Fitness Friday: an obesity FORECAST?!

i know

i read that and went "really?"

and the article is here, should you want to read what sparked this post.

i think the line that got me the most in this was the following:

The lifespan of an obese person is up to 8-10 years shorter than that of a normal-weight person, the OECD said, the same loss of lifespan incurred by smoking.

um, wow?

but truly, it's good that studies are being done

i live in tennessee, which is (according to recent calculations) the 2nd fattest state in the nation.

yikes.

that's not ok

thankfully, our governor sees this as the huge problem it is, and has unveiled a plan to make some pretty major changes

more sidewalks, taxes on soft drinks, more frequent PE classes

among other things

hear me say:

i'm not at an ideal weight

but i am working toward it

i got a little out of control

and i can certainly see how that happens

but seriously

to be the fattest nation on earth

when we have the access to amazing, local produce

(or at least fresh-ish produce for those of you not near great farmers markets and groceries)

and we have the whole world literally at our fingertips

to research how to eat healthful and real food meals

exercise plans for every level of ability and need

what's our excuse?

really.

what will it take for us to take the doritos off our regular buying list

and replace them with (for the same price) a week's worth of crunchy vegetables and hummus?

when will we put down the expensive packaged cookies

and for a fraction of the cost, make a better and more healthful version?
(ahem -- it kind of drives me crazy when people complain about the cost of healthy food
when junk food is incredibly expensive!)

it's not about deprivation

it's about making smart choices

and yes.

i occasionally buy a bag of doritos

but it's not even once a month!

and i bought oreos for the first time in about 2 months yesterday

but i'm sure the cashier was a bit surprised by that addition to an otherwise healthy basket.  ha!

i guess the real question here

is when will we get off our (literal) butts

and start making our health a priority?

(i'm asking myself too)

for me...i need to learn that happy medium.  after struggling with eating disorders for years upon years

i started eating what i wanted 

i embraced recovery

and as i stated above, i got a bit out of control!

but now that i'm learning more about what my body actually needs

how it was designed to function

and how i can eat really good food

and still be healthy?

why would i NOT prefer that over a drive-thru?

all things in balance

all things in moderation

it's not about never eating anything unhealthy

-- unless you're a stronger person than i!

it's about learning to make that the exception rather than the rule.

(and for me...a cheeseburger tastes SO MUCH better when it's been weeks since i've ordered one!)

i'm still working away at my weight loss challenge

(which reminds me...must make an update post about that next week)

my goal is to be at a weight that i'm happy with

and want to maintain

by the time i'm shopping for wedding dresses.

that's my clear and eventual goal

to be thrilled with my body on my wedding day

and beyond

it's a tangible goal

beyond that, i want to raise children

who never have the same body image issues i did

who learn how to have that balance and healthful attitude

that i'm currently striving for

what about you?

you know...we could prove that forecast wrong.
i'm just sayin'

abundance

tonight as anthony and i left his apartment to go have dinner with some of his family

we saw a squirrel dashing across the yard and into a tree

with a HUGE nut of some sort in it's mouth

after the obligatory "nut" jokes 

(yes, we're 12 years old!)

we remarked that it was actually pretty impressive

that he was able to move so agilely 

with such a huge load

after all, the nut was literally bigger than his mouth

(this wasn't our squirrel.  image courtesy of google images)

it made me wonder

if the squirrel really thought of it as a burden

a load

something that HAD to be done

or if he considered it abundance

something bigger than he could have dreamed of

a solitary piece of food that he can feast on for awhile

hmmm.

i have a lot of things in common with that squirrel.

sometimes i see things as a burden, when they are actually God's abundance

sometimes a load i'm bearing is actually leading me to a blessing that's bigger than i could imagine

something that seems like a chore is preparing me to feast on His richest food

i think that over the last few months

that's become very real to me

losing my house was a release

releasing me into blessings that are immeasureable

i no longer have the worry of how i'm going to pay the mortgage

because there is no mortgage

and some weeks i literally sit back and LAUGH

as God POURS money my way

and i'm ENJOYING my work

i love what i do

i feel like it matters

and i'm so.incredibly.thankful

for the things in my life that most would consider trials

because for me...they've become some of my richest blessings

abundance

i'm SO blessed

Thursday's Ten: my dvr cue

oh, how embarrassing this could be :)

is anyone else WAY excited about fall tv?

here's my current DVR lineup...at least the 10 that i'm most excited about!

1.  law and order: SVU

(and holy mess, what a premiere!)

2.  the mentalist

(swooooonnnnn)

3.  criminal minds

(speaking of season premieres.  w.o.w.)

4.  grey's anatomy

5.  glee

(as a former music/choir teacher, i know that this is SO far from reality...but it's fun :)

6.  30 rock

(i haven't finished season 4 yet, so this one will just sit in my cue waiting until i finish it...but it's my new love)

7.  modern family

8.  csi

9. desperate housewives

10.  private practice

 ok, and one more.  the middle.  they have NAILED both small-town, and indiana life.  i.love.it.

i'm pretty sure you're not as addicted to tv as i am...but feel free to make me feel like less of a couch potato and participate with your own top 10!









(all photo credits go to google images...i just searched the show names)

monday's memory: the one with the cheerleaders

do you ever feel like you've lived several lifetimes?

one right after another

seemingly not connected at all?

this was 5 years ago

i was a cheerleading coach

(yeah)

i had never cheered, never coached, and was certainly not interested

but the assignment (and extra stipend) came

and i agreed

those girls

drove me crazy

rocked my world with their perceptions

caused me to think about what i was doing to my own body

as i lectured them about what they put into theirs

and made my life

infinitely better

for coaching them

Thursday's Ten: the pink things i want to buy

it's hard to believe that september is nearly over and october is right around the corner

but it is

and october, as most of us know, is breast cancer awareness month
which has always been near and dear to my heart
but even more so this year, since my friend has a diagnosis and goes in for surgery next week

so today's thursday's ten are ten things that are fun, fashionable...and proceeds go to breast cancer research.

enjoy!

1. first up, from the simply vera collection by vera wang (at kohls -- ALL of the items in the collection are priced at $5 or $10!)

2. also from the simply vera collection

3. and another (i could have seriously filled up this list with JUST the items i want from this collection!)
4. an aromatherapy candle from pink ribbon marketplace

5. also from pink ribbon marketplace, a coffee cup with a courage scripture inside, and scripture cards included

6. from target.com, a fun little cosmetic set

7. brita pitcher (also from target although i'm sure they're sold elsewhere)

8. water bottle (target)

9. i'm salivating over this laptop messenger bag from ebags
but this one is more affordable
10. and if you're into the REALLY designer stuff, here's a coat from tommy hilfiger. no word on price yet, but it should be available on the website soon.

dear.8

dear blog readers,

remember that awesome blog project i told you about a couple of weeks ago?

well, we're doing a book club of sorts, and there's a giveaway involved for one of our readers!
so comment on this post to enter!

signed,
excited about this one!

dear weather,

could you just stay like this until spring? i'm kind of loving it.

signed,
really not looking forward to winter

dear makers of children's shows,

thank you for making some of them bearable. could we chat about the others?

signed,
a desperate nanny

dear eyes,

i'm not really sure what your deal is, but swelling up every few days and making it impossible for me to put my contacts in is not really all that wonderful. i'm just sayin'. and i appreciate you taking turns and all, but come ON.

signed,
squinting in the sun

observations

i've spent the last few weeks shocked
that i see more hatred from Christians than from any other grouping of people
more judgment, more exclusivity, more "us and them" mentality

and it seems like that cycle is just spinning over and over
that it's getting faster and more and more out of control

until i wonder if anyone will ever hear
simply the name of Jesus
simply the message of grace
simply the love of the Father

how are they going to hear it if we're clamoring loudly
trying to be heard
about politics, other faiths, people within our own faith who we don't accept for who they are?

how are they EVER going to receive a gospel of grace
if we can't even show it to our own, much less the world who needs it?

when in the world did we forget that we're the forgiven
called to forgiveness?
when in the world did we forget that ocean of grace we're standing in
and start refusing to share even a drop with our neighbors?
how did we get to the point that we forgot what Jesus did for us?
because if we remembered
we would want everyone to know it!

when did we forget that not a one of us is better than anyone else?

i changed my facebook status this morning to the following:

Lora B supposes it's pretty easy to "reach your world" if your worldview consists only of those who look, think, and believe as you do

i was kind of surprised at the responses i got from that one. several agreements and affirmations that others were feeling the same pull.

and then within minutes of posting, i ran across something another friend had shared
and suddenly i was hopeful again
that maybe, just maybe
we can all "get it" again

the message is SO simple
why do we have to make it so complicated and exclusive?
God so loved the world
ALL of it
all races, all religions, all sects/denominations within a religion

we're the ones who've perverted it
made it something much more complicated than it is
made a system of red tape to cut through, and hoops to jump
and we are the ones who must return it to it's simplistic glory

God so loved

read the blog post that gave me that hope. it's worth every moment.

Outlive Your Life: a review

You know, sometimes you feel like someone has been eavesdropping on your conversations. Reading your journals.
Knowing your inner-most thoughts.

After reading only the first few sentences of his new book Outlive Your Life, I am fully convinced that Max Lucado has been spying on me.

In his latest book, he outlines the practical and Biblically sound answer to the question so many of us are asking: "how can I possibly make a difference?"

Honestly, this is a hard book to put down. I'm a fast reader anyway, but the first time I picked it up I read 5 chapters without even noticing. I devoured every word and scrambled to the next page because Max has hit on one of my most primal cries -- how can I live a God-honoring life that truly matters?

Besides hitting every point solidly and without any hesitation, Lucado continues to write in a voice that is conversational. You can imagine sharing these words over coffee, after a football game, or driving down the road. His gift is his ability to reach people where they are and help us all to understand the simple truths he writes about. Plainly put...I "get it" when Max Lucado writes it. Sometimes it's a new and radical idea...other times, like this one, it's something I've had in my heart for sometime that resonated with every word I read.

I loved that the Scriptural basis for all of this was Acts. In drawing parallels between the disciples and ourselves (because we are to be disciples too!), Lucado brings it home.

I have enjoyed every Max Lucado book I've ever read, and without hesitation I can say that this one is by far my favorite. He's hit a home run with this one, and I think it should be on the required reading for everyone who claims the name of Christ!

now for the disclaimer bit:



I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review from Thomas Nelson publishers and their blogger resource Booksneeze. I was required to write an honest review, and was not required to be positive. The gushing was all.me. :) I was required to give a disclaimer by some sort of law which I would copy and paste into my blog at this point, but I can't find it and I'm sure you get the idea anyway. :)

Thursday's Ten: the random edition

i just realized that i have a LOT of stuff i haven't shared here lately, so (sorry) i'm lumping it into this post :)



1. i get to see bill clinton tonight! he's coming to campaign for the dem nominee for governor of tennessee...and while i'm not really into the whole "rally" idea, i couldn't pass up the opportunity to see a former president for free! i'm actually leaving the house in a couple of hours, having lunch with the boyfriend, and then hanging out downtown for the afternoon. *really* looking forward to it!

2. the whole burning of the Koran thing makes me sad and disgusted. until this morning i had not had even ONE person on my "friends" list on facebook even remotely supporting the idea -- at least publicly. and on my friends list are a LOT of conservatives --both in politics and faith, a bunch that have propagated the idea that our President is of the Islamic faith, and quite a few who are scared of anything but lily-white Christiandom. this morning, that changed. one "friend" i know vaguely from high school said something to the effect of "if he's praying and hears that from God, who are we to say it's wrong?"

on the one hand, i understand the reasoning.
on the other, i think we have to look at the fruit.
the last couple of weeks i've been learning more about the prophetic and how to operate in that gift. and i know this is "out there" for some of you, so bear with me, ok?
the thing about the prophetic is that the message should always be shared in love
if you discern that someone is struggling with depression
you don't want to say "oh, you're depressed and feel hopeless!"
you want to ask what to DO with that knowledge
and speak words of peace, hope and LIFE over them
because God wants to reveal His love to people

i can't help but think that this is similar.
and how on earth is burning someone's Holy Book
showing them God's love and Father Heart?

(i always lose followers when i write stuff like that, so goodbye 3 or so of you. :-)

3. we had an AWESOME time in st louis! i will post pictures here eventually...
although my iphone lost all the ones i took on friday and saturday. i was quite sad about that one...

4. 30 rock is my new favorite thing. in fact, this morning it's trumping all my ideas of getting ready to go see Mr Former President. that should tell you how much i'm loving that show!

5. this weekend is retreat with our youth group kids. since i missed camp this year i'm looking forward to finally meeting our new 7th graders!

6. twitter is becoming more and more addictive. oy.
honestly, i think it's because NONE of my former students or youth group kids are there. or not that i've found. and i'm happy to not have to wonder how people will take what i say there. it's nice :)

7. next weekend i get to take anthony to a place i spent quite a bit of time in as a child. holiday world is not very far from my parents house, and we are (hopefully) meeting one of my best friends from high school (angie) and her husband there for the day.
i'm excited about it...and really hopeful that it's all i remember it to be, lol.

8. and the NEXT weekend i'm going to arkansas (blech) with my friend natasha to see jason mraz! yes, i am fully aware that i live in music city, usa...and that he is here fairly often...but road trips are awesome and especially with good friends.

and for those of you keeping track at home, YES, this means that not one weekend in september am i home. C.R.A.Z.Y. here's to staying home in october! except that i probably won't be staying home the *entire* month...but more on that later

9. hmmm -- this is my favorite day of the year! 9/9 :) my favorite number is 9.
(when i was doing data entry earlier this year i got really excited when someone had entered the country on 9/9/09. i'm a dork...)

10. sometimes iced coffee makes my day. especially when i make it myself so it's way cheap. ahhh...in my new mug from the arch that is the *perfect* shape and size? sometimes it's the simple things...