You know those days when you break your weight loss boundaries and then eat everything in sight? Or you’re trying to break a habit and you have an evening of indulgence? It’s hard to feel hopeful on those days. Yet here’s the truth: God redeems failure!
In today’s episode of the Taste for Truth Podcast, Heidi Bylsma and I discuss how God helps us on those failure days. We’ll also talk about what you can do to get back on track after an evening of failure. We’ll gear the discussion toward weight loss, but the following tips can be applied to breaking any habit.
Here are just a few of the tips Heidi shared on the podcast:
- Ask God, “Where did the derailment begin?”
- Look for patterns. Do you find yourself breaking your boundaries for the same reasons over and over again?
- Look for situations to avoid or ways to set things up differently for future success.
- Make a plan for the future based on why you failed today.
- Consider modifying your boundaries by keeping trigger foods out of the house. You can still eat these foods, but not at home. (If you’re working on a habit, ask, “What can I do on a practical level to make it difficult to practice my habit?”)
- Do the failure eating questions from I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) after an evening of failure.
- Use failure as a learning experience by keeping a “lessons learned list.”
- Use the STALL tool from one of Heidi’s Thin Within participants: Stop. Turn. Ask God for help. Listen to what God says. Learn from what He tells you. Love what He tells you.
- Remember that God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, and we shouldn’t expect that either. (But don’t use that as an excuse to give up.)
- Have a praise fest.
New Online Taste for Truth Bible Study Starting
Also wanted to let you know there will be a new Taste for Truth class starting on August 3, 2018. For more information, click here: Online Bible Studies
Resources We Talked About on the Podcast
- Thin Within
- Heidi’s Devotional: God Speaks to Me: Encouragement for Thin Within Sojourners
Links to Past Episodes of Taste for Truth Podcast
I’ve recently transferred the Taste for Truth Podcast from tastefortruth.com to barbraveling.com. If you’d like to see a list of all of the past episodes with links to them (most of the old episodes are still over at the other website), click here: Taste for Truth Podcast Archives. You can also listen to any of the old episodes on your podcast apps or by clicking on the colorful buttons (Apple Podcasts, Android, etc.) at the top right on a desktop or laptop, or by scrolling down to the bottom of the page on a mobile device.
Excellent podcast, again! Perfect timing as I get ready for a long vacation. I have planned so I’m not planning to fail, but IF it does, I have a way to “get back on the horse”. Make failure a teacher not an undertaker – good words of advice!
Yes, I love that line of Heidi’s! Glad the podcast was helpful, Sandy, and hope you have a fun vacation!
This was so good. I am reading renewing of the mind and this fit right in.
Thank you so much. I tried to join a support group on Facebook but it is closed. ?
Hi Becky! Glad you enjoyed the podcast! The Facebook group should be open – I think you just have to request to join it. Let me know if it doesn’t work!
I think it’s the enemy that uses one failure to get us to give in to the flesh, instead of praising our Father when we do turn to Him to succeed.
I’m reminded that that this subject is for eating, but it translates to anything that preys on our weakness.
Great point about having better control than we do at the grocery store!
Opening up the Bible… that’s the beginning of success.
Yep, may He show them the victories!
Hi Floyd! Thanks for commenting and hope you’re having a great summer! I can’t believe it’s almost the end of July already!