My Eating Is Out of Control

Connie's Story
"I would go to Dairy Queen three to four times a week, on my way home from work. I would eat snacks from my children’s lunches and hide the wrappers. If anyone mentioned my weight or eating, I would lie to cover up or just skirt the issue. I would begin to eat a trigger food and not stop until it was gone ... like Oreos, chocolate, ice cream."

Karen's Story
"I was at the park with some of my friends' children and they had run off to play. One of the little girls hadn't eaten all of her chicken nuggets. I ate them without asking her first. Later, I saw a text her older sister made to her mother that said, 'Miss Karen ate Charlene's food.' I was so embarrassed."

Marlene's Story
"Once I noticed my sister putting some food away because I think she was afraid I would eat it. It was meant for her granddaughter. That was embarrassing. Not being able to control myself around food used to be humiliating and caused me to isolate. But, it's not such a problem anymore. I don't feel out of control around food like I used to. Totally a God-thing!"

These are testimonies of women who have identified eating as their addiction. They were not able to will themselves to just stop eating things and quantities that were bad for them. Their health was in danger. Their weight was a problem and it was bigger than they could handle. But, they turned to God and used principles of recovering from addictions to get on the road to victory. Does this describe you today? Do you want to change?

Karen: "We eat for a reason, a problem or a wound and only God has the answers to each of those. Bringing things to Him and listening to what He has to say has brought a tremendous amount of healing into my life. Sometimes the answer surprises me. I think I’m struggling with one thing and He shows me that it is something totally different." 

Connie: "God allowed me to work through the 12 steps in our Recovery ministry, which helped me to realize I was powerless and that God can help me in this area. Also I had to get to the bottom of WHY I used food as a comfort. I met with a spiritual counselor who aided me in getting to the bottom of where this all began in my life. God intervened, and as we went back to the memories, He showed me the truth and healed those wounds. As well, God used a friend of mine to help me realize that it not only is an addiction in my life, but is an idol and a stronghold. I began searching Scripture for passages that deal with idols and strongholds and food. I am using these Scriptures as a help for dealing with this on a daily basis."

Karen: "Freedom can be found in listening to what God has to say about what is really going on inside you. If you don’t know how to do that, seek out a counselor who understands 'Theophostic' healing.  Theophostic is a fancy word for 'God’s Light' and this method of prayer and counseling brings the light of God’s truth to the deceptions and pain that hold us in bondage. I’ve had a lot of therapy that helped a little, but Theophostic counseling truly set me free."

These women share their struggles and how God's helped them to give you hope.

Marlene: "Addictions are used to medicate pain. Identifying this as an addiction has helped me ask myself, 'What is really wrong?' when I am overeating and then take that problem to the Lord." 

Connie: "The first step is admitting you have a problem. Then you must find the necessary help. That help can come in the form of 12 step meetings, counseling, or even inpatient treatment, depending on the severity of the issue at hand. You also must figure out why you use food as a comfort. The last thing I would say is that there is hope. God can and does take care of this issue with his truth and the Word."

Maybe you've never thought of your eating problem as an addiction, but have gone on enough failed diets to know that there's a big disconnect between how you want to behave and how you actually behave. If you really want change, God is waiting to help you. Find your path. Feel free to comment here if you like. Connie, Karen, and Marlene will be blessed to know their testimonies are being used to bring others closer to victory in this area. How can we pray for you?

Copyright © 2010 Beth Livingston. Used by permission.