Gluttony?

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I’m afraid to ask, but have felt horrid guilt all day. Went to Mass this morning (every morning), but didn’t take Communion, because not sure I should. I’m about 30 lbs overweight, so coming along nicely in trimming down. Yesterday, I was ok, knew I was getting full, kept eating a little more anyway. It’s not a habit, but coming from a Protestant background, have a hard time with little sins. To Protestants, sin is sin. Love being a Catholic, in that we at least have knowledge of human foibles, and don’t to wait for the club to fall when we slip. I feel like I ignored the Holy Spirit, and so am in mortal sin, so I went to Mass this am, but didn’t take communion. I’m also afraid of becoming scrupulous, although Father has not said I am. Did I commit mortal sin yesterday? Couldn’t find a priest a priest to confess to today. Thanks.
 
i think you are reaching to call it gluttony.

if i read your post correctly, you are in the process of losing weight. part of that process is learning when you feel satisfied and stop eating vs eating till you are full- which is often too much… there is a learning curve finding the difference between the two.

also, when losing weight- especially when trying to lose weight too quickly, its not uncommon to get cravings- and sometimes they can be extreme. sometimes you over eat as a result of this.

what you did doesn’t sound gluttonous- a couple of extra bites aren’t going to impair your health, and it doesn’t sound like you were impaired in fulfilling your duties.

i would say don’t worry about it. be happy about your weight loss, and i applaud that you are striving to learn more about getting g closer to God.
 
Aw, how kind. And who in the world said Catholics have too much guilt?? I have not experienced so much kindness, and real help in dealing with sin and faith, as I have since I very first started attending Mass. We really ARE in this together, aren’t we? I do like to question myself though.
 
If I can just offer some humble advice.

Going online and asking people if such-and-such is a mortal sin is just a sure-fire recipe for developing scrupulosity should you not already find yourself in such a state.

I would think that the vast majority of us, first and foremost, are really not qualified to be offering guidance on questions of that sort. The potential for misinformation or garbled theology being communicated is probably quite high.

The people who should be helping you with these questions are priests, especially if you find yourself experiencing a sort of paranoia about having committed a mortal sin.
 
RedBasket said:
I’m afraid to ask, but have felt horrid guilt all day. Went to Mass this morning (every morning), but didn’t take Communion, because not sure I should. I’m about 30 lbs overweight, so coming along nicely in trimming down. Yesterday, I was ok, knew I was getting full, kept eating a little more anyway. It’s not a habit, but coming from a Protestant background, have a hard time with little sins. To Protestants, sin is sin. Love being a Catholic, in that we at least have knowledge of human foibles, and don’t to wait for the club to fall when we slip. I feel like I ignored the Holy Spirit, and so am in mortal sin, so I went to Mass this am, but didn’t take communion. I’m also afraid of becoming scrupulous, although Father has not said I am. Did I commit mortal sin yesterday? Couldn’t find a priest a priest to confess to today. Thanks.
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I very much doubt this is a mortal sin. A slight amount of overeating is not grave matter. Gluttony is something much more serious than that:

newadvent.org/cathen/06590a.htm

You might want to check your dieting plan / habits, though. Sometimes a very restrictive or limited diet can actually trigger binges. I’ve been there. 😉
 
RedBasket, speaking as someone who is always hungry and on a perpetual diet to keep at 150lbs, I can tell you that what you’re experiencing is normal when you’re trying to trim down! If you are used to eating until you’re full or over-full all the time, it’s a hard habit to break, and your body will protest at the reduction in nourishment.

To lose weight, we simply need to eat fewer calories than our body is going to use in energy that day. The extra calories come from your reserves - i.e., the body fat you want to lose. It’s not gluttony to eat a little more than you planned or wanted to that day because you feel hungry, dieting is very hard for some of us. Just keep an eye on your weight and adjust your intake accordingly.

Good luck! 🙂
 
If “mild gluttony/sloth” are serious mortal sins, we are almost all hellbound. Despite the “everyone is okay” theories being pushed our only reason for not basically living in glorified bodies is we like delicious and are lazy… I’d like to think that having a little extra fat isn’t a big deal… as long as we are making an effort not tk be jabba the hut. 🙂
 
From what I understand Gluttony is present if the person is eating to make themselves somehow feel better, or really any other reason besides eating to refresh our bodies. Many people turn to food when they get depressed, nervous, angry, elated, etc.

I wouldnt say 30lbs overweight is a big deal, but when someone becomes morbidly obese, its probably important to determine why they are eating like they are, if its to relieve some mental issue, its gluttony imo.
 
RedBasket said:
I’m afraid to ask, but have felt horrid guilt all day. Went to Mass this morning (every morning), but didn’t take Communion, because not sure I should. I’m about 30 lbs overweight, so coming along nicely in trimming down. Yesterday, I was ok, knew I was getting full, kept eating a little more anyway. It’s not a habit, but coming from a Protestant background, have a hard time with little sins. To Protestants, sin is sin. Love being a Catholic, in that we at least have knowledge of human foibles, and don’t to wait for the club to fall when we slip. I feel like I ignored the Holy Spirit, and so am in mortal sin, so I went to Mass this am, but didn’t take communion. I’m also afraid of becoming scrupulous, although Father has not said I am. Did I commit mortal sin yesterday? Couldn’t find a priest a priest to confess to today. Thanks.
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What you are describing isn’t a mortal sin under any case. Receive the Eucharist and every day, if possible. The Eucharist is the remedy to all these worries that you are having.
 
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