Christian Dieting
Christian dieting fully believes that you should call upon God for help and guidance during this often taxing time. You must identify the weaknesses within yourself and find out what it is you are trying to cover up with food. You then need to break this habit, and confront the fact that food has become your master head on. Once you are able to do this you will be better able to handle your addiction to food, and move forward in a healthier pattern.
To start your diet plan, you should first identify the foods that cause you to overeat. You need to completely remove these items from your life, and make healthier choices. You will not be able to do this overnight, and that is acceptable. It is important to understand that you may be a bit fearful, or feel a bit overwhelmed, and it is necessary that you seek help and guidance from others. Many churches have support groups or weight loss clinics to help you on your journey.
Christian dieting plans and groups help you to understand what foods encourage weight loss, and which ones will cause your cravings and hunger to reappear. They promote exercise, not only as a source of fitness and burning calories, but also to help you connect more spiritually with the world. You learn to respect food, understand that you do not have to buy specialty diet products, or starve yourself. These practices stay with you for a lifetime, and encourage you and your family to lead the healthiest life possible.
Benefits of Christian Dieting
For people of the Christian faith who want to lose weight or take better care of themselves, Christian dieting plans offer guidance from God's word to support why they should make healthy choices and take care of their bodies. According to the Bible, the body is the temple of God and with this in mind, Christians who want to lose weight often choose a Christian diet plan because it helps them draw strength to do the right thing from God's word, even in regards to eating.
Another benefit to following most Christian diets is that they offer Scripture verses related to dieting for meditation. These verses help the dieter to stay focused on God's word and his will.
Cautions and Considerations
While many diets claim to be biblical, it is always important to do your research. If a diet is based on one verse taken out of context, then the diet may not really be biblically sound after all. Just because a diet claims to be Christian or biblical does not necessarily mean that it is. For instance in Romans 14:2 it says, "For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables." Does this mean anyone who eats a vegetarian diet is weak? The answer is no. It is always important to look at Scripture used to support a diet's claims. Determine who the Scripture is written for at the time and the circumstances surrounding what was said. Romans 14:2 had more to do with religious practices than dieting as we know it today.
Popular Christian and Biblical Diets
Christian dieting plans vary, but one thing they all have in common is that they offer a way for Christians to learn to eat less food and a more balanced diet. The goal is to help people avoid gluttony (overeating) and learn to eat a healthy selection of foods. Here are a few examples:
Halleluiah Diet
The Halleluiah Diet is based on Genesis 1:29, "And God said, "See, I have given you every herb [that] yields seed which [is] on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food." Based on this Scripture, the Halleluiah Diet recommends a diet of 85 percent raw foods and 15 percent cooked foods. This vegan diet program was started by Rev. George Malkmus who today runs Hallelujah Acres, a farm where followers of the diet can go to be trained to become health ministers. This diet promotes juicing vegetables as the most efficient way to feed our bodies the nutrients they need.
Daniel Fast
The Daniel Fast is based on the life of the Old Testament prophet, Daniel, when he was brought into captivity and refused to eat the king's food. Instead, in Daniel 1:12, he asked, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink." The account goes on to explain that at the end of the ten days, Daniel and his friends were healthier than those who ate the king's food. This Scripture has generated a number of different diets known as the Daniel Fast. Some are stricter than others. The thing to remember about this approach is that it is a fast. A temporary elimination of certain foods from the diet, but it is not a lifestyle diet to follow for the long term.
Prism
Prism is a low calorie approach to eating that helps to re-educate people regarding their eating. This diet takes dieters through phases. The first phase eliminates foods like bread, sugar, potatoes and pasta. It also requires the counting of calories and assigns homework which gets the dieter into the word of God. Assignments deal with eating issues, personal feelings, and applying God's word to the subject in a way that helps strengthen the dieters resolve based on their faith.
How to Choose a Diet Plan
Choose a diet. Choose a diet that will fit in with your lifestyle. If you work long hours, find something that will require less exercising time. If you are too busy to cook or if you don't enjoy cooking, consider a diet based on meal-replacement protein shakes such as Herbalife's ShapeWorks diet programs that are easy and quick to prepare. If you have time and enjoy planning a meal, then you may prefer a diet program that allows for three meals each day and more numerous food choices such as Weight Watchers.
You want to be sure you’re picking a plan that you can stick with to see results. Before starting any diet, it is wise to visit your doctor for a complete physical. Seeking out a Registered Dietitian is also a good idea, because your dietary intake can be tailored to your individual lifestyle and needs. In addition to these healthcare resources, here are a few things to look for in a healthy weight loss diet.
General Requirements
Your diet plan should be realistic. Any program that claims you will lose weight quickly or that requires the purchase of expensive supplements should be closely scrutinized. A sound regime should include three basic principles: monitoring of food intake, increasing physical activity, and addressing the psychological component of weight loss, including the idea that it is a lifestyle change and not a quick weight loss fix. Including all three of these components contributes to easier weight loss and long-term success.
Slow, Gradual Weight Reduction
One pound of weight contains 3500 calories. This means you have to burn this many calories to lose one pound. With a daily deficit of about 500 calories, through decreased calorie intake and increased exercise, the rate of weight loss will be one pound a week. The recommended rate of weight loss is one to two pounds a week. This will help ensure that fat is being lost. A weight loss greater than this means you are losing your lean body mass in addition to fat. In the first week or two of your plan you may notice a weight loss of greater than one to two pounds. This loss is mostly water weight. The slow, gradual weight loss of fat usually begins after these first weeks.
Include All Food Groups
To ensure you get all the nutrition your body needs throughout your weight loss, your diet plan should include all the food groups. Food choices within each food group and portion size matter the most. A diet plan that tells you a food group (such as fat or carbohydrate) is “bad”, or a plan encouraging the exorbitant consumption of a single food group, such as “eat all the protein you want” is best to be avoided.
Most plans do not include a calorie breakdown, but a healthy weight loss plan should contain at least 1200 to 1500 calories a day to include all of the necessary vitamins and minerals. A weight loss plan monitored by a physician can be the exception to this rule.
Choose an “Everyday” Plan
A healthy meal plan is one that uses everyday foods and can fit into any situation. Remember that this is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix. Hence, a diet plan that requires specialty foods will be difficult to follow for the long-term. You should be able to apply your choices in any social situation, such as parties and eating at restaurants. In the beginning it might help to avoid situations you know will trigger overeating. As your habits change, and you become accustomed to your new lifestyle, it is reasonable to add these situations back into your life.
Choose a Well-Rounded Plan
In addition to addressing food, physical activity, and the psychological aspects of weight loss, a healthy plan should include rest, stress reduction, and an overall healthy lifestyle. Instead of a weight loss plan, it should be based on the idea of wellness that includes healthful eating and its role in an overall healthier lifestyle. A good example is learning how to deal with stress instead of turning to food.
Maintenance is Key
It is often said that losing weight is the easy part, keeping it off is the hard part. Whether this is true for you or not, select guidelines that focus on long-term maintenance of weight loss. It is best to focus on behavior change so when the weight is lost you don’t revert to old bad habits.
- Consider the intensity that you want. If you want to lose a lot of weight, be prepared to include exercise into your daily regime and perhaps more restrictive dietary habits. However, be aware that it is generally not considered healthy to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week, so don't try to lose too much too fast.
- Take the necessary time to learn about the diet program.Take time to learn about the diet program you choose to ensure that you follow the program closely. A diet is like a child or a relationship - it takes the proper amount of devotion and responsibility to make it work out.
- Investigate the benefits of all of the diets you are considering. You also might want to consult your doctor before you begin a diet, to ensure safety.
Child dieting
Childhood obesity is a plague in the United States and the problem is becoming more prominent in other countries as well. Being overweight is not only unhealthy for children, but can hurt their self-esteem and can establish a pattern for their adult lives. Parents of obese or overweight children should act now; and the dieting tips for overweight children below will help them do that.
Encourage Them to Exercise
It’s important that parents place an importance on exercise, teaching their child that it’s necessary for a healthy body. Family exercise can be one great way of doing this and will help teach the child the importance of exercise. There are a lot of great exercises that families can do together that will be fun and will also help when it comes to obesity and children. Taking walks, swimming, roller skating, dancing, and riding bikes together can be great exercises for families. By showing their children that exercise is important, parents can foster a love of exercise and being active in those children.
Not Just Little Adults
The most important principle when considering a child's diet is that children are not just adults in smaller scale. Because children's bodies are still growing and developing, they don't need the same nutrients, the same foods, or the same restrictions as adults. That means that it's not just about smaller portion sizes and eating their spinach.
Challenges
It can be difficult to ensure that a child gets all of the necessary nutrients, since many children are picky eaters, or may be uncooperative about trying new foods. Childhood can also be a time when various food allergies present obstacles to providing proper nutrition -- for example, a child who is allergic to milk may find it difficult to get adequate calcium, especially if that child refuses to eat spinach or broccoli.
The Healthy Child Diet
The healthy child needs the same basic food groups as an adult, with a bit more of the healthy fats and proteins. For the healthy child of normal weight, the only dietary restriction should be sugars; fats, proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products should all be included, in reasonable, manageable portions. For example, an adult portion of whole-grain bread is one slice; for a child, the portion could be one-quarter to one-half slice, depending on age, activity, and appetite. It is not necessary to include every serving from every food group every day. Healthy children should not follow calorie-restricted diets; if you are worried your child may not be getting enough food, a good rule of thumb is 40 calories per inch of body height -- so a child who is 3 feet tall will need about 1440 calories daily.
The Allergic Child
For the child who cannot eat from an entire food group (most commonly dairy, with grains a close second), the parent will have to make careful substitutions to ensure adequate nutrition. A child who cannot have dairy will have difficulty getting the necessary amount of calcium and vitamin D, unless the vigilant parent provides tempting foods containing these nutrients.
The Overweight Child
Under no circumstances should a parent make the sole decision to place a child on a calorie-reduced diet. If there is concern about a child's weight, a pediatrician should be consulted for advice on whether the child is inappropriately overweight, or whether the apparent chubbiness is normal "puppy-fat" that will dissipate as the child matures. Barring a medical problem, the usual reason for a child's overweight is lack of activity. Too many children spend far too much time in sedentary pursuits. If your child is overweight, find a way to get some physical activity into his daily routine -- just riding his bike or roller skating up and down the front walk for 20 or 30 minutes can make a tremendous difference, both in weight and in energy levels.
If the pediatrician recommends a weight-reducing diet, then the best approach is to adjust the eating habits of the entire family to prevent the child's being humiliated by being singled out. Simply modeling healthy choices for the child, by eating healthful foods yourself, and by engaging in physical activity on a regular basis, can be a tremendous encouragement to a child with a weight problem. Above all, it is important to address these problems with sensitivity and care in order to prevent the development of eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa.
Monitor the Child’s Eating Habits
Children are especially prone to taking in more calories than they burn. This is because children may feel the urge to eat when they are bored, upset or other times when they are not hungry. Parents should monitor children to ensure that their eating habits are healthy. One way of doing this is by creating a food journal where the parents write down everything consumed by the children and the totaled calories. This can help the parent see just how many calories are being eaten.
Speak to the Pediatrician
It’s important to speak to the child’s pediatrician before starting any sort of actual diet. The reason is to ensure that there are no underlying causes for the child’s obesity. The doctor can perform the usual tests to determine whether there is an underlying cause. He or she can also provide important tips and suggestions on which kinds of dieting techniques can be used for children, since they still need to receive a large amount of vitamins and nutrients for their bodies.
Make it a Family Affair
Getting children to eat healthy and exercise can be accomplished in several ways, but the truth is it needs to be a family affair. Children learn how to eat at home; by watching their parents. If children grow up eating healthy foods, it will be come a lifelong pattern. There are some fun ways that parents can introduce healthier foods to children, but the parents are going to need to really play an active role in getting their children to eat healthier. This means that the parents are going to have to eat healthier as well. It’s difficult to expect a child to eat steamed broccoli while the parent is having a cheeseburger and fries.
Other Considerations
When evaluating your child's diet, it is also important to consider outside influences. Don't tell your child not to eat cake at the birthday party; that could lead to embarrassment. Instead, serve fruit for dessert following that night's supper, and explain that when we have a special treat, it's important to compensate with healthier choices the rest of the day.
It's also important to be aware of your child's drinking habits. Teach your child to like the taste of water, and encourage him to drink 4 to 6 glasses of water daily. (As they approach their teen years, increase the amount of water until they are drinking the recommended adult level of 8 to 10 glasses of plain water daily.) Don't let your child replace the necessary water with fruit juice, sodas, or even milk.
Finally, monitor your child's activity levels. Don't allow video games and television, or even reading and homework, to usurp time your child should be actively playing. Involving your child in sports, or merely encouraging physical activities like bike riding or roller skating, can be a crucial factor in keeping your child healthy.