Miracles on the Scale:
The Honest Truth About Faith, Food, and Fitness

Let’s talk about something that often gets swept under the rug at the church potluck: our health. Do you currently have a healthy weight loss plan? How is that working out for you? Are you seeing the results you have been hoping for? If your answer is a resounding yes, then hallelujah! Do not change a single thing. Way to go, kudos to you, and keep up the fantastic work! You are stewarding your earthly vessel beautifully.

On the other hand, do you feel like you should be seeing better results? Are you tired of wandering in the wilderness of fad diets, wondering if the Schwarzbein Principle or some other holistic approach is the promised land of weight loss? Let us take a step back and look at some other possibilities. After all, the Good Book says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. But let us be honest, sometimes our temples start looking less like a sleek sanctuary and more like a sprawling fellowship hall with a fully stocked buffet!

First of all, we need to recognize that weight loss, whether you are looking for a short-term fix before a choir tour or a long-term lifestyle change, depends on three basic factors. Think of them as the three pillars of physical stewardship:

Number one: How many calories you take into your body.

Number two: How many calories your body burns.

Number three: How efficiently your body burns those calories.

Now, do not let number three scare you off. Please stay with me; I promise not to turn this into a biology sermon. While it is absolutely true that your God-given genetics and body composition affect how efficiently your body burns calories, you still have a whole lot of free will and control over the process. You are not predestined to a slow metabolism!

So, how do you improve that third pillar? Exercise. Yup, I said it. Exercise.

Remember, exercise is not a curse word, nor is it a punishment for eating an extra slice of pie at the church picnic. It should be fun. It should be pleasant. It should be a consistent part of your daily walk. Daily is best. Five days a week is good. Three days a week is the bare minimum.

How much time should you commit daily to your exercise program? Personally, I shoot for a one-hour walk five days a week. Sometimes more frequently, sometimes less often. I find walking to be cheap, relaxing, and incredibly enjoyable. It is a wonderful time to pray, listen to an audio Bible, or simply marvel at God's creation. By the time I arrive back home, my respiration has increased and I have perspired. All of this occurs in the cool, cloudy days we have here in the Northwest in springtime. It is just you, the Lord, and a good pair of sneakers.

What will work for you? That is the critical question. Please consider it carefully. Remember, this is for you. Not your spouse, not your sibling, not your kids or grandkids. This is about you taking care of the one body God gave you.

Let us look at the math, because God is a God of order, and science backs this up. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/index.html), as well as the Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/art-20048065), in order to lose one to two pounds a week, you need a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories a day. In other words, if you burn 1,000 calories a day more than you eat for a period of seven days, you will lose two pounds a week.

There are just three ways to achieve this miraculous deficit:

Number one: Eat less.

Number two: Exercise more.

Number three: Do both of the above.

Simple, right? It is not exactly parting the Red Sea!

Notice, please, that all parts are necessary. Sorry, trying to lose weight by ignoring the reality of these components will in all probability not work at all. If you are reducing your caloric consumption by even 1,000 calories a day but still spending the entire day sitting on the couch like Jonah waiting under the vine, do not look for a significant change in your weight. You will have to wait a very long time for a miracle on the scale. Sorry, I just could not resist!

Hey, I did not make the rules! That is just reality, woven into the fabric of creation. It might have worked when you were a few decades younger, and your metabolism was running faster than David fleeing from Saul, but that was then, and this is now.

Back to healthy weight loss plans. Happily, there are many of them, and they are infinitely variable in personal applications! You can find unique, safe, and holistic approaches that honor your body. All we have to do as we create our healthy weight loss plan is to keep in mind the three principles stated above: Eat less, exercise more, do both.

Let us close by asking a simple question. What kind of activities do you enjoy? Watching television does not count! Neither does reading. Painting? Nope. Drawing? Nope. Eating? Nice try, but no to that one too! Sorry.

Are you looking to make your program a social event for fellowship, or do you prefer a solo retreat? Indoors or out? Remember, you must find the exercise regimen to be enjoyable so that you can maintain it for a long period of time. If it is no fun, you will soon stop, and that is not a good thing.

Hopefully, this information has helped you understand the principles you need to consider in forming your own personalized exercise program. If you understand the principles, you are good to go. So please, give it some serious consideration and prayer. It is your life we are talking about, and in the eyes of the Creator, you are definitely worth the effort!

Please share your thoughts and any response you may have in the form below.

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