Hello friends,

This is Justin, back at you with another justinwilloughby.com post. I’ve had a few things that I wanted to share with you. I know some people have been told that they are a hopeless case. I know I have been told that. I was actually told that being at the weight I was at, there was no way I could turn it around. This was coming from a guy who has seen it all. He was familiar with people who were morbidly obese. I wasn’t going to take that answer lying down. Yes, at first, it did scare me. Most people did not make it past the first stage of recovery. Well, I did, and that shows the amazing power of Jesus in a person’s life. I expected life, I expected to make it, and if somehow I didn’t, I knew where I was going when I died.

Some of you may have been been called a hopeless case. I want to tell you that this simply is not true. You are not a hopeless case. Your life matters, and you have a chance to recover from whatever you face in this lifetime. Do you struggle with alcoholism? Do you struggle with sexual immorality? Do you struggle with marriage? Do you struggle with weight? I am here to tell you that you can overcome these things. If you are at ROCK BOTTOM, and cannot get yourself up, then you obviously are in need of a little help. I am not talking about a psychologist, or psychiatrist, I am talking about help from your CREATOR! Some of you may not want to continue to read this post because it begins to talk about God. But I am here to tell you, God exists, and His love is ENDLESS! He loves each and every single person on this earth. He loves you and sees what you struggle with. He knows you can overcome what you struggle with. How can you do this? Through prayer, by accepting Jesus as the Boss of your life. Just give your life over to Him! It makes it a heck of a lot easier! He is the God who says He loves you, and doesn’t care what kind of messed up background we come from. He is still willing to accept us as His children! That is a blessing all it’s own. He even takes it a step further. He says if we confess that Jesus is the boss of our life, and believe God raised Him from the dead, we are “saved” which means we will inherit life everlasting (eternal life) in heaven with our Creator when we pass on from this life to the next. All we need to do is accept Jesus as the One in charge of our lives.

This is the answer to that “hopeless case”. You are a special person! Your life matters! Your life is way too precious to be over because of a problem that we face. You can overcome it. It wasn’t easy for me to overcome the weight of 799 pounds. But it was well worth it. I got my life back, and I will never let it go again. I am not a perfect person; I mess up, and struggle with things everyday! But I strive hard to be like Jesus in everything I do. That in turn makes me a better person, because I strive to be like the One who created me in His image, and in His likeness. If you are willing to accept Him for what He has to offer, you should pray and accept Him by faith. Life will finally have meaning and purpose. We don’t exist just to exist. We exist for a reason. That is to live for Jesus, and to do His will here on earth. If you are with me on this, please pray and accept Him. Don’t scoff and look away. It’s not worth it. Life is a vapor, here today, and just like that, it’s gone. What are you going to do? Hopeless case? No, there is no hopelessness in Jesus.

-Justin Willoughby
(One Step)

He made you, YOU

Hey guys, a couple things I’ve really been thinking of as of late. A lot of times people love to compare themselves to other people. This can happen in one or two ways.

One – The person who is just trying to fit in finds themselves doing whatever it takes to become like the person they believe, is the answer for them to be. (Example: A person is pursuing college, that means this person “MUST” pursue college in order to be something in life, or this person attends this club or that church, this must be the answer.)

Two – People set standards for themselves, and they expect people around them to be the same exact way. (Example: They won’t buy something, so “this person” shouldn’t. Or they like a certain team, that means the other person should.)

We see ourselves comparing, setting standards on people, saying “If only this person would be more like this person! THIS WOULD MAKE THEM BETTER!” I am here to tell you, NO! That’s not true, in fact, that is wrong. Not everyone WILL BE the same. You are not like your friends. You are not like your Pastors, teachers, favorite musicians.

God has made every single person unique! Instead of asking “How can I be more like that guy?” or “Why can’t they be more like me?” start asking “How can I be the person God made me to be?” or “What can I learn from this person?” Check out what it says in Ephesians. This does cover a lot in the spiritual aspect of life, but we can also learn something else from this. If God covers the spiritual stuff, He could also cover the physical aspect of life as well.

Ephesians 4:10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

He has appointed some to be (pastors, prophets, teachers…) but let’s look deeper. These are earthly duties with spiritual responsibilities . We could probably even say (God has appointed some to attend college, be a musician, work here, teach here.) As them things are earthly responsibilities to equip us into our own person which will effect us spiritually. He has gifted many people differently. If we would just stop comparing ourselves to every single person, and seek out the person God want’s you to be, and if we would just stop focusing on what our (friends, family, coworkers) are doing wrong and start focusing on what we can fix in our lives to be better people for Him, then our life would be 100 percent more affective.

God has a unique road for every single person. It says so in the bible.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Either we really seek our what God wants in our lives, or we just continue to live like the rest of the world, day and day out comparing ourselves to our friends, neighbors, family, pastors, teachers, etc. When we truly focus on who GOD wants us to be, we will see some amazing results. We will see a bunch of maturing, a bunch of freedom, and even God’s promises coming to pass.

Take this away with you today, I AM NOT anyone else, He made me, me.. with my own set of gifts, and my own style. He did not make us factory toys that get the same design over and over on the machines. God made you (Rachel, Justin, Josh, Larry, Kelly, Tonya, Becky, Alisa, Ralph, Cory, John, Anthony, James, Diane, Scott, Tony, Robert, Doug, Richard, Ethan, Amanda, Michelle, Barb, Kelly, Victoria, Nancy, Stacy, George, Gerry, Eddie, Kevin, Tayler, Brittany, Tyler, Joey, Rocco, Mike, Sally, Tom, Scott, Vince, Bart, Jesse, Jordan, Brian) get the picture? He made you, YOU! Our ways are not always the same as our friends. Let’s mold each other into the characters God wants “US” to be.

Side Note: I am not saying it’s okay to go out and indulge in sin. When we come to Jesus, we come as broken people, who are in need of help and a Savior. We then seek Him out the best we can (read the bible, pray, get together with other believers) and watch how He transforms us into better people as time goes on.

Hey friends,

It’s Justin back with another updated post for you. I want to talk about something that helps me out tremendously during a workout! It’s called “MUSIC”! Music helps me out because I can get into it while working out. Without music, time seems to just drag on. Exercise just seems tougher and harder to complete.

The point I do want to get across here is this, music can help you ENJOY exercise! People can get into music, 2-4 songs go by, and you are already 10-20 minutes into your workout. Go 6 songs, and are nearly at 30 minutes. This helps time go by faster for me. It also helps me exercise a little bit harder. I get into music, the beat, the mood, and it impacts how I perform. I recommend this to anyone starting a workout program or even to those who already have a program all set.

Here is what you can do, get music that you enjoy. I am into hip hop; I like the fast pace, the beat, and the stories artists put into a song. The fast pace helps me move quicker, the beat helps me get into the song, the story makes time fly by.

This is just a little pointer on how to make your exercise session a little more fun for you. Very few people will settle for an exercise program if it is not fun. Music is one of those ways to make it fun.

-Justin
(ONE STEP)

Hello friends,

This is Justin Willoughby back with an update for you all. I have a burden to talk to you guys about obstacles. I have received a good amount of e-mail, letters, and private messages pertaining to obstacles. A lot of you have wondered how I overcome  obstacles in life. You ask how I continue to strive on a weight loss journey. Well, it’s not easy, but it can be done.

Some obstacles people tend to inherit are:

- Colds/Flu/Soreness – Yes, these things can set us back. Especially the colds, and flu. These things need to be healed up before we can really get back into weight loss mode. If we don’t give our bodies time to recover, we could actually hurt ourselves. So rest, and if you feel the need to exercise, just do some walking in your house. But you will need some strength to recover from the cold or flu. This could make you feel lazy and worthless as it has me. This is not true; these things happen to people. We live in a world where sickness is all over. We just gotta try our best to prevent these things. Try getting your antioxidants in everyday! Your vitamins, your green tea, your plant supplements. Keep your immune system up! This will help!

Soreness is a different story; soreness makes you miserable. Especially if it’s in the leg. You need to give your body time to heal. If it’s a muscle strain, remember (Unless under doctors order) you should ice and heat the area. Mostly use ice though, as this will take down swelling. Muscle bruises can really keep you off your feet for a while. You don’t want your body to injure itself further, so you need to let the muscle heal. Muscle bruises on the upper body would probably just hinder your weight lifting, but cardio should still be fine, unless you feel it’s a struggle for that certain muscle.

- Feeling guilty – Sometimes we look at ourselves and we say “Well, I already screwed my day up and ate too much!” So what if you already ate too much food? Should that stop you from burning it off, or from exercising? NO! When you overeat on a day, and you feel full, remember that exercising after that full feeling is gone can actually help you erase that guilt feeling. Exercises can include (walking, running, biking, etc.) I have noticed this to be true. I usually feel much better after a splurge if I just exercise for 20 – 40 minutes. Do not let guilt drag you down. You are a person who was created by God! He has a plan for your life, and He says you matter. So believe that!

-Party Time! – Overcoming holidays and parties can also be hard. People have so much food ALL OVER! You don’t want to be rude, so you go and eat, and you eat, and you eat, and you eat some more. So now you really did it in for yourself. What do you do? How can you overcome ALL that food? Easy, you bring a dish or two to share. This will give you an option that can be healthier. Your friends could also benefit if it’s healthy. You could also just have a small portion of some of the things. You don’t have to go HOG WILD! Sometimes, especially people who have an addiction to food, get overwhelmed when seeing so much.  You can overcome this, take a deep breath and step away. Go pray! Go talk yourself out of overeating. Remember what it can do to you! You are what you eat, though moderation is okay, you don’t want to over do it. Just develop that will power! Remember who we are living for.
I pray this helps every person who reads this post. I know obstacles exist. Losing weight is not easy! But it is possible with a few minor adjustments and preventions!

-Justin Willoughby

(ONE STEP)

Hello my friends,

This is Justin Willoughby back at you with some weightloss help. I am excited to apply every new thing that I learn. I hope this will help you as much as it does me. We need to take control of our bodies! They are under our command. What we do to it.. that is how it will react! So let’s get into today’s helpful hints.

I want to talk about the foods that can help you reach your weightloss goal. Let’s get started shall we?

1. Milk/Yogurt/Cheese – These foods will help body composition! Why not give these foods a try? Make sure they are low fat! We need to watch the saturated fats in dairy products.. when we intake these fats in an abundance… it can lead to high cholesterol. One of the main contributors to heart disease.

2. Oats – Want to get rid of that pesky belly fat? You should start by eating a breakfast that contains Oats! Studies show that adding Oats or Barely to your diet can help reduce pesky belly fat. Belly fat should be kept to a minimal.

Green Tea – How much green tea do you need to reap its benefits? Studies suggest 4-6 cups a day! This can be a hard thing to do, especially if you aren’t a tea drinker. Stomach it up, and begin doing this. This will help increase metabolism! On top of your workout.. you got yourself a monster.. and I am not talking about the energy drink!

Eggs – Why eggs? Some people can’t stomach eggs, some people still have the idea that eggs contribute to high blood cholesterol. This is true to an extent, but also understand that new studies have come out. It’s not just the cholesterol in foods that make your cholesterol spike (this actually isn’t as bad as it was once thought.) It actually comes down to the saturated fats and trans fats. These fats contribute to high cholesterol. A few whole eggs every couple of days will not kill you. Unless you already have high cholesterol, and are under doctors supervision.. you can eat the whole egg once in a while. I choose to eat the egg white. I usually add some yolk to my eggs, but not a huge amount. One egg has 70 calories. One egg white has 18 calories. A big difference!

Walnuts & Almonds – These foods offer a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Studies show that fatty acids may reduce fat mass. If you are not into eating fish, you can get the same benefits from these nuts. But don’t go overboard on them! They are packed with calories. So if you are trying to lose weight, you may want to limit them.

Salmon – My favorite on the list of fat burning foods. Salmon also contains Omega 3 fatty acids! These fats contribute to a healthy heart. They increase the HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease the LDL (bad cholesterol). This is a good thing ladies and gentlemen.

Apples/Pears/Sweet Peppers – The source of the magic behind these foods? Flavonoids! (

flavonoids  are widely disbursed throughout plants and are what give the flowers and fruits of many plants their vibrant colors. They also play a role in protecting the plants from microbe and insect attacks. More importantly, the consumption of foods containing flavonoids has been linked to numerous health benefits. Though research shows flavonoids alone provide minimal antioxidant benefit due to slow absorption by the body, there is indication that they biologically trigger the production of natural enzymes that fight disease. -(Cited from www.wisegeek.com/what-are-flavonoids.htm) Not only do they fight fat, they are very healthy for you.

Flax Seed – This is one of the easiest foods to apply to your diet. Flax seed can be consumed in a variety of ways. You can get flax oil which is an obvious oil based way of getting the benefits. You can get it milled. You can sprinkle it on salads,  put it in your yogurt, put it in your cereal. You can also buy bread that contains flax seed. Some cereals also contain flax seed. How can flax seed help you burn fat? They offer something called Lignans, which are chemical compounds found in plants. These contribute to help fight fat and help in many different ways. For more information on flax seed and how you can add it to your diet. You can go to this website. (http://www.hodgsonmill.com/roi/673/Flax-Seed-Products/)

Remember, just reading this information will not change a thing. You must apply it, and by applying it, you will see transformation in your daily lives. I believe in you! I am praying for each and every single person who has contacted me by facebook, e-mail, mail, phone. God is good! HE wants us to have a GREAT LIFE! We can do this by having discipline, and self control! PLEASE take these words seriously! I am 100% confident that through Christ.. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! Let’s believe together!

-Justin Willoughby

Hello friends!

It’s Justin Willoughby here with another tip for you guys who are struggling with weight-loss.

We go to the gym 4-6 times a week, we bust our butts! We eat so healthy throughout the week, that you forget what the junk tastes like. You drink your water like it is going out of style! Then.. SUDDENLY, we get on the scale….. AND……. we gain 1 pound!

-GASP-

HOW?! I worked out EVERYDAY THIS WEEK! I ATE SO HEALTHY! I DRANK ALL MY WATER! HOW ON EARTH AM I STILL GAINING!?!??!?!?!

Does that sound familiar? It does to me sometimes. I often find myself busting my butt almost everyday of the week, yet I only lose a half of a pound, or sometimes I lose nothing.

Let’s examine shall we?

- THROW THE SCALE AWAY FOR 3 MONTHS! You heard me. Do I sound crazy? I promise you I’m not. I say this only because the scale has deceived us ALL these years. How? Did you know that your body fat could possibly be going down even when you’re maintaining? YES! You could very well be replacing that fat with muscle. It takes many, many muscles to do cardio. It takes many, many muscles to do strength training. These muscles eventually grow. Some of us eat high sodium diets, and sodium leads to water weight. This will give a false reading on the scale as well.

Here is my advice. I pray that you do not put so much effort in to your workouts just to see the scale number move down. Though it is important to be at a healthy weight, it’s even more important to keep yourself healthy and to feel good. Sometimes you just have to wait for the weight to drop. Sometimes our bodies will just get so used to the exercise we are doing that it just may make you stop losing. I don’t understand why, but it happens. I often times switch up my exercise and the scale will EVENTUALLY move a few pounds down. It’s a slow process. Do not get discouraged. Start feeling the way your clothes are fitting, start feeling the difference in your daily life. Start checking out some of the benefits that come with eating a healthy diet and exercising. Weight-loss is so much more than just a scale. It’s time to kick the scale in the rear instead of it kicking us in the rear.

-Justin Willoughby

The summer time brings us warm weather and humidity. What do we do when this happens? Usually we stay indoors and take it easy. I’m here to tell you, don’t take it that easy. Yes, it’s not good to strain yourself in a hot day. I wouldn’t go jogging/walking in 90 degree weather. But there are some ways around this whole heat wave thing. Here are some tips.

1. Get up earlier in the morning or don’t get ready for bed too early. It usually doesn’t get warmer until late morning and through the afternoon. Gather up some discipline and get moving a little earlier or later. This will make it easier to avoid the extreme temeratures (or humdity).

2. Drink a bunch of water! Water will help you stay hydrated! This is important in warm weather.

3. Join a gym! Most gyms have air conditioning in them. I would suggest checking out your local YMCA or some other fitness center. Some of these places will even offer a scholarship program just in case you can’t afford the membership costs. I know most YMCA’s offer this.

Apply these tips to your workout schedule, and you can BEAT THE HEAT!

-Justin Willoughby
(ONE STEP)

How many times have we worked out really hard, and we hopped on the scale and it read no loss.. or worse.. what if it read a 2 pound gain? What do we do? Do you just give up and say it’s not worth it?

Let’s examine this little session of weighing in. A few factors come into play here. We can see a few common reasons on why you gained some weight instead of losing. Let’s evaluate!

-You drank water. (Drinking water before doing a workout is a good thing. Sometimes that water doesn’t budge. You may sweat.. but it just doesn’t get rid of all the water you consumed. Don’t get upset!! It’s just water weight.

-Clothing! (Yes, sometimes we weigh more with certain types of clothing that we wear. Jeans obviously weigh more than shorts. Some shirts that are longer may weigh a few more ounces. The sweat in our clothes may add weight to the scale. Many factors can contribute to weight gain because of clothing.

- Muscle (Yes.. we have heard this. When you start lifting weights or doing harder cardio. You will gain muscle. Muscle will weigh more than fat.. and sometimes this can discourage you. Remember.. MUSCLE IS GOOD! It burns more fat at rest.)

There are many more reasons on why you can gain a few pounds even while doing it the “right” way. I will give some more tid bits and information through the members section very soon. If you are interested…please be on the lookout for this section.

We will be offering some very valuable information that you don’t wanna miss!

-Justin Willoughby
(One Step)