4 His Temple 30 Day Challenge

Are you in diet and exercise rut? Have you failed to get off the couch and get started although you have a desire to do so? Is your regular routine failing to give you the results you once realized? Can We Talk?!  

On this journey our bodies will reach plateaus. During this time the body is saying "you are going to the gym three days a week, you are eating 1800 calories a day, OK, I can adjust to that". Ever heard your body say that? Ha..probably not. But trust me your body has figured out and adjusted to your current strategy and no longer responds to that regime. 

Often times we need to change up our regular routine because our bodies have gotten accustomed to the demands of that routine. We also may not be as diligent as we were when we first started losing weight and see results. We need to kick start our new routine by increasing intensity and refocusing our diet.

I have been at the same weight for more than six months, in fact I gained eight pounds. I know what you are thinking eight pounds that is no big deal. But if you are trying lose weight or maintain what you have already accomplished AND you are putting in the work, it is something that you should keep an eye on. Eight pounds can quickly lead to 10 to 15 to 20. You see where I am going here.

So why am I telling you all this? Ha, I'm glad you asked. On August 1 we will start our first 4 His Temple 30 Day Challenge. For this 30 days we are asking you to recommit yourself (or commit yourself) to spicing up your workout and diet to get the results you desire. In some cases, get the results the doctor ordered. I've heard some of you say "my doctor told me to lose 10 to 50 pounds". You won't lose 50 pounds in 30 days, but what you will do is refocus yourself and make your choices (food and exercise) work for you. This 30 days can help you establish or reestablish a lifestyle of healthy living. Are you in?

So here is the plan for 30 days. Add some exercise to your current level of activity. I heard the other day that working out twice a day turns your body into a fat burning machine. You like that! Boosts your metabolism. Just 20 minutes twice daily for 30 days. You can do that. Yes, you can. Stop thinking of excuses and obstacles. You won't be doing this alone.

Depending on your current fitness level, one good program is Jill Micheal's 30 Day Shred. I am going to try Jill Micheal's Ripped in 30. Taking off Sunday each week. One person in our community and her husband are going to start P90X. What are you going to do? Let us know so that we can share.

OK, you can't leave out your diet in this plan. Really commit to eating the amount of calories and portions that are right for you. Also for your diet...NO SMOKING, NO ALCOHOL, NO FAST FOOD, NO SWEETS, NO SODA and increase your H2O intake. C'mon it's just 30 days! You mean you can't bring your flesh under submission for 30 days? Seriously?! You won't be alone. We will be there and God is our present help.

If you are joining the challenge, please send me your name and prayer requests. If you need help deciding what to do for 30 days I will be more than happy to chat with you one on one. Just email me at DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com

So join the challenge, dare I ask the question? What have you got to lose? Think about it!

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!

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How Low Can You Go?

Hello Temple Lovers 

I pray that you are maintaining your new healthy lifestyles and that you are sharing your results with others; encouraging them to join you on this journey. We have started a movement of healthy living among the people of God that inspires us all to LIVE better, DO better, and BE better for His glory.

Today we have a question from twitter. If you have a twitter account follow me there as I tweet about everything temple related. We provide encouragement and support and we also share tips and tricks to help you stay motivated and committed to your lifestyle. If you look to the right of this post you can see the twitter feed to see what kinds of information we post. If you have a twitter account, you can search the hashtag #4HisTemple.

If you are having trouble with your workout don't give up. You can always modify the exercise or do some alternate exercise. You may have to seek medical advice during the workout regime if you are having pain or problems that trouble you. If you have preexisting injury or you haven't worked out in a while you may want to see a physician before beginning your workout.

Dear Aqua

I am doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I am on Level 2 and the exercises are high impact on the knees. I am doing squat thrusts, plank jacks, rock star jumps, and lunges...Sheesh! My knee is starting to hurt from the workouts. No idea what I'm doing wrong. Suggestions?

Dear K 

Let me ask a few questions and respond at the same time. I completed the 30 Day Shred three times when I first started working out and I highly recommend it to jump start a regular work-out regime or it is great to help you get back on track if you fall off your regime. I also had problems with my knees during Level 2 because of some old injuries from playing volleyball in high school. Even now, some days I have to do alternate exercises instead of the high knee impact exercises such as lunges. Other days I can do these exercises with just a little modification.

1) Do you have any history of knee pain? Previous knee injury can be a sign that you will have problems when you start working those knees on a regular basis during exercise.

2) Are you stretching and warming up before your workouts? Stretching is crucial before we exercise. A good warm-up helps increase performance, minimize injuries, facilitate recovery, and decrease pain. A good warm-up can be 5-15 minutes depending on the exercises you are planning.

3) Have you tried modifying the workout? Try modifying the workouts by decreasing the impact on the knees. Don't jump as high, don't go as low, and make sure that your landings are soft. Don't slam down at the knee. If you cannot tolerate the pain and the pain does not ease with warm-up and modification go on to Level 3. Don't force it. There is less impact on the knees in Level 3. The downside is that Level 3 is tough and you will have to do it for more than 10 days.

4) Are you drinking enough water? Increase your fluid intake. Drink more water before, during, and after your exercise. Water intake is important for many reasons and there are many health benefits from keeping your body well hydrated. The joints and cartilage in the knees require good lubrication to decrease friction and ensuing pain.

5) How is your posture and form? Make sure that you have correct posture and form when doing these exercises. For example, when you lunge you want to see your toes in the front as you bend your knee. If your front knee extends over your toes, your form is incorrect and you can cause damage to your knees.

6) Is there swelling? Have you taken anything for the pain? Finally, as a last resort you might need to use heat or ice (if swelling is present) and a pain reliever.

Certainly you could have more serious knee pain, but based on our communication I don't think that is the case. Should you believe that your pain is more serious please see a doctor.

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!

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