Put a Little Love in Your Step

At a recent appointment, the doctor referred to me as an "athlete" when describing my condition to his student.  Athlete?  Me?  Ha!  No way would I ever have imagined myself as an athlete.

This is me in 2012.  To think of myself as an athlete then was, more than laughable.

But here's the truth.  I love to work out.  In fact, I feel best after one that pushes the limits of my endurance.  Any physical activity that gets my heart rate up, makes me sweat or makes me want to quit...but I push through it anyway. This kind of physical fatigue helps to both manage stress and provide a sense of accomplishment, and is tremendously rewarding.  But an athlete?  Ha...I don't know about this.

Ok, so maybe I am athletic, but I am no competitive athlete, that's for sure!

Here's the thing, you need to move your body pretty much every day.  Yes, every day.  In fact, I'm not the only one to say it.  The American Heart Association and the Center for Disease Control recommend 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise at least five days per week and muscle-strengthening which focuses on all muscle groups at least two days per week.

Question of the day....

How in the world do I do that?  Where do I even begin?

It's easy.  If you are a beginner, start with walking.  Yes.  That's it.  Start with a walk.  I recommend using a fitness tracker, such as a Fitbit.  I used to have a Jawbone UP24, but now I just use the pedometer in my phone (most phones have one).  Step one is to determine your baseline.  For at least five days, carry your phone with you everywhere, or wear your Fitbit (or other tracking device) all the time.  Look at your average steps / mileage each day, add it and divide by the number of days you are tracking.  Then look at increasing your steps by 10%.  So, if your average number of steps in 5,000 steps, try to increase by 500 steps.  That's probably a brief 10 minute walk.  Gradually increase to 1/2 hour, then to an hour.  One hour might seem like a lot, but listening to music* while you walk or walking with a friend makes the time fly by quickly.  Set yourself a deadline.  "I want to walk 10,000 steps every day by the end of two weeks."  Then stick to that deadline.

My average daily steps since November 25 is 8,600 steps.  To increase my daily average to 10,000 steps. that's simply adding about a one mile walk to my day each day.  This is a quick walk around the block with the puppy for me.

This is an easily attainable goal.   The most important thing is to NOT over do it.  Seriously!!!  If you are averaging 3,000 steps / day and you start taking 5 mile walks immediately, you're either going to hate it or you won't be able to maintain the consistency of that.  The key is set a goal, determine your frequency and then stick to it.  What do I mean by frequency?

• Three 10 minute walks:  one before work, one at lunch, one after work or
• A 1/2 hour walk every day or
• One hour walk / 2x per week with two 15-minute walks on the other days

Start small, then work your way up.

Already relatively active?  Increase the intensity of your exercise.  Add some intervals to your walks.  I started interval running over the summer and have made it up to being able to run 3 miles now.  I am NOT a runner.  In fact, my doctor told me, "No running!"  But I HATE the limitations I've had from my shoulder pain, so I started running.

This afternoon's run.  Don't you just love the pink headband with the maroon shirt?

Interval training / exercise is proven to be a very effective way to burn fat.  Yes, my friends, that's right.  So, how do you do it?  If you are walking, walk very slowly for two minutes, then increase your speed as fast as you can for one minute.  Continue this for 24 minutes, with a cool down for six minutes (there's your thirty).  If one minute at a fast pace is too much, try one minute very slow, followed by 30 seconds as fast as you can.

As I continue this series on wellness, I will give you some more exercise tips / tidbits.  Walking is a great start and interval training will most definitely help you with weight loss goals. So, we will start there with my blog.  As the season continues, I'll throw some more practical suggestions your way. Whatever you do, stick with it!

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

by Jackie DeShannon

*Top 5 songs on my playlists:

Running playlist:

Can't Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake

Cheap Thrills by Sia

Me Too by Meghan Trainor

Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers

Let Me Love You (feat. Justin Beaber) by DJ Snake

Walking playlist:

Forever by Kari Jobe

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman

The More I seek You by Christ for the Nations

Oceans by Hillsong UNITED

Overcome by Jeremy Camp

Read more from my series on wellness

Radio Silence

The Empty Fridge Syndrome

Questions for you...

Do you like to exercise?  If not, what's your least despised way to move your body?
If you do like to exercise, what's your preference?  Comment in the section below.

Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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What No One Ever Told You About Losing Weight: Part 3

Last summer I wrote a two part series on the things you should know about the untold truths regarding weight loss.

What No One Ever Told You About Losing Weight:  Part One is here.  Part Two is here.

Since that time, I've learned a few more things...and I want to share them here.

The GOOD and the BAD:  Part Three.

GOOD:  What used to be important no longer is.

I used to participate in 101 different activities.

Participating in every activity I could was a coping mechanism for me to deal with my anxiety.  If I was busy, I didn't have time to be anxious.  The activity train was seriously unhealthy.  In March, I shared my story with some ladies at my church's annual Women's Conference.  These are my Size 18 jeans I wore before I lost the weight.

I was a wokaholic.

When I was home, I had no energy and was a complete couch potato.

Now that my focus has changed from doing everything I could put my hands into and from working 10 - 12 hours / day, I use the extra time to take care of myself.  I workout nearly every day.  We eat healthy meals.  And I hardly ever watch TV.  (Although lately I have been catching up on some Netflix.)

I can honestly say I don't miss my old way of life and I feel free from all of the obligations.

BAD:  Constipation

Despite all the water I drink and the vegetables I eat, constipation is a nasty accompaniment to the weight loss.  Not everyone has this problem, but it plagues me.

I've added a fourth macro to my nutrition.  Fiber.  The recommended daily amount of fiber for women is 25 grams.  I eat about 40 grams on average.  I even started taking Metamucil, and that did not help.  So now I take Miralax and it helps sometimes.  But more often than not, I feel bloated and if my weight is up on the scale, chances are it's due to that.  I wish there was a magic wand I could wave to get rid of that feeling.

GOOD:  Cooking becomes enjoyable.

I used to hate to cook.  Maybe not hate, but I really did not enjoy it.

Now, I enjoy looking at and trying new recipes.  It is fun to try new ways to make your own recipes healthier or tastier.  

Speaking of tasty.  Have you checked out any of the Tasty videos?  They have super easy recipes, with few ingredients and they show you how to make it on video.  This is one of my favorites:

Mongolian Beef Crock Pot

Meal planning has become an essential part of my life.  I like to try new things, keeping in mind what's easy to cook, and what my family would like.  I use my crock pot as often as possible.  It has almost made its home upstairs in my kitchen, instead of on the shelf in the basement. 

BAD:  You lose some of your friends. 

Yeah. True story. 

I have friends that I used to spend a lot of time with who did not join me on my road to fitness.  Keep in mind, this has been a two year journey, so while I was working out and trying to be careful about my nutrition, they were living the same way they always had, only I wasn't doing it with them.  When everyone realized this isn't a gimmick for me, that I really mean what I say and my lifestyle really has changed, I think I intimidated some of them.  In fact, I know it. 

I have actually been told, "I'm jealous of you," and "I can't work out with you. Do you look at yourself?  I would be embarrassed to work out with you."

It is a bit hard to accept. But at the same time, I have changed. They haven't. And I can't expect them to do so.  Some of them want to lose weight, but they don't want my help.  They won't read my blog and they tell me, "I can't do things your way, so I'm going to do it this way."  It's as if they want to prove something to me.

I don't judge them. It might sound like I do. But it does hurt to lose a friend, or at least to be distanced from a close friend because they feel disconnected due to my now healthy lifestyle. 

GOOD:  You can stop the roller coaster.

When you develop a healthy lifestyle, food no longer rules your life.  I can eat food that I didn't eat while trying to lose weight.  A couple pieces of pizza don't derail me.

I recently found myself binge snacking at night, craving ice cream and anything sweet I could get my hands on...  I realized this was a BAD habit to get back into, so I stepped back and said, "You are smart.  You can do this.  How can you plan to fit your evening ice cream into your day AND not feel guilty or go way over on your calories?"

Can it be done?  Better question, can it be done without feeling guilty?

The answer is:  YES!

I cut back a little on my calories during the day, left some room in my macros so the carbohydrates and fat in the ice cream didn't wreck havoc on my nutrition.  I intentionally added more water to my day and re-introduced interval training into my workouts.  Guess what!

I lost about 5 lbs. WHILE eating ice cream every night.

Once you become smart about nutrition, you CAN stop the roller coaster.

Question for you:  (Answer in the comments below.)

Are you trying to lose weight or have you lost a significant amount of weight?  What surprises have you experienced as a result?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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A Step Back

I was on a roll.  Seriously, I was doing fantastic.  I had a serious routine going at the gym: session with my trainer, followed by my workouts: legs, back (pull), chest (push), repeat my workouts.  I have been seeing significant gains with the amount of weight I am lifting.  The muscles in my arms and shoulders are more pronounced and my legs don't look skinny anymore.  I like it.

Messy hair, but I don't care!! I really like the way my arms look.

Thursday morning I woke up with some discomfort in my back.  Lower left side ached.  I took some ibuprofen and went about my day.  Did some errands after work and then went to the gym.  I was going to do legs and I always warm up and stretch first.  I could feel my back.  It did not feel right.  So I spent some extra time stretching and it still felt off.  Laid on my back and lifted my left leg and felt a sharp pain in my back.  I stopped what I was doing, stood up and said, "Ok, this is not good.  No weights today.  Let's try some cardio."  That lasted for less than two minutes.  Back to the locker room, grabbed my stuff and home I went.   Ice and ibuprofen.  Woke up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain.  More ice.  Called my chiropractor.  Saw him at 9:00 a.m.  His orders are no gym until after he sees me on Monday.  "You can walk and do light cardio, that's it."  That means four days off from the gym.  Not because I am sick.  Not because I am on vacation.  Because I have a pulled muscle in my back.  How can that happen?  I workout every day.  I stretch all the time.  Wednesday I wasn't even doing any back exercises.  I don't get it.

At the chiropractor.  Underneath that fake smile is a grimace of pain.

So, I get to take the weekend to step back and rest.  And I am going to make the most of the rest.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Ibuprofen, light stretching, ice, warm baths, repeat. We have three Christmas parties to go to and a trip to Worcester for my son's birthday.

I'm going to get some baking in too.

Making cheesecake for Mitch's birthday

It will be a good weekend.

In the past, something like this would turn into a week or two or three of me not exercising, eating whatever I want and eventually would throw me completely off track.  This time, I am accepting it for what it is and turning it around in my favor as much as possible.  Sounds crazy, to turn pain into favor, but that's exactly what I am doing.  This is a challenge to not derail my progress.  And I like challenges!  What do you do when you have a set back?  How much do you let it throw you off?

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

Maria's favorite Christmas Carol

Cool Yule by Bette Midler
A fantastically happy and upbeat song.  Makes you want to get up and dance!

I've been baking... check out some of My Favorite Recipes:  Part One and Part Two.

Questions for you: 

(Answer in the comment section below.)

What do you do when you have a set back?  

How much do you let it throw you off?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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No Sweating Today

I don't want to mess up my hair!

I really like when I do my hair and it comes out kinky like this.

This week!!!  Let me tell you, I thought last week was stressful.  This week has been a whole lot of crazy.  

 

Sunday's ride photo:  the farm with the beautiful horses.  I just love to stop and admire them when I ride.

Sunday I went out for a ride on my bike and had a crash (completely my fault).  Fell on my head and my bum, so my tail bone has been sore all week.

I could barely move Sunday night.  The cat had to lie right next to me to make me feel better.

Tuesday night I got together with one of my former students.  Had her over for dinner and took her and her baby out for ice cream.  Her baby is so sweet and so well behaved.  I am so proud of her, she is such a good mom!

Lauren is such a good baby!  Her mom is an amazing mom!

Wednesday morning I woke up at 2:30 a.m. with excruciating stomach pains, my stomach the size of a small basketball.  I think I'm reacting to either the re-introduction of gluten to my diet or a change in the brand of protein powder.  I did some research and it could be either.  So not only did my bum hurt from the accident on Sunday, but I wanted to throw up all day. 

Can't decide if it's the gluten or the protein powder leaving me feeling like my stomach is a basketball. It's so very uncomfortable and downright painful!

I had a session with Dmitriy on Wednesday afternoon.  I sent him a text message, "I have graduation tonight, so no sweating today."  He responded, "Ok, good luck with the no sweating part.  It's really humid and I'm guessing we're gonna be working out.  Hah!"  My response, "Seriously, no sweating.  I have to do my hair before I come in because I'm going straight to graduation."  When I saw him, he was like, "What does that mean?  What am I supposed to do about that?  That's like going swimming and saying you don't want to get wet."  Ok, I get it.  But seriously, I have bone straight hair and when it gets damp, it falls and is ruined.  I did sweat, my hair did fall, I had to suck it up.

So...graduation.  I was the coordinator for one of the district's summer programs.  Have I ever told you how much I absolutely LOVE my job?  I think it's because I love to see the change in my students, how they grow up and mature.  My students know I care about them, I never give up on them.  The tougher the case, the more connected I feel to them.  One of my students gave the graduation speech on Wednesday night.  In 2013, she dropped out of high school, and came back to school in September of last year.  Between her regular day classes, Night School, Credit Recovery and Summer School, she managed to make it across the stage in one year.  I convinced her to give the speech because I believe she is an inspiration.  Her determination inspires me and I knew the other students would be able to relate to her.  She hit a home run and the students cheered for her.  She nailed it.  I was / am so proud of her.

This is Ashley.  She is truly an inspiration!  I am so proud of her accomplishments and I know she will go far in the future.  (And by the way, my hair was a lot fluffier before I sweat at the gym and it flopped!)

Today (Thursday), all the teachers came back to school for professional development.  I didn't get much done all day.  "Can I talk to you about my schedule?"  "Oh my God, look at you!  What did you do to lose all that weight?"  (I haven't really lost any weight since June.)  "Tracey, you really don't need to lose any more weight.  Stop now."  I do enjoy seeing the teachers after a few months of not seeing them, but I can't get anything done if I can't work on my students' schedules and address the issues that have arisen since we locked in the master schedule.  Sigh.

After school I went for a quick ride on my bike. little did I know how quick it would be.  About four miles in, I popped another spoke and my rear wheel would not move at all.  I pulled over to look at it, I needed to at least get back home. Some other riders stopped to help, but we couldn't fix it.  I had to get a ride from a friend.  Thank God for friends!!!  

When I brought my bike in on Monday for them to look it over after my accident, I had them re-strap the handlebars.  My favorite color!!!  But today's ride was a complete fail, as the broken spoke made it impossible to ride. 

Tomorrow is Friday! I have so much work to do to prepare for school opening.  After work, bring on the sweat! I plan to ride my bike (I got a new wheel already), followed by a workout at the gym.  I don't care if I mess up my hair!

My working station while my bum is sore.  I can stand up or lean on the stool.

So, in spite of two rough weeks, I am even more determined.  The Ride to Remember is in less than one month.  I count every challenge as a learning experience to better prepare me for the big day.  Figuring out how to get in enough riding now that I'm back to work full time and the sun is setting earlier is another challenge I get to figure out.

Brothers and sisters I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Follow me on Instagram @tracoleman99

Questions for you:
How has your week been?
What interesting things happened to you this week?
Any suggestions for dealing with the bloating?

Leave your answers in the comment section below.  

Shake It Off

Something happened a few weeks ago that has been like sand in my shoe.  I've been trying not to think about it.  When you were fat as long as I was and you finally feel physically healthy and positive about yourself, negative comments can bring you down if you let them.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

Last week was particularly stressful.  Lots of driving and horrible traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike on Sunday, followed by a week of sitting, glued to my laptop until all hours of the night so I could finish the master schedule for school.  Uggh.

But there were some amazing highlights...

First, we went white-water rafting on the Deerfield River on Wednesday.  I took a day off from work (and scheduling hell) and spent it with my family to tick something off my bucket list.  White water rafting has always been a dream of mine, but I have always been a little afraid to do it.  We went on the beginners' route, which was relatively calm.  I had a blast!!!!  We will definitely go again, and I'm hoping for something more advanced because the more intense rapids made it a lot more enjoyable.

I'd been working around the clock on the schedule, so we were running "On Time" to get to our rafting tour.  He wanted to be early and was sooooo annoyed with me.  This is me just being goofy.  We had an amazing time!

Bucket list - Check!

 Second, I had posted "What NO ONE tells you about weight loss", Parts ONE and TWO last week and had a lot of positive feedback from people about it.  I wrote in Part One that losing weight is expensive, but worth it and a friend from church asked me if I'd like any of her vegetables from her garden.  "Absolutely!"  On Thursday night, after a particularly stressful day, she stopped over with bags of vegetables and a dozen eggs and homemade yogurt from her farm animals.  I nearly cried.  What an unbelievable blessing!!!  I can't begin tell you what that did for me.

This:  Jackie is such a blessing!!!

By that point, my anxiety about finishing the schedule for school was through the roof.  There were so many dangling pieces that I really didn't think I'd be able to tie them all up and I was beginning to feel defeated.  Friday was my deadline.  EVERYTHING was getting to me and I was starting to snap at everyone (over really nothing).

Third, Friday night I got together with some of my classmates from the program I am in for my CAGS (a second Masters' degree).  We promised to get together during our class in June and Friday was the night.  We drove to Barre, which is in East Cupcake (I'm sure you know where that is) and had a lovely evening visiting and reconnecting with each other.  It was exactly what I needed. 

Friendship is so important.  They carry you through the difficult times.  I love these ladies!

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Then, I had a restful Saturday.  I missed THREE days at the gym last week, which is unheard of for me.  So I spent a LONG time working out and walked home from the gym.  Our microwave bit the dust, so we took advantage of Massachusetts' Tax Free weekend and got a new one.  I got my nails done and then I went for a quick ride on my bike (I hadn't been out all week because of the stupid schedule).  It's getting dark earlier, so it was only about 25 miles, but I am excited because my speed is increasing and I was averaging 16-17 MPH until the end when my hip started cramping up.  Came home, had dinner and crashed.  Slept until after 6 a.m., which was great because I fell back to sleep after my 2:30 insomnia wake up.

I love to ride by this farm.  Last night the horses were right out near the road and I felt like they were talking to me.  I tried to video them, but I couldn't quite capture it.  I grew up in the city, so I'm not much of a country girl.  You horse lovers would probably tell me that they were talking to me.  They are so beautiful!  

And lastly, I was so busy all week that I didn't really have time to think about it until yesterday...my trainer Dmitriy posted a picture of me on Instagram last week.  When I got to thinking about it, I really got choked up.  I've been feeling agitated all week about the schedule, the "sand in my shoe" incident (above) was annoying me under the surface, and I gained three pounds!  To say I was frustrated is an understatement.  Yesterday I sat down and wrote about my journey, how I got started and used the progress picture he posted.  You can read that here:  "Getting Started."  Reflection is important for growth.  When you struggle or fail along the way, you need to step back and think about what you can do about it.  Looking at my pictures, thinking about my journey, I was able to realize that one bad week will not derail me.  

I am not defeated.  And as far as the sand in my shoe.  I'm just going to Shake It Off!!!

The haters gonna hate

I'm just gonna shake it off...

I never miss a beat...

I'm lightening on my feet.

That's what they don't see.

I'm dancing on my own.

I'll make the moves up as I go.

That's what they don't know.

But I keep cruising.

Can't stop, won't stop grooving

It's like I got this music in my mind

Saying, "It's gonna be all right."

A final shout out to the people who helped me get through the week:  

• My husband, for putting up with me all week while I was so cranky!
• My son, Mitch, for taking Dad to his medical procedure so I could finish the schedule.
• Erica, without you, the schedule would NEVER have been done.  Thank you, I love you!!!  You are amazing and I so need your second set of eyes.
• Maria, for helping me to check off a bucket list item.
• Jackie, for being so generous and blessing me with all those farm fresh veggies, eggs and yogurt.  You are awesome!
• Cyndi (for listening to my sand in the shoe strory), Antigony and Abbie, for being at the right place at the right time on Friday!!!  We really have to make a point to get together again, especially when our program is done.
• Dmitriy, for making me feel good about myself when I wasn't feeling it.

I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

Philippians 1: 3-4

Follow me on Instagram @tracoleman99 

Let me ask you:  

When something goes wrong, how do you shake it off?  

How did you spend your weekend?

Leave your comment below.

Get Up and Move

 

Dmitriy (my trainer) and I had an interesting conversation about leading an active lifestyle, which inspired this blog.  

How many hours a day do you work? Do you have a physically active job? Do you spend most of your time sitting at a desk? The average person works an 8-9 hour day, add travel to/from work at an average of 1 hour +/- commute (round trip).  That's 9-10 hours/day, 5 days/week sitting, either at a desk or in your car.  Parents? Add another 2-3 hours/day "running around" (driving/sitting) your kids to/from their activities. Try fitting dinner in? Looks like McDonald's again!

Are you satisfied with this lifestyle? Do you feel like you are in control of your life or your "life" is in control of you? When my kids were younger, I drove them to two different age groups of activities: baseball, swimming, Tae Kwon Do, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts (I was the Den Leader, of course), football, then work. These were all great activities to keep the boys busy and out of trouble. But it took a major toll on me. Looking back, I believed I was doing what was best for my kids.  I wonder if they needed so many different activities, or if they could have benefited just as much from family trips hiking, biking and to the park. I do not regret my past decisions, it's just one of those things that makes you wonder.  Looking forward, I am so glad the driving around is finally over.  

Joey's Blue & Gold Banquet at his crossing over from WEBELOS to Boy Scouts.

So, what's the point? Americans' busy lives are spent physically inactive. While we are very busy, we are not moving our bodies. Add to that, we don't have time to just be - to breathe. This puts our health at risk. High blood pressure, diabetes, stress, anxiety, depression, heart disease, the list goes on.  If this describes you, even a little, you must make some changes to regain control of your life.

Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life opens with two amazingly perfect scriptures:

A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

Proverbs 11:28

Blessed are those who trust in The Lord... They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and the go right on producing delicious fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Which tree are you?

Change is difficult. To regain control of your life, I recommend two things:

ONE

Find time to breathe. Having just finished up a six week whirlwind of homework (MA-PAL), birthday get togethers, scholarship dinners, multiple graduation related activities (prom, Class Day, graduation etc.), and other similar things, the stress was affecting me.  Sleepless nights, short fuses. Now that I'm off the roller coaster, I feel like I have to learn how to "BE" all over again.  

This past weekend was amazing. Sunday was almost a "perfect day." I did what I wanted to do all day. A morning bike ride with other SPD Ride to Remember riders, lunch, a long workout at the gym, dinner, an evening hike to see the sunset.  This was a lot in one day, but it was what I wanted to do. It gave me time to be with and enjoy my creator. 

Taken on our hike Sunday night.

All of the busy-ness is a distraction from what God designed us to be. We must create time to be with Him, to reflect on His goodness. When I do this, I am able to find peace, and in the stillness I can hear his voice. But I have to listen, to spend time with Him. For me, there is no better place to do this than in nature - whether it is when I take Koby for a walk or out on a hike.  Take time to be, to breathe. 

TWO

Get up and MOVE!  One hour at the gym is only 4% of your day. Make this a priority. Don't allow your day to get ahead of you without a trip to the gym. One or two days per week is not enough. Make your goal to workout every day. I start my day thinking, "When will I get to the gym today?" And I only miss it if I absolutely can't get there.  On a typical week, that means I am there six out of seven days per week. 

Let's be honest, if you want to see results, sitting in the car or in front of the TV will not bring them. 

Do you hate working out? Change it up. To be honest, I absolutely loathe walking on a treadmill, sitting on a stationary bike and even worse - the elliptical machine. It definitely has it's benefits...don't misunderstand. But I don't go to the gym every day to get on an elliptical machine and be bored. I am too busy and that kind of monotony does NOTHING to make me want to workout. I have a different workout for each day at the gym. One day each for legs, abs, back, and upper body. One day with my trainer, one day to mix things up.  I love working out. For me, it's the one hour each day that I get to take care of ME. The best way to care for every one else is to start with me.  Since I started riding my bike, I don't even care if I get in any cardio at the gym because I get enough riding. 

My challenge to you is this: 
If you are spending too much time sitting at a desk or driving in your car.  If you feel like your life is out of control, or if you are trying to lose weight and can't seem to see progress, stop and examine the changes you can you make to your routine.  Can you carve out an hour each day to workout?  Remember, that's only 4% of your day!  

It doesn't have to be at the gym, but I have found doing it on your own does not have a high enough level of accountability.  It's too easy to become passive, to sit on the couch, to play a game on the computer.  It helps many people to have a workout partner, someone to keep you accountable. I'm sure you can find someone in your circle. For me, I had to do it on my own because if my partner couldn't make it to the gym, I didn't go alone. It was one more excuse for me.  I love the gym and find the staff there to be tremendously supportive. Not just my trainer, but the fitness director, the other trainers, the membership team, and the people at the front desk. I love the team at Best Fitness. Not only are they friendly, but they provide a positive environment and encouragement on the journey.  My gym has LONG hours, so there really is no reason for me to not make it there before closing.

 

Best Fitness

 

Remember, change takes time. It is a journey. If you are so busy that your life is revolving around things, I would predict you may feel more like the dead tree mentioned above in Proverbs.  Seek The Lord to help you find purpose, to BE who He wants you to be. Your life will never be the same.

This is me at Ponce De Leon Park in Punta Gorda, Florida.  We watched the sunset from there.  Making time to just BE.

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