Recently, I wrote a post about 5 steps to help you stay motivated when you find yourself in a rut and dragging your feet. I referenced the ever-popular Nike slogan, “Just Do It.” I casually brought up the fact that I’m not really great at applying this to my life as it relates to exercising, then I quickly moved onto how I apply it to the rest of my life.
Then I started thinking, that’s kind of hypocritical of me to write a post about staying motivated and then not apply it in my own life. I was feeling good about myself because I was applying those 5 steps to all other areas of my life, while all along, I was neglecting the part of my life that involved taking care of my body.
The other day, I came across a 5 Week Challenge that starts on Monday (Sep. 23rd) called “Living and Active”. Hundreds of females have committed to working out at least 4 days a week for 25 minutes a day, as well as memorizing a scripture passage for each week. She also encourages eating healthy, considering the fact that what you put into your body plays a big part in how active you can be throughout the day. I stumbled upon this challenge the day it was announced. In order to qualify for the grand prize package at the end (which is not why I'm motivated to do this challenge, but it’s a nice perk), you have to “check in” via your own blog post or a comment over at peak313.com each Monday. I debated on whether or not I wanted to leave a comment saying, “I’m in!”
A part of me never likes to openly announce that I’m doing any sort of fitness challenge or work out. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve informed someone that I’m doing some great workout and I’m met with the question, “Why?” They don’t ask this question because they are against working out or want to encourage me to pursue laziness, they ask it because they see my small figure and think it’s pointless. Either they assume I’m working out to lose weight or they see that I have hardly an ounce of fat on my body and ponder my motives.
Lest I find myself writing an unplanned, poorly-written soapbox speech about why I’m not a fan of the “you’re so skinny” remarks, I’ll redirect you to a very well- written post, Obsessed With Skinny, written by my friend Paula over at Beauty Through Imperfection. Seriously, go read it. I don’t know that I could have worded it as gently and respectful as Paula did, but I related to every. single. word. she typed out. So if you want to know my feelings on that particular topic, that’s the post to read.
I digress…
I ended up typing my commitment into the comments section. Prior to my decision, I even closed my laptop, climbed into bed and lied there for a few minutes before I got back up, opened up my laptop, found the blog, scrolled down to the bottom and typed “I’m in!”
So what are my motives? Why am I doing this challenge?
1.) I’m out of shape and my muscles are so weak. The only purpose my arms serve right now is to help me stay balanced because they sure aren’t good for anything when it comes to lifting heavy stuff. The Mr. occasionally likes to make his body become dead weight and see if I could drag/lift him if I found myself in a situation where that had to happen. I always brush it off and say “I’m not playing this dumb game.” But seriously…if a situation like that were to happen, am I just going to hope that my adrenaline rush is enough?
2.) The Lord gave me the body I have. He knit me together with great care in my mother’s womb. He knows the number of hairs on my head. If God handled my body with such care, shouldn’t I look after it and keep it in a good and healthy condition? The Lord gave me Little Man and I am constantly making sure he’s eating right, getting enough exercise, not getting burned by the scorching sun, and so on and so forth. If I look after his body with such attentiveness, why wouldn’t I do the same for my own body?
3.) My desire to have a healthier lifestyle (both physically and spiritually) is greater than my desire to stay the where I’m at right now. I also desire to serve the Lord and bring glory to His name. If I'm not eating right, getting enough sleep, staying physically fit, hiding His word in my heart on a regular basis and making time to meet with the Lord on a daily basis, then I'm not really being a good steward of each new day the Lord has given me.
1.) I’m out of shape and my muscles are so weak. The only purpose my arms serve right now is to help me stay balanced because they sure aren’t good for anything when it comes to lifting heavy stuff. The Mr. occasionally likes to make his body become dead weight and see if I could drag/lift him if I found myself in a situation where that had to happen. I always brush it off and say “I’m not playing this dumb game.” But seriously…if a situation like that were to happen, am I just going to hope that my adrenaline rush is enough?
2.) The Lord gave me the body I have. He knit me together with great care in my mother’s womb. He knows the number of hairs on my head. If God handled my body with such care, shouldn’t I look after it and keep it in a good and healthy condition? The Lord gave me Little Man and I am constantly making sure he’s eating right, getting enough exercise, not getting burned by the scorching sun, and so on and so forth. If I look after his body with such attentiveness, why wouldn’t I do the same for my own body?
3.) My desire to have a healthier lifestyle (both physically and spiritually) is greater than my desire to stay the where I’m at right now. I also desire to serve the Lord and bring glory to His name. If I'm not eating right, getting enough sleep, staying physically fit, hiding His word in my heart on a regular basis and making time to meet with the Lord on a daily basis, then I'm not really being a good steward of each new day the Lord has given me.
My workout plan: This is the workout plan I have already started. Since ballet has always been a very important part of my life (and use to be a daily part of my life), I wanted to find ways to incorporate the same exercises into my workout plan. Plus, I love ballet, so it only seems natural to do a workout that I truly enjoy.
My eating plan: I know myself well enough to know that I would not be successful at doing one of those "only real food" eating plans. I can go ahead and tell you, if I find more Dr. Peppers in this country during this 5 week challenge, I'm buying them and I will drink them, guilt-free (in moderation, of course). My "eating plan" goals were greatly influenced by one of my best friends (who's also currently doing her dietetic internship). She wrote a post entitled The Diet Formula and I highly recommend you read it. Here's one of the helpful tips she gave that I try to live by:
"Consume predominately natural foods (foods you’d find in nature) instead of food products that can ONLY be found in a plastic wrap, a package, a can, and in a factory. When grocery shopping, try to stay as close to the natural thing and as far away from the processed version as possible. I say “predominately” and not “only” because I am a believer of moderation, and I think food should be enjoyed. I’m a fan of Oreos, jelly beans, and Sweet Chili Doritos. At the clinic, we call this the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time, try consuming nutrient dense foods that will fuel and build the body, and the other 20% enjoy a cupcake or a coke."
Martha Lee Anne, At The Table
So, here I am, officially announcing my commitment to this challenge and seeking accountability and encouragement from my fellow readers as I strive to stay physically and spiritually healthy. I'm all in!
Look for this photo on my sidebar. When you click it, you'll be redirected to all posts related to this challenge. If you're interested in being a part of this challenge, it's not too late to join in! It officially starts on September 23rd. Go to www.peak313.com to find out more details!
Also, if you're interested in this challenge but don't have anyone to hold you accountable, let me be that person for you :-)
You can always email me:
the.mrs [at] aromaofhim [dot] com
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