If You’ve Ever Said “I Can’t Eat That”—This Episode Is for You

Ever catch yourself saying things like: “I can’t eat that,” “That’s not on my plan,” or “I’ll just start over Monday”?

If those phrases have ever rolled off your tongue (or rattled around in your brain while staring down the dessert table 👀), you’re not alone. But here’s the thing: those words are almost always fueled by one thing—food rules. And while food rules might feel “safe” in the moment, they are not the path to freedom, joy, or the peace God wants for you.

So let’s talk about it. In this post, we’re going to break down:

• Why food rule burnout happens (hint: it’s not because you’re weak or lazy).
  
  
• Why rules might feel safe—but are actually keeping you stuck.
  
  
• How to reframe burnout not as failure, but as feedback (game changer ✨).
  
  
• And how faith fits into all of this (because Jesus didn’t die for you to live in food fear).
  
  

Oh, and I’ll also share a personal story about why I gave up trying to be “Superwoman before sunrise” (spoiler: it didn’t end well 😂).

By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly why those food rules aren’t serving you—and how to take your next step toward lasting, Christ-centered food freedom.

That Time I Tried to Be Superwoman 🦸🏻‍♀️

I don’t know about you, but I’ve tried so many different morning routines over the years. I’ve read the books. I’ve scrolled Pinterest boards. I even downloaded one of those “perfect morning” printable checklists that promise to boost your productivity, calm your spirit, and basically turn you into Wonder Woman by 8 AM.

But here’s the kicker: most of those routines require you to wake up at what I can only describe as an ungodly hour. Like 4:30 or 5:00 AM—so you can sneak in your quiet time, scrub the kitchen, sip your hot lemon water, and maybe even write a novel while you’re at it. 🙃

And maybe that works for some people. But for me? Not happening.

I’ve got an 18-month-old who thinks 5:15 AM is the perfect wake-up time. (Send coffee, please.) So no—I am not setting an alarm to wake up even earlier than a toddler who already thinks the sun rises for him.

Here’s what happened: I kept trying to follow routines that just didn’t fit my season. And every time I failed to stick with them, I felt like I was the problem. Lazy. Unmotivated. Not disciplined enough.

But here’s the truth:
The routine wasn’t bad… it just wasn’t mine. It wasn’t built for my life.

👉 And that, friend, is exactly how it works with food rules too.

Why Food Rule Burnout Happens

Sometimes we think burnout is our fault. We assume we’re just not strong enough, or disciplined enough, or motivated enough.

But the truth? You’ve been trying to live by rules that were never made for you in the first place.

Diets Don’t Stick—Because They Weren’t Designed To

Here’s the deal: diets are built on external control, not internal trust.

They demand willpower instead of wisdom. And they try to micromanage your body with someone else’s rules.

It’s like this:
Have you ever tried on someone else’s prescription glasses? Maybe they help a tiny bit at first… or maybe it’s all a blurry mess. But if you wore them every single day, you’d end up with headaches and eye strain.

Why? Because they weren’t made for your eyes.

The same is true for food plans, diets, or “perfect eating” charts. If you keep forcing yourself into someone else’s prescription, eventually your body and mind are going to push back.

So please hear me on this: food rule burnout is not proof that you’re broken. It’s proof that the rules were never meant for you.

Rules Feel Safe… But Safe Isn’t the Same as Sustainable

Let’s be real: our brains love rules. They make us feel like we’re doing something “right.”

Food rules give us this false sense of control: “I’m okay because I followed the plan today.” And if the plan doesn’t work out? Well then—it must be the plan’s fault, right? (See how sneaky that feels safe?)

But here’s the problem:

When you live by food rules, you trade flexibility and joy for anxiety and fear.

And honestly, isn’t that exactly what the Pharisees did in Jesus’ day? They made hundreds of extra rules in an attempt to push people closer to God. But in doing so, they missed His heart completely.

Jesus even called them out:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
— Matthew 23:23

Sometimes, friend, our food rules do the exact same thing. We cling to them for safety. But in the process, we miss the heart of God—the freedom He offers.

💡 Here’s the truth: Feeling safe is not the same as being free.

And Jesus didn’t die for you to live in fear and restriction… not even around food. 

When Burnout Hits—It’s Not Failure, It’s Feedback

Okay, let’s talk about the “B word”: burnout.

You know the feeling. You’re tired of meal plans, sick of counting calories or macros, and the thought of another “start over Monday” makes you want to cry into your coffee.

But burnout isn’t failure.
💥 Burnout is your body and brain’s way of saying, “Hey, this isn’t working anymore.”

And that shift right there? Game changer.

Because when you reframe burnout as feedback, not failure, it becomes an invitation. An invitation to look for a better, more effective, and way more sustainable way of nourishing your body.

A Client Story

I once had a student who came to me frustrated because she just could not stick with calorie counting. She thought she was lazy. Undisciplined. Broken.

But as we worked together, she realized: her body wasn’t asking for more willpower. It was begging for rest and trust.

And when she leaned into that trust, everything shifted.

Friend, when you stop labeling burnout as weakness and start seeing it as a holy nudge toward grace, you finally make space for healing.

Big Takeaway: You’re Not Broken

Let’s bring this home.

Food rule burnout isn’t proof that you’re broken. It’s proof that the rules were never made for you.

• Diets can’t offer you lasting peace—they weren’t designed to.
  
  
• Food rules might feel safe for a little while—but they’ll never sustain your body, your soul, or your freedom journey.
  
  
• Only Jesus can.
  
  

So if you’ve ever whispered to yourself, “I can’t eat that,” I want you to know: You can let go of those rules. You can trust your good body, the way God designed it. And you can find food freedom that’s actually sustainable—rooted in grace, not guilt.

Ready for Your Next Step?

If you’re tired of living by someone else’s food rules and you’re ready to rebuild your food freedom on a firm, Christ-centered foundation, I’d love to invite you into The Joy-Filled Eater LIVE.

Inside, you’ll get:

• Faith-based coaching to help you stop the cycle of burnout.
  
  
• Community with other women who “get it.”
  
  
• Tools and strategies to help you let go of fear and start trusting your body the way God designed it.
  
  

👉 This program reopens in October 2025 and will include tons of fresh updates, more support, and a higher price point to match all the added value.

So come grab your spot now at brittanybraswellrd.com/course.

And if you have questions about the program, you can actually send me a direct message right from the program page. (Click the little video in the bottom right corner—I’ll personally answer every question you send.)

That’s a wrap, friend! Until next time—
Keep chasing joy. And keep choosing freedom. 💛

💛 Cheering you on in joy + freedom,

Brittany Braswell, MS, RDN, LD