to renew your mind before social events  how to think differently about social events you don’t want to be at  how God can use social events for your good if you’re a person who would rather be working on your to-do list rather than going to the social event  We also discuss the following lies:  This social gathering will take a long time. I need something (food) to occupy me.  I’m a little uncomfortable here. I’ll feel better if I eat.   I should be using my time better (than being at this social gathering).  I’m wasting my time here (so I should eat).  Resources we Talked About on This Podcast:  I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat)  I Deserve a Donut weight loss app    How to Listen to the Podcast:  To listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here  To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here  To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here  

In today’s Taste for Truth podcast interview, Jo shares how God helped her lose more than 100 pounds and maintain her weight loss for more than a year.    We’ll discuss some of the things Jo did to lose the weight and also to maintain her weight loss. Here’s a sampling of the topics we’ll be discussing: intentional living as it’s related to eating motivations for weight loss what Jo did when she was tired and tempted to overeat the Bible verses Jo used to gain victory tips for avoiding overeating in the evening why it’s so hard to lose the last 20 pounds if you have more than 100 pounds to lose why it’s important to review your reasons for losing weight reward eating what to do when you’re tempted to overeat the importance of knowing why you’re overeating the value in taking baby steps for weight loss and exercise Resources we Talked About on This Podcast: Weight Loss God’s Way MyFitnessPal app How to Listen to the Podcast: To listen and subscribe on iTunes: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here

In today's Taste for Truth Podcast interview, Stacey shares how God helped her to lose 150 pounds through the renewing of her mind using Bright Line Eating boundaries. Bright Line Eating is a program where you give up addictive foods, such as sugar, and plan out what you're going to eat each day. One of the problems with programs like this is that we feel like life is boring because we can't have sugar. Towards the end of the podcast, Stacey shares how she deals with that issue, renewing her mind before she enters into situations where she might feel like she's missing out by not eating sugar.  Whether you follow Stacey's boundaries or not, you'll be able to learn from her experience as she goes to God for help with life.  Before and After Pictures Also wanted to share before and after pictures of Stacey's journey! Online Weight Loss Bible Studies Starting Up I also wanted to let everyone know that there are a couple of new online Bible studies starting up in September. You can find out about them here: https://barbraveling.com/christian-weight-loss-podcast/ How to Listen to the Podcast If you're viewing this on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of this page and you'll see links to the various podcast platforms. If you're viewing this on a desktop, look over on the right side of the screen and you'll see links! Resources We Discussed In the Podcast Here are some of the resources we talk about on the podcast: Bright Line Eating website Taste for Truth Bible Study I Deserve a Donut app  

Do you ever feel like it’s too hard to follow your boundaries? Maybe you had a hard day at work or you’ve been going through a rough time in your life. Or maybe you’ve been surrounded by tasty treats that are hard to resist. Or maybe you just have strict boundaries that can be hard to follow at times. We’re often tempted to throw in the towel and give up on our boundaries in those situations—or at the very least, change our boundaries so they’re easier to follow. In today’s coaching interview with Leigh on the Taste for Truth Podcast, we’ll discuss some of the things that make us want to give up in those situations. Here are a few of the topics we’ll be covering: emotional eating whether or not to give up sugar black and white thinking how strict to make your boundaries eating when tired imperfect progress how to speak to yourself when you break your boundaries Resources we mentioned on the podcast: A Christian Facebook support group for those who are trying to give up sugar Overcoming Black and White Thinking in Your Weight Loss Journey with Brandice Lardner Links to Past Episodes of Taste for Truth Podcast I’ve recently transferred the Taste for Truth Podcast from tastefortruth.com to barbraveling.com. If you’d like to see a list of all of the past episodes with links to them (most of the old episodes are still over at the other website), click here: Taste for Truth PodcastArchives. How to Listen to the Podcast You can also listen to any of the old episodes on your podcast apps or by clicking on the colorful buttons (Apple Podcasts, Android, etc.) at the top right on a desktop or laptop, or by scrolling down to the bottom of the page on a mobile device.

Have you ever considered being a guest on the Taste for Truth Podcast? I'll be taping coaching and victory interviews on August 23rd and 25th, and would love to have you sign up for an interview! Click here for the sign ups: Taste for Truth Interviews. Today I'm excited to have Kelly on the podcast with us for a coaching interview. Here are some of the topics we'll be discussing: Some truths that will help with failure eating. When do we switch from enjoying food to making food an idol? The advantages of having small quantities of your favorite foods vs. large quantities. The pleasure of living a life in control and also feeling lean and healthy. The value of writing out the answers to the I Deserve a Donut questions so you can look back on your progress and also use it to renew later if you can’t make yourself answer the questions one day. A lie that makes us eat too much on special occasions such as date nights. Planned food rewards vs. unplanned food rewards. That if it something we’re going to regret, then it’s not a treat. Planning ahead before trips and truth journaling before you go. Suggestions for non-food rewards. Resources We Talked About on the Podcast I Deserve a Donut app I Deserve a Donut book

You know those days when you break your weight loss boundaries and then eat everything in sight? Or you’re trying to break a habit and you have an evening of indulgence? It's hard to feel hopeful on those days. Yet here's the truth: God redeems failure! In today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, Heidi Bylsma and I discuss how God helps us on those failure days. We'll also talk about what you can do to get back on track after an evening of failure. We’ll gear the discussion toward weight loss, but the following tips can be applied to breaking any habit. Here are just a few of the tips we'll be talking about: Ask God, "Where did the derailment begin?" Look for patterns. Do you find yourself breaking your boundaries for the same reasons over and over again? Look for situations to avoid or ways to set things up differently for future success. Make a plan for the future based on why you failed today. Consider modifying your boundaries by keeping trigger foods out of the house. You can still eat these foods, but not at home. (If you’re working on a habit, ask, “What can I do on a practical level to make it difficult to practice my habit?”) Do the failure eating questions from I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) after an evening of failure. Use failure as a learning experience by keeping a "lessons learned list." Use the STALL tool: Stop. Turn. Ask God for help. Listen to what God says. Learn from what He tells you. Love what He tells you.  Remember that God doesn't expect us to be perfect, and we shouldn't expect that either. (But don’t use that as an excuse to give up.) Have a praise fest. Resources We Talked About on the Podcast Thin Within Heidi's Devotional: God Speaks to Me: Encouragement for Thin Within Sojourners Taste for Truth Online Bible study

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight and keep it off, you know that it doesn’t happen overnight. In today’s podcast interview, Teresa Parker Shields talks about five stages of the weight loss journey.  Teresa is the author of several books on weight loss, including Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor. Teresa helps others lose weight through her books, coaching, and website and has kept her own weight off for more than five years. Following are the stages of the weight loss journey that we’ll be discussing on the podcast: 5 Stages of the Weight Loss Journey Wishful Thinker - In this stage we dream about losing weight but don’t want to go through the suffering to make that happen long-term. Instead we want the quick fix. We think, If I could just find the magic plan that works. When we accept that we’re overweight and need to lose weight and that there is no magic fix we’re ready to move into the next stage. Willing Owner - This is where we own our addiction. Teresa tells how she was addicted to sugar. She lost weight whenever she gave up sugar and flour but whenever she got to her goal, she would reward herself with a high sugar or high carb foods and then she’d be back to gaining her weight back.In this stage you’re committed to a lifestyle change - to learn how to lose weight and keep it off. You’re saying “This is my issue and this is what I need to do to gain victory.” Watchful Learner - This is another long stage where we’re learning the disciplines we need to break free from the control of food. At the end of stage two we know we need to do certain things to change, but we don’t know how to make that happen. In this stage Teresa learned something she called “start stop” - stopping the bad habit but starting some good habits.She started by giving up one bad habit (eating candy) and adding one good habit (exercise). Teresa explains more about what this stage looks like on the podcast. Wholehearted Traveler - In this stage we learn about how to deal with difficulties while still following our eating boundaries. This is the stage where we work through emotional eating and understand that failure is a part of the process. We also learn how to deal with failure. If we visit failure for too long, we’ll need to go back the Watchful Learner stage to relearn the tools we learned in that stage. We may even need to go back to the Willing Owner stage where we make another commitment.  Wise Overcomer - In this stage we feel like we’ve mastered the journey. This doesn’t usually happen until we’ve spent two years in the wholehearted traveler stage.  With all of these stages, it’s about following God, submitting to Him, and learning to rely on Him for help with life. Teresa talks more about the process in the podcast. For further information on Teresa's resources, click here: Teresa's website  

So often we think of the long-term benefits of following our eating boundaries, but we completely ignore the short-term benefits. That's because we're too busy focused on the short-term disadvantages--not being able to eat those out-of-the-boundary treats! In today's quick tip episode we'll talk about the short-term benefits of following our boundaries. If you'd like to read the blog post that I mentioned in this episode of the podcast, click here: Can Habits Produce Immediate Results? Also, check out Val's other resources at valmariepaper.com. Getting a Start on Truth Journaling: Begins 6/19/2018 This will be a two-week class led by Robyn Martin through a weight loss focused Facebook group. They’ll spend one week working through question in I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) and one week truth journaling.  Click here to join the group. Freedom from Emotional Eating Online Bible Study: Begins 6/18/2018, led by Sonja Needham I announced this as a Taste for Truth study but just found out that I misunderstood and it's a Freedom from Emotional Eating study! This will be an 8 week Facebook study. Click here to join the group.  Taste for Truth Online Bible Study: Begins 6/26/2018, led by Robyn Martin This will be a Facebook study. Click here to join the group. They will have an introductory week and then 11 weeks of study but you’re welcome to join before the study begins and get involved in the group! The class will be going through Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Online Bible Study.   How to Listen to the Podcast: To listen and subscribe on iTunes: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here

In this episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I visit with Curry about her weight loss journey. Here are a few of the things we discussed: controlling food vs. controlling self the process of losing 35 pounds from start to finish (from doing the Taste for Truth Bible study in 2014 to actually committing to the process in 2016.) how she used monthly themes to encourage and focus on growth description of what growth with God in the area of weight loss looks like accepting that there will be ups and downs and not beating yourself up how her accountability group helped her with both personal growth and weight loss lessons she learned along the way why it's better to make weight loss a spiritual goal how she used MyFitnessPal as a reflective tool with hunger/fullness boundaries.  the challenges of maintenance how to handle the challenge of being out of your routine and the value of creating temporary schedules How to Listen to the Podcast: To listen and subscribe on iTunes: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here Resources we Talked About on This Podcast: I Deserve a Donut Taste for Truth Bible study MyFitnessPal app

Do you ever find yourself eating like crazy at night? I think we’ve all been in that place. In today’s podcast episode, we’ll talk about 7 ways to stop eating at night. Our strategy will vary depending on why we’re overeating. Here are 7 different reasons we can’t stop eating at night: 7 Reasons We Eat Too Much at Night  Boredom: Often we’ve had a busy day but evening comes and we find ourselves with nothing to do. In this situation, we think, “What can I do to make my life exciting?” And of course the easy answer is, “Eat!” Entitlement: Another reason we can't stop eating at night is entitlement. We’ve had a long hard day and feel like we deserve a reward. Or we’ve been super good at following our eating boundaries all day and feel like we deserve a reward. So what do we do? Eat! Hunger: Sometimes we’re just hungry. We haven’t taken the time to eat during the day—or more likely—we’ve purposely starved ourselves during the day in a zealous effort to lose weight. So nighttime comes and we’re hungry! This starts a binge as we start eating and can’t stop. Weakness: Let’s face it. It’s hard to follow our boundaries all day. It takes a lot of control. So, much like a marathon runner at the end of the race, we have a hard time continuing on when evening rolls around. We’re tired of those old boundaries. And it’s easy to give up when we’re tired. Stress Relief: This is a huge reason for overeating at night. As we go throughout our days, we often walk through a series of problems. Things keep coming up that make us feel insecure, annoyed, worried, and any number of emotions. We don’t have or don’t take the time to deal with those issues and by the end of the day, we’re completely stressed. Often this stress finds its relief in food. Habit: Sometimes we’ve just developed a bad habit of eating every night after dinner—and it’s hard to break a habit! Failure and Hopelessness: Sometimes we just break our boundaries once after supper—maybe a second helping or a brownie as we’re doing the dishes—but then we feel like a failure. So what do we do? We break them again. Might as well since we already broke them once! This leads to hopelessness, which just makes us want to eat even more. So what's the solution? How do we stop eating at night? The solution will depend on the reason we're overeating. Here are 7 different strategies we can use that correspond to the above 7 reasons for overeating at night. 7 Ways to Stop Eating at Night  Plan your evenings: If you’re eating because you’re bored, one of the best solutions is to plan the evening so you’re not bored. You might do something with a friend or plan a family game. You could plan an activity out of the house. Go for a walk. Just brainstorm a list of things you could do at night and actually plan out the evening with a schedule. You may also want to develop a habit of going to bed earlier so you don’t have as many evening hours to be bored in. Recognize that food isn’t a reward if you want to lose weight. In our minds, we think of food as a reward because it’s so yummy. But eating out of our boundaries isn’t a reward if we want to lose or maintain weight! It’s a punishment! If we’ve had a hard day, let’s be nice to ourselves by not choosing to do something we’ll regret the next morning. Don’t starve yourself during the day. Starvation diets aren’t healthy, nor do they work long-term. We’ll be much better off if we spread our eating throughout the day. Mentally prepare for the evening. Just as a runner paces himself and saves some energy for the end of the race, we need to pace ourselves and try to save some energy for the end of the day so we don’t end up completely exhausted. If you work, consider listening to a Taste for Truth podcast on your way home from work to get yourself in the mindset of following your boundaries when you get home. Try to go to God for help with your problems throughout the day. When we do this, we’ll be less likely to eat too much after dinner because we won’t be so stressed out. If you can’t make yourself renew your mind at night, try to do it during the day when you have the most energy to make yourself do it. You could also try to find a friend to talk through your problems with at the end of the day. Change up your evening schedule so you can break your habit. For example, if you always watch TV and eat at night, try to stop watching TV for awhile. Do something else that will signal your mind and say, “We’re not going to do that anymore!” Don’t watch TV again until the habit is fully developed. Renew your mind as soon as you break your boundaries. This is by far the best way to keep yourself from evening eating but you may not be able to make yourself do that. If you can’t make yourself truth journal or go through the questions in I Deserve a Donut, try to at least look back through some of your old journal entries and read what you’ve written there. If you can’t make yourself do anything at all, then renew your mind in the morning based on what happened the previous evening. I hope these ideas will help you stop eating at night. I would love to hear your ideas too! I would also like to hear any questions you'd like to see covered on the podcast. If you'd like to have a question answered, keep reading.  How to Leave a Question for the Taste for Truth Podcast If you'd like to have a question answered on the Taste for Truth podcast, simply go to speakpipe.com/barbraveling. Follow the instructions and ask your question. You'll be able to listen to it again before you send the question. Also, here is the blog post I referred to about the dance videos: How to Stop the Evening Boundary Breaking Session

Do you ever wonder if you should give up on your current weight loss boundaries and try out another set? In this interview, Anja takes a look at her hunger/satisfaction boundaries and decides if she wants to keep those or switch to five meals/snacks a day. We also talk about diets vs. lifelong boundaries and breaking free from obsessing over all things weight loss. How to Listen to the Podcast: To listen and subscribe on iTunes: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here Resources we Talked About on This Podcast: I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) I Deserve a Donut weight loss app Other Resources: Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study Freedom from Emotional Eating: An 8 Week (40 Day) Bible Study Barb’s blog at barbraveling.com If you'd like to write a review for the Taste for Truth Podcast: Please click here for directions and thank you in advance! I appreciate it! Disclaimer: The information on this podcast and website is for educational and encouragement purposes only. Barb is not a medical professional or a counselor. So, please be sure to talk with your doctor, dietician, or another certified health professional when seeking advice about your own weight loss or weight maintenance plan.

Chances are, if you're listening to this podcast, you know what it's like to be unhappy with your body. But there's a difference between wishing we could lose a few (or maybe a lot of) pounds and feeling like we have to lose those pounds. When we feel like we have to lose weight to be acceptable, not only do we have a hard time losing it (because we eat in despair whenever we break our boundaries), but we also miss out on a lot of peace, joy, contentment, and even fellowship with God as we go to Him for help with transformation. In today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, I share an interview I did two years ago with Debbie, who had just finished doing a renewing of the mind project on learning how to accept her body in its as is condition. We'll discuss how she learned to accept her body as is and also how she learned to let go of her feelings of anger towards God for having to struggle with weight all her life. We'll also talk about letting go of people pleasing.  I hope you'll join us for today's episode of the podcast! How to Listen to the Podcast: To listen and subscribe on iTunes: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here Resources we Talked About on This Podcast: Renewing of the Mind Project The questions from I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) Other Resources: Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study Freedom from Emotional Eating: An 8 Week (40 Day) Bible Study Barb’s blog at barbraveling.com I Deserve a Donut weight loss app

We've all been there. Our weight loss plan has been going great and we're following our boundaries perfectly and then one day - BAM - we break our boundaries. Not just by a little bit but majorly. Several desserts worth or maybe an all out binge session. When we have a day like that, it's hard to get back on track. That's what we'll be talking about in today's podcast - how to recover from a binge. How to Listen to the Podcast: To listen and subscribe on iTunes: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen and subscribe on Google Play: click here Resources we Talked About on This Podcast: Taste for Truth on Christianbooks.com Online Bible Studies Other Resources: Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study Freedom from Emotional Eating: An 8 Week (40 Day) Bible Study I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) Barb’s blog at barbraveling.com I Deserve a Donut weight loss app If you'd like to write a review for the Taste for Truth Podcast: Please click here for directions and thank you in advance! I appreciate it! Disclaimer: The information on this podcast and website is for educational and encouragement purposes only. Barb is not a medical professional or a counselor. So, please be sure to talk with your doctor, dietician, or another certified health professional when seeking advice about your own weight loss or weight maintenance plan.