Category Archives: Fitness

December 30, 2009

Goals of 2009 – Part 3

By alexpenduck

This week I am blogging about the goals I set myself for 2009 and how they have changed my life. Today I am writing about goals 3 & 4. To see why I set goals for 2009 click here and to view the post about the first two goals I set click here.

The first two goals I set myself for 2009 were more for professional development. The next two goals I set myself for 2009 were for personal growth and development. So here they are:

Goal 3: To lose 20 pounds of weight!

I remember looking at myself in the mirror at the end of 2008 and realizing I was 20 pounds overweight. Not only was I overweight but I realized that I had some minor health issues due to some excess poundage. Also I did not have the energy necessary to be fully productive in my life and I had some clothes in my wardrobe that were leaning towards the XL sign on the label!

My wife, Raquel and I decided this was going to be the year we got healthy. We first started out by watching our calorie in take. Then we made veggies, salads and fish a regular part of our diet, then we made an investment that changed our lives! No it wasn’t the ‘Total Gym’ but something even better! We bought a Wii Fit! Yes, you heard me, a Wii Fit! This little baby worked just the trick. I was 193 pounds back in January and before this Christmas season I was 160 pounds!

As a result I discovered energy I thought was never possible. I found losing weight had a tremendous impact on your spiritual life (a whole new meaning to being a temple of the Holy Spirit), I did not get very sick and I was able to look at myself in the mirror again without a look of disgust!

Goal 4: To follow-up on Facebook, Twitter and Email better

This one is still a work in progress. I have never been a great, ‘follow upper!’ However, I believe I am better today than I was one year ago. The reason for this was a little more intentionality on taking time each day to make sure I replied to messages and emails. Even though I still have a long way to go! After the Wii Fit the second best investment I made this year was the purchase of a new ‘super’ phone. I had a PDA phone before but this new phone allowed me to do everything I could do in the office at my finger tips! I still have a long way to go, but with the gift of technology I am improving.

Tomorrow, I will write about the final goal I set myself for 2009. This is a goal that seemed a far off dream, but has become a reality as I have watched as God has opened some impossible doors!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Fitness, Leadership, Life in general, Relaxation, Worship

May 6, 2009

My Big Juicy Steak

By alexpenduck

Five months ago I was in a funk! I was overweight (by my Dr’s standards), I was always tired, had high blood pressure and my cholesterol was not looking good either. For the past four years I had not looked after myself. Working crazy hours, going to bed late waking up early, a weekly habit of quick lunches in the drive-thru’s of America’s favorite hamburger joints and all this in the name of ministry!

At the beginning of the year I wanted to make some changes. And I did! I did not want to diet because diets do not work, but I wanted to become healthy. To cut a long process short, here I am five months later feeling a whole lot healthier, lighter, fitter and with more energy. I chose to change my lifestyle instead of continue on this path of self-destruction. The great thing was that my wife Raquel joined me on this adventure and it has helped us both, spiritually, mentally and physically.

grilled_steakThis past Monday I got home from the office and Raquel was cooking a big fat juicy steak! Oh the smell was enough to make my mouth water. She had cooked two big pieces and asked which one I wanted. I pointed to the biggest piece and said, “that one!”. Raquel then took the other one and started to wrap it up to put in the fridge. I asked her if she wasn’t eating. She looked puzzled and said I thought we were going to share that big piece (normally we share a lot of food). My eyes had become bigger than my mouth and I wanted that whole big fat juicy steak to myself.

I ate the steak, Raquel ate the other piece. After about ten minutes I started to feel very ill. My stomach hurt like crazy and I felt unbelievably tired, so did Raquel. It got me thinking. I use to eat this stuff all the time and it never made me feel like this. Then I realized that was because my body had grown accustomed to foods like this, foods that weren’t that healthy for my body. I thought my body must have been in bad shape, because this one piece made my feel so bad, imagine what four years of steak would have done to my body.

This episode with the steak reminded me of what sin does in our lives. When we have a healthy spiritual life our bodies, minds and souls get sick when exposed to sin and things that are not spiritually healthy. However, if we live a life that is consistently unhealthy spiritually, our bodies, minds and souls become accustomed to t unhealthiness. We don’t even realize when something is unhealthy, and we don’t realize we are on a journey of self destruction.

What things in your life has your body, mind or soul become accustomed to that once would have turned your stomach sick? What things make you feel sick now that at one time you did without a problem?

2 comments | posted in Fitness, Life in general, Marriage, Relaxation

April 20, 2009

Why Are Routines So Important?

By alexpenduck

Over the last two years I haven’t done as much traveling as I would have liked. I use to travel quite a bit, so last week while I was away for four days from my home and the office I was reminded what traveling felt like. Getting away occasionally from your surroundings is good as it enables you to refresh from the things that consume your life. However, last week I also discovered that getting out of your routine can be very dangerous as well.

At the beginning of the year I set myself a goal to lose 20 pounds in weight this year. Well, to my surprise I have already lost 15 pounds. This has been because of a consistent routine of working out a little everyday and watching what I eat. However, it only took four days to break my routine and I felt the effects. Until last night it had been a whole week since I had worked out, and I felt it. I had put some weight back on and felt very tired. I could tell that my body that I was out of routine.

I’ve realized that routines are an important part of our lives. I am not someone who likes too much routine as I get bored. However, when we get out of important routines we lose focus. I got out of the routine of working out, and what happened? I stopped thinking about what I was going to eat! My focus of taking care of my body was lost.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about Godliness. He said that exercise of the body is a good thing and you will profit a little from it. However, more than exercise, it is Godliness that will benefit you in everything that you do. Exercise will benefit your body, but Godliness will benefit your soul, mind and spirit.

I have discovered that unless I keep in a routine I cannot measure things correctly. Unless I exercise daily and weigh myself regularly I cannot measure whether my body is strong or too weak, overweight or normal. In the same way we need to get into a routine of Godliness and find ways to measure  it; if our soul, mind and spirit is strong or too weak, whether it is alive or dying!

The thing about exercise is that you can’t do it occasionally and think you will get good results from it. This is the same with Godliness. I know when I am not feeling very Godly! These are the times I am out of routine and have neglected the things I do to stay “Godly”.

billhullOne of the ways I try to remain “Godly” is to remain my body it does not control me, but I control it. This is why I try to keep daily and weekly routines within my prayer life, personal bible study and also reading of books. These are not easy things to do, neither will I lie and say I do them everyday, but I have discovered how important it is and soon realize after a day or two when I am out of routine.

If you are looking for ways live in Godliness then get hold of Bill Hull’s book, ‘Choose The Life. It really is a good book that looks at spiritual disciplines and practical ways to live out a life that is “Godly”.

What are some of the ways you try to live a life of Godliness? What routines do you have that check you in check? Leave a comment and let me know!’

3 comments | posted in Fitness, Leadership, Life in general, Relaxation

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