Why Is Being Disciplined So Hard?

April 9, 2012 by 38 Comments

I come from a family of thin people – Mom, Dad, and both of my sisters all seem to have this ability to eat everything in moderation…then there’s me – the baby of the family!  I do nothing in moderation lol!  Since I was little, I was the one who couldn’t squeeze into my sister’s hand-me downs and when I’d eat out of a potato chip bag they’d say “mom stooooop her.” lol!!! Cause there was no way I was stopping myself! (Now I know that you are looking at the picture above and thinking that I look just fine…but look who I tend to compare myself to – my two Godly and dearly loved… skinnie minnie sisters lol!)

Let’s just say – I’m the curvy sister and on Easter I was the only one wearing a Spanx (it’s an under garment that is a tummy tightening, thigh trimming, bottom boosting, super slimmer) and I was thankful for the help in my fitted dress.

For those that have followed me for a while, you know I’ve written about this before…a few times lol!  So it’s clearly a sticking point – a running theme – some brain clutter that exists in my life.

I heard Beth Moore talk about weight loss once and she said: “there are two extremes with weight loss: on one end there is neglect and on the other end is obsession – and in the middle there is balance.”

That’s where we want to be – balanced!

If I neglect exercise and eating my fruits and veggies I will not be healthy and able to serve God to my fullest abilities but if I obsess over every bite – my focus is off of Jesus and onto myself and I am not able to serve God to my fullest abilities.

One thing I know is I cannot be free as a size 2 because I have to obsess over every bite to get there. I also cannot be free if I neglect exercise and eating healthy – because here in 2012 I feel like…a blob lol!

I have to find the place where I am free…and it is not a number on the scale or a certain dress size…it’s when I am eating right, and getting proper rest and exercise.

I have been read all of the link-ups and comments from yesterday’s post.  Your input has been amazing!  One woman wrote about her tracking food and said her rule of thumb is “if you bite it your write it.”  Another said – her goal is to work out 5 minutes a day!  She said she knows if she gets started with 5 minutes that she’ll keep going for 30 – isn’t that so true?  I love that!

Last summer, I was invited to be a part of the ReShaping It All book club.  I made this video below for their site but it goes perfectly with today’s topic!

(if you cannot see the video click here)

Matthew 24:41 says: The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Day 1 of the Challenge is over and now it’s day 2.  It is going to take a daily and sometimes hourly denial of the flesh to live a disciplined life.  As Beth Moore said – we must not neglect these areas but we also must not obssess over them.  We must seek to overcome them so we are free to focus on God and his will for our lives.

If you have not committed to this challenge yet but would like to – click on the button below and leave a comment on this post (you will find a free printable there for you also):

Walk with the King,

Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Self-Discipline

Healthy Living & WLWW Link-Up Party!

January 3, 2012 by 22 Comments

Something that TERRIBLY frustrated me in 2011 was how blogging, homeschooling and keeping my home completely took over ALL of my healthy habits.  Running on the treadmill and eating right were a huge struggle last year.  In previous years, I’ve consistently exercised and I’ve remained on track with the help of my real-life friend Clare – but last year – I was very random. I dropped out of Clare’s class, I randomly exercised, randomly participated in Weight Watchers, randomly did “The Shred” workouts, and randomly over ate! 

I’d say stress is to blame for my inconsistencies…and that stress has also led to me being a less than Gentle Mommy.  So as I work on the Gentle Mommy Challenge and my Ephesians study…I am going to be chiming into Clare’s Free Accountability 31.3 forum.  This is Clare:

This is me with Clare :) at a Girls Night Out!

 

Clare writes:

• 31 days

• 3 commitments

• Jumpstart your year

Want to know the 3 commitments? Glad you asked!

1.) Eat Clean

I’m sure you’ve heard of this before. It’s a term used often yet is defined differently from person to person! Eating clean eliminates foods that are highly processed, complex and comprised of many ingredients. Think FRESH, SIMPLE and NUTRIENT-RICH.

2.) Move More

Sounds simple, right? This will look totally different for each of you. Some of you do nothing. Some of you are hit or miss each week. Others are pretty consistent. I want you to move more these 31 days and move more, consistently.

3.) Renew Daily

There’s no doubt in my mind that our physical lives are connected with our spiritual lives. Many of you who have been struggling with weight loss, self esteem, or depression are missing an important connection—the body and spirit. Our bodies will die. In the long scheme of things, these 31 days are just a blink in light of eternity. Our spiritual lives are going on forever and we can’t forget about this. I believe you’ll find better results and more fulfillment if you keep this in line. Renewing ourselves both mentally and physically is essential to success!

♥♥♥

For all the details – Click here.

Also don’t miss this - click this link to the 2 page free printable here. I love the memory verse with it!

(Below is a sample of page 1! Click the link above for 2 page pdf!)

Now it’s link-up time! It’s Women Living Well’s Wednesday Link-Up Party!!! Join the fun, do a little blog hopping and don’t forget if you join below -please add the Women Living Well Wednesdays button to your post so your readers can find us here! (Posts can include the topics of marriage, parenting, homemaking, finances, recipes, organization and more!)


To find the code go to the sidebar – or right click and “save as” the button and then upload it into your post! :)

Walk with the King!

Filed Under: Healthy Living, Women Living Well Wednesdays

Media and Our Health

August 14, 2011 by 14 Comments

Let me be honest…either I’m getting old and my metabolism hit the brakes this year or blogging is causing turbo weight gain!!!  Here’s the deal – I started blogging 3 years ago and in those 3 years of blogging I have put on 20 pounds!  I can only conclude that blogging is not physically healthy – nor is hanging out on Facebook and twitter all evening long!

Years back I shared my struggles with my weight.  Some of you may look at my pictures and videos and think I have a screw loose for worrying about my weight…but I come from a family of thin people and I am the only one who ever seems to have trouble with her weight!!   So 3 weeks ago Janelle from Comfy in The Kitchen,  invited me to join Weight Watchers On-line with her.  I entered in my height and weight – and indeed even Weight Watchers told me – I was one pound from being considered over weight!  I’m not trying to be as thin as my sisters – I’d have to lose over 30 pounds to do that…and I understand that I was not created to be like them – I am me.  BUT I would like to fit in my clothes in my closet and stop the weight gain before it does become a real problem health wise.

 So I turned to my real life friend and now blogger – Clare from Peak 313 Fitness and asked her to write on the topic of Media and Our Health (and you must check out her new “Deskie Workout!”).  Clare writes:

Is media affecting our health? The answer is a resounding YES!!!  Adults and children spend over 70% of their waking day at a desk, in a car, on the computer etc. We sit down to read our emails. We sit down to browse the web. We sit down to write our blogs.There is even a new science of “sedentary behavior” or “inactivity physiology”. There are people who actually study this for a living!

Here are some common ways media is affecting our health:

1.) Lower Back/Neck/Wrist Pain: Whether it’s an uncomfortable office chair, a computer monitor that’s at the wrong height, or hours of punching in numbers at the computer, we are BOUND to get pain while sitting at a desk. I know many people who have had to get intense therapy for the damage sitting has done for them. Carpel tunnel was a syndrome none of us spoke of 15 years ago and now we have people getting surgery to correct it all the time. Our posture gets worse as the day wears on and all that takes it’s toll on our joints.

2.) Exhaustion: If there’s one thing I’ve learned since blogging it’s that it’s HARD to shut down at night. I’m always looking at “just one more thing.” Experts say that we should shut down all media ONE HOUR before we hit the sack. That gives our body enough downtime to prepare for rest. So whether you’re hopped up on some blog you just read or just hitting the sack 2 hours later than you planned, we are not getting enough sleep.

3.) Weight Gain: We’re sitting. We’re eating. We’re drinking. We’re skipping our workout. And we wonder why last year’s jeans are too tight. One of my favorite sayings is “Objects in motion stay in motion. ” Unfortunately, there’s nothing “motion” about sitting in front of a computer or tv and we end up seated for longer than we plan.

4.) Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) This is the scariest one of all yet the one that no one probably thinks about. Studies show that people who sit for more than six hours a day are 18% to 37% more likely to die of diabetes, heart disease, or other causes than those who sit for less than three hours a day. Let me give you a little science into this.

We have an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in cells that line our capillaries. This enzyme is important because it grabs fats out of the bloodstream and moves them to the muscles or to fat cells for storage and fuel. After just a few hours of not standing, LPL basically turns off. With LPL suppressed by sitting, harmful triglycerides (fats) build up in our bloodstream, and good HDL cholesterol levels drop (HDL-C is the “clean up” crew for your body). This all elevates your risk for cardiovascular disease.

These 4 areas still affects the person who gets their daily exercise in and those who are of normal weight, so NO ONE is exempt.

♥♥♥

Here are some practical ways to seamlessly make changes to your health:

1.) Set a timer. Every 20 -30 minutes get up and walk to the restroom. Stand up. Stretch. A timer is also handy in keeping you aware that you need to shut down for the night. :)

2.) Stretch. Roll your head forward and side to side. Reach your hands behind you and above you. Stand up and reach down to your toes. Circle your wrists and ankles one way and then the other. Keep the body loose and moving as much as you can.

3.) Small steps. When possible, stand during a phone call. Stand while at the computer. Dance a little jig. Get up at commercials. Everything counts!

4.) This workout. I have created 2 workouts with you in mind! This should not replace your usual routine. Even if you can only do bits and pieces of these in small segments, something is better than nothing. Do the routine all in one sitting or set a timer and do a few exercises here and there. Click here to see my NEW Deskie Workout I’ve created(these pictures were taken at Courtney’s house)!

One final thing. There is a difference between fidgeting and standing up. Fidgeting (which yes you can do while sitting) will help a little with your waistline and calories burned, however, in order to help fight against CVD, we must stand up (and move if possible)!

**********************************************

Thank you Clare for your insight!  I always love having Clare into my home to teach me new fitness tricks :) !   Let’s take care of our bodies-  our temples – so we can serve our mighty God with vigor and strength. 

Now it’s your turn!  Tell me – how has media affected your health?

1. If you are a blogger and you have decided to join this series by blogging each week, please place the Media Mondays button somewhere on your blog so your readers can find us here and then link-up below. (if for some reason the code is not working for you – please – right click – save as – the Media Mondays button and link it to this post)

2.If you are not a blogger, join the discussion in the comment section! I look foward to hearing your thoughts.

3. If you use Facebook or Twitter, I want to encourage you to copy and paste this link from the browser on your status update and ask your friends to join the discussion.

Walk with the King!

 

Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Media Mondays, Social Media, Technology, Workout Plans

Discipline is Key!

May 10, 2011 by 4 Comments

I am being featured over on Reshaping It All today!!! 

Here’s how it begins:

In Chapter 3 of Reshaping It All, it says “I’ll hang onto the back of your bike for a while, but soon you’ll be riding alone. There is a place of freedom, when the trying just becomes living. It becomes smooth sailing from that moment on, when you finally have wings to soar.”

For me, this is what “65 Days to Reshaping It All” is all about. I feel like this website is holding the back of my bike while I practice doing the right things. And when the 65 days are up–I am praying that we all soar! That our trying will become living!

Walk with the King!

Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Healthy Living
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