My time with Mike did not start out great. Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy! We have lots of fun in our sessions. It's been a joy to hear about his family - he tells some great stories of the adventures that he and his wife have with their kids. Somewhere along the way, we became friends and that's been fun to see. 5am is super early and I'm barely awake which often makes me say silly stuff so there tends to be a lot of laughter and joking around. Who says working out has to be all about grunting and groaning? Although let me assure you, there's been some of that too. Somehow letting out a grunt helps me push through those last few reps. Who knew a grunt could be so effective? :)
But after about 6 weeks, I was annoyed. I hadn't lost any weight, in fact, I thought I might have gained a pound or two. How does that work?! I honestly thought that meeting with Mike would be the miracle cure to my weight issues. A few sessions with him and the weight would be melting away. Ugh. That's not how it works. It takes hard work, effort, discipline. Oh yeah, and nutrition.
About the beginning of June, I began to think about nutrition. I asked Mike for some tips and boy did he have a lot! He even sent me recipes for healthy meals that are actually filling. I started using an app called My Fitness Pal which helps me track my caloric intake. That was a shocker! I didn't think I was eating a lot but it's amazing how fast the calories add up!!
And then I hit that first milestone....I LOST 10 POUNDS!!!!!!! You should have seen me doing the happy dance. I was in Virginia on a business trip when I stepped on the scale and saw that new number. I quickly sent Mike an email. I had to thank him for his help. He has been a huge part of my success in this journey. Day after day, he encourages me to keep at it. He pushes me to do more than I ever thought I could do. So I wrote him to say thanks and he responds with,
"That's great Holly! I think you are starting to find your groove. It's my pleasure to help, but it's your determination and the grace of God that's carrying the load :)"
How awesome is that?!?! And now my eyes were opened to God's part in this journey. Of course, He is part of everything we do but we don't always take the time to see Him, to acknowledge how much He has done for us and to thank Him for His hand at work. I've done a lot of praying about being healthier, about honoring God with my body and He is answering those prayers. He nudged me to sign up for personal training sessions. He put me with a fellow believer that would encourage me and keep my eyes on Christ. And God has strengthened me to follow through with the choices I'm making. It truly is only by the grace of God that this is working!
(coming up....the challenge to start running)
Part 1
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