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Joan Walker’s Step by Step: Is your faith connected to your fitness

Step by Step by Joan Walker

It was one of those weekends. One day I ran out of time to do my devotions in the morning (of course, something that could have been avoided), while another day I was able to read my bible, pray, and even enjoy a couple of online church services. How does this apply to my journey to better physical health?

In one of my earlier articles, I mentioned how I feel your journey to physical health also greatly affects your spiritual health. Unfortunately, it goes the opposite way as well. If I haven’t taken the time to pray, to read the word of God, to listen to what the Lord has to say to me, I can lose focus, both spiritually and physically. I look back at the weekend and what I ate, and I can see that I made better choices on the day I drew closer to the Lord than on the other day. Has this happened to you as well?

This month, I want to go back to the beginning of my journey. I am on a weight-loss program that is well-known, where you count points for everything you eat. Most of the fruits and vegetables are free, meaning they are zero points, so they don’t count in your total points that you can consume in a day. Some clean proteins are also free, such as chicken breast, eggs, or shrimp. Each day you get a certain number of points. All foods, other than those mentioned above, have points assigned to them – based on portion – and as you eat them your number of points for the day diminishes.

Joan Walker

My favorite thing of this program is exactly that. All foods, based on portion control, have points. So that means, theoretically, that I can eat anything. Of course, there is moderation involved. That chocolate cake at Starbucks is permissible. I can calculate the points, but it won’t be the most beneficial snack to my overall health. I originally started on the plan back in the fall of 2016 and successfully lost about 25 pounds.

I allowed the stresses of life to derail this new way of eating, and by March of 2017, I had to admit I was no longer following the plan. A huge new stress popped into my life in May. A job that I had for almost 11 years was suddenly gone. I allowed all the old and new problems of life to affect my weight. I let any remaining discipline I still had dissolve, and suddenly, chocolate was much more important to me than fitting into those jeans in my closet.

However, by the fall of 2017, I had made up my mind that I would once again join the program. Since October, I have lost almost 40 pounds, and those are pounds I never want to find again.

Not only is the program very doable, but I have great support through my family and social media. In between preparing for, and going to, job interviews, I get outside and move. Not only do I exercise and eat according to the plan, counting points for everything I eat, I also look at the spiritual portion of my journey.

I am reading a book called “Made to Crave,” written by Lysa TerKeurst. There is a devotional companion to the original book, and they both have been an immeasurable help to me as I discover how my physical health and spiritual health are closely knit together. I highly recommend these two books to you while you are on your own journey of weight loss and spiritual wellness.

I would love to hear from you if you are on your own journey, because I know for a fact that having support and accountability with others when you are on a similar path is invaluable. You know where I am right now, so be sure to check back right here each month, as I will be updating you on my weight loss, and yes, even weight gain.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel to reach out to me via email at joan@sgnscoops.com

By Joan Walker

April 2018 SGNScoops Magazine

First published by SGNScoops Magazine in April 2018

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Join Joan Walker on a Step by Step journey to Health

Step by Step by Joan Walker

Step by Step: February 2018 edition. By Joan Walker

We’re almost halfway through January already, and if it’s cold where you are like it’s cold here, you’re looking for hot soup, hot coffee or tea … or anything hot.

And … it’s almost two weeks since New Year’s Day. That makes me think of Rob Patz’s Publishers Point for January – A New Year, A New You. I’m sure we’ve all thought of changes we can make in our life. Just to introduce myself, I am a copy editor for SGNScoops. I reside in Ontario, Canada, am single (but may get a cat in the spring), and am looking to get healthy.

I’ve dieted all my life. Unfortunately, I’ve never arrived at what a BMI (body mass index) table or doctor’s chart says is my ideal weight. I’ve struggled with body image and self-esteem as well, knowing these issues can all go hand in hand.

A couple of years ago, my hair stylist talked about how she was losing weight. Amy inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and try a new plan. It’s not totally new to me, but there were updates.  For me, I needed the “new.” That’s probably something I need to dig into a little, how I need the “new.” But that’s for another article.

So, take it from a chronic dieter … the new year always seems to be the best time to start something. I am currently on a plan that seems to be working for me, even over the Christmas holidays. Over the next few months, I want to share with you what is happening with my health plan.

Do you find that when you begin to take care of your body by watching what goes into it, other parts of your life are suddenly under the spotlight? I see my spiritual life and health for what it currently is, good or bad. If I stop watching what I eat, the lack of discipline in that area may lead me to feel defeated in my spiritual walk, causing me to put aside my Bible, stop praying, or even staying home from church. Is it possible that we feel guilty when one part of our health isn’t up to par, so we draw away from God?  

I am a Christ follower. I’ve been one since my early teens, and as we all know, there are bumps along the way as we allow life to affect how close or how far away from God we are. One big bump happened last year when I found myself suddenly restructured out of a company I had worked at for over 10 years. Wow, that’s a big bump that caused doubt, anger, and many tears. As a stress/emotional eater, this threw my eating-healthy plan for a loop.

With this feature, I want to focus on what and how I’m doing with this food plan, in order to encourage you if you are also trying to get healthy. Also, I will fill you in on my spiritual walk, and maybe my journey can resonate with some of you and help you in some way. I do not have all the answers, and it is attempt 10,002 for getting healthy at least, both physically and spiritually … but perhaps we can go on this walk together.

This is really pushing me out of my comfort zone, but I think there is someone out there who is fighting a battle with their weight, or in their walk with God. Perhaps we can grow together. If you want to respond to me directly about what I’ve written, you can reach me at joan@sgnscoops.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Please note, I am not a paid spokesperson for any specific plan, and as this is a plan that is working for me, I won’t focus on the name of the weight-loss plan. If you want to know the details, please feel free to contact me, but remember to get the approval of your doctor before you start on any food/exercise plan.

Joan Walker

Editor’s Note: Joan Walker, copywriter for SGNScoops Magazine, joins us this month to begin a look into her life as she follows a path to improve her health, both physically and spiritually. Please watch for Step by Step every month and write to Joan at joan@sgnscoops.

By Joan Walker

First published by SGNScoops Magazine in February 2018

Laurette Willis: Seven Secrets to Living Long and STRONG!

Laurette Willis

By Laurette Willis, CHC, Director of PraiseMoves, LLC

“With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91:16)

In Japan, life expectancy is over 82 years of age, and in most of the western world the average life expectancy is 78 to 80 years of age.

When the first United States census was taken in 1790, only two percent of the U.S. population was over 65. By 1900, the average American lifespan was only 47. People who make it to 100 and beyond are no longer considered freaks of nature. There are approximately 55,000 centenarians in the U.S., and perhaps as many as 450,000 worldwide.

Is it unreasonable to expect to live to be 120, as the Bible states? “And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’” (Genesis 6:3)

What about the scripture that mentions 70 to 80 years of age? That was considered part of the curse of being in the wilderness, not a blessing.

“The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10)

A footnote to Psalms 90 in The Amplified Bible explains: “This psalm is credited to Moses, who is interceding with God to remove the curse which made it necessary for every Israelite over twenty years of age (when they rebelled against God at Kadesh-barnea) to die before reaching the promised land (Numbers 14:26-35).

“Moses says most of them are dying at 70 years of age. This number has often been mistaken as a set span of life for all mankind. It was not intended to refer to anyone except those Israelites under the curse during that particular forty years. Seventy years never has been the average span of life for humanity. When Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes, had reached 130 years (Genesis 47:9), he complained that he had not attained to the years of his immediate ancestors. In fact, Moses himself lived to be 120 years old, Aaron 123, Miriam several years older, and Joshua to 110 years of age. Note as well that in the Millennium a person dying at 100 will still be thought a child (Isaiah 65:20).”

“If I’d Known I Would Live this Long, I Would’ve Taken Better Care of Myself!”

We want to live long in order to complete all the Lord has called us to do. We also want to live stronger and healthier. It’s the second part that is giving many people trouble. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Read on for Laurette’s seven secrets. ..

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