FOOD & BODY IMAGE ISSUES

The blessing that Restoration Pointe provides is a safe place to deal with depression, isolation, lack of trust, and food & body image issues as means of achieving worth or sobriety from other struggles.

Exploring Food & Body Image Issues

An unhealthy relationship with food and/or our bodies begins and continues for many different reasons. This is known as anorexia!

Food may be used as a coping mechanism to ease negative feelings, emotions and circumstances, to have control in one area of our chaotic life, or to change our body to fit an imagined standard that will bring fulfillment, peace, and acceptance.

We may be living a double life, secretly acting out, ashamed of our lack of control, our bodies, our destructive and irrational behaviors. We may rationalize our behaviors, justifying our unhealthy relationships with food as “health conscious”.

We may jeopardize our relationships, health, jobs, morals, and values to continue in our self-destructive behaviors!

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLES WITH FOOD & BODY IMAGE ISSUES:

Excessive or compulsive consuming of food (bingeing) and/or getting rid of food (purging-Bulimia)

Inability to discern when physically hungry of physically full

Self-induced starvation, excessive use of laxatives, enemas, “diet” pills, or medications for weight loss

Excessive and/or unhealthy weight loss

Obsession with body weight and shape

Spending the majority of your day thinking about food, when you’ll eat, what you’ll eat, how your body looks, how much you weigh, etc.

Belief there is one or more perfect diet, program, plan, pill, and or exercise that will be the answer.

Low self-esteem and/or negative body image

Emotional disconnect from self, others, and God

BIBLICAL RESPONSE:

Colossians 2:10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is    the head over every ruler and authority.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.

WHAT IS THE BEGINING OF OUR RECOVERY?

Only through a real relationship with Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior can we find a real and true recovery from food and body image issues.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE IN RECOVERY/RESTORATION FOR FOOD & BODY IMAGE ISSUES:

Accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior

Learning and living the 12 steps of restoration

Shifting our worship of self/food to God

Finding healthy coping mechanisms for negative feelings, emotions, and circumstances

Developing a healthy identity and positive self-worth that comes from God, not our bodies or someone else.

Learning to love ourselves as God loves us, knowing we are worth the work it takes to heal us by His mighty power

Emotionally connecting with God, ourselves, and others, while developing healthy relationships

Using food as fuel for our bodies, as something God gave us

Learning/listening to our body's cues for hunger, fullness, and what foods are good to eat as fuel

Knowing the difference between physical and emotional hunger

Decreasing obsession with food and body, replacing with self-acceptance, contentment, peace, and fulfillment from God

Developing a balanced, healthy approach to food and health

Healing our distorted beliefs about food, ourselves, or our bodies

NEXT STEPS

BIBLICAL FIREPOWER WEAPONRY:

Bible

Accountability partner/sponsor/mentor

Prayer time daily and consistently

This recovery/discipleship meeting weekly

Disengagement from things that squander our ability to live a regenerated lifestyle by God's word

God loves you and made you in His image. Ask Christ to heal you spiritually Romans 10:13. physically, emotionally and socially

If you do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus, learn more at rprecovery.org/the-gospel. or talk to me aftewards