Smaller Bodies Bigger Minds E-Book

Esther Ebireri

• Herausgeber: Esther Ebireri
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

What would you do if you gained a whooping 30kg within a space of five years? Or are stuck with a mind that is leading you in the direct opposite direction of where you would like to be?

In Smaller Bodies, Bigger Minds, Esther Ebireri shares the principle behind losing weight and keeping it off for good, developing your desired body size, and a mind that helps you build the life you want. Based on an extensive research, she succinctly presents the principles that had helped her lose more than 50% of body fat and 28kg of body weight. Also, she delves into the fundamental principles behind the workings of the mind, both from the psychological and scriptural perspectives.

Using the principles in this book, she has regained her original body size and health; and building more meaningful relationships. The book comes in two parts: 1-Smaller Bodies, 2- Bigger Minds.
In the first part, Esther illustrates by facts and figures, that it is the state and not the size of one's body that makes it fat. And that the problem of the overweight is not how to lose weight, but how not to gain weight. "The question overweight people should be asking is, 'why do I gain weight so quickly and so easily? instead of 'how do I lose weight?"
Further in this first part of the book, she establishes the fact that contrary to popular beliefs, 'fat' and not 'weight,' is the enemy of the overweight. She then dealt why diets do not work, why we do not need to count calories and exercise as the only lasting cure for fat. In the second part of the book, she brings to life, the Biblical and psychological view of the human mind. The theme of this part of the book centers on the idea of the mind being the forerunner of the life of a man. "As a man thinketh, so is he." Therefore, she went further to explore some time-tested principles that holds great potential to altar the thinking pattern of the mind. Finally, she dealt on human temperament. She believes people would build and manage better relationships if they had a basic understanding that everyone has certain natural traits that make them act the way they do; and that make one person different from the other. Though none of the concepts in this book is entirely new, Esther Ebireri takes a look at each of them from a brand new approach, combining the supernatural, the natural and the psychological.

Leseprobe

SMALLER BODIES,BIGGER MINDS

A Concise Approach to Developing a Smaller Body and a Mind That Works the Way God Intends for It To

Esther Ebireri

Smaller Bodies, Bigger Minds

Copyright © 2021. Esther Ebireri.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

This book contains the experiences, opinions and ideas of its author. It is solely for informational and educational purposes and should not be regarded as a substitute for professional medical treatment. The nature of your body’s health condition is complex and unique. Therefore, you should consult a health professional before you begin any new exercise, nutrition, or supplementation program or if you have questions about your health. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.

ISBN: 978-1-63877-534-8

Book Editing/Cover Design: Kelly Crews (United States of America)

Printed in the United States of America

Published and distributed globally by: JEMFD Global - WhatsApp: [phone] - Email: [email protected], [email protected]

For permission or to contact the author: -

WhatsApp: [phone] - Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): KING JAMES VERSION, public domain. Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan. Scriptures marked AMP are taken from the AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP): Scripture taken from the AMPLIFIED® BIBLE, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation Used by Permission.

Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION (NLT): Scriptures taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The NET Bible® Scripture text (without the NET Bible notes) may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic, projection, or audio without written permission. This permission is contingent upon the quoted text being followed by the designation (NET) and an appropriate copyright acknowledgment: Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.

DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book first of all, to God Almighty and to my daughter, Daisy Praise-Ebireri, for being one of the people to bear the brunt of my emotional instability in those years prior to when the Lord started teaching me the truths and principles that I have shared in this book.

Table of Contents

PART ONE SMALLER BODIES

INTRODUCTION

Chapter One THE FOUNDATION OF SMALLER BODIES, BIGGER MINDS

Chapter Two GET GOD INVOLVED IN YOUR PLAN

Chapter Three YOU NEED TO SET A GOAL

Chapter Four UNDERSTAND THE WAY YOUR BODY WORKS

Chapter Five SLIM VS. FIT

Chapter Six WHY DIETS DO NOT WORK

Chapter Seven TRUTHS ABOUT FAT

Chapter Eight THE CURE FOR FAT AND OBESITY

Chapter Nine FAT LOSS PROGRAM

Chapter Ten CALORIE COUNTING

Chapter Eleven HOW HARD SHOULD I EXERCISE?

Chapter Twelve STRESS AND OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH

PART TWO BIGGER MINDS

Introduction

Chapter One AN OVERVIEW OF THE MIND

Chapter Two THOUGHTS AND THE MIND

Chapter Three THE LOVE ATTRIBUTE

Chapter Four FEAR, WORRY AND ANXIETY

Chapter Five WHAT ABOUT COMPLAINING?

Chapter Six TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE; RENEW YOUR MIND

Chapter Seven THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MIND AND OUR PRAYERS

Chapter Eight THE POWER INHERENT IN THE MIND

Chapter Nine WILL POWER VERSUS FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS

Chapter Ten EXERCISING YOUR WILL POWER

Chapter Eleven WHY EVERYONE IS NOT LIKE YOU

Bibliography

Notes

About the Author

Notes from the Author

I

t is common knowledge that Jesus died to take away our sins and to give us eternal life. The Book of John chapter three and verse 16, one of the most quoted verses of the Bible, tells us that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." (Paraphrased)

As a result, many Christians who have said the salvation prayer believe they (their spirits) are saved and that they are on their way to heaven. But not so many are aware that Jesus also died to give them a healthy body and a healthy soul. Isaiah 53:5 says, "He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement that was meant for our peace was laid on him, and by His stripes, we were healed.

It is easy to see from this scripture that Jesus did not only die to give us a healthy spirit, He also suffered to give us a healthy soul and a healthy body. From studying the Bible, I have come to see a different side to the significance of the death of Jesus-if God was only interested in forgiving our sins and taking us to heaven, Jesus would perhaps have died in a different manner. After all, the animals that the Jews sacrificed to atone for their sins in the Old Testament did not have to be tortured before they were killed. They were simply slaughtered and their blood sprinkled upon the altar. Even the animals that Moses used to seal the old covenant were simply slaughtered and their blood sprinkled. (See Hebrews 9:19)

But God wanted a complete redemption for the man He had created, the emotional torture that Jesus suffered at the hands of His captors (evident in the sweating of blood at Gethsemane), having first-hand knowledge of the things He was going to suffer (Mathew 16:2), the mocking and insults, watching the people He had so tried to help, choose criminals over Him and having to be offered vinegar in the place of water (See Luke 23:35-39), are all significant of the redemption he provided for our souls. Also, the stripes and the piercings on His hands and feet are a representation of the pains our bodies go through as a result of sicknesses and diseases; therefore, the redemption He provided for our body. His death provided redemption for our spirit.

But from my personal experience and my years of being a pastor, I know there are many Christians who are saved and probably on their way to heaven, but who are bearing little or no fruits of righteousness in their lives. Worse still, they are not having any victories in their spiritual lives because they live as spiritual infants. Yet, Jesus says He is pleased when He sees the fruit of His travail manifested in the lives of His people. (See Isaiah 53:11)

Also, I believe eternal life is not just the life that we will live in heaven. It is the life of God displayed here on earth. Eternal life is the life that Jesus died for us to have, spirit, soul and body. (See John 10:10)

God intends for us to bear fruit of righteousness here on earth. Otherwise, He might have taken us all to heaven as soon as we gave our lives to Christ. That is why He gave us His Holy Spirit. So that we can have the abundant life that Jesus died to give us, effectively represent Him here on earth and be the light in a dark world.

Many of us have had the Holy Spirit for so long and I believe this is the time to let Him have us. So, read on.

PART ONESMALLER BODIES

INTRODUCTION

I

would like to start this book with one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible. This is one of my favorite scriptures because it shows how valuable the human body is to God. It states,

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20(NET)

Many people do not seem to realize how valuable their bodies are, both to them and to God. I think many Christians have this notion that God is only interested in their spiritual lives-how much they pray, what service they are involved in at their local assembly, how often they read their Bibles and all of those things that make us feel very 'spiritual.'

But from the word of God and from my walk with Him, I have learned that God is as interested in our physical well-being as He is in our spiritual well-being. His desire is for us to prosper in health even as our soul prospers. (See 3 John 2)

In the opening verses above, we see that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity, the Spirit of God the Father. Our body is God's temple, the place where He dwells. How could He not be concerned about a place like that?

We all love our homes and most people often look forward to coming home every day after work. We never love our job or our place of work to the point we do not want to come home at the end of the day; except, of course, there is something not right about our home.

Apart from our body being the home of God, God loves us, has a great plan for our lives and wants us to enjoy our lives here on earth.

In John 10, Jesus says, “The thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy, but I have come that you may have and enjoy your life.” (See verse 10, AMP) God actually desires for us to enjoy our lives! But how can we do that if we feel bad, are sick and tired most of the time?

Also, God has a good plan for each and every one of us. He wants to work in and through us to fulfil His overall purpose and plans on this earth. This He intends to achieve, by a personalised plan for every one of us His children. God cannot do this directly by Himself. Neither can He work through angels or any other spirit being. Because, only beings with a body such as ours, are qualified to live and function on this present earth. God work through us to bring about His purpose here on this earth.

Now that you can see how much God cares about your body, you should too. He has a great life planned out for you and He wants you to enjoy every single day of it. The only way we are able to make the most of every day that God gives us to fulfil His purpose here on earth is to be strong and healthy- spirit, soul and body.

That is the reason the Lord has inspired this book in my heart. It is my desire that as you patiently read through this book and follow the principles outlined in it, you will find yourself living a stronger, healthier life.

Chapter OneTHE FOUNDATION OF SMALLER BODIES, BIGGER MINDS

F

ive years ago, I felt like God spoke to my heart to begin to pay closer attention to my health. He told me to make a conscious effort to work at improving my health and to adopt a healthier lifestyle. He said it was something that I needed to do if I wanted to live long enough to do the things He has put in my heart.

As at that time, I was grossly overweight by as much as 25Kg. I knew I needed to shed some weight, but from studying and making research on this subject, I found out that losing weight wasn't really what I needed. What I needed was a complete change of lifestyle.

Like most other visions God put in our hearts, He gives us a picture of the destination but not the details of the journey. So, having known the destination, which is to live long and finish strong, I started out on my journey to a healthier lifestyle.

Apart from being overweight and tired all the time, my soul, which is my will and emotions, was also in such a very bad shape. This made my mind highly vulnerable to the attacks of the devil. I once read something that stood out to me in one of Joyce Meyer's books: The Battlefield of the mind. She says in that book and I quote, “The mind is the leader or forerunner of all actions…Our actions are direct results of our thoughts. If we have a negative mind, we will have a negative life.”

This was exactly the situation in my life before the Lord started teaching me the principles that I will be sharing with you in this book.

The state of our mind determines the state of our lives. The man that God made in the Garden of Eden had a perfect mind. But the emergence of sin brought about corruption in the human mind. Also, the mind can become contaminated and polluted by life experiences, reducing its natural capacity far below the way God intended it to be. Our minds become 'smaller' than normal, so to say, and incapable of helping us become all that God had planned for us to be.

In my quest for what to do in order to fulfil the desire that God had put in my heart, I came across a number of fab diets and weight loss techniques that promise to do the magic in a matter of days or weeks. But common sense taught me that if it had taken several years to put on all that weight, then it would be unreasonable to believe that some ‘magic pills’ would shed it off in a matter of days or weeks. Moreover, I had this inner witness within that what I needed was not just to lose weight but not to gain weight. I am really not one of those people that would be classified as 'fat.' So I figured out that I had 'trained' my body for many years to store fat rather than use them for normal metabolic functions.

Therefore, my focus shifted from losing weight, to finding out why I had gained so much weight in such a short time. Instead of trying to lose weight, I tried to understand why I had gained weight.

Once I found out why I needed a bigger size of dress every few months, I found out also how to 'train' my body to maintain the weight that was right for me. I kept on digging, praying and trusting God to lead me in the way that I should go' (See Psalm 32:8), until I hit the 'goldmine'- the result of which you now have in your hands.

Let me quickly say that I do not in any way claim to be an expert in the field of nutrition, neither do I claim to be one in health and fitness. The principles contained in the first part of this book are the results of extensive research based on the work of experts in the field of Health, Fitness and Nutrition, together with the principles of health taught in the Bible.

These are principles that I have applied in my own life, bringing about a total transformation in both my body and my mind. Principles are like mathematical formulae. They work anywhere and anytime when applied correctly.

I have also done an extensive study on the mind and how we can develop our minds and make it 'bigger' from God's perspective, sharing a few psychological views that are in agreement with what the Bible teaches regarding the renewing of the mind. (See Romans 12:2)

I am convinced beyond every reasonable doubt that if you read this book attentively, prayerfully and follow the instructions on proper eating habits, exercise, diets and how to develop your natural mind or temperament, it would be a huge benefit to you in your quest for a smaller, healthier body and the whole individual that God created you to be.

Yes, we all want to feel good and happy all the time. We all wish we could feel strong and chipper every day we get out of bed. We all wish there would never be a day when we feel groggy and lousy. But such things do not come by wishing; they come by making a conscious effort to get rid of those habits that are stealing the life that Jesus died for us to have, and replacing them with good ones- habits that help us to live the abundant life.

If you come to look at it, many of the things that people do in life, be it work, marriage, dating, sports, eating, sleeping and all the other things, they do them because they want to be happy; and to feel good about themselves. But there are a lot of people who are trying to find happiness in the wrong places. For example, they might work two different jobs so they can have more money to take care of themselves and their families. They believe being able to provide for the things they need would keep them and their loved ones happier. But we all know it doesn't always work that way-more money does not always equal more happiness. In fact, I have to learn from my own personal experience that the best version of oneself -spirit, soul and body is the best thing we can present to anyone. Therefore, I have learned to keep a balance between working hard to get 'stuff,' and working hard to 'get' a whole and a healthy me.

If you really desire true and lasting joy, I suggest you make your physical and emotional well-being a top priority, by making out time to develop your body and your mind. After all, health, they say, is wealth.

Chapter TwoGET GOD INVOLVED IN YOUR PLAN

“Therefore, he told me, "These signify the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by power, nor by might but by my Spirit.?

Zachariah 4:6 (KJV)

A

s Christians, we often fall into the temptation of leaving God out in certain matters that we mark as 'unspiritual.' This is because we think we are not supposed to talk to God about such matters. Losing weight or setting a goal for a healthier lifestyle falls into such a category.

But I have learned that God wants to be involved in every area of our lives. After all, He is the One who instructs us to glorify Him in our body. So why would He ask us to do a thing and not provide the help that we need for it? Also, He lovingly admonishes us to acknowledge Him in everything we do and He will direct our paths. (See Proverbs 3:5)

God wants to be involved in every area of our lives, but He does not force Himself on us. He wants us to invite him to help us. That is why we find He usually does not meddle in our matters until we call out to Him in prayer.

Revelation 3:20 talks about how God stands at the door. He stands at the door and knocks even though he could come into the house without having to knock. He waits at the door to be invited in. God is always at our doorstep, waiting and ready to help us in whatever area that we may need help. But He waits for us to let Him in. When we pray, we give God the permission to work in our situations; we give Him the permission to help us. So why not go ahead right now to ask Him to help you adopt a healthier lifestyle?

Get God involved in your journey to a healthier life and let Him bear the burden for you. I have spent the last seven years of my life developing and adopting a healthier lifestyle; and I can tell you that it is hard work. It takes discipline, effort and time. But I have also found out that we can depend on the grace of God to help us do whatever the Lord has laid in our hearts to do. All we need to do to get God involved is to ask. The Bible says that we should ask and we shall receive that our joy may be full. (See John 16:24)

The world tells us we can do anything we need to do if we are determined enough. It tells us we can use our willpower to accomplish anything that we want. But a quick look at the number of people that go into a Gym in December compared to the number that flocks into it in January shows us the futility of willpower or self-will.

Almost anyone, irrespective of their natural temperament (more of this at the end of this book,) can do anything that they set out to do if they will allow God to help them, instead of trying to do them in their natural abilities.

Self-will can help us get started in the right direction, but it hardly ever takes us to the end. Even if a person did manage to summon enough willpower to complete a task, it wouldn’t be without a load of stress and frustration. That is the reason we have so many starters and not nearly enough finishers. The reason our determination and self-will mostly give up in the middle, is because they are subject to reasoning and reasoning always leads us downside our goals and visions.

But as Christians, God expects us not just to start but to finish. This is because it is finishers that get the prize and not starters. It doesn't matter how well an athlete starts a race; unless he gets to the finish line, he is not going to get any prize. Someone else may have started badly, but if he gets to the finish line, first, he gets the prize. It is not how well we start in life that matters but how well we finish.

This is why grace is very important; because it does not only give us the will to start, but it also gives us the power to stay committed and not give up. I like the way the Apostle Paul puts it in Philippians 2:13.

'[Not in your own strength] for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing) and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.' (AMP)

You may ask, 'but how do I get God involved in developing a healthier mind or adopting a healthier body?' I have identified a few steps you can take to do this:

1. Love your Body

The first thing we need to do to get God involved in our goal to achieve a healthier lifestyle, is to love our body in a healthy way.

In John 3:16, the Bible tells us that God so loved the world that He gave… If we must have God's grace to help us achieve our goal of having a healthier, stronger body, we will have to love our body. When we love it, we will be ready to give it all that it takes to be healthier and stronger.

God is love and everything he does is on the foundation of love. So, if your motivation to be healthier and stronger is love, then you can be sure that you are going to get all the help that you need from God.

Also, I have found out that some people do not like their bodies. They are angry at their bodies for one reason or the other. They do not like their skin color, the shape of their nose, the size of their breast or buttocks and for all the other reasons. And so, they are either not motivated at all to do anything to have a healthier body, or they are motivated for all the wrong reasons, including the need to feel accepted by the people within their circle of influence. Some people may even decide to go on a diet or exercise because they are frustrated by the look of themselves in the mirror.

Accepting your body, the way it is, is a sign that you love it. You may not exactly like everything about it, but you can love it nevertheless. Remember that God loves and accepts you just the way you are. He is not waiting until you get slimmer or plumper before He loves and accepts you. God loves you just the way you are right now, irrespective of the way you may feel about yourself. He loves you so much that He shared the blood of His One and only begotten Son to redeem your soul.

The reason He wants you to take care of your body is not so that He will love and accept you; it is so that you will feel good about yourself, be strong and healthy. That way, you will live a long, happy life and be able to fulfil His will and purpose for your life here on earth.

Yes, it is possible to love our body even though we may not quite like everything about it. Likeness has something to do with our feelings, but love is something we do on purpose, irrespective of how we may feel about it. You can be kind to your body and be patient with it, whether you feel like it or not. (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

2. Ask God each day to help you

Remember Proverbs 3:5 that I cited earlier? It says to acknowledge God and He will direct your path. Every day you get up with a plan to exercise and eat right, ask God to help you. I have been exercising for many years now, but I have never for once thought that I could do it on my own without the help and ability of God. So, I find myself asking God to help me all the time.

First of all, He gives me the desire and then the grace. The grace of God is what propels us to do the things we know we should be doing whether or not we feel like it. I can remember a countless number of times that I did not feel like exercising or that I felt like indulging in some unhealthy foods, but God's grace helped me make the right choices-choices that were totally independent of my feelings.

So, don't ever forget to ask God to help you to do the things you need to do in order to live a healthy life.

In John 15:5, Jesus says we can do nothing without Him. But you may think, 'but there are thousands and thousands of people out there who are doing great things and don't even know Jesus. I used to think along the same line too, until one day. As I was meditating on this scripture, the Holy Spirit gave me an insight into what Jesus meant when He said we could do nothing without Him.

This is what I learned: As members of the body of Christ, we can do nothing that has eternal value without His help. As believers, our motivation for wanting to take care of our body and lead a healthier life should be to glorify God and fulfil His purpose here on earth. And in order to accomplish that, we will need His help. Everything we do in the name of the Lord (See Colossians 3:17) must be done with the help of the Holy Spirit for it to have any eternal consequence. By eternal consequence, I mean to bring glory to the name of Jesus here on earth and in heaven.

3. Fellowship with like-minded people

In Proverbs 27:17, the Bible says, 'iron sharpeneth iron.” Another way we can get God involved as we take this journey to a healthier lifestyle, is to find people with the same goal and company or fellowship with them, especially if they are people who share the same faith as us.

One thing that has motivated me to eat right and exercise for several years, is my association with Joyce Meyer. She has served as a great motivation to me in this area. At seventy-five years of age, she still looks so strong and healthy. That is because she engages in meaningful exercise and takes the time to eat right. I also have a couple of online associates that give me the necessary motivation that I need.

Keeping company with like-minded people will keep you motivated and encouraged with your health goals. But most importantly, you will learn new skills, techniques, recipes and many other things that you need to stay on course.

One or two of such people may also serve as your exercise partners- people you walk out with. Exercise partners are great because they can give you the necessary push during those times when you feel like you are losing your steam.

Also, the Bible says, 'Two are better than one, because they have a better reward for their labor. (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Apart from the physical benefits that one can get from associating with like-minded people, there are also spiritual benefits like praying for one another and encouraging one another from the word of God.

Having people in our lives who encourage us to do the right thing and stay committed to the right choices that we make, is so very important. It is very easy to get discouraged and give up on our health goals. With food becoming more readily available at cheaper rates, we are likely to get tempted to compromise our health goals unless we take in a fresh dose of encouragement each day. Associating with like-minded people can provide such encouragement.

4. Step out: This is an obvious fact, but it is important that I make mention of it for the sake of emphasis --

Once we have prayed, we need to step out and do what we are supposed to be doing. In Matthew 14, beginning from verse 25, Peter and the other disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea and Peter asked Jesus if he (Peter) could come to Him (Jesus) walking on the sea as well. Jesus told him to come and Peter stepped out of the boat into the water.

I will like us to note that Peter asked and Jesus answered. But Peter had to step out of his boat in order to receive the answer that Jesus offered. Jesus was not going to do that for him. Peter did step out and he walked on water to the amazement of all the other disciples that were present.

But after a moment of walking on water, Peter got distracted by the wind. As a result, he was ceased by fear and he started to sink (see verse 30.) Seeing this, Jesus immediately stretched forth His hand and held him.

The moment we ask God to help us do something, He immediately sends the grace we need, but we need to get out and use it. We need to get up and exercise. We need to make a determined effort to eat right within the limits of our God-given resources.

I have found out that most of the things that make our lives better do not occur in our ‘comfort zones.' If we must be all that God has created us to be and have all that Jesus died for us to have, we must be willing to step out from our comfort zone, just like Peter did.

The grace of God is always available to us, His children. But what we do with it will determine whether or not we live the best life that God has planned out for us.

As we make up our minds to use the grace of God to our benefit, we may have some setbacks on the way. But God will always be there to help us recover and push forward toward our goal. Peter had a setback after he stepped out, but Jesus immediately stretched out His hand to help him.

As you diligently make an effort toward a healthier and stronger you, you may encounter some setbacks, but if you will not give in to them and give up, God will always be there to help you forge ahead.

5. Be Thankful and celebrate each progress:

Keep a positive attitude and celebrate every little progress you make. Instead of focusing on where you want to be, be thankful and celebrate how far you have gone.

I have learned that life is a journey; and that the journey is much more important than the destination. Sometimes, we can be so focused on the destination that we fail to enjoy the journey.

Another thing I will like you to realise is that the result of making the right choices do not always show up as soon as we start making them. When we start moving our bodies more and start making better food choices, it may take a few months for us to start seeing some visible changes in our bodies. A lot of people get discouraged at this point and some may even give up their goal altogether.

But keeping a positive attitude and being thankful for the grace to do what we know we are supposed to be doing, is key to helping us stay focused on our goals. The Bible tells us to give thanks in everything as this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Be thankful to God for giving you the desire to improve your health, be thankful to Him for the grace to actually do so, be thankful for every progress you make and also for the results that you are expecting.

A positive attitude has a way of boosting our energy and helping us stay focused, while a negative, complaining attitude drains our energy because it keeps God out of the situation. Being thankful and saying so gets God involved, but being negative and complaining, keeps God out.

Chapter ThreeYOU NEED TO SET A GOAL

“The first step to winning is to set a goal.”

- Esther Ebireri

I

received a note on the 10th of May 2015. It was from Marian. The message was brief and straight to the point. “I am tired of looking the way I do. I hate myself. I hate my body. People keep telling me I am getting fat and I hate it!”

She had written her number at the end of the note, which meant she expected me to call her. I did call her and after the usual pleasantries, I told her I had received her note and asked why she had written to me. She was surprised at my question and she said: “Ma’am, I thought you said you read my note.”

Marian knew I could help her with her ‘fat’ problem, but she had failed to state what she wanted in her note. That note was nothing more than a lamenting story. It had no goal; it had no aim. Many people are like Marian. They want to change or they do not like the direction their life is going, but they fail to set specific goals to achieve the results they desire. Instead, they whine, complain and may even blame everybody else for their problems.

Let us imagine, for once, a football field without a goal post. We’d see the players just running from one end of the field to the other, kicking the ball at random. Because the players have no goal, they’d have no focus or direction. Goals are what keep both the players and the spectators focused and interested for the duration of the game, usually about ninety minutes or more. Without goals, both would soon become tired and bored. Most importantly, there would be no winner and no prize.

Therefore, the first step in this journey to realizing your dream body and living a healthier life, is to set a goal for yourself. You need to see this as a business you are about to undertake and in order to succeed at it, you will need to have a plan, an objective. Living a healthy lifestyle, losing weight and keeping it off for good is tricky and quite demanding. I believe it takes more discipline to stick to a healthier lifestyle than to get rid of a bad habit.

When you make a decision to eat right and live healthily, there are a whole lot of habits you are going to have to say no to; like mindless eating, watching TV for long hours, binge eating, sitting up late, driving at all times and lots more.

This is not a surprise because forming new habits will always amount to breaking old ones. And this is where some people run into trouble. They want to look slim, wish to have more energy and feel better, but they hope they are able to continue to eat everything they want to eat and sit down in front of the TV all evening.

Many people want to lose weight for various reasons. One of the ways to keep your focus and fuel your motivation is to write a list of the various reasons you want to lose weight; and keep them in front of you.

Another thing I will like us to note is that goals are supposed to lead us out of our comfort zones. Most people give up on their goals as soon as they start to get uncomfortable. They come up with all kinds of excuses, like ‘it’s too hard,’ ‘I don’t just have the time’ and all that.

Before you set your health goals therefore, I’ll like you to make a commitment that you are not going to give up when it starts to get uncomfortable. This is because many of the principles I am going to be sharing in this book will require some degree of effort, commitment and discipline on your part for them to be of any value to you.

As a guide, I have made an outline of some top reasons people generally want to have a smaller body.

For a healthier life: Health is one of the top reasons people generally want to lose weight. Many potentially life-threatening sicknesses and diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetics and some certain form of cancers, have been associated with being overweight. Many people have the desire to live long, fulfil their God-given purpose and enjoy their lives; as a result, they are motivated to adopt certain habits that would benefit their health.

For fitness: This was my major motivating factor. I want to be in control of my body, walk if I want to, run if I need to and engage in moderate physical activities without running out of breath too soon. I want to have the energy to do the things that I need to do as a mother, a pastor’s wife and a teacher of the Bible.

For Social Reasons: Some people want to lose weight in order to fit in. There is a kind of social stigma usually associated with being overweight or obese. As a result, overweight people may be discriminated against in certain situations. Many people even associate obesity with indiscipline. Some people feel the need to lose weight to fit into certain social settings.

Appearance: Some people would want to lose weight in order to feel good about themselves. Getting your desired body help to improve your mood and build confidence.

Babies and Biology: A desire to have babies could be a motivation for wanting to lose weight. This is because being overweight could make getting pregnant more difficult and cause problems in pregnancies.

Whatever may be your reason for wanting to shed those unwanted pounds or stay fit and healthy, it is important that they are motivating enough and clearly stated out.

Now that you have a clear goal or goals for wanting to lose weight, the next thing you need to do is to set a target- a time frame to achieve your desired weight. No one adds on an extra twenty pounds in one week. Therefore, it is not logical to want to lose a twenty-pound weight in one week. The most healthy and logical way to lose weight and, most importantly, keep it off is to set a long-term goal. Apart from helping your body adjust gradually to a new set of routines and mechanisms, it will help form new habits that would culminate in a healthy lifestyle.

Chapter FourUNDERSTAND THE WAY YOUR BODY WORKS

“A basic understanding of how the body uses the food you eat is one step towards achieving your dream body.”

- Esther Ebireri.

M

y eldest daughter asked me one day: ‘Why is Aunty Sophia so skinny? Does she eat at all?

Sophia is a young woman that sings in the choir in our church. She is one of those people like Daisy, you would wonder if she ever ate a steak.

In order to answer Daisy’s questions, I explained to her some of the things I will be sharing with you in this chapter.

The body is like a motor engine, a complex machine fuelled by food to produce energy. The energy from food is measured in calories. These calories are used up by the body as energy for our day-to-day activities and the unused calories are stored as excess energy in the form of fat. It, therefore, means that a person will start to gain weight when the amount of calories the body needs for its daily functions is exceeded.

It is like the case of an overcrowded bus. When the bus is full to capacity and more people continue to get in, the natural thing that happens is that you start to find people in places where they are not supposed to be- like the isle.

When the body gets excess calories, it finds a way to accommodate them by converting them to fat and storing them in or around the muscles. When this happens, the muscles of the person start to get bigger, either externally or internally. Eventually, it begins to reflect in the size or weight of the person. Therefore, we gain weight when the number of calories we eat outnumbers the number of calories our body needs for all of its functions at any given time. Similarly, we lose weight when the number of calories we eat from food is less than the number our body needs for all of its functions at any given time. Our body weight is maintained when the number of calories we eat equals the number our body needs for all of its functions at any given time.

Before commencing a weight loss program, it is important that you know your weight. This will help you determine whether you want to lose weight or maintain your current weight. Everyone, irrespective of their size or weight, needs to eat right and exercise. Knowing the weight that is right for you will help to tailor your program to suit your specific need. If you need to lose weight, it will help to determine by how much and thus, help you set a target. If your weight is right, then your focus would be on getting fit and developing a healthy lifestyle. One popular way to determine your ideal weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI).

The BMI is a measure of your weight in relation to your height. If you have access to the internet, you will be able to simply calculate your BMI if you know your height and weight. Otherwise, you could determine your BMI manually with the formula below:

underweight (BMI less than 18.5)

normal weight (BMI between 18.5 & 24.9)

overweight (BMI between 25.0 & 29.9)

obese (BMI 30.0 and above)

It is important to note that the body is continuously burning calories even while at rest. All the metabolic processes (breathing, digestion, excretion, blood circulation and so on), of the body require energy. This energy is obtained from the food we eat in the form of calories. Calories from food, together with body structure, make up the sum total of the human body weight. Since calories from food are the major determinant of body weight, it is therefore important to get a basic understanding of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR.)

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) refers to the number of calories the body needs to perform all of its daily, basic metabolic functions and is unique to every individual. Knowing your BMR would serve as a guide to how many additional calories your body needs to either maintain or lose weight its current weight.

How to determine your BMR.

Step One: Calculate your height in inches, then multiply by 2.54 to convert to centimetres (cm). For example, if you are 65 inches tall, you multiply 65 by 2.54 to get 165.1cm.

Step Two: Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale in kilograms (kg). If your scale is calibrated in pounds (lbs), divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. For example, if you weigh 170lbs, you divide by 2.2 to get 77kg.

Step Three: Calculate your BMR using the following equations for men and women, respectively.

This means while this man is resting, his body needs a total of 1721. 97calories for its daily metabolic functions.

BMR for women: 655.1 + (9.6 × weight in kg) + (1.8 × height in cm) – (4.7 × age in years)

This is the number of calories the woman’s body needs to perform all of its metabolic functions while she is resting.

From your BMR, you can calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This is the total amount of energy your body needs to perform all of its daily functions. This value varies for different people depending on their level of activity.

Sedentary (no exercise): BMR × 1.2

Light activity (1-3 days of light exercise): BMR × 1.3

Moderate activity (3-5 days of moderate exercise): BMR × 1.55

Heavy activity (6-7 days of heavy exercise): BMR × 1.725

Very heavy activity (7 days of heavy exercise + physical job): BMR ×1.9

Using the example of the 40 years old woman above and assuming that she engages in moderate activities like walking for 30 minutes or jogging slowly for 20 minutes three to five days in a week, her TDEE would be 1511.1 × 1.55= 2,342.2kcal/24hrs.

Now that we have a basic understanding of how our bodies use the food that we eat, we are now going to move on to something that has been a subject of wonder to many. Just like Daisy, you might have wondered why some people remain slim no matter what they eat. Are there some explanations for it? We are going to find out in this next chapter.