Why Wait?

Today is the new.  Don't wait for a magical day.  It can be unhealthy to wait.  Not only to wait to make healthy choices, but we tend to make the "last" of our unhealthy choices as well.  How much weight will we gain before we begin to lose.

Your journey, my journey needs to be focused on health.  Health cannot be procrastinated.  I can wait to be more attractive or thinner.  I have waited already, what's one more day.  Your body needs you now!

When to eat Big

Never if possible, but it you are going to have a large meal or one that is calorically dense, it is better to have it at lunch.  You have a better chance of using those calories during the day or finding time to schedule some activity to balance your daily calories.

Yesterday I had a big lunch, but ended up balanced for the day...tasty victory.

Its Ok to be Hungry

I have taught my body to force food in.  I now need to teach it to be ok without.  Now I am not going to miss a meal, but I might not snack.  Or I might just allow myself to be hunger for 10 mins before I eat.  The body will need to be retrained.  There is a price to pay, but I am in control.  The uncomfortableness is temporary, health is enduring.

Our Design

I am not going to worry about being perfect. Just improving. I now have short term goals (3 pounds per wk) and objectives. I can monitor my progress toward my long term goals to make adjustments. Here is the key, I don't have to do it alone. I fully believe that God wants me to be healthy (not skinny, but healthy), I believe that the body is a temple and I have trashed what God has made, I believe that if we are supposed to bring glory to God, it doesn't happen with gluttony and slothfulness, but dedication and perserverance and energy...energy needed to do what God would have us do in this life. If in Matthew we are called to spread the word, is the message clouded if food is our idol or lethargy is our escape? If there is spiritual warfare happening on Earth, who wins when we create unhealthy habits?

I don't think that health is the reward, but the design.  Down 1 pound from the weekend.

Accountability and Responsibility

The new Healthly People 2020 lists personal responsibility as one of the major factors in improving health.  Each one of us needs to begin to assume personal responsibility for our choices.  I need to stop blaming a schedule or lack of sleep, money or hosting family or friends.  All of these things definitely challenge new habit formation, but ultimately I get to choose.  What/Who are you going to stop blaming?

I made a commitment to myself that I was struggling to monitor, so I made it more public.  I want to be at 200 by 12/12.  It is the day of finals for one of the colleges I teach at.  I owe the students if I cannot practice, literally what I preach/teach.

I will need to lose 29 pounds, as of this morning.  This gives me 10 weeks to lose 3 pounds per week.  That is a little aggressive, but totally do-able. I could use any positive thoughts and prayers.  They don't need to be public, but support is always welcome.  Here is the plan:

- Use the accountability of Loseit.com
- Stay below 50 gr of fat per day
- find 20 mins of activity per day
- walk 3 miles 3 days per wk
- bicycle 10 miles 1 day per wk
- swim 20 min 1 day per wk
- lift 2 days per week
- flexibility 2 days per week
- start going to group ex classes (1 at least per week)
- get more F/V in the diet, that is a struggle
- take multivitamin / fish oil supplement

Go on the journey with me.  Make your own list.  We can change.  We can succeed.  Others have, why not us?  We have forgotten or lost what we can do and talked ourselves into what we can't! Stop it! The lies need be said no more!  The truth is that we are in control.  We simply must assume it.  Failure only happens when we quit.  So don't fail.