The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
teach me your decrees. Do good to your servant according to your word, Lord. Teach me knowledge and good judgment for I trust your commands. Psalm 119, 64-66
Dear family in the Lord!
Coming home from being away for a while is both bitter and sweet. Saying goodbye to loved ones, participating in their lives from a distance and finding back into the swing of things can be challenging. What is sweet about coming home? Well... How about you can try to find out who "you" were before you left and if "you" then and now still match up? You get to think about which aspect of your life is worthy of picking up again and which is not.
A downside to being away for an extended time is that you might realize that your ability to uphold a certain lifestyle is bound to a place, or maybe even the influence and inspiration of certain friends. In other words, I have to admit that I gave up quickly on my frequent and intense workout routine- even though I carried all the knowledge I needed to keep me exercising on my own. Being exposed to various different foods, or simply not being able to find the power health foods I am used to eat, I even adjusted more to the rather callous ways people ate around me.
Well, and now I am back home and I got to say that I want to find my way to get back on track. Not so easy! But since my clients often express such a desire I am certain it will be worth looking at "getting back on track" a little closer.
You don't have to leave the country to lose a good habit- for many people any kind of change can bring about a loss of commitment to what they know to be good for them. Like a move. Or a pregnancy. A job change. A wedding. A death. A child taking of to college. A season change. An illness or injury. We are human and as that, as we say in german, animals of habit. If there is a change we might feel a need to go back to what we feel will make us happy or protect us- before we got the revelation that led to changing our destructive ways. In crisis many go back to eating junk food- even though they know better. They cease to exercise or even go for a walk, because they feel like "treating" themselves to being a coach potato. I like to call that "going back to Egypt" in reference to the people of Israel wanting to go back to slavery rather than obeying the Lord in the desert and making the tough way through the waste land with trust.
SO! If you are convicted right now that you fell of the band wagon, stop and think! What happened? What distracted you from living the way you know is good? If we aren't following what we know to be true, who is to blame if we're ending up in an undesired place?
Do you want to get back on track?
I do!
So here is my plan to get back on track. I have got to start somewhere. The first Spin class I taught after a month, to be honest, threw me off a little. I guess I can't expect to pick up right where I left off. So, if you are planning to become fit and you are new to Group Exercise I'd recommend you take it easy in your first classes. It isn't terrible if you experience nausea or become dizzy, but some people get quickly discouraged by those kinds of reactions. Taking time to let your heart rate recover and lots of water should get you through a class. There is no shame in stepping in out while others are following the program. Everyone starts at one point! If Group Exercise or joining a Gym is way too far in the future for you, start walking! Go out there, change your pace, take deep breaths, enjoy the weather. That is a healthy way of getting/ staying in motion.
About getting back into healthy nutrition, again, you got to start somewhere! One thing I noticed being around my mom a lot- I never felt hungry. I rather felt full at most times, but that didn't stop her from making more food and, yes, me having some more. That is a very fruitful setting for gaining weight, consuming more energy than you use up. Besides that I wasn't performing much exercises like I usually do, so here goes some muscles also... (Do you wonder by now if my trip was even worth going :) Yes, it was!!)
A start to get back on track could be:
- Limit treats during the day to just one
- Have 5 planned meals/ snacks throughout the
day, no "opportunity crime"
- Make one meal a colorful salad with olive oil and
cheese as dressing
- Don't overeat! It is actually quite pleasant to not
feel stuffed.
- go for a walk instead of dessert
- Drop Soda intake (to none)
- Limit alcohol intake
- Listen to your body as you plan a meal
- Eat what your body needs for nourishment!
- Be thankful for the wonderful times!
You can do it. Just start somewhere. If you don't start- no one will do that for you.
Thinking about the quoted Psalm and our health I want to wrap this Post up with a prayer: There are general truths all around us and we would do good to learn those and live by those! Lord Jesus, teach us to be good and faithful stewards of our own body for your glory! Thank you that your creation is filled with your love! (But what were you thinking by creating wood ticks!? And spiders!? And mosquitos???) Amen.
Be blessed abundantly!
A downside to being away for an extended time is that you might realize that your ability to uphold a certain lifestyle is bound to a place, or maybe even the influence and inspiration of certain friends. In other words, I have to admit that I gave up quickly on my frequent and intense workout routine- even though I carried all the knowledge I needed to keep me exercising on my own. Being exposed to various different foods, or simply not being able to find the power health foods I am used to eat, I even adjusted more to the rather callous ways people ate around me.
Well, and now I am back home and I got to say that I want to find my way to get back on track. Not so easy! But since my clients often express such a desire I am certain it will be worth looking at "getting back on track" a little closer.
You don't have to leave the country to lose a good habit- for many people any kind of change can bring about a loss of commitment to what they know to be good for them. Like a move. Or a pregnancy. A job change. A wedding. A death. A child taking of to college. A season change. An illness or injury. We are human and as that, as we say in german, animals of habit. If there is a change we might feel a need to go back to what we feel will make us happy or protect us- before we got the revelation that led to changing our destructive ways. In crisis many go back to eating junk food- even though they know better. They cease to exercise or even go for a walk, because they feel like "treating" themselves to being a coach potato. I like to call that "going back to Egypt" in reference to the people of Israel wanting to go back to slavery rather than obeying the Lord in the desert and making the tough way through the waste land with trust.
SO! If you are convicted right now that you fell of the band wagon, stop and think! What happened? What distracted you from living the way you know is good? If we aren't following what we know to be true, who is to blame if we're ending up in an undesired place?
Do you want to get back on track?
I do!
So here is my plan to get back on track. I have got to start somewhere. The first Spin class I taught after a month, to be honest, threw me off a little. I guess I can't expect to pick up right where I left off. So, if you are planning to become fit and you are new to Group Exercise I'd recommend you take it easy in your first classes. It isn't terrible if you experience nausea or become dizzy, but some people get quickly discouraged by those kinds of reactions. Taking time to let your heart rate recover and lots of water should get you through a class. There is no shame in stepping in out while others are following the program. Everyone starts at one point! If Group Exercise or joining a Gym is way too far in the future for you, start walking! Go out there, change your pace, take deep breaths, enjoy the weather. That is a healthy way of getting/ staying in motion.
About getting back into healthy nutrition, again, you got to start somewhere! One thing I noticed being around my mom a lot- I never felt hungry. I rather felt full at most times, but that didn't stop her from making more food and, yes, me having some more. That is a very fruitful setting for gaining weight, consuming more energy than you use up. Besides that I wasn't performing much exercises like I usually do, so here goes some muscles also... (Do you wonder by now if my trip was even worth going :) Yes, it was!!)
A start to get back on track could be:
- Limit treats during the day to just one
- Have 5 planned meals/ snacks throughout the
day, no "opportunity crime"
- Make one meal a colorful salad with olive oil and
cheese as dressing
- Don't overeat! It is actually quite pleasant to not
feel stuffed.
- go for a walk instead of dessert
- Drop Soda intake (to none)
- Limit alcohol intake
- Listen to your body as you plan a meal
- Eat what your body needs for nourishment!
- Be thankful for the wonderful times!
You can do it. Just start somewhere. If you don't start- no one will do that for you.
Thinking about the quoted Psalm and our health I want to wrap this Post up with a prayer: There are general truths all around us and we would do good to learn those and live by those! Lord Jesus, teach us to be good and faithful stewards of our own body for your glory! Thank you that your creation is filled with your love! (But what were you thinking by creating wood ticks!? And spiders!? And mosquitos???) Amen.
Be blessed abundantly!
