I like to see immediate results.
The thought of starting a new eating and exercise plan that
would require weeks upon weeks to get to my goal was overwhelming. Eh… “Pass
the brownies! Gimme some of those leftover Christmas cookies while you're at it!” That’s why I talked about
it and thought about it and wished for motivation for quite a while before
actually doing anything about it. I justified my poor food choices and lack of
exercise with thoughts like “I’m not overweight” and “I look ok, I’m thinner
than most other Americans.” The problem was the motivation behind this wish was
purely an appearance-related one. I wanted to look a little better. Fit into
smaller jeans. Who doesn’t want that? Health wasn’t really figured into the
equation. I didn’t stop and think about the internal working systems of my body
and was mainly concerned with the outward appearance. A shallow goal is not one
that will endure the test of time. Or dessert.
So, still thinking superficially, I started to track my
calories and exercise most days. I joined a gym near to my house that is quite
nice. Thinking about small goals, I thought of my journey on a week-by-week
basis. Only weighing in weekly, I found motivation by picturing stepping on
the scale Sunday morning and knowing how good it would feel to see progress. I’ve
done it before, so I knew I could lose easily if I stuck to the plan. Well, 4
days of no-sugar-induced migraine made for a pretty lousy week. (Be thankful
you were not around me in that time! Wow…) I made it through the withdrawal
period though, and lost over a pound that first week. That’s pretty good for my
5’3” frame.
I’m nearly three weeks in now and have lost around 3 pounds,
but I’m sure I’ve gained muscle in this time too, so I’m looking and feeling a
lot better! It dawned on me yesterday that I am not having the 3pm grump slump
every day. You know, that time of day where you need something… Coffee?
Chocolate? Carbs with lots and lots of refined sugars? Anything with caffeine or sugar
RIGHT NOW please or else I may start screaming at my children oh my goodness
someone please help ME the monster is coming out!!! I attribute the junk food
and extra sugar I was eating to this grump slump. So glad it’s gone!
Even though I am getting up at 5am or 5:30am most days to
workout, pushing my body and eating many less calories, I have MORE energy than
before. More patience with my family. Many less mood swings. Less headaches. I
am appreciating food for what it can do for my body and my health instead of
just finding something to shove in my mouth during the 3pm grump slump.
I highly recommend Ken Davis’ book “Fully Alive: A Journey
That Will Change Your Life.” He talks a lot in there about his journey from
obesity to health and the change it has made in his life. It is an easy read
and very inspirational. A main point of his is treating our bodies as God wants
us to treat them- God has given us these bodies and we should take care of them
in order to live our lives as fully as possibly and to accomplish what His
purpose is for us on this earth. How can we live our lives to the glory of God
if we are walking around in bodies that have become weak and lethargic (and in
my case, moody!) from lack of exercise and healthy fuel?
So where does this leave me right now? I’d like to lose 5
more pounds or so, but the number on the scale is not paramount to my success. I
just want to continually seek health. I want it to be my family’s lifestyle and
I want to help other people do the same thing. I’m finding lots of new healthy
recipes and I’m looking into the benefits of juicing (and other ways to trick
my kids into consuming vegetables.) Stay tuned to hear more about that.
The purpose of sharing this is to
give encouragement to any of you reading this who may be in the same place. The
hardest part is getting started and committing to change. It’s worth it though.
Very well worth it.
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