LA Weight Loss - A Christian Doctor's Philosophy on Weight Loss

Hi guys,

In this thread, I would like to focus on how our faith in God interconnects with our desire and ability to lose weight, and I would like to include scientific information about weight loss, as well. Basically, I want to bring together the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual elements, so that we have a balanced approach to weight loss.

I have posted on other areas of your site, and decided to start a thread of my own. I don't intend in any way to "push" my religious views on anybody. I really do respect our differences in that way. However, being that my views are so tied together with my weight loss philosophy, I found that I can't talk about my philosophy without giving credit to God. Please understand that I'm not trying to exclude anybody if his or her views differ from mine; I'm just trying to post where I "fit in" and where I can speak freely. If you don't believe in God, or you believe in a different God from mine, you're still welcome to jump in and ask general questions about nutrition, exercise, etc, but please let's not dwell on our religious differences.

What is my weight loss philosophy? In a nutshell, I really do agree with the underlying philosophy of the "intuitive eating" thread, and the main reason is that God gave us those internal signals for a reason--because they're important, and because we're better off when we follow them.

My posts could fit in easily there. However, I'm avoiding that thread because the term "intuitive eating" was actually coined by two nutritionist ladies, and there may be a copyright or trademark on the phrase. Just to be on the safe side, I thought I'd better avoid using other people's terms.

Did those ladies invent intuitive eating? No, they just invented the phrase. God is the one who developed the concept of hunger pangs guiding your eating. Other weight loss programs, like Weigh Down Diet and Thin Within came along a billion years later and gave the concept names, as well. But the whole idea of eating according to how your body feels dates back to Adam and Eve--and God.

Now do you see how "intuitive eating" and my Christian faith are connected? Those hunger pangs came from God. Just another reason to trust them.

Any comments?

I don't think that you need to worry about using the term "intuitive eating" or worry about posting on that thread. You have actually used it multiple times in your post anyway. If there is a concern, I suppose the mods could retitle the threads "Eating Intuitively". We have a Whole Foods thread and I haven't heard about any problems from the Whole Foods grocery store people.

As for myself, I am not an intuitive eater. My stop button is busted, or at least it was. I need to schedule out my food through the day so that I have adequate nutrition with an appropriate amount of calories. As my stomach shrinks I do feel full on less, but again, I measure, plan, and weigh out each "meal".

I do feel that food drugged me for far too long and that my fat was a way of insulating myself from the world. I agree that weight loss can be tied into a spiritual journey and I appreciate that your post makes it clear that you welcome input from others who may not share your views, as we do have a lovely and diverse group on 3FC.

Welcome to the forum!

I have always believed that my spiritual well being and my physical well being are connected so tightly that one affects the other in a big way. If I am physically in control then it is easier to be spiritually in control and the reverse is true that when I am out of control in one of them I am out of control in the other. God gave us these bodies and I believe the main purpose for being on this earth is to learn to be masters of them. I too take all my weight loss/diet/exercise dilemmas to God and ask Him to give me the strength and the smarts to deal with it all. He hasn't let me down--ever. I couldn't have done what I've done without him.

I'm not sure that I will ever be able to use hunger as my only cue to eating. I suspect that I was really born without a normal hunger system. It's also possible years of dieting, beginning at ate 5, damaged my hunger control system beyond repair.

Eating lower carb, at least the hunger is much mitigated and easier to control, but I still need to use an exchange system for portion control and to insure a balanced diet. I based my low carb exchange plan on information I found in the new Duke Diet book and Hillbilly Housewife websites, both of which outline lower carb exchange plans. I go a step further, and try to make sure that my exchanges choices are whole, complete foods rather than processed ones.

I don't know why I don't have normal hunger signals, but I can't trust mine, because they often don't have an off switch, particularly when carbs (even good, high fiber whole grain carbs) are concerned. Low carb has given me the off switch (and I literally, thank God for that, to have lived 36 years without an off switch to hunger was very difficult). Turning off hunger has changed my life, but there is a downside. On low carb, my husband is more likely to notice my hunger than I am. I start to get just a little irritable (usually after waiting far too long to eat).

I don't know why I don't have a functioning hunger system (guess that's on my list to ask God when I get to heaven), but my faith is interwoven into my life, including my weight loss. I'm working on including it more, because (I don't know why), but I never really thought much about asking for God's help with my weight loss (except in the "please let me have lost weight" way). I guess it seemed too "trivial" to be of concern to God, even though I know that no detail escapes His notice. I'm learning.

I have a defective hunger switch also. I suspect there are several contributing factors. My parents were firm believers in the "clean your plate" rule at meal time. I was expected to eat what was put on my plate regardless of if I was hungry or not or if I liked it or not. My father would give me adult size portions even when I was a preschooler. My mother was a cronic dieter. When my weight issues started popping up she would put me on what ever the fad diet d'jour was. She was also a horrific closet eater. She would go to the store and want a carmel roll, but they only came in packages of 6. So she would buy a package of 6, then we would have to finish all six then hide the empty package in the garbage. Unfortunately I learned that trick all too easily. As I grew into my teens I developed an eating disorder....(geee wonder how that could have ever happened) I thought I was recovered when I quit purging. I have been on this journey for six month now. I have done a lot of "soul searching". I realize that I was never recovered from my eating disorder. Although I was not vomiting or taking huge amounts of laxatives, I was still bingeing.

Now the spiritual side. I have never denied that I am a truly blessed peson. I have a family that I love and that loves me. I have food and shelter. I have job. I wake up every morning and have all 5 of my senses and have full use of my arms and legs. For these and every other thing I am thankful every day and I thank God for my blessings. But when it comes to weight loss being a spiritual thing I am bit skeptical.

Just my thoughts.