All my life I prayed to be free from the prison of obesity -- morbid obesity, that is. I tried pills, shots, shakes, no carbs, no fat, low calorie diets, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and countless other programs -- all with some results but never long term. With every failed attempt, I prayed even harder because I knew from reading the bible that God wanted me to be in good health. And I was not. Sure there were times along the way when I thought He'd turned a deaf ear but even deeper than that shallow thought was a stronger belief that He did hear me. And He would answer. I did not know when but I knew that He would. When He answered, I had no doubt that I was doing the right thing.

Everything about my gastric bypass experience was divine. I knew when I began my research that I was headed in the right direction, for me. All of my pre-op testing was a breeze when I'd heard of delays and issues. My insurance company approved it right away and I was scheduled within a month. Even greater was the fact that it cost me $165 out of pocket. A friend working at the same company with the same insurance at the same hospital with the same surgeon paid $4,000, the standard 10% co-pay. I called and called and insisted that the bill should be more. They assured me it should not. I paid what was due and have never received another bill.

Some say being religious improves your health. Others say it can make you fat, thus hurting your health.

One 2006 study found that Southern Baptists were the most likely of religious folks to be obese. Don't blame the southern cooking, though. The study found that that outlook on life is one culprit -- serious believers tend to see God's will defining their lives, and not personal choice. Perhaps groups that frown on smoking and drinking tend to go overboard when it comes to restricting food choices. And of course, there's the issue of eating at church functions. Doughnuts, coffee, potlucks, ice cream socials -- high-fat foods are part of the culture.

There's a flip side to this argument. Men who turn to religion, rather than food, for comfort tend to keep extra pounds off. And in some circles, health is the newest form of ministry. Some churches include in their missions goals for sports and fitness. Several churches in my city even have gymnasiums and offer fitness classes and athletic programs.

What's your belief. Does church make you fat? Fit? Or somewhere in between?

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

A few years ago, I was in a grief support group for people who'd lost their parents. The discussion naturally weaved in and out of the topics of spirituality and religion. My father's religion was running, said one girl. His church was the outdoors: a wooded path on a cool morning, a open field bathed in warm sunlight. I've never forgotten it.

I'm a spiritual person, but organized religion hasn't taken a big role in my life. This is a religion I can see myself being a part of. Running is the cure for what ails me: A heavy heart, a nagging conscience, a gut feeling that doesn't sit well. When I have a problem I can't figure out, I run. When something's stressing me out, I run. When I feel tired or lethargic, I run. And it's never let me down: I always feel better afterwards. No exceptions. It's not that I've found God in pounding my feet on the treadmill, but it helps me find balance, and it helps me find peace.

What activity helps you find your spiritual side?

I've heard of people giving outlandish reasons for trying to terminate gym memberships early, but this is the first I've heard of a building landlord using God as a reason to terminate a gym's lease early. The landlord of the building that houses MyTime Fitness in Pendleton, IN is terminating the gym's lease eight years early because he feels that God wants a Christian school to open in its place.

The building owner, Chuck Clevenger, says he always intended to use the space as a Christian school, but signed a 15-year lease with MyTime Fitness because he didn't know when God would want him to start the school. "I didn't know what the Lord's timing was," Clevenger said. "He's decided now's the time."

The gym's owner wants to relocate, but the fitness equipment is leased along with the building. Clevenger plans to auction off the equipment. In a show of all-for-one and one-for-all, the gym's 1000+ members are rallying together to help raise money to purchase the equipment. Many members have bought year-long memberships in advance. Other fundraisers such as a 5K run and a cookbook sale are also in the works.

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Just like that unleaded we put in our cars, food is the fuel for the human body. Eat junk foods and sugar water all the time, and the body begins to prematurely break down. Put in good stuff like superfoods, and your body will go 100,000 miles between tune-ups, so to speak.

When it comes to food, the better the quality the better the performance. Unfortunately, the convenience lifestyle many of us live and the hunt for cheap prices has forced an era of unhealthy food on the country. There's a reason why obesity rates are higher than they have ever been.

But what does it take to keep that body's performance in tip-top shape? Knowledge is the first tool, then intelligent food selection is the next. Research the term "superfoods" and see what you find, but for starters, here is a short list:

• Beans
• Berries
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Whole grains

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Need to drop those excess pounds? Forget about fad diets -- find God. According to the Weigh Down Diet, ice cream and fast food can be replaced with the Almighty himself, because over-eating isn't about food and hunger -- it's a deeper longing for spiritual guidance.

And apparently the approach works -- One women dropped an amazing 150 lbs by letting God into her life. What's more, apparently more than a million people have benefited from the program created by Gwen Shamblin.

Being somewhat of an athiest, I'm not sure I buy it. What do you think?

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