If you want something delicious, calorie-free and certain to reduce unwanted inches, try God. God is guaranteed to get results, guard against any excessive indulgence and give you favor for the process. The right people will show up to help you reach your fitness goals; the right opportunities will manifest for your magnificence; the right methodology to keep you motivated will reveal itself; and the right decisions that you need to make to stay spiritually fit will guide you to success.

God only requires a one-day-at-a-time plan. All you have to do is put one foot before the other with prayerful purpose, and the sheer gravity of Spirit will pull you in the right direction.  When you awaken, acknowledge with your heart that God is in every breath that you take. Stretch with the magnificence of God in your limbs. Rise with the boldness and conviction of God in your thoughts.  Move with the passion of God in your purpose to be your best in your new day.

Have you ever observed animals and birds when they awaken? They stretch. They flex and bend their bodies because they have a constant diet of God in their lives. They know what to do. Birds, even the pigeons – who are jaded New York streetwalkers – take to the air in unison for their morning flight relays. I love to see them circling the air as I make my way to the gym.

Maybe like my husband Marlon, you prefer to ride your bike.  Maybe like my brother Chris, you prefer to walk. Maybe like me, you prefer to lift weights. Maybe like my friend Vaughn, you prefer to run. Maybe like my friend Kelly, you prefer to practice yoga. Maybe like my friend Mary, you prefer the elliptical machine.  It all counts.

If you don’t have a gym or a fitness class and you’re in the New York area, contact my friend Priscilla Upshaw-Wimbly at the New York Sports Club (718-643-4400).   She will sign you up with a good fitness deal and expedite the Universe’s conspiracy to help you obtain your goals. (Tell her that I sent you.)

Putting God in your diet is about as simple as drinking water. Jesus said I will give you living water. Water is the most essential life-sustaining beauty treatment there is.  If your urine is dark or you feel faint, you are not listening when Spirit tells you to drink enough water!

Putting God in your diet demands that you bless your food and be mindful in eating. You’d be surprised how small your stomach is: about two palms full. Mindful eating conditions us to listen to our bellies telling us that they are full or near full. As you bless your food, envision the body that you desire, see that ripped six-pack, see those healthy knees running and jumping like never before, see those flexible limbs.

Putting God in your diet is not about wearing yourself ragged, it’s about rest, rejuvenation and revelation. Rest will give us the rejuvenation that supplies the energy to achieve our fitness goals. Rejuvenation will give us the revelations that will show us how to form and shape our workout plans, eating habits, and fitness goals.  Revelations will keep us focused on the upward prize – of which physical fitness is just one aspect.

Putting God in your diet requires that you listen to what God is telling you.  Listening to Spirit is your most important meal of the day. God is always speaking, but we seldom take the time to be still and know what God is saying.  We have to listen throughout the day: during our morning meditation, while we are journaling, in our prayers, through our study of truth, by our good deeds done with compassion for others. (For more on how to do this, see my book Prayers for Those Standing on the Edge of Greatness on Amazon.)

Putting God in your diet demands that you maximize your potential beyond the mere festive mood of celebrating the new year.  You see, the real party – the one that you don’t want to miss – is the one with Jesus Christ, who is here in our consciousness; with the Holy Spirit, who is here as our guide; and with God, who is here in every single morsel of life that we partake.