LEAWOOD, Kan. -- Have people searching for the so-called miracle diet been looking in the wrong book?

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Faith-based diets are growing in popularity. But are we talking literally eating what the disciples ate? Not necessarily so.

A plan called Light Weigh, developed by Suzanne Fowler, is simply a spiritual approach to weight loss, reported KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Mo.

"What I discovered were these techniques for overcoming temptation that work as well today as they worked then. They've just been forgotten about," Fowler said.

The 12-week Light Weigh program includes videos, weekly meetings and workbooks. Fowler said that she teaches people how to fill up on God and spirituality rather than cheeseburgers.

"The whole reason people overeat is a spiritual hole, not a stomach hole," Fowler said. "He can give a peace it can never give you. Food will never help you the way God can."

There are no forbidden foods, no special menus, no weigh-ins in the program.

"One of the big lessons of Light Weigh is learning to tell when you're full or about to be full, and it's easy to bypass that. I was bypassing that at every meal," said Jane Peck, who lost weight on Light Weigh.

"I feel like I'm a miracle. I never thought I could lose the weight," Fowler said.

Followers of the Light Weigh program believe they succeed while others fail because they find inner peace.

"I think this one works because you address why you're going to food. It's not just another diet," Fowler said.

But not all faith-based diets are like Light Weigh. Some approach it more literally. "The Maker's Diet," by Jordan Rubin, is more defined. All foods should be as natural as possible, not processed, and closer to the way humans ate in Biblical times.

"I believe most people today, 50 percent of what they put in their mouth should not even be called food. It's a tragedy," Rubin said.

The Bible has a lot to say about what to eat, and how to eat it, according to Dr. Randy Jaeggli, professor of Old Testament studies at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C.

"We think that basically the purpose of these dietary regulations in the Old Testament was to cause good people to make discerning choices and to respond to the sovereignty of God over everything -- even what they ate," said Jaeggli.

Rubin was ready to do that after Crohn's disease struck. The inflammatory bowel disease caused his weight to plummet to 104 pounds on his 6-foot frame. After trying everything medical science could offer, he turned to his faith and decided to eat Biblically, reported WBAL-TV in Baltimore.

Here are the top healing foods Rubin pulled from the Bible:

Fish and fish oil;
Barley and wheat;
Cultured dairy from goats, cows and sheep;
Figs, grapes and berries;
Organic or wild meat.

The Bible is not generally thought of as a recipe book, but there are recipes in there. For example, in Ezekiel 4:9, it talks about taking six grains and beans and combining them into a bread. Together that creates a perfect protein with all nine amino acids.

A typical "Maker's Diet" menu looks like this:

An onion, pepper and goat cheese omelet with avacado slices for breakfast.
Oriental red meat salad for lunch.
Coconut milk soup, broiled halibut and a green salad for dinner.
Goat's milk yogurt, raw honey and blueberries for a snack.

The diet works in three phases over 40 days. Although Rubin gained weight, he said most people lose an average of 8 to 15 pounds during the first two weeks. Then, it's all about maintaining a healthier way of eating and living.

The Maker's Diet is more controversial than Light Weigh, KMBC reported. It calls for fasting at least one day a week. Health experts said that can be dangerous. The diet also includes taking vitamins from the author's own line of supplements.

Some have accused The Maker's Diet of preying on its followers.

"I don't really think we know that what this book is telling us is really what people in the Bible ate," said Tara Geise, of the American Dietetic Association.

Additional Resources:

Light Weigh Diet
The Maker's Diet