Week 33

This is the beginning of week 33. Last week kind of doesn't count because I was sick so I exercised maybe 10 minutes haha! Hopefully I can get back on track this week. I hate being sick because it's like I have to start all over again in exercising but thankfully it's not too hard  to get back on track. I'm happy to report that I have, as of last week, lost 22 pounds since beginning this exercise journey so I'm really proud of myself and I am very thankful to God for giving me the strength to keep going when I wanted to give up. My goal of losing weight before I moved out of the country was to lose 20 pounds so I'm happy to have accomplished this. I'll be leaving some time this week. Hopefully I can keep up this journey. My next short term goal is 27  pounds away. And my next big goal is almost 50 pounds away. By this time next year, I hope to have reached that next big goal!

That's all for now!

30 Weeks down!

I haven't written in a while. Family was visiting in August and September so it was pretty busy. My grandmother also passed away so there were a few weeks in there where exercising was at a minimum, but I still managed to continue to lose weight. Right now I'm beginning my 31st week of exercising and it is going well. Today I probably went overboard with over an hour of dancing and then another 15 minutes stretching, but it was good to challenge myself again. I've been struggling for the past few weeks to meet my minimum weekly exercise goal so this week I'm hopping to surpass it. :)

Also, I'm moving out of the country in another week or two, depending on when the visa stuff is finished. The goal now is to continue this exercising journey, even in a new place. I can do it!

OK. Random post but there it is.

20 weeks down

20 weeks!!! Today was the beginning of my 21st week and to my surprise I went down another 3 pounds. I was getting a bit discouraged because I was plateau-ing for a long while. Interval training seems like it has worked well!

Last week, I began Couch to 5k. The first week was pretty easy since I've already been getting in shape. I can't imagine a beginner starting out with this program though. It seems like a bit advanced for someone who has never exercised. Well anyway, I am having fun listening to my favorite songs to get me inspired to run. I have the C25k app on my Nexus which makes it nice and easy for me to do. I have also continued with my Hasfit weight training. I took a break from it for awhile, but I need to tone so that been good.

Progress so far?

• I have less than a hundred pounds to lose which is awesome! Double digits seem more doable :) 
• I've gone down a pants size. Maybe close to going down another one.
• I've completed 20 weeks of exercise which is far beyond any hope I ever had of sticking with it
• I'm at a lower weight than I have been in like 10 years.
• I'm actually jogging and enjoying it. Not hardcore, but for someone who never thought that she could do it, I'm amazed.

All in all I feel great. God has really taken me through this and I only have him to thank for giving me the strength and the endurance for what will be a long journey ahead of me. 

On a side note, I love listening to this song for working out!

18th week!

I can't believe that I'm halfway through my eighteenth week. My schedule has been kind of hectic the past few weeks but I've still been meeting my goals. I've been doing a little interval jogging to boost my workout and that has been going well. I haven't done Hasfit in a few weeks, except for some stretching, so I want to add that into my exercising again. My eating has gotten a little sloppy as well so I'm hoping to get back on track. It hasn't been horrible, but I might as well deal with it before it gets bad. All in all I'm staying strong and with it so that is fantastic!! Cheers!

Week 15

There is nothing that says success quite like shopping for clothes and finding out that you've gone down a size. :) This week I'm upping my exercise a ton!!! Just trying something different. We'll see how it goes. Also, I started doing the 3 mile brisk walk so, pretty good. All in all I feel great!

Beginning the 14th week

So, I started something new on Saturday. A walking workout. I've been walking a few times a week for the past month or so, and just last week I began walking after dinner as well. I do feel a lot better getting a little extra exercise in at night without being ridiculous. I also enjoy the fresh air blowing off of the trees as the sun sets. More than exercise, though, it is a good time to think and just be with God in his creation. Because Since I've been enjoying these walks so much, I decided to check out some blogs and see what others are doing with walking. I came across this:

It's a Leslie Sansone at home 2 mile walking exercise video. When I first saw it I thought it was stupid. It looked cheesy and it seemed dumb to walk in place at home for a half hour. However, I wanted to walk at the park on Saturday but then it rained so it was hard to motivate myself to go outside. So I decided to give the video a try. Man! It kicked my butt big time, in a good way. I have been exercising at different intensity levels for 3 months and going on walks as well for just over a month and yet I still felt out of shape for this beginning 2 mile brisk walking video. I did it and felt exhausted afterwards, then felt fine 5 minutes later. It was a fantastic workout. Still a bit cheesy, but what can you do. Being the ambitious and impatient one that I am, I want to do the 5 mile one, but I know I have to work myself up to that. For this week, this is what I'm doing. I will be walking outside too as I like to move around more and to have a destination of where to walk to, but this is nice too. I'll also try to get in some of my normal exercise as well.

I'm hoping for a good week!

12 weeks down

Wow! I've been at this for 3 months! A quarter of a year!!!!!! And although my pound loss is going slowly, the inches sure are coming off. I feel great!!

10 weeks strong!!

I can't believe that I've been at this for 10 weeks! That is crazy!

Today I decided to do some interval running from Hasfit.com. I've be doing the 30 days to get in shape challenge now, but usually about every other day or as a supplement to my dance workouts. Running has always been a daunting task to me, not because I think I can't do it. It really sounds fun. But for a top heavy girl such as myself, I needed to make sure I had the proper clothing and support first. I remedied that last week so I will be sneaking some interval running in here and there to keep things interesting. Dancing still remains as my favorite exercise to do as I enjoy it and  can keep at it for long periods of time. I do my own freestyle dancing as well as some youtube zumba and dance videos. Here's one that I've been enjoying regularly:

One thing that I've learned in this process is that although my progress in weight loss seems slow, my body is improving from the inside out. Last week's doctor visit yielded encouraging results. My borderline high blood pressure of last year was perfect this time around. Cholesterol levels were excellent and my blood sugar level was great. Overall I do feel better and have heaps more energy. Thank you Jesus!

8 weeks down

I am so thankful that God has gotten me this far. I just began my 9th week today. All records are smashed. I've never lasted this long. I feel pretty good too. I don't feel as tired as I used to during the day. When I go out to do things, I don't get out of breath just from walking. All in all I feel pretty good. Sore, but good. I've come very far and it's all thanks to God. :)

I Don't Want To Be Sexy, I Want To Grow Closer To God

I have just completed my 7th week of exercising. It was great! Yesterday was supposed to be my off day but I had some good music on so I ended up dancing and thus completed my exercising a day earlier. ;) I'm actually looking forward to taking the weekend off. I have my nephew and niece coming over and I'm sure that will be workout enough!

Reflections thus far:

It has been very hard getting into exercising again and increasing my amount of time of doing it. After losing 10 pounds and gaining 15 back a few times....it was getting quite discouraging and I wondered if I would every be able to keep focused. I've tried Go Fit! at Curves, Setting Captives Free, and even my local gym but then life happens and I get distracted. I'm really excited to have completed a 7th week of working out 5x a week! And I only have God to thank. I can try to work out on my own, eat healthy and all that, but when I take my eyes off of God, my focus becomes more about me and my desires and getting there on my own strength. With all of the exercise program out there that are about making ourselves feel better and being focused on ourselves constantly, it makes it hard to keep God in focus. When I first began using My Fitness Pal at the beginning of March, I got caught up in a lot of that calorie counting self focus. I began stressing about salt and sugar intake and trying to figure out a realistic way to eat healthier without succumbing to all of the nonsensical fads out there. I became so self focused and about me. That's when I realized that I can't live this way. It's not bad to make better choices in eating. It's just that when it becomes an obsession...you know what I mean. Eventually you'll burn out and fall flat on you face. The heart issue of geed isn't dealt with. And most importantly, I'd be putting myself before God. I titled this blog "Elohim, My Heart's Desire" because I want to have God lead my life and be all that I desire. I want to live for him and be healthy so I can honor him and perhaps have more time to share the hope I have in Christ with others. I also wanted to tackle my sin of greed and overeating...of turning to food instead of Him. Not to get a beach body or feel more attractive or whatever. If I'm beautiful in God's eyes, what else matters? I don't want to be sexy, I want to grow closer to God. 

Today I woke up crying and praying for those who are caught up in human trafficking and sex slavery. The women and children, those running brothels, those going to brothels, those stuck in pornography and self gratification, those clueless and/or in denial of all the evil going on. I can't help to think of this as an encouraging step. That perhaps my focus has been taken off of myself so I can see the world clearly and...care. It's counter cultural, but there it is.

Success!

I have successfully completed the 30 day Hasfit beginner's workout!! I actually finished it last Wednesday, but I didn't update. I started to get back spasms that night so I had to take it easy the next few days. I still managed to get a little exercise in. Today was my first day back to my normal schedule. For this next month I'm doing themed dance days and interspersing Hasfit exercises a few times a week to keep building my strength. Today was Indian/Bollywood dances. Tomorrow I will probably do K-pop. Wednesday? Hmm...maybe a free music dance day. ;) We shall see.

Today also marks the beginning of my 7th week of exercising 5x a week! My own personal record.

Okay, enough blabbing. Updating right after exercising is convenient but I don't produce well though out posts because I'm tied and in a hurry to take a shower.

So on that note, adios!

Halfway

I'm halfway through the beginners workout. Pretty good. Each week get harder in harder but I'm surviving.

3 Weeks Strong!

I have been exercising for almost 3 weeks in a row, 5 days a week! Yay! Getting started is the hardest! I have never EVER done that before. I do feel better and less sore, but these workouts are kicking my butt! I do my own dancing ;) to supplement this plan, but 2 weeks ago I learned about a 30 day beginner low impact plan from hasfit.com. Basically they have these videos that you can do from home everyday and the videos are kind of like having a personal fitness coach in your living room. And EVERYTHING is FREE. That is all I ask for. ;) So far so good. Here's what the beginner month looks like. Don't let the short times fool you, especially the 5 minute abs. Ouch! Again, the website is hasfit.com.

Things are going well. It's kind of cool that I have lost 6 pounds. I'm just a few pounds from where I was a year ago. Great! I can't wait to get to 20lbs lost or more. I've never lost more than 10lbs. I'm also taking measurements every few weeks since scales can be jerks and not let you know that even though you're more fit, muscle is heavier than fat. This week was one of those weeks. I'm still at 6 pounds lost. I'm usually very slow at losing weight so it wasn't unexpected, but still. It's all good though. God's giving me the strength, desire, and energy to do this and I am so proud to have worked hard out for three weeks and to be eating better. I'm not into that protein and flax seed stuff as I what to make lifestyle changes that I will continue to do after I'm healthy, so I'm adjusting my meals by making better food choices (Cooking more from scratch), portion control and keeping track of what I eat. I'm actually more concerned about sodium and sugar intake than calories since high blood pressure AND diabetes runs in my family. I've been consistently under my calorie limit on MyFitnessPal, even though I'm not really trying to keep track of that.

Anyway, this is kind of a rambling post, but I thought I should update, more for myself than anyone else as I'm sure no one reads this ;) Cheers!

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

Stomach Flu!

Well, one benefit to being sick is that I lost some weight. Now, it may or may not come back, but now that I'm on the mend, I want to slowly start introducing regular foods and exercise to my body again. Here we go!

Here we go...again

Well, it has been almost a year. The 'minor' surgery turned  out not to be so minor. There was a significant complication that happened and I'm still dealing with some of the repercussions. Well, with all the stuff going on this past year: planning to move out of the country again, stressful family situations, friends deaths, panic attacks, moving, and massive disappointments, I haven't done so well. Right now, honestly, I feel happy that I didn't have a nervous breakdown although I came so close many times!

I've decided that I need to try to get healthy again. Life throws a bunch of stuff at us, but just because we fall down, it doesn't mean we have to stay down. It's time to get up and try again.

I did a weigh in today just to see where I was at. It wasn't great. I'm a few pounds over the heaviest I've ever been. Boo. So, it's time to get up and go.

Lord give me your strength and help me not to lose focus!

Let's gooooo!

The proper focus!

I have been neglecting this blog for no better reason than that I've just been busy with life. Preparing to move to Korea, talking an online TEFL course, and impending minor surgery, job searching, church obligations, life obligations, etc, etc, etc...

But one of the things that makes my life so busy is that I've been working out at the gym for 5 weeks now. Tomorrow (or should I say today since it's after 1am) will begin my 6th week. This is huge for me! No, I haven't lost those 15 pounds yet. More like 5, but I have lost inches, gained some muscle and am doing my heart a huge favor. I have been eating breakfast every morning (huge again for me) and I've been constantly exceeding my exercise goals. And surprisingly, I've been having fun! But most importantly, I'm doing this to honor my God. My focus is right. By my own effort I fail, but God in his mercy lifts me and gives me the strength to stick with this. Many times while I exercise, I put on my favorite songs and worship God. It's phenomenal and most enjoyable!

Now I should head off to bed so that I can get up to exercises tomorrow!

The Return

I have successfully gained back the 15 lbs I lost last year. You see that? I used the word success to make it sound better but in reality it was a failure. I admit that life got busy and I resumed some of my bad habits all the while justifying it by saying that it's not as bad as before.

The cool thing is that God is still working with me, convicting me, forgiving me, and helping me to see overeating for what it is...sin. All is not lost. My focus is back on Christ and he will give me the strength to do what I need to do.

Let's go!

So...it's been awhile...

Basically I've been struggling with consistency in eating and exercising. I haven't been very disciplined lately and I am in no means on the right track.

Transformation first begins with repentance.

"Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion; it
haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight."
-Psalm 51:1-4a

Time to get back on track. As my heart has been connecting with God more and seeking him out this past month with studying the 12 spiritual disciplines, I realize that I need to continue to honor him with my body, and that includes not using food for emotional comfort. Easy to forget when I'm traveling, frustrated, or going out to eat with friends who are moving away. May was a hard month. It seems like an overwhelming task to continue eating right and adjust my lifestyle again, but with God, all things are possible. As I was reading in Psalm 51 today, one verse really stuck out to me.

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey
you" Psalm 51:12

Lord, this is my prayer. Give me joy in you, and help me to be willing to obey you, especially in the areas of eating and laziness. Amen.

Success!

Easter has come and gone and I did not stuff myself like a piñata! This is huge for me! A few weeks ago God convicted me about how I was not spending time with him. I had been avoiding the scales for awhile too so finally I got on them and realized that when my focus was off of God, so was my desire to please him and fill up on him rather than overeating. And I had gained a few pounds. He brought me to the place of repentance and I now have been fighting hard to spend time with him everyday and continue to stay active. He finally got me back on track 2 weeks ago and it's been going well! Easter was a big test, as there was much food and desire to eat all of it. Instead I ate just enough and felt really good.

Praise God!

Day 60 - Testimony

Read my testimony below:

Emotional eating is something I have struggled with since I was young. When I celebrated with family and friends, I ate. When I was alone, I ate. When I was happy, sad, stressed or bored, I ate. After doing the Way of Purity course and seeing God eradicate that sin in my life, he showed me that I next needed to turn away from the sin of gluttony/overeating. I began The Lord's Table because I wanted to desire God more and learn to get rid of habitual sin that I had grown used to over the years. In this case, it was overeating.

Diets have never worked for me. I was not very disciplined and also it didn't fix the issues at heart. Diets always contradicted each other so I never bothered with them much. Instead of giving the glory to God, they tell us to work hard to 'fix' ourselves on our own and take all of the credit for ourselves. When I began this course, my focus was on myself and what I wanted to look like. I was nervous coming to The Lord's Table because I had failed with trying to lose weight in the past and was afraid I would fail here too. That was the problem. I was looking to myself instead of to God for the power to overcome sin. Through reading the Bible, praying, and doing the studies, God has shown me that I was using food as an idol. I looked to food to satisfy me instead of to Him. I was also guilty of the sin of laziness. I tried exercising many times, but because the weight didn't drop off as fast as I liked, I usually gave up soon.

When I first began The Lord's Table I had a hard time understanding that overeating is a sin. I didn't think it was good, but I didn't think it was that big of a deal. That's how deep the sin was. Thankfully, over time, God granted me true repentance and helped me to see the sin through his eyes. This course was amazing because it helped me keep focus on God, really understand my sin, and find satisfaction in God. I was very encouraged by the lessons and by the testimonies and I am thankful for my mentor who was able to relate to my struggles and encourage because she had dealt with this sin as well. I confess that on the first day I was quite overwhelmed by the prospect of doing this study. It seemed that I would have to change for real, and I guess my sinful flesh did not like this prospect. The cool thing is that God guided me through it all and gave me the energy and desire to push forward in discipline and grow closer to him. I was very blessed to have my sister and mom doing The Lord's Table alongside me and we were able to encourage each other.

God has really shown me that I need to fight to spend time with him instead of letting the busyness of life distract me from Him. Staying in his word and growing in relationship with God is the only way I will ever be able to stay focused on him and not fall back into habitual sin. It's more than just something I should do as a 'good Christian'. It's what I NEED to survive this world. After completing this course I am so much closer to God and able to do more for those around me. I enjoy exercising and I look forward to my time with God. At meals I am able to enjoy God's blessing of food so much more, without needing to overeat. I have so much energy now and the weight continues to come off. But most importantly, I have a deeper relationship with God. Thank you Lord, for the amazing things you are doing in my life!