Taking off with our series on accountability, I first would like to talk about practical steps of accountability for those who struggle with destructive eating habits. I have taken the liberty to interview a few of our ladies here who are currently in the program to get their take on accountability, and how that can be practically applied in the area of eating disorders.
The first thing I asked our ladies is: what are some ways you keep yourself accountable when you are away from Vision of Hope that you would like to share with others who are struggling? Here are the responses I received:
- Journaling what you are eating. One of our ladies shared that it has been very helpful for her to write down what she is eating and show it to her counselor (or parent/godly friend) for accountability. This has helped her to make healthy food choices during her trips home.
- Staying consious of your thoughts. When you have a bad thought, pray and ask God to help you take captive that thought and work hard to replace those ungodly thoughts with godly ones.
- Set up boundaries for youself, and alert your friends and family of those boundaries so that they can help you uphold them.
- Own up to the fact that you are sinning, and that it is your responsibility as a follower of Christ to own up to it.
- Family and godly friends are huge. Seek out their support.
There are many books and resources we offer our ladies here, and I have asked some of our ladies to share the ones they have come across that have been most helpful for them in the area of eating disorders. Here’s what they recommend:
- Redeemed from the Pit by Marie Notcheva.
- The booklet Christ and Your Problems by Jay E. Adams. One lady commented that this booklet was extremely helpful, as Adams is very blunt and to the point in challenging his readers to own up to their problems in a biblical way.
- Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick. One lady shared that the DISCIPLINED EATING acronym that Elyse shares in her book was a huge help for her during her visits home where temptation would be great. She shares that this book is encouraging and practical.
If you or a loved one is struggling with destructive eating habits, I would like to encourage you that there is hope! It takes a lot of hard work, but perhaps these quick tips from ladies who have been where you are at will be your first steps to making a lasting change!
