CoachE'Nation

Hey you hey you,

I don’t know when you would be reading this, but , the COVID-19 pandemic just got real in Nigeria over the last week and as a result not only are we practicing social distancing, we are staying and working from home.

For someone on a weight loss journey, this can be HARD and the norm would be gain a few OR A LOT OF pounds before our stay at home order is over.

And the longer the directive, the higher the pounds…

Thankfully, this doesn’t really have to be so.

Exactly a week ago, I woke up and the Lord told me to go on a Daniel fast while reading the book of Daniel. Monday, March 16 was my Day 1 and I sat and studied Daniel, the Lord highlighted a few things I had not seen before despite reading this book many times and doing the Daniel fast multiple times last year and once this year.

If you don’t know what the D.Fast is, it originated from Daniel, the original Daniel faster. The Bible records twice when he went on a very restrictive, boring if you may, diet for one reason or the other, mostly spiritual.

In Daniel 1, he went on a 10 day fast and refused the finest of diets from the King’s kitchen because it was defiled.

In Daniel 10, he called a 21 day fast to seek the face of God.

My focus this time was Daniel 1.

Really, I have always looked at it wholly as he didn’t want to defile himself because the foods were already sacrificed to the gods, but the Holy Spirit started to show me how what Daniel did can be applied to our lives and fasts

A lot of times, we call a fast to seek God for answers for one thing or the other, but sometimes, you can actually call a fast to protect yourself and then unlock a new level of discipline.

Which is what makes the Daniel fast very special.

You are cut off from all kinds of processed foods, drinks and crap. Then also no meat and dairy. Do you KNOW what that does to your discipline levels?

My goodness!!!

This is a SURE FIRE WAY to protect yourself from EMOTIONAL and MINDLESS eating.

A lot of us are so INDISCIPLINED. We find it hard to say NO consistently, but when I call a special fast like Daniel fast, not just the regular 6 to 6pm, it really helps me kick in discipline.

Some of us fast 6 to 6pm and then between 6pm to 10pm or whenever we sleep, we have eaten MORE than we would have eaten had we not fasted. We fasted HOURS, or more like STARVED but that has done nothing to our discipline levels.

You eat insane amounts of food, then add some junk on top.

Some days or most days, you even break at 3pm instead and the eating galore begins.

You flesh(weight) is heavier, your spirit weaker and yet you can tick the box of “I FASTED”

So what is the purpose of the fast?

Fasting is not so much about what I am giving up, but who I am becoming in the process.

Am I becoming a more disciplined person?

Am I learning to say NO to my flesh more often?

Is my spirit getting fatter? Or are we fasting and gaining weight because the feast hours more than make up for the fast hours.

I have definitely been here, then I realized that if I was going to fast, I had to go deeper than the normal 6am to 6pm or to 3pm.


I had to call a special kind of fast… A YOUfast… An #EziahaFast

A lot of us need to FAST not just to STOP EATING at certain times, but to TRULY BEAT OUR FLESH down in the SPECIFIC things that truly tempt us

One way the Holy Spirit showed me was that if I have a major problem with nuts and discipline, I can call a NUTS FAST. Decide that for 21 or 40 days, no nuts. That was how I broke my noodles addiction. I planned to stay 3 months without it, and then I went 6 months and by this time, noodles had lost its hold on me. Now, I can afford to eat more noodles, but I have control.

That is really what freedom is… Not that we are without restrictions, but we are with CONTROL.

Hey, a whole word, I should repeat it… In bold block italics…

FREEDOM IS NOT JUST THAT I AM WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS, BUT THAT I HAVE CONTROL

Fasting is a sure way to bring some control into your life. Two ways this has happened is that

1. I actually fear God. If I choose to fast anything for spiritual reasons, it has gone beyond a Coach or friend keeping me accountable, and it is now a GOD THING. I fear and respect Him enough to keep my part of the deal. God becomes me Coach and Accountability partner. How’s that for compliance?

2. God is faithful. He is faithful to help so it is not just in my power to self-discipline or control it is now the power of God at work in ME.

One more thing the HS highlighted to me…

Food has a way of making us bring down our guards and defenses.

That is what would have happened to Daniel which he wanted to avoid. It was not just food, it was a BECOMING process.

Eating like them would have made him blend so much into the pagan culture that you are no more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

We all know that food is so very powerful. As our eating guards go down, most likely our spiritual guards go down. The more you are permissive with your diet, the less disciplined you are with prayers and staying in the word.

Think about for instance when you travel to visit family or you go on holiday. Or your company has some ‘come chop’ event. The more food you eat, the less spiritually sensitive you are.

Happens a lot around major holidays like Christmas. Soon you find yourself doing funny things that you normally would not do on a good day. Sin is lurking and soon, you are neck deep in sin, and it all started from a loose diet.

Been there, done that, signed out forever.

A fast is how I protect myself, and that was exactly what Daniel did.

So no matter the food decadence or jollification, if I am working on something in my life, I say NO and gently say if need be that I am on a fast. I am not being anti-social or a party pooper, I am just working on something and I won’t let food spoil it.

Let’s stop making it look as if saying NO would cost us our reputation, salvation and LIFE. Even for Daniel where it would have cost him and his stewards their lives, they still decided to DO RIGHT even if DIFFERENT!!!

When are we going to have the BALLS to be WEIRD and DIFFERENT like Daniel just because we are working on SOMETHING???!!!

Honestly, this disease to please and not stick out like a sore thumb is the reason why a lot of us will battle with weight forever?

Meanwhile, we really should keep our eyes on our goals, do whatever it takes to achieve them, and care increasingly less about DISTRACTIONS.

NO is a complete sentence. You don’t even need to explain yourself. But NO, we can’t say NO when it comes to some people and food.

Especially as things with food can spiral down pretty fast. We know how to start but we don’t know when to stop.

Next thing 2 weeks later, we are 5kg heavier, and it keeps going.

My fast is my protection. And like I said, it is no longer the regular fast, it is a more specific special one. Either the Daniel fast, or a fast off specific meals. Anything that would make my discipline muscles get stronger, flesh get weaker and spirit get hotter

HEY!!! Move over Daniel, I’m calling an #EziahaFast

Which is why I love love love the Daniel fast, which I modified just a little. And then DF aside, I have been on a no meat, (almost) no dairy diet. It is not so much that I am trying to be in on the latest fitfam diet so I live forever, nope.

I am doing it to strengthen my discipline muscles.

Do you have an idea how much discipline in takes in NIGERIA to stay meat free? Or dairy free? Phew. And I live within and cook for a people who are not on this journey like me, so I am TESTED DAILY.

But I LOVE it. I love it because of who I am BECOMING as a result. Can’t just be popping things into my mouth anyhow. In fact, recently I fell sick and really had license to just indulge because you know how being sick and on drugs can be. Most of us lose self-control, but because I had made the decision BEFORE the sickness, I stuck to my plans. It is not about any human now, it is about me and Jesus.

So dear #JesusGirl, let’s fast right. Let’s BECOME as we GIVE UP

And honestly, the only way some of us can get through this #StayHome season cos of COVID 19 is to call a FAST. A personal special Fast. Maybe not a Daniel fast but a YOU-fast.

An Eziaha Fast

 

A Tope fast

 

An Aisha Fast

 

A Rhoda fast

Just customize your fast and make sure it is not so much about depriving yourself but building discipline and spiritual muscles.

I always always recommend the Daniel fast. I have seen crazy results in my life and lives of my friends who have done it at different times, so it is highly recommended

Whatever you decide though, go for it Girl.

And if you need help creating a plan, I gotcha. Holler and let’s help you get through the fast. Customize your FAST experience to your temptations so we can build discipline.

I am also starting a #JesusGirlsFitness21, a 21 day workout only squad for this period we are mostly home. It is a great time to start a habit. More on that later, but it will be for just 21days and cost between 5k for early birds and 7k if you pay later.

More on it later

Let’s stay safe people. And prayerful.

To your best health

CoachE’

#JesusGirlsFitness

14 Responses

  1. Wpw
    Even without me staying home. I needed this, cause it’s not just about food but sleep and other vices too. I’m definitely going to violently draw the grace to do a #NiceyFast, this season!
    CoachE, Thanks for this!

    1. Thanks for shedding more light on the Daniel’s fast… I need to go on a me fast of some foods presently ,my discipline level is dropping…God help me…

  2. This brings more clarity to the Daniel Fast and explains better what the scripture means by Daniek and the brothers refusing to defile themselves with the Kings food

  3. Chai! Coach E! What a word! You are speaking directly to me. I fast a lot but I end up eating much more than I should have during my eating window. I need to do a ME fast now, I need my spiritual antenna to be receptive in this season. God bless you ma.

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