The Great Experiment: A New Mindset for Weight Loss Rooted in Grace

This week, we discuss Chapter 2 of the Delay and Pray® book—The Great Experiment. This chapter lays the foundation for what makes spiritual fasting not only different from traditional dieting but powerfully transformative.

A Shift from Willpower to Grace

Most weight loss programs are based on restriction, rules, and raw willpower. But what if the journey to health wasn’t about controlling your body, but transforming your heart?

The Great Experiment invites us to stop pouring “new wine into old wineskins.” That old dieting mindset—full of guilt, scale obsession, and self-focus—cannot hold the grace that God wants to pour into us.

Instead, spiritual fasting offers a new wineskin: a mindset rooted in faith, purpose, and the power of redemptive suffering. It’s not about self-denial for the sake of thinness—it’s about self-gift for the sake of love.

Your Two Motivations: Physical and Spiritual

To make this new approach work, you’ll need two deeply personal goals:

• Spiritual Purpose Goal – This is “the why that makes you cry.” It might be praying for a child’s return to faith, a struggling marriage, or healing for someone you love. This goal turns your hunger into prayer and your discomfort into intercession.

• Physical Purpose Goal – This is your tangible health marker. Whether it’s a weight number, reduced medication, or improved energy, this goal helps track your progress without defining your worth.

Both goals keep you centered—and when rooted in prayer—they’re incredibly powerful.

Navigating Cravings with Purpose

Cravings are inevitable. But in this episode, we learn how to ride them like waves rather than resist or cave to them. And when that’s not possible? Sometimes the best cheat is a baked potato—not a binge. It’s a practical example of how we can honor our body’s needs while remaining faithful to the journey.

Even more fascinating? A cooled and reheated potato actually impacts blood sugar less than a fresh one. It’s the small tweaks that make a big difference.

This is Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual fasting is not a diet. It’s a battle. And it requires grace. That’s why the sacraments matter: Confession, the Eucharist, Adoration, daily Mass—they are the fuel that empower our fasts.

This episode reminds us to call on our Guardian Angel, invoke the saints, and ask for supernatural help when discipline feels hard. Because with God, nothing is impossible.

Nikki’s Story: From Sugar Addiction to Spiritual Strength

You’ll also hear about Nikki, a client who once felt powerless around sugar. Through the Delay and Pray coaching experience, she rediscovered her peace—not just with food, but within her family life and marriage. Her transformation rippled outward, proving this process is about so much more than the scale.

If you’d like to hear Nikki’s story in her own words, listen to Episode 52. 

Ready to Begin Your Great Experiment?

Here’s your invitation:

• Write down your spiritual purpose goal—the intention you’ll fast for.

• Define your physical purpose goal—a tangible outcome to guide your efforts.

• Choose one sacramental commitment to deepen this week.

Don’t rush. Don’t expect perfection. But do commit. The saints failed too—what made them holy was that they didn’t stop trying.

Until then, keep delaying and praying. You’re not alone—and you’re already on the path to sainthood.

Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church 

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Delay and Pray® Links:

Listen to Nikki’s story in Episode 52

Get your copy of Delay and Pray® (book)

The Catholic Fasting Coach

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