Book Review: "The Food Ain't the Problem" by Carole Holliday

Are you a discipler? The Food Ain’t the Problem is for you. Are you counseling someone? The Food Ain’t the Problem is for you. Are you struggling with your weight? The Food Ain’t the Problem is for you. Are you struggling with any kind of well-loved sin? The Food Ain’t the Problem is for you. This one book contains the answer for each of those scenarios and more! Part systematic theology, part counseling guide, and part weight-loss primer, Carole Holliday writes with frank wisdom and loving compassion as she details the profound heart transformation that took place when she submitted her appetite to God. You won’t find a weight-loss book full of pep-talks, motivational slogans or quick fixes in The Food Ain’t the Problem. What you will find is real help that will transform your life as seek to grow in your love for the Lord and His ways.

Carole writes, “The beginning of this journey is to submit to God as your master. If that’s not your main focus, then anything you do after that just replaces the god of the results for the god of your appetite. …We need to value Him above everything we desire most (emphasis added)." This book is definitely for those who are sick and tired of being defeated, overwhelmed, and powerless to win the battle over food, and I would add, it’s for anyone who’s ready to do battle with any entangling sins.

John Owen said, “God’s work is to have full victory, and universal obedience, not just the sins that trouble our soul.” Carole knows all about that work of God that desires an obedient, tender heart, not just changed eating patterns. For years she searched and looked for a solution for her obesity. Nothing worked; nothing lasted until she arrived at the point where she “first started obeying God’s call to quit being greedy….” Slowly, persistently, Carole reveals the heart-work that must take place in each of us, if we’re ever going to conquer those persistent sins that wage war against our souls. There’s hope—hope for all who’ve struggled, for all who are weary, for all who are at the point of despair. Come and learn from one who knows the way out from unbelief to obedience because as Carole says, “Only an infinite God can replace your beloved sin. Anything else won’t last."

To whet your appetite for the book:

“The understanding that God’s loving heart surgery is the source of your weight transformation is what I’ll seek to offer in the pages of this book." Page 8.

“Interestingly, in the Bible the abnegation of obedience isn’t called disobedience, but rather disbelief." Page 50.

“It’s not that we just want to feel better about something in our frustrating or bored or sad situation so we choose not to do what He commands us to do, it’s that we think all those incorrect things about God and ourselves so the situation becomes more power than Him. Then the situation rules our life instead of God who showed His devotion to us when He sacrificed His Son for us." Page 51.

“I titled this chapter, ‘The Elephant in the Room’ because the reason so many of us have become fat and remain so is simply because of our greed. That’s the elephant: eating too much. …However I hope by now you understand in this book about weight, I’m more interested in losing the life-killing sin of fat in your heart than the fat in your saddle bags (although I want those gone too). Page 88.

“When I first started obeying God’s call to quit being greedy…” Page 89.

“I genuinely want to understand the fact that God is a God of love who sometimes relates to His people in ways that may seem not to support that idea." Page 99.

“Only an infinite God can replace your beloved sin. Anything else won’t last." Page 101.

“When we harbor a love for a pet sin, it causes us to be darkened in our understanding of Him (Eph. 4:17-24). Using my humble experience as an example: While I know I was saved all those years ago, the breadth of my understanding of God’s character didn’t expand until I finally began to repent of my greedy love of food and pursue sanctification in the area of my appetite. Seeing what I’ve gained, I’m ashamed it too me this long to trade my love of food for the love of the Father.” Pages 118-119.

“Remember, the world loses weight all the time, but only Christians are being transformed into the image of God." Page 158.

“You see, I continue to learn and grow in the process of losing and gaining and losing a bit more…and gaining some back. UGH. Yet, I will never be 312 pounds again, I know too much of God’s faithfulness and His commands to return to that sin like a dog to vomit. So while I’m not done and I keep working at my goal, God still digs away at my heart using my desire to lose this weight as the doorway to point out all the kinds of other hideous things I didn’t realize were lurking in my character." Page 173.

“Over the years I’ve been on this journey, I’ve learned there were four fronts I have to be vigilant about if I wanted to check my propensity to eat sinfully: Impatience (I’ll have it now), Ingratitude (I’ll have it all), Indecision (I’m not happy with what I have. I want more of what I have), and Intractibility (I want things the way I want them)." Page 202.

In speaking about food as a gift from God, “The thing about gifts is that no matter how good they are, they can turn into clutter if you have too many of them. Too many food gifts make FAT clutter." Page 222.

“We need to turn to God and resist the urge to control our lives when we don’t like our situations and food seems to be the only way to do it." Page 224.

“The beginning of this journey is to submit to God as your master. If that’s not your main focus, then anything you do after that just replaces the god of the results for the god of your appetite. In the end, we need to give up everything, even our expectations of a peaceful, healthy and happy life: “…in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8). As I’ve said throughout the pages of this book, all of those other things are merely temporary. We need to value Him above everything we desire most." Page 265.