Latest / Fostering Faith / New Year, New You: A Faith-Filled Guide to Health, Wellness, and Positivity.

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New Year, New You: A Faith-Filled Guide to Health, Wellness, and Positivity. · Fostering Faith

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Welcome back to Fostering Faith, friends.
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And so we are in episode three, season three, as we are navigating into a different type
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of season for Fostering Faith.
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And what better way to start this off with a new start this year for a new year, new
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you, a faith-filled journey to health, wellness, and positivity.
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In this episode of Fostering Faith, we will dive into practical tips for improving your
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health and nutrition, cultivating some positive mindsets and staying spiritually grounded.
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Whether you're setting goals or seeking motivation or looking for ways to grow closer to God,
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in 2025, this episode is going to be packed with actionable insights to help you thrive.
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Let's step into a new year together with possible and purpose with faith.
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And so as we go into this next season of Fostering Faith, we want to welcome new listeners,
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listeners that are tuning in as they have subscribed to this channel.
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And so make sure that you comment, leave, rate, review a comment as we kind of go through
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these seasons.
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So it helps us grow as Gia is navigating a busy season.
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She wanted to continue with Fostering Faith.
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And so she'll be in and out of this season.
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And we are going to just do what we can and keep spreading the gospel and the truth and
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using the sound waves to enlighten and just spread positivity.
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So if you can rate, review and share this with people that you feel would help and benefit
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them as we reflect on a season in the past for our year to start fresh.
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And so as we are going to go into the new year, let's set the tone for a healthy and
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positive year, as many of you guys do every year.
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We always come out out of the gate with unrealistic, practical goals that no one does and is ready
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to quit by day two.
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And so I think that as we go into 2025, let's learn from our past mistakes.
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Let's learn from what we've done right.
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And let's look at what we've done wrong.
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And so we keep not doing the same thing over and over again.
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And so as you can look into Proverbs 16.3, it says the importance of committing to plans
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to God.
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And so let's ask him.
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And then as the weeks come up into 2025, let's look to see what he has for us.
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Let's be in prayer.
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Let's be talking to him about what his plans are for us.
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And so we can just kind of nip it in the bud early instead of us just riding the struggle
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bus for seven or eight months and then deciding to ask him.
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And so really looking at God for the guidance because he has a plan.
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He knows the way he created the way.
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And so I think that it would be a great idea.
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And so even just with Proverbs, I think that is because it's a book of wisdom.
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And I have started I've read Proverbs kind of back to back these last two months.
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And so I think that I'm just going to continue on that path and do a Proverbs a day because
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there is 31 Proverbs in a in the book.
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And so there's there can be 30 to 31 days in your month or 28 in February, whatever
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have you.
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But I mean, just doing a Proverbs a day and so Old Testament versus New Testament scripture
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and just kind of maybe looking at that.
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And that will align your goals with your face because you're seeking his guidance.
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You're going to his love letter that he's written you and he will speak through the
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word and allowing you to feel what you're supposed to do next.
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You'll get confirmation and he'll speak with you because you are seeking his face.
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You are seeking guidance from him.
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And that puts into you into your daily practice of prayer and devotion and getting into that
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nestling effect of talking to your heavenly father every day.
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And so that really is the best way for me to start off my day.
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And we talked about it in the last episode is that I do I get up in the mornings and
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I spend my time with him.
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I ask him and just read his word because it is his love letter that he's left to us.
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And I was listening to another podcast and it was talking about how if your parent left
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you a love letter, would you not read it every day?
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I mean, you know, for for those that have lost their parents or a loved one or and if
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they had a letter written to you, don't you think that you would pick it up and read it?
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And so this is kind of like I think of it as a love story.
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It's a it's a note that he's left us with every practical tip and what to do and how
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to do it, wouldn't do it like, you know, let's learn from our mistakes in the past and and
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let's try to move forward.
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And the book is alive.
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I mean, it just really you can read the same message over and over again.
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And it's it hits you a different way.
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And I mean, I call it God flicks and he just kind of flicks you.
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And it's just like, you know, but it's so loving, so gentle.
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And you just want to smile whenever you're like, oh, OK, that's what you meant by that.
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And so as you walk into this next year and so we walk through that last year as it doesn't
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make any sense.
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Really, my husband and I had felt like the Lord had told him to quit his job and take
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care of his mom.
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And we he struggled with that a lot because it was just like, you know, you know, as far
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as finances were concerned, what are we going to do?
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And he really drug its feet on it.
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And so he finally obeyed the Lord and quit his job.
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And he really has not been happier since.
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So he's able to take care of his mom full time and God will provide it.
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So if God is telling you to do something, it doesn't make any sense.
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Just go really just set the tone for it doesn't have to make sense because our small minds
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cannot comprehend or fathom what he has in store.
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And his ways are greater than our ways.
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And he has a plan for you.
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We just have to listen.
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And so aligning our beliefs and our daily routines with what he has in store for us,
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I can we can just speak.
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I can just speak for ourselves is that we have been over abundantly blessed by us listening
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to the Lord and it really has reflected in our health, our marriage, our family finances
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because we listened and we obeyed.
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And so as you are planning this next year, you know, you in order to do what God's called
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you to do, you have to be healthy.
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You have to have, you know, wellness as one of your top priorities because you can only
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go in ministry as far as you're healthy enough.
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And so you might be saying, oh, I don't do ministry.
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But I mean, if you are a bus driver, if you are a mechanic, if you are a janitor, if you
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are a secretary, a whatever you that's your ministry, that is what you were doing that
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God has put people in your life and in front of you.
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And so you can be a disciple and meet people that would never step into church, but they'll
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step into your workplace.
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And it is such a great job just to be used by God wherever you're at.
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But in order to go to work and to be healthy, you know, you have to have nutrition and exercise
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part of of your daily routine.
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And so we'll get this out of the way is that I am a nurse practitioner.
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I am not your nurse practitioner.
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And so the ideas of health and wellness are only to be used as a talking point to your
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provider.
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And it is about you looking at food and wellness as a spiritual aspect to is that what that's
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what we do in our office.
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And so a lot of people just, you know, are all about numbers and things like that.
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And so we try to really incorporate God into every aspect of our practice.
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And so eating the food that God made, keep it simple.
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Meat, vegetables, berries done.
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We don't eat fake food.
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We don't eat processed food.
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And as the world comes into this, the sad diet, the standard American diet full of highly
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processed foods and highly inflammatory foods and sugar and grain and all this modernized
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crud that is put into people's foods.
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And so we really just keep it clean.
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Eat one word ingredients, meat, vegetables, berries.
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Don't make it hard.
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And so I'm glad to make it that you don't eat it.
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And so it really is just really kind of maybe cutting out, you know, one thing that, you
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know, you're really putting before the Lord.
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And so are you turning to food for comfort?
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Are you turning, you know, and that winter months like, oh, it's just comfort food.
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Be careful because it's a idolatry.
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Are you putting something before God?
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And then you always have gluttony.
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Gluttony is really present.
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And so that is a sin.
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And so that sin is no different than any other sin.
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And so being very mindful during this holiday season and as you go for every day, hey, do
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I really need this?
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Hey, am I full?
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Hey, you know, that one bite pass full, you know, like, is it worth it?
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No, it's not.
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And so, you know, making sure that we are opening up our eyes and asking God for help.
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Let God help you do not do this on your own.
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And so allowing God to be an aspect of every part of your life is going to be so important
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for people's success.
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And it is about looking at whole foods, not processed foods.
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I'm an Aldi's girl.
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And so we buy, you know, our food there.
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It's cheap, fresh.
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We buy frozen vegetables.
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We buy frozen berries and that way they last longer.
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We buy meat.
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We cook it once a week.
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You know, if we have to, if we have a busy week coming up and that way we always have
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a protein to grab.
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Buying potential, get an air fryer, you know, all over TikTok as a glass air fryer.
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Just like no chemicals or whatever.
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But you know, just, just, you know, allowing that the cheaper cuts of meat, getting like
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a pressure cooker and just eating any kind of protein that, you know, is a lot better
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than going to a fast food restaurant.
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And it's going to be cheaper because that stuff is so expensive.
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And so meal planning and prepping is going to be so important for your success.
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Set yourself up for success and prep one day a week.
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Let it be Sundays.
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Let it be just one day that your whole family can just chunk in.
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Let's get the vegetables clean.
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Let's get the, you know, let's get our meat prepared.
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Let's sit down and do a, you know, our crock pot this week or whatever.
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And that way you have it planned and you're setting yourself up for success and, and make
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sure that you are hungry versus if you were thirsty.
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You know, I really recommend typically a gallon of water to, you know, at least 60 ounces
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of water a day, getting rid of the calories that you're drinking, even if it is diet,
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whatever, all those fake sugars make you hungry.
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And if you were a continuous glucose monitor, you could see the spike in sugar.
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You can see the spike in your blood sugar.
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Yeah, it may go down, but all those fluctuations.
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And I mean, you can see on functional MRIs how that stuff, those chemicals literally
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change your brain.
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And so we don't do any fake sugars or anything like that.
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And so just be mindful that you're not drinking your calories.
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Yes, it's zero, but there's chemicals in there.
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And so just drink water.
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Put some lemon in it.
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You know, put a blueberry in it.
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Do what you can to cut out that meaningful, you know, stuff.
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And that way you're just starting off and clean.
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And if you are hydrated, you will be, you'll be hungry less.
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And so, and what about exercise?
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And so people are like, you know, I can't work out.
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I'm too overweight.
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Just walk, walk, walk for a minute a day, walk for two minutes a day, walk, just do
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something set realistic, attainable goals.
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I would love for people to walk 30 minutes a day, three or four times a week.
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And once you get moving and once you start walking, then build on that.
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But I mean, just start simple.
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Don't go like, I'm going to go to the gym five days a week and I'm going to, don't
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because you ain't going to do it.
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And then you're going to quit.
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And then you're just going to be right back where you just start something simple.
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Just start one thing.
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And if I could do anything for January, just focus on your food because you cannot out
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eat a bad diet.
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You can't do it.
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You can't try.
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I see people in the gym every day and they've not changed in three years that I've seen
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them because they've not changed their diet.
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And so they can, you can go in there and bust out two hours of work, whatever.
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But if your diet is junk, you're not even burning the, you know, you're not even burning
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the junk that you ate in the gym.
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And so really just focus the first month on your food and really train your brain to like
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and to try something different.
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And then you can incorporate the workout.
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Then you can incorporate that other movement snack.
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And for women, strength training is so important.
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The muscle that you put on in your 30s, 40s, 20s is going to be your retirement.
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So you stay out of the nursing home and that way in, in even for men too.
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But I mean, women lift weights, lift heavy weights, get a trainer, see somebody at the
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gym, watch some YouTube videos, good posture and do the right thing.
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And so, you know, making sure that you are moving, making sure that you're getting that
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muscle mass built up.
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I cannot speak about that enough is that, you know, you don't have to be bulky or have
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big muscles, but the muscles that you have now in your 30s and 40s and as you build into
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your 60s and 70s, you are going to stay out of the nursing home.
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You're going to stay well, you're going to stay more healthy.
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You're going to stay active.
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And so incorporating that movement every day, wherever you can fit it in, if it's just 10
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minutes a day, like 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch, 10 minutes at night,
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at least you got 30 minutes in and it's something that's attainable.
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Do not set yourself up for failure.
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Keep plugging away at it and remember that your health and wellness journey is a marathon.
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It is not a sprint.
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Do not go into January and think that you are going to be like a supermodel, whatever
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by March.
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It ain't going to happen.
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Don't set yourself up for failure.
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See you later in two years.
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And so as someone that has went from 300 pounds down to 140 and kept the weight off and it
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is something that I have my why.
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And so my why is my daughter.
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My why is my, well, one, no, it's really my God because I can only be and go as far as
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he's called me to go if I'm healthy enough to do what he's called me to do.
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And so he's given me Gia and so she can have a woman in her life to look up to, to know
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that I do hard things, to know that I have to get up and do the training plans that I
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have set forth for my whatever goal that I'm going to go.
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Whether it's a triathlon, whether it's a marathon, whatever it's whatever, this whole high rock
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thing has got me intrigued.
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And so that might be the flavor of next year.
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But in that same instance, like I want her to see that you can do hard things.
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I want you to see that determination pays off, that sweat and lifting weights and things
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will get you healthy.
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I can be her basketball coach.
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I can be her mom.
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I can run around the yard.
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I can do all the things with her.
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And it's just I think it's so it's so important.
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And as you exercise, that is going to improve your mood.
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People that work out make endorphins that make you have more of a positive attitude.
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And so the power of a gratitude attitude, starting off with a gratitude journal, we
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talked about it in several different episodes, is going to be so important.
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And the more that you have to look forward to, the more weight that you'll lose.
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I mean, just even the cortisol levels will drop.
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Your mood will lift.
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Your depression will go away.
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I mean, there's so many things and studies out there about gratitude, journaling and
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gratitude and the reframing from challenges as opportunities for growth.
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And so make yourself a little challenge like, OK, so I'm not going to drink soda this week.
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Mailbox win.
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And then every day you celebrate that.
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Yes, I did it.
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Yes, I did it.
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And then at the end of the seventh day, like you're so excited because you did it again
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and you did it again.
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And then you surround yourself with people that are going to encourage you and uplift
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you versus like, oh, you're going to start a diet again.
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And they negatively drop you like, oh, you're going to try that keto diet.
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Oh, you're going to try that carnivore diet.
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Oh, you're going to do Jenny Craig's again or what?
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I don't know.
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Jenny Craig is out there like Weight Watchers, whatever.
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And so, you know, make sure that you are surrounding yourself with people like, yes, you can do
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it less.
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Let's go to the gym together.
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Why don't you send me your food log?
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Hey, let's do this together.
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And so make sure that you're surrounding yourself with people that are uplifting and encouraging
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and just do some practical tips for reducing your stress.
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I mean, being like, do deep breathing, tons of videos on deep breathing, being mindful,
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getting out and seeing sunlight first thing in the morning, you know, doing cold showers
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that you think that it wouldn't be stress relieving.
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But it is after you get used to it.
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And it's something that I just makes you have more energy and just kind of calms you down
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to because you're like because you have to deep breathe while you're going through the
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cold shower and or cryotherapy or whatever it may be.
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But there's so many different ways to have and produce and just have that reduction and
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stress because there's no point in holding on to it.
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Which brings me up to another point is that the stress that you're holding on to, are
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you meant to hold that stress?
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No.
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God said that my yoke is like, give me your burdens.
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And so make sure that you're giving him your stress.
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Make sure that you're giving your heavenly father your worries and your concerns.
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And so it's about having mailbox wins and so breaking larger goals into smaller actionable
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steps.
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And like I said before, celebrating progress rather than perfection.
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Hey, I didn't have any soda today.
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Hey, I went to the gym today.
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Hey, I did this today.
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Hey, I did this today.
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And you know what?
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Hey, I only ate one Oreo instead of a whole row.
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That is a win.
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And so celebrate the fact that you are progressing in your goals versus like perfection and getting
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down yourself.
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Well, I had an Oreo today.
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Like I failed and that's negative toward yourself.
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Don't do it.
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And so like not the fact that by the end of the year, I'm going to run this marathon,
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but this week I'm going to not eat bread.
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This week I am going to have a protein with every meal.
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And so break it down into smaller goals and quit with the big ones.
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Quit doing biting off big chunks because it gets overwhelming and then no one does anything.
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And so as a testimony, as looking back into my years, it's about my wellness journey.
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Whenever I had GIA, I had gestational diabetes.
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I was on 300 units of insulin a day.
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Whenever I delivered, I was 300 pounds and I was just like, I'm not going to be the mom
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that can't do something with her kid.
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I'm not going to be the mom that can't go and run and do.
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I want to be the mom that, hey, you can come share my clothes.
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Hey, like, oh, that's my mom.
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I just wanted to be that kind of person.
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And so I worked my butt off.
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I exercised.
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I ate right.
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And during my whole time that I was pregnant, I did eat white.
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My hemoglobin A1C was really well maintained because I knew the seriousness of it all.
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And I just wanted to give her every chance to be healthy as she grew inside me.
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And it was really just a true blessing because I was able to have street credit because I
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get so many patients that come in the door and they want to lose weight and they just
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feel like it's impossible.
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I'm like, I was heavier than you.
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Shut up.
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Like they come in at 200 pounds, 220, 250.
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And I'm like, I was 300 at one point.
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And they look at me now and you can see my pictures on my other social media is that
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I'm not no longer 300 pounds.
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And it's like, if I can do it, you can do it.
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If I had to be on 100 units of insulin a day and take six, seven injections a day and I
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can get off of it, so can you.
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It's really just utilizing the things that have been allowed to happen to us as a testimony
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to be like, you know what, this is what I did.
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And you can do it too and just encourage people that I am no different than they are.
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And so it is just really about allowing those experiences that God has left us to have and
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doing something good with it.
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And so was it amazing that I was 300 pounds?
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No.
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Did I like being 300 pounds and not getting shoes to fit?
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No, but it is what it is.
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And we make the best with what we're dealt with.
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So it was just a really great learning experience.
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And that way people can look at me and know that it's possible.
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And so as we want to remind you guys that you don't have to make these changes alone.
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God is here with you.
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If you have no accountability partner, you have God.
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You have someone to talk to in the morning.
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You have someone to just share your goals with and what you want to do.
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And then write these things in the comments.
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Having community and as you see like on a really big podcast, I know that we are super
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teeny tiny.
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And, you know, but we look at, you know, our YouTube feeds and we can have 10,000 views
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and like all the things.
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And so let's start a community, you know, having a podcast community where you can go
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to every week, know that, you know, the same people show up and it's just about, you know,
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a community where we build each other up.
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We are focused on the principles of God and what we have.
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And so, you know, we just want to thank you for listening and sharing these upcoming episodes.
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And this episode, if you feel like it would just hit home with somebody that you know
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is struggling with where to start and in the new year is coming up and so let's start it
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off on the right foot.
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And so it's about the tips of health and nutrition, a positive mindset and that we reflect on
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and write down our goals, you know, have that vision board, have what God is, you know,
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telling you to do and that we want to remind that you don't have to make these changes
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alone that God is here with you, that we are community.
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We're here to help you.
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You know, you have to, you know, leave a review or comment.
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And so, you know, subscribe, rate and share this podcast, you know, join the Fostering
22:29
Faith Community for more encouragement.
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And as resources and as we, you know, get better and stronger and really kind of navigate
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this new life with podcasting, we are here to help and be, you know, here for you guys.
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And so I think that we're going to close out in prayer as we bow our heads.
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Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for today.
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Thank you so much for the listeners.
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And we pray for encouragement.
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We pray for strength.
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We pray for discernment.
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We pray that we have the hunger for your word and not food.
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We pray that we have the hunger for your love and not the things that are keeping us unhealthy.
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Thank you that you have us have motivation.
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Thank you for surrounding us with people that lift us up.
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Thank you that you are such a good father.
23:14
Thank you that you have great plans to prosper us in the future.
23:17
Thank you that you have made a way whenever we did not see a way.
23:22
And so thank you guys so much for tuning in to Fostering Faith for this episode.
23:27
As we come into next episode, we might bring in some guests this season.
23:31
Dee will be in and out as she is busy with all the sports and her schooling.
23:36
So stay tuned for next week.
23:38
Have a great week.