Living it Up

I love summer vacation. It is one thing I can wholeheartedly say I love about being a teacher. Even though we only get one month in the charter school world, I must say that I am enjoying the self guided pace of each day. I love being able to do things that I don't regularly get to do often with my 7AM-5PM work schedule most days...I know I know I cringe just writing that.

This week I challenged myself to start running. My treadmill is currently out of commission so I needed to find another cardio alternative for a few weeks. I have actually tried to start running for months. I even went out to run on Monday only to have to turn around after only one lap because of the rain (aka the monsoon) that took over after I finally willed myself to lace up my running shoes and hit the ground running. I was starting to think that even Jesus didn't want me to run but I have made it to Thursday running a little more each day. It is actually is not as bad as I thought it would be. I can't say that I love it though.

I have been on a journey for a little over a year to lose my baby weight and then some. I feel like I have had a weight struggle since college. Gain--lose--gain--lose--get pregnant---flat line. So far this time around I have lost 60lbs. "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise, again" ~Proverbs 24:16a. Most of the time though, I feel like this:



However yesterday, I was really inspired by this older woman on my block who was also working out while I was running. She was walking back and forth on a hilly corner on our block. It didn't look like she was doing much but, lap after lap I saw her still there walking. This reminded me that every little bit counts. Even if I have a not so great eating day, I will never be where I was as long as I remain active. At least now I am making sure I work out after the cake right?? I will always be addicted to sweets--I mean my roots are from the south and I am a pretty decent baker so can you blame me??. But, if I can just stick to my 80/20 rule (eating good 80% of the time and 20% of the time enjoying myself...although for the summer this is more like 70/30) I know I will be fine. I have made a lifestyle change.

 

 

I am committed to exercising and remaining active. I even got a nifty little band called the Up band by Jawbone to help me track my steps so I have something to measure how active I am even if I can't necessarily get a work out in--which I know will be tough for me in the fall with being a wife, a mommy, working woman, teen mentor at church, and going back to school...what in the heck am I getting myself into?!??. But I am only 22lbs away from my first big weight loss goal (that would make a whooping 82lbs of weight loss post-baby). I know I can do this. All my friends are losing weight and love Jesus so I know I can too. One of my good friends lost over 100lbs so I know that real woman are loosing weight in healthy ways without depriving themselves. I am ready to live it up and I can only do that by living an active lifestyle. I probably won't run much once my treadmill is fixed but I am glad that I tried it out and know that I can do it.

 

In the book One Minute with God for Women (this is currently my favorite devotional can't you tell), Hope Lyda says "deliberate living gives you divine awareness". I want to live it up for a long time so I am going to deliberately make my health a priority. I have been blessed to not have any health problems related to being overweight and I plan to keep it that way by working hard to not be over weight. Being healthy has definitely helped me to see things clearer too.

 

What are some goals you have for yourself as we finish out this year? How are you working through the struggles along the way? I'd love to hear. No matter how many times we may fall, there is always an opportunity to rise again.