I see many devoted people when I visit different churches. They look like they are totally absorbed in the worship and with closed eyes or hands stretched out to heaven, they seem ready to leave this earth now for a different place or a better place. Some will shout for joy, others will twirl or dance. Some will shake with anticipation and excitement. This does not only stay with the service as such. When I talk to these people I pick up that they are truly committed to their relationship with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit.

So they are devoted and they are fat. “How is that possible?”, someone would ask. There are many reasons for that and I am careful to venture an answer. I was about 28 to 30 kg overweight, so I should know. This was also a time where I would describe myself as ”devoted”. So I will not judge, but I want to explain a bit better.

You are fat because there are a number of things that you do not understand or do not accept. Let me point our five areas.

1.  Incorrect eating habits: eating too much or the wrong things (or eating too little)

2. Inadequate exercising: no or limited exercising

3. Dualistic thinking: You separate spiritual and non-spiritual in your thinking

4. Social skills: you do not how to say no in any social environment

5. Unresolved pain … past, present or future

All of this comes from our thinking and/or emotions.

Let me give you one example of incorrect eating habits:

Your body needs from 80 to 140 gram of protein per day. You go on a special salad diet. You detox wonderfully the first three days, but you only get in 20 grams of protein per day. You also lose weight in the three days. On day four you binge!. That is you eat almost anything in sight. You cannot belief that this has happened to you. It is almost like the alcoholic that started drinking again after three sober days. You feel bad and you think that you do not have the will power! The truth of the matter is that you do not have the protein.

Protein gives you will power. You need to know how much protein your body requires every day. Then you need to make sure that you get that protein every day. One portion of fish or chicken or meat could give your roughly 20 grams of protein. Four of these will be almost enough for a lady, but that will depend on a number of factors as well. If you eat 7 pieces of chicken that may be enough protein, but too many calories. The first thing that you need to learn is the number of grams of protein that you require every day.

I have found the following programme on the internet quite handy for that. (copy and paste this link if the link when you click on “programme”does not work http://www.ichange.com/coach/coachhansie ).

So you can be devoted and have will power. It is often just a physical thing and not a spiritual thing. Get your protein sorted out first. We can work on the rest of the list as soon as we know that it is not the protein.

So, get your protein sorted out first: STEP 1