Living A Healthy Lifestyle (2016)

[Johnny]

We had a bunch of people follow the 2015 thread and I sure would like to hear back from a few on that thread to see how they are doing.

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504027

This thread is for people who want to lead a Healthy Lifestyle. Whether that has to do with stop smoking, drinking, more exercise, better eating habits, losing weight, gaining muscle, helping your walk with Christ etc etc. Whatever it may be, we are here to learn, listen, answer questions and what have you. I sure know I have got a lot to learn.

Let's make it a good year!

[Bowtech Shooter]

I hope to start the year off right. Was good last year till August or so as far as eating and working out. Then put 20 pounds on over deer season just about. Too much good food and drinks. Time to get back to work.

[Shane]

We had a bunch of people follow the 2015 thread and I sure would like to hear back from a few on that thread to see how they are doing.

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504027

This thread is for people who want to lead a Healthy Lifestyle. Whether that has to do with stop smoking, drinking, more exercise, better eating habits, losing weight, gaining muscle, helping your walk with Christ etc etc. Whatever it may be, we are here to learn, listen, answer questions and what have you. I sure know I have got a lot to learn.

Let's make it a good year!

Thanks for keeping this going, Johnny. It's always good to have a little encouragement and commaraderie. I think it's great that you're not just focused on working out too. There's a whole lot more to being "healthy" than exercise, diet and such.

The biggest thing that's on my mind lately is my walk with the Lord. I was recently ordained as an elder in my church. I know that nobody is ever "there" or ready completely for such a responsibility, but I can guarantee you that I'm not "there" yet as a Christian. It is going to be a huge learning and growing opportunity for me, that's for sure. I have a long ways to go. But I also know that the Lord has always used imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will, so I am confident in Him that He can put somebody like me to some use too.

That said, I'm trying to learn what it means to be a shepherd of His flock. The one thing that I have decided to focus on this year is to try to see people with God's eyes rather than my own. It's easy for me to see people through my own eyes. When I do that, I often don't see things the way I should see them. I'm busy. I'm distracted by other things. I'm judgemental. I'm impatient. God is none of those things. Well....He's pretty busy. But He can handle "busy" a LOT better than I can. I'm not omnipresent like Him.

I believe that if I can learn to see people through God's eyes more often then I'll be better able to recognize opportunities to serve more often, and I won't be so focused on my own wants and desires so much.

Anyhow, staying physically healthy plays a role in all of that too. It helps me be more healthy and available for my family and other people. It helps me enjoy my own time out hunting and such too, and I think recreation is important as well - in balance. Even God rested, and Jesus often went off by himself too. It's all related. Gotta find the right balance for everything.

[Codie]

I have several goals for 2016, some fitness related, some finance related, and some family related, but the most important goal that I have for 2016 is holding up my end of the bargain. There is a verse in the bible (Luke maybe?) that goes something along the lines of "To Whom much is given, much is required". I know two things that are fact related to those words:
1) I have been given MUCH - I have a stable job that pays the bills and allows me to spend the time that I feel a husband/father should with his family, an incredible wife, two awesome little boys, Loving parents and incredible In-Laws and every one of us is healthy. I look around at the world around me and see SO much that could be different in my life just looking at other events/happenings in those around me lives. I am BLESSED

2) I DON'T give back or meet the expectations that I believe the lord expects of me for the amount of blessings that have been put into my life. I realize there is no way to know where that line is at, but I also don't know that there will ever be a line obtainable/reachable where I feel as though I am doing "enough" to satisfy the one who is providing all of it for me. I have a lot to work on but know that the rewards will be incredible.

[TXPredatorMafia]

This is a great thread, I've put on about 30 lbs since I got married and came out of the field to sit behind a desk. I am just under 6 ft and as of Jan 1st I weighed 243 lbs.

I couldn't play a game of hoops with my son with out feeling like I was dying. I was drinking 6-8 Dr Peppers a day, eating till I was stuffed and overall just never felt very good.

Since the 1st I've not had a soft drink, I limit my portions and try to watch what I eat. I've joined a coed volleyball team with my wife and began jogging in the mornings. I hope to start seeing some results soon. The lack of soft drinks gives me a head ache everyday about 2:00 pm and I have to take Advil to get over it. But I'm staying positive and going to give it the effort it deserves. My goals is to get back down to around 205-210 lbs. Good Luck to the guys and gals making their own changes.

"The struggle is real"

[Codie]

This is a great thread, I've put on about 30 lbs since I got married and came out of the field to sit behind a desk. I am just under 6 ft and as of Jan 1st I weighed 243 lbs.

I couldn't play a game of hoops with my son with out feeling like I was dying. I was drinking 6-8 Dr Peppers a day, eating till I was stuffed and overall just never felt very good.

Since the 1st I've not had a soft drink, I limit my portions and try to watch what I eat. I've joined a coed volleyball team with my wife and began jogging in the mornings. I hope to start seeing some results soon. The lack of soft drinks gives me a head ache everyday about 2:00 pm and I have to take Advil to get over it. But I'm staying positive and going to give it the effort it deserves. My goals is to get back down to around 205-210 lbs. Good Luck to the guys and gals making their own changes.

"The struggle is real"

replace those 6-8 DP's with 6-8 large cups of water per day and maybe it will help with the head aches - Good luck

[Shane]

replace those 6-8 DP's with 6-8 large cups of water per day and maybe it will help with the head aches - Good luck

Yep. Caffeine withdrawals will go away after a month or so. At least they did for me a couple years ago when I quit drinking coffee. It gets better every week or so. First week was rough.

[Pedernal]

Great thread!! I am lacking in several areas that I am hoping to make a positive change in. Physically, I need to regain cardio shape and greatly improve my strength. spiritually however is where I need lots of work. I am hoping to be able to better understand exactly what it is that will keep me walking the path The Lord would like for me to be on. I often struggle and would like advise from the guys and gals on here that have struggled to find the right path.

[BigL]

I'm going to try to get more sleep each night starting next week...

[Aggie PhD]

I'm in again for 2016. Last year's thread helped me stay on target and refocus occasionally
Although there wasn't much progress in the weight department

Since deer season is over I have nixed the cokes and alcohol. Still drink the coffee, but I drink it black.

Goal this year is to drop at least 20 lbs. on January 1st I weighed 250#. I stepped on the scale earlier at 244. So I am wanting 20+ from the 244.

Giving the knee a rest for the weekend and then slowly easing back into workouts next week

[Shane]

Great thread!! I am lacking in several areas that I am hoping to make a positive change in. Physically, I need to regain cardio shape and greatly improve my strength. spiritually however is where I need lots of work. I am hoping to be able to better understand exactly what it is that will keep me walking the path The Lord would like for me to be on. I often struggle and would like advise from the guys and gals on here that have struggled to find the right path.

That's a constant struggle for everyone. One thing that really helped me a few years ago was a book and daily study called Experiencing God. The book is great, but the study guide that goes along with it guides you through a daily focus and Bible study that really helps you gain focus and clarity on how to recognize what God is doing in and around your life. I've lead that study a few times as well. It is one of the best studies I've ever done. I get something new out of it every time I go through it.

Book: http://www.blackaby.net/store/produc...-%252d-Revised

Workbook: http://www.blackaby.net/store/produc...28Paperback%29

[Johnny]

Great thread!! I am lacking in several areas that I am hoping to make a positive change in. Physically, I need to regain cardio shape and greatly improve my strength. spiritually however is where I need lots of work. I am hoping to be able to better understand exactly what it is that will keep me walking the path The Lord would like for me to be on. I often struggle and would like advise from the guys and gals on here that have struggled to find the right path.

Cardio, the evil of all evils. If you haven't been doing cardio, don't jump into it hard at first because that will just make you not want to do it again.lol Start off with long walks for a week or so then start doing a little jogging. I don't believe in strict diets. I do eat what I consider healthy during the week but on weekends I will go enjoy a mexican dinner or what not...then jump back in the saddle come Monday.

It seems you are looking for a lifestyle change from exercise all they up to your walk with Christ. It can all be done...you can do anything you want to do if you get your mind right. The Lord is already working on you...you posted looking for answers in your spiritual walk. You just have to look for him...he is everywhere around you. It will always be a struggle but you are heading down the right path. It's a long path full of winding curves, deep cracks, steep valley's and high mountain tops. You will see them all but always strive to reach that mountain top. You will slip from time to time back into those steep valley's but the Lord will be there to catch you and push you back on your feet.

I struggle greatly in allowing him to take full control over my life. I'm a very impatient guy but he's working on me. My wife just told me the other day she see's him working on me when he puts obstacles in my way to remind me that I'm not the one in control here. In my mind, I like to control situations and when I can't I panic, stress out, lose my temper or sometimes all 3. lol

[coffmanbr1]

Cardio, the evil of all evils. If you haven't been doing cardio, don't jump into it hard at first because that will just make you not want to do it again.lol Start off with long walks for a week or so then start doing a little jogging. I don't believe in strict diets. I do eat what I consider healthy during the week but on weekends I will go enjoy a mexican dinner or what not...then jump back in the saddle come Monday.

It seems you are looking for a lifestyle change from exercise all they up to your walk with Christ. It can all be done...you can do anything you want to do if you get your mind right. The Lord is already working on you...you posted looking for answers in your spiritual walk. You just have to look for him...he is everywhere around you. It will always be a struggle but you are heading down the right path. It's a long path full of winding curves, deep cracks, steep valley's and high mountain tops. You will see them all but always strive to reach that mountain top. You will slip from time to time back into those steep valley's but the Lord will be there to catch you and push you back on your feet.

I struggle greatly in allowing him to take full control over my life. I'm a very impatient guy but he's working on me. My wife just told me the other day she see's him working on me when he puts obstacles in my way to remind me that I'm not the one in control here. In my mind, I like to control situations and when I can't I panic, stress out, lose my temper or sometimes all 3. lol

In reference to the working out part.... diet is way more important than cardio when it comes to making a physical change to your body. I have personally leaned out from 18 to 10% body fat before without doing any cardio. Strict diet and lifting weights at high rep volume has my heart for forever. Cardio takes to dang long anyway!

[Shane]

I'm in again for 2016. Last year's thread helped me stay on target and refocus occasionally
Although there wasn't much progress in the weight department

Since deer season is over I have nixed the cokes and alcohol. Still drink the coffee, but I drink it black.

Goal this year is to drop at least 20 lbs. on January 1st I weighed 250#. I stepped on the scale earlier at 244. So I am wanting 20+ from the 244.

Giving the knee a rest for the weekend and then slowly easing back into workouts next week

Awesome, brother. I've found that the single thing that leads to the most weight loss is to stop consuming anything that has sugar in it - any form of sugar - high fructose corn syrup, table sugar, whatever. I was already working out pretty hard when I weighed 220 a couple years ago, but I was eating too much stuff with sugar in it. When I stopped eating/drinking sugar, I lost 20# pretty fast. I didn't starve myself at all, but I'm sure I was consuming fewer calories because I was eating lots of meat and vegetables instead of processed food and especially sugar. I was never hungry. After a few weeks of no (or very little) sugar, it got to where sweets weren't appealing anymore. It's astounding how nauseatingly sweet everything is when you stop eating sugar for a while. When you get adjusted to eating just real food, all the fake sugary food stops tasting so good.

But that's where my few extra pounds over the holidays came from. EVERY Christmas party and family gathering involved social eating with lots of sweets. I could have just not eaten any of it, but I ate some. It started to taste good again. But I'm back to regular eating this week. I was at 203 Monday after all the Christmas travels and everything were over. Today I was down to 200 already. I've been eating plenty all week - just no sugar. (Beer/alcohol is sugar, pretty much, by the way.)

In reference to the working out part.... diet is way more important than cardio when it comes to making a physical change to your body. I have personally leaned out from 18 to 10% body fat before without doing any cardio. Strict diet and lifting weights at high rep volume has my heart for forever. Cardio takes to dang long anyway!

Exactly.

[Rack Ranch]

Excellent post, if you need any help, I'm here. I'm working on my spiritual maturity as well.
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Thanks for keeping this going, Johnny. It's always good to have a little encouragement and commaraderie. I think it's great that you're not just focused on working out too. There's a whole lot more to being "healthy" than exercise, diet and such.

The biggest thing that's on my mind lately is my walk with the Lord. I was recently ordained as an elder in my church. I know that nobody is ever "there" or ready completely for such a responsibility, but I can guarantee you that I'm not "there" yet as a Christian. It is going to be a huge learning and growing opportunity for me, that's for sure. I have a long ways to go. But I also know that the Lord has always used imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will, so I am confident in Him that He can put somebody like me to some use too.

That said, I'm trying to learn what it means to be a shepherd of His flock. The one thing that I have decided to focus on this year is to try to see people with God's eyes rather than my own. It's easy for me to see people through my own eyes. When I do that, I often don't see things the way I should see them. I'm busy. I'm distracted by other things. I'm judgemental. I'm impatient. God is none of those things. Well....He's pretty busy. But He can handle "busy" a LOT better than I can. I'm not omnipresent like Him.

I believe that if I can learn to see people through God's eyes more often then I'll be better able to recognize opportunities to serve more often, and I won't be so focused on my own wants and desires so much.

Anyhow, staying physically healthy plays a role in all of that too. It helps me be more healthy and available for my family and other people. It helps me enjoy my own time out hunting and such too, and I think recreation is important as well - in balance. Even God rested, and Jesus often went off by himself too. It's all related. Gotta find the right balance for everything.