Tag Archives: walk

Spirit-Seeker Sunday ~ Walking it Out

Spirit Seeker Sunday, walking December 29, 2013 Comments: 5
spirit 4 stephen

photo by Stephen Moldenhauer

“Spiritually I feel much more weighed down by stress and problems when I’m not taking care of my body. Physically, I have less energy to serve God and more emotions to wade through when processing life.”

The above statement alone is one of the most profound discoveries of my weight loss journey. I didn’t write those words, Lysa TerKeurst did. But I so relate.

For years I prayed for joy, for the ability to overcome discouragement, for hope. I don’t see myself as having completely arrived in these areas, but I’ve found a powerful tool in discovering joy, combating discouragement, grabbing hold of hope.

It’s called taking a walk.

Eventually I usually end up talking with God, but even when it’s not a focused conversation my spirit rises up within me in worship just being outside, hearing the birds, feeling the fresh air.

There’s something about looking up into a huge tree or seeing the mountains in the distance, or gazing at the clouds or the flowers that puts me in my place, reminds me there is something bigger than I am, and HE is Good.

I grew up in church where we were often told to take care of our body because it was the temple of God. Unfortunately most of what was taught–or at least of what I heard–was the old southern “don’t smoke, drink, or chew or go with boys who do.” Once in a while I caught that I should think about what kinds of food I put into it, but I totally missed the idea of caring for my body as God’s temple by taking good care of it in the area of exercise.

I loved when Lysa wrote: “I want to . . . dedicate my exercise as a gift to Him and a gift to myself.”

Let’s join Lysa in the prayer: “Help me see the ability to exercise as a gift. I dedicate my temple to You and commit to start rebuilding it today.”

How about you? What do you do to add movement into your day? What exercise do you enjoy? Do you ever exercise just because it’s good for you even if it is not something you enjoy? If you keep doing it do you start enjoying it?

And what about schedule. How do you fit it into your busy days? If you don’t, could you add in once a week, then twice?

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Amazing! (Day 108)

Middle Weight Loss Journey, Uncategorized May 3, 2013 Leave a comment

This is the most amazing day I’ve had in a very long time. Things I’ve prayed about and worked toward forever just plopped into my lap! It’s like God said, “Happy February 8th! It’s your day!” and started showering me with presents. Some really cool stuff happened in my volunteer position as Colorado Coordinator for the American Christian Fiction Writers. Stuff I’ve prayed for, but didn’t know how to approach. Then my agent contacted me with a great idea. And then some really cool stuff happened where a bunch of doors opened for one of my kids. All these big areas of my life just came together!

And then . . . THEN I sat down and wrote for the first time since my car accident last June. I mean really wrote, creative, easy flowing, fresh fiction. It felt so good to find that piece of me after months of it being gone while I focused on my healing!

I’d have never taken a break for anything, just kept writing and writing, but my sweet hubby invited me to take a walk with him. Now that I’m getting healthy again, I need to stay balanced, even when creativity hits. I’m so glad he nudged me out of my imaginary world and into the sunshine. We only walked a mile, but it was SOMETHING. I have to hang onto this. I have to keep moving now that I’m starting to be able to work for long hours at the computer again.  ~February 8, 2013

Real Time Update:

The really cool thing that happened in my volunteer work that day grew into something really cool coming in June. If you’re a writer on the western slope of Colorado, you won’t want to miss it!

ACFWCO western slope workshop_reduced

What About You?

Where is it easy for you to get so lost in work or something you love that you forget to add movement into your day?

Muddling in the Middle (Days 75 & 76)

Middle Weight Loss Journey March 25, 2013 Leave a comment
uphill climg

Photo by Stephen Moldenhauer

As the journal entries below show, the newness of the joy of weight loss wore off about half-way there. Suddenly the climb seemed a little steeper.

I’ve had some frustration, a little muddling around about half-way to my weight loss goals. The good news is this is pretty normal–AND I DID lose more weight! And just as important, I continue to learn about life, about me, about God.

January 6, 2013

Life with a weight loss goal is up and down. I wrote about joy a few days ago. I’ve had more peace and joy in the last few weeks than in a long time. I also had a lot of affirmation the last few weeks as people started noticing my new size. Super fun!But today . . . I’m frustrated. I’m more often hungry again—and fighting more cravings. I don’t know if my metabolism has sped up due to consistent exercise and that makes me hungrier, or if holiday foods were less healthy, and it messed with everything. But I’m not craving sweets. It’s cheese. Gooey and piled on. I had a little cheese on a small potato with ground turkey and salsa for lunch. Thought it would be wise to have a little of what I craved rather than ignore the desire and then binge.

Still, it’s weird to suddenly fight the process again. I was mostly at peace with it for so long.

I am on BEPure this week. Maybe I’m going through another emotional purge. The last cleanse didn’t bother me, but I’ve been weepy over all kinds of stuff today, especially over my on-going head symptoms and inability to concentrate for long periods of time. I’m entering month six without diagnosis or complete healing . . .

On the positive side I know I’m smaller ‘cause I just had to take off my ring to type. It kept rolling around too much . . .

January 7, 2013

They say the first weight off is easier than the last weight. It is coming off slower for me, now, despite the fact that I’m eating healthier and exercising consistently. This morning I worked for a while on writing stuff, like this blog. My head symptoms that began over six months ago flared, but I pushed through for a while. By the time I quit they were going pretty crazy.

Frustrated.

  • That the scale isn’t dropping very quickly.
  • That no one can tell me why my head gets weird.
  • That I’m still having symptoms associated with a car wreck that happened last June.
  • That money is tight
  • That hubby’s computer crashed again and . . .

So I went walking. The first half mile or so all I did was grumble to God. At a mile and a half I took a break, popped into my favorite coffee shop, asked for water, and went to the bathroom. Then I circled the nearby school.

I prayed about hope, standing strong, looking to God for answers. As I prayed for the school, I realized I also prayed for me, for our family, for our whole neighborhood. By the time I’d circled a few times, pouring out my heart, I felt better. I walked past the abandoned strip mall, praying for good things to come there—asking again if it might be a church. Then I walked to the high school, surprised by a nature path I didn’t know about. It was beautiful!

This walking thing isn’t just about losing pounds; it’s about losing bad attitudes, finding faith, believing in hope. Seeking the Son in His sunshine.

Walked close to 5 miles.

I’m home now, enjoying a cup of tea and a homemade persimmon cookie that I don’t feel guilty about. Yes, there’s a little sugar, but there is also a lot of healthy ingredients in it.

And I’ll have plenty of extra calories today!

How About You?

Anybody else find a new round of struggle about half way to your goal?

Flying Free (Day 73)

Middle Weight Loss Journey March 22, 2013 Leave a comment

I’m still contemplating yesterday’s question, “what’s the best part of losing the weight?” I stand by my answer that I’m a more whole spiritual being, somehow learning to connect in body, not just heart, mind, soul . . . but there’s a joy piece I didn’t mention. It connects again to movement. I am so much lighter on my feet. It had gotten to the point I didn’t have much energy. Sometimes it was work just to get up out of a chair. But now I can MOVE again. I walk. I run. I do stretches and swim. A whole new world of joyful movement has opened to me.

freedom

When I first began tasting the freedom (last November) I asked my friend to snap this picture. I feel joyful, worshipful . . . flying free.

I am unencumbered.

In the months leading up to starting BeNew, I shed a lot of emotional weight. The accidents forced me to slow down, rest, and grieve life’s disappointments. The Lord used the season of low productivity to take me to a newer understanding of grace, to shave away another layer of that perfectionistic, performance-driven mentality that almost killed my heart years ago. You can’t be legalistic about the “doing” of the Christian life when you can’t do much, when your body and emotions shut down on you. In that season of “being” more junk inside of me was shed.

And now, as I drop the pounds, it is a visible announcement of the internal work. My body is joyful, even as my heart is learning to be.

I’m flying free.                                                                                    ~January 4, 2012

Real Time Update:

Wow. It’s awesome to be reminded of how far I’ve come. The picture I chose for today was taken at the beginning of my weight loss journey. I’d just barely begun to lose weight, but I was already sensing the freedom. If you’re just starting your journey, my friend, embrace the freedom. Catch a glimpse of what is coming!

As I write today, over two months later, I’ve almost begun taking this new, unencumbered, flying free self for granted. And so today’s question is how will I maintain the freedom? Will I fight for it?

The good news is after a few weeks of being thrown off from more regular exercise, I’ve walked every day this week. My goal is to head out for another round of exercise after I finish blogging this morning.

What About You?

Are you fighting to hang onto the advances you’ve made? What small steps forward (goals) are you setting for yourself to help you see the incremental victories as you work toward the bigger ones?

Weight Loss Journey Day 30

The Early Weight Loss Journey January 30, 2013 Comments: 6
green apples

Apple pie on the way!

Thanksgiving! (Remember, these posts were written a couple of months ago.)

Today is not about counting calories, even though I do.

I don’t count to stay within a plan, I count to make it up later, so I can even out my week on other days.

Apple pie. Cinnamon rolls. (And let me tell you, I make the best!) Turkey and dressing.

I enjoy it all.

But . . . I don’t eat until my stomach hurts, and this is maybe a first EVER on Thanksgiving.

Real Time Update:

I love that I continued to lose weight through the holidays without feeling deprived. My BeNew did its job. I kept walking. When I indulged in food that was heavier than usual, I savored every bite–then was more intentional to eat well the next meal or the next day. The weight kept dropping off.

That’s one of the best lessons I’m learning–to enjoy my food without becoming over full and to balance a turkey and dressing day with a day of lots of fruit and veggies. For me, weight loss can’t be about deprivation. I can’t live that way long term. But (barring catastrophe) I can eat healthier and move more for the rest of my life.

This is about life change, not just dropping a few pounds to look good in a mother-of-the-bride dress. When that happens, it will just be a fringe benefit.

Weight Loss Journey Day 3

The Early Weight Loss Journey January 3, 2013 Comments: 2

I’m shocked our short walk last night has me sore! But really, I did basically nothing for three months after the second car accident. What do I expect after spending a summer in bed or on the couch??? Jerry walked with me again today. I love his support even though I worry I’m holding him back. He was walking four miles a day at a pretty good clip. I can’t keep up with that.

Skipped my coffee again today without a caffeine headache. A daily dose of the BeLean I take has less than a cup of coffee, but I don’t seem to need my daily fix anymore. Since I don’t have a scale at home, I weighed myself at the chiropractor. I’m going to weigh each time I see him rather than buy a scale. It will keep me to that once a week weigh-in. I’m only on day 3, but I’m down a couple of pounds, 208. Ugh. How did I let myself go this long?Person-weighing-themselve-007

Felt pretty hungry in the afternoon, but did okay, even though it made me grumpy. Had homemade chili with turkey and beans for supper. Healthy, low in calories, and filling. The boys loved it, and I felt good about all of that.

I worry about failure. I’m so honored to be a beta tester. I don’t want to let Life Force down—or myself. I keep asking Jerry, “what if this doesn’t work?” He just smiles and says it will.