Challenge Accepted!

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4: 7

Like you I have quite a few strengths, but I also have weaknesses.  I am a great cheerleader, ideas person including motivation, initiative, and creative, and crave variety so I look for new ways of doing things and appreciate other perspectives.  I do however lack perseverance.  I get tired, frustrated, let my perfectionist become a critic and shut everything down.  I get swept up in life’s chaos which means I will drop everything and “show up” but then not so good at picking up the project that was abandoned.  And because of all this undone-ness surrounding me.  I tend to get overwhelmed which is another reason to abandon ship and move on – I tend to like the new scenery anyways.  I’ve tried RBL before and because life happened I was caught up in the current.  My health caused an implosion.  One of my saving prayers was “Thank you Lord for letting me get as healthy as I could” because all that followed could have been much worse.  And once one part of your body falls out, quickly other parts follow due to the stress, the change of the workload, or there is a battle raging taking down whatever will succumb.  Also, when health quickly deteriorates other areas of life suffer as well.  Passing that semester became quickly questionable due to all the absences due to the sickness taking control of my schedule, body, and simply stated my life.  Dominoes kept falling and not just in my life but also of my loved ones.  When it rains, it pours!  I got to the halfway point of RBL 2015 and simply could go no farther.  I have a list of unfinished business in my life that I certainly am not proud of, but that is the past.

Today I am here by God’s Grace (in so many ways and areas of my life!) and once again at the halfway point of Rob’s Big Losers.  Anxious would be a truthful word.  I worry I am going to have a major health decline again.  I worry about an injury.  I worry for what wrench or temptation the Enemy plans to throw upon my path.  But not this round!  I am truly making life changes.  This week was insane – including three trips to school plus regular driving duties and I am on the road for about 1000 miles (that is a lot of time stuck sitting! That doesn’t include the other times I have to sit while I am in class learning or doing homework or finishing up actual work!)  I have a class that meets 8:30 p.m.- 11:30 p.m. on a Friday night – you read that correctly.  It’s crazy I know, but please believe me when I share I live a very up and down all around hectic schedule.  The good news I still choose health as a priority.  I am incorporating healthy habits and daily healthy choices that support the lifestyle I want to actually live.

Some changes – because of the late class I invited my husband and son to come on a mini trip.  They get to enjoy hotel life including a pool while I attend class and I get to enjoy their company for the 4+ hour drive.  The car tends to be where we spend a lot of family time for the last couple of years!  One night we stayed in the hotel.  I packed workout clothes.  I have done this quite a bit, but have NEVER used them.  They literally take up space in my bag.  But not this trip- I put them on first thing this morning and did a quick workout on the elliptical and even completed half of my weights (Activtrax).  Then up was “free” breakfast with delicious choices of waffles, bagels, biscuits and gravy, and pastries.  I loooooooooooooooooove sweets!  And juice selection of orange or apple or lemonade.  My breakfast choice was eggs with salsa and an apple with peanut butter and water to drink.  Not because I had to but because I chose to.  Several weeks ago I freaked what was I going to eat and it finally started to click I can’t have an almost heart attack every meal.  Make smart choices and move on with life.  Its that perfectionist wanting to stop the train! And then for family fun we headed to an awesome Farmer’s Market where we picked up a minimum of ten DIFFERENT vegetables!!! Then it was lunch time we stopped for fast food through a window so that we could picnic and watch the planes take off/land.  My choice after quick research was a grilled chicken apple pecan salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.  It was delicious and filling.  I went for the full size because I still panic I will still be hungry.  I could have totally ordered the half size as I was unable to eat the full.  Still learning – consistently and constantly.

And I asked my husband if we could head home early.  I really wanted to finish my weights workout.  I had set a goal for myself – 200,000 pounds lifted in one week. I was under it by 5000 lbs.  I could have called it a good try or close enough.  But I am trying really hard to be better at finishing at what I start or at least giving everything I have to reach my goal.  And you know what I did it – I dared myself to challenge myself and I accepted the challenge and surpassed it!!!! That is an awesome feeling. I have fought a good fight.  I will finish this race.  I will keep the faith.  I pray you do the same.  God Bless!

 (My gym workout while out of town! Challenge Accepted!!!)