Barb Raveling - Freedom from Emotional Eating: A Weight Loss Bible Study

Freedom
from
Emotional Eating

BARB RAVELING

Truthway Press

First Edition 2008

Second Edition 2014

Third Edition 2017

Copyright 2008, 2014, 2017 Barb Raveling

All rights reserved

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible , Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

The names and details of the people in the stories of this book have been changed to protect their privacy.

This book is not intended as a substitute for the advice of professional counselors. If you are struggling with a serious issue, please do so under the guidance of a professional counselor and/or physician.

ISBN 978-0-9802243-4-4

Contents

Preface

Welcome to the third edition of Freedom from Emotional Eating! I hope God will use it to help you break free from emotional eating. I decided to put out a new edition of the book because the chocolates on the cover of the second edition were tempting too many people to break their boundaries!

I also made some minor edits, but if youre using the book with a group, it wont matter which edition of the book you use, as very little has changed since the book was first published in 2008. Since I get so many people asking me what the difference is between the three weight loss books Ive written, I thought Id share that below:

Freedom from Emotional Eating: This book deals mostly with letting go of the negative emotions that make us overeat. The comment I get most often with this book is that yes, it helped me with eating, but even more so, it helped me with life.

Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study: This is the best book for helping you lose weight and follow your weight loss boundaries. It covers the need for boundaries, the different reasons we overeat, body image, and motivation to follow your boundaries.

I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat): This is an ongoing renewing of the mind resource that you can use on a daily basis to help you follow your eating boundaries and talk to God about life. Its also a companion guide to Taste for Truth.

If youd like to lead this Bible study with a group, you can download a free leaders guide at barbraveling.com under the Other Resources tab. If you want to lead the study without the leaders guide, just focus on the questions in the book marked with a small circle when you get together with your group.

My prayer is that God will use this book for good in your life. Begin the Bible study with the introduction as it contains vital information for the rest of the study. If youd like other resources to help with weight loss, including a podcast devoted to the subject, look for more information at barbraveling.com.

Barb Raveling

December 19, 2016

The Anatomy of an Affair

Emma sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. Once again her mind drifted back over the events of the past year. What had she been thinking? She shook her head slowly. It was all because of choir, she thought. If only she hadnt joined the choir if only Jeremy hadnt joined the choir.

She remembered the day he came. Tall, curly hair, athletic build. He looked pretty good for an old guy. Of course, she wasnt interested. Just observant. They had kids the same age, so there was the usual talk about school and sports. He was a nice guy, but she was married. She wasnt looking for a relationship.

That changed the day they stayed late to work on a song. It happened to be the same day she and her husband had a big fight, and she was feeling pretty fragile. She tried to lose herself in the music, but it didnt help.

As Jeremy walked her to the parking lot after practice, he asked her if anything was wrong. Something about the tone of his voice made her start to cry, and before long she was sharing her problems with him. He gave her a hug as they said good-bye, and he promised to pray for her.

That was the beginning. The beginning of a friendship. The beginning of a passion. The beginning of a sin.

Emma hadnt planned on having an affair. She was a Christian. She knew adultery was wrong. Yet, like so many other women, she found herself in the midst of an adulterous relationship without having a clear idea of how it ever happened.

I know, she told a friend later, You hear it all the time it just happened. But it really did. Before I stopped to think, I was involved in a full-blown affair. I knew it was wrong, but I couldnt see a way out. So I just made the best of it.

Introduction

Has it ever occurred to you that emotional eating is a bit like having an affair? I know. That sounds extreme. But think about it.

Emma loved spending time with Jeremy. He was comforting. He was fun. He was exciting. Yes, he brought a few worries into her life, but when they were together, he was worth it.

Emma hadnt intended to get involved with him, but once she was, she couldnt make herself end the relationshipeven though she knew he had the potential to completely mess up her life. It was almost as if she were obsessed with him.

Is this beginning to sound familiar? Read the last couple of paragraphs again. Couldnt we say the same things about our relationship with food? Overeating may be fun in the moment, but it certainly has its downside.

Lets go back to a comment Emma made: It just happened. Heres my question: Do affairs really just happen, or can they be prevented? Heres another question: Would it have been easier for Emma to prevent the affair before or after the evening she shared her problems with Jeremy?

I think we both know the answer to that question. It would have been far easier to end the relationship in its early stages, before her emotions got involved. The problem was that the relationship didnt seem dangerous in the beginning. Emma felt like she was engaging in an innocent, fun friendship. She didnt foresee the heartache that this relationship would bring to her life.

In order for her to have prevented the affair with Jeremy, she would have had to set boundaries in her relationships with all men. This would have kept her from being seriously tempted to commit adultery with one man. Once she became close to Jeremy emotionally, it was very difficult to put the brakes on the progressing relationship.

Boundaries

Lets talk about boundaries for a moment. What exactly is a boundary? A boundary is any restriction we put in place to enhance our lives and keep us safe. Think of a fence at a school playground. The fence is built to protect the childrento keep the kids safe. In like manner, we put up boundaries in our own lives to keep us safe.

One of the boundaries my husband and I have is to pay off our credit card each month. This protects us from the stress of living a debt-filled life, but it also keeps us from doing things we might really like to do.

Now, would it really be that big of a deal to charge something small and not pay it off, say a $50 shirt? Of course not. The problem is that a $50 shirt might lead to a $500 recliner or a $5000 trip to Hawaii, and before you know it we could have a huge credit card debt that would be a big deal. Living with strict boundaries in this area makes our lives betterits worth the sacrifice.

In like manner, Emmas life would have been better if she had had strict boundaries in place regarding her relationships with men. What if she had set and followed this rule: