Erin

My relationship with food has always been complicated. Most days, I would eat what I wanted, when I wanted, because I “deserved” it after a stressful day. Other days I was consumed with shame about the food choices I’d made the previous day, week, or month and I’d restrict foods, which I thought would be a quick fix for my negative body image. My weight fluctuated through years of having babies, and after a year of Covid stress-eating, I realized my emotions were playing too big of a role in my food choices. I had quit trying because I actually didn’t know how to be healthy. At a loss, I decided to try MANNA, hoping to lose a little weight. Ultimately though, I dreamed and prayed that I’d find freedom from the endless cycle of negative self-image that had plagued too many years of my life.

I learned quickly that the “recipe for success” I hoped MANNA would give me, wasn’t the goal of MANNA. There for sure is a plan, it most certainly works, and I did lose the weight I’d hoped to lose. But what I gained was true freedom from the “all or nothing” mentality of my past. I learned to be consistent with foods as an average rather than striving for perfection. When perfection is your goal, you will fail every time, because no person can achieve perfection. I experienced increased energy and strength to help me be the wife, mother, and friend that God called me to be. Perhaps the greatest gain from my time with MANNA is the peace I’ve found in the body God gave me. He designed me this way! It is not a mistake, and I can fuel my body as a way to honor the Lord.