It's been a few days.... but here is what I keep coming back to; it's really quite simple! This whole thing about losing weight (106-by-46) is really pretty simple. Make wise choices! Choices that move you closer to your goal, not farther away. Choices about eating healthy and wise. Choices about exercising and moving wisely. Choices about attitudes and wisdom in my approach to things. I have eaten better this week ( a long way to getting it right every choice). I have moved more this week (and been more sore this week). My attitude has been better this week toward the little things and toward the goal. So while it is extremely hard to pay the price for the choices (physically and such) it is really quite simply in making the wise choices. Eat right - Move right - Think right!
As a result in the first real week of making the effort I was down 2.2 pounds. The goal is to lose 3.4 pounds per week on average. So I still have work to do in this second week. The biggest challenge ahead is next week and Turkey Day!! I am getting charged up about making wise choices all next week so that one day does not ruin it for me. With God as my guide and deliverer I will survive!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Today as I was thinking about how easy it really is to slip back into the habits we have developed. The term "comfort food" came to mind as I was being tempted to make poor choices. The term obviously has meant a few different things to people, but is generally accepted as meaning food that takes us away from whatever it is we are facing. As I was reflecting on it today I thought of it in terms of where the "comfort food" takes me.
I was tempted to get a chicken Philly sandwich because it has been one of my favorites over the years. When I was in my early 20's that sandwich was a part of my life in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida with some awesome friends. The best chicken Philly then was at a place called RJ Gators. It wasn't even on the menu, but I was trying even then to cut back on the red meat and I asked if they would make a Philly with chicken instead of beef. Well, they started doing that for me whenever I came in for lunch, dinner, or in between. (we met there a lot) Before long it was on the menu. I am not saying that I am responsible for inventing the chicken Philly... but I was at that restaurant. The reason the sandwich takes me back there, however, is because of my friends. The good thing then is that I was pretty fit and played one sport or another almost every night of the week.
Then I moved to Wilmore, Kentucky where I used to order the chicken Philly at the Asbury cafe. We would meet there to study, have lunch, and sometimes just to hang out. Those were good times as well. The thing about Asbury that made the chicken Philly so good was friends. I was also running three miles a day and working out fives days a week. A chicken Philly in those days was really nothing to worry about.
In Orlando we used to go to Beef O'Bradys and to Froggers to get a chicken Philly. I have great memories of taking Abigail, and then Bekah and Abigial, to Beef's for lunch occasionally. It was great because the waitresses would always take special care of me because I had the girls with me. Good stuff! The better sandwich though was Froggers. So today I went to Froggers because I am back in Orlando. This is where the temptation came in and I will admit freely that I gave in today. It was a great sandwich and it was truly comfort food as it brought all of this stuff to my mind.
So where do you go from here when you are trying to lose 106 pounds by the time you turn 46. Two ideas come to mind:
I was tempted to get a chicken Philly sandwich because it has been one of my favorites over the years. When I was in my early 20's that sandwich was a part of my life in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida with some awesome friends. The best chicken Philly then was at a place called RJ Gators. It wasn't even on the menu, but I was trying even then to cut back on the red meat and I asked if they would make a Philly with chicken instead of beef. Well, they started doing that for me whenever I came in for lunch, dinner, or in between. (we met there a lot) Before long it was on the menu. I am not saying that I am responsible for inventing the chicken Philly... but I was at that restaurant. The reason the sandwich takes me back there, however, is because of my friends. The good thing then is that I was pretty fit and played one sport or another almost every night of the week.
Then I moved to Wilmore, Kentucky where I used to order the chicken Philly at the Asbury cafe. We would meet there to study, have lunch, and sometimes just to hang out. Those were good times as well. The thing about Asbury that made the chicken Philly so good was friends. I was also running three miles a day and working out fives days a week. A chicken Philly in those days was really nothing to worry about.
In Orlando we used to go to Beef O'Bradys and to Froggers to get a chicken Philly. I have great memories of taking Abigail, and then Bekah and Abigial, to Beef's for lunch occasionally. It was great because the waitresses would always take special care of me because I had the girls with me. Good stuff! The better sandwich though was Froggers. So today I went to Froggers because I am back in Orlando. This is where the temptation came in and I will admit freely that I gave in today. It was a great sandwich and it was truly comfort food as it brought all of this stuff to my mind.
So where do you go from here when you are trying to lose 106 pounds by the time you turn 46. Two ideas come to mind:
- Forgive yourself and move on! I could dwell on the fact that I gave in OR I could forgive myself, do a little extra exercise and move on. I think I will choose the forgiveness route.
- Create new healthy "comfort food" associate with new great memories. This will kill two birds with one proverbial stone. So I am looking for some new ideas.
The good thing to note is that I am still on the wagon and a lot of good exercise will overcome a lot of slip ups. I continue to press on in hopes of winning the race.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Today was filled with challenges. The challenge of being out of my routine because of a federal holiday and the office being closed. The challenge of being on the road as I traveled to Orlando for the homecoming of my sister-in-law from the Philippines after two years in the Peace Corps. The challenge of having to eat on the run and not having enough time to exercise (yet). The challenge of celebration foods which were not exactly the most healthy choices. Oh yes, a very challenging day indeed.
So it is late and I am blogging about the experience of today rather than heading to the other room and getting a little bit of exercise in. I will be doing that in a minute, but I needed to get the frustration out of my system. Hopefully, this will be enough to do that and I will be able to move on. So I will leave with a Scripture verse to remind me where my success comes from.....
So it is late and I am blogging about the experience of today rather than heading to the other room and getting a little bit of exercise in. I will be doing that in a minute, but I needed to get the frustration out of my system. Hopefully, this will be enough to do that and I will be able to move on. So I will leave with a Scripture verse to remind me where my success comes from.....
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" Proverbs 16:3
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
As I wake up today it literally has only been two days since I started over. The truly encouraging thing is that, when you are as out of shape as I am, you can really feel the change beginning already. The physical change starts to happen almost immediately because muscles that have been inactive for quite some time are being asked to tighten up again. It really is encouraging and will serve to help me get going today and make the effort.
The hardest part is getting back into the routine. My body remembers what it feels like to work out. My mind remembers all the tricks and discipline it takes to endure. But the schedule tries to get in the way every day. The energy level in the beginning is questionable as well. Exercise takes energy and when you are out of shape you feel very drained after doing the first several weeks of exercise. So I need to remember to keep the energy levels up through vitamin suppliments and the right foods. The energy level will be there if I take care of this area.
So the last thing I am working on for today is getting the nutrition aspect of the plan in place. In the past I have gone immediately to an "eating plan." This time I am going to taper into it. I know what I need to eat and I will work for about a week or so easing myself into a more strict eating plan. I just do not want to do it all at once and overwhelm myself. I have been working toward making healthy choices for about a month now. The problem is when I slip up and have something obviously not healthy, or go to some party and blow the plan completely. By easing into this I can make plans ahead of time to set myself up for success.
So today I am feeling pretty confident. Today I am feeling the early effects of making this lifestyle change. Today I will commit whatever I do to the Lord and my plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3)
The hardest part is getting back into the routine. My body remembers what it feels like to work out. My mind remembers all the tricks and discipline it takes to endure. But the schedule tries to get in the way every day. The energy level in the beginning is questionable as well. Exercise takes energy and when you are out of shape you feel very drained after doing the first several weeks of exercise. So I need to remember to keep the energy levels up through vitamin suppliments and the right foods. The energy level will be there if I take care of this area.
So the last thing I am working on for today is getting the nutrition aspect of the plan in place. In the past I have gone immediately to an "eating plan." This time I am going to taper into it. I know what I need to eat and I will work for about a week or so easing myself into a more strict eating plan. I just do not want to do it all at once and overwhelm myself. I have been working toward making healthy choices for about a month now. The problem is when I slip up and have something obviously not healthy, or go to some party and blow the plan completely. By easing into this I can make plans ahead of time to set myself up for success.
So today I am feeling pretty confident. Today I am feeling the early effects of making this lifestyle change. Today I will commit whatever I do to the Lord and my plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Starting Over
So yesterday I decided to start over, again. I have been concerned about my overall physical health for a while. Now it is time to do something.
I have had several times in my life where I started working toward getting in shape. The first time was to play baseball. I started running and working out in order to try out for the high school baseball team. I got in better shape and made the team, but only got in one game as a pinch hitter (I struck out). Another time I wanted to play on the college team and worked out and made all of the try outs. I found out on the last day of try outs I was going to make the team, but did not have any elligability. The next time I started running with a partner in college and got into the best cardio shape of my life. Unfortunately, when that running partner transferred schools my running days soon came to an end. Most recently I had a friend offer his trainer to work with me and then he worked with me. I wanted to simply be fit and they helped me get into the best shape of my life. However, my work roles and schedule changed and then I moved and those days are gone too.
So why start over now? Well, I currently am in the worst shape of my life. I am heavier than I ever imagined I would be; I am as unfit as I should possibly be; I am as unhappy with my physical health as I ever thought I could be. I was reading a post from a colleague of mine who is losing weight and I decided that needed to be me. There is a slight competitive spirit in me and I read this post and thought, "He is not going to be the only one." So now is the time to start over. Now is the time for me to get things in gear and get dedicated to this cause. Now is the time to start the second half of my life. Now is the time to get into shape and get fit for life (to borrow a phrase). The second half of my life will be one defined first by my faith, second by my family, and now by my fitness level.
So I am going to blog about this as often as possible. I am going to share my thoughts and struggles. I am going to share my celebrations and failures. Along the way I pray that this will be both cathartic for me and helpful to someone else who might read these posts. I intend to be very transparent and honest. I will write some things that may very well be used against me. However, I believe that I will emerge from this experience a better person AND a more fit person. So here are some of my goals:
I have had several times in my life where I started working toward getting in shape. The first time was to play baseball. I started running and working out in order to try out for the high school baseball team. I got in better shape and made the team, but only got in one game as a pinch hitter (I struck out). Another time I wanted to play on the college team and worked out and made all of the try outs. I found out on the last day of try outs I was going to make the team, but did not have any elligability. The next time I started running with a partner in college and got into the best cardio shape of my life. Unfortunately, when that running partner transferred schools my running days soon came to an end. Most recently I had a friend offer his trainer to work with me and then he worked with me. I wanted to simply be fit and they helped me get into the best shape of my life. However, my work roles and schedule changed and then I moved and those days are gone too.
So why start over now? Well, I currently am in the worst shape of my life. I am heavier than I ever imagined I would be; I am as unfit as I should possibly be; I am as unhappy with my physical health as I ever thought I could be. I was reading a post from a colleague of mine who is losing weight and I decided that needed to be me. There is a slight competitive spirit in me and I read this post and thought, "He is not going to be the only one." So now is the time to start over. Now is the time for me to get things in gear and get dedicated to this cause. Now is the time to start the second half of my life. Now is the time to get into shape and get fit for life (to borrow a phrase). The second half of my life will be one defined first by my faith, second by my family, and now by my fitness level.
So I am going to blog about this as often as possible. I am going to share my thoughts and struggles. I am going to share my celebrations and failures. Along the way I pray that this will be both cathartic for me and helpful to someone else who might read these posts. I intend to be very transparent and honest. I will write some things that may very well be used against me. However, I believe that I will emerge from this experience a better person AND a more fit person. So here are some of my goals:
- Lose 106 pounds by my 46th Birthday! [June 29, 2011]
- Be able to run a half marathon by the same date!
- Move my blood work into acceptable ranges for cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, resting heart rate etc.!
- Take my BMI and BFP from the obese range to less than 20%
- Increase my flexibility.
- Try to get off the CPAP and eliminate sleep apnea.
I know one thing is for sure....I can only do this with Christ's help and I must do this for myself. I have tried in the past to accomplish this for other reasons and without Christ's help and every time it did not last. This time it will be done with the power of Christ behind me and for me.
If you are a friend, family member, or complete stranger and you are reading this... I covet your prayers. Let's get on this and get it done.
106by46
Friday, April 2, 2010
Good Friday
After having just attended a Sacrificial Breakfast this morning I am wondering why we use the term Good Friday? The passion of Christ was not something that I would have immediately looked at and called "Good." Yet, as we gathered today and will gather tonight for services to remember the passion and death of Jesus Christ, should we be reminded of the suffering alone? This Good Friday should we be reminded of all that Christ went through on our behalf? Is this what Good Friday is to mean for all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
I believe we can call it Good Friday because we know the end of the story. I believe we can look to the passion, suffering, and death as "Good" because we know how the whole thing worked out. I do not believe that Christ-followers at the cross that day would have called it "Good." The pain and anguish of that day would have precluded them from saying anything of the sort. If the truth were known I would imagine they would not have been able to say much of anything about that day. There would have been crying so heavy that they would not have known what else to do that day. I don't believe that words would have been able to express the depth of emotion the followers of Christ around the cross would have felt.
And yet Sunday was coming! Good Friday is only good in the sense that it represents the height, length, depth, and width of Christ's love for us. Good Friday is only good in the sense that the grave was only temporary. Good Friday is only good in the sense that the shadow that was over all of humanity would be lifted as the stone was rolled away. Good Friday is only good in the light and anticipation of Easter Sunday. Good Friday is only good when we have the assurance that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and we too are sons and daughters of God. We come to this Good Friday with the assurance and the knowledge that we are joint heirs with Christ; the Christ of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
So I can't help but experience the sadness of Good Friday. I can't help but feel the emotion surrounding Christ's suffering and death. I also cannot escape the fact that Sunday is coming. Easter Sunday is coming. Out of life comes death, out of death comes Resurrection, out of resurrection comes new life in Christ Jesus. May I live in the new life of resurrection. May I remember the passion, the suffering, and the death of Jesus that took place on "Good Friday" But may I live in the reality of the resurrected and Risen Lord of Easter Sunday as well. The two must be held in tension because they are very different realities. The two must be realized together in order to create the new reality of Christianity for all who follow Christ.
I pray that this is truly a Good Friday for all who follow Christ!
I believe we can call it Good Friday because we know the end of the story. I believe we can look to the passion, suffering, and death as "Good" because we know how the whole thing worked out. I do not believe that Christ-followers at the cross that day would have called it "Good." The pain and anguish of that day would have precluded them from saying anything of the sort. If the truth were known I would imagine they would not have been able to say much of anything about that day. There would have been crying so heavy that they would not have known what else to do that day. I don't believe that words would have been able to express the depth of emotion the followers of Christ around the cross would have felt.
And yet Sunday was coming! Good Friday is only good in the sense that it represents the height, length, depth, and width of Christ's love for us. Good Friday is only good in the sense that the grave was only temporary. Good Friday is only good in the sense that the shadow that was over all of humanity would be lifted as the stone was rolled away. Good Friday is only good in the light and anticipation of Easter Sunday. Good Friday is only good when we have the assurance that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and we too are sons and daughters of God. We come to this Good Friday with the assurance and the knowledge that we are joint heirs with Christ; the Christ of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
So I can't help but experience the sadness of Good Friday. I can't help but feel the emotion surrounding Christ's suffering and death. I also cannot escape the fact that Sunday is coming. Easter Sunday is coming. Out of life comes death, out of death comes Resurrection, out of resurrection comes new life in Christ Jesus. May I live in the new life of resurrection. May I remember the passion, the suffering, and the death of Jesus that took place on "Good Friday" But may I live in the reality of the resurrected and Risen Lord of Easter Sunday as well. The two must be held in tension because they are very different realities. The two must be realized together in order to create the new reality of Christianity for all who follow Christ.
I pray that this is truly a Good Friday for all who follow Christ!
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