I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits
At a glance
First published2014
AudienceAdult
ISBN0785232486
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Christian women who feel emotionally exhausted by the perpetual restart cycle of conventional dieting and are looking for spiritually grounded motivation to make lasting lifestyle changes alongside a practical health plan they already follow.
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I'll Start Again Monday is a revised, condensed edition of Lysa TerKeurst's bestseller Made to Crave, reframing the struggle with unhealthy eating habits as a spiritual problem — arguing that human beings are designed to crave God, and that perpetual dietary restarts often signal a misplaced spiritual longing. The book's entire motivational framework is theological, making it a strong fit for Christian readers who find conventional diet culture emotionally hollow, but a poor match for secular readers or those seeking evidence-based nutritional guidance. It functions as motivational infrastructure to complement an existing health plan, not as a standalone dietary program.
- Is it worth reading?
- For Christian readers who have found conventional diet culture emotionally hollow and who are exhausted by the perpetual restart cycle, I'll Start Again Monday offers a genuinely empathetic and spiritually grounded perspective — one rooted in TerKeurst's own personal experience with losing and regaining weight. The book holds a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Christianbook.com, reflecting strong resonance within its target audience. However, readers who are secular, prefer evidence-based behavioral or nutritional guidance, or already own and have deeply engaged with Made to Crave should weigh carefully whether this condensed edition offers enough new value for them.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to I'll Start Again Monday may also appreciate Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst, which similarly applies TerKeurst's faith-centered perspective to emotional struggles. The Daniel Plan by Rick Warren offers another faith-based approach to health and lifestyle change with a Christian framework. For those interested in the emotional and relational dimensions of food without a religious lens, Brain over Binge by Kathryn Hansen and The Emotionally Healthy Woman by Geri Scazzero provide complementary perspectives on breaking cycles rooted in inner life.
- Who should read this?
- I'll Start Again Monday is written directly for Christian readers — particularly women — who struggle with the lose-regain cycle and find that conventional diet culture addresses only the behavioral surface of a deeper emotional and spiritual problem. It is especially well-suited to readers who already have a practical health plan in place and are looking for spiritually grounded motivational infrastructure to sustain it. Readers who are secular, prefer empirically driven behavioral approaches, or are already deeply familiar with Made to Crave are not the intended audience and are likely to find the book's theological framework a poor fit.
- About Lysa TerKeurst
- Lysa TerKeurst is an American speaker and author of Christian non-fiction.
- How does this compare to It's Not Supposed to Be This Way?
- Both I'll Start Again Monday and It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst operate within the same Christian living and women's inspirational space, drawing on TerKeurst's personal experience to offer faith-grounded comfort and motivation. The key difference is focus: I'll Start Again Monday addresses the specific cycle of unhealthy eating and the spiritual roots of craving, while It's Not Supposed to Be This Way deals more broadly with disappointment and finding strength when life doesn't go as expected. Readers who connect with TerKeurst's voice and approach in one are likely to find the other rewarding as well.
- Is it a good book club pick?
- I'll Start Again Monday is a strong pick for a Christian women's book club or small group, particularly one focused on faith, wellness, or personal growth. Its themes of spiritual motivation, accountability, and breaking the restart cycle generate meaningful discussion, and its design as a companion resource — rather than a prescriptive program — takes pressure off participants to follow a specific regimen together. It is less suited to a general or secular book club, where the theological framework may not resonate across the group.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
About Lysa TerKeurst
How does this compare to It's Not Supposed to Be This Way?
Is it a good book club pick?
Summarize this book
I'll Start Again Monday is a revised and condensed edition of Lysa TerKeurst's earlier bestseller Made to Crave, published by Thomas Nelson. The book's central argument is that unhealthy eating habits represent a misplacement of a deeper spiritual longing — that human beings are designed to crave God, and that lasting change requires addressing emotional and spiritual roots rather than behavioral ones alone. Rather than prescribing meal plans or calorie counts, it is designed to function as a companion resource alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan a reader already follows, helping readers find what TerKeurst calls their 'want to' — an internally motivated, spiritually grounded drive that conventional diet culture fails to supply.
Follow up
Does it work as a standalone program?
How is it different from Made to Crave?
What does the book help readers do, specifically?
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Skip if you're looking for evidence-based nutritional or behavioral guidance rather than a faith-centered motivational framework.
Editorial Review
I'll Start Again Monday is a revised and condensed edition of Lysa TerKeurst's bestseller Made to Crave, reframing the struggle with unhealthy eating habits as a spiritual issue rather than a dietary one — best suited to Christian readers seeking motivation and accountability rooted in faith.
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