Dear Friends,
To start off… I don’t know how to feel about workouts! Gosh, it is so hard to be so consistent after many months of hiatus. What became me was a tired person without energy and let’s not even talk about the pounds I gained back. *CRY* I shouldn’t have done such a long break but what’s done is done and now I need to undo this mindset. I started to workout four days a week and sometimes maybe five depending on what the Sunday workout is…. lol. I haven’t lost any pounds yet and I’m sure it has to do with all the strength workouts I’ve been doing. I did my cardio today so that’s another good start!
Let me tell you, getting older it is harder to shed the pounds or even just to tone up. It’s when I hit thirty was when my metabolism just went bye! My body also started to REALLY not like dairy. The consequences of it are dire… skin wise! I would breakout without a break and add the breakouts from the time of the month, literally it is WITHOUT a break. Woooooh!
This month I made a vow to myself to eat what my body loves. That is…. no dairy or at least no crazy cheese amounts! That means I can’t eat cheese and crackers with my lovely red wine haha. It just makes me think how good it is to think of the long run. It may seem good now, but will it be later? It’s time to see the big picture instead of living the life of one rusty page.
I am doing Caroline Girvan’s epic heat workouts and let me TELL YOU. She is so hardcore that I have such a hard time keeping up. I had to lower on my weights since my hiatus as well. Sigh… Today’s workout was a full body workout which was body weight. It was also elevated by a chair?! I’m going to be honest, I skipped those parts and went on my treadmill and ellipticalled my hardest. I went back to the workout when it was time for core!
That ten week plan is so scary to me lol. I love how everything she does is FREE. Workouts are free, nutrition program is free, calendar is free, and even her Facebook community group is free. Before I stopped working out, I was lifting 30 Lb dumbbells for leg workouts and 20 for my upper body workouts. Now I’m even lucky if I can even go halfway with a 20 for leg workouts, haha. Yikes!
Doesn’t that just teach us that no matter what we do in any aspect of our life, it requires work. Literally all of it! To have a meal, we must cook it. To have a home, we must work and take care of it. To be clean, we literally have to shower and take care of our hygiene LOL. Likewise, within our relationships, it also requires our part of work. I think that’s just how it is meant to be. I’m not sure where we got the idea that life should be easy.
Honestly, I think it’s a lie to believe that life should be easy. That causes people to be entitled, lazy, and blame others for things. Even in the garden of Eden where it was actual paradise on earth, God meant for Adam and Eve to tend and keep the garden. It would not be a surprise to realize that life on earth, afterwards, and even during the thousand years of God’s reign of peace on earth, and afterwards… will require our minds to keep working. Working to always remember to choose God over our own selfish needs, working to worship God instead of ourselves, and to love others like how God loves us. We will constantly have to work to choose to put our own self to death and live in Christ.
Feeding your mind daily with Bible plans, audio plans, books, and constant prayer with our God strengthens us in a way that no one else can. It causes us to act and think with wisdom that in the long run, saves us and others around us. It’s easy to choose criticism over understanding, anger over empathy, or patience over impatience because through selfishness, there is no resistance.
I would encourage you to start now to read a plan in a Bible app right on your phone. Look up ‘Genesis Explained’ audio plan and start listening. Pastor Kris is an amazing preacher and he was not always a preacher, he was a scientist first. Crazy, huh? He was not always strong in his walk with Christ. There is always a beginning and that beginning can seem immature, but through consistency, faith, and trust… it evolves to something life changing. That goes for all of us and there is no shame in that. Watch how your mind will be renewed, and watch how your reactions will begin to change in this dark, cold, and evil world. Through this lifestyle, things won’t affect you as it has before. That’s when you know you’ve grown with the Spirit. Kindness becomes you. Patience becomes easier to practice, and love will be the root of your life.
This is what I learned and feel about working out. I won’t become healthy if I just stop or take long breaks just like how I did over the winter. I don’t feel healthy day to day, but this past week and a half, I feel BETTER. I struggle start to workout, but I start. I’ll probably do a monthly checkup to share my progress with the program and how I’m doing. I’m looking to go to the finish line for sure!
Alright friends, we are one hundred overcomers and we can do all things through Christ! That statement fits perfectly with my awesome sweater, eh? Thank you so much for taking the time to read my letter. It’s never formal, right? You’re my friend, my family, and I think it’s fun to be pen pals even if it’s just one way, haha! I love ya and have a beautiful day. See ya later. Bye!