Made to Crave Study, Chapter 9: But Exercise Makes Me Want to Cry

Continuing with the Made to Crave Bible Study hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries, Chapter 8 was probably the most convicting and most helpful so far. I can definitely identify with the sentiment about exercise. I have a hard time knowing when to schedule it, I hate getting sweaty, I hate putting on workout shoes....but I do love that I feel more energetic afterward, and I love seeing the endurance and strength increase over time.

Lysa describes trying to convince herself that the world's standards of being model-thin are too harsh, that God loves us just the way we are, etc., but she knew the major problem was self-control, and I know that about myself as well.

Psalm 86 11-12 say, "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever." Her version says "give me an undivided heart," and she discusses having divided loyalties between the Lord and our own cravings. Boy, did that hit home! It also reminded me of James 1:8 ("A double minded man is unstable in all his ways") and James 4:7-8 ("Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.")

Lysa also brings out the teaching of I Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are God's temple, and connects with a passage in the OT (Haggai 1:2-8) about God's people neglecting  the needed work on His temple while they lined their own with wood. God's prophet warned them to "Consider your ways." God's people neglected taking care of His temple because something else always seemed more important, and we do the same. Like them, we need to consider our ways - reevaluate our schedules and priorities and make time for what God wants us to. They faced consequences for neglecting God's temple, and there are natural consequences for our neglect as well.

Lysa says she has learned to "embrace the benefits" of taking care of her temple "instead of resisting the hardship." I need to make that my motto as well.

Time to clean out the cobwebs around here...

My last "I'm back" apparently didn't last for long. In the 2 1/2 years since I last posted, I did continue exercising for several months until I sustained a pulled muscle in my back, and by the time that healed, I had gotten out of the habit. Then last year I was actually walking 30-40 minutes 4-5 days a week. It didn't have a big impact on my weight, but it definitely helped me feel more energetic. Then I somehow injured my knee, and, same thing, once that healed, I had gotten out of the habit, plus it had gotten too cold to walk outside.

One of my biggest problems with exercise is figuring out a good time to do them. I prefer to do them before my shower, because I get all sweaty. But with the family schedule, that means I'd either need to get up around 5 and exercise and shower before everyone else gets up, or do so right after everyone leaves for the day, and by the time I did all that and had breakfast, it would seem like my morning of getting to other things would be nearly gone. Then, with my mother-in-law's caregiver coming in and out, and no way to close a door to the family room where I exercise with several workout DVD, I just feel really awkward exercising when she's here, especially when she pokes her head in to make a good-natured comment. I just really don't want an audience. These all sound like lame excuses when put into print (one good reason for writing about them, I guess), but they're also the stuff delays and obstacles are made of. I hate to get up at 6:20, much less at 5, but that may be the route to go.

I made an effort a few days to use My Fitness Pal, which has a handy iPhone app with which you can scan bar codes on food items and get the nutritional content and inputted instantly. A great help! Except for figuring out calorie content of casseroles and such. That can still be done, but just is a little more tedious. Another lame excuse, I know.

The only other thing I've done on the weight loss front is that I read Overcoming Overeating by Lisa Morrone (linked to my review) and gleaned several helpful thoughts. I didn't like the emphasis in it that the cause over most overeating is emotional. It may be, but it's not the only factor or even the primary factor for me.

My main problem is that when I am tempted by a certain food, my thoughts are, "It's good and it's not sinful and I want it." I've never seen any weight loss book or program really deal with that aspect of it, and as I was lamenting that again a day or two ago, the Holy Spirit brought to mind "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (I Corinthians 6:12) and "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not" (I Corinthians 10:23).  

Some time ago I had gotten the book Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst when it was free or on sale for the Kindle app, but it sat there with many of my other Kindle purchases for months. Then I saw on my friend Kim's blog that the Proverbs 31 Ministries web site was going to be hosting an online Bible study using Made to Crave, so I decided to participate. I may or may not stay with the online study - I'm not big on perky videos and posts, and all of the posts and emails are causing a sensory overload right now. But it starts today, so I am going to go with it for the first few lessons and see how it goes. Whether I stay with the online study or not, I will read the book. I was thinking of making some notes after each chapter and decided to do so here. So, next post: Chapter 1 of Made to Crave!

I'm back...

I haven't really been doing much related to weight loss in a long while. Well, actually, yes I have: in the past year I had gained 11 lbs., and last year's summer clothes were snug. I "knew" all the reasons I needed to lose weight, but I think I was waiting for some kind of catalyst. This proved to be it. I thought, "This just can NOT continue."

So I started exercising near the beginning of this summer. I outlined my routine more fully in this post from my main blog: barbarah.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/my-experience-with-video-and-gaming-workouts/ But mostly I've been using the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout for the Kinect (thanks to having gaming sons, we have one of those: if not I don't think I'd buy the Kinect and X-Box just to use this game). Now I use it 30-50 minutes 4 days a week and supplement two other days with other workout videos I have. Sunday is a complete day of rest.

I've lost 11.5 lbs. in 12 weeks. Not spectacular, no one else has really noticed yet, but I can feel a difference both in how my clothes fit and how I feel. The first two weeks, I walked around feeling like I'd been beat up or had the flu -- or both. One reason I don't want to miss an exercise session now is that I don't want to lose that momentum, that level of ability that has been so hard won. There are days I exercise through gritted teeth, but I'm usually glad for it when I am done.

I probably should track my food -- it's just so tedious and time consuming I hate to. But I have made small changes in the amount of snacks I allow and in making food choices. I was very surprised the last couple of days when at one meal I didn't want seconds (very unusual for me) and at another I couldn't finish what I had.

So, there's progress, slow but sure. I hope the momentum only increases. Maybe now that I can do more in he way of exercise, that will help burn more calories.


Here's to progress!

Getting reacquainted with the treadmill

Today was the first day I have exercised in ages. I got on the treadmill, thinking I'd try to go about 10-15 minutes. The first five minutes went veerrrry slowly, it seemed, while I struggled to find a comfortable speed. With TM I have a balance problem and my footing isn't great, so I needed to not feel like I was about to keel over. I thought it was going to be a strain to make it 10 minutes, but then I did, so I thought I'd try for 12. Hit that and thought I'd try for 15. I made it to 20 minutes (and about half a mile, so I wasn't going too fast).

I have to hang on the the handrails because of my balance problem, and I can kind of feel the pull across my abdomen.

I definitely feel more awake. I had almost talked myself into a nap but decided to try the treadmill instead.

I think exercising is one of those things I am not going to feel "inspired" to do and I am going to have to "just do it."