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Do THIS instead of Diet

food Feb 02, 2021

Do THIS instead of Diet

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Maybe today you’re about to give up on your health goals, maybe the struggle to get fit feels like a turtle stuck in peanut butter...funny, not funny or maybe you look in the mirror and barely recognize yourself.

If you’re ready to get passed this and want to start creating a healthy lifestyle with Jesus at the center of it all, you’re in the right place.

As a certified specialist in fitness nutrition, Jesus follower, and someone who’s been through a weightloss and complete body transformation, this WORKS. It’s helped 1000s of women all around the world, and now it’s your turn.

Today you’re going to learn Word-based answers, a proven framework, simple food exchanges, and steps you can start taking today!

Before I dive in, I have two important things I want to share with you.

Will you pray for this message to be heard in the Church? In all my years of going to Church, I’ve never heard a word about how to take care of my health or how to find my worth in Christ.
If you're ready to go all-in on your fitness with Jesus at the center of it all, grab your copy of the Strong. Confident. His. Faith & Fitness Devotional HERE.

When we said yes to Jesus, He came to live in us.

This means that our body is His home. Have you ever looked at your body and thought Jesus lives here?

Our bodies are not our own to do with as we please.

I think it’s easy to hear, "your body is a temple, but completely miss this.

The Message Version captures this powerfully.

"You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple." – 1 Corinthians 3:17

Did you hear that vandalizing the temple? Wow!

"Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body." – 1 Corinthians 6:20

Our body does not belong to us. It belongs to God. ... The Holy Spirit lives in us and is a gift from God. We are a steward of the body He gave us and it is our duty and responsibility to take care of it and honor God with it.

You might be thinking what do you mean by steward?

Isn't it interesting that the word Steward means a person who looks after the passengers and brings them meals.

And the biblical definition is "Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation."

Do THIS instead of Diet is the name of this episode, so I’m going to share exactly what that THIS is, and I’m going to break down exactly how to trade the learned behavior of dieting for being a steward of your body, and how to eat God-made into key points and steps.

The first is learning a KISS Keep It Simple Sister Mindset

Start today by giving yourself way more credit, you know what to eat, you’re smarter and stronger than you even know.

You know that a salad is better for you than a cheeseburger
You know water is better than a coke
You know that diets have a finish line but a healthy lifestyle doesn’t
You know you need to move your body
You know that any type of workout is better than no workout

So much of getting fit and healthy is common sense.

What happens though is that once that dieting mentality has crept into your life, it needs to be broken. In the name of Jesus, I pray it’s broken today.

Getting and staying fit and healthy all starts in our mind.

If our mindset isn't right we get caught up in the enemies traps so easily.

When the mind is right the body will follow, it doesn’t work the other way around...

If you think you have to do some perfect plan to get healthy, I hope today is the day you stop believing that. It's Just not true, but we continue to buy into it and that's why it’s a 72 billion dollar a year marketing machine!

Your mindset about dieting is everything

Here’s a true life example of the chaos dating creates: we’re either meticulously counting every calorie and adjusting our macros or we’re off the rails and out of control...

Consider these questions:

Do you think you have to weigh everything and count every calorie to lose weight?
Do you believe dieting is something you do just until you lose weight and then you can stop?
Is getting healthy a lifestyle or something you switch on and off?
Has what you’ve done in the past ever produced results that lasted and did it make you feel good about yourself?
Have you ever noticed when you are dieting all you’re thinking about is food and what you’re going to look like when you lose weight?

Food easily becomes an idol, and God does to want any idols in our life.

Speaking from experience, I know what having fitness as an idol in your life does to you...and it’s a battle you fight daily alone in your head. It weakens you and breaks you because it’s the enemies territory and for those of us who love Jesus we have no business there.

Look at what Romans 8 has to say, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

Learn to Eat God-Made Food

You might be wondering what this looks like.

God made food means it’s as close to the way God made it.

Picture the perimeter of the grocery store. This is where we find God-made foods—veggies, fruits, and meat—in comparison to the man-made, processed, boxed, and bagged food items that line the aisles.

Man-made foods are processed and full of hormones, pesticides, and chemicals that make you addicted to them.

The preservatives and chemicals in these foods make them have an addicting taste, so you might need to retrain your taste buds to desire God’s food in its original state.

I want us to see that God-made whole foods does not mean restrictive or boring. God-made foods are plentiful, coming in a variety of flavors, textures, and colors.

The natural colors indicate the health benefits associated with each type of God- made food. It’s amazing how God did everything with a perfect plan in mind.

Here are a few examples:

Red foods: Cherries, pomegranates, red peppers, tomatoes, radishes, and raspberries all contain lycopene and protect against cancer and heart disease.

Purple/Blue Foods: Eggplant, blueberries, plums, grapes, turnips, and blackberries are great for your heart and cognitive health. They fight cancer and support healthy aging.

Green Foods: Broccoli, spinach, avocado, kiwi, kale, and melon support eye health, liver function, and wound healing.

Yellow/Orange Foods: Sweet potatoes, carrots, oranges, papaya, pineapple, and butternut squash support the immune system— protecting against some cancers, aiding in heart health, and contributing to good vision and healthy skin.

White Foods: Onions, garlic, bananas, mushrooms, pears, and cauliflower are beneficial for heart health, lowering the risk of some cancers, and easing inflammation.

Steps you can take today:

Think of some God-made foods you really enjoy? What man-made foods could you swap out with these healthier exchanges?

Strategies for Daily and Lasting Success:

#1: Don’t Skip Meals. Frequently skipping meals will cause your body to go into starvation mode. It will hold on to fat rather than burn it. Eating regular meals and snacks keeps your energy up, your blood sugar consistent, and your metabolism working.

#2: Plan meals and cook in advance. Cook on Sundays and freeze your food. Preparing meat ahead of time, baking sweet potatoes, steaming rice, making whole grain pasta, and chopping veggies and fruit will give you more time and make eating God-made easy.

#3: Stay hydrated and avoid hidden calories. Make sure you’re adequately hydrated. Our bodies are 60 percent water, so even mild dehydration can drain our energy and make us feel tired. Aim for a minimum of eight glasses of water per day.

#4: Commit to small changes and see BIG results. You don’t have to radically change your diet and give up all your favorite foods. Make changes gradually and beware of the “all or nothing” mentality. If you’re struggling with changing your lifestyle, commit to one thing at a time. Begin with your beverage selections, then add in more veggies with your meals, and then tackle your kitchen and cooking. Getting healthy is a process, not a one-time event. Take it step by step.

Make God your partner and you’ll find the winning routine that will make your new lifestyle sustainable and your results lasting.

#5. Practice the 5 Ps every time you eat, and put them on your phone or print them out:

5 Ps: Pause, Pray, Portion, Practice and Plan

Helpful Tips

Don’t try to “out-train” an unhealthy diet. Research shows that weight loss is 75% what we eat and only 25% exercise.
You’ll find long-term success when protein, fat, and carbs work together to make you feel more satisfied. I fuel my body with starchy carbs in the morning and then eat higher fat meals in the evening with more fibrous carbs.

For example, in the morning when I know I’ll need energy, I eat my gluten-free oats, but in the evening, I have lean meat and a salad with a homemade olive oil dressing. The healthy fat in this dressing is satiating and does wonders for my health and skin.

Eat quality ingredients instead of stressing over exact quantities (i.e. calorie counting) and opting for pre-packaged snacks or frozen meals.
How often should you eat? I eat smaller meals every three to four hours. But you need to try out what works best for you. Some people only like to eat 3 times a day.
Don’t skip meals and don’t get caught up in the deprivation-overconsumption cycle of dieting. This will backfire and cause you to overeat at your next meal.
Macro split diets work to add muscle and loss fat but as a person who did this and became a fitness champion the truth is if you don’t maintain eating this way you will not sustain the results. And the emotional toll is very hard to take. I praise God for rescuing me from the pit of living to have ab definition and not enjoy his healthy carbs!
Eating God-made food gets rid of a lot of gluten, with the exception of foods like ezekiel bread. Gluten, for some, is a real problem, so I would evaluate the difference for yourself.

If you exchange your man-made foods for God-made foods I can promise you, in 6 months you will look and feel like a completely new person.

Can I just stand on my soapbox for a minute: I may get some heat or backlash for this but here’s the truth:

The world twists God's way of doing things. For example, intermittent fasting should be called intermittent eating.

For those of us who are Christians we know fasting is about focusing on God not weight loss. These are not my words the bible says,

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God Matthew 6:16-18

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

And then we have the anti-inflammatory diet and the Meditteranean diet: these are God-made food eating plans.

I just want God to get the credit here!

So many of us believe we can’t lose weight or get fit, but this is a big lie! I pray you know and believe that.

A personal story…

I was asked to speak at the HIS Radio Convention, and I got to share the stage with Steven Kendrick. He produced movies like the War Room, Fireproof, Courageous, Overcomer ( my favorite) & Facing the Giants.

As I walked off the stage, he said, can I pray with you. I see huge things for your future. I was completley blessed and overwhelmed.

As we spoke, I shared with him how I’ve quit this faith and fitness thing a million times in my mind but my heart could never let it go… It’s so hard to believe in something, that you don't’ see any proof of in reality…

I told Steven that one day when I was ready to quit, I opened up my Bible and landed on this scripture:

But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

Did you catch FIT is even in there, Faith Inspired Transformation, F.I.T. is the name God gave me for my Christian fitness book and workout series.

Friend, how many times have you put your hands to the plow, and then turned back?

How many times have you started something and then stopped or second guessed yourself?

I just want you to get there. I want you to know what it feels like to be free of this and be your very best you..

Prayer

Dear God,

Have mercy on us. Help us put our hands to the plow and stop looking back. Let us go forward with You; the battle belongs to you.

Help us desire the colorful foods you made for us to eat, retrain our taste buds and help us honor you in our bodies to be stewards of the life and gifts you given us.

Food can destroy what you have planned for us. By shortening our lives and robbing us of our energy and confidence.

Help us to not desire a look but a life placed in your hands.

In Jesus name, amen.

Faith Fuel

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!

– 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

– Hebrews 12:11 esv

Now you know I’m never going to leave you without asking you to get into action, because nothing happened without it!

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