I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits
At a glance
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Christian readers who recognise themselves in the perpetual Monday-reset cycle and want a faith-grounded, devotional-style companion to address the spiritual and emotional roots of their relationship with food.
Worth it if
You identify as Christian, have found conventional diet plans leave you feeling defeated, and are open to reframing food cravings as misplaced spiritual hunger rather than a purely behavioral problem.
Skip if
You are outside the Christian faith tradition, already familiar with TerKeurst's Made to Crave, or are looking for meal plans, macro guidance, or clinical resources on disordered eating — this book provides none of those.
What readers & critics say
Christianbook.com frames the book not as a dieting plan but as "the necessary resource to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose" to help readers find their deeper motivation for lasting change. SoManyBooksBlog.com reader voices describe it as "an excellent book" in which TerKeurst offers "sound biblical advice on how to overcome bad eating habits and find lasting spiritual" grounding.
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- Is it worth reading?
- For Christian readers who have found that conventional healthy eating approaches leave them feeling defeated, I'll Start Again Monday offers a perspective that no standard diet book provides — one grounded in faith and emotional honesty rather than behavioral mechanics alone. TerKeurst's use of her own personal experience lends the material a personal dimension that multiple retail sources highlight as central to its appeal. However, readers outside the Christian tradition, those already familiar with Made to Crave, or anyone seeking concrete meal plans, nutritional guidance, or clinical resources will find the book falls short of what they need.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to I'll Start Again Monday may want to explore its direct predecessor, Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst, which covers the same theological ground in greater depth. For a broader Christian perspective on emotional and relational health, The Emotionally Healthy Woman by Geri Scazzero and Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst offer thematically adjacent territory. Those interested in the psychology of eating without a faith framework might consider Brain over Binge by Kathryn Hansen or Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, while Eat with Joy by Rachel Marie Stone explores a Christian approach to food from a more theological-academic angle.
- Who should read this?
- I'll Start Again Monday is designed for readers who identify as Christian and who have found that conventional healthy eating approaches leave them feeling defeated — the publisher's framing at multiple retail outlets names this audience directly. It is particularly suited to those who experience the Monday-reset cycle not just as a behavioral habit but as a source of spiritual discouragement. The condensed format also makes it a natural entry point for readers new to Lysa TerKeurst's work, and it works well as a devotional-style companion to a broader lifestyle effort.
- About Lysa TerKeurst
- Lysa TerKeurst is an American speaker and author of Christian non-fiction.
- How does this compare to Made to Crave?
- I'll Start Again Monday is a revised and condensed edition of Made to Crave, distilling TerKeurst's original, longer work into a more accessible format while preserving its core theological argument. The condensed structure makes it a distinct and lower-commitment entry point for readers who haven't engaged with the original, but readers already familiar with Made to Crave will encounter largely revisited rather than new material and may find limited additional value here.
- What are the main themes?
- The central themes of I'll Start Again Monday are the spiritual and emotional roots of unhealthy eating habits, the concept of misdirected craving — the idea that human beings are created to crave and that directing that craving toward food rather than God underlies the cycle of repeated failure — and the pursuit of closeness with God as the deeper motivation for sustainable change. The book also engages with self-image, the psychology of perpetual fresh-starting (the Monday-reset mentality), and the replacement of rationalization with wisdom. Faith, not willpower or aesthetics, is the book's animating principle throughout.
- Where should I start with Lysa TerKeurst?
- For readers new to Lysa TerKeurst, I'll Start Again Monday is specifically designed as an accessible entry point — its condensed format makes it a lower-commitment introduction to her perspective than the longer Made to Crave. Readers interested in how she applies Christian faith to emotional pain and disappointment more broadly may also want to explore It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, which LuvemBooks has reviewed separately.
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Skip if you're looking for practical meal plans, nutritional guidance, or a faith-neutral approach to healthy eating.
Editorial Review
I'll Start Again Monday by Lysa TerKeurst is a revised and condensed edition of her earlier work Made to Crave, reframing the struggle with unhealthy eating habits not as a willpower deficit but as a spiritual and emotional one — positioning closeness with God as the deeper motivation needed for sustainable change.
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