The Biggest Loser....

Today I finished a 6 week program at the gym I workout at. It involved a few sessions with a trainer, 6 weeks and a goal. After my dad died, I really had no desire to work out so this was a little boost for me to get back in the game.

I started working out in February. I had gained a lot of weight and was feeling horrible. So, from February to September I lost 14 pounds and 27% body fat. That's HUGE! I've been learning a lot about this stuff and it's all so very interesting.

Today was my "weigh in" to finish the program and I was really nervous because I totally did not count my calories! But I met with my trainer and we did another assessment. Before hand, I had a lot of questions that she was happy to answer:
How much body fat percentage should someone lose in 6 weeks? 3% max (healthy)
How can I tell if I'm losing body fat? Ask a trainer to measure you or go by they way your clothes fit
What is the best way to lose weight? Eating your correct caloric intake per day and working your whole body...cardio and weight training. The more lean muscle mass you gain, the more fat your body can burn. If you "starve" your body by eliminating things your body needs, your body will break itself down and actually be more harmful than helpful. She told me that I should not lose more than 2 pounds per week and anything more than that is "water weight" and will come back as soon as I change the way I eat. (that's discouraging...) The whole "water weight" thing is insane. If you lose water weight you dehydrate your body, if you dehydrate your body that's just not healthy, especially if you're trying to lose fat. As you can tell, I learned a lot today. Most of this is stuff I never, ever knew!

All of this is so incredible to me. Anyways, I lost 1 pound on the scale, but I lost 3% body fat (!) which totals 5 pounds of fat. I've lost inches in my arms, waist and legs and I have gained a lot of lean muscle mass. Although these are not the results I expected, I'm really proud of myself. I feel a lot better and I know I am healthier. This makes my 10 month grand total to losing 15 pounds and 30% body fat! Plus, I can run for 2 miles on the treadmill, which makes me think I'm in okay shape! I would like to continue on this little part of the journey. I would like to lose a little more body fat and tone up my muscles more. I'll keep you all updated on that.

For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm taking care of my body in a way that glorifies the Lord. That's so special for me. My body is His temple and I desire to worship Him by taking care of it. And doesn't that show Him the respect and reverence He deserves? I'm not always great about it and I have a lot to learn and grow in, but I want to remember that my body is not my own and I am able to worship God by caring for myself.