By Kimberly Warren, Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Christian Life Coach

My name is Kimberly Warren and I'm a Christian Life Coach. I help motivate healthy lifestyles. Having had a weight problem most of my life, starting as a young girl, I understand the struggles that it can present. It can become an all-encompassing task but it is important not to allow it to become all of who you are. When we lean on Christ to help us to do the things that are too hard for us to do alone, we find ourselves actually liking ourselves and enjoying our lives.

So often, weight struggles can keep us in bondage and keep us from living the life we want to live. I see people who have basically given up on life and it breaks my heart. You may not be one of those, or you may be, but either way, being healthy can make all the difference. Achieving goals is what life is about. There's nothing like the feeling of overcoming something that has been a struggle or accomplishing something that you never thought you could. The feeling is better than any pecan pie or cheeseburger if you ask me -- and I love a good fattening cheeseburger! But, I love feeling good and accomplished in my life much more.

A few things that I've seen people give up because of weight are as follows: fashion, playing with their kids, attempting a new career, dating, sex, and in extreme cases, a social life completely. When I see this happen, it breaks my heart. The irony is, we give these things up because of our weight; and giving these things up, adds to the weight so the important thing to do is break the cycle. Finding who we are in Christ can help.

When we feel down about ourselves, we tend to lean toward behavior that validates those feelings. When we feel good about ourselves, we tend to lean toward behavior that validates those feelings as well. When we know who we are in Christ, and believe him, we feel better about ourselves and that feeling spills over into other aspects of our lives. Have you seen people who are skinny and don't have to work at it? They seem so happy and nonchalant. So, which came first, the chicken or the egg? In other words, are they skinny because they're happy or are they happy because they're skinny? I happen to believe that it is a little of both but yet, not so much of either, and I'm leaving genetics out of it.

First, being skinny doesn't make a person happy; however it can cut down on some frustrations. Secondly, being happy doesn't make you skinny, but it can make giving up that ice cream sundae a little more tolerable. Finding confidence and a positive attitude can make a very big difference in all that you do. My husband, for example, recently suffered a heart attack at a very young age. He's forty and has lived his life in the “eat all you want” category. Since we've met, I've understood his mind set but I have tried to offer suggestions to motivate him to take better care of himself, but the attitude has to be right in order for it work. Since the heart attack, he listens a little more and asks a few more questions.

I think there are two things that force us to motivation, fear and pleasure. Find the pleasure in a healthy lifestyle and you've won half the battle. I wish all of you to be blessed on your journeys and remember that weight isn't the goal…health is! God bless!!!