I'm 34 years old and it takes me a while to get out of bed in the morning. My body aches and I have some serious joint issues due to years of heavy gym lifting. I've been in a rut since December 2017 and I think it's time I finally break out of it. So I'm going on a diet. For real this time. LOL. Better yet, I'm committing to a lifestyle change. I sound like one of my clients years ago. You see, once upon a time I used to work as a personal trainer. I even had my own gym studio with paying clients. But then life happened and I fell off the wagon. It happens to the best of us, I suppose. So if I were to cook up a meal for success, this is how it would go:

Ingredient One: Motivation

Motivation is like fuel in a gas tank. It can take you to your destination, but it can also run out. But it's crucial in the long. You need to answer the why question. Why are you doing this? I know my why. For God, family, and self. Taking care of your body glorifies God for it is He who gave it to us. Sometimes I wonder how many prayers for healing we would never have had to pray if we just used wisdom and took care of ourselves. Second, my family is a motivating factor because I want to be around and active for a long time. Most importantly, I want to set a good example for my kids and influence their eating habits for the better and not worse. And of course, I have to do this for myself. Life is too hard to be fat and tired all the time. I realized years ago to some degree, modern illnesses are preventable through diet alone and I don't want to be a guinea pig for Big Pharma any time soon.

Ingredient Two: Whole Food Diet

The best diet out there is the diet you can stick to. Like many people, I've tried many diets in the past and had good success. I've done Keto and it worked like a charm. But it's not for me. I think not because of what I was eating but rather because of what I gave up: processed foods. Plus fruits are limited on Keto. I can't give up all that good nutrition packed in one bite. Plus I really don't think we are built to eat that much meat. I tried the Vegan diet but I like meat too much. I know, I'm horrible. Trust me, I understand vegan is not a diet but a lifestyle. I'm like, “Jesus ate meat; so Imma eat meat.” However, I do believe we were designed to be vegan; at least up until the flood of Noah. What may work best for me is simply a whole food diet. Simply eating clean without the processed foods. My plan is to kick it off with a green smoothie fast for 7 days. That's going to be brutal, at least the first 3 days and then I'm game for the last 4. After that, I will slowly start introducing whole foods into my diet. I'm actually excited.

Ingredient Three: Workout Routine

I've spent 15 years in the gym. This time around, I'm going to stick to home workouts. I still have some weights in the garage that I can incorporate into my fitness routine. But I'm aiming more for a Spartan 300 look rather than juiced up on creatine look. But I will be doing tons of bodyweight exercises and I believe I can achieve the same if not better success than in the past. So we're talking push-ups, pull-ups, burpees, and of course gym machines. Virtually no free weights. I think I'm reaching the age where I need to let that stuff go. This is where the great Arnold, bodybuilding great Ronnie Coleman, and others have failed. Continuing to lift heavy free weights into your late 30s, 40s, and so on wears out your joints and will lead to arthritis and all types of joint replacement surgeries.

Ingredient Four: Commitment

This is the hardest step. Motivation is good but that wears off. Someone once said, motivation is what gets you started, commitment is what keeps you going. It's going to take God to keep me going. My flesh is in control and it needs to be crucified. That's where much prayer comes into play. The mind is a powerful tool. Weak mindedness leads to weak results. I need my mind renewed continually. Focus, drive, execute. God is good. Last night I reached for a bag of Doritos, opened it and thought to myself, "My diet doesn't really start until tomorrow." It was a good temptation. But then I thought to myself "I have to start making the right decisions, even now." So I put it back. It's those small decisions that are going to build and build and lead to long-term success.

Welcome to day 1. Remember me when you say grace.