Is gluttony a sin we take seriously?

[Nessa]

Just curious what people think?

[Nessa]

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[RickD]

Sure, I guess. I can't say that I've struggled with gluttony(excessive overeating). But the few people I know that struggle with overeating, overeat as a response to emotional trauma. Overeating can be a mechanism used to cope with hurt.

So, while I guess it could be a sin, calling it a sin in that kind of case, would do nobody any good. The root cause of the overeating needs to be dealt with, before the overeating can be dealt with. If there is an emotional issue behind the overeating, and one finds a way to stop the overeating, without dealing with the underlying issue first, the overeating may stop. But another unhealthy addiction may take its place.

[Philip]

Over the last year, I have radically reduced my daily food intake and - as important - the quality of the foods I eat. Got rid of a lot of stuff. Banned junk food - especially small snack items from the house. Weekly, I go on 4-5 extremely fast-paced powerwalks on huge hills, jog some of it. NO sweets during the week! Almost no sugar (it's hidden in so many foods). NO processed foods. And I only eat twice per day - but quite substantial and healthy meals - lots of steamed veggies. Very little beef - more fish and ground turkey. I prayed a lot for help in losing weight and maintaining willpower. Result is that I've lost 43 lbs. and am keeping it off. I keep an eagle eye on the scale! I do enjoy my ice cream or a Hersey bar on Saturday or Sunday nights. If we have a church small group meal on a Sunday night, I'll kill it! But back to the healthy routine on Mondays. I feel a whole lot better! Got rid of the fat boy pants! If I can do it, ANYONE can.

[RickD]

You only eat twice a day? How's your metabolism?

If I only ate twice a day, I'd have no energy. I try to eat about 6 small meals a day. It keeps my energy and metabolism up. And I've cut soda out almost completely. I used to drink at least one can a day. Now I'm down to maybe 2 cans a month.


Nessa,

I'm curious...

Why do you ask?

[RickD]

Oh, and Philip, please post before and after photos, so we can all be amazed at your transformation.

[theophilus]

Most people don't think of gluttony as a serious sin but perhaps we should. Most would agree that drunkenness is a serious sin and there are places in the Bible where drunkenness and gluttony are mentioned together.

“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’"
(Deuteronomy 21:18-20 ESV)

Be not among drunkards
or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and slumber will clothe them with rags.
(Proverbs 23:20-21 ESV)

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
(Matthew 11:18-19 ESV)

[Nessa]

Oh, and Philip, please post before and after photos, so we can all be amazed at your transformation.

just remember to look like your friend just died in the before pic and you won the lottery in the after pic

[Nessa]

You only eat twice a day? How's your metabolism?

If I only ate twice a day, I'd have no energy. I try to eat about 6 small meals a day. It keeps my energy and metabolism up. And I've cut soda out almost completely. I used to drink at least one can a day. Now I'm down to maybe 2 cans a month.


Nessa,

I'm curious...

Why do you ask?

My husband use to notice that heaps of emphasis was put on certain sins in our old church but people would seemed to never think anything of being over weight and gorging

It is easier to pick on say smoking cos food can be a bit more difficult maybe?

Also I myself do abuse food but because Ive never had a weight issue I guess I dont have motivation to stop. So many people use food to emotionally stuff down emotions and in that case you do need to get to the root cause. Though possibly all comes down to an inability to cope.

I think part of the sin issue is lack of self control.

[Philip]

You only eat twice a day? How's your metabolism?

What I could eat and the AMOUNT I could eat before 35 later dramatically changed. I was always slender and athletic, especially before I went through years of serious illness. I played lots of full-court basketball. I never gained weight. In high school, I was really skinny. But after 35-40, I had to watch (or should have) my weight - even with the same level of exercise. It didn't help that my wife is a fantastic cook and she never had to worry about calories. And she always had snack foods around. As for my mere two meals per day, these are always very healthy and very substantial. I also cut out breads, cereal and my countless peanut butter sandwiches. Once I cut those items and cut the processed foods out, my constant hunger (whenever I'd previously tried to lose weight) vanished. I originally went to two meals a day so I could accelerate the pace of my weight loss - and it definitely did that. But I also discovered that by greatly diminished but much healthier eating, and what I cut out completely, totally vanquished getting hungry. I'm NEVER hungry. And THAT was THE biggest issue with trying to lose weight. I couldn't go around hungry - EVER! I don't eat lunches, but I may snack on nuts or fruit. Maybe popcorn. I also try to eat supper fairly early and get a good night's sleep. I don't drink cola unless out somewhere, I might drink a diet coke. And if I know I've got some huge meal coming up - like at Thanksgiving, Christmas, a family reunion, I typically only eat that one giant meal. I won't go back to the hunger cycle as long as I don't go back to regular eating of comfort/processed foods. Really, processed foods and sugar-laden stuff put you on that hunger cycle, as they are VERY addictive and make you crave food and overeat.

I've learned that to maintain proper weight, you're allowed a certain daily calorie bucket, however it adds up. You can go over it with substantial exercise. Maintain that calorie level with even more significant exercise, you'll lose weight. Do that and substantially reduce calories, you'll lose even more. Go over the daily calorie limit without exercise, you're gonna gain. It's very simple. And if you exercise first thing in the morning before eating, it's far more effective for weight loss. Back when I was a teenager, I could just about shut McDonald's down, and yet I wouldn't gain an ounce. I also think prayer was important. I'd hit spots on the scale and it wouldn't go down. And then I'd lose some more - very gradual, the process was.

But enough of that - guess there's no zealot like someone reformed from something. But maybe some ideas for someone out there. If I'd previously known how to do it, I wouldn't have been overweight for 20+ years.

[RickD]

You only eat twice a day? How's your metabolism?

If I only ate twice a day, I'd have no energy. I try to eat about 6 small meals a day. It keeps my energy and metabolism up. And I've cut soda out almost completely. I used to drink at least one can a day. Now I'm down to maybe 2 cans a month.


Nessa,

I'm curious...

Why do you ask?

My husband use to notice that heaps of emphasis was put on certain sins in our old church but people would seemed to never think anything of being over weight and gorging

It is easier to pick on say smoking cos food can be a bit more difficult maybe?

Also I myself do abuse food but because Ive never had a weight issue I guess I dont have motivation to stop. So many people use food to emotionally stuff down emotions and in that case you do need to get to the root cause. Though possibly all comes down to an inability to cope.

I think part of the sin issue is lack of self control.

I see what you're saying Nessa. I hadn't really thought about it, but gluttony isn't really one of those sins that I've heard much about.

[Philip]

Gluttony isn't just a lust for excessive eating. It can also refer to plain, old greed - whatever its target.

[Nessa]

You only eat twice a day? How's your metabolism?

If I only ate twice a day, I'd have no energy. I try to eat about 6 small meals a day. It keeps my energy and metabolism up. And I've cut soda out almost completely. I used to drink at least one can a day. Now I'm down to maybe 2 cans a month.


Nessa,

I'm curious...

Why do you ask?

My husband use to notice that heaps of emphasis was put on certain sins in our old church but people would seemed to never think anything of being over weight and gorging

It is easier to pick on say smoking cos food can be a bit more difficult maybe?

Also I myself do abuse food but because Ive never had a weight issue I guess I dont have motivation to stop. So many people use food to emotionally stuff down emotions and in that case you do need to get to the root cause. Though possibly all comes down to an inability to cope.

I think part of the sin issue is lack of self control.

I see what you're saying Nessa. I hadn't really thought about it, but gluttony isn't really one of those sins that I've heard much about.

I would say how much I hate that thinking smiley but knowing you, you would be like..

Really? Thats really interesting Dont you think so?

I think the trick to not overeating is to only buy junkfood at the.dairy...got just one coke and one novelty sized chocolate bar and paid $5 ..blimmin' day light robbery

[RickD]

[Nessa]

I mean to me.. it always looks like he's just feelin' his stubble... smilies aren't suppose to have stubble..
But then again when I went into the "ex christian" forum.. well lets just say their smilies were slightly different to our
more normal ones