The Holy Mess

Faith + Weight Loss

Faithful Fitness: God, Weight Loss, and Exercise

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This entry is part 1 of 26 in the series Faithful Fitness

Faithful Fitness

Welcome to Faithful Fitness: God, Weight Loss, and Exercise

Faithful Fitness is a focus on being healthy while keeping God at the center of your efforts. Faithful Fitness is ignoring what the world says, what magazines say, what our neighbor says, and instead looking at what God says.

What is Faithful Fitness?

My friend and I pant as we balance on the elliptical machines at her gym, chatting between breaths. We commiserate over how we both attempt fitness and work out as much as is possible with little ones at home. We try to keep junk food out of the house, although we both love sugary and salty treats, and we give in more than we should when stress levels rise.

Let’s face it — food is readily accessible, it seems harmless enough, and it’s been a constant companion for our lifetimes. She and I both admit to a past with some more serious eating issues. I was 100 pounds heavier. She struggled with an eating disorder as a college athlete. We both share how we worry about passing on our eating issues to our own kids.

We finish our cardio and laugh as we lift weights with authority to avoid the personal trainers who circle trying to sell us training sessions. As we head into the locker room, each of us notices the pictures tacked up on the walls as supposed inspiration. These pictures have women and men half-clothed — almost pornographic — that shout “be fit like me!” Men without shirts with bulging muscles. Women in bathing suits with bodies that look nothing like me or anyone who is working out in this gym, for that matter.

This is not the fitness inspiration I want.

I don’t want to be overweight or addicted to food. (Been there, done that.) Yet I don’t want to be obsessed with fitness, my body, or looks. (Been there, done that too.)

This is what we need:

Faithful Fitness

Faithful Fitness is a focus on being healthy. Faithful Fitness is ignoring what the world says, what magazines say, what our neighbor says, and instead looking at what God says.

God asked people in the Bible to do some darn weird stuff. Jeremiah was asked to lie naked in the middle of the road. Moses was asked to lead people when he could hardly speak. A donkey talked and the earth was flooded. This is seriously weird.

Maybe God doesn’t want me to do the typical either. Maybe I need to ignore what is being pushed at me and go for what is God is telling me.

Join me for the next 31 days as we explore being Fit. And being Faithful. Today is Day 1. Every day for the next 31 days I’ll be posting a blog (eeek, I’ve taken the challenge! can I do it!?) about this topic. Some will be short, some longer, and some I will share a helpful resource. Consider me your guide. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m willing to journey into this territory with you and let’s see what we discover together.

Let’s do this thing. I promise we won’t be the same when we are done. And, I promise we can savor a few pieces of Halloween candy when we are finished — guilt free.

Will you take the Faithful Fitness Challenge with us?

The Faithful Fitness 31 Day Challenge

    1. Commit to pray daily for 31 days and listen to God’s voice for how you should live faithfully concerning Fitness. Try to remove from your mind all ideas of what is typical and listen to what God is calling you to do.
    1. Wake up to what you notice in culture around you. Pay attention to pictures, billboards, advertisements, magazines, friend’s discussions and your own words. What is valuable to you? What fits with your faith? Of what do you need to let go? (Remember, we do not need to reject all of culture. Right now our goal is to be aware.)
  1. Check this blog daily for 31 days for thought-provoking questions and resources. Ponder the discussion questions. Join in. Pray.

How is God challenging you with your faith and fitness?

What are you doing well? In what ways do you want to make changes?

Weird Faithful Fitness
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About Sara

Sara is a writer, 100+ pound weight loss success story, and a certified Binge Eating and Bulimia Recovery Coach. Her website, The Holy Mess, reaches millions of readers every year. She guides women to healthy weight loss, and an impressive 50,000+ people having completed her group weight loss challenges to date. Click here to read Sara's Before and After story. Message her at sara@theholymess.com.

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