Fasting for God but weight loss issue

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MarthaSo

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Hi everybody,
I’ve been wanting to fast to get nearer to God during the same time I’ve very much wanted to fast with the one meal a day to lose weight.

If I can please have your insight to 2 issues regarding this.
In the challenge to deny food and pray instead I’m afraid the weight loss aspect will trump my reasoning to deny the food instead of wanting to get closer to God. I want to pray and fast for personal reasons I really need to get closer to God but if I even think of the benefit of weight loss I’ll feel bad like I’m ruining the spiritual result.

I hope that makes sense, also I have a toddler, and I find I can’t ever lose weight because I’m always eating (even healthy) to maintain the energy my 44 year old body needs to keep up with him. I’ve been eating healthy and thankfully the change in eating has given me more energy but no weight loss. My work out is literally carrying and chasing him everywhere, I don’t have a lot of extra time to fit in exercise while caring for him and working from home etc…

That was the second aspect, I could use some advice and encouragement, if you have experience to share, in any of these areas.

Thank you, I hope everybody is doing well. God bless you all.
 
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From my personal experience, fasting is not a great way to lose weight and keep it off, especially if you have any kind of high-energy daily job like chasing after a toddler. As you have pointed out, fasting in today’s society carries a lot of non-spiritual baggage with it that can interfere with the spiritual aspect of it.

Please, see your doctor or a nutritionist, and get a healthy diet to follow, one that will allow you to eat enough to have energy, and follow it.
Do something else to be close to God, like a half-hour for prayer time.
 
Half hour of prayer sounds fantastic, I need to make it a priority I guess whenever I have a free half hour it’s so amazing I don’t know what to do with myself so I just either rest or cook I’ll have to re-look at our home schedule. thank you for the great idea .
 
I think that is a good idea, Martha. You should schedule time for yourself, even a half hour of uninterrupted time each day. Either when someone else can watch your toddler, or when he/she is asleep. You could use that time to get closer to God thru praying or reading the Bible or other books. You could use a change of diet perhaps to lose weight, but you still need exercise no matter what kind of running after a toddler you do.

Walking is good exercise. Pushing a stroller with a toddler Is great exercise. You don’t have to run, just walk briskly. With any luck, your toddler might fall asleep, you can sit and read, or just enjoy the quiet.
 
Is there a difference between a dietitian and nutritionist? I’m going to check my health insurance for coverage. I appreciate this advice thank you .
 
Please speak to your doctor about fasting . This is as much a medical issue as a spiritual one in your case, looking after children
 
Do you breastfeed your toddler? (It’s worth asking - I nursed all of my tots). That can have a serious impact on fasting, as well, even though you’d no longer be nursing full-time. I love the idea of a half hour of prayer!
 
Dieticians have a degree and a certification. Nutritionists—it varies. Some people who want to help others just call themselves “nutritionists.”

Allow me to caution you about fasting when you have young children. Fasting can lead to fainting in some people, and were this to happen and your toddler gets hurt or even is fine, but is found alone with no alert caregiver while you are “out”, you could be in trouble with the law. It’s one thing for a parent to just “faint” (some people are subject to sudden fainting spells), but for a parent to deliberately make a health practice choice, e.g., fasting, that can lead to fainting–this won’t look good with the law. It’s just not a good idea.

Perhaps you can try fasting from a certain beloved treat for one day a week. I wouldn’t try this with coffee or any caffeinated drink (sudden caffeine deprivation can lead to migraines and other headaches), but perhaps you could give up your favorite sweet or salty treat one day a week, as long as it doesn’t make you so crabby that your toddler is adversely affected.

I do like tis_bearself’s idea of some good spiritual reading and prayer time.

Please keep in mind that there is a time and season for everything. During the time and season of raising babies and very young children, it’s really hard to also find the time and season for difficult spiritual disciplines. Even reading the Bible and praying are sometimes very difficult.

One of my friends long ago gave a talk and referred us to Ephesians 1:16, where St. Paul talks about “making mention of you in my prayers,” or in some versions, “remembering you in my prayers.”

Sometimes we think we have to strive for hours in prayers, spending a lot of time on our knees. But it’s obvious in this passage that St. Paul did a lot of “fast praying” or even just “remembering someone in a prayer.”

This season of your life is a good time to “mention” people and issues of concern in your prayers. Although it’s lovely to sit or kneel for a longer period of time and talk with God, sometimes young moms find themselves nodding off from exhaustion! Don’t worry about it. Mention your concerns to God throughout the day while you are changing a diaper or cutting up some fruit for your little one! God hears and responds!

One other thing you can do is teach your toddler to pray and teach him stories from the Bible! This is a great act of love and a way to honor God and give your toddler a precious gift!

Enjoy every minute with your little one(s). It goes fast.
 
Fasting for God–for spiritual reasons–can be the smallest thing, because very often it is those small things that are real sacrifices for us. For example, if you use butter on your bread, no butter one day. If you drink 3 cups of coffee, only 2. If you use cream in your coffee, or salt on your dinner, forego those. This is the kind of fasting often recommended by spiritual writers. God does not “require” you to do anything more, unless you are given the desire and joy in doing it for Him. I think a lot of people are confused on this issue.
 
So, I’ve actually been losing weight steadily since January. I was having gall bladder attacks and the doc gave me the options of seeing a surgeon (not happening right now, even if I prefered this choice.) or essentially cutting out all cholesterol and saturated fat from my diet. He also wants me to exercise every day. The food part was actually the easiest part. I basically only eat veggies, oats, and very limited other grains and fish and turkey. I haven’t had any gall bladder attacks and I’ve actually been losing weight, which I’ve never been able to do. The exercise part has been harder because I have three you children who don’t walk that fast and all the gyms are closed. When the kids were in daycare, my husband picked them up to give me an extra 45 minutes after work. (The time of day I was least motivated to exercise.) Now the kids are home with me, so I have to go walking after dinner and it’s much harder to find time. But I have lost 25 lbs, which is pretty good. If you want to loose weight, just imagine that if you eat any cholesterol or saturated fat, you will spend the evening doubled over in pain, contemplating calling the ambulance. (Bad gall bladders are brutal but effective accountability partners.)
 
oh my I’m so happy you no longer suffer this and found a solution. I will definitely look into this thank you.
 
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