cupcakeDid you know that among the best ways to stop bad eating habits is to stop telling yourself lies?

Sure, you may weigh a few pounds more than you’d like. Or a lot more. You may even be underweight!

But are you self-sabotaging by telling yourself speaking lies to yourself?

Kelly tells herself things like, “You’re fat. You’re ugly. What a loser.” She’s anxious about the holidays, afraid she’ll be tempted by cookies, give in to her bad eating habits, and feel horrible about herself A part of her doesn’t want to attend her office party, even her family gathering.

These thoughts lead to more negative thinking: “I’ll be all alone. No one will miss me. No one cares.” Do you fear you may overeat and feel like a total screw-up? That you’ll never succeed over emotional eating? There’s hope.

What Is Emotional Eating?

To have victory over bad eating habits, you’ll need to break the cycle of emotional eating. Emotional eating is turning to food to feel better. The problem is, you end up feeling worse and eat more. Or eat nothing.

When Cara mothered three cute preschoolers, she sometimes baked a cake for dessert to serve after dinner. While the little ones snuggled for a post-lunch nap, she sliced a wedge of cake for a snack and ate it. Feeling guilty and fearing her husband would find out, and even call her names, she bake a second cake. What happened to the first cake?

She gobbled at least half and smashed the rest in the trash. Worse than her stomachache, she lost self-respect. The lies, the deception, the realization that she needed help to overcome emotional eating–all these weight on her.

Did you know you can stop bad eating habits when you begin desiring what God desires? He desires that you love him above all else. He desires your heart. In the Bible, the heart refers to your inner control center of your motivations, beliefs, thoughts, emotions and actions.

As in water face reflects face,

So a man’s heart reveals the man. Proverbs 27:19

God’s life-changing power helps you embrace a right perspective of food, make good and godly food choices, straighten out your thinking on food, and be successful. A great resource for those times you mess up — and we all mess up sometimes — is Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by biblical counselor Elyse Fitzpatrick.

Choosing the Truth

You know God wants you to live life based on truth, not emotions. The truth of who he is. The truth of who you are. His truth is sure.

Our emotions go up and down like an elevator. Now emotions are fine; God gave them to us. But you must not trust them to influence your decisions. You need to choose truth.

Back in college I survived on wheat thins, pizza, and Diet Coke. Bad eating habits and lies.

My weight was fine. But my pizza bloat prompted nasty thoughts—you fatso, you idiot, you idiotic fatso—and sometimes a stop by the women’s dorm bathroom, where I pressed my fingers to the back of my throat, hoping to throw up.

1. Recognizing Lies You Repeat

Identifying the lies you say to yourself isn’t as easy as it may sound. If you’ve made a habit of repeating the lies to yourself, they may appear truthful.

Don’t be duped. Line up what you say to yourself with God’s truth. A helpful Bible verse:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. (Philippians 4:8, NIV)

Let’s take a common lie many women struggle with: “I’m ugly.”

Ask yourself, Is this true according to God? Really think about it. Would God say, “You are ugly”? Down deep you know he’d never say this because God is love and all his works are wonderful. Including you.cupcake

2. Identify Your Triggers

Pay attention to the times and places and situations that trigger emotional eating.

Kelly’s triggers: Any sort of rejection as well as certain childhood memories.

Cara’s triggers: Loneliness and a difficult marriage.

Mine: A desire for other’s approval.

All of these triggers are based on the lie that God doesn’t care. The truth is you are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), which has been marred by sin and the fall (Romans 5:19), is being restored in the life of believers of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:24). The cross proves God cares.

While holding tight to this truth, it’s wise to avoid places and situations that trigger emotional eating. For instance, if tempted to buy a bag of chips at a certain convenience store on your way home from work, you could either drive another street or repeat a helpful verse to remind yourself of the truth of God’s power and care. One helpful to me is 2 Peter 1:3:

His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and excellence.

This verse reminded me that I didn’t need to search around for a secret solution. I already had everything I needed to face temptation and triggers. What has helped you triumph over your triggers to emotional eating? If your triggers are plaguing you, what’s one action you can take today to help?

3. Replace Destructive Self-Talk with Truth-Telling

I’ve discussed how to do this in this popular post. In short, you write down truth that counter the lies you identified in step 1 above. You keep telling yourself the truth each time your self-talk goes south. Within a few weeks, you’ll make a huge dent in the habit of destructive self-talk.

My counselees have found journaling in a certain method I teach to be exceeding helpful. I’d love to show you. Just ask for by complimentary journal template.

Just for YOU!

Did you know I counsel women by Skype all over the world and in person in the greater Chicago area? Click here to find out more about my no-cost consultation by phone. Or simply read about how I counsel compassionately and effectively through God’s unparalleled word.

Feel free to contact me with your questions. I try to answer each one I receive.

Counseling Hope to Your Heart,

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