Monday, June 16, 2014
The following is a piece Sarah Stegall, BryonySeries web
administrator emeritus, posted on a small Facebook group called, Change, which
consists of her, my other daughter Rebekah, and me.
Rebekah started the group to keep her accountable in her
weight loss journey. One of the unfortunate side effects of my desire to cook
good food is that my kids love to eat! Timothy, who at one point stood as wide
as he was tall, has often told people he didn't become fat because of unhealthy
food, no it was extra portions of homemade sausage and bean soup and half
loaves of homemade buttermilk bread that did it.
At any rate, Sarah embarked upon a new eating plan and
formulated an exercise regime over a year ago. For both girls, it's a real
struggle, for they have weak ankles that give out when walking and flat feet
and a host of other issues that most of us never face when getting out there
and pounding the pavement.
Nevertheless, the progress Sarah has made has been
astounding. As she strives toward her own goals, she encourages - and
occasionally head thumps - Rebekah in her struggle, and it is an especial
struggle for Rebekah because she loves food so much.
But this is just the background to the selection. The main
reason I'm sharing it with you today is not just that its wisdom applies to any
of us on life's journey, but the fact that my eldest daughter wrote it and that
it's full of of the principals and attitudes I tried to exemplify and prayed my
children would absorb during my years of actively parenting them.
I'm very proud this woman is
my daughter.
"Change" post:
My shin splints have been killing me lately, which means no
running. I googled and found a site that shows supination and other common foot
stances. I definitely have terrible supination in my right foot. That being
said, I'm saving for new shoes that should help the issue and get me back
running soon.
Yesterday I focused on core and upper body since I can't do
what is eat to work into my schedule. I did two ten minute workouts, one for
arms, shoulder and back, and the other geared towards the different muscles in
the stomach. As I'm starting to plateau, I'm finding I have to mix up my
routine and start working to build shape.
The first part is losing weight, the second part is
reshaping and building on your new foundation with strength training. I'm still
losing weight, just more slowly now. I'm struggling to fatigue muscle groups,
because let's face it, it's not easy.
We are programmed to touch painful areas and quit when
something feels hard. If your muscles aren't contacting and then shaking from
the fatigue, you aren't damaging the tissue to force new growth. Practice a
plank or a push up and hold it until your body shakes and you collapse. That is
a good place to see results. You'll notice over time your strength improves and
your holding time lengthens. A good workout will leave you feeling like jelly.
To see the most results, 10 to 30 minutes of cardio first will help circulate
the oxygen in the blood stream if you are strength training and will burn
calories as it's jumpstarting your metabolism. Anything that forces your heart
rate up is cardio.
When you are mindful of your diet (not dieting) and what
goes into your body, you will look at food more like fuel and energy, which
helps make it easier in choosing smarter choices. I still battle portion
control, which is why I find it easier to eat all day (or every two hours). My
goals are my own and the struggle sucks. It's easier to eat junk and skip
workouts, not to mention inner battles and false negotiation. "If I eat
this now, I'll workout harder later." Yeah right! I eat it now and skip my
whole workout, haha. I have to constantly remind myself that even though it
satisfies the taste buds momentarily, it wrecks havoc on the body and will
ultimately sabotage my results and progress.
In the beginning I started this journey alone. Now I have layers
of support through co-workers and friends; however not everyone is on-board. I
feel like there are two sides; the side that wants to see me fail and the side
that is rooting for me. I remind myself that I'm a big girl that made unhealthy
decisions and that I alone have to correct that. Nobody is going to put the
effort in for me. I'm surrounding myself with positive people with like-minded
goals, who encourage progress and are judgment free. Healthy people with
healthy attitudes lift others up.
Find what pushes you and motivates you to your dream.
Remember that results don't happen overnight and if you cheat, you are only
cheating yourself. Rise to the challenge, dream big, have long-term goals,
change your lifestyle, and remember that people love you, not food. Ask for
help and accept advice with an open mind. Take pictures often and journal your
experience; this is a good way to reflect when you feel your progress is slow.
Seek healing outside of your comfort zone and don't wait for change to come to
you. Live your days guilt free with no regrets and love yourself and your body
each day. Even when you can't see what others see and feel discouraged, love
you for you.
This is a science and if you follow the steps, success is
inevitable. Love you always!
Posted by Denise M. Baran-Unland at 6:04 AM
Illustration of Sarah Stegall by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."
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