DON'T FIGHT THAT FEELING!!!

I FEEL A HALF-MARATHON COMING ON!!!! I’ve been able to run a little more lately and it feels wonderful! Though I had gotten use to power walking and even appreciating its benefits, I’ve missed running. In the past several weeks, I tried a little running here during my morning walk…and a little more running there...….and a little more….and a little more….so far, so good; so far, no signs of the tendinitis in my foot that made me switch to walking last year. IT FEELS GREAT!!! I FEEL A HALF-MARTHON COMING ON!!! Can’t you feel it?!!! Perhaps for you, it’s not a half-marathon that you feel like doing, but don’t you feel like adding an extra block to your daily walk? Don’t you feel like adding an extra lap around the track? ……an extra set of leg lifts to your routine?……..more pounds to the weight your lifting?……desserts three days a week instead of five?......one piece of pizza instead of two?.........two scoops of ice cream instead of three? AREN’T YOU READY TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL AS YOU MOVE FORWARD TO A LIFESTYLE OF BEING HEALTHY AND FIT?!! Well, don’t fight that feeling! Your mind may want to do one thing but your body may not agree! Remember, “…the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41b)I’m reminded of the conversation my mind had with my body the morning after the Marathon earlier this year. Actually, the conversation started the night of the Marathon. It went something like this as I set the alarm clock for the next morning:

Body: Why are you setting the alarm so early? The Marathon is over. We’re not training any more. We don’t have to get up so early. We can sleep in 30 minutes more.

Mind: Hmm….you’re right….that would be nice…but, why stop doing what we achieved just because the Marathon is over? If we can now walk 4 miles in an hour, and still have our devotional time first, then get back in time to get Reub’s breakfast, get him started on his devotional, fix Reuben’s coffee, and get dressed and get to work on time, why should we stop?

Body: The Marathon is over! We’re not training any more!

Mind: But why go backwards! Why not go forward? Why not begin to work on our speed and pace ….besides, remember during the second time we did the Marathon, we had stopped running for a bit and walked past those two guys talking about how many months before the Marathon they started training and the one guy said, we really should train every day…....every day leads up to the Marathon!

Body: But that’s not us! We’re just regular people! Come on! We’ll get to sleep in 30 extra minutes....…the way we used to!!! Are you crazy?!

Mind: But that’s ridiculous? Why go backwards...the least we can do is continue what we were doing even if we don’t begin to work on our pace and speed.

Body: THE MARATHON IS 10 MONTHS AWAY!!! GIVE ME A BREAK!!!

Needless to say, the mind won. I have maintained my ‘training’ regimen, but it hasn’t been easy. (But during and afterwards, I SIMPLY LOVE IT!...it’s the getting up that can be a challenge) And, as soon as Reub got out of school for the summer, although I have kept up my one hour routine in the morning, (after my morning devotional, of course), I’ve been able to sleep in those extra 30 minutes, because Reub has been out of school. I’m in for a rude awakening next week when he goes back to school. Pray for me!

So, be prepared for a fight, when part of you is ready to move to the next level, but the other part of you is saying, ‘what’s the rush’. THAT’S THE FEELING YOU WANT TO FIGHT! But don’t fight the feeling to go up a little higher in your health and fitness goals! Don’t fight the feeling to walk a little brisker! Don’t fight the feeling to bake or broil that meat rather than fry it! Don’t fight that feeling to try brown rice instead of white! Don’t fight that feeling to actually measure out a serving size of food! WHAT A CONCEPT!!! Don’t fight that feeling to switch the movie DVD to an exercise DVD!

Don’t fight that feeling!!!

Healthy Relationships are Important Too

During my morning walk today (written on August 8, 2009), a woman was approaching me who looked extremely focused about what she was doing. She was running, and then she slowed down to a fast walk as if she were pacing herself. What a great stride, I remember thinking. She looked a little familiar as we approached each other, but she wore sunglasses and a cap on so it was hard to be sure if I knew her or not. Besides, it was 7am on a Saturday morning! I too felt focused and strong; arms pumping, fast pace, strong stride, legs feeling good...approaching my third mile. We passed each other and said the gracious 'Good Morning' that most people exchange as they pass each other working out in the mornings; whether they know each other or not; it’s an unspoken rule. As soon as we said 'Good morning' and passed each other she called out my name and turned around to face me! As soon as I heard her say my name, I knew who she was. I too called her name and turned around to face her! We couldn't believe it! We hugged! We hadn't seen each other or talked in a while, and of all places to meet!! "Oh my goodness!” she said, "....we were both so focused..." I cut her off, "….we were both so focused that we almost didn't even recognize each other!” She said, "You're a long way from home!" We exchanged very little chit-chat as our bodies never seemed to stop moving because it was obvious to both of us that we were both on a personal fitness mission! We were in a groove. We both understood our unspoken body language that said, 'Good to see you. Let's talk soon. But I've got to go!' And we went our separate ways assuring each other that we would call the each other. As I picked up my pace, and regained my focus and once again took hold of my goal of getting to my Weight Watchers meeting by 8am, I thought to myself, why hadn't either of us contacted the other before our paths crossed at 7am on a Saturday morning on Rodeo Road?! When we think about friends that we haven't seen in a while, why don't we just pick up the phone and call them? I've thought about her over the past months and I bet it is safe to say that she has thought about me, so what has kept us from reaching out to each other, to catch up and see how the other one is doing? Well, that's easy, you say. Everyone is busy. Life happens. She's doing her thing and your doing yours. You know you love and respect each other and when you see each other like you did on this particular morning, it's all good. No big deal. Everyone understands. Get over it. Hmmm....That is the reality of it, isn't it? We are so busy 'doing' life, that just 'being' a friend or just 'being' a wife, or just 'being' a mother, or just 'being' a sister, or just 'being' an Auntie, or just 'being' a Grandmother, becomes less important and less valued than the ‘doing’ of those various roles. ‘Producing’ has become more important than ‘listening’. ‘Multi-tasking’ has become more valuable than ‘laughter’. ‘Accomplishing’ has become revered over ‘resting’. I'm guilty! How about you?! One time two sisters found themselves preparing for a guest who would be the most important guest that they ever had in their home. One sister did all the grocery shopping to buy the best food to serve. She did the cooking. She did the cleaning. She made sure that everything was perfect in their home for their guest. The other sister prepared her spot where she would sit to listen to the guest when he arrived. After the guest shared wisdom and truth, the busy bee sister was indignant with lazy sister. Proud of her accomplishments, busy Bea publically accused lazy Liza to their esteemed guest of not doing her share to prepare for him. "The Master said, Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it - " (Luke 10:41-42a The Message) Since I believe my steps are ordered, as it tells us in Psalm 37:23, I believe this morning's 'meeting' with my friend, has reminded me that I need to spend more time ‘choosing’ what is essential in life. I need to 'be' more and 'do' less. The kitchen sink will only be empty for a little while so why spend more time washing dishes than catching up with a friend? The laundry basket will only be empty for a few hours so why spend more hours washing clothes than spending time with my husband? The agendas and lesson plans can wait, but in the wink of an eye my 15 year old son will be going away to college. Good, sound, fulfilling relationships just don't ‘happen’; they take work; and investing our time and our full attention; and it’s always worth it in the end. As we choose to have things in our lives done decently and in order, with a healthy balance, let's help each other 'do' less and 'be' more.

Got Feet?

One day last week while on my morning power walk, I walked past two women and could not help but read one of their T-Shirts. It said, GOT FEET? I laughed out loud! I loved it! What a simple question to help us realize that a lifestyle of healthy living does not have to be as difficult as we make it out to be.

Got feet?....then get off the couch, put some tennis shoes on, and go for a brisk walk! Yes, it is really that simple! Not a morning person?! Fine! Walk in the evenings after work. Neighborhood not safe enough to walk at night alone? Fine! Get a walking buddy or drive to a park or school track near you. Got feet? Use them! Another benefit from being active is that it boost our brain power: Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Boost Your Brain -Next time you are feeling uninspired, puzzled or stumped, don't bang your head against the wall, get moving. Even a short 20-minute bout of exercise might be enough to unlock your mental block, says Philip Tomporowski, Ph.D. an exercise scientist at the University of Georgia.

Got pots and pans?....then use them to cook meals and stop eating out all of the time! At home there won’t be any bread baskets to be tempted by, foods prepared with fattening sauces and rich toppings, nothing fried or smothered, no long list of desserts on a menu to try to pass up, and on and on.


Got fingers?......then keep a daily log of what you are eating and why! Studies have proven that those who keep track of what they eat are the most successful at not only loosing weight, but also keeping the weight off. By writing down what we eat every day, we keep ourselves accountable, and we can SEE in black and white what changes we need to make and what changes we need to keep! And adding the ‘why’ to the ‘what’ helps us to identify and then control mindless eating and emotional eating.

Got a friend?...then get an accountability partner! I told you before that the person in the mirror lies constantly! But your friend will tell you the truth in love.

Got a house that needs cleaned?........then get that broom and mop and get moving! Being active to burn calories and speed up our metabolism is not limited to brisk walking, running, playing tennis, etc. Sweeping, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc can cause the best of us to break out in a sweat and burn off a whole LOT of calories.

Got a meeting/fellowship/party in your home or a potluck to go to?.....then prepare your own healthy dishes!! I tell my family I’ve used a Weight Watchers recipe AFTER they taste it and like it (they always like them) and then they can’t believe I just used a WW recipe! What people don’t know won’t hurt them and when you are cooking healthy it will actually help them. WHAT A CONCEPT! And, with your own healthy dish you have more options and won’t feel deprived at the event and can enjoy yourself and not be preoccupied about what you’re going to eat.

Got a bed?…..then get in it and go to sleep! OUCH.....that hurt! Studies have proven that lack of sleep increases overeating. “Researchers……have found a link between sleep and the hormones that influence our eating behavior……Two specific hormones are involved. Ghrelin is responsible for feelings of hunger. Leptin tells the brain when it’s time to stop. When you’re sleep deprived, your ghrelin levels increase at the same time that your leptin levels decrease….” (The Diet Channel) So, go to bed and get some sleep! OUCH!!!

Got family and friends?…..then enjoy them and stop making social gatherings just about food and make them more about relationships, fellowshipping, and spending valuable time with loved ones. Be creative at social gatherings. Do some activities that will draw you and everyone else away from the food.

Got a mind?….then stop thinking of dieting and think of living….O.K. O.K…I stole that right from Weight Watchers! I admit it, so you don’t have to report me! ‘Stop Dieting. Start living.’ is their current motto. But it’s so true! We cannot spend our entire lives on a diet! Every time you turn around, you’re on a diet! It’s time out for that kind of thinking and living; especially when we all know DIETS DON’T WORK! Dieting does not change our mindset and that is what we need to do if we are going to enjoy a lifestyle of health and wellness and keep these bodies fit!

Got a desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle?..... then with God’s grace and help, let’s do this thing!

Taking the Long Way

Did you know that when God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, He did not take them through the shortest route? “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. ……So, God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea…..” Exodus 13:17a, 18a.

Do you ever feel like eating smaller portions, eating more whole grains, eating more fruits and vegetables, getting regular & consistent exercise, drinking less soda/sugary drinks & more water, eating good carbs, etc. is all a roundabout, long way to a healthy lifestyle? Wouldn’t it be great if we could just follow a particular regimen for a specific length of time and then PRESTO! Immediately we would be the healthy weight that our physician prescribes, WITHOUT changing any habits, and it would last for our entire LIVES! Oops!….that sounds familiar……been there done that, haven’t we?! Quick fix diets don’t produce the desire to eat healthy. Without taking the time necessary to change some poor habits, and acquire some healthy ones we won’t be able to maintain the weight loss that we may achieve. Any of us can lose weight! We all know what to do, and how to do it. But, can we maintain the weight loss? Can we change our mind about certain foods and regimens? Yes we can if we take the time to learn how to make better choices, acquire tastes for healthier foods, and enjoy being active, etc. None of that happens over night! What may seem like the long way to healthy living is the best thing for us because it gives us the time we need to prepare for a lifestyle of healthy choices. That is just what God was doing for the Israelites! He was getting them ready!

“God said, “If the people faced with a battle they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”……Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.” Exodus 13:17b,18b

Fad diets won’t get us READY for a lifestyle of eating healthy. Removing one particular food from our diet for a given period of time won’t enable us to be READY to make healthy choices on a daily basis. Inconsistent exercise regimens won’t get us READY for a lifestyle of consistently being active and loving it! Sometimes it seems like a daily battle/struggle to arrive at and then remain in our promised land of healthy living. Taking short cuts just won’t give us the artillery that we need to win the fight so YES!…let’s take the long way to a life of health and wellness!

We Have Not Because We Ask Not

Why did I wait until a few days before the Marathon to ask for prayer? When I finally sent an E-mail out to folks called, “I’ll pray for you, you pray for me” with a list of prayer requests for the Marathon, the response was overwhelming and overwhelmingly positive! (By the way, one prayer request I gave was that people would pray that the Lord would hide the sun behind the clouds most of the day so that we would have cool weather…and OH MY GOD DID HE DO JUST THAT!!!! We started at 7:25am and the sun did not even make an 'appearance' until around 12:30pm AND EVEN THEN, the Lord wouldn’t allow it to just be 'all out' and make us uncomfortable. The clouds kept covering the sun up as if the sun and the clouds were playing peek-a-boo, AND there was still a cool breeze the entire day!!! LOOK AT GOD!!!!)

But what took me so long to ask for help? Women, who lied to us and told us that we are suppose to have everything together all of the TIME and if we don’t, then we ought to just figure it out because every other woman does have it all together so why shouldn’t we? Who told us that lie? In that E-mail that I sent, my asking people to send me an encouraging word between Noon and 2pm of the Marathon, when I knew it would be the hardest, WAS ONE OF THE BEST IDEAS THE LORD EVER GAVE ME!!! Those encouraging text messages were SO VERY helpful!!! And some people didn’t wait until Noon so I was actually receiving the messages for most of the event!! THANK YOU! It turned out that those text messages were just as much the fuel and energy that I needed as were the energy chews that I chewed throughout the day.

Guess what? You aren’t the only mother who took fast food to her child for lunch because you still needed to go grocery shopping. You aren’t the only mother whose child wasn’t dressed up for picture day because you didn’t even know it was picture day. You are not the only woman that still serves leftovers! Your children are not the only children who have a T.V. dinner every once in a while. You aren’t the only woman who has elderly parents to care for and you are struggling. You aren’t the only wife who could really use a date night with her husband. You aren’t the only woman who needs to learn how to say ‘No’ the next time the folks at church or her child’s school, ask her to volunteer to do something. You are not the only woman who just can't seem to find the right nine-to-five for her.

As we choose to live healthy, let’s choose to ask for help when we need it. We all need help from time to time. And here’s an idea, since we know our girlfriends are usually reluctant to ask for help, just like we are, then let’s start asking more often if there is anything we can do to help. Especially, if we’ve ‘been there done that’ and we have an idea of what the person is not telling us when we say, “How are you doing?” and they say, “Fine”. Also, since this is a two-way street, when someone asks us if we need help, let’s not be too proud to say, ‘Yes….as a matter of fact, I really could use some help.’

Yes, these bodies are our temples, but sometimes if we have some help, we can do a lot better job of taking care of them.

Life Happens

IT'S MARATHON MORNING!!
Morning Devotional? CHECK!
Foot Orthotics? CHECK!
Bib w/participant number? CHECK!
Timer thingy for my shoe?CHECK!
Scriptures to wear on my back?CHECK!
Powerade?CHECK!
Kiss from Hubby?CHECK!
Driving in circles between closed off streets before finally being able to get on the freeway? YIKES! NOT ON THE LIST!
Exit off the freeway CLOSED earlier than they said it would?!YIKES! NOT ON THE LIST!
Parked where I did not plan to park?! YIKES! NOT ON THE LIST!
Slight cramp (not enough to stop me; but just enough to annoy/distract me) in my right calf from the beginning of the day and throughout?YIKES! NOT ON THE LIST!
Arthritic zinger in my right hip at the beginning of the day?YIKES! NOT ON THE LIST!
Having to STOP FOUR TIMES to use port-a-potty!!!!! YIKES! NOT ON THE LIST!
Now, WHERE DID I PARK MY CAR?!! YIKES!! Not on the list!

Sometimes as we move forward to a lifestyle of healthy living LIFE HAPPENS! Sometimes we will have our healthy breakfast planned but then we oversleep and grab whatever is quickest! Sometimes we will have the perfect healthy lunch planned and get to work and discover that lunch is being catered for everyone! Sometimes we will have the perfect dinner planned but little Johnny’s game goes to overtime so it’s fast food here we come! Sometimes we will have our exercise clothes in the car, drive STRAIGHT to the gym after work only to find EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER is there too!! Life happens! Life may happen but we are still in it! We must continue to make healthy choices in spite of an unplanned event that may occur. An unhealthy breakfast does not mean the remainder of the day might as well be made up of poor choices. An unhealthy DAY does not mean the rest of the week might as well be made up of poor choices. An unhealthy WEEK does not mean the rest of the month might as well be made up of poor choices.

I SO WANTED to be finished by a certain time today! I admit; I am really disappointed with that aspect of the day. But! As my performance was developing I did not allow that reality to stop me from pushing, and pumping, and moving as hard as I could throughout the day. WHY? Because I was still in it! We’re still in this thing! And, I was reminded by the back of SOMEONE ELSE’ T-shirt, the race is not given to the swift! Not only was I still in it, but the scriptures on my back were STILL blessing people whether I was going to make it in my desired time or not! Countless people went by me thanking me for the word of God, and I in response encouraged them in the Lord!! Hallelujah! Toward the end, one young man came up to me and said, ‘I almost started to give up until I read you shirt. Thank you!’ Look at God! Another lady said, ‘I was feeling like I might not finish but I read your shirt. Thanks for the inspiration!

So, don’t give in to that curve ball of the day that is thrown your way! Keep moving forward! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!