Total Temple Makeover : How to Turn Your Body into a Temple You Can Rejoice In

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IntroductionKale's Story -- And Yours

Sundays were always my favorite day of the week. We would go tochurch and sit together as a family - four generations of us. We hadbeen one of the founding families of that church. Dad andGrandpa had helped to lay the stones, build the walls, and evenshingle the roof. It was a place where God's family met together - a place where we all felt we belonged.

After church we would gather at my grandparents' farmhousefor dinner. The smells that came from that kitchen! Thick, juicyham, mashed potatoes covered with gravy, delicious homemaderolls and hand-churned butter, fresh vegetables from the garden - itall seemed to flow from that kitchen like a bounty from heaven itself.We would eat until we were stuffed, with more than one man in thefamily having to loosen his belt in recognition of the wonderful meal.

Afterward we would gather in the living room. Most of the menwould nap; the women would meet at the piano to sing favoritehymns. It was the one day we all seemed like family.
No one yelled. No one was angry.
And no one called me fat.

Since you are reading this book, it's a fair assumption that youhave three things in common with Kale and most other readers:

• You strive to follow a Christian life.
• You struggle with a weight issue.
• You feel guilty.

After all, why should you as a Christian struggle with weightissues? Does your struggle mean you're not “spiritual” enough?Shouldn't the self-discipline that comes with following and obeyingGod equip you to say no to a hot fudge sundae? If you're such a greatChristian, why aren't you a thin Christian?

Part of the answer, of course, is that as hard as we try, none of usare “great” Christians. We are striving, falling, groping, stumbling-inthe-dark Christians who need God's assistance on a day-to-day - evena moment-by-moment - level. We have our periods of successes . . .and our times of failure. Our very human nature, thanks to Adam andEve way back in the Garden, ensures that we're imperfect. And thatlack of perfection manifests itself in a variety of ways - including ourbody weight.

Another part of the answer is that we tend to associate God onlywith the intangible things, the spiritual aspect of our lives. We think,whether on a conscious or subconscious level: “God is somebody wetalk to on Sunday; He isn't around when I'm standing in the mallchoosing between a fat-free pretzel and a hot fudge sundae. He is worriedabout my soul, not my cholesterol count. Right?”

Wrong. God, who created us, cares about all aspects of ourlives - spiritual, mental, and physical. Yet we do not seem to seekHis guidance as we make choices about how we treat our bodies.We treat our physical health as less important than our mental andspiritual health.

But God Himself calls our bodies His temple and makes it clearthat He wants us to take care of them: “Do you not know that yourbody is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you havereceived from God? You are not your own; you were bought at aprice. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).Your body is the only “house” you have all the years you are on thisearth. It isn't until we are taken to heaven and transformed that wereceive a different sort of house. So why not make the body you haveright now the absolute healthiest body possible?

Almost all of us would like to have a healthier body.The trouble comes when we try to do something about it. We getfrustrated and think, “I've tried everything, and nothing works. If Godwants me to be healthy, then why doesn't He help? Why isn't losingweight, balancing my food intake, and exercising easier?”The Total Temple Makeoveris designed to make it easier. It's atwelve-week program for real people who are struggling with weightissues. In three months not only can you transform your body into ahealthier temple, you can change your lifestyle and thinking - theonly way to insure that your weight loss is permanent.

Over the last twenty years, after helping thousands at The Centerfor Counseling and Health Resources in Seattle, I've found that quickfixes always lead to disappointment and pain. I'm more convincedthan ever that treating the whole person is the only approach thatgives whole health. No matter how many times you've tried (and I'veworked with people who've been overweight most of their lives), Iwant you to know that there is hope. Really.

But it isn't enough to be at a healthy weight; you have to learn tolive at a healthy weight.

Is this doable? Yes! Many have undertaken this program and succeeded.Each of them stepped out in faith, hoping for success, yetfearful of another failure.

Take Karen, for example. Her entire being seemed to revolvearound her three children's needs. She desperately wanted to be thinner,but the pounds continued to creep onto her five-foot-four-inchframe. Always considered “chunky” as a child, Karen was, as an adult,fast approaching obese. After a particularly difficult shopping tripwhere she couldn't find any clothes to fit her, Karen realized she justhad to lose weight. She wanted a fast-track diet. Instead, the Centerhelped her focus on health, rather than weight; on long-term, ratherthan on short-term; on nutrition, rather than calories. Today Karenhas returned to a healthy weight. She no longer is obsessed with beingthin but has learned to appreciate her body - not as a physical representationof who she is but as the temple given to her by God to serveHim and her family. She's healthy, she's happy, and she's free frombondage to her flesh.

When Mike started on the program, his concern wasn't his weight.It was his health. The report from his annual physical was sobering.“If you don't do something different, you're headed for serious healthproblems,” this forty-three-year-old was told. It came as a bit of ashock to Mike that something he thought was OK needed “fixing.” Itdidn't help that he really didn't want to do anything different; Mikewas content with his life and his habits. So he fought the doctor'sadvice. One day, however, he realized that his struggle with weightwas simply a mirror of an ongoing spiritual struggle. When Mike wasable to frame his weight problem as a spiritual battle, he was able tosurrender his weight to God's sovereignty. Now day by day Mike iswinning by giving the battle over to the Lord.

Like Karen and Mike, you have to come to a personal decision toallow God to take over your battle with weight and make the templeHe has blessed you with the healthiest one possible. This requires achange in focus, awareness, priorities, and trust. Can you give yourselfthree months? Can you dedicate yourself to health for the nexttwelve weeks?

This book is divided into twelve chapters, to fit the twelve weeksof this program. Each chapter has seven sections:

• Inspiration
• Devotional
• Thoughts for Food
• What You Eat
• The Journey Journal
• Make It Real
• A Voice along the Path

You can choose to read the chapter in one sitting once a week or youcan read one section each day of the week, depending on your schedule,temperament, and preference. Either way is fine. Along the wayyou'll find practical advice, encouragement, specific tips to help youunderstand what you're eating (and why), and exercises (don't groanyet -- they're not as bad as you think!). You'll also get a sneak peek atthe thoughts of Kale, a person who is also walking through the program.Are you ready for a healthier body? The time to start is now.Let's do it -- together!

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Excerpted from The Total Temple Makeover: How to Turn Your Body into a Temple You Can Rejoice In by Gregory Jantz
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.