Why I Finally Quit Dieting
Food, healthy eating, and holistic living are all the rage right now. Buzzwords, in fact, so much so that no matter who you are or how you eat, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The wellness space is exploding with different diets and well-being tips and tricks that it can feel overwhelming to really unpack what is right for us as individuals to maintain as a lifestyle. Not to mention the influx of food blogs that range from vegan to paleo, keto to vegetarian, it can feel a bit overwhelming. And let’s not forget the whole “treat yourself” movement.
But at what cost are we dieting and treating ourselves? What imbalance has occurred to where our bodies can’t keep up with the times?
I went most of college and well into my late twenties dieting (with the exception of the year I was pregnant). There was always something new to try and if results were being advertised, I was on it. However, I would start a diet, cheat (because I’d decided I deserved it due to my impressive discipline!), and then fell off the wagon because I took a mile when I only meant to give myself an inch. I would ultimately decide the diet wasn’t working for me and I’d move on to the next. Literally repeating the same cycle.
At times, it’s easy to forget our bodies will only function as well as we teach them and our minds are part of our bodies, so what goes in our bodies effects…yep, our minds. So, here we are, in an age of indulgence and over-information, where do we go from here? Diet hopping can lead to imbalances in the body and over treating oneself can be equally detrimental.
As a result, I found myself fatigued often, low energy, edgy, and with a cloudy brain. I didn’t catch on that I was doing this to myself. I watched myself stop caring because of the inconsistencies I was inflicting on myself. I broke the promises I made to myself by skipping workouts or having cheat meals. When those promises were broken, I trusted myself less and less. I was also hardly keeping up with maintaining my spiritual life, because, again, inconsistencies got the best of me. What never occurred to me was how much damage I was doing to my body in the long run.
I was treating my body with disrespect and forgetting it is a temple of a holy God, for we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20). We were bought at a price, therefore honor God with our bodies. The way we eat and drink and care for our bodies should be a lifestyle again bringing glory to God.
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” -1 Corinthians 10:31.
WHATEVER you do. This does not exclude eating, drinking and how we treat ourselves. I read this verse and felt immediate conviction. But, maybe it won’t feel this way for you right this second. God loves us so deeply, that He gave us the tools to enjoy the lives we have and treat ourselves within reason. As long as it brings God glory.
But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. -1 Corinthians 9:27
I had to ask myself some tough questions and face the answers with where I was in my spiritual walk and the fact that how I was treating my body was a direct indication of how little I valued myself. What we eat seems so minute in the grander scheme in our walk with Christ, but even in the beginning God told Adam what to eat. It was the first instruction God gave.
Genesis 1:29 says, “See, I have given you every herb bearing seed (vegetables, legumes, grains, herbs and spices), which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.” He told Adam, and us how to nourish our bodies! He never left us without guidance -even when it comes to caring for our bodies.
So yes, I had some serious questions to ask myself before I really started to look at the way I ate and drank as a reflection of my spiritual life.
Is this healing or harming me? This one is typically black or white.
Do I need to have this part of my meal?
Am I going on this diet for a short time or to become healthier in the long run?
Is this “diet” really a healthy and sustainable lifestyle?
Is God pleased with what I’m putting in my body?
Does the way I eat show respect towards myself and my body’s Creator?
Start with these and see what you come up with. Pray for guidance. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and when we remember God loves us despite ourselves, we remember to love ourselves the same way.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. -Ephesians 5:29
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi! My name is Giana V. I’m a wife, a mama, and a high education professional. I live in sunny Southern California just outside of Los Angeles. I have a passion for holistic health, writing, and learning how I can live my best and healthiest life filled with love and joy while helping others do the same.