February 7, 2026 • 37 mins
You think your struggle with food is about willpower. Or that your body image issues are just about confidence. But what if the real cost isn’t on the scale, but it’s actually in your spirit?
In this powerful episode, Leanne Ellington pulls back the curtain on what food and body obsession is really stealing from you. From missed moments with your kids to constant inner criticism and spiritual disconnection, she exposes how fixation around food and your body hijacks your peace, your presence, and your identity.
But this isn’t just about the pain. It’s about the pathway to healing. Leanne reveals how your brain was designed by God to heal, and introduces the science behind how that healing actually happens—through identity rewiring, spiritual renewal, and working WITH your brain instead of against it.
This episode will help you:
- Understand how food and body obsession hijacks your God-given peace, rewires your brain for fear and shame, and drains your spiritual bandwidth
- Finally put words to the invisible war you’ve been fighting—between your faith and your fixation, your logic and your longings
- See why white-knuckling through cravings or repeating “I love my body” in the mirror won’t work if your nervous system still feels unsafe—and what to do instead to rewire it at the root
Because God doesn’t just want your body free. He wants you free.
HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington
To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com, and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm here to preach. I'm gonna keep it clean and
talk to me and recall where faith needs, files of
nature and get in touch with your creator with a bacon,
love and June.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
She even speaks Hebrew. What's that, Ganza do?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
What's that? As well saboation h talking transformation? What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Gonzat? Hey?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hey, and welcome back to What's God Got to Do
with It? I'm your host, Leanne Ellington, and I'm so
glad that you're here today because we are going to
kick off a special three part series that sits at
the intersection of faith, brain science, and then of course
the deeply personal struggles that so many women face around
food and their bodies and ultimately their self worth. And
(01:08):
for me, those struggles started super early. I was just
eight years old when I attended my first Weight Watchers
meeting with my dad and that was the moment I
started measuring my own worth by my body and the
scale and it became the backdrop of how I viewed
myself for decades. And so here's what we're diving into
in this series. In today's episode, the Spiritual Cost of
(01:30):
Food and Body Fixation, we're exploring how chronic food and
body struggles don't just affect your physical or emotional health,
they can quietly rob you of your spiritual peace and
your presence and your God given identity because these struggles
aren't just about habits or willpower. They're often rooted in
(01:52):
identity and worth and the wiring of your brain. And
while many women try to pray it away or white
knuckle their way through it, the truth is there's something
deeper going on, Like there's something that deserves to be
unpacked through the lens of both faith and compassion so
that healing can happen on a whole new level. And
(02:13):
in episode two of our series, we'll dive into one
of the most talked about topics right now, which is
the medical side of this ozebic stuff like that, But
not in the way that you might expect, right, because
it's not about debating medication. It's about offering you a
fresh and empowering perspective on how God actually designed your
(02:33):
brain to shift right, to shift things like appetite and
cravings and reward, but to do it naturally right, And
there's no judgment if you are using medication, but it's
really powerful when you can understand the mechanisms behind it
and take judgment out of it.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And then in the final episode of our series, we're
tackling something that so many women of faith wrestle with,
but they often do it silently, and that's body image.
Because here's the thing. Struggling with your body isn't a
vanity issue, it is a brain issue. So let's get
into today's episode, the spiritual cost of food and body fixation.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And I'll just say this up front.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
This is a conversation that often goes unspoken in faith circles,
not because it's not real, but because it's so deeply
woven into our identity and our beliefs about what's good
or godly and how we view our worth as women.
And so I've worked with thousands of women over the
past fifteen years, and whether they're you know, chronic dieters,
(03:40):
or emotional eaters, or just silently obsessed with food and
their weight behind the scenes, there's definitely a common thread,
and it's that they feel exhausted, right, and not just
physically or emotionally, but spiritually depleted as well. And so
they're going through the motions of trying to you know,
eat clean or air quotes, honor God with their body,
(04:03):
but inside they feel ashamed and disconnected and like they're
failing at something that they think they should.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Have mastered by now. And to be honest, that was
me too. You know. I had the food journals, and
I had the weigh ins, and I had.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
The shame, like so much shame, because for years I
lived a double life.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
On the outside, I was the picture of discipline, you know,
tracking every calorie, obsessing over every bite.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
But by evening I.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Was binging my feelings and trying to out exercise what
I ate to just find some sense of control, and
just non stop staring at my reflection with disgust. And
I was judging myself and shaming myself and pretending to
be happy, all while silently falling apart. Inside I had
mastered the art of shrinking my body, but my soul
(04:51):
felt about as hollow as it could feel. But here's
what I've come to realize, and what I now teach,
is that food and body fixation isn't just about discipline,
and it's not just about health, and it's definitely not
just about vanity. It's an identity battle, and it's a
spiritual battle, and it's a brain based battle too, because
here's the truth. When your brain is constantly consumed with
(05:14):
food thoughts and body obsession or guilt and shame from
your eating choices, it's not just taking up mental space,
it's stealing your spiritual bandwidth. And it's hard to hear
from God when your brain is screaming about carbs.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
And it's hard to.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Feel worthy and loved when your inner dialogue is calling
you lazy or broken.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Or out of control.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
And it's hard to feel present in prayer or worship
when your thoughts are bouncing between what you ate and
what you weigh or what you should do to you know,
make up for it tomorrow. But the other side of it,
you know, it's hard to stay connected to God when
you're disconnected from yourself. And it's hard to feel loved
and chosen, even if that's what the bumper stickers are saying,
(05:57):
when your inner dialogue is constantly criticized and condemning you
and saying the opposite. And it is really hard to
feel spiritually free when your mind is shackled to the
next diet and the next way in or the next binge.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And I know what it's like to have those thoughts
hijack your mind.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Like I used to tell people, I feel like food
is my drug, it's my best friend, it's my secret
escape when no one is watching. But it wasn't just obsession.
It was bondage, and I tried everything to escape it.
I lost nearly one hundred pounds. I ran a booming
fitness business, and I posed on TV hundreds of times
as an air quotes fitness expert, where I was supposed
(06:37):
to be you know, the after photo, so to speak.
But inside I still felt like the before photo just
trapped in a body that was smaller by society standards.
And this is the part that often doesn't get talked
about enough, especially in the faith world, because we've often
you know, spiritualized discipline and self control in such a
way that women feel ashamed of their struggle. Like if
(07:01):
they could just you know, pray harder, or be more
obedient or quote more scripture, they'd stop over eating or
stop binging, or stop obsessing over their bodies.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
But food and body.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Fixation isn't just a self control issue, and it's not
just a will power issue.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
And it's not even just a spiritual issue.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It's a brain issue, and it's an identity issue, and
if it's left unhealed, it becomes a spiritual issue too.
And so you might be thinking, you know, but Leanne,
I've already tried inviting God into this, and nine times
out of ten, when I ask a woman what that
actually means, it typically sounds like, you know, I asked
God to give me more willpower, or I asked him
(07:42):
to help me be more disciplined, or I asked him
to give me self control so that I can stick
to the plan and the diet. But here's the thing
that's not inviting God into your healing. That's asking him
to help you keep dieting and obsessing and restricting, just
with more spiritual endurance. And while that might feel godly,
it's actually the opposite of what I'm saying here. Like,
(08:04):
what I'm saying is this, you know, what if it
was about inviting God into the part of your life
where you feel unworthy and where you feel out of control,
and where you've been white knuckling your way through and
where you've been trying to fix your behavior but not
heal the beliefs that are driving it. And that's something
that most women have never done. You know, They've never
invited God into the healing of their relationship with food
(08:27):
and their body. They've only invited him into the control
of it. But real healing starts when you bring God
into the why behind the what and trust him to
help you transform it from the inside out.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
And so now I want.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
To get a bit geeky, because if you're wondering why
this struggle keeps coming back, and you know why even
faith and prayer and discipline or maybe even therapy hasn't
fully set you free, there's something deeper going on, and
so I want to explain. So there's a part of
the brain I teach about in nearly all of my
programs and talks, and it's called the anterior cingulate cortex
(09:02):
or the ACC and I lovingly call it your social brain.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And I call it.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
That because it governs things like social comparison and emotional
attachment to outcomes and people pleasing. It's attached to people pleasing,
which is super common, right, And it's the part that
determines self monitoring, and more or less, it's just always
scanning for you know, am I okay?
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Do I belong? Am I safe? Am I loved? Do
they actually like me? Right? Like that part of your
brain is like, uh, am I cool? Do I fit in? Right?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And so, in other words, this little section of your
brain is constantly in some sort of comparison ititis, where
you're measuring yourself against your surroundings, including you know, people
and culture and social media. You know, you're comparing yourself
to your past self or even what you think God
expects of you. And so now just imagine that this
(09:54):
part of your brain has been marinating in years, maybe
even decades, of body shame and food rules and diet
culture and comparison and spiritual guilt.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And so that.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Acc in your brain, it wires in what I call
your self image map, and this map becomes the lens
with which you view everything, including yourself and God. And
so instead of approaching your health from a place of grace,
it becomes a punishment. And instead of turning to God
with your struggle, you hide.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
It in shame.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
And instead of walking in freedom, you obsess over what
you ate or how good or bad you think you've been.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
And I'm putting good and bad in.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Air quotes right, And this is what I mean by
the spiritual cost. And so for me, that cost came
to a head after major spinal surgery in my twenties,
Like I had literally worked my body into the ground, all.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
In the name of being you know, lean enough to
be worthy.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
And that's when God began to break me open, you know,
not to punish me, but to invite me into healing.
I really believe that's when He was really, you know,
doing the work to invite me into healing. And so
I didn't meet Jesus in the middle of my food
(11:13):
and body battle. I had already begun to heal by
the time I found faith. In fact, I was already
teaching the very process that I now call stressless eating.
But that worthiness stuff that I spoke about that didn't
just automatically go away, right Like, even after I started
following Jesus, I still felt like I was living a
double life in a way, Like I was reading scripture
and journaling and praying, but I was also still wrestling
(11:36):
with some residual self image stuff and some of the
deep down lies from the enemy that said I wasn't
enough and was saying way worse stuff than that but
was making me believe that I wasn't truly lovable, or
that only parts of me were lovable, and that I
had to hide the rest in order to be lovable,
or that I had to earn my ability to rest,
or that I had to earn.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Joy and earn love.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
And so in those moments, I thought I just needed
more discipline, right, Like I was like, Okay, if I
can just control.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
This, do that whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
But what I really needed was healing, not just healing
from my habits, but healing from the beliefs.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
That were running my brain underneath it all.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Because when you repeat a thought or a behavior often enough,
it wires itself into your brain. And I'm not talking metaphorically,
I mean literally, like that's neuroplasticity.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
And the enemy loves to hijack that.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
It loves to hijack your thoughts, right, And so you know,
the enemy whispers you'll always struggle with this, or you
know you're too far gone, or you know God's probably
disappointed in you, or you know you're not as godly
as she is, or you'll never get free, like this
is your life, you know, And when your brain agrees
with those thoughts, it builds a whole network around them.
(12:52):
And that's exactly what happened in my own story. You know,
I had wired in so many false beliefs that I
was only love in a smaller body, or that I
had to earn my worth, or that if I ever
stopped tracking or controlling, everything would just fall apart.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
And I didn't just carry those beliefs in the world.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I brought them with me into my walk with God
and into how I saw Him and how I believed
He saw me. And so now you know your thoughts
are shaping your feelings and your habits, and your beliefs,
and your identity and even yes.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Your spiritual posture.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
And so let's pause here for a second and just
look at Romans twelve two, where it says, do not
conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. And this is a
very famous scripture, obviously, and that verse became the cornerstone
of my personal transformation because it woke me up and
made me realize I had conformed to the pattern of
(13:49):
this world and diet culture and control and punishment, and
I had just slapped a godly label on it. But
renewing my mind meant learning to think different, diferent and
to believe differently, so that I could finally live differently.
And this isn't just a poetic line of scripture. It's
a biological blueprint for change. And so the word renewing
(14:14):
in Greek implies an ongoing process, something that you're doing continually,
not a one time prayer, not a single decision. It's
the daily, intentional act of rewiring your brain to align
with truth, not shame, not culture, not fear, but truth
(14:34):
with a capital T. And for women who have been
stuck in food or body fixation for years, this is
the missing link. Because here's the thing, and I mean
this with so much love. But you can read every
scripture about being fearfully and wonderfully made, and you can
attend every women's conference, and you can raise your hands
(14:54):
in worship. But if your brain is wired to believe
that you're broken or un worthy or a failure, that
belief will win every single time. And this isn't because
you're not spiritual enough. It's because your brain needs new wiring.
And so when you've rehearse food rules or body checking
(15:15):
and internal insults for years, those patterns become neural super highways,
and those highways get lined with spiritual potholes, you know,
potholes like God must be tired of hearing me pray
about this, or you know, I don't deserve grace because
I keep messing up, even though I think everyone else
deserves grace, but I don't deserve grace, or you know,
(15:36):
I'll feel closer to God when I finally lose the
weight stuff like that, right, Like, that's not freedom, that's
a performance based faith that leaves you depleted. And these
are the kinds of things that hit me personally, Like
I used to feel so much shame that I was
still struggling with things that I was telling myself that
I should be passed by now, like leanne, you should
be past this by now, you should know better, right,
(15:58):
And so I pray, like God, I know I should
be past this by now, like I was some kind
of spiritual failure. But what I've learned is that God
isn't disappointed in my humanity.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
He just doesn't want me to stay in slaved to it.
And so what do we do?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Well, First we name it for what it is, right
like food and body fixation and obsessing over your weight,
is a form of bondage. We have to just say that,
and there's no shame, but we do have to call
it what it is, like a form of bondage.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
And I learned this the hard way.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I used to think I needed more willpower, but what
I really needed was freedom. And that freedom was never
going to come from trying harder. It was only going
to come from renewing my mind and rewiring my brain
and letting God rewrite the story that I've been telling
myself since I was eight years old. And that bondage
it's not just annoying because it is right, but it's
(16:50):
not just about eating clean like it's a distraction from
what really matters, because it pulls your attention and your
energy and your emotional bandwidth way from the things that
God actually cares about. It's like spiritual noise, and we
can't fully tune in to God's voice when the loudest
voice in our head is shame. And so first we
(17:12):
have to call it out for what it is, and
then we start rewiring. And so this isn't an overnight
light switch. It's a process, but it's absolutely possible. And
here's the good news. You know, God designed your brain
to change. Your brain is plastic. Your patterns can be renewed,
and your identity can be rerooted in who God says
(17:33):
that you are. But before I walk you through what
that actually looks like, I want to just say that
you know, what I'm about to share isn't a one
size fits all formula, and I'm not here to tell
you to just blindly take my word for it. Right,
I'm inviting you into a process, but it's really a
process of trying things on and seeing what resonates in
your spirit and just leaving the rest.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Take what resonates, ditch the rest.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Okay, So take what speaks to you, set down anything
that doesn't, and let God lead the way. Okay, so
let's take a look at what this might look like
in real life. So Step one is awareness, And this
was the very first step I took in my own
healing journey, and it started with asking, you know, what
if I'm not broken, Like what if I've just been
brainwashed by a culture that benefits from my insecurities? And
(18:19):
that question really cracked the door open to a new
way of thinking, because it's about starting to notice the lies, right,
That's what it is, just starting to notice the lies
not just about food or your body, but about your
worth and your belonging and your enoughness right, And so
that anterior simulate cortex, the ACC it acts like a
(18:40):
self monitoring radar, right. Like I said, I call it
your social brain, and you'll hear me talk about it
a lot in future episodes too, And it's constantly scanning
the world around you and asking questions like am I okay?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Do I belong? Am I measuring up? Am I?
Speaker 2 (18:54):
You know?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Love, liked, wanted, desired, all of those things that we
want to be right. So we're not giving ourselves grief
for wanting to be liked, loved, wanted, desired. We just
want to make sure that we know what it is
and what it isn't right. And so the problem is
most of us are walking around with this radar stuck
in comparison mode, and it's been programmed by diet culture
and childhood messaging and you know, church hurt if that
(19:18):
was a thing for you, and comparison itis on social media,
or maybe just years of your own self criticism, and
that radar doesn't just notice, it actually keeps score right.
And so if you've been telling yourself I'll never get
this under control, or I'm.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Disgusting or I'm such a failure.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Those thoughts didn't just float by, They wired themselves in, okay,
And so awareness is about noticing that inner soundtrack, not
judging it, not shaming it, but just bringing it into
the light so it doesn't keep running your life in
the background. Right now, in simple science, you know, your
brain is kind of like a Google search bar, and
(19:57):
so whatever you type in, whether it's I'm a failure
or or I'm fat or I'm out of control, and
no judgment, I've typed them all in my metaphorical Google
search bar, right, but your brain, whatever you type in,
your brain is just going to auto fill more of it, right,
And so awareness is simply choosing to pause before you
hit search. Okay, Now, Scripture tells us in John eight
(20:19):
thirty two that you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free. But before you can be
set free, you've got to know what's true and what's not.
And that just starts with noticing the lies that you've
been living under. Step two is about dialogue. And so
when I first started dating Jesus, as I jokingly called it,
(20:40):
and I explained that whole situation in my previous spiritual
brain surgery episodes. I wasn't looking for a checklist or
a fix. I was looking for connection. And I wanted
to learn how to receive love and not earn it
or just think I was never going to have it.
And for the first time, I let God into the
part of me I had always hidden and the parts
(21:00):
of me that still felt unworthy even when I was
doing everything air quotes right, And So talk to God
about your brain, not just your behavior, like, invite him.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Into your patterns.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
And you know, a lot of us were taught to
confess our sins or ask forgiveness for things like overeating or.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Falling off the wagon.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
But what if the issue isn't just what you did,
but why your brain is wired that way to begin with? Right,
Because God doesn't just want your discipline, He wants your dialogue.
And it can be as simple as starting to ask
him like, Hey, where did I learn to think this
way about myself? Or you know, what are the lies
I'm believing that tell me I'm not worthy unless I'm shrinking,
(21:41):
or you know, if my worth.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Isn't tied to my weight, how do you see me? God?
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Like just asking God how he sees you and talking
to him like a loving father who actually wants to
help you heal, not the God that you think might
be punishing you for struggling right because he does.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
He just wants to help you heal. And science backs
this up too.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
The act of talking through your thoughts, especially with someone safe,
activates the prefrontal cortex, you know, the part of your
brain responsible for truth and rational thinking and hope, and
that includes prayer.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Prayer literally helps your brain reorganize chaos. And so Scripture
tells us this too in Psalm sixty two eight, where
it says pour out your heart before him.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
God is a refuge for us.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
And the God that I know in love isn't asking
for polished prayers.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
He wants your mess.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
He's safe to talk to, especially about the parts of
you that you've been hiding, even from yourself. And so
neuroplasticity responds to repetition, and so this means that new
truths need to be rehearsed and practiced, not just read like,
not just memorized, but repeated in a way that your
brain can anchor into.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
And here's the deal. Your brain doesn't change just because
you want it to.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
It changes because you repeat something enough that it becomes
your new default. But here's the part that most people miss. Okay,
repetition alone isn't enough. It really matters what you're repeating.
And that's why inside my stressless eating program, I teach
about neuroplasticity through a simple framework that I call AIR,
which stands for attention, intention and repetition AIR. Because yes,
(23:31):
repetition does rewire your brain, but you want to make
sure that you're repeating something that actually feels true and resonates,
and that you actually want to get good at, and
that you can get good at. Like, it's not about
blindly chanting affirmations. It's about aligning your attention you know
where your energy flows, and setting your intention, like what
(23:52):
you're aiming to believe, and reinforcing it through meaningful repetition.
And so if you've spent years repeating you know I
can't beat rusted with food, or I hate my body,
or you know I'll never get it together, then those grooves.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Are deep, and now it's time to blaze a new path.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
But not through toxic positivity, right, but through consistent, truthful
repetition and.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
The keyword here is truthful.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
And when you find what resonates or at least you
know feels true even if you're not fully living or
integrating it yet, that's when you're able to get in
that repetition and you can say it out loud, and
you can write it in your journal.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Heck, you can even create a truth playlist that you
listen to.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Daily to remind you when you forget right and like,
speak it even when you don't believe it yet, because again,
if it does feel true, even though if you're like, hey,
this feels true, but I'm not really owning this yet,
but it still feels true, you probably just need more air,
more attention, intension and repetition. Right again, but it just
has to feel true. That's how the rewiring begins. Right Like,
(24:54):
think of your brain like a hiking trail, and the
more that you walk the same.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Path, the more worn it becomes.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
And so to blaze a new trail, you've got to
walk the new way repeatedly until it becomes the easier
automated path.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
And so Scripture tells us in Romans ten seventeen. Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
We don't build new belief with a single hearing, right.
It takes repetition again and again until it becomes a
part of us. Okay, Now, Step four is about regulation.
And so when your nervous system is disregulated, right, like
(25:30):
when you're stressed or anxious or in survival mode, it
is nearly impossible to access new thoughts or beliefs.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
And so let me just put this really simply. You
can't renew your mind when your body.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Thinks it's in danger.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Right. We've talked a lot about renewing your mind, but
if your nervous system is chronically and constantly nervous, you
can't renew your mind. And if your heart is racing
and your breath is shallow and your brain is screaming
like I'm not safe, you won't be able to access
all those beautiful truths and new patterns because your brain
will default to all familiar habits that helped you survive
(26:06):
in the past, the things that you're trying to get
away from, like binging and obsessing or controlling.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
And but here's the part that doesn't get said enough.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Right, most women don't even realize that they are disregulated, right,
because you know, you yourself. You might not identify as
an anxious person like you might think, you know, I'm
just a little stressed, or you know, this is just
how I've always been. But if your mind is constantly
spinning about what you ate or what you weigh, or
how to.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
You know, get it together? Right, If your day.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Feels hijacked by shame or food obsession, and your thoughts
feel fast and loud and relentless, that is dysregulation, right,
And so it might just feel normal to you now
because chronic food and body fixation, like it's the ultimate
nervous system disruptor, right. It keeps your brain and body
in a loop of scanning and comparing and racing and coping.
(26:58):
And it might feel normal if that's been that way
for a long time.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
And so before you try to go, you know, air
quotes fix your thoughts. You've got to help your body,
a nervous system, feel safe. In full transparency, I was
never a great meditator, okay, Like trying to still my
thoughts used to make me feel more anxious, not less. Right,
So inside my stressless eating program, I teach a process
that works with your nervous system and through your sensory
(27:25):
system so that it's fool proof, is grounded, and truly
anyone can do it. But the point is like, no
matter how you get it, just get it. That regulation.
So whether it's a four count breast cycle or just
literally putting your hand on your heart to slow your
heartbeat down, or you know, naming five things that you
can see, or some sort of you know, just gentle movement,
(27:45):
or sitting in silence with God.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Anything.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Again, no matter how you get it, just get it.
And the science behind this is undebatable, Like when you're stressed,
your brain floods with cortisol and adrenaline, and that shuts
down access to your logic and your faith and your
capacity for a new thought. And so kind of think
of it like a power out age. You know, you've
got to reset the breakers before anything else can turn
on right, And Scripture tells us this too. In Psalm
(28:10):
forty six ten, it says, be still and know that
I am God right. But you know, stillness isn't passive.
It's really powerful. We think it's passive, but it's super powerful.
And it's in the stillness that your nervous system calms down.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
And your spirit can actually hear.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Truth again, okay, And that brings us perfectly into step
number five, which is integration.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Right, And this is what I live for now.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
I call it my big fat Experiment because I'm always
still testing and growing and rewiring. And I've traded food
obsession for food freedom, you know. And I've gone from
you know, an air quotes fitness expert to now I'm
a self image scientists. But now you know, I help
other women do the same thing too, by integrating science
and faith and a system that gets to the root
of the matter, not just healing our habits, but our hearts.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
And so this is where we connect the dots between
science and sanctification, and where faith and neuroscience don't compete,
they actually complete each other. And this is what I
believe is the sweet spot. It's not either or it's
not like, you know, Jesus or therapy.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
It's Jesus and right, Jesus and therapy, Jesus and the
science of the brain that he designed. Right.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
And integration means that you don't just learn the tools,
you live them. You don't, you know, just study God's word.
You learn how to embody it, and you don't just
hear truth on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
You wire it in Monday through Saturday. Right.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
And the science even tells us that your brain doesn't
care where the new pattern comes from. It just needs
consistent input. And when that input is truth based and
trauma informed and spiritually aligned, that's when real change becomes sustainable.
And so Scripture tells us in Luke ten twenty seven,
(29:52):
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your strength, and
with all your mind.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
And God doesn't ask you to.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Check your brain at the door, right, He invites you
to love him with your mind too, And that means
renewing it because God designed your brain and he gave
you access to the tools to renew it. And so
as we wrap up today, I want to speak directly
to the woman who's feeling weary, because I was her
and I am her some days, you know, still human,
still unlearning, but now I live from a place of peace,
(30:23):
not punishment. And when stress hits or chaos creeps into
my mind, I don't just try to figure it out
on my own. The very first thing I do is
run to God, right, and then I start to use
my tools.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
But you know, here's the difference.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Now I get to meet him in a whole new
kind of conversation, you know, one rooted in grace not guilt,
and curiosity not condemnation. And that's what I want for you,
because maybe you've tried everything, and maybe you're tired of
striving right, and maybe you're still believing the lie that
freedom is for other women but not for you, and
(30:58):
my friend, that is not the truth. And so today
I just want to invite you into this new way
of thinking, right, like where you can be kind to
yourself and where healing includes your body and your brain
and your spirit too, right in a way where peace
becomes your starting point, not your reward that you think
you have to go earn right, because maybe you need
(31:19):
to hear it again that you are so loved and
you are chosen. And I'm just inviting you into a
process of healing that includes your brain and your body
and your spirit. And this is not about perfect eating
or flawless body image, because that's not a thing, right.
This is about reclaiming your spiritual bandwidth, because when you
(31:40):
silence the food noise and body shame, you create space
for peace, and you hear God more clearly and then
that allows you to show up with more joy and
then walk in the truth of who you really are,
not just a woman on a health or wellness journey,
but a daughter of God renewing her mind and reclaiming
her life. And trust me, if a bacon loven, body shaming,
(32:03):
once hopeless weight watcher like me can find peace and
healing and a redeemed identity in Christ, then you can too.
So that's where I'll leave things for today, but I
promise I'll be back next time for episode two of
this series, where we're diving into what I call the
natural ozebic effect. So we'll explore how God actually designed
(32:25):
your brain to shift cravings and appetite and.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Reward without needing medication.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
And not that there's any shame in using medication like
this is not about judgment. I simply want to show
you what's possible when you start working with your brain
instead of against it, and so that you can experience real,
lasting piece with food and your body. And hey, if
this conversation resonated with you and you want to learn
more about the work that I do, or you're just
(32:51):
ready to go deeper into healing your relationship with food,
and your body and yourself.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
I've got a few ways to help.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
So first, if you're ready to turn off that part
of your brain that's constantly obsessing about food or your
weight or your next plan and actually rewire your brain
for peace and freedom, head on over to Stressless Eating
dot com. That's where you can access the Stressless Eating
Sneak preview. It's just a free on demand workshop where
I walk you through the exact brain based strategy. I
(33:20):
teach my clients to heal from their all or nothing
food and body.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Battle for good. And there's no diets.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
It's not about tracking macros or starting over on Monday,
and definitely not about punishing workouts or toxic shame right,
there's none of that. It's just neuroscience, compassion, and a
proven method that works with your brain to set you free.
And if you love podcasts, I've got two shows I'd
love to invite you to check out. And so the
first is called Outweigh and it's a show that I
(33:48):
co host with radio personality Amy Brown, where we help
women break out of the food and body prison and
finally take control of their health and happiness without restriction, obsession,
or dragging it out for you and therapy and so
you can listen to Outweigh wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
And the other is what's God got to do with it?
Speaker 3 (34:07):
And so this one's my solo show where we talk
about all things you know, body image, self worth, and
food struggles. But from the perspective of where brain, science
and faith collide, it's vulnerable, it's real, and it's made
for women.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
And some men that have these struggles too, who want
both transformation and truth.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
And as our friend doctor Lee Warren always says, you
can't change your life until you change your mind.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
And the good news is you can start today.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
So that's it for today's episode of Spiritual Brain Surgery.
I'm your guest takeover host Leanne Ellington.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
It has truly been a gift to spend time with you.
And you know this isn't goodbye.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
It's just see you soon because I'll be back next
time with episode two. So until then, take care of
your brain, guard your thoughts, and remember you are not broken.
You are beautifully wired and you can rewire any time
you choose, and you are not stuck the way things
are because God designed your brilliant brain to grow and
heal and change right alongside you.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Bye for now.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
So that's where I'll leave things for today, but I
promise I'll be back next time for episode two of
this series, where we're diving into the neuroscience of.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Silencing the food noise and.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
How to invite God into that process to rewire your
food seeking circuit.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
We're going to get a little geeky, right.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
But we're going to explore how God actually designed your
brain to shift cravings and appetite and how we you know,
air quotes, comfort or reward ourselves, but without needing medication.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
And again not that there's any shame in using medication.
This isn't about judgment.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I simply want to show you what's possible when you
start working with your brain instead of against it, whether
you're on meds or not, so that you can experience real,
lasting peace.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
With food and with your body.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
And if this conversation resonated with you and you're ready
to turn off the part of your brain that's constantly
obsessing about food and your weight and your body and
your next plan and actually rewire your self image, your identity,
your brain for peace and freedom, then head on over
to Stresslessheeding dot com and that's where you can access
the Stressless.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Eating sneak preview. It's a free on demand workshop where.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
I walk you through the exact brain science strategy that
I teach my clients to heal from the all or
nothing food and body battle for good like.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
No diets are tracking or starting over on Monday. And
this isn't about.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
Punishing yourself with workouts or toxic shame right, just neuroscience, compassion,
and a proven method that works with your brain to
set you free. So head on over to Stresslessheeding dot
com to watch the free workshop. And that is it
for today's episode of What's God Got to Do With It?
Speaker 1 (36:50):
But of course this isn't goodbye. It's talk to you
next week because I'll be back next time with episode
two of this series.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
So until then, take care of your brain, guard your thoughts,
and remember you're not broken. You are wired, and you
can rewire any time you choose, and you are not
stuck the way things are because God designed your brilliant
brain to grow and heal and change right alongside you.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
So bye for now
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm here to preach. I'm gonna keep it clean and
talk to me and recall where faith needs, files of
nature and get in touch with your creator with a bacon,
love and June.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
She even speaks Hebrew. What's that, Ganza do?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
What's that? As well saboation h talking transformation? What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Gonzat? Hey?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hey, and welcome back to What's God Got to Do
with It? I'm your host, Leanne Ellington, and I'm so
glad that you're here today because we are going to
kick off a special three part series that sits at
the intersection of faith, brain science, and then of course
the deeply personal struggles that so many women face around
food and their bodies and ultimately their self worth. And
(01:08):
for me, those struggles started super early. I was just
eight years old when I attended my first Weight Watchers
meeting with my dad and that was the moment I
started measuring my own worth by my body and the
scale and it became the backdrop of how I viewed
myself for decades. And so here's what we're diving into
in this series. In today's episode, the Spiritual Cost of
(01:30):
Food and Body Fixation, we're exploring how chronic food and
body struggles don't just affect your physical or emotional health,
they can quietly rob you of your spiritual peace and
your presence and your God given identity because these struggles
aren't just about habits or willpower. They're often rooted in
(01:52):
identity and worth and the wiring of your brain. And
while many women try to pray it away or white
knuckle their way through it, the truth is there's something
deeper going on, Like there's something that deserves to be
unpacked through the lens of both faith and compassion so
that healing can happen on a whole new level. And
(02:13):
in episode two of our series, we'll dive into one
of the most talked about topics right now, which is
the medical side of this ozebic stuff like that, But
not in the way that you might expect, right, because
it's not about debating medication. It's about offering you a
fresh and empowering perspective on how God actually designed your
(02:33):
brain to shift right, to shift things like appetite and
cravings and reward, but to do it naturally right, And
there's no judgment if you are using medication, but it's
really powerful when you can understand the mechanisms behind it
and take judgment out of it.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And then in the final episode of our series, we're
tackling something that so many women of faith wrestle with,
but they often do it silently, and that's body image.
Because here's the thing. Struggling with your body isn't a
vanity issue, it is a brain issue. So let's get
into today's episode, the spiritual cost of food and body fixation.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And I'll just say this up front.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
This is a conversation that often goes unspoken in faith circles,
not because it's not real, but because it's so deeply
woven into our identity and our beliefs about what's good
or godly and how we view our worth as women.
And so I've worked with thousands of women over the
past fifteen years, and whether they're you know, chronic dieters,
(03:40):
or emotional eaters, or just silently obsessed with food and
their weight behind the scenes, there's definitely a common thread,
and it's that they feel exhausted, right, and not just
physically or emotionally, but spiritually depleted as well. And so
they're going through the motions of trying to you know,
eat clean or air quotes, honor God with their body,
(04:03):
but inside they feel ashamed and disconnected and like they're
failing at something that they think they should.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Have mastered by now. And to be honest, that was
me too. You know. I had the food journals, and
I had the weigh ins, and I had.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
The shame, like so much shame, because for years I
lived a double life.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
On the outside, I was the picture of discipline, you know,
tracking every calorie, obsessing over every bite.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
But by evening I.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Was binging my feelings and trying to out exercise what
I ate to just find some sense of control, and
just non stop staring at my reflection with disgust. And
I was judging myself and shaming myself and pretending to
be happy, all while silently falling apart. Inside I had
mastered the art of shrinking my body, but my soul
(04:51):
felt about as hollow as it could feel. But here's
what I've come to realize, and what I now teach,
is that food and body fixation isn't just about discipline,
and it's not just about health, and it's definitely not
just about vanity. It's an identity battle, and it's a
spiritual battle, and it's a brain based battle too, because
here's the truth. When your brain is constantly consumed with
(05:14):
food thoughts and body obsession or guilt and shame from
your eating choices, it's not just taking up mental space,
it's stealing your spiritual bandwidth. And it's hard to hear
from God when your brain is screaming about carbs.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
And it's hard to.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Feel worthy and loved when your inner dialogue is calling
you lazy or broken.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Or out of control.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
And it's hard to feel present in prayer or worship
when your thoughts are bouncing between what you ate and
what you weigh or what you should do to you know,
make up for it tomorrow. But the other side of it,
you know, it's hard to stay connected to God when
you're disconnected from yourself. And it's hard to feel loved
and chosen, even if that's what the bumper stickers are saying,
(05:57):
when your inner dialogue is constantly criticized and condemning you
and saying the opposite. And it is really hard to
feel spiritually free when your mind is shackled to the
next diet and the next way in or the next binge.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And I know what it's like to have those thoughts
hijack your mind.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Like I used to tell people, I feel like food
is my drug, it's my best friend, it's my secret
escape when no one is watching. But it wasn't just obsession.
It was bondage, and I tried everything to escape it.
I lost nearly one hundred pounds. I ran a booming
fitness business, and I posed on TV hundreds of times
as an air quotes fitness expert, where I was supposed
(06:37):
to be you know, the after photo, so to speak.
But inside I still felt like the before photo just
trapped in a body that was smaller by society standards.
And this is the part that often doesn't get talked
about enough, especially in the faith world, because we've often
you know, spiritualized discipline and self control in such a
way that women feel ashamed of their struggle. Like if
(07:01):
they could just you know, pray harder, or be more
obedient or quote more scripture, they'd stop over eating or
stop binging, or stop obsessing over their bodies.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
But food and body.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Fixation isn't just a self control issue, and it's not
just a will power issue.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
And it's not even just a spiritual issue.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It's a brain issue, and it's an identity issue, and
if it's left unhealed, it becomes a spiritual issue too.
And so you might be thinking, you know, but Leanne,
I've already tried inviting God into this, and nine times
out of ten, when I ask a woman what that
actually means, it typically sounds like, you know, I asked
God to give me more willpower, or I asked him
(07:42):
to help me be more disciplined, or I asked him
to give me self control so that I can stick
to the plan and the diet. But here's the thing
that's not inviting God into your healing. That's asking him
to help you keep dieting and obsessing and restricting, just
with more spiritual endurance. And while that might feel godly,
it's actually the opposite of what I'm saying here. Like,
(08:04):
what I'm saying is this, you know, what if it
was about inviting God into the part of your life
where you feel unworthy and where you feel out of control,
and where you've been white knuckling your way through and
where you've been trying to fix your behavior but not
heal the beliefs that are driving it. And that's something
that most women have never done. You know, They've never
invited God into the healing of their relationship with food
(08:27):
and their body. They've only invited him into the control
of it. But real healing starts when you bring God
into the why behind the what and trust him to
help you transform it from the inside out.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
And so now I want.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
To get a bit geeky, because if you're wondering why
this struggle keeps coming back, and you know why even
faith and prayer and discipline or maybe even therapy hasn't
fully set you free, there's something deeper going on, and
so I want to explain. So there's a part of
the brain I teach about in nearly all of my
programs and talks, and it's called the anterior cingulate cortex
(09:02):
or the ACC and I lovingly call it your social brain.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And I call it.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
That because it governs things like social comparison and emotional
attachment to outcomes and people pleasing. It's attached to people pleasing,
which is super common, right, And it's the part that
determines self monitoring, and more or less, it's just always
scanning for you know, am I okay?
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Do I belong? Am I safe? Am I loved? Do
they actually like me? Right? Like that part of your
brain is like, uh, am I cool? Do I fit in? Right?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And so, in other words, this little section of your
brain is constantly in some sort of comparison ititis, where
you're measuring yourself against your surroundings, including you know, people
and culture and social media. You know, you're comparing yourself
to your past self or even what you think God
expects of you. And so now just imagine that this
(09:54):
part of your brain has been marinating in years, maybe
even decades, of body shame and food rules and diet
culture and comparison and spiritual guilt.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And so that.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Acc in your brain, it wires in what I call
your self image map, and this map becomes the lens
with which you view everything, including yourself and God. And
so instead of approaching your health from a place of grace,
it becomes a punishment. And instead of turning to God
with your struggle, you hide.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
It in shame.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
And instead of walking in freedom, you obsess over what
you ate or how good or bad you think you've been.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
And I'm putting good and bad in.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Air quotes right, And this is what I mean by
the spiritual cost. And so for me, that cost came
to a head after major spinal surgery in my twenties,
Like I had literally worked my body into the ground, all.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
In the name of being you know, lean enough to
be worthy.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
And that's when God began to break me open, you know,
not to punish me, but to invite me into healing.
I really believe that's when He was really, you know,
doing the work to invite me into healing. And so
I didn't meet Jesus in the middle of my food
(11:13):
and body battle. I had already begun to heal by
the time I found faith. In fact, I was already
teaching the very process that I now call stressless eating.
But that worthiness stuff that I spoke about that didn't
just automatically go away, right Like, even after I started
following Jesus, I still felt like I was living a
double life in a way, Like I was reading scripture
and journaling and praying, but I was also still wrestling
(11:36):
with some residual self image stuff and some of the
deep down lies from the enemy that said I wasn't
enough and was saying way worse stuff than that but
was making me believe that I wasn't truly lovable, or
that only parts of me were lovable, and that I
had to hide the rest in order to be lovable,
or that I had to earn my ability to rest,
or that I had to earn.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Joy and earn love.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
And so in those moments, I thought I just needed
more discipline, right, Like I was like, Okay, if I
can just control.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
This, do that whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
But what I really needed was healing, not just healing
from my habits, but healing from the beliefs.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
That were running my brain underneath it all.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Because when you repeat a thought or a behavior often enough,
it wires itself into your brain. And I'm not talking metaphorically,
I mean literally, like that's neuroplasticity.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
And the enemy loves to hijack that.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
It loves to hijack your thoughts, right, And so you know,
the enemy whispers you'll always struggle with this, or you
know you're too far gone, or you know God's probably
disappointed in you, or you know you're not as godly
as she is, or you'll never get free, like this
is your life, you know, And when your brain agrees
with those thoughts, it builds a whole network around them.
(12:52):
And that's exactly what happened in my own story. You know,
I had wired in so many false beliefs that I
was only love in a smaller body, or that I
had to earn my worth, or that if I ever
stopped tracking or controlling, everything would just fall apart.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
And I didn't just carry those beliefs in the world.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I brought them with me into my walk with God
and into how I saw Him and how I believed
He saw me. And so now you know your thoughts
are shaping your feelings and your habits, and your beliefs,
and your identity and even yes.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Your spiritual posture.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
And so let's pause here for a second and just
look at Romans twelve two, where it says, do not
conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. And this is a
very famous scripture, obviously, and that verse became the cornerstone
of my personal transformation because it woke me up and
made me realize I had conformed to the pattern of
(13:49):
this world and diet culture and control and punishment, and
I had just slapped a godly label on it. But
renewing my mind meant learning to think different, diferent and
to believe differently, so that I could finally live differently.
And this isn't just a poetic line of scripture. It's
a biological blueprint for change. And so the word renewing
(14:14):
in Greek implies an ongoing process, something that you're doing continually,
not a one time prayer, not a single decision. It's
the daily, intentional act of rewiring your brain to align
with truth, not shame, not culture, not fear, but truth
(14:34):
with a capital T. And for women who have been
stuck in food or body fixation for years, this is
the missing link. Because here's the thing, and I mean
this with so much love. But you can read every
scripture about being fearfully and wonderfully made, and you can
attend every women's conference, and you can raise your hands
(14:54):
in worship. But if your brain is wired to believe
that you're broken or un worthy or a failure, that
belief will win every single time. And this isn't because
you're not spiritual enough. It's because your brain needs new wiring.
And so when you've rehearse food rules or body checking
(15:15):
and internal insults for years, those patterns become neural super highways,
and those highways get lined with spiritual potholes, you know,
potholes like God must be tired of hearing me pray
about this, or you know, I don't deserve grace because
I keep messing up, even though I think everyone else
deserves grace, but I don't deserve grace, or you know,
(15:36):
I'll feel closer to God when I finally lose the
weight stuff like that, right, Like, that's not freedom, that's
a performance based faith that leaves you depleted. And these
are the kinds of things that hit me personally, Like
I used to feel so much shame that I was
still struggling with things that I was telling myself that
I should be passed by now, like leanne, you should
be past this by now, you should know better, right,
(15:58):
And so I pray, like God, I know I should
be past this by now, like I was some kind
of spiritual failure. But what I've learned is that God
isn't disappointed in my humanity.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
He just doesn't want me to stay in slaved to it.
And so what do we do?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Well, First we name it for what it is, right
like food and body fixation and obsessing over your weight,
is a form of bondage. We have to just say that,
and there's no shame, but we do have to call
it what it is, like a form of bondage.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
And I learned this the hard way.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I used to think I needed more willpower, but what
I really needed was freedom. And that freedom was never
going to come from trying harder. It was only going
to come from renewing my mind and rewiring my brain
and letting God rewrite the story that I've been telling
myself since I was eight years old. And that bondage
it's not just annoying because it is right, but it's
(16:50):
not just about eating clean like it's a distraction from
what really matters, because it pulls your attention and your
energy and your emotional bandwidth way from the things that
God actually cares about. It's like spiritual noise, and we
can't fully tune in to God's voice when the loudest
voice in our head is shame. And so first we
(17:12):
have to call it out for what it is, and
then we start rewiring. And so this isn't an overnight
light switch. It's a process, but it's absolutely possible. And
here's the good news. You know, God designed your brain
to change. Your brain is plastic. Your patterns can be renewed,
and your identity can be rerooted in who God says
(17:33):
that you are. But before I walk you through what
that actually looks like, I want to just say that
you know, what I'm about to share isn't a one
size fits all formula, and I'm not here to tell
you to just blindly take my word for it. Right,
I'm inviting you into a process, but it's really a
process of trying things on and seeing what resonates in
your spirit and just leaving the rest.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Take what resonates, ditch the rest.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Okay, So take what speaks to you, set down anything
that doesn't, and let God lead the way. Okay, so
let's take a look at what this might look like
in real life. So Step one is awareness, And this
was the very first step I took in my own
healing journey, and it started with asking, you know, what
if I'm not broken, Like what if I've just been
brainwashed by a culture that benefits from my insecurities? And
(18:19):
that question really cracked the door open to a new
way of thinking, because it's about starting to notice the lies, right,
That's what it is, just starting to notice the lies
not just about food or your body, but about your
worth and your belonging and your enoughness right, And so
that anterior simulate cortex, the ACC it acts like a
(18:40):
self monitoring radar, right. Like I said, I call it
your social brain, and you'll hear me talk about it
a lot in future episodes too, And it's constantly scanning
the world around you and asking questions like am I okay?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Do I belong? Am I measuring up? Am I?
Speaker 2 (18:54):
You know?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Love, liked, wanted, desired, all of those things that we
want to be right. So we're not giving ourselves grief
for wanting to be liked, loved, wanted, desired. We just
want to make sure that we know what it is
and what it isn't right. And so the problem is
most of us are walking around with this radar stuck
in comparison mode, and it's been programmed by diet culture
and childhood messaging and you know, church hurt if that
(19:18):
was a thing for you, and comparison itis on social media,
or maybe just years of your own self criticism, and
that radar doesn't just notice, it actually keeps score right.
And so if you've been telling yourself I'll never get
this under control, or I'm.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Disgusting or I'm such a failure.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Those thoughts didn't just float by, They wired themselves in, okay,
And so awareness is about noticing that inner soundtrack, not
judging it, not shaming it, but just bringing it into
the light so it doesn't keep running your life in
the background. Right now, in simple science, you know, your
brain is kind of like a Google search bar, and
(19:57):
so whatever you type in, whether it's I'm a failure
or or I'm fat or I'm out of control, and
no judgment, I've typed them all in my metaphorical Google
search bar, right, but your brain, whatever you type in,
your brain is just going to auto fill more of it, right,
And so awareness is simply choosing to pause before you
hit search. Okay, Now, Scripture tells us in John eight
(20:19):
thirty two that you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free. But before you can be
set free, you've got to know what's true and what's not.
And that just starts with noticing the lies that you've
been living under. Step two is about dialogue. And so
when I first started dating Jesus, as I jokingly called it,
(20:40):
and I explained that whole situation in my previous spiritual
brain surgery episodes. I wasn't looking for a checklist or
a fix. I was looking for connection. And I wanted
to learn how to receive love and not earn it
or just think I was never going to have it.
And for the first time, I let God into the
part of me I had always hidden and the parts
(21:00):
of me that still felt unworthy even when I was
doing everything air quotes right, And So talk to God
about your brain, not just your behavior, like, invite him.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Into your patterns.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
And you know, a lot of us were taught to
confess our sins or ask forgiveness for things like overeating or.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Falling off the wagon.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
But what if the issue isn't just what you did,
but why your brain is wired that way to begin with? Right,
Because God doesn't just want your discipline, He wants your dialogue.
And it can be as simple as starting to ask
him like, Hey, where did I learn to think this
way about myself? Or you know, what are the lies
I'm believing that tell me I'm not worthy unless I'm shrinking,
(21:41):
or you know, if my worth.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Isn't tied to my weight, how do you see me? God?
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Like just asking God how he sees you and talking
to him like a loving father who actually wants to
help you heal, not the God that you think might
be punishing you for struggling right because he does.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
He just wants to help you heal. And science backs
this up too.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
The act of talking through your thoughts, especially with someone safe,
activates the prefrontal cortex, you know, the part of your
brain responsible for truth and rational thinking and hope, and
that includes prayer.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Prayer literally helps your brain reorganize chaos. And so Scripture
tells us this too in Psalm sixty two eight, where
it says pour out your heart before him.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
God is a refuge for us.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
And the God that I know in love isn't asking
for polished prayers.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
He wants your mess.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
He's safe to talk to, especially about the parts of
you that you've been hiding, even from yourself. And so
neuroplasticity responds to repetition, and so this means that new
truths need to be rehearsed and practiced, not just read like,
not just memorized, but repeated in a way that your
brain can anchor into.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
And here's the deal. Your brain doesn't change just because
you want it to.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
It changes because you repeat something enough that it becomes
your new default. But here's the part that most people miss. Okay,
repetition alone isn't enough. It really matters what you're repeating.
And that's why inside my stressless eating program, I teach
about neuroplasticity through a simple framework that I call AIR,
which stands for attention, intention and repetition AIR. Because yes,
(23:31):
repetition does rewire your brain, but you want to make
sure that you're repeating something that actually feels true and resonates,
and that you actually want to get good at, and
that you can get good at. Like, it's not about
blindly chanting affirmations. It's about aligning your attention you know
where your energy flows, and setting your intention, like what
(23:52):
you're aiming to believe, and reinforcing it through meaningful repetition.
And so if you've spent years repeating you know I
can't beat rusted with food, or I hate my body,
or you know I'll never get it together, then those grooves.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Are deep, and now it's time to blaze a new path.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
But not through toxic positivity, right, but through consistent, truthful
repetition and.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
The keyword here is truthful.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
And when you find what resonates or at least you
know feels true even if you're not fully living or
integrating it yet, that's when you're able to get in
that repetition and you can say it out loud, and
you can write it in your journal.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Heck, you can even create a truth playlist that you
listen to.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Daily to remind you when you forget right and like,
speak it even when you don't believe it yet, because again,
if it does feel true, even though if you're like, hey,
this feels true, but I'm not really owning this yet,
but it still feels true, you probably just need more air,
more attention, intension and repetition. Right again, but it just
has to feel true. That's how the rewiring begins. Right Like,
(24:54):
think of your brain like a hiking trail, and the
more that you walk the same.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Path, the more worn it becomes.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
And so to blaze a new trail, you've got to
walk the new way repeatedly until it becomes the easier
automated path.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
And so Scripture tells us in Romans ten seventeen. Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
We don't build new belief with a single hearing, right.
It takes repetition again and again until it becomes a
part of us. Okay, Now, Step four is about regulation.
And so when your nervous system is disregulated, right, like
(25:30):
when you're stressed or anxious or in survival mode, it
is nearly impossible to access new thoughts or beliefs.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
And so let me just put this really simply. You
can't renew your mind when your body.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Thinks it's in danger.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Right. We've talked a lot about renewing your mind, but
if your nervous system is chronically and constantly nervous, you
can't renew your mind. And if your heart is racing
and your breath is shallow and your brain is screaming
like I'm not safe, you won't be able to access
all those beautiful truths and new patterns because your brain
will default to all familiar habits that helped you survive
(26:06):
in the past, the things that you're trying to get
away from, like binging and obsessing or controlling.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
And but here's the part that doesn't get said enough.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Right, most women don't even realize that they are disregulated, right,
because you know, you yourself. You might not identify as
an anxious person like you might think, you know, I'm
just a little stressed, or you know, this is just
how I've always been. But if your mind is constantly
spinning about what you ate or what you weigh, or
how to.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
You know, get it together? Right, If your day.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Feels hijacked by shame or food obsession, and your thoughts
feel fast and loud and relentless, that is dysregulation, right,
And so it might just feel normal to you now
because chronic food and body fixation, like it's the ultimate
nervous system disruptor, right. It keeps your brain and body
in a loop of scanning and comparing and racing and coping.
(26:58):
And it might feel normal if that's been that way
for a long time.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
And so before you try to go, you know, air
quotes fix your thoughts. You've got to help your body,
a nervous system, feel safe. In full transparency, I was
never a great meditator, okay, Like trying to still my
thoughts used to make me feel more anxious, not less. Right,
So inside my stressless eating program, I teach a process
that works with your nervous system and through your sensory
(27:25):
system so that it's fool proof, is grounded, and truly
anyone can do it. But the point is like, no
matter how you get it, just get it. That regulation.
So whether it's a four count breast cycle or just
literally putting your hand on your heart to slow your
heartbeat down, or you know, naming five things that you
can see, or some sort of you know, just gentle movement,
(27:45):
or sitting in silence with God.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Anything.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Again, no matter how you get it, just get it.
And the science behind this is undebatable, Like when you're stressed,
your brain floods with cortisol and adrenaline, and that shuts
down access to your logic and your faith and your
capacity for a new thought. And so kind of think
of it like a power out age. You know, you've
got to reset the breakers before anything else can turn
on right, And Scripture tells us this too. In Psalm
(28:10):
forty six ten, it says, be still and know that
I am God right. But you know, stillness isn't passive.
It's really powerful. We think it's passive, but it's super powerful.
And it's in the stillness that your nervous system calms down.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
And your spirit can actually hear.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Truth again, okay, And that brings us perfectly into step
number five, which is integration.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Right, And this is what I live for now.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
I call it my big fat Experiment because I'm always
still testing and growing and rewiring. And I've traded food
obsession for food freedom, you know. And I've gone from
you know, an air quotes fitness expert to now I'm
a self image scientists. But now you know, I help
other women do the same thing too, by integrating science
and faith and a system that gets to the root
of the matter, not just healing our habits, but our hearts.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
And so this is where we connect the dots between
science and sanctification, and where faith and neuroscience don't compete,
they actually complete each other. And this is what I
believe is the sweet spot. It's not either or it's
not like, you know, Jesus or therapy.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
It's Jesus and right, Jesus and therapy, Jesus and the
science of the brain that he designed. Right.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
And integration means that you don't just learn the tools,
you live them. You don't, you know, just study God's word.
You learn how to embody it, and you don't just
hear truth on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
You wire it in Monday through Saturday. Right.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
And the science even tells us that your brain doesn't
care where the new pattern comes from. It just needs
consistent input. And when that input is truth based and
trauma informed and spiritually aligned, that's when real change becomes sustainable.
And so Scripture tells us in Luke ten twenty seven,
(29:52):
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your strength, and
with all your mind.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
And God doesn't ask you to.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Check your brain at the door, right, He invites you
to love him with your mind too, And that means
renewing it because God designed your brain and he gave
you access to the tools to renew it. And so
as we wrap up today, I want to speak directly
to the woman who's feeling weary, because I was her
and I am her some days, you know, still human,
still unlearning, but now I live from a place of peace,
(30:23):
not punishment. And when stress hits or chaos creeps into
my mind, I don't just try to figure it out
on my own. The very first thing I do is
run to God, right, and then I start to use
my tools.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
But you know, here's the difference.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Now I get to meet him in a whole new
kind of conversation, you know, one rooted in grace not guilt,
and curiosity not condemnation. And that's what I want for you,
because maybe you've tried everything, and maybe you're tired of
striving right, and maybe you're still believing the lie that
freedom is for other women but not for you, and
(30:58):
my friend, that is not the truth. And so today
I just want to invite you into this new way
of thinking, right, like where you can be kind to
yourself and where healing includes your body and your brain
and your spirit too, right in a way where peace
becomes your starting point, not your reward that you think
you have to go earn right, because maybe you need
(31:19):
to hear it again that you are so loved and
you are chosen. And I'm just inviting you into a
process of healing that includes your brain and your body
and your spirit. And this is not about perfect eating
or flawless body image, because that's not a thing, right.
This is about reclaiming your spiritual bandwidth, because when you
(31:40):
silence the food noise and body shame, you create space
for peace, and you hear God more clearly and then
that allows you to show up with more joy and
then walk in the truth of who you really are,
not just a woman on a health or wellness journey,
but a daughter of God renewing her mind and reclaiming
her life. And trust me, if a bacon loven, body shaming,
(32:03):
once hopeless weight watcher like me can find peace and
healing and a redeemed identity in Christ, then you can too.
So that's where I'll leave things for today, but I
promise I'll be back next time for episode two of
this series, where we're diving into what I call the
natural ozebic effect. So we'll explore how God actually designed
(32:25):
your brain to shift cravings and appetite and.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Reward without needing medication.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
And not that there's any shame in using medication like
this is not about judgment. I simply want to show
you what's possible when you start working with your brain
instead of against it, and so that you can experience real,
lasting piece with food and your body. And hey, if
this conversation resonated with you and you want to learn
more about the work that I do, or you're just
(32:51):
ready to go deeper into healing your relationship with food,
and your body and yourself.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
I've got a few ways to help.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
So first, if you're ready to turn off that part
of your brain that's constantly obsessing about food or your
weight or your next plan and actually rewire your brain
for peace and freedom, head on over to Stressless Eating
dot com. That's where you can access the Stressless Eating
Sneak preview. It's just a free on demand workshop where
I walk you through the exact brain based strategy. I
(33:20):
teach my clients to heal from their all or nothing
food and body.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Battle for good. And there's no diets.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
It's not about tracking macros or starting over on Monday,
and definitely not about punishing workouts or toxic shame right,
there's none of that. It's just neuroscience, compassion, and a
proven method that works with your brain to set you free.
And if you love podcasts, I've got two shows I'd
love to invite you to check out. And so the
first is called Outweigh and it's a show that I
(33:48):
co host with radio personality Amy Brown, where we help
women break out of the food and body prison and
finally take control of their health and happiness without restriction, obsession,
or dragging it out for you and therapy and so
you can listen to Outweigh wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
And the other is what's God got to do with it?
Speaker 3 (34:07):
And so this one's my solo show where we talk
about all things you know, body image, self worth, and
food struggles. But from the perspective of where brain, science
and faith collide, it's vulnerable, it's real, and it's made
for women.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
And some men that have these struggles too, who want
both transformation and truth.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
And as our friend doctor Lee Warren always says, you
can't change your life until you change your mind.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
And the good news is you can start today.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
So that's it for today's episode of Spiritual Brain Surgery.
I'm your guest takeover host Leanne Ellington.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
It has truly been a gift to spend time with you.
And you know this isn't goodbye.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
It's just see you soon because I'll be back next
time with episode two. So until then, take care of
your brain, guard your thoughts, and remember you are not broken.
You are beautifully wired and you can rewire any time
you choose, and you are not stuck the way things
are because God designed your brilliant brain to grow and
heal and change right alongside you.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Bye for now.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
So that's where I'll leave things for today, but I
promise I'll be back next time for episode two of
this series, where we're diving into the neuroscience of.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Silencing the food noise and.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
How to invite God into that process to rewire your
food seeking circuit.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
We're going to get a little geeky, right.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
But we're going to explore how God actually designed your
brain to shift cravings and appetite and how we you know,
air quotes, comfort or reward ourselves, but without needing medication.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
And again not that there's any shame in using medication.
This isn't about judgment.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I simply want to show you what's possible when you
start working with your brain instead of against it, whether
you're on meds or not, so that you can experience real,
lasting peace.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
With food and with your body.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
And if this conversation resonated with you and you're ready
to turn off the part of your brain that's constantly
obsessing about food and your weight and your body and
your next plan and actually rewire your self image, your identity,
your brain for peace and freedom, then head on over
to Stresslessheeding dot com and that's where you can access
the Stressless.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Eating sneak preview. It's a free on demand workshop where.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
I walk you through the exact brain science strategy that
I teach my clients to heal from the all or
nothing food and body battle for good like.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
No diets are tracking or starting over on Monday. And
this isn't about.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
Punishing yourself with workouts or toxic shame right, just neuroscience, compassion,
and a proven method that works with your brain to
set you free. So head on over to Stresslessheeding dot
com to watch the free workshop. And that is it
for today's episode of What's God Got to Do With It?
Speaker 1 (36:50):
But of course this isn't goodbye. It's talk to you
next week because I'll be back next time with episode
two of this series.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
So until then, take care of your brain, guard your thoughts,
and remember you're not broken. You are wired, and you
can rewire any time you choose, and you are not
stuck the way things are because God designed your brilliant
brain to grow and heal and change right alongside you.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
So bye for now
Feeling Things with Amy & Kat News
Host
Amy Brown
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal Season 5
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.