“LOSE IT” – Feb. 22

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  1 Corinthians 9:25

“How could I have let this happen?”

This was my thought as I stepped off of the scales about a month ago.  In April of 2015, I wrote FAT DENIED  which chronicled my struggle with weight.  After writing that post, I continued to lose weight and got down to 182 lb.

I felt great. 

My Strava account  testifies to the fact that I broke more PRs (personal records) from April through September, 2015 than at any other time.  I had demonstrated that the unnecessary layer of fat around my torso was the great hindrance to my athletic performance.  I was committed to keeping the weight off.

And then, the off-season happened;
My calendar cleared of all races;
Daylight savings robbed me of training after work;
And I ate my way through the holidays.

I was staring in disgust at a number on my scale that I had allowed to happen in just 4 months.  I had never wanted to see 190 lbs. again and here I was staring at 200 lbs.

“How could I have let this happen?”

Actually, I know exactly how it happened.  It is not a mystery.

I lacked self-control.

I ate more food than my activity level could burn off.  A snack here and there.  I ate a little extra of this and that.  I had maybe seconds and sometimes thirds, which was all  it took to make the numbers on the scale start to climb.   I am frustrated and disappointed with myself because this is completely on me.

I lacked self-control.

So, I have started again.  I have begun to lose that same 20 lbs. but I am not following a diet.  I am not subscribing to some method.  My weight loss strategy is simply self-control.  I have already learned what I should be eating.  I know how to exercise.

My issue is self-control.

Therefore, I am utilizing a self-control tool.  I am using the LOSE IT! app to help me maintain self-control.  I am not dieting.  I am seeking to live a balanced life.   After I reach my weight goal, I want my calories in to be roughly equal to my calories out.  I want to lose weight at this time.  So, I want my calories in to be less than my calories out.  I need data to help my self-control.

The LOSE IT app allows me to set a weight goal level and the date that I want to achieve it.  Based on those parameters, I have a daily calorie account.  I log what I eat and the app tallies it up.  I log my exercise and the app subtracts the calories burned from my total.  The goal is to keep each day below my daily calorie total.

I have found it to be an incredibly helpful self-control tool.

Several times I have climbed on by bicycle trainer, when I didn’t feel like it, simply to burn some calories because I had eaten too much.
I have foregone seconds and certainly thirds because I know how many calories that I have left for the day.
I am better at keeping my hand out of the nut jar because I know how many calories are in a handful.

I realize that some will think that I am being legalistic about my use of the LOSE IT app.  However, they don’t value my goals.  What they term legalistic, I define as self-control.  I wish that I did not need to use the LOSE IT app.  I know a buffet is not beneficial for me.  I wish that I could be free to eat whatever I wanted without any detrimental effects to my goals.   I can’t.

I lack self-control.

I could not help but think of the spiritual application of my recent weight gain experience.  Paul encourages us to live a life of self-control.

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.  1 Corinthians 9:27

What does a self-control life look like to you? 
I think many may be too quick to confuse self-control with legalism.

The problem with legalism is that it is self-control with the wrong goal.  Legalism seeks righteousness through works but lack love for God.  Self-control seeks to love God by eliminating the stumbling blocks to our weaknesses.  I know that all things are free to me but all things are not beneficial.

I have to live in the world but I don’t want to be of the world.  Therefore, I can only consume a certain amount of the world; I have to exercise the spiritual disciplines to stay strong.   This is how I maintain a balanced spiritual life.

Some may criticize me for being legalistic.
Others may call me licentious.

However, I know what my spiritual goals are.  I know the race that I am in.  I am not running aimlessly.  I am not boxing as one beating the air.  I have learned the areas in which I have freedom and those in which I need self-control.  I know how to practice the spiritual disciplines.

Based on those parameters, I strive to live as one who is running to obtain the prize.

How about you?

Do you have a spiritual goal?
Do you know your weaknesses?
Do you practice any spiritual disciplines?

Are you running to obtain the prize?

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for giving me a hope that surpasses this world.  Thank you for completing the work  you have started in me.  Thank you for giving me weakness.  Thank you for teaching me discipline.  Father, help me to live a balanced life that strives to glorify you.   Help me to be in the world but not of it.  Enable me to run as one running to obtain the prize.  I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Please feel free to follow me on Strava or Lose It!

STRAVA-LIKE COMMUNITY – Mar. 24

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25

I have entered the world of Strava.   Strava is an app that tracks your running and cycling activity. It maps your route and calculates your average speed / pace and elevation gain.  You can post those results to Strava and compare your activity to other athletes.

Strava (Photo credit: Patrick’s Velolog)

Upon joining this community, I have discovered that I am slower than I had thought.  I have reviewed the top performers, the segment kings, of my cycling routes and marvel at some of the times posted.  There are individuals out there performing at a whole other level than I am.

I ride these routes in my little individual world and feel really good about my fitness.  My imagination conjures up fantasies of crossing finish lines and standing on podiums as I pedal away in solitude.  It is easy to become over-confident in one’s abilities when you only perform in solitude.

My confidence was rattled a bit  this weekend.  I am planning, Lord willing, to compete in the Tour of Ontario cycling race next weekend.  This weekend they had a pre-ride to allow local competitors to get familiar with the course.  I tried to hang onto the lead group but got dropped on a corner about two miles into the road race course.  I slowed a little too much through the corner and then did not have the legs to close the gap as the group accelerated away.  Once a gap formed, the slight head wind made it impossible for me to catch them.

I hate getting dropped.  I had an equal earnestness of wanting to catch the lead group and not wanting to be caught by the chase group.  So, I tried to stay as aerodynamic as one rider can be and pedaled on.  I ended up making the rest of the ride solo since I stayed in no-man’s land between the two groups.

When I finally finished the ride, I stopped the Strava app and was immediately prompted as to whether I wanted to record or discard the ride.  I was tempted to hit discard due to my lackluster performance.  I think of myself as a 20 mph average rider (I rarely hit that number so I don’t know why I have that expectation) but I had only averaged only 17.4 mph over the 32 mile route and had been dropped on top of that.

However, I sucked up my pride and hit record.

Later that day, I noticed several others from the pre-ride had posted their rides on Strava.  They were from the lead group that I could not catch.  I was surprised by the fact that none of them had average speeds over 20 mph.  They had smoked me, but not by the degree I had thought.  They had ridden in a group and I had gone solo.  Maybe, I had not done as bad as I had thought.

I could never have put my ride into perspective if I had not been willing to suck it up and actually be part of a community.  Being part of a community means that sometimes we will be embarrassed by our performance, but it also means that we can put our performance into perspective and be encouraged to push farther than we thought possible.  It means that we are challenged by those who are stronger and we can encourage those who are weaker.

I know many folks live their Christian lives like a solo ride.  They enjoy their spiritual experience but they don’t really share their personal relationship with God with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  They keep their spiritual lives very private.

The problem with going solo is that we can convince ourselves that we are doing much better than we actually are.  We can become over-confident and unchallenged to go deeper in our faith and we can never stir up our brothers and sisters in Christ to love and good works.

True Christian community means that we meet together and are transparent with those we can trust about all of our activity – the good and the bad – the embarrassing and the triumphant.  It means that we are challenged by those who are following Christ to pursue greater love and good works and we encourage others to continue.

I know that there are times when we find ourselves in a spiritual no-man’s land and our path lead us through very solo stretches.  I am currently on one of those stretches.  However, that does not mean we accept the solitary Christian life as the norm; the norm should be community.  We should not neglect meeting together in real, honest community.  We should earnestly desire to be a part of real Christian community and not to be caught by the lackluster activities of former times.

We should appreciate it when we’re in it and seek it when we aren’t – you just might find it in very unexpected places.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for giving us community. Forgive me for having taken it for granted.  Forgive me for not seeking it like I should.  Lord, give me an earnestness to be a part of a Christian community that I don’t really feel at this time.  I know that it is important.  Sustain me through this period of solitude.  Father, give me a community where I will be challenged and encouraged and where I can do the same for others.  I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

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