As I was thinking about what to write for this week I was reminded to write something which is both encouraging, and yet informative. To that end, I thought I'd share a few lessons I've learned regarding exercise over the last three months. Exercise is always a tricky subject. How many times have you or I written it on our "New Years' Resolutions" list, maybe even started out well, but then fizzled in both our enthusiasm and follow-through? I know I have definitely fallen into the same trap of false expectations regarding what I can and can't do when talking about exercise. Although I digress, I believe the following principles could be applied to other areas of our life as well, even though for today, I've decided to focus them on the theme of exercise. I believe the following three principles, if taken seriously and applied will help you towards a healthier lifestyle, of which exercise is an important component.
1. Be Consistent
Perhaps this first principle is a no-brainer, yet it can be so often overlooked. Maybe you don't have the opportunity to work out 6x a week (which would be a bit too much in my humble opinion) but whatever you are able to commit to plan on being consistent with it. In my case, my goal is to be consistent with working out 2-3x a week. Recently I've only been able to give about 1x a week, which though better than nothing, is not as helpful as 2-3x a week. Consistency means planning and preparation ahead of time. Look at your week ahead and schedule the times you want to work out now rather than waiting to do it the day of.
2. Shorter May Be Better
Before embarking on my journey to regain a healthier lifestyle, I fell into the expectation trap of planning on working out 2-3 hours a pop. If you have the drive to take on this mammoth work-out, by all means follow-through, but I've found over the course of three months that I can get in just as high of a calorie burn work-out in about 40 minutes, than in spending longer. Additionally, if you are gearing your heart up to work harder, more intense for shorter amounts of time generally works better. It also doesn't force you to carve out as large a chunk of time in your weekly schedule, thus allowing you to be more consistent with your work-outs. Up to this point I've focused almost exclusively on cardio heavy work-outs. I'll warm up on a bicycle for 5 minutes. Then I'll stretch and make sure my limbs are loose before climbing on an elliptical machine for about 30 minutes. On the elliptical I'll use the "interval training" setting which maps out for you intense stretches of 30 seconds, followed by less strenuous 1 minute intervals. Afterwards you want to make sure you stretch to keep the muscles loose and to avoid cramping up. Between the two, I'm consistently able to burn over 600 calories which goes a long way towards making you feel better and healthier.
3. Don't Expect Too Much Too Quickly
This final principle may be the toughest. Expectations are very hard to control in the age of "I want this right now." The reality is your body gained weight over time, and it will take time for your body to shed that weight and slim down. Therefore, and this realization has been extremely freeing for me, I'm not trying to lose a gazillion pounds in a month. Not only is this unrealistic, but it is waaaaay unhealthy for you. Expect this process to take time, and you won't be disappointed. Expect it to be over and done with quickly, and you will burn out faster than you thought. Controlling expectations can be harder than you think, but if you are able to tame them, you're putting into practice the idea of controlling your body, rather than letting your body control you. After all, one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Counseling Revelation #education
"Good theology helps filter out the theological and philosophical error that pervades much of our world today." Clinton & Ohlschlager 2001
Somehow, I think I missed it. I've spent over four years in school for Christian and professional counseling and I missed it. Don't I feel like a dunce. At the same time, I'm pretty stoked. Somehow I thought, even within an educational context at Lancaster Bible College, that I needed to weed out my Christian beliefs and principles when it came to counseling. As if I was an inferior practitioner if I allowed anything but the merest hint of my spiritual background into the counseling session. Well I was wrong and I'm glad to admit it. For the sake of balance, this also doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to always and only explicitly use scripture and prayer when in session with a client. I'll leave that up to the situation with the client and the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
What it does mean though is a shift in focus. Before I thought I would focus on secular and psychological sources of wisdom and truth, and I'd use the Bible as a back-up (without ever really intentionally planning on using it very much). The quote above has helped with this shift in focus, because now I'm coming to recognize my priorities had been misplaced. I shouldn't focus on secular psychology and psychotherapy because then my vision of what is true would/has become skewered. Rather, I should focus on the real Truth Giver as the standard for what should be emulated as a clinician instead. I can't tell you how much freedom the realization gives to me internally. It somehow clicks together much more smoothly.
This mind adjustment however does not mean I won't utilize psychology and other sources of truth. I firmly believe as an integrationist that all truth is God's truth, and thus there are other sources of benefit given to non-believers as well. Christians do not have a corner on the only source of truth and I think the sooner believers understand this, the quicker we will be to get off of our "high-horse." Anyway, my point is not to pot-shot Christians, but instead to emphasize the lesson I've recently learned and am looking forward to putting in my practice in clinical settings.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Really?! Gulp!
Sometimes I can't believe this is happening. Fatherhood. No, I'm not there yet. We haven't kept the delivery a secret. After all, it's not like you can have a baby delivery the same way you could elope. Anyway, I think it's about time I freak out. Whatever for you may ask? Freaking out is not to say I'm not excited by the prospect of being a father, because I am. Ecstatic is probably more appropriate, but ecstatic from an analytical/head sort of way. The meltdown is probably more appropriately from the fact that I'm almost a father hasn't quite yet sunk in yet.
Several weeks ago our youth pastor bounced up to me and told me first-time fathers go through several mood swings in their preparation for the big day. They are either overjoyed or paranoid (paraphrase). He looked at me and asked where I was in the swing. I looked at him and said, "I don't know if it's even really sunk in yet, so I'm not really sure where I am." He gave a puzzled look, shrugged and walked away. Apparently I significantly poked a hole in his theory, which is fine by me. I am concerned about the responsibility being a father is, but at this point it's only head knowledge. My heart hasn't yet been impacted.
I think this mystical phenomena began to sink in during one of our recent birth classes. That, combined with an encouraging tidbit from a friend where he highlighted how special it is to hold "your own flesh." The thought gives me shivers down the back. I'm pretty sure that is the point when my heart will meet my head. Will I be holding my handsome son, or my delicate sweet daughter? I'm looking forward to the head and heart circle being completed, but I don't know exactly what to expect. I'm hoping to do my best to keep my mind and expectations clear, though I have no doubt my mind will be blown by the scenario. Blown by the implications this bundle of joy holds. I'm a father!
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." -Psa. 139:13
Several weeks ago our youth pastor bounced up to me and told me first-time fathers go through several mood swings in their preparation for the big day. They are either overjoyed or paranoid (paraphrase). He looked at me and asked where I was in the swing. I looked at him and said, "I don't know if it's even really sunk in yet, so I'm not really sure where I am." He gave a puzzled look, shrugged and walked away. Apparently I significantly poked a hole in his theory, which is fine by me. I am concerned about the responsibility being a father is, but at this point it's only head knowledge. My heart hasn't yet been impacted.
I think this mystical phenomena began to sink in during one of our recent birth classes. That, combined with an encouraging tidbit from a friend where he highlighted how special it is to hold "your own flesh." The thought gives me shivers down the back. I'm pretty sure that is the point when my heart will meet my head. Will I be holding my handsome son, or my delicate sweet daughter? I'm looking forward to the head and heart circle being completed, but I don't know exactly what to expect. I'm hoping to do my best to keep my mind and expectations clear, though I have no doubt my mind will be blown by the scenario. Blown by the implications this bundle of joy holds. I'm a father!
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." -Psa. 139:13
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Health Update #lifeupdate
Galatians 5:22-23 states:
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
I know we've all heard about love. Believe me, this is probably one of the most talked about fruits of the Spirit, and you'll get no argument from me on its' importance in our lives. On the other hand, the list continues, and each of the fruits from the above list are just as important as any of the others. Take self-control for example. Wait! You mean I can't eat the cookie I really want but actually don't need? Yup, in some cases it is as simple as that.
Self-control was one of the fruits I enjoyed ignoring. It was enjoyable for a time but that enjoyment finally wore off. In the archived section of this blog you can read how I finally realized I needed to control my body rather than letting my body control me. I think if you are anything like me, then you will also need to come to a point where you decide something has to change. For some this is indicated by high-blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, or other health complications. It became even clearer for me as I have a propensity towards developing Stage 2 diabetes. If I don't control my body now then this could develop later on in my life. Personally, I'd rather reign in my desires now rather than later. Call me fiercely independent or something.
Anyway, this update is to let you know where I currently stand. Forty-four pounds lighter. Yep, you read the last sentence correctly. I did say 44 lbs. Looking at me you probably can't even tell the difference, and therein lies the indicator that something needed to change. I am being somewhat facetious as my wife consistently tells me I'm losing weight, and I am also now able to tell the difference. I feel great! Working out isn't as much of a struggle. My perspective on health, food, nutrition, and discipline has been revolutionized. I no longer dread working out. In fact, I slightly look forward to it. I posted on Facebook earlier this week my change in perspective. I no longer look at it as I HAVE to work out. Instead, I look at it as I GET to exercise and better take care of my body.
The progress I've been able to make has taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I can't lay claim to either the blood or tears part, but I can lay hold of the sweat portion of the phrase, "Blood, sweat, and tears" have been poured into this life-style change. My goal though has not yet been reached. My end goal is to lose 73 lbs. So far, so good. As things have progressed, portions of the journey have gotten easier and with God's grace and help, I'm going to keep on keeping on. I also don't want to give the impression that I could have done this on my own. Without the Lords' help, I couldn't have gotten this far. A huge shout out of gratitude goes out to my wife, whose encouragement and support through a change in how she cooks has enabled me to keep on going. Thanks also to B and P for "kicking me in the pants." I appreciate your companionship on this journey. You two are an inspiration.
Aha! You thought you could visit this blog and not be encouraged to something higher. For once, perhaps Ronsard will shut up without encouraging you. Maybe I will. After saying, don't make the same mistake I did of wilfully choosing to forget about self-control being a fruit of the Spirit. How often we all choose to "forget" something which will hinder what we enjoy.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
I know we've all heard about love. Believe me, this is probably one of the most talked about fruits of the Spirit, and you'll get no argument from me on its' importance in our lives. On the other hand, the list continues, and each of the fruits from the above list are just as important as any of the others. Take self-control for example. Wait! You mean I can't eat the cookie I really want but actually don't need? Yup, in some cases it is as simple as that.
Self-control was one of the fruits I enjoyed ignoring. It was enjoyable for a time but that enjoyment finally wore off. In the archived section of this blog you can read how I finally realized I needed to control my body rather than letting my body control me. I think if you are anything like me, then you will also need to come to a point where you decide something has to change. For some this is indicated by high-blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, or other health complications. It became even clearer for me as I have a propensity towards developing Stage 2 diabetes. If I don't control my body now then this could develop later on in my life. Personally, I'd rather reign in my desires now rather than later. Call me fiercely independent or something.
Anyway, this update is to let you know where I currently stand. Forty-four pounds lighter. Yep, you read the last sentence correctly. I did say 44 lbs. Looking at me you probably can't even tell the difference, and therein lies the indicator that something needed to change. I am being somewhat facetious as my wife consistently tells me I'm losing weight, and I am also now able to tell the difference. I feel great! Working out isn't as much of a struggle. My perspective on health, food, nutrition, and discipline has been revolutionized. I no longer dread working out. In fact, I slightly look forward to it. I posted on Facebook earlier this week my change in perspective. I no longer look at it as I HAVE to work out. Instead, I look at it as I GET to exercise and better take care of my body.
The progress I've been able to make has taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I can't lay claim to either the blood or tears part, but I can lay hold of the sweat portion of the phrase, "Blood, sweat, and tears" have been poured into this life-style change. My goal though has not yet been reached. My end goal is to lose 73 lbs. So far, so good. As things have progressed, portions of the journey have gotten easier and with God's grace and help, I'm going to keep on keeping on. I also don't want to give the impression that I could have done this on my own. Without the Lords' help, I couldn't have gotten this far. A huge shout out of gratitude goes out to my wife, whose encouragement and support through a change in how she cooks has enabled me to keep on going. Thanks also to B and P for "kicking me in the pants." I appreciate your companionship on this journey. You two are an inspiration.
Aha! You thought you could visit this blog and not be encouraged to something higher. For once, perhaps Ronsard will shut up without encouraging you. Maybe I will. After saying, don't make the same mistake I did of wilfully choosing to forget about self-control being a fruit of the Spirit. How often we all choose to "forget" something which will hinder what we enjoy.
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