Kim Dolan Leto - F.I.T.: Faith Inspired Transformation

Copyright 2014 Kim Dolan Leto

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at the address below.

Fedd Books

PO Box 341973

Austin TX 78734

www.thefeddagency.com

Editing by Layce Smith

Interior design by Layce Smith and Lauren Hall

Cover by Connie Gabbert

Photographs by Eva Simon

ISBN: 978-0-9907044-0-9

eISBN: 978-0-9907044-3-0

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014921040

First Edition 14 13 12 11 10 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health. The authors and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the skills described in this book, be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and comfort level.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked esv are from THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked nasb are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

To my one and only Bill, the love of my life and my best friend. With all my heart I thank you for believing in me and pushing me to be my best. Without you, this book would not be.

To my daughter, Giavella. May you always see yourself through the Word and not the world and know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and unconditionally loved.

To every woman who has struggled with her weight and body image: I pray the message in this book shows you there is another road to health and its the only one that lasts.

INTRODUCTION

Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Colossians 3:10 ESV

I tried to keep smiling under the glaring lights and cameras as the suspension built in the room. The anticipation was nerve-racking. Surrounded by twenty-something girls in the best shape of their lives, I wasnt sure I stood a chance at winning. The competition had been tough, and all of these women were extremely beautiful and talented.

It had been two and a half years since my father had suffered a stroke and I had begun my fitness journey. Perhaps becoming a fitness model and working my way toward entering the ESPN Fitness America competition was slight overkill. I mean, just losing the weight would have been a great reward, but something in me wanted to make up for lost time. Whatever the case, I had learned so much about what my body was capable of, and fitness had truly become my passion in the process.

Standing on that stage, a thirty-three-year-old woman who had painstakingly dedicated herself to losing weight and becoming an athlete for this competitionlearning gymnastics, dance, and acquiring the strength and flexibility necessary to take on girls over a decade youngerI had never felt more powerful or accomplished. For this reason, it didnt matter if I won or not.

And then...Kim Dolan Leto is our ESPN Fitness America Champion!

It took me a moment to come out of my fog and make my way to the front of the stage. Winning was beyond my wildest dreams, but it quickly became a reality I was happy to accept. At this point in my life, fitness was everything. I worked hard to make my body good enough for magazine covers and fitness competitions, and now it seemed to be paying off.

My life leading up to modeling and competing looked similar to many other womens lives, which is unfortunate in some respects. For instance, I had a difficult childhood with alcoholism and abuse in my family and experienced self-image issues and insecurity in my teen years. Eventually I went to college and took the corporate job route in my twenties and thirties thinking becoming a successful businesswoman would make me happy. I struggled with my weight throughout it all and tried diet after diet into my adult years, but nothing ever seemed to keep the extra pounds off.

Even after I won the ESPN Fitness America competition, I struggled with a perpetual cycle of weight gain and loss. At this point, I began to travel down a very dangerous and unhealthy road of extreme dieting, and I found all of my self-worth in whether or not I made the cover of a publication or made it to the final round of a contest.

This lifestyle continued until I had a baby at age thirty-eight. Having my child so late in life made me reconsider my reasons for being fit, and I realized the methods by which I had been trying to maintain a certain look were not necessarily the ones that would ensure a long, healthy lifestyle. So, I started praying for God to intervene in the raging battle over my weight. I didnt want to have any idols in my life, and I especially didnt want my own body to be one. Turning to Him was my last resort, but it should have been the first place I went.

Ultimately, inviting God on my journey has been the game changer. He has shown me that staying healthy for my children and taking care of my body to avoid diseases that run in my family are better motivators than wanting to look good for a fleeting occasion. This is the answer to losing weight and keeping it off. And, in doing so, I have found that growing closer to God is an even greater reward than maintaining a certain weight. Focusing my healthy lifestyle on Him rather than on my body gives me the lasting motivation and the sufficient strength I need to continue on.

I wrote F.I.T. for the countless women who, like me, are tired of the short-term effects that come with fad diets. This book is not about working out for an hour a day in order to get a six-pack. It doesnt require you eat only 500 calories or avoid a certain type of food. There is no magic pill F.I.T. offers that will instantly make you drop thirty pounds. No, the goal of the Faith Inspired Transformation is to help women like you and me bring our bodies under our control and change our mindsets from temporary dieting to understanding good health as a godly lifestyle.

There are ten steps to F.I.T., and each one will introduce various methods to help us stay spiritually, mentally, and physically fit. At the end of each step, there is a Get F.I.T. section with a general overview of the information covered along with reflection questions and a number of strategies or charts that will help with daily application.