[This interview was originally published on 10/10/2018.]

Have you ever been completely hopeless about weight-loss? Do you think you've tried it all, and you are on the verge of giving up? My guest today, Stacey, felt exactly the same. However, with God's help, she has been able to lose (and maintain) a 150 pound weight loss!

Today on the Taste for Truth Podcast, I am doing something I have rarely (if ever!) done before: replaying a very encouraging interview! One reason for doing this is because I recently had a second interview with the same person, Stacey, and she has successfully kept the weight off for over 6 years! I wanted it to be easy to have a frame of reference between the first and second episodes. The new interview with Stacey will come out in December.

Stacey followed a program where she had to cut out sugar and white flour and plan out what she would 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.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• What the difference was this time that led to Stacey's 150 pound weight loss
• The revelation of how we often use food isn't what God intended
• How Stacey was able to stay the course, even through her strong cravings
• Different strategies for renewing the mind
• Lies that Stacey had to work through when getting to maintenance

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• I Deserve a Donut
• Upcoming Online Courses
• Counseling Resource
• Taste for Truth
• Freedom from Emotional Eating
• Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating

Announcements

I also wanted to mention that I will be tapering off and ultimately ending the Taste for Truth Podcast sometime in January or, at the latest, February, of 2025. I will still be doing my Christian Habits Podcast, and all of the past Taste for Truth episodes will still be available! I'm just at a place in my life where I need to find a work-life balance that is sustainable, and going down to one podcast seems like a very helpful way to do that.

I am also planning to give online course creation a try. If you are interested in staying informed about that, click here.

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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.”

Many of us picked up lies about food and eating when we were very young. Those lies tend to follow us into adulthood and sabotage our relationship with food. However, there is hope! Through the renewing of the mind, and going to God (instead of food) for help with life's difficulties, we can regain a healthy relationship with food. On the Taste for Truth Podcast today, Jennifer talks about her journey to finding victory in this area of her life.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• The early lessons Jennifer learned that sabotaged her relationship with food
• The surprising result of giving up the skinny idol
• Trigger times of the day
• What was different in Jennifer's weight loss journey this time around
• "Growth points" and perfectionism
• The disconnect about having boundaries in other areas of our lives and having boundaries with food

Announcements

I also wanted to mention that I will be tapering off and ultimately ending the Taste for Truth Podcast sometime in the next 2-4 months. I will still be doing my Christian Habits Podcast, and all of the past Taste for Truth episodes will still be available! I'm just at a place in my life where I need to find a work-life balance that is sustainable, and going down to one podcast seems like a very helpful way to do that.

I am also planning to give online course creation a try. If you are interested in staying informed about that, click here.

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
• Upcoming Online Courses
• Taste for Truth
• Freedom from Emotional Eating
• Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating
• Freedom from Procrastination
• The Renewing of the Mind Project

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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.”

Stress is an everyday struggle for most of us in Western society. We turn to many unhealthy things to cope which often lead to health struggles and weight gain. It actually makes the problem worse! However, stress eating does not have to be our reality any longer. I'm excited to have Katrina Sequenzia as my guest again today on the Taste for Truth Podcast. Katrina shares her personal struggles in this area as well as many practical tips to overcome the unhealthy coping mechanisms in our lives.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• A personal struggle that had Katrina turning to another coping mechanism to get through
• The lie that we always tell ourselves in the midst of stressful times to justify our out-of-control eating
• Some of the biological reasons why we turn to food during times of stress
• Many practical (and healthy) ways to cope with difficult moments in our day-to-day lives
• What movement does for us with regard to stress
• Loads, limits, and creating margin

Announcements

I also wanted to mention that I will be tapering off and ultimately ending the Taste for Truth podcast sometime in the next 3-5 months. I will still be doing my Christian Habits Podcast, and all of the past Taste for Truth episodes will still be available! I'm just at a place in my life where I need to find a work-life balance that is sustainable, and going down to one podcast seems like a very helpful way to do that.

I am also planning to give online course creation a try. If you are interested in staying informed about that, click here.

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• Online counseling resource
• My initial episode with Katrina: How to Stop Sugar Cravings by Katrina Sequenzia
• Katrina's free gift for my listeners!
• Katrina's website: healthyfreelife.com
• My recent episode with Kirby Kelly
• Upcoming Online Courses
• Taste for Truth
• Freedom from Emotional Eating
• Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating
• Freedom from Procrastination

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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.”

If you've ever wondered how all of those people I've interviewed in the past are doing now, you'll enjoy today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast! I'm having a second "check-in" interview with Sarah whom I previously interviewed over four years ago. Back in 2020, Sarah was a new mom and was experiencing great success with changing her eating and lifestyle habits. Today our discussion centers around how pivotal exercise has been for Sarah in her journey, and about her struggles and victories while navigating many life changes.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• How Sarah is doing four years after her first victory interview
• How finding exercise that matched her temperament has helped Sarah achieve her goals
• Viewing exercise as spiritual warfare - using your body to fight a spiritual battle
• New research that highlights the importance of exercise for mental health
• The importance of asking for help
• Why we can have hope even when we have yo-yo dieted and feel that we have tried everything
• What being poor in spirit really means, and how it's a good thing
• The story of "20-steps back" and how it relates to success with healthy habits

Announcements

I also wanted to mention that I will be tapering off and ultimately ending the Taste for Truth podcast sometime in the next 5-7 months. I will still be doing my Christian Habits Podcast, and all of the past Taste for Truth episodes will still be available! I'm just at a place in my life where I need to find a work-life balance that is sustainable, and going down to one podcast seems like a very helpful way to do that.

I am also planning to give online course creation a try. If you are interested in staying informed about that, click here.

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• • My initial episode with Sarah: Losing Weight and Getting Healthy (January 2020)
  • Elaina Koyl Coaching
  • Upcoming Online Courses
  • Taste for Truth
  • Freedom from Emotional Eating
  • Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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.”

On this episode of the Taste for Truth podcast, I am doing something different and kind of fun! I decided to do a mish-mash of sorts of a few different episodes. I'll be doing a meditation from my book Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating ("It would be crazy not to eat this!"), and then also a series of "Ask Barb" questions that I've received from listeners. There a variety of topics covered, but all of them are centered around eating habits for ourselves or others. I hope you find something that is helpful and encouraging!

Announcements

I also wanted to mention that I will be tapering off and ultimately ending the Taste for Truth podcast sometime in the near future. Don't worry - I will still be doing my Christian Habits Podcast, and all of the past Taste for Truth episodes will still be available! I am just at a place in my life where I am needing to find a work-life balance that is sustainable, and going down to one podcast seems like a very helpful way to do that.

I am also planning to give online course creation a try. If you are interested in staying informed about that, click here.

Lastly, my online Philippians Bible study is still going on (as of May 2024). If you'd like to join in for the last 3-4 sessions, click here for more information!

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• Philippians - Closer to God Bible Study
• Better Help - Faithful Counseling
• Do You Eat When You're Tired?
• Taste for Truth
• Freedom from Emotional Eating
• Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating
• Rally - A Personal Growth Bible Study

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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 so easy in our culture today to get caught up in trying to find our self-worth in material things, money, our jobs, or the way we look. The idea of being skinny can be something that we begin to obsess over because we somehow think our identity is wrapped up in our appearance. This isn't what God wants for us and, consequently, also makes us very unhappy. On today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, we'll debunk 10 lies that perpetuate this skinny idol.

I also wanted to mention that I will be leading an online Bible study through my new Philippians Bible study in the month of May. If you're interested in finding out more and signing up, get the info here. I do think it is so helpful to go through regular Bible studies - even when you're trying to lose weight or be healthier - because we are getting more of the truth of God's word in our system (which helps us combat all the lies we believe that fuel our eating problems). This particular book deals with many different topics in the book of Philippians, one of them being finding our identity in God. I hope you'll find it helpful!

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• How our "Good Christian" list can adversely affect our self-worth
• Different things we turn to to find our identity in rather than God
• "I need to be skinny to be accepted."
• "When I'm skinny, I'll be happier."
• "People think I'm a loser because I'm overweight."
• A passage in Philippians that reminds us what we cannot have confidence in
• Some tips for truth journaling

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• Philippians - Closer to God Bible Study
• Taste for Truth
• Freedom from Emotional Eating
• Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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.”

If you feel like you will never get over your food struggles, today's episode of the Taste for Truth podcast will be a great encouragement (links below). I'm doing something different on this episode: I'm interviewing three people at one time! It's a mom and her two adult daughters, and we talk through many of the struggles they have had with food over the years, and how they are all finding their way to freedom in this area of their lives.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• Free-for-all holiday eating
• Perfectionism eating
• Strategies for avoiding a binge and a 3-month hiatus from boundaries
• These lies and their corresponding truths:
  • "It's a holiday, I can eat as much as I want."
  • "If there are sweets in the house, you should eat them."
  • "I'm bored, food would be a great way to deal with it."
• The key part that submission to God plays in breaking free from an eating stronghold
• Different renewing of the mind strategies
• Food as a coping mechanism

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• Taste for Truth
• Freedom from Emotional Eating
• Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating
• Life Unbinged Program with Kristy McCammon
• I Deserve a Donut - Weight Loss App

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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.”

A few weeks ago, I had an interesting conversation with a reader. She talked about how hard it was to get her kids to eat healthy things. Many parents these days can relate to the challenges of picky eaters, meal-time meltdowns, and general food struggles. On today's episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast (links below), I answer some reader questions revolving around helping our kids to avoid negative eating habits.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• How my husband and I raised our four children to eat
• My take on whether or not kids should eat the same meal as the parents
• How I inadvertently taught my kids some emotional eating tendencies
• Practical ways to help our kids to not be entitled regarding food or otherwise
• The two unhealthy routes we can take with regard to obsessive eating
• My thoughts on how to train our children regarding food that has the best chance for a healthy result

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• I Deserve a Donut - Weight Loss App
• The Renewing of the Mind Project
• The Homeschool Sanity Show Podcast

Listen to the Podcast

• YouTube: Click here to subscribe or listen on YouTube.
• 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.”