Yesterday I posted my first principle to what I believe is important to developing a lifestyle of healthier living and a healthier diet. Today, I would like to go beyond the desire that is needed to the second principle to developing a healthier lifestyle:
Determination: I don’t say this to pat myself on the back, but losing weight is hard! I believe I had to discipline myself more than I ever have for any one area of my life. I believe the desire that I spoke about yesterday is the kindling to starting the fire and determination is the logs that keep the flame burning.
There are days that the desires will cease, you will be tired and not want to put forth the extra effort that is required to see your desired results. There have been many days that I was worn out and had no energy after sitting at a desk all day. Now you may say, “You should be full of energy after sitting around all day!” However, it is more the opposite, when you sit around all day and your legs get stiff in the same position, it actually makes you want to go home and do the same, not stretch and get your body moving. However, even when the desires were not there, the determination to lose weight and to get healthier kept the flame within me going. There were days I wanted to skip my lunch meal of soup and go eat pizza or BBQ or Chinese food, however I knew those things would set me back, so as my desires weakened my determination kept me strong!
The picture above is a great example of how determination works. I had a picture in my mind of what I wanted to achieve (Yes Chuck it was to achieve your body as pictured on the massive Christmas Ornament I won at our Community Group Ornament Exchange 🙂 ). My goal when I started this journey 2 years earlier was to get to 165 pounds. As I posted in March of this year, once I got to that goal, I realized that it was really not where I wanted to be, so I kept going, in that post you can see where I was seriously losing desire…I was tired, but my determination got me where I am today and that is at 152 pounds. From the time I started losing desire, my determination (and Chuck’s picture) pushed me to lose 15 additional pounds!
Now, my determination has changed somewhat. I now want to maintain what I have achieved and tone up a little. My wife laugh’s at me, but my new picture is a reverse of what my former picture was. I have a little mini shrine of all my fat pictures set up in our multi-purpose room where I do sit-ups and push-ups. There is seriously a picture where I have 3 chins. Those pictures help motivate me to work hard, even when I am tired to achieve my desired results. Determination drives me to run 4 miles at midnight, if that is what I have to do (which I have done many times) to keep a regular scheduled workout. My desire is now to stay healthy, and my determination will keep me there.
Join the Conversation: What are you determined to accomplish? Is that determination motivating you beyond your desires?
Right now, I really feel that God’s calling me to spend more in in prayer for others. To get up earlier, to spend more time with Him, to read His word more than I do now. It’s hard. It really is. It means I have to go to bed much earlier, get up earlier, and just give God the time I selfishly want.
But! I have seen prayers answered days and even hours after I prayed them. That is reason enough to get up in the morning and give more to God.
Time to get toned up…I have a workout just for YOU.
Like you get in better shape!!
I lost 20 lbs, but slowly am gaining it back. I don’t have the motivation that I had 6 months ago. I get mad at myself for being lazy, and knowing that I can lose the weight. I just need that kick in the pants to make it work.
Thanks for the candid blog, maybe I’ll actually get my lazy butt out of the bed tomorrow morning and actually start working out again for the first time in 3 months.
Good luck!
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