Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts

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?


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!!




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!


Finding Your Beautiful...and a Trim Healthy Mama Giveaway


This modern age has us racing through life in the fast lane.  Drive-thru convenience food makes serving dinner a snap!  We can fill our stomachs, clog our arteries, widen our backsides and add to that muffin top--all without getting out of the car.  And when our bodies finally crumble under the onslaught of grease, fat and calories and we need a prescription filled to get us back on our feet, there is even a drive-up window for that.  No need for taking more steps than absolutely necessary in a world that seems determined to kill us by both diet and inactivity.

But what happens when you want to take a stand against this deadly lifestyle and you start to implement change that seems drastic or fanatical to others?  You hear things like:
"Oh, I could never do that!  I like my soda too much!" 
"What's the fun in living if you can't even eat the things you enjoy?"
"I don't have time to exercise.  I'm lucky just to get through the day doing what I have to do."  
"My husband loves me just the way I am and that's all that matters!"

It's easy to lose steam and motivation when there are naysayers at every turn.  But don't let them sway you!  It is 100% Biblical to be in your best possible physical health!  God created all things beautiful and that includes you. Taking care of yourself is a key aspect of the Christian life.  Period!

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. {1 Corinthians 3:16-17}

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. {3 John 1:2}

It isn't prideful to want to shed that extra weight.  It's not vanity to want to lose the pallor that poor health casts over your complexion.  And it isn't conceit that makes you want to catch your husband's eye again.  It's God's design.  Why are we so determined to make excuses or find a way around it?

You don't need any special equipment to exercise.  Tie on your tennis shoes and go for a stroll around your neighborhood.  Drop to the floor and do a few crunches, challenging yourself to add a few more each day.  Pump out push-ups one at a time until you can do 20.  And then 30 , 40 or 50!  Set small goals for yourself and go after them!!!!  Do not be defeated!

Of course, it's pretty silly to intentionally exercise if you're going to be stuffing yourself with poison disguised as food.  Proper diet and physical activity must go hand in hand.  Throw out the ugly notion that the word "diet" is a cruel torture to be endured for a small space of time to achieve a short term goal.  All lies!   

Diet is simply the food and drink that a person consumes. 

It doesn't have to be torture.  In fact, it shouldn't be torture.   It can be delicious, satisfying and fun.  And it should be!
 



This week I want to give you the opportunity to win a FREE copy of one of the HOTTEST books to hit the shelves lately...Trim Healthy Mama!  This book is stuffed full of winning recipes that will leave you wondering where exactly you are having to sacrifice in order to clean up your diet!!  You can read the review that Jacinda from Growing Home recently posted here.  She has had fabulous success getting whipped back into pre-baby shape as the result of implementing many of these recipes for her family.  They were designed to be user friendly, cost-efficient and extremely tasty!

Don't waste another minute wondering if you're cut out for a healthier life.  Or trying to figure out if you have time for it.  You are.  You do.  YOU CAN!!

{You can find the THM website here...there are product resources, various forms of the book, support forums and more!!}


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

Redeemed Health and Fitness
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