Fat Loss and the Christian Life
Losing weight—especially body fat—is a long journey, and it won’t necessarily be easy. However, several simple steps can help get the ball rolling and lead to long-term success. I watched a video about burning body fat, and they brought up some great ideas. From a Christian perspective, there was one piece advice that really caught my attention, and I spent some time chewing on that thought.
Ultra-Processed Christians?
The first and most important step is to limit ultra-processed foods. This is the toughest area for most people, including myself. However, by reducing ultra-processed foods, we can reap the following benefits:
- We consume fewer overall calories.
- We consume fewer harmful chemicals that negatively affect our glucose levels, hormones, and other blood markers.
- We can eat more food volume without adopting a restrictive mindset toward our diet.
- We fill ourselves with nutrient-dense foods rather than eating sparsely nutritious food in low volumes to “cut weight.”
As a Christian, cutting ultra-processed foods can be a spiritual matter. These foods are crafted by food companies to be ultra-palatable, keeping us coming back for more. For example, it would be tough to eat several boiled potatoes with sour cream and onions in one sitting. Yet, in a matter of moments, we could easily devour a whole bag of sour cream and onion potato chips. In those moments, we are being controlled by our appetites.
I'll readily admit that I had several handful of sour cream and onions chips, Takis, three slices of Dominos pizza, and Cocoa Pebbles yesterday afternoon. I had been meticulously cutting out ultra-processed foods from my diet, but my appetite got the best of me. Is it addiction? Is it ADHD and dopamine seeking? Is just a cheat day that shouldn't bother me? That's what I'm pondering this muggy Saturday morning on my back porch.
What does the Word of God teach us about addictive behaviors?
In 1 Corinthians 6:12–13 (CSB), we read:
‘“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them.’
Paul’s naysayers were arguing from a flawed perspective about Christian liberty. But the punchline is clear: we shouldn’t be mastered by anything. Whether we are free to eat certain foods or not, God will do away with the stomach and the food. It's not a sin to eat hot dogs or boneless wings. But at what point am I being "mastered" by my appetite and desires for food? That's what I'm seeking to understand for myself.
I’m not arguing that it’s a sin to eat a Dorito, donut, or Debbie cake. However, if we desire to take better care of our bodies, which are temples of God, it’s worth considering whether we are addicted to ultra-processed foods. If we find ourselves unable to avoid multiple trips to the pantry to grab handfuls of chips or a piece of candy from the dish every few hours, perhaps we have been mastered by the processed food experts.
Perhaps we aren’t in need of more willpower—we are in need of grace for repentance to put the fork down.
I am setting out to write micro essays. These are intentionally short articles written primarily for the purposes of my meditation and learning. If they are fitting for the blog, I plan to share them here with anyone who wants to read them. These aren't meant to be full exegetical articles or even my deepest thoughts on any topic. They are micro essays, with an intentionality on being micro.
