Set Your Course to a Healthier Lifestyle

Pressing on Toward the Goal.

Press on Toward the Goal.

Lets suppose that you are going to drive from Raleigh, NC to Hollywood, CA and were only going to drive at night. The trip would be a total of 2,557 miles and take a driving time of 38 hours. When you get into your car in Raleigh and turn your headlights on you can only see 100 feet ahead of you. This leaves you with 13,606,460 feet you have yet to see and drive before you get to your destination in Hollywood. You turn on the navigation system and start your journey. You can’t see Hollywood from Raleigh but know that you will get there. All you see are those 100 feet that your headlights shine, but you keep on course. You would never find your way without the course the navigation system charts out for you in your travels. You never doubt it, always trust it, and know that you will get to Hollywood.

Now lets suppose you are getting ready to start making changes to develop a healthier lifestyle. You want to start eating healthy and exercising more regularly so that you can better care for your body. You have a long way to go and can’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel, but do you need to? All you need to see is each little step that you take. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the distance of your journey. Only focus on those 100 feet that you can see. Do your best each day by making healthier choices and being more active for that day. If you continue to move those 100 feet at a time you will soon find yourself where you were not able to see before. That’s called faith! “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.

I know you may be thinking that making changes is not easy and can be a little daunting, but remember that you are not alone. You have been given a chance to have your own personal navigation system that guides you in life. God created each one of us to have a love relationship with him. God showed his love for us through his Son, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.  Understand that God wants what is best for you because he loves you and will help you through all things, even in developing a healthier lifestyle. Besides, as believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit resides within us, so God wants to have a strong and healthy dwelling place for himself within each of us (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). If we can trust in a navigation system to get us from Raleigh to Hollywood, how much more can we trust God, who spoke all things into existence, in helping us on our journey to a healthier lifestyle.

In short, when making changes to improve on your health or in any other area of your life one should: Have faith, take one step at a time, and trust God every step of the way.

To Meet Your Weight Loss Goal, Don’t Forget The Brown Bag!

People make so many excuses when it comes to not eating healthy during the day.  From not having enough time to pack a lunch in the morning, to not wanting to hurt co-workers feelings when they ask you to eat out,  many people find it impossible to bring their own lunch.  But there are many benefits to brown bagging it.  Here are just a few:

It helps you avoid temptation: If you bring the food you want for the day, you are less likely to make poor choices at restaurants or in the break room.  If a co-worker asks if you want anything from a fast food restaurant, you can easily refuse because you already have what you need.  You also don’t need to stress out about ordering the healthiest option on the menu.

It saves time: Although it does take some planning in the morning, or even the night before, it really only takes five minutes to make your own salad and grab some fruit or yogurt.  To eat out at work, you have to drive there, sit down, order, eat and then drive back to work.  For a sit down restaurant this will take a minimum of an hour.  If you want to save time you could always go to a fast food restaurant, but we all know that even the salads there tend to be full of fat and don’t exactly use the highest quality ingredients.  Besides, you still have to take the time to drive there!

It’s cheaper: A salad out will cost you anywhere from five to fifteen dollars.  If you buy the ingredients yourself, you might spend fifteen dollars, but you’ll have salad for a week!  You can also buy organic ingredients at the grocery store and avoid the bacon or fried chicken toppings that restaurants add.

It sets a good example: Some people fear that their co-workers will think they’re weird for bringing their own lunch.  Your co-workers won’t think you’re strange when you’re losing the weight you’ve vowed to lose for years.  Perhaps they’ll even notice and you’ll start an office trend!  Those of you with children can also set a good example by brown bagging it.  Your kids will follow in your footsteps and are more likely to eat their sack lunch if you bring one to work.  I would encourage you to actually go to your child’s school and check out what is being served.  That extra 5 minutes packing the brown bag in the morning might look even better after seeing the alternative!

Space – Time Continuum

dantada-main_fullAs a kid, did you ever guiltlessly not do your homework because you left your books at school?  Always a good excuse, huh?  Unlike doing homework, when you make a fitness/health goal, you want to do everything in your power to ensure that you reach your goal.  Many people feel as though they don’t have the time or space to get a workout in while they are traveling or even at home.  In other words, some people fall under the impression that they have to have a full size gym and a full hour to workout.  They think that anything less than that is a waste of time.

The good news is that with the right education, what was a great excuse to postpone a workout might not be so valid after all.  Once you understand a handful of movements or exercises you can keep on track regardless of where you are.  Transformation’s PT3 video ia designed to give you an arsenal of great workouts that can be done anywhere. One of the best examples of an on the fly workout is doing towel swipes.  A great workourt for the business traveler,  you grab two coners of a bath towel, one corner in each hand, and quickly snap the towel up and down.  It doesn’t take much time at all to get your heartbeat up and you could do it in a closet if you had to!

Believe it or not, you can do some damage in only 20 minutes, good damage that is, with a simple combination of movements.  The truth is, with the right determination and the right knowledge you can become the healthy, fit person you want to be….no matter how much time or space you have.