How to Turn Setbacks Into Your Secret Sauce To Make Food Freedom Progress

How to Turn Setbacks Into Your Secret Sauce To Make Food Freedom Progress

Ever feel like you’re doing so well… then one “off” week wrecks everything? One comment, one meal, one moment—and suddenly it feels like you’re right back where you started.

If that sounds familiar, you are so not alone.

Let me tell you about a client of mine (we’ll call her Emily). She was finally feeling confident about her food choices, seeing progress, and embracing a little more freedom each day.

Then she started seeing a new physician.

And this doctor? Ohhh boy.

He handed her a brand new list of “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts”—dietary rules she never asked for—delivered in the most triggering, rigid, food-rule-heavy way possible.

All that hard-fought progress? Suddenly, Emily felt like she was starting from ground zero.

Her words?

“I’m overwhelmed. This feels like a setback I’m not strong enough to come back from.”

Whew. Been there? Me too.

But here’s what I told her (and what I want you to hear today):

Setbacks don’t mean you’ve failed.
In fact, they might just be your secret sauce to finally moving forward.

Cooking Up Food Freedom (Why That Failed Recipe Still Matters)

Let’s imagine you’re trying a brand-new recipe for the first time. You gather your ingredients, follow the steps… and yikes. The result is not what you pictured.

The flavor’s off. The texture’s weird. You may have forgotten to preheat the oven (just me?). 🍪

But here’s the thing—you don’t stop cooking forever because of that one flop. You tweak it. Adjust it. Try again.

Your food freedom journey is the same.

Every setback—every “off track” moment—is teaching you something. With the right mindset and support, it can become the very thing that moves you forward toward a life of peace with food, your body, and your faith.

So instead of seeing your slip-ups as a reason to quit, what if you saw them as God’s way of revealing something deeper? Something He wants to heal and redeem?

Setbacks Aren’t Failures. They’re Feedback.

Let’s break this down. There are 3 powerful ways that setbacks can actually help you make lasting food freedom progress. 

1. Setbacks Teach You What Did and Didn’t Work

Every moment you feel like you “blew it” is actually a golden opportunity to gather feedback.

Think of it like this:

👩‍🔬 A scientist runs an experiment.
🧪 It flops.
🔬 So she adjusts the formula based on what she learned.

She doesn’t throw away the entire experiment and walk away forever. (Praise the Lord, or we’d still be living without electricity, y’all. Thanks, Thomas Edison.)

Your journey is no different.

The strategy you tried?
The mindset you clung to?
The coping skill you used?

They’re all data points. And that feedback loop is what helps you adjust and grow, not get stuck in frustration.

So instead of beating yourself up over what didn’t work, ask:

• What can I learn from this?
  
  
• What was actually helpful?
  
  
• What might I try differently next time?
  
  

Oh—and don’t forget your ABCs:
Action Brings Clarity. You can’t gain insight unless you’re doing something. So don’t wait for everything to feel easier—take that messy step forward anyway.

2. Setbacks Reveal Your Points of Vulnerability

You know those moments when something small shouldn’t feel like a big deal… but it totally derails your entire day?

Yeah. That’s not random.

That’s your point of vulnerability talking.

Think of your life like a house with a security system. You might have doors and windows locked tight—but if there’s one door left cracked open, that’s where the intruder gets in.

Triggers (like body comments, diet talk, or seeing a number on a scale) often sneak in after your vulnerabilities have already been activated.

Maybe you’re tired.
Maybe you’re lonely.
Maybe it’s been a spiritually dry season.

Whatever the case, that vulnerability makes you more likely to spiral into disordered patterns.

And here’s the good news:
Once you know your vulnerabilities, you can reinforce them.

Inside The Joy-Filled Eater LIVE, we walk through something called a Behavior Chain Analysis to help clients trace triggers all the way back to their starting point. It’s powerful, and it’s something you can start exploring today by asking:

What was I feeling before I got triggered?
What’s the pattern I keep noticing?

That insight alone can RADICALLY change your next response.

3. Setbacks Help You Plan Ahead More Accurately

Now that you’ve gathered feedback and identified vulnerabilities, you’re ready to do something SO many people skip:

👉 Plan. Ahead. Strategically.

This is where your setbacks become your superpower.

Because now? You’re not just reacting to life. You’re preparing for it.

Inside The Joy-Filled Eater LIVE, we walk you through an assignment called Bringing Down the Barriers—where clients name their biggest obstacles and we build practical and strategic plans for how to face them.

And you can do the same right now by asking yourself questions like...

• What situations throw me off track the most?
  
  
• How can I plan ahead to show up differently next time?
  
  
• What Scriptures or truth can I hold onto when I start to spiral?
  
  

Preparation builds confidence, not just willpower. It reminds you that you are not alone—you’re walking with the God of grace who equips you every step of the way.

Recap: How to Turn Setbacks Into Your Secret Sauce for Food Freedom

Let’s tie it all together, friend.

Here’s what I hope you take away from today’s truth bomb:

Setbacks:

✅ Teach you what’s working (and what’s not)
✅ Reveal where you’re most vulnerable
✅ Help you build stronger, smarter plans

Setbacks aren’t the end of your journey—they’re a part of it. They’re what God often uses to deepen your faith, stretch your growth, and equip you to walk in lasting food freedom.

Feeling Stuck After a Setback? I’ve Got You.

If you’re nodding along going,

“This is exactly what I’ve been struggling with…”

Then it’s time to stop doing this alone.

🎉 I’ve got 1:1 coaching spots opening up, and I would love to walk with you step-by-step through identifying your patterns, building personalized strategies, and rooting your healing in Scripture and grace.

📝 Apply now to work with me 1:1:
👉 www.brittanybraswellrd.com/coaching

Or if you’re looking for education, support, community, and accountability with other amazing women of faith walking the same path?

👭 Join us inside The Joy-Filled Eater LIVE:
👉 www.brittanybraswellrd.com/course

Final Encouragement 💛

Remember this, friend:

Setbacks don’t define your journey.
Your faith, your perseverance, and your willingness to learn and grow—those are the things that move you forward.

Keep leaning into God’s grace.
Trust Him with the messy moments.
And know that every step—even the wobbly, discouraging ones—is shaping you for greater freedom.

You’re not broken. You’re becoming.
And I’ll be here to walk with you every step of the way.

Until next time,

Brittany Braswell, MS, RDN, LD

Registered Dietitian | Christian Food Freedom Coach

Helping you break free from food rules & body shame to walk in Christ-centered confidence

www.brittanybraswellrd.com

🎙 Host of the Faith-Filled Food Freedom Podcast