We know that prayer changes things, but can we apply this to weight loss? The word says faith without works is dead (James 2:17). In other words, yes, pray, but also, do. I know a woman who once said “When God gets ready for this weight to come off of me, he’s gonna knock it off”. This same woman also told me that she was waiting for a 13 million dollar check in the mail from Ed McMahon. Here we are 10 years later, and she’s still waiting for both. Yes, she had faith, but what work did she do? She ate whatever she wanted, did no exercise, and waited by the mailbox promptly at 4pm each day. I would have to call her the poster child for ridiculous.

We also know that God is able to do above and beyond what we ask or imagine according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). Ok, did you get that important part? The power is within us. That is a major key that unlocks the gate to your weight loss reality. YOU have the power within YOU to get where you are trying to go. So how exactly do you tap into this power? Certainly not by stopping at Krispy Kreme whenever the HOT sign is flashing and then praying for forgiveness later. I know from firsthand experience, that does not work. I do have an extreme example of the power within that I call my Krispy Kreme testimony. I will share it one day. But right now, I don’t think you’re ready for that jelly.

So here are the basic steps to get you started on your weight loss journey. First, when you rise in the morning, make sure you take a few moments to set your will for the day. You can call it prayer, meditation, or whatever you decide. Doesn’t matter to me, as long as it involves you mentally deciding and physically speaking. Decide right then and say out loud that you are going to do what it takes to reach your weight loss goals. Forget yesterday. Today is a new day, with new mercy. Allow yourself to be forgiven for yesterday. Now decide and determine that you will do your part this day. Find scriptures and create a mantra to support your decision. Basically what you are doing here is activating the power of your will, or, as we know it, willpower.

Set the atmosphere for success. Are there unhealthy, high calorie foods in your home? Toss them out. You are not a garbage disposal, so no, you cannot eat food as a way of getting rid of it. Yes, there are starving children in Africa, but do you really think your eating that food is going to help them? Simply throw it out and start fresh with a healthy pantry. Are there household members who still bring home the foods that they know will tempt you? I would have to call them haters, as they are clearly not supporters. If you can, “fly above all the haters” (Kandi Burruss). In other words, get them back by ignoring their food choices. Since this is next to impossible, I also suggest that you toss their offending foods out, which will make the haters either hide them or stop buying them. By any means necessary, make the changes to create an atmosphere conducive to success.

Plan for the journey. There is no room for laziness in a plan for weight loss. Is your gym bag packed and at the door, or in the car? What about your snacks, or lunch? Unless you work for the corporate office of Safeway or Whole Foods, your employee cafeteria does not likely give a rats’ azz about how healthy your lunch is. That is YOUR responsibility. What about dinner? In order for you to have success on a daily basis, you have to plan your meals, all of them. If you cannot get a personal chef, be one. Pick a day to cook your meals ahead of time. This leaves no excuse to go out and eat something that goes against your plan. You have got to plan for your own success daily, unless you have a personal assistant, chef, trainer, and life coach to help you to succeed. And if you have all of that, then you probably don’t even need to be reading this.

Focus, focus, focus. What are you feeding into your soul and your body? What are you looking at, listening to, smelling, touching, tasting? Ever notice when you drive by a Popeye’s or In n Out Burger, the smell is mesmerizing? Or that HOT sign at Krispy Kreme flashes and you forget where you were going? Or you hear a commercial about ice cream and cake with a catchy tune and the next thing you know you’re looking for your car keys? You end up in the drive thru of these places and have no idea how you got there, and don’t even care. This had NOTHING to do with your plan for the day, but it happened because your spirit was willing, your flesh was weak, and as a result you lost focus. Make the effort to protect your soul, and your goals. Close off the entryway for things that go against your efforts. Press mute when commercials come on. Drive a different route if you can. Mention these specific things that you will not do when you set your will in the morning. And as far as that Krispy Kreme sign… that’s a hard one. Some things are going to take divine intervention and/or an exorcism. Again, one day I will share.

My prayer is that you will do what you now know to do, as you are equipped with the basics to get the job done. Note the word basics, as this can get much more complex, depending on the extent of your love relationship with food, and your love relationship with yourself. If either relationship is extremely out of whack, this info will only be cracking the surface. However, cracking the surface is the only way to start. And starting is the only way to finish. So let’s get busy praying, doing, and making our answered prayers our reality.