Last week marked the one year anniversary of starting my fitness journey. While I’ve only kept off 10 pounds, that’s better than the past 4 years when I’ve gained 10 pounds a year. I learned a lot about myself. The biggest thing is that I need to be more consistent throughout the year. When I pay attention to diet and exercise I do well. Often I loose weight. We can even eat out and go on vacation. However, as soon as I stop paying attention and let the excuses take over, I’m in trouble.
I also learned that late summer and fall are my worst times for consistency. These are when the days of excuses start to add up into weeks or even months. This is when temptation is worst. In the winter, I am very tempted to be inconsistent because of SAD. However, because I anticipate it, I can cope. I have no good reason in the summer.
I’m excited today. My husband and I had a talk last night. He agrees we both need to start exercising regularly again. He wants to start getting up early to go to the gym. That seems to be best for him. Then he gets me and the kids up when he gets back. I want to start doing the exercise videos again. He also said I could start going to the gym with the kids in the care center again. Even better he said he would watch the kids if I went to water aerobics. I just can’t go Monday’s (our busiest day). That means I can go Wednesday evening and Friday (assuming they have Friday still). Yeah! I’ve really missed going.
We went grocery shopping over the weekend and bought plenty of healthy stuff. Unfortunately, my SAD is beginning to interfere with my motivation. I’m starting to feel very lazy and crave carbs. The past few nights we have had pasta and heavy sauces for dinner because of that. Not a good start.
Getting back into the fitness routine will be easy at first, but the trick is to keep the motivation up. I’ve been reading some of my fitness updates from the spring. I was doing well then despite the SAD. Hopefully, I’ll find something there to help me stay on track again. So far the biggest thing is to “Just Do It!”.
I can find lots of excuses to avoid exercise, I am tired, my husband was out on maintenance late and wants to rest, the kids are doing something distracting, I don’t have enough time. Sound familiar? I found that if I push myself to get started, I will be glad when I finish. If I give into excuses, it makes me frumpy.
Let me list some ways to combat those excuses. First being tired. I’m mostly tired because of the SAD. Exercise is proven to help that. The hardest part is just getting started. As I exercise, I gain enthusiasm to keep going. Exercise gives you energy as long as you don’t overdo it. It helps your body flush out built up toxins which cause the tiredness. It also gives endorphins which help you feel better.
My husband wants to rest and the kids doing something distracting are related. I need to let others around me know exercise is important. I can send the kids outside now that it’s warmed up to zero or they can play in their room. I can shut the sound off so not to disturb his rest.
Finally, I don’t have enough time. I like a full hour. My husband keeps telling me even half an hour is better than nothing. He’s right, it is. I just don’t like to feel rushed even though I have some good 20 minute exercise videos.
So am I going to call my 10 pound loss for the year a failure since I didn’t loose my goal amount? No. Am I frustrated about it? Definitely. Am I going to quit just because the past few months have been rough? No. I am going to acknowledge the setback but keep going. It’s only a failure if I let it get to me and quit. I can loose the weight. I am going to be glad it is a loss rather than a gain even if it’s less than hoped. After all, I’m 10 pounds closer to my ideal weight, therefore that’s 10 pounds less I still have to loose. If it took me at least 4 years to put on the extra weight,why did I expect to realistically loose it all in just 1 and keep it off?
The kitchen is being put back together slowly, but steady. I think there’s a large enough hole in the living room now to exercise. I don’t have time this morning though. Since it’s Wednesday, I’m going to take my husband up on his offer and go to water aerobics tonight.
Now that hopefully, I’m getting back into a routine again, I will post fitness updates more regularly. Hop little rabbit. Hop down the scale again!
Filed under: Health & fitness | Tagged: BeachBody, diet, exercise, Turbo Jam, weight loss | 1 Comment »
OT headcovering
I’ve been sick this weekend. Blah. That gave me time to read and ponder. Among other things, when reading Isaiah, I came to a passage that struck me as a condemnation of a woman’s uncovered head and nudity.
Isaiah 47:2-3
Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks [hair], make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.
So the argument some make that headcovering and modest dress were just something cultural in the New Testament simply isn’t true. There are other places in the Old Testament that headcovering is mentioned. Even back in Genesis 24:65, Rebekka covered her head when she saw Issac. Song of Solomon 5:7 mentions watchmen beating a woman and taking away her veil. No, it started before Corinth and still holds true.
Filed under: Church | Tagged: anabaptist, Bible commentary, headcovering, Mennonite, modesty, plain dress | Leave a comment »