106 | Fear of Weight Gain: What Are You Really Afraid of Losing?

“God doesn’t care about me.” That thought can feel pretty convincing when the eating disorder is loud and you’re tired of trying. You know God is love. Right now, though, you feel alone—and “today is hard” starts turning into “I’m never going to get better.” When eating disorder recovery feels this uncertain, what can you stand on? Let’s come back to Hebrews 13:8 and the difference between what you’re feeling about God and what you know about Him. You don’t have to force yourself to feel hopeful before you press play.

You tell God you trust Him. But you leave out the part about being angry. Maybe you’ve wondered why He made your body this way or why your mind doesn’t work like somebody else’s. Then comes the guilt: “What kind of Christian am I if I’m mad at God?” You have a lot to say, but you keep trying to make it sound more spiritual. I’ve been angry with God about the way He made me, too. I’m sharing what comparison had to do with it—and what I’ve had to learn about having an honest conversation with Him. You don’t have to hide your anger. But once you’ve said what hurts, are you willing to stay long enough to listen?

If exercise used to be about burning calories, earning food, controlling your body, or calming your anxiety around eating, recovery can bring up a surprisingly complicated question: If I'm not exercising for those reasons anymore… why am I exercising? Exercise itself isn't necessarily the problem. The harder question is what's underneath it. In this episode, I'm talking about how my own relationship with exercise has changed through recovery—from movement being tied to food, anxiety, and controlling my body to seeing strength and movement very differently. Because there is a big difference between caring for your body and trying to correct your body. We'll talk about what Christian stewardship of your body can look like without simply turning body obsession into something that sounds more spiritual, why exercise can sometimes be the eating disorder “wearing a different outfit,” and what it means to have the freedom to move or rest without the eating disorder making the decision for you. If you've ever wondered whether your relationship with exercise has actually changed—or whether the same old rules are still hiding underneath it—this episode is for you. Tired of thinking about food and your body ALL. DAY. LONG? You may know what you're “supposed” to do in recovery and still find yourself constantly thinking about food, monitoring your body, or feeling terrified of gaining weight. That's exactly why I created the Break the Fear of Weight Gain Workshop. On November 10 at 11:00 AM Central, I'm hosting this FREE, live 45-minute workshop for Christian women who are tired of the food and body noise and want to understand what's actually driving it. We'll look at why weight gain can feel so threatening, some of the deeper fears and beliefs that may be underneath it, and how Biblical truth can begin changing the way you see yourself, your body, and recovery. Don't just save another recovery resource for later. Come do the work with me live. There will also be dedicated Q&A at the end, and everyone who attends live will be entered for a chance to win a free 60-minute 1:1 coaching session with me. Register for the FREE Break the Fear of Weight Gain Workshop Stay Connected Join the Eating Disorder Recovery for Christian Moms Facebook Community Get my weekly newsletter Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts Questions? Email me at [email protected].

You can be sitting at the dinner table with your family, laughing and talking and physically right there with them... while your mind is somewhere completely different. What did I eat? Did I exercise enough? How does my body look? Did I eat too much? What am I going to eat later? An eating disorder doesn't just affect your relationship with food or your body. It can steal your presence. In this episode, we're talking about what happens when food, exercise, body and control thoughts keep pulling your attention inward—and why recovery is about so much more than simply getting better at eating. It's also about getting you back. Your family gets more of you.Your friendships get more of you.The people God has placed in your life get more of you. And you get to actually be present for the life God has given you. We'll talk about the difference between healthy self-investment and the kind of inward focus an eating disorder creates, what Mary and Martha can teach us about distraction and presence, and one simple way to begin bringing your attention back to Jesus, the people in front of you and the moment you're actually living. Tired of your brain talking about food and your body ALL. DAY. LONG? If food noise is constantly running in the background of your life, here's something I want you to consider: What if continuing to fight the thoughts on the surface isn't the only thing that needs your attention? Sometimes we need to get curious about why weight gain feels so threatening in the first place and what fears or beliefs may be sitting underneath all that monitoring and controlling. That's exactly what we're going to explore together in my free, live Break the Fear of Weight Gain Workshop on November 10 at 11:00 AM Central. This isn't another recovery resource to save for later and never open. We're going to do the work together. You'll have 45 minutes of live teaching plus time for Q&A, and I'll help you begin understanding what may be driving your fear so you can identify your next step toward freedom. Register for the free Break the Fear of Weight Gain Workshop Stay Connected Come join us inside the Eating Disorder Recovery for Christian Moms Facebook community for encouragement, conversation and support as you keep walking this out. Join the Facebook community And if you'd like a little encouragement from me in your inbox each week—where we connect faith, recovery and practical action—you can join my weekly newsletter here: Join Andrea's weekly newsletter Questions? You can always reach me at [email protected].

You're at dinner with your family. You're talking with friends. You're sitting in church. And nobody knows how much of your mind is occupied by food, your body, and the fear of gaining weight. You keep saying, “I'm fine.” But inside, you feel completely alone. Eating disorder isolation doesn't always look like being by yourself. Sometimes it looks like showing up everywhere while hiding the part of your life that feels hardest to explain. In this episode of Eating Disorder Recovery for Christian Moms, we're talking about why hiding can feel safer than being known, how food anxiety can shrink your world, and what stepping toward support can look like without telling everyone everything. We'll also talk about Jesus meeting you in the struggle—and why His presence doesn't mean you have to walk through recovery without human support. If you've been thinking, “Nobody understands me,” this conversation is for you. Want help working through the fear underneath the thoughts? Maybe you recognize the hiding, but you're still unsure what makes food, weight gain, or being seen feel so threatening. In a Weight Gain Fear Breakthrough Session, we'll explore the fear and beliefs driving your particular struggle, bring them alongside biblical truth, and identify one clear, practical step forward. You can come with the thought you're wrestling with right now. Book your 1-hour, 1:1 Weight Gain Fear Breakthrough Session. Stay connected: