Faith & Fitness Friday – Do you have a plan for a healthy lifestyle?

Make healthy choices

What do you do when you can’t pray away the pounds? Change your prayer. If you’ve ever struggled with your weight, you know that there is no easy fix for maintaining weight loss goals. It’s hard work.

I’ve tried wishing the pounds away, “Lord, I sure wish I could lose seven pounds or even five.” It didn’t work.  Then I prayed for the strength to get up each morning to make the drive to the fitness center. 

Next, I prayed for courage to walk out of the locker room with my head up, even when the scale didn’t display the results I wanted. In my mind, lights flickered, digital numbers rapidly increased, then a warning flashed the message “wide load.” This is when I realized that sometimes you have to laugh at yourself.

What does it take to jump start a healthy lifestyle? Identify your goals and make them measurable. Is your goal to eat healthier, exercise more or to lose weight by a certain date? You can do it by making small changes each day.

One goal could be, “I will snack on fruit today instead of chips.” If your goal is to exercise more, what does that look like? If you like to walk on a treadmill, perhaps your goal would be to add 10 minutes to the time you normally walk. 

If you fall short of your goal, don’t beat yourself up. Get through the day with a little positive self-talk and start over the next day. Come up with a daily mantra – I am happy, healthy and terrific; or scripture – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. When you say this enough, you believe it and you feel better.

One thing I’ve learned as I continue to reassess, reevaluate, and rethink my weight loss/maintenance goals, it’s not always about me. Sometimes your struggle can be a blessing to someone else. 

Recently, the adult mime ministry at my church ministered to the song, Not Me Lord, You! By Paul S. Morton. When I compare this song to my weight loss issues, I just have to say, it’s not about me. My lesson can be a blessin’ to someone else.
 

Adult Mime Ministry in order of appearance: Heidi J., Me, Carol B.

If you are struggling with your weight, set a goal to change one thing tomorrow. I attended a seminar recently where the speaker asked us, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer was, “One bite at a time.” Don’t be overwhelmed by the big picture, break your task into smaller pieces.

No matter what…love the skin you’re in. And while you’re working out, you can pray for the strength to lift that dumbbell one more time. What twill you do differently tomorrow?

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” – Robert J. Collier