Little kids and Ducks...and a Mama who needs to keep moving!

I didn't post yesterday because I realized it made a whole lot more sense to let you know what we actually got done rather than what we were hoping to.  I'm definitely the mother of one of those families whose best laid plans rarely fall in line with reality.  So here is what we did yesterday to feed our souls and move our bodies...

Bible Reading:  Genesis 7-12

Character Focus:  Proverbs 2 (emphasis on faithfulness)

Memory Verse:  Psalms 1: 1-3 (this will be the same all week)

Fitness:  The 3 oldest boys wanted to go to the Y to use the weights and equipment and play basketball.  So the girls, little boys and I dropped them off and headed to the park.  It has some really neat exercise equipment and the kids had a great time using it...

We decided on getting in 3 miles of walking so we left the equipment behind and started our laps around the park.  We let the little guys walk some but then allowed them to retreat to the stroller after awhile.

Ducks were a good excuse to take a breather...

We stayed at the park for nearly 2 hours until it was time to go fetch our big boys.  It was a beautiful (hot) day...pay no attention to the little girl who started out in long sleeves and long pants!...and we all arrived back home feeling good about our efforts and time spent together.

Maybe you don't have a park with cool exercise equipment or a walking path around a pretty setting.  Just figure out what you do have and make good use of it.  Exercise doesn't have to always even look like exercise...just get your body moving.  And take your kids with you when you can!

Family AND Fitness

I've been on and off the fitness wagon, using my kids as an excuse every time I've hopped off.  I simply can't afford to be making excuses.  But I also can't allow fitness to creep in and steal my time with the Lord.  There seems to be only one solution:  get the family involved.

So that is the plan and it starts today.  I'm determined to get back into running and that is something I will occasionally do on my own or with just my oldest son.  But aside from that, I have every intention of getting my family to move...both through the Word  and physical activity.

We are beginning a 6 month Bible reading plan today.  This is faster paced but is an excellent way to familiarize with the books of the Bible to aide in deeper study later.  We are also going to be focusing more on Scripture memorization.

Here is the plan for today:

Bible Reading:  Genesis 1-6

Character Focus in Family Worship:  Faithfulness (we'll be reading a chapter of Proverbs each day and discussing)

Memory Verse:  Psalm 1: 1-3

Fitness Plan:  Run 3 miles (with my 15yo son as my partner)

  Everyone>  {You can google any of the exercises below that you aren't familiar with}

                      30 pushups, divided into sets of 10
                      30 crunches, divided into 2 sets of 15
                      10 burpees
                      1 minute of "booty" kicks
                      1 minute of mountain climbers
                      Evening walk of at least two miles, toddlers to walk/ride
 

Slacker mom saved by husband and teenage son

I have good intentions, really I do.  And I have lots of excuses, too, in case you were wondering.  I want to eat well and drink plenty of water and stay on top of my workouts.  And I want to be able to do all that, even while maintaining that prime slot of time for the Lord each morning.

But the truth is, I am tired.  My body has been through the ringer over the past two years and I am mostly in denial about the fact that this is a slow process.  Most mornings it's a challenge just to get out of bed.  Last week, the doctors ruled out cancer.  That's a big plus the way I see things.  With a treatment plan well under way for what they didn't rule out, it's time to take myself in hand and get healthy again.

First things first.  I'm a Coke addict.  It's the legal kind of Coke, though I'm not sure it should be.  That stuff is pure poison in a pretty red-labeled bottle.

Enter my husband.  He's typically such a nice guy who spoils me rotten and dotes on me like a princess.  So there was absolutely no warning when he went all psycho on me and emptied the house of my Coke stash.  I mean, seriously, I wasn't drinking the stuff.  I hadn't touched it in almost two weeks.  But it brought me such comfort to know it was there if I wanted it.  Like an old friend you don't speak to for months and then you just pick right up where you left off.

Well, apparently that was exactly the kind of friendship my husband was trying to break-up.  I caught him sneaking off the other morning at 4am for his shift at the station with my precious Coke in hand.

"I'm removing temptation for you"  he said.

"I want to support you in this" he said.

I said, "I don't want support.  I want my Coke."  He smiled and walked to his car.

Drat.

So with nearly two weeks of no Coke under my belt, I'm passed the headaches and crazy withdrawal.  And I knew it was time to step up the workouts.  I made a goal to walk 30 minutes 5 days a week in the month of June.  Well, it's not even June yet but...enter my son.

He's passed me in inches, determination and effort.  He puts me to shame pretty much every single day yet I still love him.  Until, that is, he tells me he's going to start running with me and I see that glint in his eye.  Because he's a machine who never seems to tire and who seems to thrive on torturing his legs and lungs.  And mine.

I've been down this road before, running with this maniac.  So when he showed up in my room at dawn this morning, I knew there was nothing to do but lace up my shoes and strap on my smile.  I thought maybe if I smiled he'd be nicer to me.  Wrong.

Anyway, I am back now having survived 3 miles of interval running torture.  Actually, if I'm being perfectly honest, it wasn't that bad.  He let me walk the monster hill that called out threats to me as I began to make my ascent.  I'm smart enough to know when to back down and it seemed wise to proceed with caution so as not to make it (or my poor lungs) angrier.

Three miles in thirty minutes only to arrive home to a still sleeping house.  My drill-sargaent son turned back into his sweet self, and we enjoyed a time of spiritual refreshing as we each met with the Lord from our own couches in the cozy living room.

Not a bad start to the day.  How about you?  What are you up to today?

Finding Time to Exercise When You're Barely Hanging On

A common struggle I hear about {and experience myself, even} is how to squeeze it all in.  How do you make time to grow your relationship with Christ, meet the needs of your family and the demands of keeping a home AND exercise?  Seriously, there are only so many hours in a day and not all of them find you with boundless energy.  The key is to prioritize.  And then take a fresh look at your schedule.

I function best when I rise early and seek the Lord first.  If I hurry past that, my day just seems off and difficult to get back on track.  That is my number one priority and I guard the time carefully.  One of the things I do in my quiet time is to keep a prayer journal.  In it, I record prayer requests for others as well as my own family.  This is a wonderful way to be diligent about intercessory prayer but also "organized" about my own prayer needs.  And you can bet I have plenty of scribblings in there asking for guidance to find balance in my very busy days.  I jot down any ideas He inspires me with for making the best use of my time.

Housework doesn't take a huge part of my day because my children have been trained to pitch in and help.  This frees me to spend more time simply being with my kids.  And it also allows for a bit of flexibility to get some physical activity in.  Some days are filled with yard work, which is both cardiovascular and strengthening.  Other days find us at the park where a few laps add up to several miles of walking.  Throw in that double jogger I push (and some of the hills over there) and I've got myself an excellent workout while enjoying the fresh air and my family.

I think sometimes we get hung up on the idea that we have to be stuck in some room sweating it out in misery.  I have a few workout DVD series that I love (you can find some here) and don't mind sweating away to.  But other times my exercise is simply intentional movement. 

Don't get me wrong, on those days when you can fit in 30 minutes or an hour for a run or a DVD, plan it and DO IT!  But if your days are so packed simply trying to keep your head above water, don't be discouraged out of doing anything at all.  Look for creative ways to squeeze it in.  Challenge the kids to a push-up contest and drop down and pump out as many as you can before they lose interest.  Let your husband know you're pretty sure your abs can take more crunches than his can and see if he doesn't take the bait!

Make a fitness plan and be determined to stick with it.  But on those days when you're ready to wave the white flag of surrender, dare to look at exercise a little differently.  And defy defeat by finding a way to get your heart pumping!

It's a Process...Change Takes Time

Don't beat yourself up if you aren't seeing the changes you had hoped for by now.  You're winning the battle every single day when you strap on those shoes and get moving.  When your life threatens to overwhelm you and all you can find time for are squats in the bathroom while you wait for the shower water to heat up...you are still on the winning side.

Because the battle isn't just about results.  It's about the process.  The person you choose to be as you journey toward your goals.  Are you letting yourself get so caught up in losing weight that you're failing to remember it's really about improved health and vitality?  You can be at your ideal weight and still be sickly.

But most importantly, keep your focus on Christ.  That relationship must always come first!  He is the one who will impart the sustaining power to keep you putting one foot in front of the other, especially on days when it's the last thing you want to do.  He is the one who wages war right alongside you against failing health and excess weight.

Take heart.  Take a chance.  But remember, change takes time!!

5 Quick Workouts (No equipment necessary!)

Tired of doing the same old videos but want to fit a good, heart-pumping workout into a small space of time?  Here are 5 Pinterest inspired plans you can do quickly and without any extra equipment!

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115 pounds later...Mary-Ellen's Journey to Health

I was always the “big girl” growing up. Not really obese, but certainly bigger than I should have been. Out of a family of five kids I was the only one who wasnʼt physically fit. It was after I got married that I really put on a lot of weight. I basically ate whatever I wanted to and did very little physical activity. Three kids and several years later I found myself weighing 278 pounds.

I knew that this was not what God intended for me and that I needed to do something about it. I watched “The Biggest Loser” on TV and came to the realization that these were people just like me. Maybe if they could do it, possibly, just maybe I could do it too.

I had bought a couple of “Biggest Loser the Workout” DVDʼs before with good intentions, but I never followed through. In May of 2011 I decided that this time I wasnʼt going to fail. Enough was enough! I wanted to be able to do things with my kids and more importantly to be a good example to them. I wanted to be a godly example, but I wasnʼt taking care of my “temple”.

And so it began. I used things I learned from “The Biggest Loser” and from the internet and began my journey. It wasnʼt easy. I made the decision right from the beginning that I wasnʼt going to “go on a diet”. I was going to change my lifestyle and the relationship I had with food. I started a food journal and wrote down everything that I ate and calculated the calories that I took in each day.
What an eye opener that was. I set a daily calorie goal and tried my best not to go over.  Sometimes I failed. More often I found that I could actually do this. I did a workout every day.

Was it hard? Yes. Did it hurt? Yes. Sometimes I wanted to give up.  Sometimes I didnʼt want to do one more squat or lunge. But getting on that scale every morning kept me motivated. It sounds so obvious, but when I ate right and really pushed in my workout the weight came off. Amazing. I was really doing it.

In the winter of 2012 I decided to try something that I never imagined I would ever do. I dusted off the treadmill that I had bought with good intentions a few years earlier and started running....well jogging....very slowly. But it was a start and was just what I needed and the pounds kept coming off. I started running 3 times a week and then I added some P90X to my routine and every once in a while Iʼll get brave enough to do some Insanity (itʼs called that for a reason :) ).

 Iʼve lost 115 pounds. Iʼm not skinny, but Iʼm healthy. I feel so much better about myself. What Iʼve learned is that it doesnʼt take some amazing person with super willpower to lose weight. It just takes a one day at a time commitment and a good amount of prayer doesnʼt hurt either. I know
itʼs cliche, but itʼs true...If I can do it anyone can do it.

Feel free to leave a word of encouragement or a bit of your own experience in the comments!  

If you have a story you'd like to share, please send me an email at walkingredeemed@ gmail.com.  It doesn't have to be a dramatic weight loss to be inspiring.  Reclaiming our health will look different for each of us!

Dusting off the old treadmill!

I think if a poll were taken, the treadmill would likely be the most common piece of gym equipment found in homes today.  But, sadly, so many of them sit unused.  True, walking in place for any length of time is not exceptionally thrilling.  And running on the unforgiving surface of one can be extremely hard on the hips and joints.  But there are ways to spice up your treadmill workout to give you the calorie burn you’re after without the burnout!

• Grab some hand weights and walk with an exaggerated arm pump.  This way you are working the legs, which are a large muscle group and really get the heart rate elevated, but you also sneak in an arm workout!  Once you’ve got a rhythm going, you can start alternating in some curls to hit your biceps.

• Go Anaerobic.  You can squeeze in some interval training, giving yourself small goals that make the time go faster.  Walk with your hand weights {or without them but at an incline} and alternate 90 seconds of walking with 30 seconds to a minute of running.  (When you are at a run, you can put your weights down.)  This way you are giving yourself a chance to recover from the faster pace but still working as you let your heart rate come down some before the next burst.  You’ll get a huge calorie burn anytime you work anaerobically.

• Hook up to iFit.com.  Many newer treadmills are compatible with iFit, allowing you to follow popular trails and routes without ever leaving your home.  This sure beats mindlessly walking or running in place!

• Use an app on your smart phone or ipod that maps out a "trail" for you.  You can even find a 
couch-to-5K plan that will give voice prompts as you make your way through the course.

• Put on some music that inspires you and run/walk to it.  You can walk the verses and then pick up your pace for the chorus.  You’ll be surprised at just how quickly the length of a song (or a bunch of songs) passes this way!  This is one of my favorite treadmill workouts!!

I'm putting together a post with non-traditional ways to utilize your treadmill.  This under-appriated piece of home-fitness equipment has MANY functions beyond simply running or walking on it.  Stay tuned!

What are your favorite ways to use the treadmill?

Linked up with Deep Roots at Home

The Launch

Official Launch: April 1, 2013

 

You may or may not know me from over at Walking Redeemed, but allow me to introduce myself a bit just in case.  My name is Kasey and I am a wife and mother of 7 children, ranging in age from 15 down to 21 month old twin boys.  Like most of you, my body has endured change and "torture" from partnering with Him to bring these precious souls into the world.  The truth is, I'm not what I once was.  In a way, I don't mind.  I wouldn't trade one of my awesome kids for that pre-baby body I totally took for granted! :)  But at the same time, I know I'm not where I could be physically and definitely not where I want to be.

I wanted a place where I could find a like-minded community of women, seeking after the same things I am--vibrant health, improved physical fitness, a more tightened and toned body but without letting it take over my life.  Christ needs to stay central, not how many calories I'm burning!

You've met them before...those people who are into health and fitness that never speak of anything else.  They talk about the amazing workout they just conquered, how much weight they are lifting now, the green smoothies they are loving and those new jeans they just bought in a size 4.  There needs to be balance, girls!

This blog will be a source of fitness ideas and health discovery, balanced with spiritual well-being.  I'll share fitness challenges and invite you to join in.   I'll post my favorite plans for resetting and rebooting your health.  And I'll encourage you to tweak them to make 'em your own!

I've created a Facebook page where you can post your daily devotion, workout, heath and fitness goals...but where you will also find accountability from others doing the same.  There is no reason to go at this alone or to get lost in the shuffle of those mega websites.  We can do this thing together!  Note:  We're just getting underway...hang tight while I get things going!

Check out these pages to learn the ropes!

If you're ready to take the plunge and you're diving in without reserve, go ahead and grab the button below.  You can put it on your website, blog, Facebook page...wherever!  It's all yours!

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