Finding Freedom: Interview with Helen Baratta
Have you ever struggled with something you thought you could never change? Our guest, Helen Baratta, weighed 270 pounds and felt overcome by her addiction to food. She lived years of her life at this weight, and even raised her children feeling heavy and overwhelmed by the sense that maybe there was a different way.
Helen found the organization First Place for Health when trying to discover a way to blend her faith and weight loss. After losing 116 pounds through biblical-centered teaching and inspiring groups, Helen later became one of the national directors of the ministry, and wrote a book called Restored! Losing Weight God’s Way.
In this episode, Helen shares that freedom and merely dieting for weight loss are two separate things. Freedom involves “knowing the truth” that Jesus mentions in John 8, and letting the truth set you free.
Helen encourages listeners by reminding us we are not alone in this struggle. With the power of excellent Bible studies written specifically for food-compulsion, groups that lovingly pray for one another and help you feel seen and heard, and recipe and exercise options, no one walks away feeling like they don’t have the tools to succeed.
(Spoiler alert! Gutsy Faith is partnering with First Place for Health in January to bring The Gutsy Faith Challenge: a four-week inclusive plan for freedom, weight loss, and overall health. More details are coming!)
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