How to Lose Weight in Ministry

Serving in ministry for over 2 decades now has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. However, ministry is also tough. Whether it is all the long and unconventional hours worked throughout the week, all the different personalities you encounter on a daily and weekly basis, or the different pressures you have to grow the ministry you are in charge of, ministry can be tough and draining. Couple all that with meetings and gatherings where plenty of food is provided and you may find yourself an emotionally and physically drained person.

With all this combined stress, pressure and food, there could be a tendency for you to become overweight and not in good physical shape. Stressed out and unhealthy is not a place you want to be in, especially as you get older in ministry. In order to survive and thrive long term in ministry taking care of your body and being in good physical shape is really important.

But what happens if you are already out of shape physically and overweight? How can you start being healthier and actually lose weight while in ministry? Here are some ideas:

Say “No” to all the Junk Food. Junk food is all around you in ministry. It’s a natural food of choice for student ministers so it’s hard to say no to it. But, if you want to stay healthy and lose weight you have to start saying “no” to junk food.

Say “Yes” to a Smart Watch. Even if you don’t want to get a smart watch, at least get a fitness tracker. Having a smart watch has been one of the best investments I’ve made for my health. It keeps me focused on good exercise habits as it will remind you to stand up every hour and show you how much you have exercised and how many calories you have burned throughout the day. For more reasons why a smart watch or fitness tracker is beneficial for ministers click here.

Say “No” to all the free food. My friend Cory Sullivan and I always said, “free food is good food”. While that may be true to some degree, it’s not true if all you do is eat all the food given to a Church staff. And let’s be honest, there is a decent chance that if you work on a Church staff you will be blessed with a variety of leftover food. While that may be ok to reduce your spending on lunches and dinners at time, it can be bad for your health as probably a good amount of that food is not healthy food.

Say “Yes” to exercise apps. Being a gym rat is not for everyone and that is ok. But whether you feel like you have to or not to join a gym, there are plenty other options to exercise out there. For instance, there are a lot of workout apps that allow you to do workouts in as little as 10 minutes on your phone or tablet. The great thing is that you can do a workout at home, outside or even in your office. There are so many options to choose from. In fact, here is a list of apps you can choose from.

Say “Yes” to a diet that works for you. There are so many diet plans out there and I have tried a variety of them. However, not many of them worked until I started intermittent fasting. While this worked for me it may not work for you. So explore the different diet options out there and find one that works best for you.

I grew up with great metabolism so I could often eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted without really exercising. That changed as I got older and my 5’11 body started gaining weight. I got up to be 218 pounds before I got serious about my health. Through doing these 5 things above, I was able to lose 25 pounds and stay at a relatively healthy weight for well over a year  now. If you are overweight or feeling unhealthy, rest a sure it is possible to lose weight while being in ministry. Try some or all of the above 5 things and see what works best for you. The more you can get serious about your health now, the better you will be down the road, not just in your ministry world but in your personal life as well.

How about you? What are some ways you have stayed healthy or what have you done to lose weight while being in ministry? Share your thoughts and experiences below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you share. 

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