My Blog

One thing I’ve learned in recovery is that little things can become big things when I let them pile up. A resentment I keep replaying. Something I said that I wish I hadn’t. A mistake I’m embarrassed about. An attitude I know isn’t helping me. Before recovery, I could carry those things around for days—or try to quiet them with food. Step 10 gives me a different way to live. Instead of letting things build up, I can pay attention to what’s going on inside me. I can admit when

I still remember something that happened when I was about 14 years old. I was going through a buffet line at a special event at church. My choir director was just ahead of me, and I watched as she put a few things on her plate. Not very much at all. She was thin, and I remember looking at her plate and thinking, “Is that all she’s going to eat?” Apparently I didn’t just think it. I said it. 😊 “Is that all you’re going to eat?” She very pleasantly told me, “I eat to live. I d

I struggled with my weight from about age 10. For years, I thought my problem was that I just needed more willpower. I didn’t understand why I ate too much. I knew what I was supposed to eat. I knew when I was eating too much. I would tell myself, “Tomorrow I’ll do better.” And sometimes I did. But eventually the cravings, stress, or emotions would take over again, and I’d find myself right back where I started. What I didn’t understand then was that there were things keeping

Most of us who have struggled with overeating don't need someone to tell us what healthy eating looks like. We know. We've read the books, tried the diets, counted calories, tracked our food, and promised ourselves that this time we're going to stick with it. I certainly did. For years, I thought that if I could just find the right diet—or develop enough willpower—I would finally solve my problem with food. But knowing what to eat wasn't my real problem. Have you ever started

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1 (NIV) Some days we feel strong in our recovery. Other days, the desire to eat outside our plan can feel much stronger than we expected. Psalm 46 reminds us that we don't have to face those moments relying only on our own strength. God is not far away when we're struggling. He is “ever-present.” We can stop—even for just a moment—and turn to Him before we turn to food. We can tell Him exactly what

Sometimes the things weighing on us have nothing to do with food. Maybe we regret something we said. Maybe there’s a relationship we haven’t handled well. Maybe we know there’s something we need to make right. In the past, I might have tried to quiet those uncomfortable feelings with food. But food never fixed what was really bothering me. Recovery has taught me that sometimes I need to stop eating over the problem and ask God to help me face it instead. “Blessed are the peac

Some weeks in recovery go really well. You follow your food plan. You make choices you feel good about. You feel close to God and encouraged by your progress. And then there are the other weeks. 😊 Maybe you ate something you hadn't planned. Maybe you went back for more when you said you wouldn't. Maybe stress got the better of you and you found yourself turning to food again. It's easy in those moments to think, “Here I go again.” But one difficult day—or even one difficult

You can know you’re not hungry and still want to eat. Have you ever stood in the kitchen knowing perfectly well that your body didn’t need food—but still felt a strong pull to eat something? I have. For a long time, I thought the answer was simply to have more self-control. But if knowing better were enough, most of us wouldn't struggle with overeating in the first place. One of the things I've learned in recovery is that the desire to eat when we're not physically hungry is

Sometimes we know what to do—but we still feel stuck. We know the foods that cause us trouble. We know we need to turn to God instead of food. We may even have a food plan, pray, read Scripture, and sincerely want to change. But knowing and doing aren't always the same thing. Sometimes we need to step away from our normal routines long enough to look more closely at what's keeping us stuck. That's part of what I hope our Renew • Reflect • Restore retreat will provide. We'll s

“How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13b (NIV) God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen, and help us each day. We don’t have to rely on our own willpower to make healthy choices or continue walking in recovery. We can ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and direction in the choices we make. As we work the 12 Steps and follow our food and action plans, the Holy Spirit can help us recognize God’s truth and choose

Have you ever noticed how much emotional energy it takes to carry around resentment, guilt, or an unresolved relationship? For me, recovery from overeating has involved more than changing what I eat. I've also had to become willing to look at my relationships—and sometimes acknowledge where I haven't handled things well. That isn't always comfortable. It's much easier to focus on what someone else did to me. But God doesn't show us these things to condemn us. He can use them

It doesn’t necessarily change our circumstances, but it can change what we focus on. When I’m discouraged, tired, or frustrated that something isn’t going the way I hoped, it’s easy to focus on everything that’s wrong. But when I stop and thank God for what is good—even the small things—my perspective begins to shift. There is always something to be grateful for: a new morning, food to nourish us, someone who cares about us, another day of recovery, or simply the reminder tha

Healthy eating doesn’t have to involve complicated recipes, hours of meal prep, or a long list of ingredients. Last night I made a very simple dinner: ham, a sweet potato, and zucchini. The sweet potato took about six minutes in the microwave, the ham only needed to be warmed on the stovetop, and the zucchini cooked quickly in boiling water. It wasn't fancy—but it was tasty, satisfying, and easy to prepare. That matters to me because one of the things I’ve learned in recovery

Eating out doesn’t have to mean overeating. 😊 I got home from work tired last night, and neither Tony nor I felt like dealing with dinner, so we went out to eat. We ordered this taco platter and shared it. We each had 1½ tacos. Tony ate most of the rice (I stole a few bites 😊), and I had about half of the refried beans. And see that empty little plate in the background? That was for the chips. I didn’t have any. Not because chips are “bad,” (maybe a little) but because I kn

What could change if you gave your recovery one weekend of your full attention? Most of us are trying to work on recovery in the middle of everything else—work, family, responsibilities, appointments, errands, and all the demands of everyday life. Sometimes it helps to step away. That’s one of the reasons Tony and I are hosting Renew • Reflect • Restore, a Christian retreat for recovery from overeating and emotional eating, October 30–November 1 in Phoenix. It will be a weeke

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” — Luke 11:9–10 (NIV) When we’re struggling, it can be easy to turn to food for comfort, relief, or escape. But Jesus reminds us that we can ask God for the help we need and seek His presence for the peace and comfort our binge foods can never truly prov

Have you ever overeaten and then immediately started beating yourself up? “I did it again.” “Why can’t I get this right?” “I’m such a failure.” But shame doesn’t lead us toward freedom. Step Seven is about humbly asking God to remove our shortcomings—and those shortcomings extend far beyond our struggles with food. They can show up in our relationships, our attitudes, our reactions, and the way we treat others. One of the things I wrote about in Step Seven of 12 Steps to Reco

For years, I tried to change my eating on my own. I knew how to diet. I knew how to lose weight. What I couldn't seem to do was make those changes last. It wasn't until I joined a support group that I began to experience lasting change. Why did a group make such a difference? Because no single person has everything we need. In a community, we each bring different strengths and different experiences. Someone may have an idea that helped them through the very struggle I'm facin

Years ago, when I attended my first recovery retreat, I was nervous. I didn't know anyone. Walking into a retreat where everyone else was a stranger was a little intimidating. But it didn't take long to discover that I was surrounded by people who understood something very important about me: my struggles with food. I didn't have to explain why something that seemed so simple to someone else could feel so difficult. They understood because they had struggled too. And those st

Healthy eating doesn't mean avoiding restaurants or eating as little as possible. Tony and I enjoyed lunch out with friends this weekend—and it got me thinking about something I see happen often. If you've gained weight, your first thought might be: "I need to cut my calories." But before you start eating less, take a closer look at what's really happening. Are you eating according to your plan most days—but occasionally having a day when you binge, graze, or simply stop pay