Thursday, March 27, 2008

12 Week Challenge



You are probably wondering where I have been. Since getting back from Ktown, I have again been battling the moving blues. I have been trying to combat Satan's lies to my heart with truth and prayer. It is slowing getting me back in good spirits.

Anyway, in other news, on Monday I started a 12 week Body For Life Challenge. It basically combines eating super healthy (but allowing for the occasional indulgence) with cardio and weight training. You are supposed to see amazing results in your body and mental strength. Since moving, I have felt Gods call to me to get healthy and active. I am such a lazy person! However, I really have felt the motivation come from above and so hopefully this will help me stick with it more. I have so many reasons for doing this but God's calling is number 1. I also want to get healthier for the sake of it. Cancer is so prevalent in my family (every generation on my Dad's side has seen cancer in at least one person if not multiple). By eating healthy and exercising I will reduce my risk and if I do get it I will be in a stronger, healthier place to fight it. I also want to set a good example to my kids of eating good and exercise. HJ has really been putting it all together in his head: the connection between healthy food and exercise with growing and being strong. He asks me all the time what would be the better choice in terms of food. He asks me to include leaves (as he calls salad greens) in his lunch. He also will ask about my exercise and what it is doing for me. He also asks me if it would be healthier for him to walk or ride in a buggy at Home Depot. It is neat to see him put it all together in his head and want to make healthier choices and move his body more (now if I could just convince his father of the same!)My kids are stuck with double whammy genes from both Mommy and Daddy. Unfortunately from me they inherit a pretty bad predisposition to cancer and some heart disease and from KJ some pretty sever heart disease. If I can get them thinking about the relation of all of this to food and exercise and give them a good example to follow that would be great!
Lastly, I am motivated by wanting to look better. I know I am not fat or obese but I am soft. There is no real muscle definition to me and basically I am soft and squishy all over, instead of trim and toned. This does not lead me to feel great about myself. I know if I looked a little trimmer and toned, I would feel more confident and better about myself.
Okay, however, with all these great reasons, I still struggle! My flesh is so weak. I am a stress/emotional/boredom eater (that is super lazy and doesn't like exercise.) That is the reason I am in this predicament. I like junk food and I do not like to exercise (although I don't mind spinning to much, but would still prefer lazing around to it). With God's continued whisper to my heart, I have made the commitment to up the ante and have set a twelve week goal that I hope will lend itself to a complete lifestyle change. I like goals and having an something to work towards with a structured program/routine to follow. I need someone to tell me this is what you do, instead of having to rely on myself to do it. I have been pretty good about going to spinning at least 3 times a week and I have started resistance training with my personal training class. With this program, all I have had to add in is 2 more cardios and one more weight training day, oh and yes giving up 99% of the junk food in my life.
I have been turning to scripture and some inspirational reading to prepare for this journey as this is a spiritual journey for me. One that I am convinced God has called me on and through him I will rely on to break my flesh of its laziness (both physically and spiritually). I need to fortify my will so I can let it guide me instead of my emotions and feelings. So I will leave you with these three things that struck a cord with me.

Romans 12: 2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...

Romans 8: 5-6
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death but to set the mind of the Spirit is life and peace.


"It is sometimes thought that the emotions are the governing power in our nature. But I think all of us know, as a matter of practical experience, that there is something within us, behind our emotions and behind our wishes, an independent self, that, after all, decides everything and controls everything. Our emotions belong to us, and are suffered and enjoyed by us, but they are not ourselves, and if God is to take possession of us, it must be into this central will or personality that He enters."
-Hannah Whitall Smith

3 comments:

Aimee D said...

I will surely be praying for you as you go along this journey...just try to be at rest in this though and not become legalistic in it and lose the joy of becoming closer to Christ and the joy that comes from going along the road that God has called you to.

Nashvillians Now said...

That has been my problem with some other things and I love this plan because it allows you the freedom to eat indulgences. You are only supposed to eat according to the plan 80% of the time which allows you a lot of freedom! It will also allow me to focus less on the plan and more on the journey.

Jennifer said...

I'm going to have to stop reading your blog. It may just inspire me to get up and move some.