Is It Really Possible?
Is getting fit really possible? I mean, I've seen many people do it, but can I? These are some of the questions that I have been asking myself, pretty much since I was in high school. Of course I can, but will I actually be healthy? Will I ever truly make it my lifestyle? One of the most frustrating things in high school was that people would always remind me about the freshman 15. They would say things like, "Make good habits now so that you don't get the freshman 15" or, "everyone experiences it at some degree...just try and eat healthier." How discouraging!! Was I destined to gain weight and then have to work backwards?
Well, I am here to tell you that these are lies, plain and simple. My freshman year of college, I lost 10 lbs and have continued on the road to a healthy lifestyle. I still eat like a college student (mostly) and am always trying to improve, but it is more than possible to be healthy when no one thinks you can. Plus, you can do it without dieting and crazy working out! Actually, it can be fun!
The first place I started, one that I have to go back to even now, is mental. Fear of failure can be subtle, almost unrecognizable, but it is real. It is what keeps us from the gym, from trying, from working out, or even from continuing what we started. For me, I was afraid that I would get overweight. I was, and am, afraid that I will not quite make it to my goal...I might lose weight or get muscle, but I will never look like that. I am afraid that I will hate my new lifestyle because I will not get to enjoy foods and time. And the big one, what if I just don't succeed at all? I was listening to the radio today and they were talking about the fear of failure and how it prevents success at all. It really struck me because I realized my lies in the open. I, all of a sudden, realized that I have been choosing to believe false truth, truth that had been twisted. I need to want to believe truth. I have to want to try.
This is very simple. It has been said many times. But, until you say your fears out loud, and acknowledge what the true answer is to them, you will fail. Everytime. The mind is very powerful. It has the ability to make or break your goals, dreams, and desires. So start here. Write out your fears and write out the truth. Bring the negative thoughts to the light, the front of your mind, so that you can replace them.
In Christianity, God calls us to give all of our thoughts to Him. In Philippians, Paul says, "finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (4:8). See? We aren't off the hook even if we weren't struggling with our weight or body image. God calls us to surrender all of our thoughts to Him; to let Him teach us how to think. This is truth. So, if God wants us to think such things, then wouldn't it make sense that we have a devil who wants us to think otherwise? To distract us from what is good and worthy? To make us feel trapped in our own heads? My friends, biblically, you can fight your body image problems. But, it starts with truth. Action is important, and will come, but this is the real enemy that we need to address. Our minds are a powerful tool that needs to be wielded for truth, uplifting, and encouraging. Our minds are not the enemy. The enemy is, Satan, which translates to "the accuser". Don't let him accuse you of failure. Don't let him teach you.
Well, I am here to tell you that these are lies, plain and simple. My freshman year of college, I lost 10 lbs and have continued on the road to a healthy lifestyle. I still eat like a college student (mostly) and am always trying to improve, but it is more than possible to be healthy when no one thinks you can. Plus, you can do it without dieting and crazy working out! Actually, it can be fun!
The first place I started, one that I have to go back to even now, is mental. Fear of failure can be subtle, almost unrecognizable, but it is real. It is what keeps us from the gym, from trying, from working out, or even from continuing what we started. For me, I was afraid that I would get overweight. I was, and am, afraid that I will not quite make it to my goal...I might lose weight or get muscle, but I will never look like that. I am afraid that I will hate my new lifestyle because I will not get to enjoy foods and time. And the big one, what if I just don't succeed at all? I was listening to the radio today and they were talking about the fear of failure and how it prevents success at all. It really struck me because I realized my lies in the open. I, all of a sudden, realized that I have been choosing to believe false truth, truth that had been twisted. I need to want to believe truth. I have to want to try.
This is very simple. It has been said many times. But, until you say your fears out loud, and acknowledge what the true answer is to them, you will fail. Everytime. The mind is very powerful. It has the ability to make or break your goals, dreams, and desires. So start here. Write out your fears and write out the truth. Bring the negative thoughts to the light, the front of your mind, so that you can replace them.
In Christianity, God calls us to give all of our thoughts to Him. In Philippians, Paul says, "finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (4:8). See? We aren't off the hook even if we weren't struggling with our weight or body image. God calls us to surrender all of our thoughts to Him; to let Him teach us how to think. This is truth. So, if God wants us to think such things, then wouldn't it make sense that we have a devil who wants us to think otherwise? To distract us from what is good and worthy? To make us feel trapped in our own heads? My friends, biblically, you can fight your body image problems. But, it starts with truth. Action is important, and will come, but this is the real enemy that we need to address. Our minds are a powerful tool that needs to be wielded for truth, uplifting, and encouraging. Our minds are not the enemy. The enemy is, Satan, which translates to "the accuser". Don't let him accuse you of failure. Don't let him teach you.
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