I’ve been struggling with the knowledge that I really need to get back in shape. My clothes don’t fit. I’m tired all the time. My job is high energy. I can’t get anything done when I’m at home. Magically, when I work out and keep in shape, I am able to do SO much more! But for months, I’ve been procrastinating –and the pounds are creeping up.
I keep pinning these 6 minute workouts on Pinterest… Today, I was scrolling down my Pinterest feed and read the 21 day NO JUNK FOOD challenge. Out of morbid curiosity, I clicked on it to see what it was.
THE NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE (already I’m thinking, NOPE)
The Rules (RULES???? losing me)
- no chocolate
- no candy
- no biscuits or cookies
- no cake, donuts, or muffins
- no pastries
- no white bread
- no chips
- no fast food
- no soda
- no ice cream
Yeah. Right. I LOVE junk food. I love chocolate and candy and cookies and pastries and chips and fast food…. HOWEVER. I am gaining weight. What if I just eat fewer of these things? Could I manage that? Perhaps.
But still. I know I need to work out. But what? I already joined the YMCA. I don’t go. My friend from church wants me to run the color run with her in April. I already said yes. Let’s look at my schedule… oh dear. It’s Thursday. You know you never start something on a THURSDAY. Logical me kicked in. That’s stupid. Of COURSE you can start something on a Thursday because if you don’t start today, right now, right where you are, you will not start. Suddenly I knew. Just throw on your sweats and your running shoes and GO outside and walk-jog. Don’t shower first. Don’t do your hair. Throw on a head scarf, and go. Isn’t there a verse in the Bible about running??? (There are. Lots of them. One of them is I Corinthians 9:24 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”)
I ALMOST got derailed from this new-found determination to start jogging TODAY by my inability to find my ear-buds. I managed to kick myself in the rear and get downstiars. But wait. I need to eat something before I go. But what? It’s got to be light, don’t want to cramp up. AHAH! 1/2 c plain yoghurt, 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon. Surprisingly quite delightful.
Whilst (like that old word? me too) I was eating I found an app “Run Trainer” and selected “from couch to 5k” and installed it. It popped up with “1st jog: 15:00” it sounded do-able so I read on… walk for 2:00 jog for 3:00 (repeat) for the 15:00 duration.
I headed out the door with my new app for 15 minutes in the damp outdoors, and I did it! I’m NOT going to take the NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE but I am going to challenge myself to greatly reduce my junk food consumption and challenge myself to choose healthy eating options. I am going to challenge myself to some kind of exercise at least 3 days a week. In addition, I am challenging myself to meditate on Biblical principles on eating and exercising.
Wordings 