Saturday, February 19, 2011

Getting in Shape


This weekend I took Nay and Zeke to my parents' house to play.  I know it sounds kind of funny but they have "running around room" and two labs of their own.  While I was there my mom confirmed what I had already been talking about for weeks..."Zeke is getting chubby."  The look on his face in this picture...it kind of makes me wonder if he knows?  I don't think so...he loves food way too much to let his weight get him down.  I am thinking he knows I've been batting around the idea of a green bean diet for him.  He's had other diets that did not work.  He ended up getting all kinds of food off the counters.  I know you think I should train him not to do this...BUT...I have never SEEN him counter surf but the evidence I have found in the dining room suggests otherwise.

I need to lose weight too.  I have heard this green bean diet (consisting of green beans and kibble) is very successful.  I am even considering the kibble!  :)

This past summer, I took my 35 year old "over-weight" self on a journey.  As they say, losing weight in your 30's is not like losing weight in your 20's.  I started with a mile a day, EVERY SINGLE DAY, and it didn't work.  I cut back on calories, and it didn't work.  So what did work?  Two miles a day and a good protein good carbs diet.  I lost weight, FINALLY.  I took a break and never went back.  I still have more to lose, not much, but enough to be considered a healthy and happy weight.

When I think about my physical health and how it affects me mentally and emotionally (because Zeke's expression looks how I feel!) I also think of my spiritual health.  When I make time to read God's promises in the Bible and think on them, I find that my spiritual health is strengthened. 

I have to get in shape physically but not to neglect getting in shape spiritually.  I find that with life experience the reality of God becomes more sure. Sometimes He takes things away from us so that we only see Him.  In life we concentrate so much on the temporal.  What kind of paycheck we bring home, what nice things we buy, and the work we do each day. These things are all important but it is not as important as that which is eternal.  I HAVE TO get in shape.  It will allow me to serve God more effectively when I am healthy. Though I feel that I have progressed this past summer there is still more that I can do.  I cannot allow some progress to keep me from the goal I need to make.  I also HAVE TO get in shape spiritually.  The outside is merely the result of the inside.  On occasion we can wear a great disguise on the outside...but eventually the truth will reveal itself.  I cannot allow feeling  "a little bit good" about the time I spend with God each day, keep me from gettting even more from Him so that I can feel "a whole lot good". 

May I find myself working as hard on the inside as I do the outside.

1 comment:

Miss Diagnosis said...

On the issue of the doggie losing weight, we have found that single protein, grain-free foods work the best for both our dogs' and cats' overall health and weight. Don't know if you're familiar with Dr. Karen Becker, but she totally is for grain-free diets for pets since they're not built for grain anyway. Oddly enough, that approach seems to work best for me too!