3 Reasons Not to Diet and What to Do Instead
Have you ever dieted and then regained all the weight? Do you weigh more now than before your diet? If so you’re not alone; us too. Here are some clues why and ideas for permanent weight loss and health gain.
1. If “Diets” Worked, We Wouldn’t be Obese!
Most diets don’t work – or at least not long-term. Many Americans are either on a diet, have recently been on a diet or are considering going on a diet. Yet even with the deluge of new diets, workout programs and diet foods, obesity climbs. In his book, Perfect Weight America, Jordan Rubin reminds us:
- “Americans are the fattest nation on Earth and ballooning to extremely obese proportions at an alarming rate.”
- “Two-thirds of American adults aged twenty years and older are overweight and the number of those who are extremely obese (at least 100 pounds overweight) has quadrupled since the 1980s.” (View current statistics at www.cdc.gov.)
2. Diets Are Temporary and So Are Results!
Quick weight-loss programs may get you in smaller jeans, but diets have a beginning and an end date. I remember asking a friend, “What are you going to do differently when the diet ends?” Without lifestyle changes, former habits take over. The result is regaining lost weight and often gaining even more.
3. Weight Is Not The Real Problem!
We are a dieting, workout, diet-food nation yet weight climbs. Weight is not the root issue. Obesity comes with a price, not only to our pocketbooks but to our treasured health. Obesity is associated with chronic disease and premature death. Our weight is not a fashion statement, it’s a health statement. When we are equipped with the right tools, we no longer have to be “victims” of the latest diet fad.
SO WHAT WORKS?
1. Make Permanent Changes!
Make healthy habits a permanent part of your lifestyle instead of a just another diet. If you struggle with weight, it likely accumulated over years. Start your weight loss in the right direction with permanent healthy habits one step at a time.
2. Make Choices for Health (not Just Weight-Loss)!
Choose foods and a lifestyle that help your body heal. God’s good foods and principles from His Word do just that! The Bible speaks about “leaves for the healing of the nations,” and science backs it up – green leaves of various plants are very healing. When you choose habits for health, balanced weight is a delightful result. Choose to make God’s whole foods (mostly plant-based) a permanent habit, not a temporary “fix.”
3. Start Small, Stay Consistent, Get Healthy!
Start by replacing one habit and then go on to the next. The “dieting” mentality is to “gut it” — for a short time. But after the hard discipline of a diet, most of us relax back into old habits. When you make healthy habits a way of life, each pound you lose is gone for good (it won’t boomerang and find you again)!
WHAT’S NEXT?
Find out which habits you need most. Then pick one and stick with it until it’s a normal part of your day…HABIT. Then go on to the next. Hello Healthy Habits!
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2
#1 Habit for Healthy Living
If there was one simple habit I could give you that I knew would make a HUGE difference in your health, would you want to know? What if that one habit was guaranteed to help you every single day with all the other habits? Imagine a habit you might dismiss as unimportant if you were not assured it was vital to your success. Would you be ready to listen with an open mind?
THE MISSING LINK
There is such a habit; and most of us don’t realize it’s the “missing link!” I certainly didn’t for a very long time. Of course there are many things we can do as we adopt a healthy lifestyle, but I assure you this is indeed THE most important of all, and the #1 best habit I can offer. Have you guessed this life-altering “secret?”
Well, it’s no secret at all, prayer and asking God’s wisdom and guidance for your health journey is not only the best place to start, it’s VITAL to your success.
BRILLIANT COUNSEL
You see, I’ve studied health for years. I’m passionate about it, and I believe it’s a God-given passion. But I trusted experts and became more and more discouraged over the years as I watched one expert discount what the previous “proved true.” How could I help myself, much less others, when truth was evasive? That’s when I enlisted God’s help through prayer. He gives us the Holy Spirit to counsel when we ask and listen; and did you know the Holy Spirit knows the brilliant mind of Christ? You can’t’ get any better counsel than that!
“In Him are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3
Enlisting the Holy Spirit’s counsel transformed my marriage, guided us raising three Godly daughters, led us in our finances and…He’s helping on our healthy journey too.
PRAYER MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
It’s not magic and there are difficult times. But by inviting God on-board, now over 42 years later, instead of being divorced, my husband Paul and I are more happily married than ever, our daughters have married three Godly men (whom we love like sons), and we have 10 super-remarkable grandchildren!
TRUTH IS TRUTH
Our health is no different. Through prayer and seeking God’s wisdom, He showed me the line of truth that runs through the health messages I read. How simple when I realized it all comes back to eating things closest to the way God made them in nature and living by the brilliant principles in His Word. So many experts now realize the very same thing! YAY!
Life’s not easy – and I can’t promise perfect health. We certainly can’t control tomorrow. But when we partner with God, He helps us no matter what comes our way. Seek Him through prayer and His Word. Then watch for His leading and obey as He leads. He can use good Christian authors…or even a simple website called “Hello Healthy Habits!” Either way, time with Him in the Bible and in prayer and asking HIS advice is the #1 Habit for Healthy Living!
Food Might Be Your Miracle
HELP, MY FAMILY IS SICK – Recently I visited with a beautiful homeschooling mom. I haven’t asked to share her story, so I’ll call her Shelly. Shelly was discouraged. She’s trying hard to feed her family well; still, they’ve had some health issues. Shelly and I visited about the miracle she’s praying for…and some better eating habits they’ve started while waiting. Those healthy habits may just be the miracle. God answers prayers…but not always the way we think. It reminds me of Morgan Freeman’s lines in the movie Evan Almighty. He was playing the part of God and says, “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience, or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prays for courage, does God give him courage, or does He give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does He give them opportunities to love each other?” So here’s my question for you: If someone prays for a healthy family, does God zap perfect health or does He give them opportunities to learn habits that lead to better health? I believe in all-out immediate miracles, and I’ve experienced them! Yet, we can’t put God in a box. Sometimes He answers differently than we choose. If I have poor habits that constantly drain my health, perhaps the best miracle is God directing me to better habits. He has done exactly that for me and my family! But the miracle didn’t stop there. Because of my better eating habits, future generations are better equipped with healthier habits too. This family of mine is not perfect, but we’ve come a long way, and the good part is we’re still learning and improving! Every step in the right direction makes the next step easier. Back to Shelly, you would hardly recognize her new lifestyle. She and her family improved eating habits and improved health! Shelly lost weight, she feels better and her children are healthier too! Now they’re improving little by little instead of draining their health with poor choices. Do you need a miracle for your health? Start with prayer but don’t stop there. Whether you’re ready for an all-out “healthy reset” or just want to improve healthy habits one simple step at a time, you’ve come to the right place. Read “Where Do I Start?” to decide the best fit for you. Your miracle may be closer than you think. “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS
THE MIRACLE OF HEALTHY HABITS
WHAT ABOUT YOU?