Health Beyond the Holidays
How My 60-Pound Weight Loss Opened My Eyes to A Long-Standing Bloodline Attack
It’s all fun and games when that turkey comes out and the yams are dripping with syrup and butter; but when the holidays are over, the fruit of our health won’t speak to Thanksgiving and Christmas – it will speak to the habits we enforced throughout 2024. I believe holidays were meant to be enjoyed with good food and laughter. Now, more than ever, there are healthier recipes available for some of our favorite holiday dishes, including alternatives to mac & cheese and yams; so healthy eating has been at the forefront of our conversations for the last several years now.
Yet, when January rolls around, everyone will have some kind of resolution or plan to get in shape and eat healthier. Here’s the reality about weight loss: it’s physical and it’s spiritual. When you’re working to lose weight, but you’re not seeing results, it’s time to ask God some deep, hard questions. While losing weight is not about you “praying your way into a healthy weight”, it is about using every tool that’s at your disposal.
It was the summer of 2022 when I first started noticing the stubborn weight that wouldn’t leave. I went into 2022 doing the Daniel fast and feeling pretty good about my health, but in June 2022, everything shifted. The first sign was when my ankle swelled up and I ended up in the ER on blood pressure medicine. Knowing this, I began to focus my attention on more aerobic workouts and food elimination. I wanted to make sure that my diet was aligning with God’s will for my health and that I was targeting the right muscles when I worked out. I never go into something assuming what worked last season will work this season.
I used my apartment complex’s pool to do water aerobics, not caring about what would happen to my hair because I was more concerned about my health. I hopped on YouTube University, learned how to do my large knotless braids, then, got to work. For three months, I worked out and continued eating healthy, as well as focused on things that brought me joy and laughter, yet nothing changed. Every doctor’s visit led to the same conversation: “You need to lose weight. Your blood pressure will go down. Continue to get out, exercise, eat right, etc.”. The doctor was talking to someone who was using cardio, aerobics, and strength training regularly.
I cut out foods that weren’t necessarily an “issue” but just in case, I scaled back. I spent six months implementing raw beet juice, not caring about the nasty taste. I started juicing more, drinking smoothies, and sticking to what I felt led to do by The Holy Spirit. No gimmicks, no diet pills, just good old-fashioned eating healthy and taking care of my body. Before I could even catch my breath with my new regimen, I got hit again. My cycle hadn’t come on for eight months, but I thought the first couple of months were attributed to the shifts and changes I’d been going through. I went to see my OB/GYN and explained my symptoms and challenges. I also shared my concerns about my inability to lose weight. She guided me through some options, that included testing me for cervical cancer (which was super scary), along with running other tests. She also decided to put me on a 90-day supply of Aygestin, a hormone replacement to balance progesterone in the body. All my tests came back clear, but as instructed by my doctor, I continued with the Aygestin. I obeyed the doctor’s orders and continued praying. My part was done. The rest was on God.
While going through all of this, I experienced one more health scare in early 2023. I had my gallbladder removed in March, after being diagnosed with gallstones (another incident that led me to the ER). Summer 2022 to Summer 2023, made me realize two things: I wasn’t doing anything wrong and my health challenges, primarily with weight loss, were tied to a spiritual attack that had hovered over my bloodline for years.
Finally, God revealed to me through prayer and confirmation via a friend, that “wilderness weight” is a real thing. When we’re going through spiritual things, especially when God is training and equipping us for a new assignment, we often experience spiritual attacks that are easy to recognize (finances acting up, tension in relationships, etc.); however, an attack on our weight is also an area the enemy initiates, and I believe one of the reasons is because of this verse:
1st Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV), which states: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Why wouldn’t the enemy come against the very thing you need to run your race and accomplish any Kingdom assignment God gives you? Once God gave me this revelation, here’s how I moved from there:
1.) Praying without ceasing, while putting actions behind my prayers (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 & James 2:17). There were mornings when God would tell me to have oatmeal and a banana, and nothing else. I learned to listen to God’s daily instructions, not just seasonal ones. There were times I was frustrated because my obedience didn’t seem to be yielding results, but I decided to trust that God was shedding more than pounds in this season. He was trying to get more out of me via commitment and endurance than a Brickhouse figure. I also asked God what my ideal weight is. What number would make Mya the healthiest version of herself for His purposes? I wrote down the number that dropped in my spirit (165) and continued on my journey.
2) I didn’t give up, but I also surrendered to the flow of that season. We all know that when we’re focused on weight loss and fitness goals, the number one rule is to “not give up”. God taught me very clearly in that season that there’s a difference between “giving up” and “surrendering to the flow of the season”. He never wanted my weight to become an idol, so there were times I could tell God was testing me to see if I would still post my ministry YouTube video, even though I didn’t like the way I looked. He also knew how much rest I would need any given day, so there were times after completing a twenty-minute workout and having the energy and strength to go harder, He would stop me. In other words, I had to surrender to the flow of the season He had me in, even though I could’ve pushed harder.
3) I pushed through the darkness, despite the opposing voices. Imagine how many times I felt like reacting whenever my doctor kept telling me I needed to work on my weight. She wasn’t rude about it. We had some of the best talks and laughs during my visits. I think she was frustrated with me. She realized that if I was taking care of myself the way I said I was, there was no reason I should have high blood pressure and be on blood pressure medication. It’s hard explaining spiritual things to people who may not understand them (or if God hasn’t released you to discuss the revelation with them). Between her report, the voices in my head telling me that nothing was working so I might as well give up; and my frustrations trying to dictate my moves, I had to push through the darkness and opposition. Even if I couldn’t see the external benefits, I was taking good care of myself and internal benefits were happening. Part of stewarding our bodies well is doing the part we can do but understanding that some things require a move of God.
One thing that caught my attention during that season was realizing that God’s instructions will often go against culture’s advice and sometimes, even your doctor’s. So, when it was time for me to refill the Aygestin and God told me not to, I was confused. It was at least helping with whatever was going on with my reproductive system and I didn’t want to have any issues with my womb when it was time for me to conceive. But God asked me clearly, “Do you trust Me?” My response: I ignored the refill alert. That was in February 2023. My cycle came back on in April 2023 and it’s been regulating pretty consistently ever since.
I had another follow-up visit in April 2023 with my primary care physician. When she checked my blood pressure, it was 128/36. Another visit produced the same result. So, guess what happened next? I didn’t refill my blood pressure medicine. When I returned home to Philly in July 2023, my first doctor’s visit was in early 2024. The number that came up on the scale: 170. Today, I’m 160.
I don’t know at what point things started to turn around. I just know for a whole year, I had to keep watering the seeds I’d sown by staying consistent and faithful. I had to obey God over my fears, doctor’s reports, and even all the health and weight loss information on social media.
Health Beyond the Holidays is meant to get you to take a look at how you are, or aren’t, prioritizing your health. Two holidays of soul food eating will not disrupt what you weren’t already doing, and January isn’t a month to bet on, since some people don’t make it to see the ball drop.
Lastly, the prayer strategy I implemented wasn’t just for me. God revealed how much the enemy attacked generations of my family with many illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart issues, etc. He was banking on me giving in and succumbing to the spirit of infirmity that hovered over my bloodline. That’s why God wouldn’t allow me a quick weight loss, or even one that would’ve made more sense to my disciplines. After all, I’d gone through this before. It had never taken me more than three to four months to see results. He wanted me to go the long haul to uproot this demon once and for all. It’s not always about us. Sometimes, the enemy will attack areas that we’re strong in, just to get to our children that aren’t even here yet.
Will you surrender to the instruction of this season so God can give you and your bloodline permanent deliverance?
Some verses to meditate on for health:
Proverbs 17:22, Proverbs 3:7-8, Exodus 15:26, Exodus 23:25, 3 John 1:2, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20, Jeremiah 30:17, Psalm 107:20, Jeremiah 33:6
PS If you have any doors of unforgiveness, rebellion, or pride open in your life, the enemy has legal access. You have to seek God’s Face through prayer and fasting to ask Him what infirmities, including stubborn weight loss, are sticking around because of a breach in the spirit (either by you or your bloodline). Remember, everything is spiritual.
STRESS EATER TIP
Many of us are emotional eaters–meaning, we reach for food when we’re stressed or experiencing emotional frustration. We can’t control what life throws our way, but we can control how we manage during those times. Here’s a tip: stock up on your favorite healthy snacks, including a healthy veggie chip or sliced apples, and keep them within reach when you’re going through a stressful time or season. That way, you’re satisfying the craving and maintaining healthy habits at the same time. One time, I almost ate a whole bag of cherries during a rough, emotional day. I remember eating throughout the entire day, but I was eating what was good for me. Don’t let your emotions throw you into a bad habit. The point: Eat up, not down.