Why do we struggle with this?

“For I do not do what I want,

but I do the very thing I hate.”

Romans 7:15 

Nothing New Under the Sun

When it comes to fitness, I’m convinced there is “nothing new under the sun.” You already:

• Believe we should steward our health

• Desire to be healthier

• Know what healthier living requires

So why do you still struggle?

Paul’s words in Romans 7:15 identify the tension: “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Your renewed mind knows what is right, but your flesh pulls you toward what is easy, comfortable, and convenient. Maybe what’s missing isn’t ignorance or information, but honesty.

Reality is often the most important information we are missing and our greatest catalyst for change. But many resist self-awareness because we fear what the truth might expose.

So here is my fitness challenge to you: Define your current reality. Be honest about what is true for you.

Next Steps

First, see a doctor. Get the Physical. Ask for the blood work. Listen to the feedback you need to hear. It’s not about condemnation. It’s about clarity.

Second, for 7–14 days, find an app and track everything you eat and drink. Don’t clean it up first. Don’t start a new diet. Just record your real, normal life. When you see it in black and white, patterns emerge. That’s what happened to me. I discovered I was not undone by massive failures, but by small, repeated choices that quietly accumulated over time.

Embracing your own reality is how you step into the fight between your renewed mind and your flesh. It equips us for the change we need to make – by targeting what is real.

John Meriweather

MD5 Facilitator