The first step is to take an honest look at your life, your health, and your body. Then, ask yourself these questions: Am I at peace with where I am? Am I fighting the same battles year after year? Have past failures made it hard for me to try again, or have I simply given up? Higher Fitness will change the way you see yourself and your potential to improve. While none of us are perfect, God has made a way for us to consistently get better. God not only desires to help you reach your fitness goals, but He has a plan that will elevate you from a lifestyle of dieting to a lifestyle of freedom and self-control.

I failed for many years to successfully lose weight and keep it off. There was a time when I could not imagine what it would be like to live life free from guilt, shame, and bondage. Now I control what, when, and how much I eat, and I am in the best shape of my life. It was the transforming power of God’s Word that turned my life around. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for my freedom.

Higher Fitness is not about going from ground zero to perfection. This website and all that is offered here is about starting where you are right now and attaining higher. God wants our lives to perpetually grow and improve. Just as our physical bodies grow from infancy to adulthood, so should our growth in spiritual and mental maturity be evident as well. Spiritual maturity is a part of God’s plan for us and is vital to living a fulfilled life.

By increasing our spiritual and mental strength, we are able to implement the steps necessary to gradually change our bodies and effectively accomplish our goals. All of us must find our own balance between spiritual growth and practical application. The obese person who contributes to family and community yet finds himself at the age of forty on the brink of physical death is just as out of balance as the person who exercises incessantly or starves herself to meet society’s criteria for beauty. Higher Fitness will not only inspire you to achieve a healthier balance in your life. It will also empower you to live a higher quality of life. Now, let’s go higher!

The goal is to avoid temptation but even when temptation cannot be avoided, it can certainly be outsmarted. Let’s start with something as simple as preparing your meals and then your plate. When you are preparing your plate or planning your meals, rather than just selecting items and quantities that “look” good at the moment, stop and think about what would look good to someone you perceive to be a healthy person. If it helps, imagine that I am coming to dinner and you are preparing my plate. What would I like to eat and how much? You know that I like to eat healthy and that I am not on a starvation diet. Now take that information and use it to plan meals and to prepare your plate. The goal is to not let your appetite or what “looks” good to determine the portion size but rather your awareness of what you know about health.

Something else you can do is to take a few minutes to make a list of your top 10 “to do’s.” Each item on your list should involve an activity that requires getting your mind and your eyes off of food. That, of course, eliminates TV. Also, each “to do” should take about 10 to 20 minutes, although they can take longer. The activity should be productive but not overwhelming. Again, I want to emphasize the impact of small, progressive change.

Finally, you must make the decision that, at the moment of temptation, you will pull from your “to do” list whenever it is possible to do so. This decision must supersede any feelings you might have about whether you want to continue eating or not. The decision has already been made that when you know that you have eaten enough food to satisfy hunger and nutritional needs, you will immediately “escape” your eating environment. Let go of any feelings of deprivation by reminding yourself that you are not on a “diet” and you are free to eat again when you are hungry. You are simply training yourself to exercise control over food by taking action. You are developing the habit of self-control.

When you were born again, God’s Holy Spirit recreated your Spirit and therefore self-control is IN you. You simply have to exercise it by having faith in what God said is good food. Everyone intuitively knows that our bodies are uniquely different but the great news is that God made our bodies and He knows exactly what, when and how much we should eat to lose weight and maintain a healthy body. Consistently eating a balanced diet will set you up for success. Using faith that you CAN do what God says to do, will retrain your thinking.

In Genesis 1:29, God tells us what is good to eat. “And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.” After the flood, in Genesis 9:3, He tells us “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything“. By studying the Bible you can see that God intended for us to nourish, sustain and prosper our bodies with vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish, chicken and lean beef. If we just listen to God’s word, being healthy and fit is not as difficult as the world would have you believe. The closer we stick to whole foods, the more weight our bodies will lose.

This is where you will have to do a little bit of work. You have to look at your day, your life, your schedule and decide when you can prepare and eat your mini meals. You have to look at your day and decide when you can get your body moving. I’m telling you it will be worth it. You will not regret it. Remember in order to change your life you have to DO something different. Just going along doing the same thing day in and day out will never get you a different outcome.

An easy way to make sure you do not overeat is to measure out serving sizes and store them in plastic bags or containers, ready to go when you’re hungry. Make a quality decision to think smaller.  Sometimes it takes visual cues to get our minds and bodies to cooperate with our spirits.

Another recommendation that I often give people, is to keep a healthy snack and water in the car for the ride home from work or school in the afternoon. That way, when you get home, you are less likely to give into emotional eating at the end of a stressful day. Let’s face it, if we are really stressed or hungry we have both emotions and low blood sugar levels working against us. Even the greatest of intentions can succumb to the temptation to overeat at the end of the day. Take the offensive approach and do not allow yourself to face the evening hours on an empty stomach. Smart eating is one key to successful weight loss.

The ideal walking shoe should be stable from side to side, well cushioned and allow you to walk smoothly. It is really not necessary to buy special “walking” shoes. A good pair of running shoes will work fine, as long as the shoe provides cushioning and stability to suit your own particular foot mechanics. It is good to know, however, that specialty-walking shoes are not as bulky, cushioned or heavy as running shoes because they aren’t made to sustain high impact running.

If you develop a blister, (which shouldn’t happen if you have the right shoes), open the blister with a sterilized needle and drain the fluid. Do not remove the skin covering the blister, but do treat it with an antibiotic ointment to guard against infection.

SHOE BUYING TIPS

* Don’t skimp when it comes to buying shoes. It is extremely important to take care of your feet.
* Shoes should always feel comfortable and fit well. You shouldn’t need to “break them in.”
* Your feet may swell slightly as the day progresses and when you exercise. To make sure you buy the correct size, shop for shoes later in the day, rather than first thing in the morning.
* When buying walking shoes, be sure and try them on while wearing sport socks.
* When the shoe is on your foot, the heel should be snug. You should also be able to wiggle your toes and your ankle shouldn’t roll .
* When trying on shoes, lace them up and walk around in them.
Consult your podiatrist if you have bunions or other special considerations.

CLOTHING TIPS

* Wear socks that are thick enough to give extra cushioning and prevent rubbing.
* Wear several layers of loose clothing. As your body temperature increases, you can take off the layers.

Begin your walking program slowly and increase gradually. If you start too quickly by walking too far or too fast, you could wind up sore, or even injured. You body needs time to adjust to the demands of an exercise program. Start at a speed and distance you are comfortable with and gradually increase each week.

* If you are new to walking, begin with a 5-minute stroll and gradually increase your distance.
* Walk at a comfortable pace and don’t concern yourself about your speed. Focus on your posture by walking tall with your head lifted and shoulders relaxed.
* Swing your arms naturally and breathe deeply. If you can’t talk, you are walking too fast!
* Once you can walk a few miles comfortably, you can increase your speed.
* Listening to upbeat music is a great way to boost your workout [link to CDs].
* It is very important to take a few minutes to stretch before and after you walk, to help prevent sore muscles.

You first goal is to be able to walk for 20 minutes a day. From there, you can begin to work your way up. Remember that any time spent exercising is better than no exercise at all!

Warm up and cool down stretching

It’s important that you warm up for approximately 8-10 minutes to prepare your muscles and joints for the demands of exercise. Warming up increases your circulation, warms up your muscles and gradually increases your heart rate. Gently ease into the stretch until you feel slight tension. Don’t bounce. Hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds.

1.  Calf Stretch
Keep your toes pointing straight ahead. Press the heel of your extended leg into the floor and gently move your hips forward until you feel slight tension in your calf.

2.  Quadriceps Stretch
Keep your hips facing forward and your back straight. Make sure your supporting leg is slightly bent.

3.  Low Back Stretch
Make sure your lower back is pressed firmly against the ground.

4.  Groin Stretch
Sit up tall. Gently press your knees towards the floor with your elbows.

5.  Hamstring Stretch
Slowly bend forward reaching towards your toes. Keep your back straight and your head extended throughout the stretch. Keep both knees slightly bent.

Toward the end of your workout, begin to slow down and allow your heart rate and circulation to return to normal. This cool down phase is very important, because your muscles are warm and loose. Perform the same stretches that you did before you began your workout to prevent sore muscles.

Remember – getting in shape is one step at a time!

Father God,

I present my body to You as a living sacrifice.  I offer this time of exercise to You as a time of worship – to glorify You in my body.  I purpose in my heart to sow self control, endurance and faithfulness, and I believe I receive a hundred fold return.  I earnestly expect to become more and more like Jesus;  therefore, I press on toward that goal for the prize of my high calling.  I decree that with every step I take, I am increasing in health, strength and discipline.  Thank you for anointing me to succeed as I prove Your good and perfect will in my life.

 In Jesus’ name, Amen

Romans 12:1

Galatians 6:7-9

Romans 8:29

I Corinthians 6:20

Galatians 5:22-23

Philippians 3:14

I John 2:27

2 Corinthians 9:7

Matthew 13:23

Romans 12:2

A: It should be no surprise that when believers have tried to win the battle of the bulge through the world’s system, they’ve failed. I know because I have experienced what you’re going through. You can get to the fullness of the Anointing in the area of eating through the knowledge of God. So be encouraged!

Here’s what I suggest you do.

First, get to know Jesus in your quest to lose weight. The spiritual things have to come first because you are a spirit. You live in a body. If you want your spirit to dominate your body, you have to feed your spirit; you have to renew your mind to train your flesh. In other words, you have to have something to fight with.

Second, cast down every imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). That knowledge includes life, health, exercise and nutrition.

The reason many of us have missed it in the area of eating right and losing weight is because we haven’t “known God” in weight loss. We’ve known natural man’s wisdom. For example, eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. That’s a fact, but there’s no power in knowing that. We can only take our thoughts captive with the supernatural power of God. The power to overcome is in the truth of God’s Word. When the temptation to overeat comes, we must immediately cast it down. 

Third, concentrate on the “dos” and not on the “don’ts.” If you do what is right, the don’ts will take care of themselves. This is one of the most successful principles I have seen in my one-on-one counseling. I’ll ask someone, “How many glasses of water do you drink a day?” Often, the answer will be, “One or two.” When I ask, “OK, how many fruits and vegetables do you eat a day?” that person may say, “One or two.”

What I have discovered is that not very much is being done right. So that’s where we begin—doing the dos of what God said is good. While drinking six to eight glasses of water, eating two to three fruits and three to seven servings of vegetables a day may be our ultimate goal, we don’t start there. I will tell that person to begin drinking four or five glasses of water each day as well as eating at least two pieces of fruit and two vegetables each day.

If you will take one step of faith at a time to do something that you are not already doing, you will be one step closer to the kind of perfection the Bible calls us to.

Open up just about any magazine that deals with food or exercise and you’re likely to see an article about the low-carbohydrate diet craze. Walk down any grocery store isle and the latest “low-carb” products will seem to jump out at you. Listen to the radio long enough, and the discussion eventually turns to the low-carb controversy.

Well, now I would like to weigh in on the debate and settle the controversy once and for all!

I know. You’re probably thinking, Marty, how can you be so bold as to say that? How can you be so sure? Because God has already given us His Word on the subject and it’s true-no matter what anyone else says!

In Genesis 1:29-31: “God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely” (The Amplified Bible).

God approved completely of fruits, grains and vegetables. In other words, He completely approved of carbohydrates. They are His idea!

He also approves of us eating meat according to Genesis 9:3: “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green vegetables and plants, I give you everything” (The Amplified Bible).

Brain Food

Our bodies were created to function in a certain way, and God created carbohydrates to meet specific nutritional needs. Their main purpose is to provide our bodies with energy. When you eat carbohydrates, your body converts them into a sugar called glucose. Glucose then circulates in the bloodstream and is consumed by cells to produce energy. Other food sources, such as proteins and fats, can be used by the body for energy, but it prefers glucose.

And more importantly, glucose is the only fuel normally used by your brain! Mental activity actually requires a lot of energy and rapidly uses up glucose. Sufficient amounts of glucose—or carbohydrates—are needed throughout the day in order to learn, concentrate and remember.

There are actually two kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are found in some natural foods such as fruit juices and honey. But most are found in refined foods containing sugars. Carbs from refined sugars are not on God’s “completely approved” list for a number of reasons. Simple carbohydrates are quickly processed and rapidly released as glucose in your bloodstream. They raise your blood sugar level immediately. Too many of these kinds of carbs (found in cakes, candy, sodas, etc.) can be very harmful. They can actually cause too much insulin in your bloodstream which hinders glucose from getting to your brain and muscles. These kinds of foods are basically empty calories and also contribute to weight gain.

If you’re still not convinced this kind of junk food is bad for you, then consider the radical statement in Proverbs 23: “Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of dainties: for they are deceitful meat” (verses 2-3). It might help us to remember that scripture the next time we’re offered a gigantic piece of cake!

It only takes a quick look at a nutrition label to discover that most processed foods contain a high percentage of sugar (listed as carbohydrates) but very little fiber or nutrition.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are extremely beneficial. They’re found in natural foods such as whole grains, nuts, vegetables and legumes (remember the list in Genesis 1:29). Your body gradually breaks down these kinds of foods into the glucose molecules that fuel your brain. Carbohydrates in natural foods don’t raise your blood sugar rapidly, but are rather like time-released capsules providing sustained energy over a period of time.

Recent research at the University of Toronto (UT) determined that complex carbohydrates dramatically affect memory. During the study, adults ages 62-80 ate a breakfast of barley, mashed potatoes, or a glucose beverage, after which their memories were tested. The results showed that memory improved by about 37 percent after eating barley, 32 percent after mashed potatoes and 8 percent after drinking a glucose beverage.

(I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had barley or mashed potatoes for breakfast! I would imagine you would get similar results with a breakfast of oatmeal, a high fiber cereal, or a thick slice of whole-grain bread. Of course for a balanced meal, I would also recommend a little protein and fat be included.)

Findings in the study further revealed that “eating carbohydrate foods can improve memory within an hour after ingestion in healthy elderly people with relatively poor memories.” The UT study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that while barley was least effective in raising blood glucose levels, it was most effective in enhancing memory.

This research confirms what God already knew—complex carbs are extremely important to our health, even where our memories are concerned!

Well-Balanced = Being Well!

Feeling sluggish and being irritable are also common affects of low blood sugar. I remember telling a friend of mine who was on a low-carb diet, “Just go eat some carbs, will you? You’re not any fun to be around!”

A diet that’s too restrictive will cause your body to feel deprived—causing a physiological reaction. You will begin to crave the nutrients you’re not getting. If you are on a low-carb diet, you’ll probably experience sugar cravings. Why? Because your body knows from experience that refined sugars will quickly boost its energy level. So, typically people will replenish carbs by binging on junk foods instead of complex carbohydrates.

By eating a well-balanced diet, your blood sugar will be more stable. For most of us, that means between 10 and 25 percent of our diets should consist of protein, approximately 55 to 65 percent or our daily calories should be from carbohydrates and about 10 to 30 percent from fats.

Personally, I believe it’s good to include fish, chicken and occasionally red meat in your diet. But you can go to God and ask Him what’s best for your body. He knows—He created you! James 1:5-6 in The Living Bible says “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

The Thinnest People Eat Carbs!

It’s true that people can lose weight on a high-protein/low carb diet. I’ve done it myself. It was really wonderful in that I wasn’t hungry at all! But at the same time, I couldn’t count to four!

My theory is that people often lose weight on this kind of diet not because they give up the healthy carbs, but rather because they give up the empty calorie carbohydrates. They simply stop eating white breads and foods loaded with refined sugars. And anyone can lose weight by omitting sugars and fats.

The truth is, people who eat the most complex carbs are the thinnest people!

I know that may be hard to believe in light of all the publicity about low-carb diets. But it’s true according to a recent intensive four-nation study involving more than 4,000 men and women from the United States, UK, Japan, and China ages 40 to 59. These findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s 44th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, held in March 2004.

“Without exception, a high-complex-carbohydrate, high-vegetable- protein diet is associated with low body mass,” study leader Linda Van Horn, PhD, of Northwestern University said. “High-protein diets were associated with higher body weight.”

Not surprisingly, the study also revealed that people who exercised were less likely to be heavy even if their diets consisted of more calories.

So, here’s the bottom line. By eating a balanced diet of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruits, proteins and fats, our bodies can get the nutrition needed to be healthy and function properly. We can also achieve weight-loss goals by eating a well-balanced diet. The key word is balanced. We must eat the right kind of carbs, and eat them in moderation. Too many calories of any kind can sabotage our greatest weight loss efforts. We must also make sure that the whole grains we are eating are truly “whole,” and not “enriched.” Eating foods from enriched grains or flours is like eating sugar and can cause us to get hungry and gain weight. Remember, this is why so many people think they can never eat bread—they’re eating “enriched wheat” rather than whole grains.

Who’s House Is It Anyway?

God desires for us to be healthy. You have a responsibility to take care of your body, just as I have a responsibility to take care of mine.

Recently when we went skiing as a family in Colorado, the Lord showed me this truth in a fresh way. During this trip, we stayed in a beautiful vacation home that someone else owned. At the time, it was up for sale. One day I was standing in the kitchen with my mother-in-law, Gloria Copeland, and sister-in-law Kellie, when Kellie remembered that the realtor planned to show the house. Immediately, Gloria began cleaning. Kellie and I started picking up things and tidying the place. (Remember we were on vacation, so there was a little clutter!)

It became exceptionally important to us for that house to be clean and orderly before the people came to view it. The owner had blessed us by letting us stay there, and we wanted to be sure it was in the best possible order—that it showed well.

Why?

Because the condition of the house would be a reflection of the owner, not a reflection on us.

Think about this illustration in light of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body” (The Amplified Bible).

Now let me ask you this question. If you truly believed this scripture —that your body belongs not to you, but to Him— what would you do differently?

Think about it, and write those things down.

Then just begin to lift those things up to Him in prayer every day. Begin telling Him that you desire to honor Him and bring glory to Him in your body. Ask Him to give you the wisdom and grace you need to make changes. Boldly ask Him to help you—and He will!

Now you may be thinking: Marty, how can you be so sure about that?

I can be so sure because His Word settles all controversy! And Hebrews 4:15 promises: “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need!” (New King James Version)

I can boldly say He will help you…because He did it for me!