The use of spirituality to enhance weight loss may sound strange, but there is evidence to prove that spiritual practice may have a positive effect on weight loss.
The act of losing weight is complicated. Weight loss depends on major personal and habitual change. The individual who embarks on a weight loss regimen will very often find that he or she is really on a personal quest to reinvent his or herself. For many people, particularly of a Christian faith, this personal reinvention has similarities to the rebirth of Christ.
Because of this, the reading and study of scripture during this time of self-inspection can have a powerfully positive effect on the individual’s thought processes and self-esteem.
Many believe that meditation can help the dieter internalize the changes they need to make. Meditation is the practice of clearing the mind so as to focus on one single issue, idea, or item. The practice of meditating on the lifestyle changes needed to lose weight can help the individual internalize the habits they need to adopt on a subconscious level. This has been proven effective in studies of people with binge-eating disorders. The studies showed a heightened awareness of fullness at the end of a meal and throughout the day. Depression and anxiety over weight also decreased significantly, allowing the test subjects to relax more about food in general, thus nurturing a healthier attitude toward food and the body.
Some people believe that wearing the color red will help boost the metabolism and melt the fat away. There is no scientific evidence that this is true, but red hues are known to create a psychological effect of excitement. Greens and blues are often used in dining room décor, with the belief that cool colors are relaxing and will subconsciously deter the eater from overeating.
Still others believe that blessing food before ingestion and asking the powers that be to aid the body in only taking what it needs from the food, and getting rid of the rest, will help the stop the body from storing calories as fat. Many who believe in blessing meals in this way also believe that the body can aided in weight loss attempts by dowsing, or swinging a pendulum clockwise, around the body until it stops. This is thought to rid the body of whatever psychological issues or negative energies are causing the body hold onto its fat stores.
Whatever direction spirituality takes, it is widely believed that belief in the aid these theories offer can be very effective. It may be a placebo effect, but connecting to one’s own spirituality during this time of self-reinvention can have powerful effects on the ability to see weight-loss through to the end, and make important, healthier lifestyle changes that will last a lifetime.