Faith and Freedom: How New Life Promise Helps Conquer Food Idolatry

Faith and Freedom: How New Life Promise Helps Conquer Food Idolatry: Today’s post is not like any other here at My Wee Abode. There will be lots of information, transparency, vulnerability, and, by God’s grace, answers for others as I share a bit of my story, sin, and the Lord’s faithfulness.

Faith and Freedom: How New Life Promise Helps Conquer Food Idolatry

Have you ever sat for hours, thinking about the best and most thorough way to communicate something? Maybe even pondered HOW much you need/want to share?

Can you see me raising my hand? (Not in the picture… here, on the other side of your screen.) 😉

Today, I have sat in front of my computer, walked away and did dishes, came back to my computer, made a couple of phone calls, made lunch, sat at my computer, watched a bit of a K-drama, prayed, and finally, I’m back to my computer.

After asking the Lord to give me the words for this post, I feel like I just need to start writing.

Because, this post, in many ways, will be hard for me to share.

So, I need to trust and rest in the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and just tell you what’s on my heart.

This isn’t going to be about storage solutions, tiny home living, or how my cabinet reno is going (or not going).

Today, I’m writing a “letter”… to you. A long letter. (You might even want to read part of it now, and finish it later.) And I’m getting really real!

This is about my sin addiction to food, and how Jesus is giving me faith, freedom, and victory over my food idolatry through what I feel is a godly tool/program called New Life Promise.

Now, don’t click away just yet!

This is NOT a post to get you to join New Life Promise. I have NO affiliation with the company except for taking part in the solutions that the company offers. This is not a MLM (multi-level marketing) company, not is it a direct sales company.

Today, I’m simply sharing my experience(s) with the program and how I believe that God is using this wellness (and subsequent weight loss) plan to help me draw closer to Him, resulting in NSVs (non-scale victories) AND scale-victories. I’ll share more about that later in the post.

But first, let me get a vulnerable here, and share some of my back story.

Conquer Food Idolatry: How Did I Get Here?

I was a poor child brought up in the backwoods of…

JUST KIDDING!

I gotta put some levity in here or I might back out!

Seriously, though… I never really had a problem with food, or so I thought, until around the age of 13, when I started worrying about the extra weight I was putting on.

But my idolatry of food actually started as a little girl. My siblings and I were taught early on that food should taste and feel good. So, when we were happy, we ate. When we were celebrating, we ate. By example, I was taught that when I was tired, I ate. When I accomplished something difficult, I deserved a treat. Saturday mornings were always ‘donut day’, and dessert after dinner was pretty much the norm.

So, I would gain some weight..

…then start liking a boy, and immediately lose weight, simply because my stomach was always nervous and I was unable to even get food down my throat. This continued to happen, on and off, then on and off again, until I met my husband in 1987.

While dating my husband, I KNEW that being thin was important to him. The first date he asked me on was to go to the gym. (I should have ran the other way!) So, during our dating life, until the day we got married, I lost all the weight I needed to, and then some.

And, I accomplished this ‘feat’ of weight loss by not eating, or eating very little. I didn’t do this consciously… I just couldn’t get my throat to swallow food because of my emotions.

Almost immediately after we got married…

I started putting the weight back on. Not because I felt secure in the marriage. It was actually just the opposite. My weight issue was a constant source of trouble and hurt. So, I just continued to turn to food for my satisfaction, comfort, and control, even though, at this point, I was realizing that this was not just about food making me feel good (even for a short time). It was about WHAT I was looking to for life, instead of WHO I should be looking to.

The roller-coaster has gone on for many years. Pregnancy, divorce, menopause. Most major events in my life have contributed to the weight gain, loss, and then gain again.

In 2022, I started the full-time care of my mom…

…who suffered with Alzhiemer’s. She went Home to be with the Lord at the beginning of 2024, and in those two years, I got to the heaviest weight I had ever been. Even heavier than when I was pregnant with my first baby!

Plus… up until recently, I was experiencing all-over joint paint, restless sleep, reflux, high blood-pressure, un-diagnosed heart issues, lack of focus, and several other “minor” issues I won’t go into here. I’m pretty sure I was pre-diabetic, as well.

When I first started caring for Mom, I was hopeful that I would lose weight because I would be cooking good food for her (and myself) and having more activity in my life by aiding her. Well, that didn’t happen.

My Rebellion Against the Lord in Food Idolatry

For many years, I KNEW my sin addiction to food was about me worshiping what was in my mouth and stomach, instead of worshiping the ONE TRUE GOD! I would pray, repent, and ask the Lord for strength, but I would go right back to idolizing food.

What is Sin Addiction or Food Idolatry?

Let me pause here for one moment and explain what I mean, and what many biblical counselors, pastors, and theologians teach, by using the label “sin addiction” or “food idolatry”.

“Sin addiction” is a term often used in Christian circles to describe a persistent and overwhelming struggle with sinful behaviors (or thoughts). Instead of labeling it as just an addiction, that can often be understood as only an illness, the term “sin addiction” is used to describe when an individual repeatedly engages in actions that are against God and His will. Sin addiction involves a cycle of temptation, indulgence, guilt, and a struggle to break free with repentance.

Idolatry of food is when what I eat becomes my God. It is what I worship. It is put in a place above God, where I seek to have it fulfill my desire for comfort, happiness, fulfillment, and “life”. All mankind was made to worship… the One True God. But, so many of us place our worship in the wrong things, people, thoughts, and more.

Back to the Story…

I continued to go back and forth, from one diet program to the next. “Weigh to Win”, low-carb, low-fat, intermittent fasting, and Weight Watchers. Some of them worked for a short time, some a bit longer. Some, not at all.

But the last two years…

I started pleading with the Lord to give me strength, prompt me when I was about to make a wrong decision. And, He was faithful. He did prompt me. But I got to the point where, in my mind, I put my hand up in the face of God and said, “No, I want to eat it anyways.” And He let me.

After mom passed, my rebellion against the Lord in the sin of food addiction got worse. Not because I was mad at the Lord, and even depressed about Mom dying, because I wasn’t. I was just tired, and food was my drug… my “upper”.

Regularly, I would end up at home with a half-gallon of ice cream, and think, “How did I get this?” It was so automatic for me to stop by the grocery store, run in and get a treat, and then drive home… it was almost like I was a zombie. Then, I would proceed to eat almost the whole container. Yep. It ain’t pretty, but it’s true… and hard for me to admit.

My weight started increasing, and ALL of my joints ached. I couldn’t fall asleep, and I started having dizzy spells and just feeling ill all the time.

“I Don’t Want to Change! But, I Do!”

That’s the point I started sharing with the Lord that I had no desire to change. I had no desire to obey. I had no desire to listen.

“But, Lord… I know I NEED the desire. I know I NEED to love you more than food. But, I don’t know how! I’ve learned to disobey you so easily in this area. I know it’s sinful, and selfish, and idolatrous. I need YOU to show me how I can stop! I’m failing, and I can only have victory, and bring glory to You, if YOU do this for me! Show me!”

That has been my prayer for the last several months. I started to listen to Him more, but, I continued to fail… badly. I continued to plead with Him, read the Word, and studied several biblically sound devotionals.

Along with the Bible, one of the books the Lord has used to start me on the path toward loving Him more, and wanting to obey Him more, and understanding my sin addiction is “Addictive Habits: Changing for the Good” by David R. Dunham. The book is a VERY sound, biblical devotional with practical steps to aid in loving God as God, and food (or any sin addiction)… as not a god.

Then, in June of 2024, my sister texted me…

All she did was drop a link to New Life Promise.

And I responded with a simple ‘thumbs up’. Nothing more was said.

Then, the Lord started not just knocking, but pounding on the door of my heart. The Lord’s pounding can still be “gentle” and loving… like CPR. My prayer for enabling me to bring glory to Him through the wellness of my body continued for the next 5 days.

Then… I texted my sister…

And finally from my sister the next day…

I took the plunge! Heck, for $49, you kinda can’t go wrong. PLUS, I felt that this was just the *right* decision for me. (My sister is still working on how/if this will work for her family.)

As soon as I purchased the program, I started praying and asking the Lord for this to be the tool He used for me to glorify Him with my health!

And I totally committed to the program.

What is New Life Promise?

In a nutshell, New Life Promise (NLP) is a faith-based (I like to say “God-centered”) wellness and weight loss plan created by Isabel D. Price. The program focuses on clean eating and aligning nutritional choices with Christian principles, offering meal plans, recipes, and spiritual encouragement.

Now, let’s expound on these aspects a bit!

Glorifying God

One of the first things that caught my eye about NLP (and is most important to me) was that Isabel is very clear on her website, ads, books, and videos, that our lives are all about glorifying God. And this includes our health.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. I Corinthians 6:19-20

Isabel is also clear to communicate that if we are not focused on the Lord, we might have some success, but for many of us, we will fail again, in one way or another. This has been my experience for years!

Food Meets Faith

“Food Meets Faith” is the hardcopy go-to manual for all things NLP (this also comes in a digital version that I started reading before I got my hardcopy).

The manual includes:

• An introduction “letter” from Isabel summarizing and prepping you for the rest of the book.
• A plethora of short, concise, and super educational ‘chapters’ regarding just about every aspect of a healthy diet. Plus, they are extremely interesting and eye-opening!
• 7 Days of Devotionals and Nutrition wisdom to aid you in Week 1 of the first 4-Weeks of ‘detox’ (trust me, the detox is not difficult, and it tastes great! 😉 )
• The Total Trifecta which includes all the recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists for your first four weeks!
• The system teaches you how to continue the program in your life without any additional purchases.

Recipes/Meal Plans/Shopping Lists

This was the second biggest selling point of this plan… even though I didn’t know just how great it was until I purchased it!

One thing I HATE REALLY dislike about ‘weight loss dieting’, is that I have to think about food ALL THE TIME!

“Do I have what I need to eat?” “Do I have enough of what I need to eat?” “What am I eating for breakfast… what about lunch… dinner?” “I’m so bored with what I’m making… I need some easy and great recipes.” “I haven’t eaten for 6 hours… I’m starving.”

It is so contradictory…

…and counter-intuitive to me to have to think about food all the time, when you are trying to see eating as God has intended it. Yummy, but sustaining… not “Life”. All of the questions I was always asking myself (above) set me up for failure and were often the reasons I quit other programs. It was just too hard!

With NLP’s Total Trifecta, I really don’t have to ‘think’ about what I’m going to eat, if I have enough groceries, or what recipes I can come up with!

Grocery List

Each week, NLP provides a DETAILED GROCERY LIST, that not only tells you what you will need for the week’s recipes, but it tells you EXACTLY how much you will need! I.e., 2 Granny Smith apples, 1/2 cup parmesan, 2 cups blueberries (frozen), 1 cup mixed berries, 1 lb ground beef, etc. The list is wonderful and can be printed out from your member’s dashboard, or viewed on your phone as you are shopping!

Meal Plans

Each week, your meal plan is formatted in an easy-to-read ‘table’. Each day is broken into breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. And each meal/snack is balanced with a protein, carb, and healthy fat.

Meals are counted in ‘servings’, not calories or macros. So it makes it super easy to eat the right amount, the right foods, and use your time in other areas of your day.

Also, there is quite a bit of flexibility in NLP meals. Don’t like quinoa? Substitute with rice. Can’t tolerate dairy? There are options for that, too!

Recipes

And y’all… The recipes are DELICIOUS! Seriously! I’ve taken leftovers for lunch to my daughter’s house, and she and the kids have all tasted my meals… and they LOVE them. My daughter is starting a list for the NLP meals she wants me to make after the baby is born! I’m betting the Almond Blueberry Muffins are on the list (Not pictured)!

Added bonus… the recipes are not only yummy, they are super simple (and nothing out of the ordinary to shop for)! It takes anywhere from 15-40 minutes to make dinner, and there is always enough for lunch the next day, so you don’t have to be prepping all day long!

The Total Trifecta really does make eating healthy, delicious food easy!

New Life Promise Facebook Group

The third aspect of NLP that I think is key to successfully changing eating habits and over-all wellness is the Facebook support group.

The New Life Promise FB “family” is super active! At any time you can get on the page and post, ask questions, request prayer, and pray for others. We also love to celebrate scale-victories (when we’ve lost weight), as well as NSVs (non-scale victories). NSVs are when we have resisted temptation by going to the Lord in prayer or reading the Bible, or perhaps noticed that we are not experiencing joint pain, or our clothes are fitting differently. My favorite NSV is when I realize the Lord is drawing me to Himself, and I am loving Him more.

It’s a super helpful group, and each morning I visit and pray with the other women via posts/comments, making it part of my morning devotions.

LiveSmart

After the first four weeks of the program are completed, there is a monthly subscription available called LiveSmart. LiveSmart includes 14 new recipes, 4 weeks of grocery lists and meals plans, a monthly 1-hour live group coaching call with Isabel via video, weekly Monday prayer time with Isabel, and additional information and videos to help educate you in your healthy lifestyle.

The subscription price is the lowest I have ever seen in any weight loss program, at just $12/month when paid annually!

There are so many other aspects of NLP that you can subscribe to, including supplements, exercise programs, and more, but I just don’t have room (or time) to share here.

Faith and Freedom: How New Life Promise Helps Conquer Food Idolatry and What It’s Done for Me!

First and foremost, NLP and Isabel Price have pointed me to the Lord throughout these first 4-weeks… and so have the members of the FB support group! I am no longer putting my hand in the Lord’s face, but I’m listening to the Holy Spirit’s promptings (like taking off the wontons from my salad at Islands), and I’m looking to glorify Him in the body He has given me here on earth.

Now, if you follow along on Tuesday Turn About’s “Abode Adventures”, you know that, as of the end of the 4-Week program, I have lost a total of 12 pounds. 🙂 I am currently 2/3 of the way through my fifth week, and I weigh-in each Monday.

Let me get a bit more vulnerable and transparent. I have at least 50 more pounds to go! Maybe 60. But, my mindset is that, even if I don’t lose each week, if I am doing the things the Lord has called me to do, I will rest in Him and wait on His timing and His plans.

Some additional health improvements I’m experiencing are:

• 90% of my all-over joint pain is gone. The 10% I feel is mostly in my left knee, but I think that will improve with time (and less weight). At least, that is what I’m praying for! 😉
• Sleep comes quickly and is deep.
• I wake from sleep earlier, and don’t feel exhausted.
• I’m saving money by eating at home, instead of eating out most of the time and spending bucks on treats! (I’ll be doing a price comparison at the end of August.)
• My heart rate feels normal.
• Reflux is gone.
• At night, for the last year, I have had to use a quick squirt of nose spray in the middle of the night because one side of my nose would stuff-up. I have not had to do this since starting NLP, except for one time… The night I went out to eat and consumed inflammatory oils.
• I am not a picky eater, but since starting NLP, I am enjoying foods that I once did not care for (I.e., cilantro). I believe my taste buds are changing, for the better.
• Plus several other issues have resolved that I won’t go into here. Might be a bit TMI!

Thanks for Sticking With Me!

If you’ve read this far, you deserve a cake medal! My hope is that this ‘letter’ will help even one person to begin the path to wellness… and glorifying God!

If you want to join NLP, simply visit the New Life Promise website! Again, I receive no compensation from the company for sharing their program. I just love it, and want to share it with all my MWA fam!

If you want more info on the program, have more questions about my history with food idolatry, or want info on how you might start a personal relationship with Jesus and begin to glorify Him as you were created to, feel free to reach out to me via email at [email protected].