This Looks Good ..... But ......

Baskin-Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake



Yummy. It does look good ..... BUT look at these numbers

Baskin-Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake

2,310 calories
108 g fat (64 g saturated)
266 g

Let's look at America's Worst Drink in numbers:

73: The number of ingredients that go into this milkshake.
66: The number of teaspoons of sugar this drink contains.
11: The number of Heath Bars you would have to eat to equal the number of calories found in one Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake.

The above facts are the reason that I was at 215# last year. For me to drink this or have other fatty foods were 'no biggie'. I did not think about the calories or fat grams in the food.

Did you notice the calories and fat grams in that thing ???

What about the SUGAR ??????

Whoa

My Weight Loss Journey

Over the past year, I have been on a journey to lose weight. At times, the process has been hard and even difficult because, I LOVE FOOD.

However, I made a decision that I was going to lose weight, eat healthier and adapt a wellness lifestyle.

To share the story and the journey, I will need to take a few steps back and let you know what occurred and where I was that prompted me a change needed to occur.

Ever since the turn of the century (200-2007), I was constantly weighing in at 190-200. The weight would fluctuate but it remained constant. Every time my weight inched towards 200, I would adjust the diet a little to make sure that I was not over the 200 pound mark. To me, that was the "magic" number to avoid.

Well, last March (2007), my eating habits became a little more unhealthy and I was very stressed out. I started to gain weight and I really was not concerned about it much. I just wanted to survive what was going on. I wanted to make sure that my wife was healthy and that we found a town and church that we could work in that would help us create a healthy enviornment for our family.

God open the door for us to come to Zion in Ohio and we have been absolutely blessed. When we agreed to come to Ohio, I decided that I needed to make a few changes. Before, we made the official move, we were in town to secure housing, there was a conversation that occurred.

I was at the ALIVE musical festival and I was talking to Bernie (interim ym at Zion) and was having a very tasty but unhealthy meal and I said, "when I move into town next week, I am going to change my lifestyle.

We went back to Lafayette to finish packing and move week was stressful and fast food and pizza most nights. Cooking and messes were not priorities - packing was on the list. Anyways, at the end of move week, I stepped on the scale.

215 POUNDS

argh !!!!!!!

For those who do not know, I am 5'9" inches. I should not weigh that much. We moved to Ohio and my journey to lose weight began.

In July and August, I did not do too much different. The thing that did change was going to more of a routine for eating and not stress eating.

In September, my walking and drinking water came into play. We live downtown, so I began walking and walking alot. I would walk the kids to school and then church. I would make that trip a few times aday.

By Christmas, I had lost 22 pounds and was down to 193 pounds. I was happy that I was under the 200 pounds mark and for me, it was great because I did not seem to be altering much of my lifestyle.

As the calendar flipped and we entered into 2008, I decided that I was going to take the wellness challenge and really focus on five different aspects of my life. The one aspect that ties into my weight journey was my physical well-being.

5 Aspects of Well Being

Spiritual Well-Being
Physical Well-Being
Emotional Well-Being
Social and Interpersonal Well-Being
Vocational Well-Being

Thus, in January, I decided that I would increase my walking. I would increase my water intake. I would eliminate late night eating (as much as possible). I would choose smaller portions of food and when out eating, I would choose chicken over beef at times (REALLY HARD) and when we go for the pizza buffet - limit pizza and eat more salads. The other aspect is training. I have been working on abs to help with my back and neck problems - so exercising came on the table.

Well, I have hit a milestone. This year, I have lost 28 pounds. Add those to the 22 pounds that I lost last fall and ....

I have lost 50 pounds !!!!
I now weigh in at 165 pounds .....

I think losing 50 pounds is a pretty good accomplishment. The great thing for me is that it has been a constant loss. No spikes and not "huge" weeks. It has been slow and steady.

Last week, I emptied out my cloet and need to go and buy some clothes that fit. I did make a few purchases last week. In a sense, I do not have much of a before or after look. However, I will find a few inthe archives when I was at my heaviest and I will take a few now pics to put up. Maybe, I will even go and put on some of my old pants to show the waist loss.

Now, I am off to walk 1.5 miles up to the free clinic to work and then back 1.5 miles to pick up the boys and then to walk home. I am so glad that I feel comfortable enough to walk that far. Last year at this time, it would have not happened.

News from the Chiropractor

My time there is almost up. Thus, they retook the xrays and we redid the agility and strength test. The results are pretty amazing.

I have a lot more motion on my left side; we are talking as much as 30 degrees more motion and my stenth (pi) is up 15 pounds+ and more great things all around.

We are 4 months into 2008 and there is a world of difference in my health, my fitness and my moveability and the lack of pain. It truly is astonishig.

There are still a few things that I need to work on and improve in and we will get there. But with my weight loss and my chiropractor work; I know that I will be on the way to accomplish the rest.

One thing that I do need to do is get in and get a full-service-checkup. I have not done that in a long time and I need to have all my numbers checked. All that is for later entries; today is to announce the miracle works that have occurred for me over at the chiropractor the last 2+ months.

Blood Pressure Went DOWN !!!

In 2008, I decided that I was going to get healthy. I am still on tract to get healthy. There are numerous things that I still need to do, but i am taking positive steps.

One area of my life that is seeing improvement is my blood pressure. I have had high blood pressure or "borderline" high for quite awhile. some of it is genetics but some of it is due to the fact that I love "fatty" food; it tastes so good.

Well, in '08, fatty food is very limited for me. I am doing this to "drop" weight and to "drop" my blood pressure. I am not going to share about my weight till next month (most likely) but I would like to say a few words about my blood pressure today.

I was in "stage 1" hypertension. A handful of months ago my blood pressure was at 138/98. The 98 (diastolic) was nearing stage 2 hypertension which was not good.

One area where I "fail" inhealth is going to the doctor. The blood pressure was done by one of our parish nurses. When I saw the numbers, I knew that I needed to get this under control (was going to give myself 3 months) and if it did not go down to the "normal" range that I would need to go to the doc and not only change my diet, add exercise but add medication and I am not a meds person :)

Well, yesterday, the parish nurses took my blood pressure and it is down to 112/74. She was very impressed that it went down this far without meds.

I will keep monitoring the BP and I will talk to the doctor when I finally get in for a check up. I will get into the doc sometime this year; I promise. This will be the first time in ... um .... 6+ years .... I know, I know ...

More on Wellness '08 later

My Back and Neck

Well, I went to get the results of my test yesterday at the chiropractor. The news from them was not overly good. I have quite a few problems in my neck and upper back.

In particular, my cervical and thoractic are not in good shape. I have a few vertebrates that have no spacing and are rubbing together and a few that have v spacing with them being pinced nerves.

My motion and strength is weaker than the right side ad I am shorter on the left side as well. Then add a splash of scoliosis in the neck area of the spine and you have a little understanding of why I am in pain at times.

The good thing about the news and diagnosis is that, i now know why I have been in pain and they did find items on the xray, so they know at least where the trouble spots are and can at least develop of strategy to treat me.

I am on a 10-week treatement plan and we will see how it works and how I am feeling after the 10 weeks are up. maybe, this will help me in the physical aspect of my Wellness '08 plan.

My first appointment is this afternoon, I will let you know how it goes.

Wellness '08 Update

This last week may have been the most difficult week for me this year in terms of eating healthy and drinking enough water. We ate at the church a few nights and then I went out to restaurants on Friday and Saturday night and I let myself "slide" a little with what I hate. But, I did stay away from the "pub/tavern" food that I could have indulged myself in.

Today, I took a step in wellness that I think that I have needed to take for a long time but I have not done it and a lot of it has to do with finances and insurance. But, my neck and back have been hurting quite a bit lately. I have always had pain but I usually "suffer" and take some Advil. Well, this morning, I went into the chiropracor and they ran some test on me and took x-rays. I will have the consult tomorrow and will know more. At first glance though, they can tell that I have more movement, flexibility, and strenght in my right side than my left. I also had a electro massage treatment for 10 mins and orders for ice packs a few times during the day.

On the health and welness aspect (physical weight), individuals seem to notice the wight loss. Wether, it be my pants saggng or my face slimming out. I do get on the scale every Monday, so I do know that there are pounds that are coming off. More on that in weeks or months; not now.

Wellness '08 Update: Week 3

I can celebrate tonight, right ?

It has been 21 days since I have implented a few changes in my lifestlye.

I have been eating balance meals with more fruit. This has been a huge deal for me. I am not a person to eat 3 meals a day; yet I have done it. My portions have also been smaller at dinner and I am not doing as many late night snacks. The big change is the servings in my fruits. I have really added those elements to my life.

I am a walking maniac

I love walking. Now let me say, I like walking in real life. By that, I mean, I can not do a treadmill. On a treadmill, you are not going anywhere. I like going from point A to point B. I am enjoying walking to school, to the church, to the stores and more. When I am driving to a store, I try to park in the parking space the most distance to the door.

Water, Water and more Water I am a drinking fool. I like my bottle. Step back from the bottle and no one will get hurt. The biggest change has been at work. Instead of cup after cup after cup of coffee, I have my water. No, I have not given up coffee, just limiting my intake.

On to the next 21 days, these should be easier.

Wellness '08 Update: Week 2

This week, I went 3 for 4 on the items that I am trying to accomplish this quarter. I am sure you can guess which one I "failed" in. Yup, it was the same one last week. I told Stacey that I was going to blame her .... but that would probably be a fib. The reason that I was going to blame her was that I was too tired from her restless sleep that kept me up and for my extra few duties (which really wasn't much). The truth is that I am going to have to come up with a exercise strategy that will work for me. I just haven't figured that out yet.

But, I am enjoying the walking, I am able to keep the water intake up and I am also continuing to eat healthy and pass on the foods that I really do not eat BUT .. ooohhh how I want. However, it really has not been that difficult. Even on Saturday's.

For those who do not know, we have a tradition in our family. Every Saturday, we get donuts. We have been doing this for about 6 years. Well, no donuts for this daddy on Saturday. I still went to the bakery and grabbed them. I still sat at the table and drank coffee and read the paper. Instead of the donut though, I had a bagel, bananna and grapes. YUMMY.

For my personal knowledge, I did step on the scale but we are not here to report that :)

Intellectual Well-Being

Intellectual Well-Being

Today, I am going to share with you the write-up on Intellectual Well-Being. This is the fifth and final installment on the wheel (aren't you glad).

The 5 (spokes) of a Balanced Life

Spiritual Well-Being
Physical Well-Being
Emotional Well-Being
Social and Interpersonal Well-Being
Vocational Well-Being

As professionals in training after years of school, we laugh in frustration at the thought of continuing education and use it to reconnect with friends or to escape to a nice place. As we become more seasoned, we recognize the value in learning new things to continually challenge our minds and relearning old things in new ways to refresh what has become stale.

Just as children ask questions that are often a challenge to answer, so do the members of congregations look to their pastors and leaders for answers. Sometimes these answers come easily, and other times the issues are complex and require a more thoughtful response. Keeping our minds keen through education, personal study, and challenging conversations keeps our responses more finely tuned. A musical instrument kept in its case may need some attention to get the most out of it. A seasoned performer can make music with little preparation, but the finest musicians practice daily and can get the full range of beautiful music from their instrument. They respond quickly to a conductor’s baton and can make each performance a unique and personalized experience.

Our mind is a gift from God, but how we use it is under our control. Using it fully demands time, energy, and care. We must invest in the health of our minds just as we invest in the health of our bodies and spirits.

I have been trying to stretch my mind "intellectually". This has come in two forms recently. The first one is reading. I try to keep my mind challenged through the writings of other individuals. I am also listening to video classes from universities. I am currently watching some through Cal-Berkly. These classes are not classes that will enhance the ministry per se but they are classes that are challenging my intellect.

I think that it is very important that we keep challenging our mind.

As, I look at the wheel. I think that I have few spokes that are fine and there are others that I am working on. My goal is that I will be "balanced" in the wellness at the end of '08.

Vocational Well-Being

Vocational Well-Being

Vocational Well-Being is one of the 5 spokes that I have been going through. Here are the list of the spokes:

Spiritual Well-Being
Intellectual Well-Being
Physical Well-Being
Emotional Well-Being
Social and Interpersonal Well-Being


Vocation

There is a call to us, a call to service – that we join with others to try to make things better in this world. - Dorothy Day

Research on the health of Protestant clergy in the 1970’s and 80’s showed that, compared to European-American males, clergy lived longer and healthier for almost every cause of death studied. Studies in occupational medicine show that workers who are more satisfied with their jobs, feel that they have more say in their jobs, or feel they have support from management have fewer injuries or health problems. Although more recent research indicates high levels of stress by survey and by stress-related problems, clergy also indicate a greater level of job satisfaction.

Using the gifts that God has given us to serve God by serving others in this world is an inspirational calling. It should never leave us with the thought, ”What am I doing in this dead-end job?” Having vocation wellness, then, is accepting that call, recognizing and developing our gifts, seeking a proper fit where out talents and gifts can best be used to serve, and maximizing our health in order to continue to be inspired and be able to inspire others to serve God.

1 Peter 5:1-4“

I appeal to you to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve. Do not try to rule over those who have been put in your care, but be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will never lose its brightness.”

Now, even though this write-up was geared to pastors, I believe that it "bleeds" out across the board. It is very important that the "job" that you are in is a job that is not leading you to a "mental-breakdown". As mentioned in the emotional well-being section, i think that your vocational well-being has a HUGE impact on your emotional state. It is VITAL to be in a position and place where you are healthy. I am thankful to be in a vocational place where I feel called, loved, accepted and healthy.

Social / Interpersonal Well-Being

Social / Interpersonal Well-Being

Today, I take a look at Social / Interpersonal Well-Being. Listed below are the well-Being's that we are looking at all the spokes:

Spiritual Well-Being
Intellectual Well-Being
Physical Well-Being
Emotional Well-Being
Vocational Well-Being

How often do you complain of being “stressed out” or of having a stressful day? Stress is widely accepted as influencing health. Studies have found that the most stressful life events are family events. The most stressful event is the death of a partner or spouse. The second most stressful event is divorce, and studies have found that divorced individuals have higher death rates for any cause than singles, widowed or married individuals.

One of the greatest challenges for pastors and other professionals is to keep healthy relationships with partners, children, and friends in an occupation that often demands 24-hour responsiveness to others’ needs. Having a healthy support system is essential for health. Nourishing those relationships with time and attention is required. Beyond the emotional support that keeps us going every day, learning how to love deeply and knowing that we are loved is the fuel for serving others.

John 13:34-35

"And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

This is an area where I am struggling a little. I am doing much better than I have in the past but I still do not really have a circle of close friends. But, I do have a good circle of aquanteances and folks that I come into contact with and have good causal conversations with (schools and sporting avenues). However, I know that I need to take this to the next step.

I am re-reading a book that I first read about 6 years ago. It is lighting a little fire under my feet. I will be finishing the book probably Monday. I am reading it at practices when I am not watching the kids or chatting with other parents. This is something that I NEED to blog about. It is also something that I need to involve my family in and how this may apply/effect our lives. More on that next week.

Emotional Well-Being

Emotional Well-Being

We are taking a look at five different spokes. Today, I am taking a look at the Emotional Well-Being aspect. Here are the five spokes:

- Spiritual Well-Being
- Intellectual Well-Being
- Physical Well-Being
- Social and Interpersonal Well-Being
- Vocational Well-Being


According to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report on “Health and Health Care 2010”, it is anticipated that heart disease will be the number one cause of death and disability, followed by mental illness (especially depression), and then cancer.


Matthew 5:6 - "Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!” There are no simple answers to why there is so much depression today, and the importance of counseling and of appropriately prescribed medicines to treat depression cannot be underestimated. The stress of our busy lives and demanding occupations does not always seem to allow for some of the activities that keep our emotions and energies up – such as recreational exercise, adequate sleep, healthy sex and intimacy, or peaceful meditation.

Our work consumes such a significant percent of our waking hours that job satisfaction and personal reward are critical to emotional health. Research has shown that among clergy, Protestant clergy had the highest overall work-related stress and were next to the lowest in personal resources to cope with the occupational strain. Additionally, research has found that almost one in three pastors leaving ordained ministry had family difficulties, and clergy ran third in percentage among professionals who are divorced.

Each of us needs to regularly examine our lives and our emotional status. Are we living our lives healthfully, in service to God, and fully enjoying all the gifts that God has given us?

At the present time, I believe that I am very healthy in regards to my emotional well-being. The ministry, job, and church that I work with and serve at is a big reason for this. I spend 1/3 of my life in that area (if you have to departmentalize; which I do not like) thus it is crucial that this area is positive. With it being positive, it is easier to have my emotional health where it needs to be.

I ask you to take a look at your life. Take inventory where you spend the majority of your time (work?)and see how it is going. If you are in a unhealthy work environment or an a unhealthy place (where you spend the majority of your time) then I ask (urge) you to take stock (inventory) on your emotional health and monitor it closely.

Physical Well-being

In a previous post, I shared with you the 5 "spokes" of well being. This afternoon, I want to share a small write-up on the physical well-being:

Physical well-being is probably the first component of health that comes to mind. And yet, it is often the component most neglected in American culture. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that “being physically active reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. (And yet) nowhere is the gap wider between what we know and what we do than in the area of physical activity, and nowhere is the potential pay-off greater.”

Americans seem to be of two minds when it comes to physical well-being:

1) that it is to be taken for granted and any form of abuse (cigarettes, alcohol, fast food, lack of sleep, no seat belts) can be remedied by medical technology, or

2) that physical well-being is a competitive goal of perfection, and any degree of abuse (steroids or other physical performance enhancers, obsessive exercise, or significant investment in exercise equipment) is acceptable in achieving the goal.

It is written in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.”

Our healthy bodies are truly miraculous gifts from God. We have been given the responsibility to maximize our health by avoiding abusive behaviors and practicing healthy behaviors. When we meet this responsibility, we are best prepared to use our talents to serve God and to serve others in God’s name.

For myself, my physical well-being as been in the back-seat for approx. 10 years. I have placed my 'being" in my state it is to the following:

- I love junk food
- My schedule is too chaotic to eat healthier
- I am fiiiiiiine
- Ummm, I am still young
- and more

Well, Change in '08 is my mantra. I am going to get my life in balance and these 5 elements will be in order time the year. Once again, here are the spokes:

- physical well-being
- intellectual well-being
- vocational well-being
- social and interpersonal well-being
- emotional well-being

In the physical realm, I will get healthy and I will do this by eating healthy and getting into an exercise regime. This will hopefully help me lower my chloresterol and my blood pressure. I will also be able to "run" again against the hs kids in sports.

Wellness '08: Week 1 Update

Alrightee. I stated that there were 4 areas that I was going to "focus" on in January - March. Thus, to keep me "accountable", I am putting it out there.

1. Walk where I can

I accomplished this task. To me, this is one that is fairly easy. I walked the boys to school every morning and then walked down to the church. It is about .7 of a mile to do both. I then walked home for lunch .4 of a mile. After lunch, I walked back to church and then in the afternoon, I walked to the school and back home and 2x, I walked back to the church to finish up items and then back home. Thus, I am walking a little over 2 miles a day in the "everyday tasks category". I also have walked to the bank, the grocery store, and the insurance agents office. so, i can check off this one for week one.

2. Go to the YMCA and Cycle

Ummmm, I failed this one. However, I did take a step in the right direction by buying a pair of tennis shoes this week. i had no shoes. So, I took a step, right ??

Even though today is "week 2" ... i took another step today. I did not make it cycling but I went up to the pool at 5:30 am this morning and did laps in the pool.

3. Please hand me the water bottle.

This is the easiest for me. I have the water bottle at my desk and I drink my water faithfully at the desk and while at home ... I have a snapple bottle that I drink from. So, I am "flushing" myself out.

4. Eat More Regularly

This was tough but I accomplished it. This is the first time in probably 12 years that I ate 3 meals a day ... all 7 days. They may not be the meals that I need to be eating but it is a good baby step.

I am keeping track of myself on the scale. I am weighing myself every Monday. I am going to keep numbers hussssssshed for the first few weeks ... maybe months though.

Week 2, we will go 4/4

Health and Welness

This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way.

The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on. This is not the goal but it is the right road. At present, everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed.
Martin Luther

I am in the process of trying to get healthier. I can honestly say that the bold aspect in Luther's quote is what I am doing and working on. The ELCA has a diagram on their website. It is a picture of a wheel. In the center (the hub) is you (a new creation in Christ) and there are 5 spokes going to the outer wheel (spiritual well being). The five spokes are the following:

- physical well-being
- intellectual well-being
- vocational well-being
- social and interpersonal well-being
- emotional well-being

I will let their words speak to me (and maybe you):

You are the center of the wheel as a new creation through baptism and a member of the body of Christ. Spiritual health surrounds, contains and supports us through faith and our relationship with God. Within the wheel are the individual aspects of wellness. To be whole means to keep these aspects in balance by intentionally nurturing and attending to each. If one area is neglected the whole will be out of balance.

Here is to wellness in '08. On Monday, I will give my update on how my first week went with my goals that I am striving for.

Bible in One Hand & Gym Bag in the Other

In the recent magazine "the Lutheran", there was an advertisement from the ELCA Board of Pensions about the Wellness Journey. I have decided that in 2008, I need to focus on some physical and spiritual wellness.

I am going to try to break down the calendar year in "quarters" and focus on different aspects to get me more "fit" by the end of the year.

January - March

During this three month period, I am going to focus on the following:

1. Walk where I can

This should be a fairly easy step for me. I already walk the kids to school and to the church everyday. I also walk back to the school and home after the day is over. However, if there is anything that I need to do "downtown", I am going to hopefully walk.

2. Go to the YMCA and Cycle

I can tell that I am "out-of-shape" with my cardio. I think that it was evident the last weekend in December. While at the retreat, the b-ball game and the trail walking and the "hikes" up the hill made me "windy". Thus, I am going to go to the Y 3/4 x a week and ride. At the present time, I am not sure how much I am going to do (or try). I really do not have a "logical number" in my head. If anyone wants to throw out a suggestions, please do.

3. Please hand me the water bottle.

Drinking water is usually an "easy" thing for me to do when I am "committed". However, I have not been committed and I have not been drinking water like I should. Thus, I have my "jug" on my desk that I will be filling and hopefully, the water intake will be high (flush me out).

4. Eat More Regularly

I need to eat more regularly. I have a bad habit of "not eating" in the morning and early afternoon and it catches up with me and I eat more in late afternoon / evening. Thus, I am going to spread the food out more during the day.

Those our the four physical aspects that I am going to put into place for me over the next three months. Hopefully, these little changes will make a difference and they will help me make bigger changes and strides in April - June time period.

I will go ahead and put my "weight" out there; so I can monitor that as well on a weekly basis (Monday's). I (have a goal in my mind) will not share what I hope/want to get to and maintain but I will share that my weight this morning was 193.5

On the spiritual side ......

I am going to focus on 2 things. I am going to go through the Psalms and I am going to practice the body prayers.

Alright, let us begin the jouney.