Walking and Health

Topic for Today: Gratitude

We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.

Lewis, C. S.

C.S. Lewis puts it so simply.  No matter what your situation is in these uncertain times of a down turn in the US economy, take a step back, take a deep breath, and slow things down.  You’ll find that you have a lot to be grateful for in your life as compared to others around you.  We are all living the best that we can until the economy revives.  Be thankful for all that you do have and do your best to get by with what you have available to you at the moment.  If life throws you a curve, work it out, learn from it, and get to a better place because of it.  You’ll learn patience and humility as the quote from C.S. Lewis above states as he shares his thoughts on gratitude.

I have a family of four children ages three, seven, eleven and thirteen.  I perform a juggling act every month so my income doesn’t run short before my next pay day.  The other day, my husband was heading back home from a twelve hour shift and his left steering tire blew as he was traveling normal speed on the freeway.  He held his composure when the tire blew and he carefully moved over to the right.  He couldn’t make it all the way off the highway and was in a dangerous situation. The highway patrol was called out and the CHP officer stayed with my husband and the truck until the tow truck arrived to remove the damaged tire and help put the spare on as a temporary fix.  My husband called me from his cell phone when it happened and told me he would be late.  He sounded calm and in control. 

When he finally arrived home, he went on the Internet to look up the price of two new front tires.  The only problem is how were we going to pay for these two new tires?  My head starting searching for ideas.  I went in to a quiet place (my bedroom) and asked God for guidance.  My husband knew our financial situation.  He also felt a sense of urgency in purchasing the tires because we needed tires on his truck. The truck was the only means for him to get back and forth to work. 

Our only solution was to call his older brother and ask for a cash loan until we got paid again.  He picked up his cell and dialed the number and I could barely hear his brother from where I was standing.  They talked briefly and then the conversation was over. My husband hung up the phone and put his head down on the computer keyboard where he was sitting.  I went over to him and gently placed my hands around the back of his head and looked down upon his reddish hair and held him tight against my chest.   He cried for a few brief moments. He looked up at me as he wiped he had tears in his eyes.  In a broken, quivering voice, he said he was scared out there when the tire blew and for a split second he wasn’t in control of the truck and he was so thankful to God that he made it back home to me and the family.  My eyes started to well up with tears as he went on to say that his brother would loan us the money and that we could take our time repaying him.  My husband stood up and held me tight as we hugged right in the middle of a busy family room. 

That day we were full of gratitude.  We were grateful that he made it home. He could have been involved in a single car or multiple car deadly incident on the highway.  We were also grateful to his brother and family in general.  A close family provides support and comfort in times of need. 

Spiritual gratitude can come in many forms.  Thank God for all you have around you.  It may not be exactly what you want at the moment, but it is usually what you need to get by for the moment.  God will see you through the worst situation and you’ll be a better person because of it.  

Love Handles, Belly Fat, Stomach Fat. We all know the area just above our pants when we just finish a meal or sit down and we see the “Muffin Top” or the part of our extra mid section that hangs over.  It normally comes in mid-life when we reach the age of 40 and later.  How do we go about getting rid of belly fat, or stomach fat, or Muffin Top or Love Handles?  Any name you want to call it, the excess fat is there and we need to work on getting rid of it.

You can lose that muffin top by following the three “M’s”.  Check out the full article on WebMD here: Fighting Mid Life Weight Gain . Basically the three M’s are mind, mouth, muscle.

Use your mind to control the stress in your life.   You may become so stressed that you run around like crazy and have no time to sit down and eat a healthy, nutritional, home-cooked meal. 

Watch what you put in your mouth. If you have no choice but to eat out, keep an eye out for portion size, usually you should cut the meal in half and ask for a carry out container before you even start the meal.  That way, you will only eat what’s in front of you and not the portion that is already bagged up.  Eat as nutrionally as possible.  Cook with fresh vegetables and not bagged.  Use fresh meats and not canned.

Workout with a daily walking program to keep your muscle tone.  I found this great DVD that I would highly recommend,  Leslie Sansone: Walk at Home - 5 Mile Fat Burning Walk. Weight training, walking, going to the gym, parking your car farther from the entrance, these all all great ways to work in the extra exercise time that you need on a daily basis.   According to doctors, the fat around your waist is actualy easier to lose than the fat in other places of your body.  If you start a weight loss program you will most likely see results in your waist area first.  “The Visceral fat, the kind tucked deep inside your waistline, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat under the skin, especially if you have plenty of it.”  explains Penn State researcher Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD as taken from WedMD article, The Truth About Belly Fat.

Get rid of belly fat by keeping your stress down, watching what you eat, and exercising as often as you can.  Lose the Muffin Top.  You’ll feel better and look better.

More workout videos and MP3 Downloads from Leslie Sansone.
On DVD:

Leslie Sansone: Walk at Home - Walk Away Your Waistline! With 1, 2 and 3 Mile Markers (Walk Belt Included Inside!)
Leslie Sansone: 5 Day Slim Down

Video On Demand:
Leslie Sansone: Walk Away The Pounds: 30 Minute Walk
Leslie Sansone: Walk Away The Pounds: Express Super Challenge
Leslie Sansone: Walk Away The Pounds: Mile High Calorie Burn

MP3 Downloads:
Leslie-Guided 15 Min Walk
Leslie Voice-Guided with “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”
Respect
Leslie Sansone Walking for Weight Loss - 3 Mile Walk

Muscle Mile on DVD:
Leslie Sansone - Walk Away the Pounds - Muscle Mile One

The first week of a diet is both exciting and not-exciting.  You’re starting a new weight loss program and your excited about jumping right in and following all the rules.  You begin counting calories or whatever it is your diet is based on whether it’s calories, or carbohydrates, or a high fiber, or low sodium, or low fat, or no fruits, or points for Weight Watchers.  You not only count, but you write it down to really stay on top of it.  The first week is actually very exciting if the program is new and if you’re getting immediate results on your scale or feeling the differnce in your clothes. 

The down-side of the first week of starting a weight loss program is that you find yourself longing for all the comfort foods that are heavy in fat and not good for you. These foods are the culprits that got you into your current need-to-shed-the-extra-pounds situation.  You have to maintain focus and discipline through this first week.  After that, it is still going to remain a challenge to stay on your weight loss program, but keep in mind that if you made it through the first week without too many deviations, then you can do it the next week and the next week.

My weight loss journey is now at day seven.  It’s been a week and I have lost five pounds.  I feel good that I stuck with my program.  I am ready to tackle the next week, and I’m going to reach my goal of 40 pounds, even if it doesn’t happen in the number of days as I originally planned.  This week I feel good about the choices I made while I was eating out in the real world. I attended a dinner for my parents who celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary.  I also attended a brunch at BJ’s Restaurant, for my nephew’s 19th birthday.  There was a lot of temptation and I had to resist and politely say no to cake and brownies and other goodies that were available.  I also had to choose other items on the menu that I normally wouldn’t even consider.  I got a healthy baked fish dinner instead of my usual “choose the biggest item on the menu so you’ll get nice and full” attitude that I used to have before my weight loss journey. 

The first week is always a challenge, but it is gratifying to see sacrifices made on your weight loss program were well worth it when the scale shows your success and your clothes feel better.  Just wait until next week with another two to three pounds less.  The “are you losing weight” comments from others will start to flow.  That’s when you realize your hard work, focus and discipline are rewarded with praise from the people you love and from a feeling inside that you are doing the right thing for your physical and spiritual well-being.  Keep at it and don’t lose focus. 

The Five Finger Prayer

Your Thumb is nearest you.  So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.  They are the easiest to remember.  

Your next finger is the Pointer Finger.  Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.  This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.  They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.

The b=next finger is the Tallest Finger. It reminds us of our leaders.  Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administration.  These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.  They need God’s guidance.

The fourth finger is our Ring Finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.  They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them. 

And lastly comes our Little Finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others.  As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.”  Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.  By the time you have prayed the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Note:  I found this Five Finger Prayer in our church bulletin. It doesn’t say who the original author is or I would give them due credit. I wanted to share it with you.   Keep your prayers simple and basic and pray for others first.