New Year, New Me

This post probably should have been done on January 1st; however, all the decisions weren't really made until after then. I've decided (yet again) to get serious about getting in shape both physically and spiritually.

Physically:

Since October, I've been counting calories. In the beginning I was hard core about it and recorded everything I ate on an online website (caloriecount.about.com -- which I recommend!). The end of November and the whole month of December marked a lot of traveling, so I stopped using the online website (too time consuming). Even though I don't record everything that goes into my mouth, I still keep a mental tab each day of my calorie consumption. I also don't eat past 9pm (that way, I avoid "tv snacking") and have limited myself to 1 diet coke per day (which is EXTREMELY hard and I can't like that I break this rule a few days a week).

I've always done sporadic workouts & short lived diets but never something that sticks. For Christmas, my wonderful momma got me The Biggest Loser Cardio Max workout. It is a 6-8 week program that increases levels every 2-3 weeks (you decide). Right now I'm on week 4 - Level 2. I'll probably move on to the final level (3) on week 5. I do this workout 4-5 times a week! Even though I groan a lot about having to workout (ask Steve), I always feel much better after completing the workout. There's another accompanying Biggest Loser DVD that I left at my parents' house that I'll add to my regular workout.

I'd like to say that I've lost a bunch of weight, but I haven't yet. I've slowly lost some and have noticed that some areas of my body are toning up. It's a daily struggle for me to continue working out when I haven't seen much results yet. I know it's all about getting healthier and getting in shape is a slow process. I always feel great after an intense work out and that's what it's all about, right??

Spiritually:

Just like with working out, I've always been sporadic in being in the word. I'd go through spurts of having serious devotion time, followed by long "dry spells". Part of it was not having a devotion or Bible reading plan. Once I'd finish a book or devotion, I'd take forever to get into another one. Now, I've set a plan in motion and it's been going great! I'm reading the Bible from cover to cover for about 15-20 minutes per day. I've also set a rule that I can't get on fbook until I've read, which has become quite easy! I now read as soon as I get up & it has help me set my mind and heart on the right things throughout the day.

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Since I haven't been called to sub yet (well, I was called 1 day, but had previous engagements), my new life choices have been rather easy. Once my days are packed with work and other stresses (like packing up our stuff to move to a house once we've found one or travelling), my new lifestyle will be tested.