December 2009 - Heleen's Blog

2010 – Your Year for Freedom!

December 30, 2010December 28, 2009 by Heleen

The New Year is almost upon us, and I’m here to encourage you that this can be your year to break free from eating disorders and food addiction. I’m definitely not talking about another New Years resolution to lose weight that falls apart after a few days! No this can be your year to surrender this food struggle to God once and for all, but you have to be serious about taking it slow and giving it the whole of 2010… Last year I lost 32 pounds, simply by following the 3 principals below. In fact when I turned briefly during the year to my “old ways” and took back “control” of my life by following a diet, I picked up some of those pounds again. I got panicky… I wanted to lose some weight before a certain “special occasion” and I found myself back in a downward spiral.. Fortunately I know by now what works and what doesn’t, so I got back to basics and peace returned to my life… PLEASE HEAR THIS: When you have nothing to prove, no one to please, nowhere to go, and no specific reason to lose weight YOU ARE IN THE BEST PLACE FOR VICTORY. It’s in this place where we start doing things for the right reasons : A HEALTHY BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT! NOT TO LOSE WEIGHT! So don’t do this because you want to lose a certain amount of weight before that June wedding. Rather commit to doing it God’s way because you want to be healthy for the rest of your life and go to every future wedding and celebration with the peace of God inside your heart, a glowing complexion, shiny hair and yes…the size dress your were supposed to wear… I am committing to another year of doing 3 things …

A Christmas Miracle for You…

December 25, 2009December 23, 2009 by Heleen

A little Christmas miracle came my way! My 3 year old daughter had her first Christmas “performance” but during the dress rehearsal she refused to be an angel or go on stage. I was certain that we had to wait another year. However on Sunday morning when it was show-time, she was up there with the dress, the wings, the smile, and even a few hand motions. Don’t you just love these moments? Tokens of God’s love for sure… I do realize that this little miracle of mine might seem tiny in comparison to the huge miracle you need from God in your life right now. So let’s talk about it for a second: What’s going on in your life? Do you need a miracle of healing in your body? Do you need God to perform a miracle in your marriage or your finances? How about a miracle of deliverance from food, alcohol, pornography or drugs? Maybe you’re stuck in a “prettier addiction” such as shopping, TV, internet or gossip. Let me say this: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT IT IS, OUR GOD IS BIGGER!!! God is calling you, just as you are. You might be dealing with incredible pain, shame, or anxiety at this very moment. You might have just eaten so much food that you are in physical pain. Maybe you just purged and you feel shame hanging like a cloak around your shoulders. Maybe you are past all these feelings and you just feel a great numbness inside of you… Seriously, God is waiting for you! He saw everything you did and He is still waiting and calling… The voices of condemnation, guilt and shame that you hear are not of God but from the enemy who wants to destroy you (John10:10) I would like to remind you today of our …

One day I’ll be a Beautifull Butterfly…

December 25, 2009December 16, 2009 by Heleen

I wonder if I’m the only one who tend to quote the caterpillar in A Bug’s Life? “One day I’ll be a beautiful butterfly and then everything will be better” This attitude is quite human but it’s also a very dangerous way of living. Most people with eating disorders tend to not live in the present. For people who struggle with food everything good will happen in the future when they lose weight. “As soon as we lose weight we will buy better clothes, go to women’s retreats, reach out to friends, and launch our ministries.” Sounds familiar? We really find ourselves in a vicious cycle because unfortunately we also disconnect from our bodies and we don’t live in the present with our eating. So we convince ourselves that we are going to start to exercise and eat healthy after Christmas, after our birthday, after this cold spell, or after this stressful situation. Putting life off like that is in fact putting off living! TODAY IS ALL WE HAVE! Look at your day today and you have a glimpse of your future… so if you want a different future it has to start today! Now for the question that might be on your mind: WHAT IF I CAN’T CHANGE?! This is a valid question. Some of us have become so strangled in our food struggle that we really don’t have the ability to turn today or our future around. However, there is ONE thing you can change today: How you spend your time. If you start making time for God, RIGHT NOW, you will discover the driving force behind change. Permanent change is only possible through the Power of the Holy Spirit. The one thing you can change today is to find a quiet place and pray this simple prayer “Lord I want …

Bring God into the Gym!

December 7, 2009 by Heleen

How are you doing with exercise this time of year? It’s brutal, I know! It’s cold, there’s shopping to be done, and exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. A word of warning though: It might not be such a good idea to abandon your sneakers all together this time of year. Even if you just get moving a few times over the month of December, it’s MUCH BETTER THAN STOPPING! To start all over again is difficult, and I can guarantee you that January will be a much easier month, with less guilt, depression, and anxiety if you just keep moving a little now. Resist those thoughts of “Oh it’s not worth it! I only got to go once this week. What difference does it make? I’ll try again next month.” Most Importantly: Don’t keep God out of it! Invite Him to help you. Most ladies with food struggles have a really hard time to exercise consistently. So be encouraged that you’re NOT alone in this. Lots of other ladies are resisting the temptation to just sit in front of the TV and eat this very minute. God made our bodies to move in order for it to function at peak physical, spiritual and emotional levels. Exercise helps with everything! It curbs cravings, depression and low self esteem to only mention a few. So when you talk to God, don’t forget to mention exercise. Ask Him to help you connect with your body again. Ask Him what you can do to get active. Ask Him how, when, and where. You will be surprised how practical our God is. He knows you. He knows about all your excuses, and more importantly, He knows how to help you bust those excuses so that you can get healthy. You need an exercise for …