Next, consider a specific Christian exercise plan to help you achieve your fitness goal. Write that down as well. Keep in mind the best fitness plan includes both aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, biking, etc., and anaerobic exercise which is weight or resistance training. Aerobic exercise burns fat. And building muscle not only helps you look toned and fit, one pound of muscle also burns about 35 calories a day, whereas one pound of fat burns only two calories. When you do the math it’s easy to see how beneficial it is to gain muscle.

A generic plan such as “I will exercise this week” won’t be sufficient. You must have a specific plan. It could be something like: Monday, Wednesday, Friday—walk 30 minutes; Tuesday, Thursday—30-minute gym workout.

Exercising actually can be fun when you find something you like to do, and at the very least it is rewarding and will help you feel better emotionally, mentally and physically.

Now Do It!

As we’ve discussed, three main elements necessary for you to achieve a healthy lifestyle are to:

1)      Commit your plan to the Lord.

2)      Write down your health and fitness goals in the form of a binding declaration.

3)      Develop a plan to achieve those goals.

Making and keeping a commitment to achieve a healthier lifestyle is not the impossible dream, but rather a very achievable goal.

So, why not make this the week you get started?  “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3, New International Version).

One thing I’ve discovered is that making small yet significant adjustments can make all the difference in our goal to live healthy.

Let’s face it, most of us would be hard-pressed to make all the dietary changes we should make at one time. But, we can begin “doing the dos” and the “don’ts” will eventually disappear. For instance, the more healthy foods we eat, the healthier we’ll want to eat—eventually. Then, before we know it, the do of eating healthy becomes a lifestyle change.

Hebrews 5:14 says it this way “…even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” By reason of use, our senses are trained to prefer what is good.

Making simple adjustments in our diets can help us train our senses and yield big results. Here are a few “healthy eating” suggestions that are easy to do!

• Begin each day with a healthy breakfast.

Among other things it is proven to help with weight loss. Adding a high-fiber cereal to your diet is a great diet strategy. It will help you eat about 130 fewer calories per day. If you don’t like high-fiber cereals, add a little of a high-fiber variety to your regular cereal. Add berries and you’ve included a portion of your fruit for the day!

• Drink water.

It is vital to good health! At least 64 ounces of water each day is recommended. That may seem like a lot if you usually drink four colas each day and no water. Trying to omit all colas from your diet might set you up for failure. However, if the first week you determine to drink only two 12-ounce colas per day rather than four and drink water to replace those two colas, you’ve accomplished two things: You’ve reduced your calorie intake by 280 calories (140 calories per cola) and you’ve also added 24 ounces of water to your diet. The next week, drink three 12-ounce glasses of water and omit one more cola. As you begin drinking water, your body will develop a thirst for it. By “doing the do” of drinking water, eventually colas and the calories that go along with them will be omitted from your diet.

• Add fruits and vegetables to your diet.

The USDA recommends eating five servings, so if presently you are eating only two pieces of fruit per day, add one vegetable serving per day this week, and perhaps an additional piece of fruit per day the next.

• Fast the fast food.

If you are eating fast food four times a week, cut back to once or twice a week. Most fast food is high in fat, sodium and calories and low in nutrition. For instance, according to the McDonald’s U.S.A. Web site, a Big Mac has 560 calories and 30 grams of fat! Add to that a large order of fries (520 calories with 25 grams of fat) and a large cola (210 calories), and you may have exceeded your daily recommended calorie and fat intake in one meal.

Remember if you want to reach your goals, you must write them down with a specific course of action to help you reach those goals. Taking the above suggestions into account, your “week-one eating plan” to support healthy living and a weight-loss goal might include specifics such as, I will:

1. Eat a healthy breakfast.

2. Drink two 12-ounce glasses of water and omit two colas.

3. Eat two to four servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

4. Run fast, run far when I am tempted to drive through for fast food!

Next post will include some tips on exercise.

That’s especially true in obtaining health and fitness goals. And, Psalm 37:5 tells us essentially the same thing when it says: “Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass” (The Amplified Bible).

When you and I commit our way—our goals, our desires—to the Lord, He will bring them to pass. In other words, He provides the momentum.

One definition of the word commit is: “To give in trust; to put into the hands or power of another; to entrust.” That is so fitting when it comes to achieving success in your health and fitness goals. The first step is to put your goals into God’s hands.

That’s the spiritual step in making a commitment, and it provides momentum!

A Course of Conduct

Another definition of the word commit gives us insight into the practical steps of commitment. Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language says to commit means, “…to commit one’s self is to do some act, or make some declaration which may bind the person in honor, good faith, or consistency, to pursue a certain course of conduct, or to adhere to the tenor of that declaration.”

Commitment means having a plan of action that you stick to with honor and in good faith. That plan should include: Making a binding declaration (firmly establishing your goal); and adhering in good faith to a consistent course of conduct (following specific objectives) to achieve the declaration (or goal).

Making a Declaration

Let’s talk about what it takes to formulate and make a binding declaration.

For one thing, it means writing down goals and praying over them with the sincere intention of reaching them. It also means investing the time to come up with a specific course of action to help achieve those goals.

Habakkuk 2:2 instructs us to “write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” A written plan of action will help you stay focused and moving toward your goal. When you associate God’s Word with your goals, that makes success a sure thing, because His Word and presence have the power to change you.

Now, making a declaration also means declaring or speaking your goal. As you hear yourself declaring your goal, you’ll become more persuaded and determined to reach that goal.

Let’s talk a moment about what your health and fitness goals might be.

Living a healthy lifestyle is a goal every person should have. This goal should include a healthy eating plan and a fitness plan. The best strategy for you depends on many factors such as: your present weight, how much weight you need to lose, your activity level, the condition of your health, etc.

If weight loss needs to be part of your goal to live healthy, a realistic weight-loss goal would be to lose one to two pounds a week. While we each have a unique body type and metabolism, a great way for most people to begin losing weight is for them to subtract 250 calories from their daily calorie intake and begin burning an extra 250-500 calories per day through exercise.

How many calories you need to consume is dependent on those many factors I mentioned previously. Fewer than 1200-1400 calories a day for women and 1800-2000 calories for men is not typically recommended. And not eating enough not only will deprive your body of needed nutrition, it also can cause your body to go into “starvation mode” which slows down your metabolism. This in turn slows your ability to lose weight. So, please visit your doctor before beginning any weight-loss program or fitness routine. He or she can help you decide on a plan that will work best for you.

I will share some healthy eating tips next post.

to Combat Emotional Eating

3.         Plan Your Day Better: If you have your schedule jam-packed, allowing no time for breaks, you’re headed for a breakdown. Being rushed can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed which often results in intense stress. And, if you’re having a really bad day, you’ll probably end up driving through the first fast food joint and ordering a large order of fries and a biggie soda. So, do preventative planning and allow yourself time to unwind between major appointments and obligations. Allow for the unexpected because life doesn’t always follow our best laid plans, right?

QUICK TIP: If you know you’ll be spending a good portion of your day in the SUV, driving children to and from practices, then pack a little cooler full of healthy snacks and drinks.  Having those on hand will keep you away from the dangerous drive-through windows.

4.         Breathe Deeply: Make a habit of warding off stress each day with some deep breathing exercises. First off, these simple exercises will force you to slow down, and secondly, they’ll provide a way for your body to release tension and pent-up frustration. Change your mindset. Before you head for the snack machines at work, take a few deep breaths and meditate on good things. That’s a biblical concept (See Philippians 4:8).  

QUICK TIP: The great thing about deep breathing is that you can do it in an office, in the car, or on an airplane—anywhere!     

Here’s the proper technique for deep breathing:

*Breathe in through your nose, and hold it for a count of five.

*Concentrate on the position of your shoulders as you do this.

*Next, exhale through your mouth.

* Do this five times in a row, slowly and deliberately.

 I’ll be sharing the last 3 of the 7 stress busters next post.

to Combat Emotional Eating

Instead of munching your way through an entire bag of potato chips whenever you’re feeling stressed, you need to have other options. So, here are seven proven stress busters that work well for me, and they’ll work well for you, too.

1.  Make Time for Creative Nonsense: One of the best ways to combat stress is to create some time for something you truly enjoy for the sheer joy of doing it—something besides eating. If you love to dance, sign up for a salsa dancing class with your significant other and give yourself something to look forward to each week. (Plus, dancing is a great workout so you’ll be burning calories while you boogie!)

QUICK TIP: The next time you’re starting to get stressed, turn on some music and dance around your house. Practice those steps you learned in class, or simply jump around in time with the music for the simple joy of jumping.

2.  Get Your Zzzzzs: Many times we partake in emotional eating because we’re tired, and we think a sugary snack and soda will give us the “get up and go” burst of energy to finish the day. However, those sugary binges will cause your blood sugar to rise and fall rapidly, so you’ll crash and burn in no time flat. Plus, if you’re not getting enough sleep insignificant things can seem monumental and cause a great deal of stress, so turn in earlier each night. Recent studies have suggested that adding an extra hour of sleep each night would be even more beneficial to our health than adding another hour of exercise to our daily routines. We’re  a sleep-deprived society, and it’s stressing us out. Accept the fact that you probably won’t accomplish everything you planned to do today, and simply add those leftover “to-do’s” to tomorrow’s list. Whatever it is, it will wait.

QUICK TIP: If you start to feel overwhelmed and stressed out at work, find a quiet room and take a power nap instead of using your full hour for eating lunch. The world  always looks brighter when you’re refreshed. That’s why the expression, “Let me sleep on it,” is so popular. Clarity comes when you’re rested.

 Stress busters 3 and 4 will be in my next post.

Stress. It can’t be avoided. We all have those, “Calgon, take me away!” moments. Let’s face it—life is difficult sometimes. There are simply days when you want to bury yourself under the covers and eat candy, or chips, or whatever you like to snack on. Ever been there? Until we get to heaven, stress is just a part of daily life, but how we deal with that stress is what keeps us from being stressed out, desperate and depressed.

Too many people turn to food when feeling stressed out. Food becomes a soothing, calming agent—a friend to turn to when circumstances seem too hard—an escape from the day-to-day stressors of life. Experts call this response to stress “emotional eating.”

Are you an emotional eater?

If you answered, “yes,” you’re not alone. Many people, men and women, rich and poor, famous and not-so famous, have admitted to being emotional eaters. In an interview with esteemed talk show personality Larry King, singer Wynona Judd talked about her battle with food and the way it had consumed much of her life. She spoke from her heart about emotional eating, and I remember thinking, “I wonder how many other women are in that same situation?”

Wynona said, “It was consuming a lot of my life. I mean food to me is what alcohol is to the alcoholic and the struggles up and down. You know the business. One minute you’re number one. The next minute you’re number zero. And I had just been using food for every emotion I had.”

Maybe some of you are in that same situation today—using food to deal with every emotion you have. I know it’s hard to admit that you’re an emotional eater, but it’s time to get honest with yourself because that’s the first step to winning this battle. The reason I know it’s a difficult thing to admit is because I’ve been right where you are. Food used to be stronghold in my life, but praise God, I have the victory today! I’ve been delivered and set free, and you can be, too! 

I want to give you seven healthy ways to deal with stress and combat emotional eating, but first I want you to pray this prayer with me. “Father God, I thank You for loving me and caring about every part of my life. Lord, I ask that You deliver me from the strongholds in my life and help me to grow in the areas of discipline and self control. Father, I ask that You fill me up with Your all-consuming love so that I won’t need food or anything else to fill me or satisfy me. I know, Father, that I can do all things through You, so I claim that promise (Matt. 19:26) and praise You that You will be with me as I start a new journey today—a journey that is free from emotional eating and any other destructive force in my life. In Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.”

Next post I’ll give you 2 of the 7  healthy ways to deal with stress and combat emotional eating.

By spending time with Him and in His Word, I found out that we are re-created in Him and predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus the moment we are born again. I realized self-control was put into me by the Holy Spirit. It’s who He is. God is self-control. If you can’t control your eating, you haven’t experienced His love and Anointing in the area of self-control. If you can’t exercise regularly, you don’t know God well enough in the area of faithfulness and endurance.

Second Corinthians 5:14 says, “The love of Christ constraineth us.” Allowing His love and purpose—knowing who we are and who we’re called to be—to rise up in us brings victory. Who are we called to be? We are called to be like Jesus—to sit with Him and to rule with Him in heavenly places. We have been crowned with His glory and honor.

I was with a wonderful Christian woman one time who was talking to me about a challenge she was having. Because of an injury in her life and some things that had happened years ago, her self-esteem was so low she felt powerless to change what she knew needed to be changed in her life. A year or two before, we had had a similar conversation. Nothing had changed. She was continuing to face the same challenges, and her insisting, “I can’t because…,” was still holding her back.

The more you understand God’s love and why you’re here on this earth, the more you understand His power to change you—not what you can or can’t do. Faith to change things and circumstances work by revelation of His love. 

We live in a world of stress and pressure—all brought on by the cares of this world. Whether it’s family matters, problems on the job, health issues or finances, they can all distract us and cause us to take our eyes off the true power source.

There is also good pressure. Good pressure is when you have to use your faith to believe for your victory.

Do you ever feel stressed out about finances or health issues? Not enough time? Too much to do? Life too fast?

There are all kinds of pressures in parenting, for example. I talk about that a lot because that’s the season I’m in right now. It’s not easy to be a good parent. There’s football practice, basketball practice, piano practice, cheerleading, grocery shopping, meal planning, dirty dishes, laundry. Need to clean the car, need to clean the house, need to lose 20 pounds, need to eat better, need to exercise more—pressure, pressure, pressure! But Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). To overcome stress and pressure, and to make our lives as easy and light as possible, we have to stay in constant communication with Him.

If we trust Him and don’t quit, not only will we change, but things around us will change, too.

To truly change means you must first want to change.

Let the Holy Spirit reveal to you what changes are needed in your life. Then, release your faith and allow His power to change you.

Because we are born of God we have His DNA. Our righteousness is not because of our works, but because of His goodness and because we are of Him. If we’re going to change, we have to understand who God is because our identity is in Him.

We also have to know why we are here, and that He has a plan and purpose for our lives. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The New International Version says, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” In other words, they run wild or fail to practice self-control. If we want to change, we must have restraint or self-control. If we don’t know why we’re here, what we’re called to do or who we’re called to be, we’re not going to be restrained in our eating or any other area. But when we catch the vision of our purpose and destiny, it produces the restraint we need to bring change.

God’s love has the power to change us. His love is the weight of His divine presence that resides inside us. It is a force that never fails, fades or becomes obsolete. It doesn’t matter if trends change, or the economy fails. Love never quits because God never quits. If your life, family, job or whatever it is you’re seeking God about is not changing, more than likely it’s because you haven’t experienced the love of God and His Anointing in that area.

If you’re having financial trouble, the only way to enjoy the blessing of prosperity is to experience God and His love in the area of finances. Spending time with Him is spending time with the real Provider. Wealth is not a blessing unless you know God. It will destroy your life if you don’t know Him—it will amplify your sin. God wants us to know Him.

Experiencing God’s love and Anointing is how I got delivered from overeating. When I was at the lowest point in my struggle, after having spent most of my life defeated—doing diet after diet, failing, gaining weight, losing it and then gaining it back—I realized I was in bondage.

Food had become an idol. I thought about it all the time. My self-esteem was based on how I looked and how much I weighed, and I judged my righteousness on whether or not I ate the right foods and exercised. On the inside I said, God, if You will deliver me from this, I’ll tell people how You did it. I made a decision. I knew God was good and that my freedom was in His Word, even though it didn’t specifically talk about losing weight.

 In my next post, I’ll share about the revelation of Gods’ love and how it is His power that can help change you, just like it did for me.

            What do we need to empower us to change? Sure, we need knowledge, but knowledge alone isn’t enough. We need the power of God that effects change. Take  Christian weight loss, for example. We all know how to lose weight: move more, eat less. But how many are actually doing it? To be truly free from the bondage of weight we have to allow the Holy Spirit to change and empower us to go higher—spirit, soul and body.

            Change is deep within the purpose of why God created us. The power to change is within His glory—His presence. A revelation of His glory, of His honor and of the power of His love is enough to change anything. That’s what we need if we are to change.

            We are from God. He created us in His image, so we come out of Him, just like natural children come out of their parents and are a combination of their DNA. When we wonder, How do I get God to help me change? We are forgetting that we were created out of Him. We were predestined before the earth was ever created to be like Him. His power is in us.

            When we hear things repeated over and over they can become so familiar to us that we miss the revelation. One thing we often hear is that we are God’s children and He is in us. But are we really getting it? When I look at my three children, I see in them a combination of my husband, John, and me. In one I see more of me, and in another I see more of John. They have our DNA—they’re from us.

              Next time I’ll share on how we can and should identify with God and His DNA.

Our bodies run much the same way. God, our Master Mechanic, created us to run on good nutrition. If we continue to put junk foods and drinks into our systems, eventually we’ll end up in the hospital for repair. That’s not a bad confession; that’s simply a reality. That’s why eating healthy isn’t just a good idea, it’s a God idea—one that we should take to heart.  

But you say, “Marty, I’m not like you. I don’t like the taste of fruit and granola. And, just thinking about drinking 64 ounces of water each day makes me cringe—I don’t know if I can eat healthy. I just don’t think I can do it.”

Well, maybe you can’t by yourself, but the good news is—you don’t have to do it alone. Your heavenly Father created your amazing body, and He knows just what it needs to run perfectly. So, let Him help you just like He helped me when I first found freedom from the bondage of weight and learned how to eat God’s way.

Before you can begin doing the things you know will put you on the road to good nutrition and better health, you’re going to have to crucify the flesh and surrender this journey to the Lord.

Is it an easy process in the natural?

Absolutely not, but you’re not approaching this metamorphosis in the natural. You’ve got the backing of Almighty God who goes before you in spiritual battles, providing you with supernatural power to conquer anything that tries to come against you—including unhealthy eating habits. That’s why you must get God involved in your eating. He not only holds the answers to your nutritional battles, He is the answer!

I can say that because He has been my answer for many years, and I know His Word works every single time you apply it to your situation. You see, we’re probably much more alike than you realize. I spent many years battling the bulge and watching my weight go up and down with little control over the outcome. There is no telling how much money I wasted on “the latest miracle diet book” and other weight-loss gimmicks, when all the while the secret to my success was awaiting me in God’s Word.

When I needed self-control to resist eating a candy bar, or having that second helping of mashed potatoes, I applied the principle of sowing and reaping in my life. I would say out loud, “I am resisting the temptation to overeat and I am sowing self-control to the spirit.” Eventually, I had sown enough self-control to the spirit that I began living with a great measure of self-control. I didn’t learn that principle from the latest fad-diet plan; I learned it in the Word of God.

There is no victory when you try to fight this battle with the world’s knowledge. You’ll have some success, but none that will provide lasting results. Why? Because even if you’re able to drop a few pounds on a fad-diet, you haven’t reprogrammed yourself to eat healthy. So the minute your diet is over, so is your success. Those pounds will creep back onto your body and usually bring a few more pounds along with them.

Yo-yo dieting is a dangerous practice and one that is plaguing our nation, so let’s stop that cycle of destruction in your life today.           

Pray with me:

 “Father God, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice right now. I am trusting You to change my taste buds to prefer good and nutritious things and detest junk food and things that aren’t good for me. I thank You, Lord, for getting involved in my eating this very day, and I praise You for giving me the direction and the self-control to have success in this area of my life.

From this moment on, Lord, I press toward the goal, for the prize is far greater than anything this world can offer me. I know the plans You have for me are good based on Jeremiah 29:11, and I praise You for anointing me to walk in those plans—full of victory and in good health. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Just Do the Dos!

Good nutrition is just like anything else—we attain it in phases, “from glory to glory.”  So, don’t be discouraged if you’re a junk-food junkie, because we’re on this journey together. If you replace a chocolate bar with a piece of fruit today, you’re one step closer to good nutrition. If you drink four glasses of water today and have only one soda, you’re one step further down the road to a healthier lifestyle.

 Begin today implementing some of these 10 dos and the don’ts will start to take care of themselves. Let me encourage you to keep a positive attitude and embrace good nutrition. The Lord will help you in this retraining process. I know this for a fact because He’s helped me. He even changed my taste buds to prefer healthy choices over sweets and fatty foods, and He will do the same for you. Just believe and receive your deliverance from poor eating habits the same way you believed and received your salvation. It works the very same way—by faith.

Doing the Dos Nutrition Tips

1.       Eat two pieces of fruit every day. Mix it up. Have a banana, some grapes and an apple one day and a kiwi, some pineapple and an orange the next.

2.      Eat four vegetables every day (No, fries don’t count.) Try to make one of those veggies green and leafy.

3.      Drink at least 64 ounces of water every day. You’ll need to drink even more if you’re engaging in physical exercise. Drink purified water instead of tap.  

4.      Add a high-fiber cereal to your diet. If you don’t like the high-fiber cereal choices on the market, then simply mix a little bit of the high-fiber variety with your regular cereal. You can also add berries to your cereal for a more healthful breakfast. Blueberries are a great antioxidant.

5.      Add a fruit smoothie to your daily intake. Here is my favorite recipe: Use rice milk or skim milk. Add frozen strawberries and a banana (use only half of a banana if the fruit smoothie is a snack and not a meal replacement). Next, add two teaspoons of a vegetable protein powder (they come in different flavors), and place a little flaxseed oil into the mix. (Flaxseed is the perfect kind of fat—the kind that your body doesn’t produce.)

6.      Replace eggs with egg whites. For example, if you’re fixing an omelet, use one whole egg and three or four egg whites (Eggbeaters will work). This will cut your cholesterol considerably and still taste great! For a more festive omelet, add some pepper, low-fat cheese and picante sauce.

7.      Eat baked or broiled fish once every 10 days. Try tuna, orange roughy or salmon. When preparing it, season the fish with garlic flavoring and add four or five kinds of peppers and other veggies. Squeeze lemon juice on all of it, wrap your fish and veggies in foil, and bake until done. You’ll love it, and so will your body!

8.      Replace white bread with a whole grain variety. If you don’t like the taste of it, try putting a little jelly on it for breakfast. Sneak it into your diet gradually. (Tip: Most health food stores have Ezekiel bread, which is a great option.)

9.      Reserve a piece of fruit and a bottle of water for your ride home from work. That seems to be the most difficult time of day for many people—the time when they munch uncontrollably, consuming colossal calories and unhealthy snacks. So, keep your blood sugar level stable by eating something small and healthy every three or four hours—especially at peak hungry times like the ride home. Another healthy snack for those peak hungry times is 10 almonds.

10.       Use olive oil when cooking with fat. Just because your grandmother cooked with lard doesn’t mean you should. Olive oil is best, but cooking sprays are also a good choice.

Be excited! You are on the highway to better health, and Jesus is your navigator. He is the GPS of good nutrition and He will be with you every inch of your journey!