is there really time?

i did really well last week...3 days, i ran 5.5 mph for 20 minutes, and walked 4.1 mph for 10...then, lifted weights and stretched...i really do love to exercise when i really have the time..

this week, i'm beginning to see that this is going to be very difficult seeing as i can hardly stay awake to study after a day of clinical...the question is, will i be able to really fit this in during this crazy season of my life? we'll see...

i've decided my empirical evidence will be my weight and body measurements...hope that's good...i still have to check with Helen...

i'm also keeping a food journal...i've done this off and on my whole life and it's really good for me to have a little perspective on how much of what i'm putting into my body every day...for me, it's all about portion sizes :) much easier talked about than actually adjusted...

ok, time to study..

will power on demand...

health=O.E. hælþ "wholeness, a being whole, sound or well," from PIE *kailo- "whole, uninjured, of good omen" (cf. O.E. hal "hale, whole;" O.N. heill "healthy;" O.E. halig, O.N. helge "holy, sacred;" O.E. hælan "to heal").

i love words.

there's this quote by Elisabeth Elliot "God will never disappoint us. He loves us and has one purpose for us: holiness (wholeness, health, healing), which in his Kingdom equals joy."

this is not just about my body...it's not just about losing weight..it's about being healthy..

it's cool that God is definitely redeeming my heart and my soul in making me holy, but He's also a God of physical redemption, a God who is passionate about healing, who loves health and making things whole. if i've learned one thing in my walk with Jesus, it's that personal holiness feeds your ministry...maybe it's the same in healthcare, that personal health feeds your ability to help lead others to health..

well, here it is...day 1 of the journey to a healthier life. it's crazy to me that we're doing this now, during one of the busiest, most stressful seasons of life, but i like it. i, for one, am a champ at putting off goals because "life is too hectic" or "i don't have time"...maybe this assignment will finally give me the will power i need to actually make a lifestyle change.

the assignment is "select an area of your health that involves a lifestyle change or modification"--and change it. simple enough, right? ha! the project spans 7 months but i think mine needs to span the rest of my life.

so, the goal is broad right now (soon to become much more specific)..to exercise, eat better, and lose some weight.

the byproducts are thousand-fold...for me, this means workout time for stress to leave my body, having more energy and less joint pain, feeling better, maybe stopping my celebrex, having a healthier heart...and so many other things..

but it also means committment to my goals, will-power that i tend to lack, saying "no" to a lot of things that i love and "yes" to some things that aren't particularly my favorite, managing my time so that i can meet goals and still get my work done (and sleep!), learning to make healthy choices according to what's best, not necessarily what i want at the time...and so many other things..

today, i went to scope out the gym situation...i ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill, stretched, and lifted weights...i think that will be the format that i continue throughout the project...i need to figure out a way to document what i do..i guess i need to figure out how closely i want to follow it, like do i want to document miles, reps, calories burned, etc. or do i want to do more general stuff...we'll see..i'm gonna need to make a plan with milestones and goals and such...

lots to do still...but deciding to do it is the first step, right? :)