Getting into shape is hard work! While it may come easy to some people, for the majority of us it is hard work. It takes dedication and discipline. Those six packs don’t just naturally form, they come at a price. My wife is someone who can eat just about anything she wants to without gaining a pound. I’m pretty sure she’s eaten an entire box of Twinkies and actually lost weight! I on the other hand, have been known to gain weight just by breathing too much air!
About five months ago I purchased a gym membership. I’ve been against gym membership because statistics show that 85% of people who have memberships don’t even go to the gym. But seeing as it was only $10 a month, I said ‘hey, why not!’ I’m not one to go to the gym and pump iron, but I have been faithful for about five months now. It took about two months before I started seeing some results. I was feeling pretty good about progress and then Christmas came. Yeah Christmas…enough said. You have the apple pies, and the cherry pies, and the marshmallow fudge and then there’s sugar cookies. Oh yes, let’s not forget the sugar cookies! All those cute reindeer and snowmen topped with vanilla icing and sprinkled with colorful delight! I tell you people, if sugar was illegal, I would be in prison!! I love sweets! I’ve tried to tell myself I don’t really like them, I’ve tried to convince myself it’s all in my head. But the truth is, I love sweets! There’s a weight loss saying that goes “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.” Ha! I don’t know if that’s true or not because I love sweets more than getting into shape–when Im eating it, but afterwards, I feel like dookie! I think, man all this hard work lost to this stupid (albeit it delicious) sugar cookie!! I’ve come to realize that working out isn’t enough, you have to eat right as well. Statistics show that as much as 85% of getting into shape is simply eating the right things.
Seems like our whole life is spent trying to find balance and getting things into shape. Whether it’s your marriage, work, or weight–sometimes the scale is tipped to the right and at other times it’s to the left. Every now and then you get it balanced out. There are times you believe you’re doing everything correctly, then you discover you have to eat right, too. I guess that’s part of the adventure. You can’t get frustrated about it you just have to keep tipping the scales and when it comes to your weight you hope it tips to the left!
Life is hard work but hard work results in a great pay off! The best part about the work is not the end result, but the journey it took you to get there. I hope I never get so focused on the end result that I lose sight of the journey. Learn to laugh at yourself. When you fail (and you will), be proud that you tried, then try again. What’s the journey you’re on? What do you want for this new year? I pray you will enjoy the journey on your way to your destination! I pray you will take a chance and step out in faith into the unknown. Don’t keep looking at the past focusing on your failures–your would of, could of, should ofs. Look to the future and trust in the Lord to balance out your scale!
Now I got to go get on the tread mill! 😉
