By the way, you might want to get a snack and find a comfortable spot--this is going to take a while!
It all started 4 years ago.....my college roommate and her bestie were running! I read all about it on Facebook and for the millionth time wished I lived closer to town so I could run with them! I called her and got as many tips as possible. I visited Fleet Feet for the first time and was "fitted" for running shoes (La-ti-da-da!) I bought some exercise clothing to fit over my 70 pound overweight frame. And I hit the road! I used a couch to 5K program from iTunes that was $free$ to help me with timing my running and walking intervals. I was so impressed with myself. A few weeks into my "training"...and I laugh as I say this because it was more like "paining" to me....my feet became so sore I literally could not walk on them. After a visit to the orthopedic doctor in town, he advised me to take time off, freeze water bottles and roll my feet over them, and stretch them each morning before I got out of bed. That just required too much effort, so I shelved my running shoes. The only exercise I participated in from that point on was strengthening my right arm and other key body parts needed for snacking.
Chest Presses (Butterflies) --Opening and shutting the fridge (unlimited repetitions)
Dips--who knows how many I did--dip my hand into the Frito's bag and double dip into the extra large container of sour cream
Squats--squatting down to look in the cabinet to find something else to eat
Calf raises--looking up really high into my pantry to see if I could find some lonely piece of chocolate from Halloween, Valentine's Day, or Easter that someone left behind
Fast forward to November 2011--I had been having an odd sensation under my my rib cage on the right side of my body. It came and went, and wasn't excruciating. I finally went to the doctor, because my Daddy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the day before his open heart surgery, and that is always in the back of my mind. The doctor ran all kinds of tests, and nothing showed as being problematic. What an answered prayer! My blood work did show some sad results, however, for a person only 38 years old. Triglycerides were 368. Cholesterol--229, and of course the ratio of good-to-bad cholesterol was the opposite of what it should be.Ugh...but really, who could I be upset with? It was my own fault for having poor eating habits. Also, I was as lethargic as a snail and engaged in virtually no exercise since my attempt to "run"! My friends and I have a word for someone like this: horizontal! Yep, that described me! The real kicker, though, is when she told me I had the beginnings of fatty liver disease. She assured me it is completely reversible, but I had to EXERCISE and LOSE WEIGHT. The three most dreaded words in the English language, in my opinion. Seriously, I was terrified. I started praying as I got into my car in the parking lot.
On the way home from the doctor, I ran into my neighbor pushing her children in a stroller. On our road, you don't just ride by, you stop for conversation. She is a nurse, and she likes to hear medical talk, so I spilled my guts. She told me that she has started running, and asked if I would like to join her. I had flashbacks of my first attempt, but she was very convincing. "Sure, I'll do it!" I said. "What time do you usually go?"
"5:30 a.m." she answered nonchalantly, like she was talking about what to cook for supper.
"Umm, that's a little early for me. I'm not sure I can drag myself out of bed, much less get dressed and go out in the pitch, black dark alone and without coffee."
"You can do it! If I can, anyone can!" (I was not buying it!!!!After all, she ran track in high school.)
(I beg forgiveness from all my English teachers--I don't remember how to type quotation marks correctly and I don't feel like researching it on the web!)
I went home and told Steven, my husband about my new plan. He looked at me like I had snakes growing out of my head. I could tell he didn't believe that I would actually do it, and that's when my Oppositional Defiant Disorder reared its ugly head. I made lunches. I took breakfast orders and laid out dishes and boxes. I assembled clothes for the next day right down to the shoes. And I dug deep into the recesses of my closet to find some long, thick workout pants. I raided Steven's closet to find a fleece pullover and a stocking cap. I dusted off those fancy shoes from Fleet Feet. I set the alarm for 4:45. I downloaded a new improved podcast from iTunes. I was ready! Bye-bye 70 pounds, and hello fashion that didn't have a W behind the size.
It's amazing how God sets events in motion--through situations, and through people. Romans 8:28 comes to mind~
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This was only the beginning of how He would answer my prayers in regards to my health.
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