For years, food had way too much power over me. I don’t mean that in the “I love chocolate” kind of way. I mean, food actually dictated my mood, my decisions, my sense of worth. It took up so much mental space that it felt like a constant background noise, always telling me what I could or couldn’t eat, what I had to “make up for,” what I had to avoid. Honestly, it was exhausting. Maybe you can relate?

The thing is that food was never supposed to have that kind of power. It’s meant to be fuel. Enjoyable, yes. A gift, absolutely. But not a master.

When we give food the power to control our thoughts, we turn it into something it was never designed to be. Over time, that power morphs into guilt, shame, stress, and a ton of emotional baggage. But here’s what changed everything for me. I gave food a place, not the throne. That belongs to Jesus alone. Food had become an idol in my life, taking a place it was never meant to hold, and it left me drained and discontent.

I don’t follow food rules anymore, not the kind that come from guilt or diet culture. I follow one guiding mindset: 80–90% of the time, I eat real food. Actual food that fuels me, tastes good, and honors my body. And the other 10–20%? That space is for life, for fun, for freedom.

Once I surrendered the restrictive mindset and came to peace with the idea that any food can have a place, the power food had over me lost its grip. No more binge moments, no more obsessing over what I “shouldn’t” eat, no more moral scorecard tied to my meals—just peace. And trust. That’s precisely what I believe God wants for us.

The Lord didn’t call us to captivity. He called us to freedom, including freedom in our relationship with food. We weren’t meant to live in fear of it, obsess over it, or let it define our day. We were made for something better.

So, if you’re in that place, stuck in the mental tug-of-war with food, I want you to know it doesn’t have to stay that way. There’s a better way. You can give food a place in your life without giving it power over your life. You can eat well and feel well without following a rulebook. You can enjoy food without fearing it. And you can trust your body to lead you in grace, not guilt. It’s possible. I’m living proof. And you can too! We are here for you, and we are praying for you!