The 12 Steps—Life-Changing Baby Steps

By Julie Morris –

Last month I told you about how my version of the 12 Steps helped me to lose my harmful extra pounds in 1982 and keep them off. This month I want to tell you how I began taking each of the Steps—in hopes that you might want to join me on this exciting journey.

Short Form of 12 Steps and How I Began Taking Each Step

• Step 1 I can’t! I began taking Step 1 by giving up on the idea that I could lose weight by dieting.
• Step 2 God can! I began taking Step 2 by reminding myself of God’s awesome power and His promises to help me…if I’d let Him.
• Step 3 I’ll let Him! Eating too much and thinking about food all the time were making me miserable so I made a decision to cooperate with God every day rather than complaining and overeating.
• Step 4 What needs changing? I began taking Step 4 by listing my sins and the ineffective choices I had been making. Fortunately, in Step 4 I didn’t have to do anything but list these things. God would help me with them as I worked the rest of the steps.
• Step 5 I confess! I began taking Step 5 by admitting to God, myself and somebody else the things on my fourth step list. I felt a wonderful sense of freedom after I confessed these things to a friend who was also working the steps.
• Step 6 I’m ready to change! While taking Step 6, I thought about the harm the things on my list were doing to me. For example, overeating made my blood pressure soar; it caused me to feel ashamed of how I looked; and it caused me to beat myself up over being so weak.
• Step 7 Change me, Lord! This step reassured me that I didn’t have to change myself; all I had to do was to be humble toward God—teachable, willing to do things His way, and stay close to Him–trusting Him to change me.
• Step 8 Who have I harmed? Again, I didn’t have to fix anything while taking this step; I just had to make a list.
• Step 9 I’m sorry! Originally, I thought this step just encouraged me to apologize to a few people, but I realized that it also encourages me to recognize and put a stop to ineffective ways I relate to people every day.
• Step 10 How am I doing? (Steps 10-12 are the maintenance steps, and, though they come at the end, I started doing them as soon as I began working the steps.) While taking Step 10, I realized that I had been so busy doing, that I had little time to think about what I was doing! I started taking several minutes each morning to plan my day, evaluate how I had done the day before and confess my mistakes and ineffective choices to the Lord.
• Step 11 I’m seeking you, God! While taking the 11^th Step, I realized that I had been focusing most of my prayers on telling God what I wanted Him to do, rather than seeking what He wanted me to do and relying on Him to help me do it.
• Step 12 I’m practicing and praising you, Lord! When I began to take Step 12, I thought about the word “practice” and how much Olympic skaters have to practice. I determined to practice 12-Step principles every day and to tell others about how God is helping me as a result.

Why don’t you join me today in the life-changing 12-Step journey!

Julie Morris is founder of Guided By Him, a 12-Step Christian weight-loss program you can do by yourself or in a group (www.guidedbyhim.com). She is the author of 12 books and an inspiring motivational speaker. Email her for questions about working the Guided By Him program Julie@guidedbyhim.com.

Fit to Win in 2011

By Laurette Willis –

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJ).

Will 2011 be a new beginning for you? Have you had fitness failures as I have? Do you wonder if the changes you’ve wanted to make will ever happen?

Someone once told me, “A leopard never changes its spots.” Did you know that’s from Jeremiah 13:23? Before I came to Christ, I had many “spots” and stains caused by a life of sin. True, a leopard cannot change its spots just as I could not cleanse myself from sin. Neither can you. But there is One who can! The blood Jesus shed for you on Calvary paid the price to eradicate every sin and stain.

Our ongoing relationship with Him will also change us from one encounter with His glory to another so we can see hard-to-conquer habits eradicated, too!

Will you submit your life and all of this new year to Him right now?  It’s that simple. Allow Jesus to give you a fresh start this year!

Let’s look at some ways you can focus on how things can be different in 2011 for you.

In the area of physical fitness and health, fill in the blanks (Example: “I want to enjoy daily exercise and eating in moderation so I can maintain a healthy weight for me.”)

I want to: __________________________________________________________________________

So I can: ___________________________________________________________________________

The Lord’s Spot Remover

Consider the Scripture from Jeremiah 13:23 (NKJ). “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.”

Wait a second! We cannot change our skin just as a leopard cannot change its spots. So why is this followed with the admonition to do good?

I’m reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 7:24 (NKJ), “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

The answer is found in the next verse. “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” It is a matter of faith (firm reliance on God) AND works (doing what seems right as I follow the Lord).

Take a look at what you wrote in the spaces above. Right now, ask the Lord to tell you something you can do to help you achieve that. You may be surprised at how simple it may be. The Lord usually leads us in steps, not leaps. Start today or tomorrow to do that one thing.

God Will Change Your “Want To”

Commit this new step to the Lord. “Lord, I’m offering this up to You. I trust You to help me.” Sometimes just taking a step in the right direction with your faith firmly planted in God’s ability to make up the difference is all it takes. Follow through with action every day. In time, you will find yourself actually wanting to make the healthful choice.

You will realize that God has changed your “want to” and you will see your goals are being reached one day at a time. He is faithful—and you are loved!

Christian Fitness Expert Laurette Willis is the Director of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry (http://PraiseMoves.com and on Facebook http://bit.ly/aAlS4u ). Get your free kit at http://ChristianFitnessKit.com . © 2010

Back to Basics

By Don Otis –

What do you want to achieve in the New Year? In fitness language, setting goals and maintaining them is called adherence. As it is with anything in life, your goals determine your behavior. We don’t stumble into good health any more than we do ill-health. It takes intention. Or, in Christian terms, we set our heart (will) toward a goal.

In the past several articles, we have talked about how easy it is to fall off the wagon, so to speak, when it comes to adherence to our goals. We have discussed the importance of consistency, cross- training to break up the monotony, and having definable objectives. We have discussed fat-burning cardio exercises and what works best. This means intensity over duration. In other words, it is better to increasing your intensity on a treadmill than to walk slowly for 45 minutes. We call this quality or quantity. Some people think they have to spend a lot of time to get satisfactory results. Not true.

This weekend I had an hour of sunlight left and wanted to get a mountain bike ride in on the Santa Rosa Plateau in southern California. I met up with a Christian chiropractor and we took off at a breakneck speed (there is a reason they call it “breakneck”). We finished ten miles on single track trails just as the sun set. I had resolved to work out that day, even if it was challenging to do it before the sun set.

Here are some of the questions in the Exercise Confidence Survey asked by fitness trainers who want to access the resolve of new clients.

Do you get up early, even on weekends, to exercise?

Do you stick to your exercise program after a long, tiring day at work?

Do you exercise even though you are feeling depressed?

Do you stick with your program even when you have household chores or social obligations to attend to?

I would add many of my own questions to the survey, like “Are you willing to turn off the television or stay off Facebook long enough to exercise? The biggest distracters are our schedules, family obligations, vocational responsibility, or fatigue/depression.

For me, one of the ways I stay motivated is to document what I do. It is simply writing down what I have done for the day on a 4 X 6 card. I have hundreds of these from decades ago. I know, for example, how much slower I am today than twenty years ago. Although my miles are slower, I keep moving and setting goals. This year will end with 1700 miles logged! Whatever your goals are, write them down, check on your progress, and persevere.

The most critical period of adherence to exercise is the first three to six months. This is one of the reasons I encourage a slow, methodical approach that helps people maintain a lifestyle of God-honoring, healthful living. Another reason for the slower approach is to avoid burnout or injury. If you are older or heavier, start with low-impact activities.

If it is helpful, write a contract–even if it is between yourself and God, or yourself and your spouse. Include a series of goals (make these reasonable) and determine to adhere to them–to “show up” even when you don’t feel like it.

Don S. Otis is am ACE Certified personal trainer, the author of Keeping Fit after 40 and Whisker Rubs: Developing the Masculine Identity. He is the president of Veritas Communications, a Christian publicity agency based in Canon City, Colorado. You can contact him at don@veritasincorporated.com.

The Priority Shift

By Cami Checketts –

As we begin a new year, I always get excited to write a list of goals and envision how I’m going to improve myself and my family’s life throughout the year. But life changed at the Checketts’ home in 2010. I used to feel I was efficient and organized. I used to have a monthly goals and daily to-do lists and if I didn’t work towards each goal every day I would get frustrated with myself.

My fourth baby has recently changed all of that. My number one goal is to hold, love, and savor each moment with this chubby baby. If I don’t make it to the gym, turn on my computer, or fold the laundry, I don’t allow myself to obsess over my lack of ambition.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have goals or write up a list of New Year’s Resolutions because those are extremely important and motivating things. We should always be trying to improve ourselves and the world around us. But sometimes we can go too far, get so wrapped up in the to-do list and forget about what’s most important. Maybe in our goal-setting this New Year we should make sure that some of those goals are focused on improving our spirituality and making it possible for us to slow down and focus more on family and those who matter most.

This is especially true if you and your family are overloaded with activities, going through a hard time at work or school or have health or family issues. Slowing down and focusing on the essentials will make it possible to accomplish the important things—things like scripture study, prayer, family meals, family activities and serving others.

I pray each of you will have a wonderful New Year and be able to accomplish the goals you’re setting for yourself while still focusing on what matters most.

Cami Checketts is a wife, mother of four boys, exercise scientist, and author. www.camichecketts.com  – http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com.

The 12 Steps–Miraculous Baby Steps To A New Life!

By Julie Morris –

There is nothing I wanted more than to lose weight. I had tried as long as I could remember to lose my extra pounds, but it felt like the harder I tried, the worse my eating became. I was completely powerless over it and I knew it would take a miracle for me to lose my weight and keep it off permanently. I had little hope of ever experiencing this. That is, until I was introduced to the 12 Steps.

For some reason, the first night I heard them almost 30 years ago I knew they were the answer! I knew that they would break down the surrender process for me so that I could quit playing tug-of-war with God over food. What I didn’t know was that they would become the structure I needed to help me surrender more and more of myself to Him every day, not just my food.

The 12 Steps have helped millions of people
The 12 Steps have helped millions of people all over the world for over 75 years. The steps I use are very similar to AA’s, but rather than referring to “God as we understand him,” our steps refer to Him by name–“God through Jesus Christ.”

Let’s take a peek at the short form of the first three steps:

Step 1 I can’t! (I give up the idea that I can lose weight on diets and willpower.)

Step 2 God can! (I know that God can help me to do the impossible and I will look to Him for help.)

Step 3 I’ll let Him! (I will cooperate with Him one day at a time.)

The Bible tells us many things that we can do to cooperate with God in the recovery process. Hebrews 12:13 explains this: “Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” I realized that I was lame (I literally couldn’t walk away from the dessert table!) and I needed to make level paths for my feet if I wanted to be healed.

The most obvious things we can do to make level paths for our feet are being honest about our weaknesses, praying for help, reading the Bible and reaching out to other Christians for accountability and encouragement.

Working the steps is a life-long process

We don’t quickly work through the steps and then just quit. The 12 Steps provide a life-long process so that, one day at a time, we are able to take baby steps toward becoming the person we want to be.

Here are the most important 12 Step principles. Consider each and put a check next to the ones that you need to start working on:

¨  Recognize when you’ve made a mistake, confess it and learn from it.

¨  Draw close to God and rely on Him to give you the desire and ability to do His will.

¨  Don’t waste your days blaming others and denying your part in problems. Clean up your side of the street. Quit trying to change other people.

¨  Practice doing things God’s way one day at a time. Recognize that your circumstances provide opportunities to help you learn and make progress toward becoming the best you can be.

¨  Share what you’re learning with others with similar problems. When you do, your mistakes won’t be wasted. When you help another person to do better, you will help yourself.

If you’re stuck in a bad habit or addiction, why don’t you consider going to a 12 Step meeting? It might just change your life like it has mine!

Julie Morris is the founder of Guided By Him, a 12-Step Christian weight-loss program you can do by yourself or in a group (www.guidedbyhim.com). Author of 12 books and inspiring motivational speaker, she is offering a “mini-retreat” January 22, 2010 in Birmingham, AL for those who want to lose weight. Email her for questions about the program or registration for the “retreat.” Julie@guidedbyhim.com.

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