Scott Morris - 40 Days to Better Living—Weight Management

2012 by Church Health Center of Memphis, Inc.

Print ISBN 978-1-62029-739-1

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-60742-724-7

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

I first came to Memphis in 1986. I had no personal ties to Memphis and did not know anyone here. Having completed theological and medical education, I was determined to begin a health care ministry for the working poor. The next year, the doors of the Church Health Center opened with one doctormeand one nurse. We saw twelve patients the first day. Today we handle about 36,000 patient visits a year and 120,000 visits to our Wellness facility. A staff of 250 people shares a ministry of healing and wellness while hundreds more volunteer time and services.

So what sets us apart from other community clinics around the country?

The Church Health Center is fundamentally about the Church. We care for our patients without relying on government funds because God calls the Church to healing work. Jesus life was about healing the whole personbody and spiritand the Church is Jesus in the world. His message is our message. His ministry is our ministry. Local congregations embrace this calling and help make our work possible.

More than two decades of caring for the working uninsured makes one thing plain: health care needs to change. In the years that the Church Health Center has cared for people in Memphis, weve seen that two-thirds of our patients seek treatment for illness that healthier living can prevent or control. We realize that if we want to make a lasting difference in our patients lives, the most effective strategy is encouraging overall wellness in body and spirit. At a fundamental level, we must transform what the words well and health mean in the minds of most people.

To do that, we developed the Model for Healthy Living. Living healthy lives doesnt just mean that you see the doctor regularly. Rather, healthy living means that all aspects of your life are in balance. Your faith, work, nutrition, movement, family and friends, emotions, and medical health all contribute to a life filled with more joy, more love, and more connection to God.

This book gives you the chance to improve your health in whatever way is needed for managing your weight. For the next forty days, we invite you to be inspired by the real-life people whose lives have been changed by the Church Health Center. Each day gives us a new chance to more effectively manage our weight, so each day we will give you helpful ways that you can make your life a healthier one.

Some days you may choose to focus on just one or two of our tips: Faith Life, Medical, Movement, Work, Emotional, Family and Friends, or Nutrition. Some days you may want to try all of them. The important thing is to remember that God calls us to an abundant life, and we can always make changes to strive for better health as it relates to weight.

Forty days and numerous ways to live a healthy lifecome and join us on the journey!

Growing up on a farm, Andrew was always thin. He enjoyed the outdoors and spent most of his time walking the acres of the farm. He was so thin, however, that his family thought there was something wrong with him. They were all very large, and his thinness set him apart. Andrew says he wasnt accepted by his family because of his size.

When he left the farm and went away to college, Andrew stopped walking almost entirely. He ate a lot of cafeteria food, stopped exercising, and steadily gained more and more weight. After college, Andrew found that his family now considered him too heavy instead of too thin. He became depressed and angry about his familys continual rejection based on his size.

As Andrews depression deepened, he had a tough time finding work, and soon he started having financial problems. He found himself without a car and started walking againthis time out of necessity. As he walked, he started losing weight, his mood elevated, and he remembered all those times on the farm that he so enjoyed. Andrew realized that he needed to take a long, hard look at his perceptions of his body and came to the Church Health Center for support. With a few years of diligent work, Andrew now maintains a healthy, balanced weight and is working to overcome his problems with his family.

Welcome! Today is the first day of your weight-management journey. Whether you want to lose, gain, or maintain weight, this trek is about finding the right balance for a healthy and wellness-oriented lifestyle. As we begin this journey, we must remember that steps along the wayespecially first stepscan be both exhilarating and intimidating. Achieving a healthy weight is not just about dieting. The journey to wellness is about transforming your lifeinside and out. So today we will consider what this journey means to us.

If you do not already have a journal, start one today. This is a place where you can record faith and emotional reflections as well as the progress that you will make on your journey.

Part of beginning is knowing where you are when you start. Do you have any medical concerns? Today make a list of those concerns. Include major concerns, like chronic conditions, as well as smaller issues, like acne or skin conditions.

Today, to discover your starting point, go for a walk. Walk for as long as you can without exhausting yourself. Make a note of how long you were able to walk.

Work means different things to different people. Sometimes it can mean a job, and sometimes it means volunteering, raising children, or gardening. Today make a list of where you work and what you like about your work.

You can use this book to start a journal. You can also use your computer, a separate journal, or loose-leaf paper. But keeping a journal is very important to the process, so today (if you have not already started one) begin writing in a journal.