If you want to cut calories to lose weight for the holidays, please do not skip breakfast!  Make sure you eat something every morning to get your metabolism burning. Eating a healthy breakfast and a healthy lunch will help you fight off excess hunger later in the evening. You can do it!

Our bodies are uniquely different because that is the way God created us. He knows us inside and out, He knows exactly what, when and how we should eat to lose weight and/or maintain a healthy body. The Lord will help us become consistent in eating a healthy, balanced diet so we can lose weight.

I encourage you to use your faith to retrain your thinking and senses. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Hebrews 5:14: “… for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law” (AMP). Our senses are trained by “reason of use.”

Each time we make the right choices, we are training our senses to do the right thing.

Each time we eat only when we are hungry rather than when we are stressed, we are training our senses.

Each time we overcome temptation, we are training our senses.

Each time we walk away from overeating in favor of eating healthy and “doing,” something productive, we are training our senses.

Before we know it, healthy eating habits, routine exercise and feeling great will become a part of a healthier lifestyle.  The Bible tells us, that as a man thinks in his heart so is he (Proverbs 23:7).  I encourage you to:

1. Think about how much God loves you, right now, just as you are. You must learn to love yourself and your body just as God loves you.

2. Stop thinking of yourself as overweight. Every time you think of your weight, confess your ideal body weight. Say this: “Father, I thank you that I weigh______ pounds. I enjoy healthy food, I am committed to exercise, and I always make healthy choices. I lose weight quickly and easily, and my body maintains its ideal weight. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I am so glad that you have made the decision to seize the best God has for you. The Lord created you and loves you, and He desires for you to be blessed in every area of life. I admire your determination and courage.

We also would be honored to have you join our prayer team. You can sign up on HigherFitness.com. It’s free, and we pray for each other every day.  Each month I send out an email with a prayer and a few scriptures to mediate on.  It’s great to know that people are supporting you in prayer and joining with you in faith on this journey of attaining health and Higher Fitness.

It is not worth it to make healthy choices all day and then “blow it” by eating something late at night that will take you away from your goals. Keep in mind, I’ve been workimg for many years to learn about healthy eating and have discovered  what works best for me.  So will you! I’ve found  that an occasional healthy treat helps me enjoy life more and keeps me from feeling deprived!

God is perfect, and although we sometimes make mistakes, He is in us and turns our weaknesses into strengths. God had to deliver me from “a perfectionist” mentality so that I could be free from shame and guilt when eating one wrong thing.

The important thing is that we want to improve and get better and stronger. As long as we keep moving in the right direction, we are succeeding. When you are eating healthy and getting the results you want, then what you are doing is working for you! I consider it a wonderful thing to enjoy an occasional treat without experiencing any shame or guilt. It’s a choice that I’m free to make. But I’ve also learned to choose “healthier treats.” God wants us to be free, to live moderately and to enjoy our lives. If you occasionally “blow it,” don’t let shame and guilt pressure you to continue to overeat. Repent, receive forgiveness and cleansing, and immediately get right back on track and God will most assuredly help you.

Here are a few helpful tips for identifying the nutrients you may need if you are experiencing food cravings: 

• Craving sweets or simple carbs (sugars) means your body probably needs more nourishment from healthy carbs. Slightly increase complex carbs early in the day. In addition, by adding a piece of fruit around lunchtime or early afternoon you can knock out an afternoon craving for sweets.  
• Craving rich or creamy comfort foods (pastas, french fries or pizza) indicates your body needs more healthy fats earlier in the day. A great way to do this is to add a few squirts of flaxseed oil to a protein shake in the morning or to an oil-based dressing for a salad at lunch. 
• Craving meat (a big steak or hamburger) means your body probably is not getting enough healthy protein early in the day.

Identifying why you crave certain foods should boost your confidence in your ability to eat healthier.  Your body was designed by God to go after what it needs.  It’s simply a matter of training it to desire whole and healthy sources of energy, rather than man-made sources. In just a matter of a few weeks, you can literally retrain your appetite to prefer healthier foods.

Remember that by eating 5 times a day (every 3-4 hours) you are keeping your metabolism revved-up, and this will also help you burn more fat. 

• Boost your metabolism and help you burn more fat
• Ward off excessive hunger
• Stabilize blood sugar
• Provide consistent energy
• Train you to eat smaller portions
• Establish a habit of self-controlled eating

Optimally, we should refuel our bodies every 3-4 hours to stabilize our blood sugar. Doing this will keep us both energetic and mentally alert.

Allowing your God-given hunger response to cue you when to eat a healthy mini-meal or snack will ward off the temptation to overeat or eat the wrong foods. Never wait until you’re famished before grabbing a healthy snack. It is important to keep your blood sugar stabilized throughout the day, and wise snacking can help you do that. If you are one of the many people challenged by diabetes each year, take that into account when choosing a snack and stay away from food choices high in sugar.

The chart below will give you an idea about how many calories to eat during each meal/snack throughout the day for optimum energy and weight loss. As most of you know, you should ideally eat more calories in the morning, tapering off at night so that you utilize them most efficiently.

Note: If you need to add extra calories to meet your daily caloric requirement, make sure you add them early in the day and not at night. Or, if your weight plateaus, remove some of your calories from your dinner and add them to your breakfast or mid-morning snack. 

There is a strategic purpose in writing down what you eat, if just for a short time. God certainly does not mean for you to do this on an ongoing basis—that is not freedom. But there is nothing more eye opening than the startling truth of knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body. This exercise will help you identify the optimum amounts you should eat to have sustained energy and obtain your weight-loss goals. We must look at food as energy that is either burned or stored.

After you have kept a journal for a week or so, you’ll recognize eating patterns so you can make adjustments toward healthy eating. If at any time during your weight-loss journey your weight reaches a plateau, begin journaling again for a few days. Be encouraged to know that both journaling and calorie counting are only a means to an end. You will come to a place of intuitively knowing what and how much to eat. This is a place of freedom and self-control that will ensure sustained weight loss.

Checkpoint #10 – The power of agreement

What happens when we agree with God’s Word? As I began to recognize good eating and exercise habits as agreeing with God’s will for my life, I began to see results. I was no longer putting faith in fad diets or exercise gimmicks, but in God’s promises. I realized that He had already promised me self-control, faithfulness, and endurance, and it was these spiritual strengths that would get me to my goals. I experienced firsthand how agreeing with and believing in His promises activated His power concerning weight loss, health, and fitness in my life.

There is evidently another aspect to this power of agreement. Just as parents like it when their kids agree, so does God. There appears to be a multiplication of power, not just a doubling of power, when two or more people agree together in prayer. We see the principle of multiplication in Deuteronomy 32:30, where one can chase a thousand, and two can put ten thousand to flight. In Matthew 18:19-20 Jesus says, “That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (KJV).

It is really sad that I must take the time to explain that people who are pretending to be gathered together in the name of Christianity, yet are behaving contrary to God’s law of love, are most assuredly not gathered in the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus represents the truth of God’s Word from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation and the principles of integrity that those scriptures uphold. For example, we are explicitly called to support our nation in prayer and in doing all that we can to support our military in defending the freedom and Godly rights that this country was founded on. We are not, however, called to “throw stones” or picket our next-door neighbors simply because they disagree with us. Christians are not even called to argue personal opinions, but simply to live a life of integrity, honor, and love. Our witness to others is not our “preach,” but the integrity and faithfulness with which we live our lives.

It is with this understanding of the power of agreement and the integrity in the name of Jesus that I offer you my faith in agreement with yours.

“Father, I ask in the name of Jesus that You will give this person wisdom in their commitment to change the quality of their life. I pray that if they have not yet experienced the unconditional love that You have for them, that they would take that step of faith to receive You as their Lord and Savior. Jesus, come into their heart and fill them to overflowing with Your love and mercy. Show them continually what, when, and how much to eat, and give them wisdom concerning their exercise program. I ask You to help them find time to do all they need to do to attain their fitness goals. Father, we agree that as they spend time in Your Word, You will speak to their heart and show them what to do. I release my faith now and agree with them that You will help them live a healthier, happier, and more prosperous life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

I believe with all my heart that this prayer is heard and that the power and blessings of God are released on your behalf. I want you to know that I will continue to believe with you and thank God for your progress. It has been an honor to share these truths with you. As always, remember that God is good, and it is His will for you to have a strong, healthy body!