Ever since I got married in 2012 and became a father in 2013, I put on a lot of extra weight. I'm even scared for my wife to have another baby because I don't want to get even more fat! As I read Paul's epistle to Timothy, Paul says that a pastor must be "self-controlled" (1 Tim. 3:2). One of my personal confessions to the Lord has been my lack of self-control in regards to my exercise and eating habits. When I got married, I used to weigh 178 lbs. Today, I weigh about 205 lbs. I realize that this is not a good path to head down if I want to stay healthy and have a long-lasting pastoral ministry. My wife has reminded me many times that my body is a temple for the Holy Spirit and that I need to honor God with my body (1 Cor. 6:19). I confess to the Lord many times that I have lacked self-control in regards to eating only to fail again and again. But now I want to do something about it and start learning to eat better and live a healthy life not for my sake, but for God's sake and His glory.

I'm grateful to be blessed with amazing friends. I used to play professional paintball in my younger days, but left my paintball career because I believed God was calling me to serve Him in greater capacities in the local church.

However, many of the friends I grew up playing paintball with are now the top professional players in the league. One of my good friends, Scott Kemp, just recently won the 2013 PSP World Cup Paintball Championship. Not only is he a professional paintball player, but he is also a physical fitness model! I'm so proud of the accomplishments that friends like these have made and continue to cheer them on whenever I get the chance to watch paintball videos. My friend Scott also wrote a book called "A Road Map to Getting Shredded."  He graciously sent me his book to teach me some lessons he has learned over the past ten years.

In his introduction, he talks about how people need to have a clear destination and plan in regards to their fitness goals. In other words, losing weight is not randomly lost through some magical formula, but through hard work and knowledge (p. 8). He also informs his readers the need to understand which body type  they have (Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph). I would be a endormorph, which is someone "who has a thicker bone structure with a larger body mass. These people have a slow metabolism and will gain fat and muscle quite easily" (p. 9).

In the second chapter, he argues that a proper mindset is one of the essential tools to achieving one's fitness goals. He describes his personal experience regarding his paintball career and how a proper mindset led him to achieve a 2013 Pro Paintball championship. Simply put, if you want to lose weight or achieve success in any area of life, you need to train and strengthen your mind.

In his chapter on nutrition, he talks about how we need to avoid eating junk food and start eating clean. One way to eat clean is to prepare properly. I have personally seen Scott eat food in Tupperware multiple times a day so that he can meet his personal fitness goals. To lose weight, "you must burn more calories than you consume to lose weight, or vise versa to gain weight" (p. 24).

In his book, he continues to explain the "fuel" we all need to maintain our bodies: carbs, fats, and proteins. "Carbs are the body's main source of energy as well as the catalyst for efficient brain function" (p. 27). I'm a newbie concerning nutrition, so I'll probably have to reread this chapter to get familiar with the concepts.

In regards to training, he talks about cardio and weight training. Cardio can help a person burn calories quickly, but "weight training molds and shapes the physique" (p. 46).

In regards to supplementation, he says that "10 % is about how much of an impact supplements will have on your [fitness] results" (p. 57). I will not get into detail here, but supplements can help with what you are not getting from the foods you are eating.

On his chapter on recovery, proper sleep is essential to repairing the body. On average, a person will need 6-9 hours a day for his body to properly recover

Finally, Scott ends his book with some awesome quotes!

"Every one wants an easy way out, but there is no easy way out. The secret is hard work and consistency. Yes, it will be hard, but it will be worth it." (p. 59)

"We are creatures of habit and breaking the bad ones is the hardest part but once you create the good habits, it's cake from there." (p. 65)

"Education, proper time management, preparation, hard work, dedication, persistency, and progress are all key elements to success and anyone who has worked towards a goal knows this formula." (p. 66)

To summarize, if you want to lose weight, you need to have a plan, proper mindset, hard work, and dedication to achieve results. I believe this can be applied to any area of life as well: spirituality, finances, career, sports, etc. I know I won't be a fitness model like Scott, but his book did give me some great insights on working out and proper nutrition.