Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

No Excuses

2019-01-08T19:17:00.001-06:00

I'm sure I'm not alone here, right? We've all made excuses to not exercise or not eat a healthy meal. I have made excuse, after excuse, after excuse. Similar to the image above. I'm sure I'll continue to make excuses.

I joined a gym at the end of November. I've been there exactly two times. Why?

Because we got that heavy snow right after Thanksgiving...
Because I was too busy getting ready for Christmas...
Because I was too tired from getting things ready for the Christmas services and preparing to be out of the office for a week...
Because I have to clean the house (the grandbaby is coming for a week at Christmas)...
Because I crashed and burned this week, so I'm too sore...

There always seems to be an excuse. And I give in to the excuses more often than not.

I hope you haven't come here for answers. I don't have any. I'm just here to hopefully share my struggles. Perhaps we have the same struggles.

I would love to know what keeps you motivated. What helps you say "no more excuses!" Feel free to comment, if you like.

~Darlene

Thank God It's Monday

2019-01-07T06:49:00.002-06:00

Thank God it's Monday. Who says that?

I like the National Day Calendar page on Facebook and they say today is "Thank God It's Monday Day." Here's what they say about the day:

"NATIONAL THANK GOD IT’S MONDAY DAY

National Thank God It’s Monday Day is recognized each year on the first Monday in January. This day was created to celebrate all things that will occur on a Monday in the upcoming year, such as; a new job, promotion, birthdays, holidays, vacations, etc. This is also a day, which starts out the first full week of the new year, to look ahead with real hope, energy, enthusiasm and excitement for all things to come in the next 12 months.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy the first Monday of the year and use #ThankGodItsMondayDay to post on social media."

I guess today (and every Monday) is a fresh start.

~Darlene

Crash and Burn

2019-01-06T19:29:00.001-06:00

And I thought yesterday was a bad day!

The bad part of today also had to do with counting my steps. I was doing some laundry. I sort my laundry on my bed, then bring one load of laundry at a time to the laundry room. The bedroom and laundry room are on the same level, but at opposite ends of our ranch-style home. Good way to pile on the steps, right?

During one of my trips into the bedroom I noticed a couple shoe boxes that could now be recycled since the date had passed for a return (I had to exchange a pair a couple weeks after purchasing because one of the shoes broke). I carried the boxes outside to our recycle bin. On my way back in my fitness tracker vibrated on my wrist, so I was checking to see if I had met my goal or if it was telling me the number of steps I still needed take to reach my goal.

As I was checking my wrist I missed the second step up to our front porch. I fell flat on my face onto the cement porch. Well, thankfully I didn't hit my face. Somehow I had my arm between my face and the pavement. I did however, skin my right knee and my left elbow. I also have a little road rash on my right hand and a scrape on my left hand.

I did not get my 250 steps in for that hour. I did however get all bandaged up by my wonderful husband. Despite the bum knee I was able to get three of my remaining five hours of steps completed.

So, I will end today's post as I ended yesterday's post...

Yes, it's okay to have an occasional bad day. Just remember...tomorrow is a new day. A fresh start.

~Darlene

Bad Days

2019-01-05T18:42:00.001-06:00

Not everyday, but occasionally it is okay to have a bad day. A bad day when you don't eat properly. A bad day when you don't exercise.

I know, we're not even a week into the New Year and I've already messed up my journey to a healthier me. But I am not discouraged. As I look back at my day, I see that it was not the whole day that was bad.

According to my fitness tracker, I have more steps in today than my normal "sitting at my desk all day" kind of day. I recorded in My Fitness Pal every piece of food that went into my mouth, whether it was a "good for me" food or a "not so good for me" food.

Those were two of my goals for this new year.

Be mindful of my steps and try to get in 250 steps each hour (for 9 hours of the day).
Record everything I eat.

They are not my only goals, but they are two that have made my bad day not so bad after all. It is true I have not met my daily step goal, but I've been mindful of getting my 250 steps each hour in. It is also true that I've entered more calories into My Fitness Pal than I should have consumed today, but at least I was truthful with my entries.

Yes, it's okay to have an occasional bad day. Just remember...tomorrow is a new day. A fresh start.

~Darlene

Inspiration

2019-01-04T21:09:00.000-06:00

What inspired me to start posting in a blog that hasn't been used since 2011? Actually it was a number of things.

A friend of mine whose health was greatly challenged this past year when his weight increased rapidly, posted something on Facebook that inspired me to reevaluate my health. He had an epiphany moment when he realized losing weight and improving his health was not something he could do on his own. He asked God to take the lead in his journey. That was when I remembered the group that was formed at church. The group that inspired this blog page. We knew we couldn't do it alone, so we joined together to support each other and asked that God be part of our journeys as well.

Another inspirational moment for me was when I received a coffee mug (or hot chocolate mug since I don't drink coffee) as a gift from a couple whom I consider friends. The mug has a scripture passage on

it. "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus..." Ephesians 2:19. This scripture reminded me that I am "fearfully and wonderfully made" just as the title of the blog page reminds us.

But the biggest inspiration is my grandson. I had the privilege of babysitting him four days during the holidays. The first two days were extremely exhausting. A six month old takes a lot more effort than this 55 year old grandma remembered a six month old taking when I was a 23 year old mom. I realized if I want to see my grandson grow to be six years, 16 years, and 26 years old (and beyond), I need to improve my fitness level.

Thus, my journey begins. Whether anyone reads these posts or not, it has been beneficial for me to write them.

I hope this might inspire you to reflect on your journey, too.
~Darlene

Comfort

2019-01-03T20:56:00.000-06:00

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Where do you find comfort? Do you find comfort in others? Do you find comfort in material things? Do you find comfort in food? Do you find comfort in God?

I almost always look to food for comfort. That has been a big downfall for me. The reason I've struggled with my weight for so long. The reason I've developed weight-related health problems.

I need to move from this valley I have been stuck in and allow the Lord's rod and staff to bring me comfort. I need to remember that God is always with me.

May you find comfort in God's Word as you continue your journey to a healthier you.

~Darlene

Back to Basics

2019-01-02T20:31:00.000-06:00

Psalm 139:13-16 was the scripture the group read and adopted when we first began meeting in 2011. It still inspires and reminds me that I was formed by God. He formed me inside my mother's womb.

He is worthy of my praise "for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." All His creations are wonderful. It's easy to see the wonder in a sunrise or sunset. To see how amazing God's handiwork is in a delicate snowflake or a towering mountain. We may sometimes forget how wonderful and amazing God's creation is when it comes to ourselves.

But, as the Psalm states, before we came into existence, God's eyes beheld us. All our days were written in His book. Even now, only He knows what lies ahead for each of us.

God doesn't make junk, so we shouldn't fill ourselves with junk. Choosing a healthier lifestyle, making healthier food choices, moving more, are things we need to do every day.

I hope you are inspired to continue your journey to a healthier you.

Peace,

~Darlene

Long Time Between Posts

2019-01-01T11:36:00.001-06:00

Wow! It's been seven years since a post was made on this site.

I wonder if anyone will read this. I wonder where everyone is on their fitness journey.

I've had ups and downs in these past seven years. My biggest achievement was joining a gym and utilizing the services of a trainer. Those six months in late 2015 - early 2016 made a huge difference. Not just in my physical health, but how I felt about myself, too. I was physically stronger. I was mentally stronger. The depression I had felt was lifted.

Now it is three years later. I'm not as physically strong. And probably not as mentally strong, either. The depression lingers in the background, but I continue to fight it off.

In 2018 I left the gym I that I had joined in 2015. I couldn't bear to go back and admit my failure (although I am doing so in this blog post). In late November of 2018, I joined a different gym. I have only been a couple of times. Life seems to have gotten in the way. Or perhaps I have let life get in the way.

2019 is a new year. It's time to start a new chapter. This morning I began using My Fitness Pal again to track what I eat. I used it faithfully in 2011 and again in 2015. This time around I am planning to add another "help" along this journey. That "help" is God. I will grab hold of His promise and strength to guide me through this journey. God is in control of my life (if I remember to allow Him to take control).

I hope to hear from others who began this journey with me in 2011 or from others who are beginning their fitness journey for the first (or second, third, or hundredth) time.

Blessings of health and wellness to each of you in this new year,
~Darlene

Hmm

2011-10-07T10:38:00.003-05:00

"Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness." — Earl of Derby

Romans 6:10-13

2011-10-04T13:19:00.002-05:00

¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. ¹³No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.

Romans 6:4-9

2011-10-02T08:22:00.001-05:00

Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For whoever has died is freed from sin. ⁸But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Romans 6:1-3

2011-10-01T19:49:00.003-05:00

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

September 29, 2011

2011-09-29T22:04:00.002-05:00

Tonight we had a GREAT group with three new members and a total of 10 people! Yay!

We read and talked about Romans 6. We talked about how overeating isn't really necessarily a SIN, but that God does want us to be good stewards of all the gifts God has given us - including our bodies. So overeating is certainly not doing God's will.

Probably the coolest part of the discussion of Romans 6 was what A read from the notes in her Bible:

Here Paul emphasizes that we need no longer live under sin's power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots - we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ (see Galatians 2:20).

Our discussion went far and wide, including sharing some super recipes. Hopefully folks will add them here as comments!

We finally had wifi at our meeting, so were able to take a tour of MyFitnessPal.com and discussed a slideshow of Frighteningly Fattening Fall Foods.

What did you take home from tonight's meeting?

Organization - ha!

2011-09-29T21:29:00.000-05:00

So tonight I tried to write down an organized outline for our meeting - so we could create a rhythm and a familiarity to the meetings. There are certain components that i thought were important to have - so I came up with this outline:

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Meeting Outline

Welcome & casual chat
prayer
Bible reading
discussion
prayer
highs & lows
prayer
sharing tips/ideas/resources/motivation
prayer
good night

I'll be gone the next two Thursday nights, so this way, it will be easy for someone else to take over leading the meetings.

This week's recipes

2011-09-29T20:25:00.001-05:00

We had great recipes this week:

September 22, 2011

2011-09-29T18:32:00.000-05:00

Wow! That week went fast! I never got around to writing about our meeting last Thursday night. There were only three of us, but we were mighty! We read Romans 14:13-23 - focusing on verse 20: "Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat...." Yes, I know that passage is not talking about dieting, but rather about ritual foods and the question of the validity of food laws after the time of Jesus. But, we took that into consideration, then realized that we could think about this - even the ideas of laws and relationships with other people - and apply it to our eating/overeating. Since we were a small group, most of the evening was spent in GOOD conversation about personal (very personal) issues which I will not share here. It was good to be in each others' company. It was good to have a place to be open and honest about what we may know we're doing wrong, yet we continue. We prayed for each other and for those that could not be with us.

Psalm 139:13-16

2011-09-21T21:59:00.001-05:00

¹³For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.

Out of town

2011-09-17T21:02:00.001-05:00

I really did well today, surprisingly. I spent 7 hours in the car and only ate what I had planned to eat. Ate a light dinner too. Quite proud of myself!
Got to hold little Luke for about 2 hours. Fun!

Psalm 139:7-10

2011-09-17T20:58:00.001-05:00

7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Psalm 139:4-6

2011-09-16T13:37:00.001-05:00

Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Logging food & exercise

2011-09-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

I have been using LoseIt.com, MyFitnessPal.com, and SparkPeople.com for the last several days, and I have finally decided my favorite. MyFitnessPal.com is the winner. So please come on over, if you wish, and be my friend. I'm KarinMom on there. I think you can search for me by that name and find me pretty easily. Let me know if you have any trouble.

Psalm 139:1-3

2011-09-15T16:27:00.000-05:00

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.

Day 2

2011-09-15T14:35:00.000-05:00

Ah, I love how weight just falls off during those first few days of a diet (or, lifestyle change, or whatever you want to call it - essentially FINALLY watching what I eat...).
I got on the scale this morning and I was 4.2 lbs lighter than yesterday! HA! If only I could lose weight like that for just a month! Sweet!
I know it will slow down dramatically eventually, and that will be depressing, but I have to NOT obsess on the scale. It's just SO fun in the beginning that it's hard not to.

9-14-2011 Goals

2011-09-15T06:21:00.000-05:00

Here are some of our goals for the coming week:

drink more water - increase by some
increase exercise
Walk with Sue
Go to the Y
cardio - 3x/week
bring old dvds & tapes to share
make a menu - plan food for the week
eat some salads
no late night ice cream
eat actual serving sizes and healthy snacks
don’t medicate yourself with food
tomorrow is today
fewer excuses

9-14-2011 Tips

2011-09-15T06:20:00.000-05:00

We shared some tips for the week:

go gradually
15 lbs in 3 months is doable
short-term goals
get up 15 minutes earlier - then increase
get up once an hour for 5 minutes
stretch afterwards when exercising
sit on an exercise ball
change the rate of your heart as you’re exercising
schedule your exercise - like any appointment
go brush your teeth - instead of sweets
SMALL piece of dark chocolate when you need something sweet
break foods into serving sizes - little baggies
get the carry-out at beginning and cut in half
share a meal