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Want to be healthier in 2016? Here are 12 habits you must break.

It’s a new year and we’re all naturally filled with renewed hope and promise. Hope is a wonderful thing; our Heavenly Father has placed an eternal desire in our hearts so that we can continue to grow in His grace and love each day and each year.  However, before you start off another year vowing that it will be different than the last, let’s take some time and be prayerful about how you will live in 2016. Breaking old habits is one of the most difficult things that we can do. That’s why our Heavenly Father has given us guidelines on how to make changes in our lives. Whether you intend to make New Year’s resolutions or not is irrelevant. What’s important is that you commit to spending time with God in 2016 and draw close to Him so you can be transformed for the better in all areas of your life.

Losing weight, eating right and/or start exercising are among the most popular New Year’s Resolutions that people make each year.  Here are 12 common habits that people persist in when trying to live healthier that NEVER work.

We’re all guilty of doing one, two or ten of them at some time in our lives. Before going into 2016 with your New Year’s resolution list determined to change (but bound to fail), learn what you can do instead by partnering with your Heavenly Father. Don’t try to take on all twelve. Simply choose one or two that most apply to you, tell the Holy Spirit about your desire to change and study the corresponding scripture.

Here we go:

1. Stop beating up on yourself when you break your boundaries. This pattern often causes women to spiral out of control and continue over-eating. Self-abasement will never produce positive results. When you break your boundaries, stop, pray (tell God that you need His help) and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you on your journey. Secondly, notice what led you to over-eat and address that issue. For example, did you allow yourself to get too hungry, tired or stressed?

 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

2. Stop your all-or-nothing thinking. Many people think that they have to workout everyday for one hour to get results or they have to eat perfectly or else they failed. Instead of thinking this way, think about small little things you can do each day to move more. Where can you walk to? What can you do standing instead of sitting down? I used to get so frustrated with myself when I missed a run. Now I simply climb up and down the stairs in my house or go for a walk around the block if I don’t have the time to go to the gym.

“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” Proverbs 13:11

3. Stop talking about your past. The only one interested in your past is the devil. Continually talking about your past hurts, struggles, and hardships only keep you tied to your struggle. It only serves to reinforce and justify your current situation and serves no useful purpose. Get help and professional support for your past if necessary and then leave it there. Imagine trying to drive a car while looking in the rear view mirror! That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Look to the future and believe that yours will be bright.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer. 29:11

4. Stop trying to lose weight on your own. Trying to lose weight can be a very isolating and lonely stronghold. No one wants their friends, family and loved ones to know how much they’re struggling so people tend to isolate themselves and try to solve their problems on their own. This mistake will make the difference between success and failure for so many women. Instead, surround yourself with a few loving people who can encourage you and support you on your journey.

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

5. Stop relying on your own strength. It’s a paradox, we feel powerless yet we continue to rely on your own strength. God is all powerful yet we fail to go to him for help. To begin correcting this critical mistake, regardless of how you feel, wake up in the morning and declare God’s word over your life, your health and all of your situations. As you move throughout your day continue to declare John 15:5. When you experience a food craving or you feel like you want to break your boundaries, declare Luke 10:19. And before you go to bed each night, reflect on your day, wipe the slate clean and declare John 15:5 again.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

6. Stop scratching the surface.  Many women focus solely on finding the right diet, doing endless hours of cardio on the treadmill or they believe that ‘if only I could be more disciplined’ then they would be successful at losing weight but these shallow strategies keep them feeling overwhelmed because there will always be a new strategy. They will drive themselves crazy trying to stay on top of them all and figure out which one (if any) will actually work. Instead, take the time and  understand that there are certain negative beliefs that you have about yourself that keep you repeating your negative behaviors over and over again. Go to God to receive healing for your  deeper issues such as childhood traumas, poor self-esteem and limiting beliefs.

 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139 23-24

7. Stop living on automatic pilot. When living on automatic pilot we just go-with-the-flow of life and don’t give much thought or prayer to the choices we make. We grab something fast because we are in a rush, we eat because we have a craving for something, or someone gives us something to eat and we are too polite to say ‘no’. Most times, we’re so overwhelmed with our day-to-day living that thinking of our health does not even make it on our to-do list.  Instead,  take the time to tune into how God wants you to live and notice why you do what you do. This is an important step in permanent, healthy weight loss.

8. Stop the negative self-talk.  If you’re constantly saying words like ‘its hard,’ ‘I know but’, ‘I want to’, I should’,‘ I need to do’ or ‘I don’t know’ then you will never reach your weight loss (or any other) goals. Your words precede action and these words indicate inaction and failure.

Your words give the world a preview of what your true intentions or beliefs are about your ability to succeed. Instead of speaking negatively about your body or your health, make verbal declarations about your health and your life.

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth”.Psalm 33:6

9. Stop jumping from diet to diet.  Many of us have ADD when it comes to sticking to our plan. Instead of always looking for the next ‘breakthrough’ diet, develop consistency in the one you’re doing. The only perfect diet is the one that you stick to. Ecc. 7:8 reminds us, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning” but notice it does not give us insights into the bumps and bruises that we will experience in the middle of the journey. We can rest on God’s promise that the end will be worth it.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col. 3:2

10. Stop blaming others for your circumstances. Yes, your mother may have stuffed you with junk food when you were young or your gym teacher might have made fun of you. It was not nice what they did to you and it was not your fault— you did not deserve that but now that you’re an adult, you have a responsibility to change. So stop blaming them and start taking action.

“Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” Ezra 10:4

11. Stop thinking about ‘powerlessness’ as a bad thing. I hear it all the time. “I’ve tried everything”, “I don’t know what else to do”, “ I’ll never change.” Powerlessness makes us desperate; it makes us do crazy things we would not otherwise do. Instead of using your powerlessness as a weakness and something to be avoided at all costs, see it as a strength because that’s when God does his best work.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Cor 12:9

12. Stop focusing on yourself. There’s a popular quip that says, ‘what you focus on expands.’ This means that the more you focus on your weight the more you might actually weigh! The enemy has us wasting much of our lives on a hamster wheel. If we’re not obsessed about our weight, then we’re obsessing about our family or our finances. These are all distractions to keep you from experiencing God’s divine glory. The solution is to focus on spending time with God to consistently encounter His transformative love. Make that your priority and you will never fail at your weight loss goals or any other goal you take on in 2016!

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12:2

If you’re guilty of one or more of these habits and you’re ready to try something different, then join us for a fun and fresh biblical approach to permanent, healthy weight releasing. Check it out here—>21daysgodsway<—

Victory IS yours in 2016 and always.

Love and Blessings,

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