“Simple” is good, especially when the goal is to get closer to Christ and/or lose weight.

Way too many people try to make a relationship with Jesus Christ difficult and complicated.  Weight loss and fitness is no different, proven by diets that require an exact percentage of macronutrients at each meal or exercise programs that require complex programming, sequencing, timing, etc.

Albert Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”  In other words, “simple” is good, but you must, at the very least, have the mandatory ingredients for success.

As with most topics in life, the application of a few basic, simple principles or skills will bring about the vast majority of your results.  If I had to summarize what I feel are the top 7 action steps you and I can do to get closer to Christ right NOW, they would be:

1. Read God’s Word daily and actively obey.
2. Keep a prayer journal and use it daily.
3. Attend church weekly and actively learn.
4. Listen to Christian music throughout the day.
5. Find a Christian support group and friends that you interact with during the week.
6. Read from Christian authors and mentors who clearly follow Christ.
7. Remember that the Holy Spirit is WITH you while you are watching TV, surfing the internet, and talking with your friends.

Here are the top 7 action steps we can do to improve our health, lose weight and fat, and live longer, more productive lives.

1. For nutrition,

• Eat protein and fibrous vegetables at every single meal.
• Eat most of your healthy carbs within the meals before, during, and after your workout.
• Include healthy fats at all the other meals.

2. Drink a gallon of water each day and take a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement.
3. Perform intelligently designed functional, full-body resistance training 2-4 times per week, depending on your skill level.
4. Get 20-40 minutes of moderate to intense exercise on all the other days per week, depending on your goals.
5. Recover weekly by taking 1 day off per week, sleeping at least 7-8 hours each night, and having 1-2 cheat meals.
6. Have a workout partner, coach, mentor, and/or social support and accountability group.
7. Make the priority of your fitness efforts focused on the Holy Spirit and heavenly rewards, instead of worldly desires.

Pretty simple, isn’t it?  Yes, it takes planning.  Yes, it takes effort and action.

Ultimately, if you take an extremely brief amount of time to actually create a plan that incorporates each of the 7 action steps and ACT on them, you will become closer to Jesus.  You will get healthier and lose weight if you implement your plan.

But, we’re not finished, yet.  Remember what Einstein said?

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

Look back over both lists.  Even our basic, fundamental summaries can be simplified!  In fact, what if we could summarize our overall list of 14 action steps into just 7?

1. Fill your mind with God’s word, His music, and Christ-led knowledge.
2. Fill your body with healthy protein, vegetables, and water, and properly time your healthy carbs and fats.
3. Move your body.  Intelligently.  Frequently.
4. Recover spiritually with prayer and physically with rest.
5. Enlist support.  Actively participate in a Christ-centered support group and health-minded social community.
6. Find experts and mentors.  Learn from them.
7. Focus on Jesus Christ with everything you do, including your fitness!

So there you have it:  7 Steps For Making Spirituality and Weight Loss Simple!

Leave us a comment below.  Share with us your plan for implementing these steps, as well as your thoughts about whether there are more ingredients to a successful relationship with Jesus Christ or successful weight loss.

Related posts:

1. 3-6 Lifestyle Tips for Christian Weight Loss
2. The Certainty of Christian Weight Loss