It is reported that 62% of Americans are overweight with 44 Million being Clinically obese. One half of all mid-age people in America are dieting, while $30 Billion is being spent on dieting annually. More Americans than ever are struggling with this issue and yet the more we “diet” the more overweight our nation is becoming. Weight loss is not usually achieved simply by going on a “diet”. Long term results require lifestyle changes.

People often say, “When I lose weight the doctor said that my health problem will go away”. This thought pattern has caused us to believe that it is the weight itself that causes our ill health. It is also this way of thinking that, in many cases, has encouraged us to go about losing weight in some very unhealthy ways. Lose weight at all costs! Unfortunately many methods of weight loss are counterfeits. Not only can an unhealthy approach to weight loss add to our long-term health problems; they can also add to our long term weight problems. Although they may produce quick ‘results’ up front, this can come at a great cost to our health. Since the underlying factors have not been addressed, the weight often returns – sometimes with interest! Because some weight loss approaches can alter the metabolism, this weight may now be even harder to lose!

While maintaining proper body weight is important to avoiding disease, being overweight is simply a sign or symptom that there are underlying physical imbalances. If the method used to lose the excess weight does not address these imbalances, losing weight can become a long-term struggle. These struggles often bring on feelings of self-condemnation, inadequacy, low self-esteem & other emotional frustrations. Patiently dealing with root issues can bring about success and freedom from these traps.

There are many factors involved in dieting that can set us up for failure. One is that a “diet” is usually looked upon as a temporary measure. Most of the time we enter into diets thinking about doing them for a specific period of time or until a certain goal is reached. In contrast, a lifestyle change looks for a more beneficial way of doing something and seeks to make permanent changes toward that goal. Another reason diets don’t work is they represent “the law”. Regulations usually cause us to want to do the very thing we are trying not to do. Even Paul tells us in Romans 7 that he found himself struggling to do the good things that he wanted to do. Man has never been successfully governed by external rules, at least not until an internal conviction first takes place. In order to follow the laws of our country, we must first be convicted about their validity and purpose. Even extreme consequences usually do not alter a person’s behavior. The internal conviction of the heart must come first.

This truth is seen throughout the Bible. In His word, God sets out certain “rules” or principles for living. He gives these to us because He loves us and He knows what will benefit us and what will not. He is our creator and He designed the blue prints for our life. In the Old Testament “the law” (God’s way) proved to be an unattainable goal for man to achieve. The pride of man always seemed to want to compete with God. But in the New Testament we read how Jesus came to redeem us from the curse of the law. Jesus deals with the issue of pride by dealing with our hearts. If we allow Jesus to penetrate our heart, the principles that guide our lives come from an internal desire to follow and please Him. He then empowers us to overcome in areas that have seemed hopeless and impossible. Jesus works in our lives from the inside out, while “the law” unsuccessfully attempts to work from the outside in. Similarly, because diets often focus on outward rules, these very rules can become stumbling blocks, A lifestyle change however, doesn’t set “laws” but utilizes valued guidelines or principles that can be beneficial in reaching a specific outcome. As we educate ourselves, we begin to desire to make better choices based on what we have learned. It is not the external “rule” that guides us, but an internal understanding of how specific choices affect our life.

Another reason that many diets don’t produce long term success is due to the fact that some diets attempt to ‘trick’ the body. There are several ways that we can trick the body into shedding pounds. One example is the high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Let me explain the process and costs associated with this method of losing weight. Since glucose is the major fuel source for the body, it must maintain a steady flow of this substance or we have a real energy crisis. Unprocessed complex carbohydrates are the best fuel source for the body because these are easily broken down into clean burning fuel. There is minimal cost for this energy conversion because the process is very efficient. Whole-unprocessed foods, which are the best source of carbohydrates (fuel), also provide many other valuable nutrients. Carbohydrates are readily available in natural fruits and vegetables. These are also known to help protect us against disease. Carbohydrates have gotten a bad name lately because many of the carbohydrates that are being consumed today are highly processed. This processing changes them into unnatural substances that can cause imbalances throughout the body, including imbalances in sugar metabolism. Some have related this finding to ALL carbohydrates without recognizing the difference between refined, processed products versus healthy whole foods.

If you limit the carbohydrate intake in the diet, the optimal fuel source is unavailable so the body must look for an alternative. Fats can be broken down into glucose but at a greater cost to us nutritionally than that of carbohydrates. Protein is an extremely high cost fuel source because the cost of breaking this down into glucose is even greater. The body will only break down protein for fuel in the case of starvation or when it has no other obtainable fuel source. When easy to convert carbohydrates have been greatly restricted; the fuel choices available are fats and proteins. If we load up on protein and limit the preferred fuel source (carbohydrates) the body will be forced to break down the fats in our diet for fuel and after that it will begin to break down our body fat. Thus we lose weight. Unfortunately, although results may be realized initially, this process causes great distress and nutritional depletion. Cooked meats are hard to digest and very acidic which causes stress to the liver and kidneys. Our body is designed to operate in a slightly alkaline pH medium. With a high acid intake the body is forced to deal with this acid/toxic state. This diet is low in nutritional intake, low in fiber; and high in toxicity. Also the conversion process of breaking down the fats as a primary long-term fuel source further depletes the nutritional stores of the body. The entire time this dietary approach is maintained, the body is forced to function in crisis or survival mode. Because carbohydrates are our optimal energy source, the desire for them will continue and when the dietary goals are altered the weight usually returns.

There also are many weight loss “wonder products”, both in form of drugs and ‘natural supplements” that help people to achieve short term weight loss. But again this is realized at a great cost to health. Products that speed the metabolism, even those that are labeled as “natural”, work through stimulating the glandular system. The adrenal gland can provide us with back up or emergency energy to get us through a crisis. This is our God designed crisis management system. By taking these substances we stimulate the glandular system and the body prepares for the self-imposed emergency by excessively speeding up the metabolism. An increase in blood pressure is realized and the body pours lots of sugar (fuel) into the blood stream to provide an adequate energy source for the body to use in this “fight or flight” process. Although this process can produce short-term weight loss, it can also add to the imbalances that may already be established.

Because the adrenal gland has a primary role in the mineral regulation in the body, the mineral balance becomes upset when taking these supplements or drugs. Immune function is not a priority during a glandular response crisis, so the immune function and many beneficial hormones are suppressed. The added stress to the circulatory system can cause a crisis, especially for someone with plaque buildup or other circulatory challenges. Because the system is “revved up”, extra fuel is required and the body uses up a great deal of nutrition throughout the process. Since the substance that caused the stimulation does not provide the needed nutrition, the body must pull this from it’s own tissues in it’s attempt to bring about balance. This can cause nutritional depletion. In other words as we use up more resources than we have available, we have to borrow from other systems of the body which are then left depleted. If you continue to spend more from your bank account than you put into it, what will happen? Wrong methods of weight loss can head us down the road toward nutritional bankruptcy if we continue to use them. Additionally many of these methods (like the ones that we have mentioned and many others) can cause the metabolism to be even more out of balance after the “diet” than it was before. This makes the next weight loss attempt even more of a struggle.

As our society has become more aware about certain foods or substances that are known to be harmful, industry is now attempting to produce man-made alternatives that will allow us to enjoy the same taste presumably without the undesirable effects. Man made substances already have a track record for causing even more alarming problems than the substance(s) they are replacing. These products are generally introduced before a great deal is known about them. After years of use it is usually discovered that they have harmful effects that can be of great concern to our health. The body does not recognize artificial substances as food. Because of this, these always cause imbalances. When we ingest them we are forcing our body to have to break down and deal with something it was never designed to process. I don’t think that we can successfully address weight problems with these unnatural products. They just create more long-term problems. Discovering natural healthy foods to replace those that are known to be harmful offers a better plan. Many people think that natural foods are dull and tasteless but I can attest that this is not true. With time, it is possible to learn to prepare foods that nourish the body AND offer enjoyment to our taste buds!

Have you experienced in your life as I have in mine, that those things that produce long term beneficial results come with consistent and steady progress? Usually, when God helps us walk out the steps of learning a better way of achieving something – results are not realized overnight. The miracles of God DO very often happen quickly and usually require nothing from us except faith. The blessings of God require us to do something. It is the process of ‘doing’ that requires time. Counterfeits promise a simple and easy solution that will produce quick results up front. No matter what issue we are dealing with in our life, the best methods are not usually the ones that appear to provide the easiest and quickest route to a specific goal. Diligence, patience and integrity are called upon in our lives when we are looking to produce lasting results.

Through the many years of study that I have done regarding health, diet & nutrition it is my opinion that excess weight is simply another sign or symptom of an imbalance in our health. The same lifestyle choices that are causing the majority of the health concerns in America today are causing many to struggle with the issue of being overweight. Most of the things we ingest that cause excess weight gain are actually harmful to our health. The substances themselves cause stress & imbalances throughout the body. The weight that is added from eating them is an additional factor that continues to effect our health.

When working to lose weight, it is my opinion that we would be better off if we would focus on gaining - not on losing, True success is better realized if we concentrate on gaining better health as opposed to just losing weight. A natural byproduct of becoming healthier is that we will begin to move towards our ideal weight. As the body gets back into balance, it will begin to function properly and health problems, as well as weight problems, usually go away. Instead of looking for a way to “trick” the body into losing weight or for a way to by-pass the root issues that are involved, it would be more beneficial to learn about the factors that effect our health and weight. As we gain knowledge and wisdom about how God designed the body to function and begin to work with the natural processes of the body instead of working against them; we can trade in the counterfeits for the real thing. In time we can begin to experience long term success and freedom.

Did you know that according to Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) health care is America’s largest industry? Wow! That is saying that as a country we spend more money going to doctors & hospitals, as well as paying for medicines and other medical treatments, than we do on anything else! In June of 2000 a Birmingham News article stated Americans spend more money than any other nation on health care. And yet we are experiencing some of the highest rates of degenerative disease than most other countries of the world. We also seem to be plagued with some of the highest rates of obesity and weight problems. These statistics provide some sad commentaries on the health of Americans. Reports also indicate that Christians are dealing with the same percentage of sickness and disease as non-Christians. This should cause us to recognize the need to make some changes! Most people call the medical system that we have today health care, I think that a better term would be disease care. As a nation, the statistics tell us that we are not doing too well taking care of our health, but we sure do a good job taking care of our diseases.

If we know that certain lifestyle choices are the primary cause of the excess weight, the issue will never be resolved until we begin to make different choices. Because of human nature we often don’t want to make these changes so we look for a short cut. We look for a way to lose weight still desiring to be able to continue to do the very things that caused the excess weight to begin with. Until the underlying factors are addressed a permanent solution simply cannot take place.

As a New Testament believer, the Bible does not present us with “legal” requirements concerning our diet. We are truly free to eat anything we want. It is our choice. But the bible does tell us that while all things are permissible, all things are not beneficial. As we find what foods are most beneficial for us (which foods best meet the nutritional needs of the body) and focus on those foods in our diet, we will begin to experience better health and find our ideal weight. Of course there are also numerous other factors that effect our health and weight.

If we have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Our body is truly a temple of the Holy Spirit. . Learning what steps we can make toward good stewardship in the area of our physical bodies will open the door to blessings concerning our health We are then free to pursue the fullness of God’s purposes for our lives. Taking care of our health will profit us little if our focus is only on the things of this world. If our purpose, however is to further the kingdom of God by allowing the Lord to work in and through us, then caring for our temple should be considered a vital aspect of our ministry. Without a healthy body we become limited in what we are able to accomplish for the Lord.

Here are a few guidelines that can be used as a foundation for a health building approach to losing weight.

1. God designed food to feed our physical bodies - just as His word is the spiritual food that feeds us spiritually. Feeding on spiritual “junk food” will produce ill spiritual health. Feeding on physical “junk food” will produce ill physical health and can add excess weight. A junk food can be classified as a substance that is low in beneficial (or nutritional) components and high in non-nourishing or other harmful components. Another way to look at this principle is “we reap what we sow”.
2. Those foods that were in God’s original plan (Gen 1:29) provide the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients. Nutritional science today is telling us that if we would eat more fruits and vegetables we would be healthier. Because these were the primary foods in God’s original diet plan, this does not surprise me.
3. Eating a food in its least processed form will provide us with the most nutrition. Simply put, the more a food is processed (changed from its original form) the less nutrition that food has to offer us. Additionally, the more a food is processed the more additives and other nonfood components are generally added to it and the more potentially harmful it can become. I usually tell people to read labels when purchasing foods. If an ingredient doesn’t sound like a food - it probably isn’t! (NOTE: Ingredient labels are not needed on unprocessed whole foods – like those found in the produce section. So, save time – buy fresh fruits & vegetables!). Natural foods help to bring balance into the body and can be a cornerstone for losing weight. Natural foods, properly prepared, are not only nutritious but also very delicious.
4. Make sure to drink adequate amounts of pure water. This not only aids in weight loss but it also helps the body to overcome many ailments thus bringing about better health. Did you know that your hunger can sometimes be caused by your body’s need for water? And soft drinks, coffee, tea & bottled juices don’t count! Caffeine, phosphates & other properties in these drinks purge water from the “water system” of your body, so they are actually dehydrating. Raw fruits & vegetables as well as freshly extracted juices are not only a good source of good clean water but they also provide lots of wonderful nutrients that can aid in rebuilding health. Distilled or Reverse Osmosis purifiers are the best means of producing clean, pure source of drinking water.
5. Exercise! The body needs adequate amounts of movement to maintain health. The lymphatic and the circulatory systems both require exercise to function properly. Also, it has been shown that the body better utilizes the nutrients available to it when proper exercise is maintained. Also, most people have experienced that it is easier to lose weight when some form of exercise is including in the “program”.
6. Remove the stresses of life by giving every issue of your life over to the Lord. Constant stress robs us of optimal health. The glandular response to stress can cause imbalances that can be a contributing factor in weight problems as well as other health-related issues. God did not intend for us to carry the load that many people are carrying around today. As we release the issues in our life over to Him, we can experience His peace, which will effect every aspect of our lives – including our health! God’s word is a tremendous source of help & encouragement. Reading His word will build us up in every area of our lives. I have also found in my own life that spending time in the presence of God is the most life transforming experience I have ever known. It is vital to set aside time to read God’s word and to spend time with Him each day.
7. Get adequate oxygen, sunshine & rest. These basic physical needs promote optimal health.
8. I encourage you to begin today to set realistic goals for you (and your family) that will lead you to achieving optimal health. Continue educating yourself concerning health issues. Don’t set “going on a diet” or “losing ___ lb.’s” as your goal. Ask the Lord to show you what lifestyle changes you should make that will bring about better health in your life. Healthy lifestyle principles will not only put you on a road to attaining and maintaining proper weight, but they will also point you toward better health. At Abundant Living Health Ministries our goal is to encourage people towards better health. We teach free classes & seminars that expound upon the principles outlined in this article. We also offer other health education & lifestyle tools that can help make transitioning into a healthier lifestyle easier. If we can help you in any way as you seek information in this area, please give us a call.

Be sure to ask us about the new Weigh of Wisdom (WOW!) workshop. We are very excited about this new program that focuses on a truly healthy approach to weight loss. The program highlights principles that have been used by many to lose excess weight and to regain health.

If we can help you in any way please contact us at (205)669-5483 or fax us at (205)670-0702 or email us at info@abundantlivinghealth.com. Abundant Living Heath Ministries & Abundant Living Lifestyle Center & Health Foods are located at 5130 Hwy. 86 Calera, AL. 35040.  (02/10/01)