diets Archives - Lucy Ann Moll

Is Dieting. . .Sinful?

by Lucy | Oct 3, 2017 | biblical counseling, biblical counseling, whole health wellness | 12 comments

DIETING: Millions of women are on a diet now. Is dieting wrong in God’s eyes? Is it (gulp) a sin?

Diets. Gotta love them, gotta hate them.

We women love them because losing weight helps us look better and feel energetic. We hate them because we may feel deprived, grouchy, and fearful that we’ll gain back the pounds we worked hard to lose.

I have a crazy Weight Watchers story. It begins what I was age 10. You can read part of my crazy story here in the intro of my eBook, Fit for Life.

Back to the BIG question:

So Is Dieting Sinful?

The quick answer: no. In itself dieting isn’t bad. In fact, caring for yourself by eating right is good. But dieting can turn bad. It depends on your attitude. What’s your attitude regarding food and self image? Do you hate how your jeans fit? Do you call yourself awful names if you go off your diet?

Are you more concerned with what people think than what God says? Click & Tweet!

If you fear that eating certain favorite treats like ice cream, chips or cookies will prompt you to binge or if you believe that eating your favorite treat is “wrong” (even if the Bible doesn’t teach that it is), then you must not eat it, says Elyse Fitzpatrick, a leading biblical counselor and author of several books including Love to Eat, Hate to Eat.

The bible says that if you compromise your conscience, you sin.

He who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

This passage primarily speaks to food offered to idols (which was a problem when the apostle Paul wrote this epistle), yet the biblical principle holds true: anything that compromises your faith is sin, including faithless eating.

The upshot: If you believe dieting or cheating on your diet is a sin, then it is sin for you. If not, then feel free to choose a weight-loss plan.

Listen to Paul’s words on sin and grace.

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

If you choose to lose weight by dieting, select one focused on lifestyle changes and teaches healthy habits to keep you Fit for Life.

What About Gluttony?

dieting Derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, “gluttony” means over-indulgence of food or drink to the point of extravagance or waste, gluttony has a spot on the infamous list of the seven deadly sins. While I’ve never heard a sermon on gluttony, the Bible speaks against it. (Check out Proverbs 23:20,21.)

In a strange twist, under-indulgence of food is also gluttonous because it is an extreme use of food. For some, the problem is anorexia nervosa, which troubled a food disordered counselee, who eventually found healing as she determined to put God first and to bring glory to him in everything she did. We also kept in regular contact with her medical doctor and nutritionist.

She learned to enjoy eating food, a gift of God. Indeed. Paul declared,

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4,5)

4 Quick Self-Care Food Tips

1. Cut out or reduce sugary drinks like soda. (When my husband corked the a while back, he lost 15 pounds in three months and feels more energetic, especially in the afternoon.)

2. Drink a glass of water before a meal or when you feel hungry between meals. Drinking water makes you feel fuller, helping you to reduce portions easily. Hycration also helps you think better.

3. Eat colorfully. Have lots of veggies and fruit on hand, washed and ready to eat. You’re less likely to crunch a cookie when you’ve set out baby carrots, snap peas, bananas, and apples.

4. Decide NOT to diet. A diet is an eating plan you go on and off, typically regaining the weight you lost. Instead, listen to advice from MayoClinic.com:

Combining a healthier diet and more activity is the best way to lose weight and keep it off for the long term. Take your weight loss and weight maintenance one day at a time and surround yourself with supportive resources to help ensure your success.

This is exactly the approach of my ebook Fit for Life, with a strong biblical emphasis. God created you to shine.

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Counseling hope to your precious heart,

Is Dieting a Sin?

by Lucy | Feb 14, 2015 | biblical counseling, relationships, whole health wellness

Is dieting wrong in God’s eyes? Is it (gulp) a sin?

Diets. Gotta love them, gotta hate them.

We love slimming to look better and feel energetic. We hate diets because we feel deprived, grouchy, and depressed when we regain the weight we worked hard to lose.

I have a crazy Weight Watchers story. You can read part it in the intro of my eBook, Fit for Life.

Back to the BIG question:

Is Dieting Sinful?

The quick answer, “no.”

In fact, eating right is good. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19, NASB)

However, dieting can turn nasty.

It all depends on your attitude.

If you turn to food for comfort then you need a heart change not a diet Click & Tweet! . An excellent resource is Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick, a biblical counselor and author.

What About OVER-Eating?

Derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, “gluttony” means over-indulgence of food or drink to the point of extravagance or waste. The religious leaders claimed Jesus was a glutton.

Listen to their haughtiness: “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:19, NIV).

And UNDER-Eating?

Strangely, under-indulgence of food is also gluttonous because it is an extreme use of food. For some, the problem is bulimia or anorexia. The latter took hold of my counselee Heather (not her real name), who found healing as she smashed her underlying idols of people-pleasing and pride, and found put God first and to bring glory to him in everything she did.

Like Jesus she learned to enjoy eating food, a gift of God.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Tim. 4:4-5, NIV

3 Quick Food Tips

These tips will make a huge difference in your success. They have for me and my counselees, who wanted more energy, better emotions, and a greater fitness.

1. Cut out or reduce sugary drinks like soda. When my husband corked the pop, he dropped 15 pounds in three months and has maintained.

2. Eat fruit and veggies. You’re less likely to crunch a cookie when you have fruit and veggies in easy reach.

3. Decide NOT to diet. A diet is an eating plan you go on and off, typically regaining the weight you lost. Instead, listen to advice from MayoClinic.com:

Successful weight loss requires permanent changes to your eating habits and physical activity. This means you need to find a weight-loss approach that you can embrace for life. . .Combining a healthier diet and more activity is the best way to lose weight and keep it off for the long term.”

This is exactly the approach of my ebook Fit for Life, with a strong biblical emphasis. You can read the introduction here, my compliments.

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

photo credit: hjhipster via photopin cc

Sharing hope with your heart,

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beyond eat, pray, love 1.0

by Lucy | Jan 4, 2011 | whole health wellness | 1 comment

pizza Hi Beautiful Warriors!

Today begins my series on food, God and friendship. Kinda like Eat, Pray, Love (the movie or the book) but without the Brazilian hottie, ashram and pizza. I’ll share a chapter of my eBook Food as True Friend in each post. Here’s the intro. EnJOY.

At 10, while other kids memorized the names of the state capitols, I learned the Weight Watchers diet plan. Two servings of fish each week and one of liver – yuck; thankfully it’s no longer required – and a bunch of other stuff, measured by the ounce. Two scales dominated my mom‘s life and mine back then: one on the kitchen counter (for food); the other in the bathroom.

The latter she used each morning, door shut, after a trip to the toilet and before even a sip of water.

Or was that me?

To continue reading the introduction of Food as True Friend, CLICK HERE.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Julie Staiger, a guest on my online radio show “Sisterhood of Beautiful Warriors,” has something to celebrate: Her book Get Up and Walk publishes in March. It her miracle story, beating a brain tumor and black mold, Crohn’s disease and a bunch more. Here’s the post I wrote on her. You’ll find a link to the radio show featuring her too. You can preorder her book at her website: www.juliestaiger.com.