Thanksgiving week here in the U.S. Thursday we will give thanks for our many blessings and watch football, spend time with family and friends, and nap after a ridiculously huge and delicious meal. The next day many will head out and shop ’til they drop, thus signifying the start of a month-long season of eating, drinking and generally living in gluttonous excess in celebration of the birth of Our Saviour. Weird, huh?
The average weight gain during “the holidays” is reported to be about 7 pounds per American, other studies show its more realistically about a pound…..for my, it’s about 4. Average spending per American is about $700 during the holidays. No wonder we are all stressed. I was thinking about all of this the other day and decided THIS year I am approaching the holidays differently. Much differently.
I enlisted my girlfriend who I work with and another girlfriend who I know does EVERYTHING for EVERYONE all year-long and can use some de-stressing as well.
It’s simple, really.
One day at a time.
- Focus on regular exercise throughout the remainder of the year. Shooting for a minimum of 20 minutes a day. That is NOTHING!!!!! Just plan it. A quick 20 minute walk before your day gets going. 20 minutes while dinner is in the over. 20 minutes after dinner. Whatever. The time is there. Just do it.
- Healthy eating choices. Log food or plan it out. Be AWARE of what is going in. So much temptation. Ask yourself, “is it worth it”?
This season is about Jesus. Let us focus on Him. Let us treat our bodies as the Temples they are. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how in the WORLD can we love and take care of those around us??? The airlines don’t tell us to put our own oxygen on first and then the kids for nothing…
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is a [a]temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from [b]God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
I plan on blogging throughout the month-ish and re-blogging encouraging and inspirational blogs as well to cheer us on. Be blessed. Don’t stress.
To encourage you….this morning I did 20 minutes of P90X Cardio X. 20 minutes. It’s what I had time for. Bring it!
