Man oh man, have I caved.
Welcome to my "get healthy" blog. NOTE: this is NOT a weight loss blog, or a website dedicated to complaining about how empty my tummy feels when I don't get to eat pizza or chocolate chip cookies. It's a blog about getting healthy and being positive while doing it.
Noble cause, right? Why then do I say I've caved? I never thought I would come to the point of blogging a "get healthy" journey right here online for all the world to read. Too personal, I originally thought--I don't want to end up like one of those individuals who lives an overly-detailed cyber existence. After much grappling, however, I came to the conclusion that a blog about getting healthy is just what I need, and--like everything else--with moderation, a "get healthy" blog might become the level of accountability missing in my healthy journey puzzle.
I'm a 5'10" female who currently weighs 176 pounds. If you look up a height-weight ratio chart or a BMI calculator, you will note that this actually puts me in the healthy range for my height and weight, albeit the high end. Most females for my height are recommended to maintain a body weight between 140-180 pounds depending upon the type of body frame they possess. Since I'm not a narrow body frame, but I'm not linebacker material either, I'm going to count myself right in the middle.
Do I think I possess a poor body image? Absolutely not. I love the clothes I wear and I love how they fit on my body 99% of the time. I'm content wearing size 10 or 12 jeans, because this is what size I've always worn. It's not a body image issue that has me hungry for being healthy. It's my overall quality of life and how it seems to have melted away over the past few years due to changes in lifestyle, changes in diet and exercise habits, and a failure to love my neighbor as myself.
I highlight the myself part because it's difficult for me to put myself first when it comes to my personal life and my health. I like to cook for others, which often leads to cooking large, comfort food meals that take time to prepare, many calories to consume, and time to clean up. Not bad in moderation, but stressful on a weekly basis. I find myself turning to sweets as a quick fix for the stresses in my day rather than pouring out my prayer requests before Jesus. I hardly ever exercise now, and I hate the aches, pains, and fatigue that have manifested because of the weakness in my body.
And so I begin my published journey to a ME with the energy, strength, and confidence to face each new day fresh and new. I want to shed this person I've become and turn my eyes back to Jesus. Once upon a time, I was healthy in every sense of the word, and now, I've lost my physical health and my spiritual health. I want to be renewed, refreshed, and replenished in my body and soul.
This blog is entitled 25 Before 25 because my goal is to lose 25 pounds before December 25 while seeking to keep in mind what the Christmas season is all about--a relationship with the Savior sent to bring new LIFE. This will be no easy feat due to the busyness and sugary sensations the holiday season often brings, but I am hoping that this will put my motivations for increased exercise and Bible study into motion. Meeting the goal of 12/25 will also bring me to a milestone--I will at 151 pounds before my 25th birthday. This will be a major accomplishment, as I have not been in that weight range since my sophomore year of college. I'm praying that God will also honor my efforts--I have faith that if I seek, I'll truly find.
It's time to put off things that have easily entangled... college stress, marriage stress, teaching stress, LIFE stress... and fix my eyes on Jesus. Because "through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his song, praying to the God who give me LIFE"--Ps. 42:8.
