I didn't, but what would you say if I did? My friends that drink, I'm sure, would say something like "I wish I had seen THAT!". My Baptist friends may not say anything, but I'm sure the thoughts would run the gamut. "He did WHAT?" "I had him pictured to be so much better than that" "And on SUNDAY of all days, too!". Am I right or am I right?
Let me ask you this... what did YOU have for lunch yesterday? Dinner/Supper (depending on where you're from)? Did you gorge yourself? Have you heard of a term called gluttony? How do you think it is looked on by the One who created our bodies? Have you found a place in the Bible where sins are ranked as one being "wronger" than the next?
As I said last week, this week is about perspectives that have changed in my life. In my new perspectives, I see the chicken fingers, fried okra and squash casserole to be just as bad, at least for me, as if I'd dipped into libations. You see, I have a problem with food. If I didn't, I wouldn't have been well over 260 lbs twice in my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm not promoting drinking. The statistics don't lie, it is a very bad habit to get into. It is just that it seems to me that we, especially as Southern Baptists, critisize and judge people who drink while we stuff ourselves with fried chicken, desserts, etc as if that is different. I think we all need to apply a little Luke 6:40-42 in our lives and adjust our perspectives. Drinking definately does affect the temple of the Holy Spirit (our bodies), it is addictive, it is a lot of bad things. So is fast food and all-you-can-eat buffets.
Hopefully, you won't read this and take up drinking. I also don't want you to think I'm defending alcohol or alcoholism. My hope and prayer is that you'll think about what you put in your body, whether liquid or solid, and think about what it is doing to the temple of the Holy Spirit. Also, if you're one of my friends who would actually call me out if you saw me drinking, please call me out if you see me eating poorly... in my new view, I am having problems seeing a difference.
As always, I truly welcome your comments or questions.
May He increase and i decrease,
Shane
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Perspectives
I've been thinking a lot of what I was going to write this week. Perspectives won out, it's been on my mind all week how I still have the perspective of a fat man (I hope I always do). It is difficult for me to put the thoughts and ideas that are bouncing around in my head down, so please bear with me as I try to make some sense of them.
When I talk with folks that I haven't seen in a while, the subject of my weight loss comes up most of the time. I enjoy the affirmation that I'm much smaller than I used to be and that helps me do better when faced with good and bad options at meal time. However, I had a "slap in the face" the other day. I was looking at the BMI calculator for someone and realized that I'm 0.2 (whatever BMI is measured in) away from being overweight. I've been looking at my size and journey through the eyes of a fat man.
As I sit here writing this, I'm wearing a Large shirt and 33" waist pants. Now, to some of you, you may say "he still needs to lose some more... his clothes are telling him that, he's wearing a LARGE shirt after all". Others may say, "My left ankle is 33" ". My guess is most folks will be in the middle of those. When I started losing weight, I was in a 2XL-3XL shirt and a 46-48" waist. From that perspective, that of a fat man, 33" waist pants seems awesome. Then I bump into a friend that has a smaller waist and reality sits in... The journey is not over. It is something that has to be worked on from now on.
Spiritually, we need to realize the perspective we're looking at things from. Remember Paul in 2 Corinthians 12? How his physical ailments were really a way for God to shine? I hope my weight issues through life will be an instrument God can use to shine through me.
On a similar topic, I read this week that the South is not only the Bible Belt, but we're also known as the Stroke Belt and Diabetes Belt as well. Let's think about that. We treat our bodies so bad that we are statistically more likely to have a stroke or diabetes. We live a much more laid back life than any other area of the country that I've visited, so it must be the way we treat our bodies. We know that we are the Temple of God, yet we treat the Temple this way? From this fat man's perspective, there is something really, really wrong with that. I plan on picking up on this subject next week.
I truly hope you have a great week and truly welcome your comments or questions.
May He increase and i decrease,
Shane
When I talk with folks that I haven't seen in a while, the subject of my weight loss comes up most of the time. I enjoy the affirmation that I'm much smaller than I used to be and that helps me do better when faced with good and bad options at meal time. However, I had a "slap in the face" the other day. I was looking at the BMI calculator for someone and realized that I'm 0.2 (whatever BMI is measured in) away from being overweight. I've been looking at my size and journey through the eyes of a fat man.
As I sit here writing this, I'm wearing a Large shirt and 33" waist pants. Now, to some of you, you may say "he still needs to lose some more... his clothes are telling him that, he's wearing a LARGE shirt after all". Others may say, "My left ankle is 33" ". My guess is most folks will be in the middle of those. When I started losing weight, I was in a 2XL-3XL shirt and a 46-48" waist. From that perspective, that of a fat man, 33" waist pants seems awesome. Then I bump into a friend that has a smaller waist and reality sits in... The journey is not over. It is something that has to be worked on from now on.
Spiritually, we need to realize the perspective we're looking at things from. Remember Paul in 2 Corinthians 12? How his physical ailments were really a way for God to shine? I hope my weight issues through life will be an instrument God can use to shine through me.
On a similar topic, I read this week that the South is not only the Bible Belt, but we're also known as the Stroke Belt and Diabetes Belt as well. Let's think about that. We treat our bodies so bad that we are statistically more likely to have a stroke or diabetes. We live a much more laid back life than any other area of the country that I've visited, so it must be the way we treat our bodies. We know that we are the Temple of God, yet we treat the Temple this way? From this fat man's perspective, there is something really, really wrong with that. I plan on picking up on this subject next week.
I truly hope you have a great week and truly welcome your comments or questions.
May He increase and i decrease,
Shane
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Feet to my words
OK, so I've been writing about what I want, how I've been doing, etc. That's great, but I thought this week, I'd share a few practical things I have done/do/etc and hope this helps out.
1 -- I live in MS where there is no such thing as tea that is too sweet. Drink it unsweet (no, you won't go to hell for it, I checked) or drink half sweet/half unsweet. You'll probably not notice much of a difference and will save half the calories. Or better yet, rather than drink tea, drink water.
2 -- Cook with olive oil, it tastes great and is actually good for you.
3 -- This one just hurts... Eat salads, at least occasionally. Yea, I know, I don't like them either and don't eat them often, but try to get them in here and there. I still remember the trip to O'Charleys when I got a salad and got home and realized my salad (Black-N-Bleu Caesar with oil and vinegar rather than Caesar dressing) had roughly the same number of calories as the cheeseburger i wanted. Yes, I was mad, very very mad. Now, however, I've cooled down a little, I can realize that the salad had more veggies and nutrients to keep me full longer. It really is better for me. The salad, I'm sure, kept me full longer than the cheeseburger would have. This cut down on the amount of food I would have eaten later in the day.
4 -- Don't go on a diet. Commit to changing the way you eat for good or don't do it. I've learned through the years that if I cut out calories, carbs, fats or whatever "the thing" is to cut, once I get a few pounds off, I put them back into my diet and my weight goes up. This just messes your whole metabolism thing-a-ma-jig up.
5 -- Exercise really isn't a four letter word. Some folks like it, some folks don't. Find something that you like to do that gets you active... Work in the yard (or work in mine), walk, run, lift weights, chase kids, what ever, just do something you like to do. When I first started, I wanted to run. I was in such bad shape, I didn't think I'd ever get to, so I settled for the elliptical machine. After a little while of it, I was actually running. This is important, once you find something you like, stick to it. Later, add in something different. I now run and lift weights and enjoy both of them.
6 -- Set some realistic goals. Be honest and firm, but don't be too hard on yourself. I started around 265-270 lbs in Feb. I couldn't have set my goal at 150 by May. I didn't even set long term goals for a while. I would set goals sometimes daily, but definitely weekly. 3 lbs here, 4 lbs there, before you know it my weight was down and I was in the losing weight groove. There were setbacks along the way. They have to be taken in stride. We are human, we will screw up.
7 -- Find someone to be accountable and honest to. I am gullible when I talk to myself, I'll believe anything I tell myself and I WILL lie to myself... "No, you're not THAT big", "The scale is wrong", "That guy is much bigger than you are", etc. Yea, riiiigggghhhht.
These are things that helped me, hope they help you.
May He increase and i decrease,
Shane
1 -- I live in MS where there is no such thing as tea that is too sweet. Drink it unsweet (no, you won't go to hell for it, I checked) or drink half sweet/half unsweet. You'll probably not notice much of a difference and will save half the calories. Or better yet, rather than drink tea, drink water.
2 -- Cook with olive oil, it tastes great and is actually good for you.
3 -- This one just hurts... Eat salads, at least occasionally. Yea, I know, I don't like them either and don't eat them often, but try to get them in here and there. I still remember the trip to O'Charleys when I got a salad and got home and realized my salad (Black-N-Bleu Caesar with oil and vinegar rather than Caesar dressing) had roughly the same number of calories as the cheeseburger i wanted. Yes, I was mad, very very mad. Now, however, I've cooled down a little, I can realize that the salad had more veggies and nutrients to keep me full longer. It really is better for me. The salad, I'm sure, kept me full longer than the cheeseburger would have. This cut down on the amount of food I would have eaten later in the day.
4 -- Don't go on a diet. Commit to changing the way you eat for good or don't do it. I've learned through the years that if I cut out calories, carbs, fats or whatever "the thing" is to cut, once I get a few pounds off, I put them back into my diet and my weight goes up. This just messes your whole metabolism thing-a-ma-jig up.
5 -- Exercise really isn't a four letter word. Some folks like it, some folks don't. Find something that you like to do that gets you active... Work in the yard (or work in mine), walk, run, lift weights, chase kids, what ever, just do something you like to do. When I first started, I wanted to run. I was in such bad shape, I didn't think I'd ever get to, so I settled for the elliptical machine. After a little while of it, I was actually running. This is important, once you find something you like, stick to it. Later, add in something different. I now run and lift weights and enjoy both of them.
6 -- Set some realistic goals. Be honest and firm, but don't be too hard on yourself. I started around 265-270 lbs in Feb. I couldn't have set my goal at 150 by May. I didn't even set long term goals for a while. I would set goals sometimes daily, but definitely weekly. 3 lbs here, 4 lbs there, before you know it my weight was down and I was in the losing weight groove. There were setbacks along the way. They have to be taken in stride. We are human, we will screw up.
7 -- Find someone to be accountable and honest to. I am gullible when I talk to myself, I'll believe anything I tell myself and I WILL lie to myself... "No, you're not THAT big", "The scale is wrong", "That guy is much bigger than you are", etc. Yea, riiiigggghhhht.
These are things that helped me, hope they help you.
May He increase and i decrease,
Shane
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