whatever

i have been wanting to share my workouts and health stuff i have been doing this summer.
but at the same time… feeling nervous to share.
because who am i to talk about health and diet?
what do i really know?

but it was put on my heart this morning during my run that it was time to talk.

because everyone has to start somewhere when it comes to getting healthy.
you may be super tiny & fit and run 20 miles a week and if that is you… you won’t get much from this post.

but chances are… many of you are not and you wish you were.
wishing you were stronger.
wishing you were lighter.  
wishing you had more energy.  
wishing for control over what you eat.

i am just going to share some of what i have been thinking about and doing for me & you can take it or leave it.

and that goes for anything i have ever said on this blog.
i am not your boss.

🙂

OK… back in april when i ran the half marathon… it was really great.
i mean yes i got super sick right afterrds, spending a lot of time in the bathroom.
BUT it was still an truly awesome experience!
i felt so empowered that i really did that.
i really finished!
but then i saw all the pictures & i couldn’t get over that the person i saw in the photos did not match how i felt.
it really bugged me.
i trained and trained for that dang half marathon and i gained weight!
it was not muscle.
don’t give me the old “muscle weighs more than fat” response.
i know that statement is true but this wasn’t case here.

i was eating whatever the heck i wanted…. and running.
so it wasn’t doing anything as far as getting lighter.

and that sucks!
because that was really hard training for that.

i didn’t feel strong physically.
and i felt unable to make any good food choices…. just so stuck in my habits.

then i saw how Rachel was working so hard on her health.
WOW!! i was inspired.
i was following along and wondering what was she doing that was working so well.
#1 she was eating VERY well  and #2 she was working with her brother Jonathon who is a personal trainer.

so i emailed him.
🙂
and we have worked together all summer via email.

he has told me what kinds of foods i should be eating and how often and how much, etc.
and then how to workout.
and guess what?
it has been working!!
i have lost 10 pounds since May.
it’s not a huge amount but it’s not nothin’ either… it’s a clothing size for sure.

i have really enjoyed the accountability of having the emails with him and discussing what to change.
i needed that to keep going.
he has been a great help to me!  Super encouraging.  Easy to talk with.
but there is no secret magic thing in what he told me.
you already KNOW what he told me…. EAT RIGHT and EXERCISE.
but seriously i had no idea what to eat before.
i just ate anything.

bottom line:  there is no magic… you have to decide if you want it or not.

then when you decide you do want that healthier body then YOU do the work.
and it is HARD!
no one else can do it for you.
you are the only one.

Rachel said something that stuck with me all summer.
she said that getting healthy & staying healthy had become a “Non-Negotiable” to her now.
things that are important to us will be non-negotiables.
if we want a strong marriage we have to fight hard for it.
if we want to have kids that aren’t complete brats… we have to do the hard work of parenting well.

anything worth keeping requires HARD work.
so getting healthy…. is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

God gives us one body.
and i want to take care of mine that best i can.

believe me… i fail often.
i eat the cupcake (and then a few more later)
but i am doing that much much less than i used to.
i am still fighting to knock out that voice calling me to sweets practically all the time.
i feel a slave to sugar some days.

(this is the longest post ever)

SO… i have been working at making the healthy choices all day long.

the first thing to change was to be drinking a ton of water.
A GALLON of water every day.
not kidding.

that is a lot of water!
i have stuck with that all summer long.
at least 5 of those big giant water cups a day.

so that is my BiGGEST tip for you this week.

drink water… a LOT of water.
there is no room for soda and pop if you have to drink a gallon of water a day.

i thought that since i didn’t know how to eat prepare healthy foods… maybe some of you don’t either?

so as often as i can i am going to share a new recipe i find and try.
my favorite snacks & drinks too.

this is my first snack tip…

of course this isn’t practical to buy all the time. ($$ it’s cheaper than a fast food meal though!)
but i am a busy lady and a somewhat poor planner at times.
so this snack tray of veggies at my Dillon’s stores is a great way to eat my veggies without having planned ahead.
and a fat free dressing would be preferred but it’s not an option so i just don’t eat much of the dip.
just a little.
but hey…. before this health kick… i had never bought a veggie tray unless i was having a party.

and now i eat a whole veggie tray for a snack!
(and it fits exactly in the console of my Suburban so obviously it was meant to be)

and last tip for the week…
get moving.
ANYTHING is better than nothing.
go for a walk.  or a jog.  or do both.
go for a bike ride.
run up and down your stairs.
alone or with friends… or your kids.
don’t be so hard on yourself.
it is O K to not run fast…. it is O K to take your time…. but just get out there.
who cares who sees you!  Go GO Go!

and if you can….

listen to a good sermon while you are out moving around.

today i listened to North Point Ministries message called Follow: Fearless.  (#19)
i thought it was great.
i was crying… God is so cool.  He has such awesome plans for us.  He knows everything about us.
it was such a great run because of what i was listening to!

i am going to try to challenge myself to find great sermons to share with you often!
(feel free to share great speakers in the comments)

SO…. sorry that took so long.
see why i haven’t written it out?
i really don’t feel qualified to be giving health advice…. but we all have to start somewhere.

taking care of ourselves is a NON-NEGOTIABLE.

“God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:20 (The Message)

what do you think?
what do you struggle with the most?
what do you want to change?