Lifestyle

I wanted the 12 weeks to be over....to only find out that I want the accountability back. After a few weeks off from journaling, exercising and trying to eat six meals a day, I found myself feeling slow.

The only thing I knew that would work for me is to do this all over again....and never stop. A decision had to me made. Live life like I was, with no thought to the importance of being physically fit to serve God, or be willing to sacrafice.

Sacrafice: Time....making appointments to work out. I've discovered I can do be at the gym around 5:30AM.....I will do this and love it.

Eating: Six mini meals a day to increase my metabolism. Sounds great, but difficult to do. Making a life long commitment to plan and prepare family meals the night before.

Obstacles: Sleeping in, kids off to school, Matty's schedule, work, events, and of course having fun.. I must continue to understand that my body is not my own. My faith has everything to do with how I live, and I must live how I love.

Overcoming: Being in a room full of physically fit, healthy, beautiful people can be intimidating or inspiring. I choose to be inspired of the hard work and dedication it takes to be healthy.

Join me in this year long event to becoming physically fit.

10 Things That I Learned

After starting the Commit 2 B Fit with a little trepidation - I soon found my groove. I was able to post a 15 pound loss during the 12 week period and I already feel much better. However, I also found the experience to be an opportunity for learning - not just a weight loss endeavor.

Here are 10 things that I learned during the Commit 2 B Fit:

1. It is much easier to listen to John Mayer sing "Gravity", than to actually show up to Rachel's gravity class.

2. Even weight training can be a spiritual experience. Several times I saw a bright white light right before I passed out.

3. Even men retain a lot of water. The first 5 lbs of water weight was easy. After that it was torture.

4. Don't let the word "quick" when it comes in front of "spin" fool you. The spin was not nearly "quick" enough for me.

5. I can leg press more than John Bray.

6. Whoever decided that the gym should be located just across the street from the emergency room made a really good decision.

7. Some things, like getting started on an exercise program, are hard to do alone. It is best done with a caring group.

8. Accountability is both good and bad. It forced me to make good eating decisions most of the time. But other times it made me eat the buffet only when I was out of town when no one could see me - like while making hospital visits in Iowa City. Not that I remember a specific incident or anything.

9. Exercise is easier to do when you are in better shape. Go figure.

10. The on-line heart risk profiles that we were asked to do were really helpful. Mine came back not only with a cardiac risk score, but also with driving directions to the nearest hospital that does open heart surgery.

Dwayne Brothers