Lesson

Spiritual Health

 

Know Your ABCs

I want you to succeed on your journey to better health. Really, I do. Even though I might not know you personally, I pray for you and hope you begin to make healthy, lasting changes. I want you to have the strength and energy needed for you to live life to the fullest!!

 

Because I want this for you, I want to share with you the “ABCs of Fitness” and why I believe they are critical to your success.

 

"A" ASK

 

God tells us throughout the Bible that we are to ask for His help. In John 16:24, we are told, “Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” In Matthew 7:,7 God clearly tells us, “Ask and it will be given to you.”

 

Why is it that so many Christians don’t ask for God’s help in EVERY area of their lives, including healthy eating and exercise? Is it because we don’t think He cares about how we eat or if we exercise?

 

The truth is, He cares about all parts of your life.

 

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7

 

Do you worry about your health? Do you care about your health? If so, God’s waiting to help you-after all, He’s the one who created you!

 

Please pause and take a moment to talk with God about your health. Share your fears with Him, especially if you think you will make the same mistakes you’ve made in the past or if you fear you will start out strong and then fall into old habits. Talk to Him like you would a close friend.

Don’t hold back. Ask for His help; ask Him to give you the strength to stay faithful to this program and to change your heart’s desires when it comes to eating and exercise. Ask Him to help you have a better attitude about food and fitness. Take a few minutes to sit quietly and talk with Him. Don’t be afraid to ask Him for His help.

 

"B" BELIEVE

Do you truly believe God can help you? Do you believe the Holy Spirit, who lives in you once you believe in Jesus, will give you the strength and power to make these changes? Do you have the confidence that you will succeed this time? Do you believe Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through him who strengthens me?”

 

God is BIG. He created the Universe. He really can help you on this journey to better health. Believing you will succeed isn't prideful when you understand you can only do it because of God. This is really important to understand: Confidence is not based on your own abilities; rather, your confidence comes from believing God’s Word and knowing He can transform you when you turn to Him.

 

"C" CHECK YOUR MOTIVES

God cares about all parts of your life. He will give you the strength to succeed, but there’s a catch - your motives must be in line with His will.

“... the Lord examines their motives.” Proverbs 16:2

“... if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15

 

What are your motives for wanting to get fit? Sometimes it’s difficult to be in the world but not of it. The world’s messages tell you to exercise and diet so that you will have a “great-looking body” that will “impress others.” Do your motives line up with the world’s message or with God’s will? God doesn’t care about outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7), but He does want you to use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. (Romans 6:13)

 

There’s a story in the Bible about the importance of our motives. In 1 Chronicles 21, King David decides to take a census. There is nothing wrong with taking a census; in fact, in Numbers, God ordered a census. The problem was that King David wanted a census done because of his pride. He wanted to show how powerful he was. God knew David’s motives and sent punishment down from heaven.

 

So often, the things we do, even things God has given us, can become sinful when our motives do not line up with God’s will. Exercising and eating healthy are not sinful, of course, but if pride and vanity are motivating us they can become sinful. God will not bless sinful behavior.

 

If you’re focusing on making changes so you can look a certain way, you may have to do it under your own steam, without His power helping you. You are likely to stay trapped in the cycle of yo-yo dieting and failing at your fitness regimen.

 

God has a plan for your life. He wants you to have strength and energy. Please think about these ABCs and reach out to God. He will help you. Through Him, all things are possible!

   

Physical Health

 

Weight Loss Basics

 

Look at these staggering statistics from 2022:

43% of adults 18 and older worldwide were overweight and 16% were obese

37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese

 

Obesity is preventable.

For most of us, our excess weight is simply a byproduct of not using all the energy we put into our bodies. A “calorie,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is “a unit used in measuring the amount of energy food provides when eaten and digested.” When you take in calories, your body converts them into energy for it to use. When you take in more calories than your body uses, the extra energy is stored as fat. This fat storage will stay in your body until you take in fewer calories than you need.

 

Visualize an old-fashioned scale. If we want to maintain our weight, we need to balance the calories/energy coming in with the calories/energy that are being used. If we want to lose weight, we need to use more calories/energy than we take in. If we want to gain weight, we need to take in more calories than we use.

 

One pound of weight is equal to 3,500 calories. So when you take in 3,500 calories above what your body needs, you will gain a pound. The reverse is also true: if you want to lose a pound, you need to use up 3,500 more calories than you take in. Although your body weight isn’t necessarily a gauge of your overall health, we do know that it is important to maintain a healthy weight.

 

The mathematical equations behind weight loss seem fairly simple, but there’s a twist. Losing weight doesn’t always bring us closer to better health- and isn’t better health what we are really striving for?

 

For weight loss to be healthy, we have to fuel our bodies with the healthy, natural foods that God created. We want to eat foods with a high nutrient-per-calorie ratio. This means choosing foods that are both high in nutrients and low in calories. 400 calories of chocolate cake and 400 calories of lean protein are not the same. It’s important that you look at what’s in the calories and not just at the number of calories.

 

Lowering your caloric intake is one way to lose weight. The other part of the equation is to increase the calories you are using. The number of calories we use during a day is determined by our physical activity and our metabolism.

 

The number of calories we burn while exercising varies from person to person. The size of the person, the intensity level, and how long you exercise are a few factors. I am often asked how many calories are burned during our workout videos, but the truth is I don’t know. I can tell you that, on average, a 155 lb person who is exercising at a high intensity will burn about 500 calories during a 1-hour workout.

 

It’s awesome that we burn through calories at a faster rate when exercising but what’s even more exciting is that we can burn through calories at a faster rate 24/7 when we increase our metabolism. Mayo Clinic explains metabolism this way:

 

“Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.

 

Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for all its ‘hidden’ functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells.

 

The number of calories your body uses to carry out these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate - what you might call metabolism.”

 

Since our metabolism plays a large role in weight management, let’s look at ways we can increase it and what we need to avoid.

 

Strength Train: The best way to jump-start your metabolism is to exercise. Strength training burns calories, but more importantly, it increases your lean muscle mass. By increasing your lean muscle mass, you will increase your metabolism, because muscle tissue uses more calories than fat tissue. You will not only burn more calories while you are exercising, but you will burn more calories all day and all night. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories to sustain itself, but a pound of fat only uses 2 calories.

 

As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass. When we lose muscle mass, our metabolism slows down, and that is why it is harder to maintain a healthy weight as we age. Strength training is the best way to minimize muscle loss.

 

Drink Water: Another way to keep your metabolism elevated is to drink water. When your body is even slightly dehydrated, it can cause your metabolism to slow down. One study revealed that women who drank 8 glasses of water per day burned more calories than those who drank only 4. It’s also good for so many other parts of your body.

 

Eat Breakfast: Breakfast plays a role in your metabolism, too. Your body has been deprived of food throughout the night; therefore, your metabolism has slowed. If the cells do not receive sufficient nutrients, they will begin to function less efficiently in smaller amounts, and they will actually store more fat to use during these times of nutritional deprivation.

 

Eat Small Amounts Often: Eating six small meals a day will keep your body's fuel supply consistent and keep your metabolism revved up. Avoid eating late at night because your metabolism naturally slows down in the afternoon and evening. Instead, eat a hearty breakfast in the morning.

 

Eat the Right Foods: Choosing healthy foods, such as lean protein and vegetables, can actually increase your metabolism. It requires more energy from your body to digest protein than it does to digest fat. Increase your dietary fiber and limit sugary foods, alcohol, and caffeine - and don't smoke.

 

Spot Reduction

People often ask me questions like, “How can I lose my belly fat?” and “What exercises will make my thighs thinner?” The truth is, there is no way to lose fat in one certain spot of your body. Body fat has a mind of its own. It appears and disappears from wherever it wants to. I think that to better understand why this is, you need to learn a bit about fat distribution.

 

Remember, you need fat on your body. You need fat in your diet for your body to function properly. Everyone has adipose (fat) tissue all over their bodies. This tissue is made of adipocytes (fat cells), whose sole job is to store energy in the form of fat. Body fat distribution differs from person to person. There are generally two types of fat storage: visceral (surrounding organs), or subcutaneous (beneath the skin - about 80% of all body fat).

 

Many people compare subcutaneous fat to the layers of an onion. Rather than disappearing from a particular place, it comes off layer by layer from the whole body. For others, fat is lost from the most recent place it was gained.

 

Does this mean it’s worthless to exercise? Absolutely not!!! Exercise burns calories, so it will speed up the process of losing fat. However, exercising vigorously on a specific body part will not take fat away from just that area. You can tone the muscles in that area, but it won’t have any effect on the fat.

 

This is important to know because too often, people will focus their exercise efforts on one area, which can produce muscle imbalance. By exercising your entire body with a mixture of cardio and strength training and eating healthy, you are doing the best you can to get your body to a healthy place!

   

Inspirational Story #2: Julie

 

There was a time when I thought I was too busy to exercise. I knew I was carrying extra pounds I did not need but I figured my gene pool was to blame for this. If asked, I may have told you I was content with myself but, truthfully, I was settling for a lesser version of my health and fitness than God ever intended for me.

 

That all changed the very first time I heard Michelle speak. It was such a different message-exercise so you can live life to the fullest and have the strength and energy to do it. Although I knew she was so authentic and was correct in all that she encouraged me to do, I implemented the changes ever so slowly.

 

First, I had to make exercise a priority. Then, I cut way back on sugar and added a ton of vegetables (I was trying new foods for the first time in my life at age 45). Every workout took me progressively toward increasing my strength and endurance. With every workout, she provided tips on eating or drinking water or recipe ideas.

 

But the greatest part was the message she presented. It was not just her message; it seemed to come straight from God. The messages challenged & encouraged me, made me laugh, and, occasionally, made me cry.

 

Since becoming a “regular” with Faithful Workouts, I have achieved (with God’s help) things I never dreamed possible: 2 full marathons, 4 half marathons, and a tough bicycle race that was 120 miles long and climbed 10,000 feet. But the best thing that Faithful Workouts enabled me to do was to take a high-need, 21-year-old girl with Cerebral Palsy to a week-long Christian camp. I could never have performed all the assisted activities and transfers without the strength, endurance, and encouragement that Faithful Workouts has provided me for the last six years!

 

The message of Faithful Workouts is a one-of-a-kind! The goal is not about making you look ready for the beach but it’s about getting you ready for a level of health and fitness that allows you to do things you never even dreamed you could do.

~Julie