Family Fitness Thursdays 1/3/2008

One of the most common new year's resolutions falls under the category of weight loss and fitness and all that. Maybe you have one too?

I think part of it is after all of the eating that happens around the holidays, and the fact that our schedules are all "off", we long for some normalcy, to get back on track with things, to eat healthier.

This week, I was trying to get back to exercising more consistently again. It's so cold and this old body of mine doesn't like to move much when it is cold...but once I get moving I am surprisingly nimble and warmed up. I find that exercise is one of those things that takes a virtual act of God for most of us to start, but once we do it (unless we over do it), we rarely regret it.

Just as I rarely get up from some fruitful time in the Word of God and say, "What a waste of time!" I very rarely, after a good workout, "I sure wish I hadn't done that today!" I always feel better.

I focus more on fitness overall than "weight loss" and low cal stuff. I try to eat healthy, and in moderation. I make lower fat, and lower calorie choices overall, but you won't find me eating lean cuisine either. Most nights, we have a little bit of "hot food" and a whole lotta salad. Most of the time, when you see me making some sort of soup or stew for dinner, I have one bowl of that, and a heaping bowl of salad full of fresh veggies. That's a habit which we have started to form, and which works for us for a few reasons.

One is that I am cooking for more than just me...we have 7 in the family plus frequent dinner guests as we open our home to hospitality. I quit my job as a short order cook back in college! LOL I find that if I make mostly healthful food that everyone will eat, and also a big salad, I can enjoy a little bit of the main course and a whole lot of the salad, and everyone can choose their portions. My husband and teen daughter would rather have salad every day ;)

But this is also another reason to exercise...I find the more I work out (that is consistently--not sitting on my seat doing nothing for a few months and then working out for 3 hours every few months--that is very bad for you! ;)), I desire healthier foods. My appetite is normalized. I want salad. I want yogurt. I want to drink more water and less coffee.