Get Fit Friday

This Week's Goal: Determine 5 ways to measure progress for the next 12 weeks and make a plan to improve those things in that time. Make a plan to work the processed foods out of my diet and be eating clean in 12 weeks. 

Did I meet it? yes
60 second squat: 30 lbs 30 reps
60 second lunges: 30 lbs 18 reps
60 second push up: 4
Wall Sit: 1:20
Plank: 1:05
Mile: 13:01
Diastasis Recti: 3

1 rep max:
Leg Press: 250 lbs
Chest Press: 70 lbs
Compound Row: 105 lbs
Lat Pull-down: 110 lbs

I'll measure these again the first week of November. I'll record my basic workouts over the next few weeks.

The only way I know to get the processed foods out of my diet is to do it. My friend Laura says "The only way to slay the sugar dragon is to starve it." In other words... the only way to curb sugar cravings is to stop eating sugar. While I would love to say I am going to do this cold turkey, I have not sold myself on it yet. There are people i my life who have such control that they can do whatever they decide to do. I want to be able to just stop eating sugar. Is that possible????

Biggest Accomplishment: getting in the gym 5 times without the "requirement" set by PLS training. Deciding for myself what I want to improve over the next 12 weeks and formulating a plan to do it.

I'm feeling... pretty peaceful overall. I feel growth in several areas and growth is a bit uncomfortable, but all in all, it's good.

Next week's Goal: 3 MORNINGS in the gym; 60 oz water daily

It's Important to me because: I can't seem to be consistent with my water intake and I KNOW I will feel better if I am properly hydrated. Morning workouts feel good. It gets me up and going.

What I need to succeed: Stop looking for results. Just follow the plan.

Thursday's Thoughts on... measuring success

If you've been reading my ramblings lately, you know that I just finished 12 weeks of exercise "training". Last week I mentioned the following...

"I'm not sure I have ever been part of another group where not one person thought that they would benefit from someone else's failure nor would they suffer from someone else's success. It was refreshing."

I've been rolling this thought around in my head for a week now.

It was understood and expected that some of us were weaker than others. It was OBVIOUS  -some run a mile in less that 7 minutes while others run it in 15. Those who were slower were not criticized or condemned or judged... it was understood that they just were not as physically fit as others...not yet anyway. Everyone wanted everyone else to do their best. We all wanted everyone to succeed.

I ran my final mile in 13 minutes. The fact that others ran a mile in half that time in NO way took away from my success or from the JOY I felt in taking 3 minutes off my original mile.

Let me say this again....

"I'm not sure I have ever been part of another group where not one person thought that they would benefit from someone else's failure nor would they suffer from someone else's success. It was refreshing."

I wonder what the rest of my life would look like if I had this same attitude about everything I do.

Think about it.

Is your view of success/failure based on whether or not you are better/worse than someone else? We do this in so many areas. We put our gifts and talents up against others who don't even have the same gifts and talents as we do. What is that saying... "If you measure success by one's ability to climb a tree, a fish will always feel like a failure" ... yeah, something like that.

This is especially dangerous when considering our spiritual life. Where I am with God is where I am with God.  I am God's child because of the sacrifice Christ made for me. Nothing more. Nothing less. We so often measure our success or failure as a disciple/minister/Christian compared to what others are doing...when we were not called to carry out their calling, nor were they called to carry out ours.

What would our spiritual lives look like if we did not believe that our level of success or failure as a disciple was lessened by the success of, or heightened by the failure of, someone else?  What would that FEEL like? Refreshing? Encouraging? Would we feel empowered? Maybe even victorious?  I know this: Comparing myself to others leaves me feeling like a complete and utter failure.

If we understood and accepted the obvious truth... that we simply are not all in the same place in our spiritual walk.. how would we treat those who struggle? At the same time, would we be more likely to reach out for and accept help and encouragement from others?

Another image burned in my heart from training gives me a visual of this very thing. Those who finished first came back and ran in with those of us who were struggling...but that's a post for another day.

Much love and big big hugs!
K

Monday Motivation

Over the past 3 weeks, I have been spending much more time with God. I've been studying God's word, surrounding myself with Praise and Worship music and spending time in prayer. 

It makes a difference.

There are so many things that I have turned to in hopes of finding joy again and, while these things may offer a temporary reprieve from the pain in my heart, they are, indeed only temporary.

Life with Christ offers full and complete joy, but only to those completely surrendered to Him.

I wonder, if we believed this, would we be divided on our worship? If we believed that being in Christ's presence would fill up all our empty places...would we ever want to do anything apart from Him???

Makes me wonder if we really believe this to be true. 

What would our lives look like if we did?