April

Hola!

Did you think my May goal was to give up blogging?  Guess again!  :)

First, let me address my goal for Lent, since that started last month but finished in April.  I did it!  No eating out because I didn't feel like cooking!  We still ate out, but when I didn't feel like cooking, we ate leftovers or salad or I learned a new recipe, and it went really well.  I'm hoping to keep that goal going.  Eating out's expensive!

Now, for my March goals:

1. Say personal prayer before bed.

2. Exercise every weekday.

Say personal prayer before bed.

I used to do this all the time, no problem.  Somewhere along the way, though, I fell out of the habit.  I don't know when.  I know it got more difficult when I started sleeping in beds kept on cinder blocks or that were otherwise tall, because my favorite praying position for personal prayers is against the bed.  With a tall bed, I can't reach the top when I'm on knees and it's uncomfortable.  Not less comfortable; uncomfortable.  Anyway, the important thing is, this was a good goal for me.  I wasn't 100% at it, but it was good for me to recognize the situation and consciously work to correct it.  

Exercise every weekday.

Wow!  I give a lot of credit to those of you who do this.  It's hard to make the time!  The easiest time, of course, is early in the morning, before I have time to procrastinate it.  That's also the hardest time, what with getting up early.  :)  Some days I exercised before work, others after, and many days I rode my bike to and from work to get it in then.  It became more difficult when someone else in my household with a much different schedule wanted to join in, because then I had to choose between actually doing it and trying to figure out a time every day that would work for both of us.  The times that were convenient for me (and that guaranteed I'd get it in) weren't convenient for that person.  I learned I'm better at exercising independently (unless there's group that meets every day at the same time and that time works for my schedule).  

I'd say I was about 85% on each of these goals.  I do have to say, though, that I feel a lot better.  It was interesting - I didn't expect that to be a benefit of Lent or Goal #2.  I kind of hoped I'd see a difference, but I didn't expect to feel one.  But less fast food - even though we still had some - and more exercising - even though I often did the bare minimum :) - made me feel better.  Better energy- / health-wise and better about myself.  So that was cool. 

As far as May goes, here's what I've decided.  I said in January that "My hope is that doing each mini goal for a month will help make it a habit, but even if none of them turn into habits, I'll still be on track."  I since have amended my views.  I want these goals to become habits.  During the month of May, then, I'll be working on doing all the goals I've done until this point.  It will be hard, but I've been trying to anyway, so I'm hoping that helps.  It will be a lot to remember, though... Wish me luck!  :)

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“But Hogwarts is hidden,” said Hermione in surprise.  “Everyone knows that…well, everyone who’s read Hogwarts, A History, anyway.” 

“Just you, then,” said Ron.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

exercise

Something else I've been thinking about lately.

Folks, running is not the only kind of exercise.
And if you don't like it, that doesn't mean you're fat.

The world doesn't like us to know those things.  Oh yeah.  One more thing.

I like doughnuts.

I enjoy spending time on Pinterest sometimes.  I see pretty things and get good ideas, plus it can be a really great place to look if you're trying to find a new healthy recipe or some new ways to make cards.  It's a trendy place that way.  But I've noticed something lately.  A lot of women are on Pinterest, pinning away at "motivating" posters telling them to go exercise.  And they always write captions on the bottom like, "So true!" and "I need to put this by the fridge!" and even "I'll think of this every time I eat a cookie!"  The thing is, I don't find those posters very motivating.

Here's an example:

Let's go through this, shall we?

Myth #1: You will regret eating that cookie.

Truth: I often don't regret eating cookies.  The only time I do regret eating cookies is when I'm feeling guilty or fat.  Guess who wants us to feel guilty and fat, guys.  Not people who love us.  People who love us are encouraging and kind.  They don't tell you to stop being so fat and put down that cookie because, even though it's delicious, you've already had a carrot today and that has enough sugar in it for your whole week!  (I also sometimes regret eating a cookie if I've already eaten 12.)

Myth #2: You will not regret running that mile.

Truth: I sometimes do regret running that mile.  You know why? Because I hate running.  There.  I said it. 

I hate running! and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

 Do you know what I do enjoy?  Biking, yoga, pilates, swimming, hiking, walking... lots of things.  I don't always do them, but I enjoy them.  When I get home after going running, I am not filled with energy and happiness, as many people are.  I am, in fact, more prone to crash on the couch and watch TV all night long than if I hadn't gone running. 

By the way, did you check out the tumblr account name of the person who made that poster? That's right.  makemeextrasmall. 

Let's try again:

Myth #3: Not exercising = being fat.

Truth: Not exercising = not being as healthy as you could be.  The purpose of this post is not to say that exercising isn't good for us.  That's not true.  Exercising is great when done right!  We've been told to take care of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20, among many) and I definitely believe exercising is one part of doing so.  But there is so much more involved in being healthy than just exercising.  If I'm eating perfectly and doing everything else except exercising, I'm going to wager a guess that I won't be fat.  Now that might not be true - but I don't eat perfectly now and I'm not fat, so I'm guessing it's not too far from the truth.  To conclude: No, if you don't exercise, you may not be as healthy as you could be, but that does NOT mean you are fat.  Even logically, it doesn't follow.

and, while we're at it, Myth #4: Exercising = being skinny or causing skinniness.

I'll let you all in on a little secret.  Not all bodies are made to be skinny.  So, like it or not, you might exercise until the cows come home and never be as thin as the girl in that picture up there.  And guess what.  That's okay!  Because your body is special and specific to you - Your body knows when it's at a healthy weight!  And that healthy weight might not be 100 or 125 or whatever you think sounds healthy.  Your healthy might be 150.  It might be 175.  But the take-home lesson from Myth #4 is that, while exercising is good for you, not everyone who exercises is going to end up skinny and that's okay.

 

And let's just finish this out with two last remarks.

1. Exercising builds muscle.  Muscle weighs more than fat.  So if you start exercising to lose weight and notice that that's not happening, maybe you're gaining muscle.  Conclusion: When it comes to tracking your weight loss/gain, try using a tape measure instead of a scale.

2.