I have some comments on things in Free to Be Thin Chapter 1:

Neva Coyle focuses on the term "free" in this chapter. Free from past concepts of weight loss, free from past failures in this area (the destructive diet/gain cycle), and free from the bondage of food abuse.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." (Isaiah 43:18)

This needs to be our starting place. I saw this and asking the Lord to forgive me for any sin in this area, decided it was time to really gain victory over this area of my life.

We must depend on God to help us overcome unhealthy habits. We must change emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. As a matter of fact, Coyle mentions that many of those in the FTBT program have gone on to overcome lots of different areas of sin in their lives apart from overeating. When we open up to the Lord, crying out for change in our hearts, amazing things begin to happen.

FTBT is a lifestyle plan, not a weight-loss program. It is a way to put unhealthy habits in the past forever and learn new habits that naturally result in weight loss.

Coyle goes on to state how the emotional part of us greatly affects our eating habits, and vice versa. She states that some authorities have concluded that emotions are a primary trigger to overeating in overeaters.

Time to stop making excuses for why we are overweight and time to rely on the Lord to change our inner dynamics so that we are healthy inside and out.

Coyle makes the connection between not feeling loved and overeating also. She says that many of use food as a comforter (and we have already admitted this to be true in our lives).

The key to success is obedience and that a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives is "self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). The main goal in FTBT is to learn to hear the Holy Spirit's voice and learn to respond with obedience.

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