Before you start that diet, do these two things
If you’re reading this, you have been on some sort of diet at one point in your life. Maybe you’re on a diet right now?! Every person over the age of 12 (some kids even!) have been on a diet. I don’t believe in diets. Have I done them? Sure have. But I’ve learned that diets DON’T work. I’m sorry, they don’t. If diets worked, there would be no Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, etc. They would all go out of business because people would never ever need them again. Sure, you will have success if you stick with it for a time but then when you start to LIVE like a normal human being, the pounds start to slowly return.
I’ve been down that road, believe me. But the diet mentality, the deprivation, the obsessing only led me to overeating, binging, then self-hate, shame, and a vicious circle of trying to “fix” my body. It just doesn’t work.
So before you start that diet, do these two things:
Ask God: Stop , pray, and ask God - is this the right diet for me? What am I idolizing more than you Lord? (my body, food?) What should I fast from or remove from my current diet first? Maybe you need to reduce your sugar? Maybe it’s the salty snacks…..the second helping at dinner? Ask the Lord and pray about it. Sit with the thought of the diet for AT LEAST one full week. And ask the Lord to show you whether this is the right thing for you and if not, what changes to make first. He will reveal it to you, believe me.
Ask yourself - Is this sustainable? Can I live the rest of my life doing this diet? And if you think so, great. But then ask yourself, “Do I WANT to live the rest of life on this diet?” Can I live the rest of my life without carbs? Can I live the rest of my life only eating from 12pm to 7pm? Do I want to count every morsel of food that goes into my body until the day I die????
I’m sorry but I don’t want to live my life telling myself “I can’t eat that”. This is LIFE. God has created an amazing life for you and He wants you live it and live it well (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants us to take care of our bodies so that we can have the energy to love and love well and to be able to live the life he has called us to. Make small changes and they will become greater in time. Eat healthy and move your body, because of the gift of life he’s given you each day. You only have one life - don’t live every moment counting calories. That is not God’s purpose for you. God wants you to live a life of freedom. So before jumping on the next diet trend, STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE (yes, i’m singing the song. I know I’m cheesy). But seriously, stop in the name of His love for you and ask Him for direction. Pray and listen for what He wants you to do next to better your health. He will lead you and you CAN get healthy AND be happy with your body.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “ - Jeremiah 29:11