• Start
    Here
    • Start Here
    • About Barb
    • Barb’s Books
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Contact
  • Renew
    Your Mind
    • Renewing of the Mind Tools
    • Renewing of the Mind Project
    • Grow Closer to God
    • Transformation 101
    • Renewing Your Mind Bible Study
    • Renew Your Mind Seminar
  • Live
    with joy
    • How To Live with Joy
    • Anger
    • Worry/Fear
    • Depression & Discontentment
    • Insecurity
    • Stress
    • Boredom
    • Other Emotions
  • Overcome
    Procrastination
    • Freedom from Procrastination
    • How to Start a Habit
    • How to Pursue a Goal
    • Goals and Productivity
    • Ministry and Blogging
  • End Emotional
    Eating
    • How to Lose Weight
    • Weight Loss Resources, Classes, & FAQ
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Weight Loss App
    • Weight Loss Bible Study
    • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Books &
    Bible studies
    • Barb’s Books
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Free Bible Studies
    • Online Bible Studies
  • Podcasts &
    Online Courses
    • Current & Upcoming Online Courses
    • Christian Habits Podcast
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast

Barb Raveling

Renew Your Mind. Transform Your Life.

Subscribe

  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Habits Podcast
You are here: Home / Weight Loss Podcast / How to Stop Entitlement Eating – 9 Steps

How to Stop Entitlement Eating – 9 Steps

August 22, 2020 By: Barb Raveling

This post may contain affiliate links. View our disclosure policy here.

Do you ever think, I should be able to eat what I want when I want? And then become unhappy when eating what-you-want-when-you-want leads to unpleasant consequences such as weight gain, clothes that don’t fit, feeling crummy, and health consequences? In today’s podcast and blog post, we’ll talk about how to stop entitlement eating so you can lose weight and keep it off, but the tips and truths will also help you break any habit.

Entitlement gets in the way of weight loss because it keeps us stuck in the mindset that we should be able to eat what we want when we want. Here are nine steps you can take to stop entitlement eating so you can lose weight and keep it off.

Examples of Entitlement Thinking

Note: I’ll list the truths for these lies at the end of today’s podcast episode. 

  • I just had a hard workout. I deserve a little treat!
  • They’re eating something. I should be able to eat something.
  • It’s a pandemic. I deserve a little treat.
  • This should be easier.
  • This is MY time and I deserve a treat. (Note: This is usually said during times of sacrifice such as when the kids have been fighting all day and they’re finally down for a nap.)
  • It’s too hard to do a weight loss Bible study and renew my mind. I’ll just listen to a podcast.
  • I ate healthy all week. I deserve a few treats on the weekend!
  • Why follow boundaries if I’m not losing weight anyway? I deserve to lose weight if I’m following my boundaries.

9 Steps to Stop Entitlement Eating

  1. Recognize that you have more than one want. When we say, “I should be able to do what I want when I want,” we’re usually thinking of wanting some yummy treat. We forget though that food isn’t the only thing we want. We also want to lose (or maintain) weight. We want to be healthy. It’s important to remember that we also want to be healthy as that will help us actually want to follow our eating boundaries. And from a biblical perspective, we want to eat with control, hold food with open hands, and go to God rather than food for help with life.
  2. Look at the benefits and consequences of each want. In the next section of this blog post, I’ve made two charts listing the benefits and consequences of entitlement eating. One way to stop entitlement eating would be to make a chart like this each day around 3:00 in the afternoon or right before dinner. If you can’t think of things to put on the chart, refer to my charts for ideas.
  3. Look at the wants themselves from a spiritual perspective. God is not a big advocate of the do-what-you-want-when-you-want policy. Instead, He says things like, “Deny yourself and pick up your cross daily and follow me!” He cared enough about self-control that He gave it as a gift of the Spirit. Since we only need self-control in situations where we’re telling ourselves no to things we really want to do (or telling ourselves yes to things we really don’t want to do), we can assume He wants us to say no to things we really want to do at times.
  4. Decide which benefits, consequences, and wants you care more about. Review those charts at the bottom of this post for benefits and consequences but also think about your wants. Would you rather indulge the desire to eat whatever you want or would you rather indulge the desire to be healthy and the desire to live with self-control (remembering that it’s not the evil thing the world tells us it is, but it’s an actual fruit of the Spirit that will make our lives and the the lives of the ones we love better).
  5. Recognize that either way you make a sacrifice. No matter what we choose we have to give up something. The columns in the charts at the bottom of this post show what we sacrifice based on our choice.
  6. Recognize that it’s not a huge sacrifice when you think of the benefits. Some people would say it’s not even a sacrifice. Just think of a bride on her wedding date. She’s giving up dating all those other guys, but does she think it’s a sacrifice when she gets to marry the one she loves? Probably not!
  7. Renew your mind or lecture yourself with truth whenever you feel entitled. Change the way you talk to yourself. Instead of saying things like “This isn’t fair” or “I should be able to eat this,” say things like “It’s worth saying no to this to be healthy,” or “I would far rather be healthy than eat what I want and then feel bloated and miserable and regretful afterwards,” or memorize Bible verses that like “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” and say those out load – both when you’re tempted and even when you’re not to help drill the truths in! I have more Bible verses on my I Deserve a Donut app. You could also say things like, “This is not that hard! I can do this with God’s help!” The more often we say things like, “I can’t do this,” the more we reinforce those lies in our lives.
  8. Work on letting go entitlement in other areas of your life. We live in a culture of entitlement. The more we can let go of entitlement in all areas of our life–work, housework, child raising, entertainment, etc–the more we can let go of it in the area of food. It’s super hard to let go of it, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
  9. Learn to see boundaries as a good thing. This is necessary if we want to stop entitlement eating. In the old days, people actually did see boundaries as a good thing. They didn’t eat between meals. They didn’t have dessert first. They did their work before they relaxed. And they didn’t struggle with weight as much as we do today. Boundaries really ARE a good thing. They make our lives better. We just have to keep telling ourselves that truth until we believe it!

Benefits vs. Consequences of Eating What-You-Want-When-You-Want

Benefits of Eating What You Want When You Want

Consequences of Eating What You Want When You Want (If you’re a person who wants to eat more than is good for you.)

It’s fun for 1-3 minutes. Feel bloated
Lack of energy and/or sleepiness
Depressed the next morning or even that night about how much you ate
Heartburn
Feel hopeless
Weight gain (which leads to many of the following consequences)
Diabetes
Not able to do the things you want to do physically
At greater risk for other diseases (They actually have roadside signs in Scotland that say “Obesity may cause cancer”!)
Not fitting into clothes
High blood pressure

Benefits vs. Consequences of SAYING NO to Eating What-You-Want-When-You-Want

Consequences of Saying No to What-You-Want-When-You-Want

Benefits of Saying No to What-You-Want-When-You-Want

You have to say no to things you’d love to eat. Lose weight.
Maintain weight.
Feel good in clothes.
Enjoy getting dressed in the morning.
Healthier.
Less likely to get certain diseases.
Can do what you want physically.
No more waking up with that feeling of regret and hopelessness – at least over eating choices.
Feel good about eating with self-control.
Self-control will often spill over to other areas of life.
Better chance of going to God rather than food for help with life.
Grow closer to God if food was an idol.

Resources We Talked About:

  • Freedom from Emotional Eating
  • Taste for Truth
  • I Deserve a Donut (and Other Lies That Make You Eat)
  • Truth Journaling

How to Listen to the Podcast:

  • Apple Podcasts: Click here to subscribe or listen on Apple Podcasts
  • Google Play: Click here to subscribe or listen on Google Play
  • Stitcher: Click here to subscribe or listen on Stitcher.
  • 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.”

Would you like to be on the Taste for Truth Podcast?

If you’d like to do a coaching interview or victory interview (to share your weight loss with God’s help story) for the Taste for Truth Podcast, sign up here for an interview slot! I’ll take some of the interviews and put them on the podcast.

Related Posts:

  • 7 Reasons We Gain Our Weight Back - and How to Stay…
  • How to Stop Being Angry – 12 Tips
  • How to Choose Weight Loss Boundaries (and Lies That…
290 shares
  • Share226
  • Tweet

Comments

  1. Tonya says

    August 23, 2020 at 2:05 pm

    Very helpful blog post. Thanks! I was so glad to see a new post this weekend! I’ve been reviewing the old podcasts; down 9 pounds since Covid! :)

    • Barb Raveling says

      August 28, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      Wow, Tonya, that is so great! Most people are going up 9 pounds since Covid! Glad you enjoyed the post! Plus it’s good to hear from you!

  2. Balancing bean says

    October 11, 2020 at 8:36 am

    Agreed! You think it’s what you want when really you feel better and are much happier when you have the self control to say NO to unhealthy things! Love this post and love your blog … from one Christian blogger to another all for the glory of God 🙏

    • Barb Raveling says

      October 13, 2020 at 5:27 am

      Thank you! I just checked out your blog too – looks great! I love the set up, colors, and material!

7 Week Mastermind Class on Transformation Coming 1/28/25! Click on image to learn more.

Search Blog

Listen or Subscribe to Taste for Truth Podcast

Apple Podcasts Android Google Play Spotify Stitcher RSS

Connect with us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Popular Posts

  • Chip Ingram: Choosing Joy When Life is Hard
  • How to Meditate on Scripture
  • Ann Wilson: How to Speak Life to Your Husband
  • Spiritual Attack: 10 Tips for Spiritual Warfare
  • 14 Practical Ways to Get Closer to God
  • Weight Loss Bible Study: Day 1
  • How To Renew Your Mind
  • How to Break Free from Idolatry
  • How to Truth Journal
  • Kyle Idleman: Every Thought Captive

Archives

Categories

  • Anger
  • Bible Studies/Worksheets
  • Boredom
  • Christian Habits Podcast
  • Depression/Discontentment
  • Goals and Productivity
  • Grow Closer to God
  • Habits Blog Posts
  • Insecurity
  • Letting Go of Negative Emotions
  • Marriage
  • Ministry and Blogging
  • Other Emotions
  • Stress
  • Transformation 101
  • Uncategorized
  • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Weight Loss Podcast
  • Worry/Fear
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (www.lockman.org).
Copyright © 2025 • Custom blog design by The Pixelista • Built on the Genesis Framework
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT