The Daniel Plan

Amitysk

[quote\]
Totally agree. I am Christian and have read much of Rick Warren's writings. I think he totally missed the boat on this one.

Involving Dr. Oz and repeating so many of the myths regarding nutrition just shows a lack of discernment in this. I get the motive for addressing the health of our bodies along with our spiritual health but this looks like a poor vehicle that does more harm than good to that cause.

Also, as a substantially overweight person, he should practice what he's attempting to preach.
[/quote]


I used to be a member of Warren's church. I believe he has lost a significant amount from when he started the plan. Not sure how much but he is noticiably thinner.


Edited for quote fail...

SLLRunner

Let me say Thanks for your replies. I appreciate that each of you took the time to read my topic and formulate a reply. My interest in the plan is based on my diet/exercise experience... I simply can't stick to things long-term. The Daniel Plan has 5 "Essentials"... Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus, and Friends. From another life-experience of overcoming an addiction, I learned that depending on God and friends works when my willpower doesn't. So I'm hoping that, while prayer probably won't take the pounds off, it may result in my being able to stick with healthier eating and exercise... Which will take the pounds off.

If you'd like to follow my progress and maybe support me along my journey, I invite you to send a Friend request.

That's very cool. For me, having the support of others who are on the same page is very important to me as a motivational factor.

tempehforever

Regardless of whether or not it "works," I'm not a fan of someone using religion to sell a diet book. Rick Warren claims that he started this weight loss "ministry" because he felt it was a divine calling, but come on: the weight loss industry is a huge moneymaker. I'm sure the fact that God + weight loss = $$ played a huge role in this venture.

He also collaborated with Dr. Oz, who is a quack who misleads the public and not thus, uh, probably not exactly a good Christian role model.

Basically, I wouldn't want to give my money to either of them.

FredDoyle

Would you have laughed and poked fun if the faith at hand was Islam? Wicca? Hinduism? How 'bout Buddha, he's a fatty. People are respectful of every faith except Christianity.

Nonsense. I don't respect any of them. Magical thinking all.

thesupremeforce

I think people jumped on this as a chance to bash a well known Christian and by proxy make fun prayer and of God- who isn't a vending machine obligated to spit out blessings whenever the prayer button is pushed. Would you have laughed and poked fun if the faith at hand was Islam? Wicca? Hinduism? How 'bout Buddha, he's a fatty. People are respectful of every faith except Christianity.

That depends on whether or not Buddha was trying to sell me a diet book.

All kidding aside, I think you missed the boat with your last claim. Sure, a lot of random people disrespect Christianity, but it's not like they respect other religions either. Furthermore, it's not like members of one religion tend to be respectful/tolerant of other religions either. Islam gets insulted all the time around, Wicca isn't even considered a "real" religion (making it a joke), and the only reason why Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions don't get insulted frequently is that most people don't know enough about them to bother.

brooklynnchick

That depends on whether or not Buddha was trying to sell me a diet book. ...it's not like they respect other religions either.

Question: So you are saying that you would discount the value of any weight loss program based on the author's faith system?

Statement: God's not trying to sell you on the Daniel Plan. We were discussing an author who just happens to be a follower of Christ. Your statement doesn't distinguish between follower and the Divine.

Challenge: I challenge you and anyone else to find ONE other post in the whole of mfp which discredits an author simply on the basis of their faith - Islam, Wicca, Buddhist, Hindu, sock worship or anything else-, rather than an objective analysis their program's structure and components. Websites take things like that down because it qualifies as hate speech...except against Christians. If you can find it, I'll happily concede the point.

greenhudler

tempehforever

Question: So you are saying that you would discount the value of any weight loss program based on the author's faith system?

I think the issue is with someone specifically using religion to try to sell a diet book/promote HIMSELF, not someone writing a diet book who happens to of a certain faith.

As a Christian(ish) person myself, I'm not OK with someone using religion to profit (in terms of either money or fame) off of people's weight struggles, which I feel is what Warren is doing.

Also: Christians are the religious majority in the United States, and historic Christian privilege is deeply rooted in almost every aspect of American life. The same can't be said for the other religious minorities you mentioned. You realize there are Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs in the U.S. who literally fear being victims of a violent hate crime, right? Hence the sensitivity about hate speech. That cannot be said for Christians in this country--its kind of offensive to compare being mocked on a fitness forum to that.

(OK, going to go back to talking about calories now. Enjoy your popcorn!)

runitskat

That depends on whether or not Buddha was trying to sell me a diet book. ...it's not like they respect other religions either.

Question: So you are saying that you would discount the value of any weight loss program based on the author's faith system?

Pretty sure he's saying that Buddha was fat....

wild_wild_life

That depends on whether or not Buddha was trying to sell me a diet book. ...it's not like they respect other religions either.

Question: So you are saying that you would discount the value of any weight loss program based on the author's faith system?

Statement: God's not trying to sell you on the Daniel Plan. We were discussing an author who just happens to be a follower of Christ. Your statement doesn't distinguish between follower and the Divine.

Challenge: I challenge you and anyone else to find ONE other post in the whole of mfp which discredits an author simply on the basis of their faith - Islam, Wicca, Buddhist, Hindu, sock worship or anything else-, rather than an objective analysis their program's structure and components. Websites take things like that down because it qualifies as hate speech...except against Christians. If you can find it, I'll happily concede the point.

Christianity is not analogous to other religions in the US, so attitudes toward it are not going to be analogous.

That said, I think there is skepticism on this site for any restrictive diet plan, especially if it is seen as being promoted through books or other products for a profit (or if it uses fuzzy terms like "jump start metabolism", etc). This is not reserved only for religious-based plans. So I don't think Christianity is being put on trial here.

Personally I am not religious but I respect the OP for trying to align his beliefs with his diet and for seeking out like minded individuals for support. He also seems like a very nice guy. Those who don't believe in it/agree with it/have interest in it don't have much to add to the discussion unless they know enough about the plan to debate its nutritional merits, which has not really been done.

On the bright side, the thread hasn't been locked yet!

Rage_Phish

is this like the dennis system?

Mr_Knight

Website says...

he Daniel Plan focuses on the core food groups of healthy carbs, healthy fats, healthy protein, healing spices, drinks, and super foods. And The Daniel Plan gives an easy guideline to use for any meal:

50 percent non-starchy veggies
25 percent healthy animal or vegetable proteins
25 percent healthy starch or whole grains
Side of low-glycemic fruit
Drink—water or herbal ice teas with

It's basically YACEP. I can't find any reference to maintaining a caloric deficit.

In fairness, I suppose, they keep talking about a "healthier" life, not a whole lot about a "drag less weight around life"....

greenhudler

Also: Christians are the religious majority in the United States, and historic Christian privilege is deeply rooted in almost every aspect of American life. The same can't be said for the other religious minorities you mentioned. You realize there are Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs in the U.S. who literally fear being victims of a violent hate crime, right? Hence the sensitivity about hate speech. That cannot be said for Christians in this country--its kind of offensive to compare being mocked on a fitness forum to that.

This. Thank you.

Sabine_Stroehm

I'd agree that ultimately weight loss is a numbers game, but the support system, accountability, and mind/body/soul approach are time tested. most 12 step programs use models that are similar.

What I don't understand are the personal attacks based on Warren's appearance. Not classy, no matter what values system a person uses they deserve to be treated with civility. Most people on here looked like Rick at one point or another - I was ten times tubbier! Mom's rule still applies, "if you can't say anything helpful, keep your mouth shut."

I think people jumped on this as a chance to bash a well known Christian and by proxy make fun prayer and of God- who isn't a vending machine obligated to spit out blessings whenever the prayer button is pushed. Would you have laughed and poked fun if the faith at hand was Islam? Wicca? Hinduism? How 'bout Buddha, he's a fatty. People are respectful of every faith except Christianity.

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

Let the firestorm begin. LOL

I didn't bash him (for being christian or otherwise, as most didn't). I only really commented on the unnecessary (imho) food restrictions not supported by science. But yes, I'd be concerned that the clearly overweight man things he has the weight loss answer and is marketing it to others. I don't care what (if any) religion he professes to practice. He's well known, apparently powerful (I've never heard of him, so I'm just going off that website), and folks will follow his words. About religion and faith and about weight loss. Does he have the weight loss answers? I'm skeptical. I'd be equally skeptical if any well known person with a large following (who clearly has weight issues) published a book with the answers to weight loss. In fact, each time Oprah had "the answers" I questioned that. Openly.

brooklynnchick

Also: Christians are the religious majority in the United States, and historic Christian privilege is deeply rooted in almost every aspect of American life. The same can't be said for the other religious minorities you mentioned. You realize there are Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs in the U.S. who literally fear being victims of a violent hate crime, right? Hence the sensitivity about hate speech. That cannot be said for Christians in this country--its kind of offensive to compare being mocked on a fitness forum to that.

This. Thank you.

LOL America is no longer a Christian nation - the U.S. shows more respect & commitment to Santa Claus than to Christ. President Barak Obama ended the tradition of hosting an Easter egg hunt at the whitehouse on favor of giving the funds to Muslim charities. I would have liked to keep the hunt but I love that our president is trying to reach out to a group that has been treated unkindly in the US. Strangely enough the money sent to the charity had the same serial numbers as money used by Al Qaida in weapons purchases made from UC intelligence agents. No good deed goes unpunished.

Even if your premise about US religious minorities in the US is true (which according to the latest FBI data on hate crimes, it's not) many if those religious minority groups came here to experience freedom of worship -it's this weird theme in American history. :-)

And anyway are how can you bury your head in US freedom of worship and ignore the global picture? How can you be unaware of the hundreds of Christians killed every day in Africa (Uganda, Rwanda Darfur, Kenya, Liberia, and others), China, Russia, North Korea, the Middle East? You're not aware of militant Hindus who tie Christians to trees (kids, moms, and men) and disembowel them? How about the fact that the Darfur and Rwandan genocides were, at the core, wholesale slaughter programs of Christians? Take a peek at the torture and killing of Christian relief workers in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and others.

Beyond religion-on-religion violence, check out last week's attack of men standing and praying around their cathedral as a way to protect it from the riotous vandalism being caused by a lesbian march for abortion rights in Argentina. These broad minded ladies maced, sexually and physically assaulted, spit at, and spray painted Nazi symbols onto the men who stood praying their rosaries. It's on Youtube, Google sources, and foreign newspapers but strangely hard to find in US media.

Sabine_Stroehm

Also: Christians are the religious majority in the United States, and historic Christian privilege is deeply rooted in almost every aspect of American life. The same can't be said for the other religious minorities you mentioned. You realize there are Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs in the U.S. who literally fear being victims of a violent hate crime, right? Hence the sensitivity about hate speech. That cannot be said for Christians in this country--its kind of offensive to compare being mocked on a fitness forum to that.

This. Thank you.

LOL America is no longer a Christian nation - the U.S. shows more respect & commitment to Santa Claus than to Christ. President Barak Obama ended the tradition of hosting an Easter egg hunt at the whitehouse on favor of giving the funds to Muslim charities. I would have liked to keep the hunt but I love that our president is trying to reach out to a group that has been treated unkindly in the US. Strangely enough the money sent to the charity had the same serial numbers as money used by Al Qaida in weapons purchases made from UC intelligence agents. No good deed goes unpunished.

Even if your premise about US religious minorities in the US is true (which according to the latest FBI data on hate crimes, it's not) many if those religious minority groups came here to experience freedom of worship -it's this weird theme in American history. :-)

And anyway are how can you bury your head in US freedom of worship and ignore the global picture? How can you be unaware of the hundreds of Christians killed every day in Africa (Uganda, Rwanda Darfur, Kenya, Liberia, and others), China, Russia, North Korea, the Middle East? You're not aware of militant Hindus who tie Christians to trees (kids, moms, and men) and disembowel them? How about the fact that the Darfur and Rwandan genocides were, at the core, wholesale slaughter programs of Christians? Take a peek at the torture and killing of Christian relief workers in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and others.

Beyond religion-on-religion violence, check out last week's attack of men standing and praying around their cathedral as a way to protect it from the riotous vandalism being caused by a lesbian march for abortion rights in Argentina. These broad minded ladies maced, sexually and physically assaulted, spit at, and spray painted Nazi symbols onto the men who stood praying their rosaries. It's on Youtube, Google sources, and foreign newspapers but strangely hard to find in US media.

WOW. :sick:
ps:
http://celebrate.today.com/_news/2013/04/01/17551456-obama-shoots-hoops-reads-to-kids-at-white-house-easter-egg-roll

this is quite a conspiracy then.
:sick:

Clearly I wasted my time actually REPLYING to what you wrote previously. I won't make that mistake again. best of luck on your journey