In this episode, Martin and Jess talk about the north, south, east, and west of weight loss. Just like a compass helps us go in the right direction, the Phoenix Chronicles compass points you toward your weight loss goals. Learn about its components – nutrition, exercise, water, and sleep – and how you can improve at each one of them. Starting with nutrition, Martin encourages listeners to select the best diet for them and to avoid fad diets. Similarly, he recommends finding a way to incorporate exercise that is sustainable for you. Jess explains the importance of sleep and hydration to weight loss and gives tips for improving them both. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:12] Today’s episode is about the news, and we’re not talking about politics. Before the GPS, people had to use compasses to navigate, and Martin and Jess have created their own compass, with its own north, east, south, and west (NEWS). [2:41] Our “north” is nutrition. Most of us have tried to lose weight through nutrition, whether it’s Weight Watchers, low-carb, or low-fat. The best way to handle your nutrition is to find a plan that works for you – there is no one right answer. [6:33] Martin uses the Atkins diet paired with IMF (Intermittent Fasting). He stresses that while choosing the best diet for you is important, it is ideal to steer clear of fad diets. [11:29] E stands for exercise. Exercise does not have to be marathons; it should be something that you can sustain. [17:40] Our “west” is water. Water has been shown to have value in nearly every area of our lives, from satiety to detoxing. [21:24] Adding fruit to your water can be a great way to make it more appealing and exciting if drinking water on its own is difficult for you. You can also get a tracker bottle that tells you how much you should drink by a given time in the day. [25:22] S stands for sleep, which is often a forgotten component of weight loss. Sleep can help us feel better and make better decisions. [30:35] When we are well-rested, our metabolism and hormones function better. When we are tired, we often reach for food out of habit or to try to get back the energy we lost from a bad night of sleep. [31:39] To sleep better, Jess recommends picking up a sleep routine like journaling or reading your Bible. You can also remove screens thirty minutes to an hour before you go to sleep. Lastly, Jess recommends the Soul Space app to help you relax before going to sleep. [36:50] “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) RESOURCES Visit the Phoenix Chronicles Website: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com Buy A Phoenix Chronicle by Martin Crowe: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/book

Your decisions about your eating habits are your own, and any resulting weight gain is a result of your actions. When we return to a healthy weight, we return to God’s design for us. Learn more on Episode 7 of Phoenix Chronicles. #weightloss #dieting #god #christianity #phoenixchronicles

It isn’t as farfetched as you might think. Learn more about who God is and how to build worship into your weight loss on Episode 7 of Phoenix Chronicles. #god #christ #phoenixchronicles #christianity

He’s not talking about an egg yolk, he’s talking about a burden that he can lift. Learn how to build a worship practice on Episode 7 of Phoenix Chronicles. #phoenixchronicles #weightloss #worship #christ #christianity

Who is God? It’s not a trick question, but it is a big one. We know God through the world around us, through the Bible, and through our relationships to Him – relationships that often evolve over the course of our lifetimes. In today’s episode of Phoenix Chronicles, Martin and Jess discuss their relationships with God, who God is, and why He was willing to sacrifice Jesus for our sins. Learn how you can find and stick to your why, and how Isaiah 43:19 tells us that God will give us a way out. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:15] Today’s episode is about Martin and Jess’s relationship with God – who God is, what God is, and God’s role in Martin and Jess’s lives. [2:44] Martin’s relationship with God has changed over time. He grew up going to church, but found that his church heavily mediated the messages of the Bible. He did not learn that God wanted to have a relationship with him, but discovered it over time through prayer. [4:27] Who is God? For one, He created the universe. He is all-present, all-knowing, perfectly holy, and perfectly loving. [7:30] You can also think of God as the perfect father. Your father may not have been perfect or even good, but you know how you would have liked him to have been. That idea can get you closer to understanding the love of God. [9:37] Martin tells the story of an atheist who does not believe in God because he could not imagine someone sacrificing his own son for our sins. He came to understand Jesus’s story through nature. [14:54] Having a relationship with God is a two-sided affair. Jess reads Ephesians: “God says that I am His beloved child. God is not timid about expressing his love for us.” As a mother, Jess feels she has a partial understanding of this love. [20:19] God created us in a certain way, but the decisions we make can pull us away from his design. However, God loves you no matter what decisions you make. [22:35] According to Romans 1:16-17, Jesus made many promises to us. Jesus promised rest, abundant life to his followers, and that He will return. [26:36] Jess has worked hard to conquer her food addiction, and has found that she now knows God for the first time. She knows that she can trust God and let go of her control. [28:10] Moving into audience feedback, Martin reads a comment on excitement about God’s plan for this podcast. RESOURCES Visit the Phoenix Chronicles Website: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com Buy A Phoenix Chronicle by Martin Crowe: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/book

In today’s episode of The Phoenix Chronicles, Martin and Jes discuss vision — and we’re not talking about Jes’s astigmatism. Instead, we’re talking about our visions for the future, and how changing your vision for the future can change your life. Our visions change over time, and few people’s lives turn out exactly as they envisioned them. Learn how to choose your vision, and how it can help you lose weight. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:50] Today’s episode is about vision — and we’re not talking about Jes’s astigmatism. Instead, we’re talking about our visions for the future. We all have ideas about where our future will go, but few live in accordance with their visions. [3:50] Martin’s visions started as self-interested; they centered around things that would make him feel good. His vision is now about fulfilling God’s purpose for him. [7:12] Upon visiting Arkansas, Martin noticed how much God was weaved into the local culture. He decided Arkansas would be a great place to live because it matched his vision for himself. [14:10] Martin’s involvement in his church in Arkansas also affected his vision as he found his purpose in sustainable weight loss through worship. [20:25] Having a positive vision for your future is a good thing, but it can easily shift into a selfish vision. For example, wanting to fit into clothes that you like can turn into a vain vision. [24:00] Another vision that Jes has is mobility and freedom. Jes has physical restrictions due to her weight that she would like to overcome, partly so that she can better serve God. [28:10] We can have a vision that is harmful to us. We may want vengeance, lust, pride, or vanity. Pray on your vision and interrogate whether it will bring glory and honor to God. [32:45] Dieting does not change the way you look at food — it actually does the opposite. After you finish your diet, you will finally feel free to eat whatever you want, and you will overcompensate. [39:00] From Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” RESOURCES Visit the Phoenix Chronicles Website: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com Buy A Phoenix Chronicle by Martin Crowe: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/book

Positive affirmations can be useful, but they can also fall into the trap of focusing on the self when God is where you are getting your power. Learn how to use Neurobics and worship in your weight loss journey on Episode 5 of Phoenix Chronicles. #affirmations #worship #christ #weightloss #phoenixchronicles

Determine the beliefs that you want to reinforce and write them down so that you can access them as needed. Learn how to use Neurobics and worship in your weight loss journey on Episode 5 of Phoenix Chronicles. #worship #christ #weightloss #phoenixchronicles