A Message from Hilary
Hello my name is Hilary and I live in the UK. This is my story.
22nd May 2014 was the date God set my feet on a new pathway that has changed my life. To explain I need to backtrack to my childhood. I knew at quite an early age that I had an issue with food. Normal children knew when they were hungry and when to stop eating; my body did not work like that and at times I ate far more than I needed, helping myself to things from cupboards at home and even taking money from my mother’s purse so I could go to the shop on the way home from school. I knew this was not right and I did not like it, but could not stop it.
When, as a teenager, I became a Christian I knew this did not please God either. What I read in the Bible told me this was not the way He wanted His child to behave. I swallowed my pride on three occasions as a young Christian and asked for help from people I trusted, but each one thought I was worried about my weight when in fact this was a far greater burden than extra pounds. So I shut it away in my life where I thought no one could see it and coped with it as best I could on my own. I was so ashamed!
I prayed about it often, asked God, cried out to Him, even begged Him to take the strong cravings away, but still they continued. I asked for will power to withstand the cravings and at times I could control them, but at other times they controlled me. I tried all sorts of things to try and get free, but nothing worked. I often felt it was like being an alcoholic, but with food as the problem substance. How I envied alcoholics the fact that they could put the stopper on the bottle. There did not seem to be a way for me to do that as I had no option but to eat every day.
In early 2014 I came to a point of despair, having come to the conclusion that I was not going to find an answer this side of the grave. I knew my life was crippled by this emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as well as physically. I was depressed and could not get any relief. In desperation I went searching the internet and found to my surprise that there was indeed such a condition as food addiction; that scientists had shown that for some people certain foods were toxic causing chemical reactions in the brain producing powerful cravings in just the same way as alcohol can do.
Adding “Christian” to “Food addiction” on Goggle brought me to Full of Faith and my life changed. I read every word on the website and knew straight away that God had brought me to the answer I had been seeking for over 50 years. I learned that the substances that caused my cravings were the refined carbohydrates and for someone with this condition one bite of any food containing sugar or flour had the potential to cause major problems.
With hope in my heart I prayed about this and God gave me a picture. It was of a dungeon, there was a figure inside cowering in a corner, but the door was open and light was flooding in where for so many years there had been gloom and darkness. He showed me that I was that figure. To be free all I had to do was get up and walk out.
That sounded simple. However I knew eating without flour and sugar for the rest of my life was an enormous step, but this was a life and death moment for me. So 22nd May 2014 was the day I handed it all over to God. I planned my meals carefully with no flour or sugar and I ate what I had planned and nothing else. I got up and tentatively walked out of the dungeon of food addiction …to a life of freedom.
Today I am still on the pathway. One day at a time, by the grace of God and with His strength, I stick to my daily food plan. One day at a time is all God asks. I haven’t got to worry about tomorrow until it comes. The dungeon is still there with its open door and I know that with just one bite I would be back on the inside. I don’t want to go there. Freedom is wonderful. My life has been changing in every way since May 2014. Physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually God has been healing this crippled life as I have worked through the 12-steps with Pam’s leading.
I am no longer hiding - now I can be real.
I am no longer dependent on food to satisfy my emotional needs - now I am free.
I am no longer in despair - now I have hope.
I am no longer struggling to cope - now I am learning to live.
And I could add many, many more benefits of walking this pathway.
I am so grateful to God for bringing me to where I am today - to him be the glory!
God has been growing a desire in my heart to help others and to share the good news that there is a way to live that brings freedom from food addiction. I particularly have a heart for people in the UK who are suffering, as I was for so long, and have not found the information they need to set their feet on the pathway to freedom.
I am happy and excited to be supporting Pam and the other ministry leaders in this life-changing ministry to the food addicts of the world.
22nd May 2014 was the date God set my feet on a new pathway that has changed my life. To explain I need to backtrack to my childhood. I knew at quite an early age that I had an issue with food. Normal children knew when they were hungry and when to stop eating; my body did not work like that and at times I ate far more than I needed, helping myself to things from cupboards at home and even taking money from my mother’s purse so I could go to the shop on the way home from school. I knew this was not right and I did not like it, but could not stop it.
When, as a teenager, I became a Christian I knew this did not please God either. What I read in the Bible told me this was not the way He wanted His child to behave. I swallowed my pride on three occasions as a young Christian and asked for help from people I trusted, but each one thought I was worried about my weight when in fact this was a far greater burden than extra pounds. So I shut it away in my life where I thought no one could see it and coped with it as best I could on my own. I was so ashamed!
I prayed about it often, asked God, cried out to Him, even begged Him to take the strong cravings away, but still they continued. I asked for will power to withstand the cravings and at times I could control them, but at other times they controlled me. I tried all sorts of things to try and get free, but nothing worked. I often felt it was like being an alcoholic, but with food as the problem substance. How I envied alcoholics the fact that they could put the stopper on the bottle. There did not seem to be a way for me to do that as I had no option but to eat every day.
In early 2014 I came to a point of despair, having come to the conclusion that I was not going to find an answer this side of the grave. I knew my life was crippled by this emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as well as physically. I was depressed and could not get any relief. In desperation I went searching the internet and found to my surprise that there was indeed such a condition as food addiction; that scientists had shown that for some people certain foods were toxic causing chemical reactions in the brain producing powerful cravings in just the same way as alcohol can do.
Adding “Christian” to “Food addiction” on Goggle brought me to Full of Faith and my life changed. I read every word on the website and knew straight away that God had brought me to the answer I had been seeking for over 50 years. I learned that the substances that caused my cravings were the refined carbohydrates and for someone with this condition one bite of any food containing sugar or flour had the potential to cause major problems.
With hope in my heart I prayed about this and God gave me a picture. It was of a dungeon, there was a figure inside cowering in a corner, but the door was open and light was flooding in where for so many years there had been gloom and darkness. He showed me that I was that figure. To be free all I had to do was get up and walk out.
That sounded simple. However I knew eating without flour and sugar for the rest of my life was an enormous step, but this was a life and death moment for me. So 22nd May 2014 was the day I handed it all over to God. I planned my meals carefully with no flour or sugar and I ate what I had planned and nothing else. I got up and tentatively walked out of the dungeon of food addiction …to a life of freedom.
Today I am still on the pathway. One day at a time, by the grace of God and with His strength, I stick to my daily food plan. One day at a time is all God asks. I haven’t got to worry about tomorrow until it comes. The dungeon is still there with its open door and I know that with just one bite I would be back on the inside. I don’t want to go there. Freedom is wonderful. My life has been changing in every way since May 2014. Physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually God has been healing this crippled life as I have worked through the 12-steps with Pam’s leading.
I am no longer hiding - now I can be real.
I am no longer dependent on food to satisfy my emotional needs - now I am free.
I am no longer in despair - now I have hope.
I am no longer struggling to cope - now I am learning to live.
And I could add many, many more benefits of walking this pathway.
I am so grateful to God for bringing me to where I am today - to him be the glory!
God has been growing a desire in my heart to help others and to share the good news that there is a way to live that brings freedom from food addiction. I particularly have a heart for people in the UK who are suffering, as I was for so long, and have not found the information they need to set their feet on the pathway to freedom.
I am happy and excited to be supporting Pam and the other ministry leaders in this life-changing ministry to the food addicts of the world.
