Christian Weight Loss Programs
Christian weight loss programs and faith based weight loss programs has been around
since the 1950s, with some methods being more spiritually based and others include
paying attention to diet and exercise in addition. Some are regular weight loss support
groups similar to Weight Watchers with a nutritionist and counselors and members that
just happen to be in a church. There are churches that offer exercise classes such as
Jazzercise and step aerobics and even Zumba, and some even have full workout centers
including a pool. Others get a little more biblical and/or spiritual.
The Remnant Fellowship Church, with branches all over the country, put the emphasis
on serving God as a means for weight loss. Gwen Shamblin, the spiritual leader of the
movement claims that if you start devoting your passions to God instead of to food you
will lose weight using her WeighDown system. Judy Halliday, founder of Thin Within,
has a similar program of finding and serving God as a means to lose weight.
Pastor Steve Reynolds has also told his congregants to turn to God to help them
lose weight. After losing over 100 pounds to get rid of health woes of diabetes and
medication for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, Pastor Reynolds wrote the book,
BOD4GOD, about his weight loss journey and the things that helped him along the way,
such as support groups be it through church, a group of friends, or another support group,
exercise, and motivational tools. He also started a program called Losing2Live, a faith
based program that divides people into teams that compete against each other with the
ultimate goal being weight loss.
What would Jesus eat is a very popular question, and is answered in the book by Dr. Don
Colbert, a physician in Florida. Dr. Colbert looked at he Bible to see what exactly Jesus
ate, and it was the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is a whole foods lifestyle,
with most animal protein coming from fish and yogurt, maybe some chicken or meat
to celebrate a joyous occasion. The use of olive oil over any other oils is encouraged,
as well as eating nuts, whole grains, beans and lentils, and plenty of fresh and cooked
fruits and vegetables. There was no fast food in biblical times, nor were there sandwich
cookies, ice cream, and potato chips. Jesus ate a natural, wholesome diet, and so should
the rest of us.
The Spirit Diet focuses on foods you should be eating to make you feel closer to God
because they have spiritual connections in the Bible, and to make you feel physically
good. These foods are all whole foods, nothing is processed. Foods included in the Spirit
Diet are fruits and vegetables, fish, yogurt, olive oil, beans, lentils, whole grain bread,
flax seeds, honey, nuts, oats, and green tea. Like the Jesus Diet, the Spirit Diet is based
on the Mediterranean Diet.
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Religious Weight Loss Support
Other religions, including Judaism and Islam, also provide resources and support groups
for people looking lose weight. Most of the Jewish and Islam sources are through
synagogues and mosques or religious community center. There are plenty of websites,
both religious and not religious, that provide support and encouragement through
interaction with other users and in groups led by someone like a nutritionist, or even a
spiritual leader such as a rabbi or imam, or their wives. Some of these websites have
forums for weight loss with a spiritual emphasis and include muslimahconnection.org and
imamother.com Regular diet websites, like DietTV, provide kosher and halal options for
religious users, providing them with menus and food lists of only things they can eat for
religious reasons.
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Bible Salad
8 cups romaine lettuce pieces
Seeds of one pomegranate
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped green onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes eight servings.
Nutrition information: 77.5 calories, 5.71 grams fat, 0.55 grams saturated fat, 4.31mg
sodium, 6.13 grams carbohydrates, 1.81 grams fiber, 3.98 grams sugar, 1.93 grams
protein.
Tags: christian weight loss programs, jesus diet, mediterranean diet, steve reynolds, thin within, weighdown
