Your Body Is the First Business God Gave You

I was the chubby one.

That was my title growing up. Not in a cruel way, not in a way that kept me up at night, but it was there. And without even realizing it, I accepted it. I wore it. I let it become part of how I understood myself. And that identity, quiet as it was, followed me into adulthood longer than it should have.

For over thirty years I tried to outrun it. Watermelon only for three days straight. The honey, lemon, and cayenne pepper drink. Cutting out sodas. Getting a trainer. Trying different diets. And nothing could stick. Not because I was not disciplined enough. Not because I did not want it badly enough. But because I had never dealt with the real issue underneath all of it.

Food was not fuel for me. Food was comfort. Food was my happy place. Food was the one thing I felt like I had control over. And you cannot out-exercise a relationship with food that has never been addressed.

The Turning Point

After I had my son, I gave myself time to heal. And once I healed, I looked in the mirror and said: we have to get back in the game.

I started looking for a gym close to my home that had childcare and would not cost me an arm and a leg. The gym I really wanted would have run me upwards of $400 a month just for me and one of my kids. That was not happening. So I kept looking.

A friend of mine had been posting about Burn Boot Camp for months. I would see her updates and think, that is cool, and keep scrolling. I never asked questions. Never looked into it. And then one day, while I was actively searching for options, I remembered her posts and decided to check it out. They had a one week free trial. Childcare included. And it was high intensity.

That last part sealed it for me. I am not a treadmill girl. I am not an elliptical girl. I am a lift the weights, throw the things, max out, give me the ropes kind of woman. I need the crazy. So I signed up.

Now here is the part I want to be completely honest about, because I think a lot of people are in this same conversation with themselves.

The GLP-1 Conversation

Before I ever set foot in Burn Boot Camp, I had my yearly appointment with my doctor and told her straight up: everybody is talking about the GLP-1 shots. I want to know if this is right for me. Let's talk about it.

She spent 45 minutes with me. Not writing a prescription. Talking. She went through what to eat, how to drink more water, how sleep affects weight, how stress hormones hold onto fat. And then she said something I have not forgotten: the shots will help amplify your results, but you have to do the work first. You have to make a lifestyle change. The change starts within you. Then it reflects out.

I want to be transparent because I know this is a conversation a lot of people are quietly having. I have done the research. I have watched the videos. I have sat with the information. And I will be honest, I am someone who does not like taking prescription medications. Anything that makes me feel different than myself gives me pause. I know sometimes they are necessary, especially when it comes to mental health, and I respect that fully. But for me, personally, I wanted to exhaust every other option first.

Here is what I can tell you as of today. I have been at Burn Boot Camp since the top of December. It is now the top of March. I still have not gotten the shots. And I am still showing up.

The scale is moving. Fat is going down. Muscle is going up. And that progress is the motivation now.

Food Is Fuel. That Was the Real Shift.

Changing my body started with changing how I thought about food.

I had to stop looking at food as my indulgence and start looking at it as my fuel. That sounds simple. It is not. When food has been your comfort, your control, your reward for as long as you can remember, reclassifying it as a tool takes real intentional work. It is not just a diet change. It is a mindset change.

I am still working on it. More protein. More water. Better sleep. Supplements. Consistency. I am not perfect at any of it. But I am trending in the right direction, and I am not being as hard on myself as I used to be. When we do our check-ins and focus meetings at the camp, the numbers reflect the effort. And that keeps me going.

The 6 Dimensions of Wellness

In my work with clients through Lead & Influence, I focus on 6 dimensions of wellness as part of the personal advisory process. They are spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, physical, and financial. Every dimension matters. Every dimension is connected.

But here is what I know to be true about the physical dimension specifically: when your body is in order, everything else starts to get in line.

When your body is in go mode, it is hard to be depressed. It is hard to have anxiety. It is hard to be sluggish and unmotivated. Your physical health is the foundation that the other five dimensions rest on. You cannot lead well, build well, love well, or think well in a body you have been neglecting.

I will dig into each dimension separately in future articles. But I wanted to name them here because I do not want this to just be a fitness story. This is a wholeness story. And the physical piece is where mine is starting.

What I Want You to Do

You do not have to join my gym. You do not have to consider a GLP-1. You do not have to do what I am doing.

But you have to do something.

Maybe that is getting to the gym three times a week. Maybe that is going to bed before midnight. Maybe that is drinking more water and eating more protein. Maybe that is as simple as committing to 10,000 steps a day and tracking it on your Apple Watch. Whatever it is, start there. Start with one thing and build from it.

Because here is the truth about neglecting your health: it is expensive. It costs you energy, clarity, focus, and presence. And if you let it go long enough, it will eventually cost you money too, because pharmaceuticals will become the only option left. Taking care of your body now is the investment. Waiting is the risk.

Your body is not just yours. It belongs to God. You are a steward of it, the same way you are a steward of your business, your family, and your calling. And stewardship means you take care of what you have been given.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Taking care of your body is not vanity. It is obedience.

Start today.