Eating unhealthily-Gluttony?

[catholicboy2]

Hi, I’m 15 (turning 16 in about 4 weeks) and I used to (as of about 2-3 days ago) ate unhealthily a lot. I love chocolate and other deserts and pizzas too. I have a high metabolism (i don’t know how high) so I’m only about 135 lbs. For about 2 days I’ve been trying to eat healthily, but we don’t have much healthy stuff (we might get some). If I go back to eating what I used to eat (unhealthily) I feel like I’m committing gluttony, but if I try to stay on eating healthy (sometimes it feels like a diet) I might not get enough to eat and might lose weight (which could be very bad for me). My mom also says that I’m gonna eat what we have (a lot of unhealthy stuff) before buying anything more. My blood pressure and all other physical health areas all deem me healthy (except I’ve never been tested for my cholesterol). I don’t really overindulge from what I eat normally - I’ll eat about (almost) a whole pizza, a whole thing of tortellini that my mom buys from Costco with alfredo sauce (it fills a whole plate), a whole box of Macaroni and Cheese, and might eat a half a bag of potato chips, possibly a little more than a half. Once I’m full, I stop eating though; many times I’ll have some desert once I get over being full (I’ll probably stop eating desert so much, but sometimes I’m still hungry after dinner and I’m not really full). Is it a sin of gluttony to eat like what I described?

 

[Bookcat]

It is important to eat healthy…and it can be sinful to eat in an unreasonable way …such can be a sin against temperance…etc

try to get things in balance…and use reason and the virtue of temperance and that of prudence as your guide…

catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=33754

 

[baltobetsy]

Boys in their mid-teens are in the middle of a period of rapid growth, and, as any mother of boys knows, they have a tremendous capacity for food. What would be seriously gluttonous for anyone else can be normal eating for teenage boys.

In your case, catholicboy2, obeying your mother with respect to what will be served according to what’s in the house is the best course of action for now. The next time there’s a trip to the store, perhaps you could ask for some fruits and vegetables to add to your normal diet. If you snack on some raw veggies and dip, or add some broccoli to that plate of pasta and have fruit for dessert, you will go a long way toward making your diet healthier without going hungry.

Betsy

 

[catholicboy2]

It is important to eat healthy…and it can be sinful to eat in an unreasonable way …such can be a sin against temperance…etc

try to get things in balance…and use reason and the virtue of temperance and that of prudence as your guide…

catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=33754

thank you!
I’ll try (like I’ve been trying for a couple of days) to eat heathier
but what if I do lose weight (as part of my high metabolism) and become too underweight from eating heathier-less fat?

 

[LilyM]

Boys in their mid-teens are in the middle of a period of rapid growth, and, as any mother of boys knows, they have a tremendous capacity for food. What would be seriously gluttonous for anyone else can be normal eating for teenage boys.

In your case, catholicboy2, obeying your mother with respect to what will be served according to what’s in the house is the best course of action for now. The next time there’s a trip to the store, perhaps you could ask for some fruits and vegetables to add to your normal diet. If you snack on some raw veggies and dip, or add some broccoli to that plate of pasta and have fruit for dessert, you will go a long way toward making your diet healthier without going hungry.

Betsy

Sounds sensible to me. I agree, teenage boys do seem to need (and be able to eat) mountains of food to fuel their growth and development.

Fruit and veg are often a lot more filling for the amount of calories you get compared to other types of foods, and can be a big shock to the system in other ways for those not in the habit of eating large quantities of them.

So in any event make sure you do gradually build up your daily intake of fruit and veg rather than making massive sudden changes.

 

[Viki63]

Boys in their mid-teens are in the middle of a period of rapid growth, and, as any mother of boys knows, they have a tremendous capacity for food. What would be seriously gluttonous for anyone else can be normal eating for teenage boys.

In your case, catholicboy2, obeying your mother with respect to what will be served according to what’s in the house is the best course of action for now. The next time there’s a trip to the store, perhaps you could ask for some fruits and vegetables to add to your normal diet. If you snack on some raw veggies and dip, or add some broccoli to that plate of pasta and have fruit for dessert, you will go a long way toward making your diet healthier without going hungry.
Betsy

This is really good advice for someone your age. You will probably not lose weight if you follow it. As you have noticed, eating fewer sweets and desserts would be healthy, Also replacing white bread, pasta and white potatoes with whole wheat and sweet potatoes would be healthier. Good luck.

 

[Bookcat]

thank you!
I’ll try (like I’ve been trying for a couple of days) to eat heathier
but what if I do lose weight (as part of my high metabolism) and become too underweight from eating heathier-less fat?

A balanced diet as they say…talk with your doctor perhaps see what he suggests in particular for you. But in any case…a reasonable diet…it may be “more” than I should eat at 39 since you are a growing teenager…I can only grow outward…which is not good…

do not scruple…but use reason as your guide…and the virtues. Eat well…even if you eat more than I would at my age. It is important in your growing that you have good stuff to grow with…which does not mean you can not have oreos too…(one of my favorites) …

I am speaking from the moral point of view…that we want to eat well for our good but for specifics talk with your doctor etc

 

[catholicboy2]

thanks for all who replied, I get what you’re saying
I went to mypyramid.gov and found foods right for me and how much. It might take a while to get used to and as of right now I might not get all my needs as of now and it probably will take some time to get on track, but it’s all for the better.

 

[catholicboy2]

well I think my 1st day on it went pretty well, except: couldn’t get much vegetables (we don’t have much), couldn’t get much meat without raising sodium levels and/or other unhealthy things, and since every day i need about 2800 calories I could get only some between 1000-1500 calories because all the “healthy” stuff we have has really low calories. To raise my my calorie level I had another bowl of cereal of frosted mini wheats (about 200 calories) before bed, was this gluttonous-a sin?

 

[jawgee]

God gave us food to enjoy and to give thanks and praise to Him! He, after all, provided it to us!

Don’t let food become an idol. Eat to nourish your body - eat until you feel satisfied, enjoy all foods in moderation giving thanks to God, and live to honor God.

 

[baltobetsy]

well I think my 1st day on it went pretty well, except: couldn’t get much vegetables (we don’t have much), couldn’t get much meat without raising sodium levels and/or other unhealthy things, and since every day i need about 2800 calories I could get only some between 1000-1500 calories because all the “healthy” stuff we have has really low calories. To raise my my calorie level I had another bowl of cereal of frosted mini wheats (about 200 calories) before bed, was this gluttonous-a sin?

There is no reason for you to be counting calories. Or sodium. Or fat, cholesterol or “other unhealthy things.” You are slender, healthy, growing and young . You should eat until you are satisfied and no more, and try to include healthy foods like vegetables and fruit. And stop worrying about gluttony. Worry instead about your scrupulosity - get a good confessor and follow his advice.

Betsy

 

[zigzeigler]

Dear Catholicboy2: When I was mid-teens I also found myself worried about whether or not I was doing the right things in my religious life. I seemed to feel anxious and guilty much of the time. Much later in my life I came across Thomas Merton’s prayer that begins: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I cannot see the road ahead of me . . . " There is a line in there that has brought me SO much comfort and peace: "But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you . . . " The fact that you desire to please God and avoiding gluttony DOES please God. Relax in that assurance, and enjoy being a mid-teen–able to eat just about anything. It won’t last forever Someday you’ll be an old codger who can’t look at a doughnut without putting on weight!

 

[bingbang]

well I think my 1st day on it went pretty well, except: couldn’t get much vegetables (we don’t have much), couldn’t get much meat without raising sodium levels and/or other unhealthy things, and since every day i need about 2800 calories I could get only some between 1000-1500 calories because all the “healthy” stuff we have has really low calories. To raise my my calorie level I had another bowl of cereal of frosted mini wheats (about 200 calories) before bed, was this gluttonous-a sin?

You need to stop eating “healthy” if you can’t eat enough while eating healthy. 1000-1500 calories is not enough for a teenage boy. That is barely enough for a small 50 year old woman.

If you want to raise your calories while eating “clean” you can easily add calories with nuts (a few handfuls of almonds is hundreds of calories) and by adding olive oil to things. Honestly though, at your age and weight you shouldn’t be worrying too much about what you are eating.

If you were eating to the point of almost throwing up on a daily basis then it might be gluttony. Eating things that aren’t healthy is not gluttony.

 

[catholicboy2]

ok thanks I will try to eat healthily (more fruits and vegetables and less fats) but I will also try to get enough food and/or calories to remain keeping healthy too. (even if I have have to resort to eating some unhealthy foods - good tasting food haha)
I was just wondering, would me being 15 (turning 16 Aug. 29th), have a height from 5’10"-6’0", and weighing about 135 lbs be healthy?
A physician at my high school who checked my out for my sports physical said I was healthy but I was just wondering if I should GAIN weight. I also try to run/walk for 30-60 min a day.

 

[bingbang]

ok thanks I will try to eat healthily (more fruits and vegetables and less fats) but I will also try to get enough food and/or calories to remain keeping healthy too. (even if I have have to resort to eating some unhealthy foods - good tasting food haha)
I was just wondering, would me being 15 (turning 16 Aug. 29th), have a height from 5’10"-6’0", and weighing about 135 lbs be healthy?
A physician at my high school who checked my out for my sports physical said I was healthy but I was just wondering if I should GAIN weight. I also try to run/walk for 30-60 min a day.

Well it certainly would be much better to gain a bit of weight than to lose it. To be honest I wouldn’t worry about it.

 

[jswheatl]

It’ll serve you well in the log run to educate yourself on nutrition now. Also there are all kinds of books written on how to eat more “Biblically”. Author Don Colbert has written a few. You might just also Google Biblical diets and see what comes up. I am not sure if you can find any books written from a purely Catholic standpoint, but you will be able to from a Biblical sense for sure. Some of them might be written just to “sell books” but after some research you’ll develop a sense of what’s going on. Also, you might not have a lot of control in deciding what you can eat at this time, but over time you will have more freedom to choose your diet. Best wishes!

 

[atassina]

Eat what you want. Simply stay healthy. It is not what you eat it is the end result that matters.

 

[LilyM]

ok thanks I will try to eat healthily (more fruits and vegetables and less fats) but I will also try to get enough food and/or calories to remain keeping healthy too. (even if I have have to resort to eating some unhealthy foods - good tasting food haha)
I was just wondering, would me being 15 (turning 16 Aug. 29th), have a height from 5’10"-6’0", and weighing about 135 lbs be healthy?
A physician at my high school who checked my out for my sports physical said I was healthy but I was just wondering if I should GAIN weight. I also try to run/walk for 30-60 min a day.

Don’t cut out all fats by any means - just limit (don’t cut completely) the saturated fat and the trans-fats and the hydrogentated vegetable oils like margarine spreads.

Include plenty of healthy fats like olive oil and other poly- or mono- unsaturated vegetable oils. And don’t be scared to eat things like avocado or fatty fish or nuts (apart from coconut) and seeds, they’re great sources of good fats which will give you the energy you need.