The Jobe Journal

Before 3 months of fitness boot camp

After 3 months of boot camp

This summer I have exercised. A LOT! Almost every day. I began All Out Fitness Boot Camp the last week of May and have loved it. On the days I’ve not gone to camp, I’ve run outside or done exercise videos. I feel great. As I posted before, at first I was discouraged because my weight didn’t change. I sweated every. single. day and ate healthy foods (whole foods, little sugar, lots of water!) for four weeks before I lost even one pound!

I’d forgotten that I’d taken the “before” picture. It was actually taken in December ’09 as a “before” shot for P90X. However, I never did it. Daniel and I tried but he quit after a few days because he found the program aggravated his back. I just didn’t have what it took to go solo so I quit too. These pictures are accurate for my condition before beginning boot camp because other than walking sporadically, I didn’t exercise much between taking the pic and the start of camp.

After three months of working out about an hour a day six days a week, I can say I am truly glad I did! I’ve lost about 7 pounds which isn’t much, but I feel wonderful! I’ve never done strength- training. I’ve always considered myself a cardio-girl. However, I am now sold! Strength-training plus cardio is the way to go! I feel stronger! … And my fitness tests prove that I am. My push-ups in a minute have tripled and I can run a mile in under 9 minutes! (For me, that is huge!) While my weight on the scale hasn’t changed dramatically, I am two sizes smaller. I’ve learned to put the scale away because the numbers do not give an accurate picture of body fat. I’d rather weigh more and be stronger! And I’ve learned that when you are developing muscle strength, good things are happening even if the scale doesn’t say so!

I’ll be 40 in just a few short months and my desire is to face this decade with health and fitness on my side! The “after” picture for boot-camp is my “before” picture for P90X. I’m going to continue to go to camp one day a week but now that summer has ended, I must do something at home because evening workouts don’t suit our fall schedule. This time I’m going to stick with it! I love challenging myself to get stronger! Once my day begins, it’s so hard to stop and exercise so the key to success for me will be getting up early.

Any readers/friends successfully done P90X? If not, what are some of your favorite home workouts?

A month ago, I began a Bible study with my girls called Lies Young Women Believe (LYWB) by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. At the same time I also began my first month of All Out Fitness Boot Camp. The Bible study addresses lies that our culture tells women and Biblically addresses what our responses should be. Boot camp, on the other hand, is an hour long resistance training workout that I am attending three days a week.

I’ll admit that my primary goal in signing up for the fitness camp was to lose weight. I’ve battled the same ten extra pounds for several years and I decided that this would be the summer it would come off for good! I had a number in my mind that I desired to weigh, and I was sure that fitness camp would get me there quickly. It’s tough! Even my athletic dancing daughter, Anna, tried it tonight and admitted that the workout was intense. I’ve run at least three miles on the days I don’t attend. I’ve eaten well. I’ve drunk LOTS of water and severely limited my sugar consumption. After three weeks, it didn’t appear that I had lost a. single. pound.

This is where the Bible study enters the picture. This is a mother/daughter study. The book addresses lies that young women tend to believe (at least the title implies this!) However, as I’ve studied, I’ve realized that women in my stage of life also listen to them (including me!) Many of the un-truths our culture tells women have to do with body image. I’d like to say that I don’t ever listen to such lies. I do recognize more of them now than I once did. I was a large child. In the 5th grade, I was my full height of 5’2 1/2″ and known as “too tall Tina.” I was teased. I was a little chunky. As I naturally lost a few pounds in jr. high, I received much attention and came to view “thinness” as “worth.” Praise the Lord, over time, the Lord healed me of some dangerous thinking and behaviors… but I still have to be careful to recognize lies that I tell myself. Lies that our culture tells women such as…

You need to weigh this. (Really? Says who?)

You can’t eat these foods. They are bad. (Moderation is key!)

Being thin is beautiful. (We need to be a healthy weight. However, true beauty comes from the cultivation of gentle and quiet spirit. This is what I desire!)

As I’ve exercised this month, I have been careful to focus on scriptures that are truth! I have prayed about my motives in exercising and eating right. My body is a temple. It is my responsibility to take care of it. What the scale says truly doesn’t matter if I am doing my part. When I’d not lost anything after two weeks, I was discouraged. After three, I weighed myself again  and felt the Lord telling me to put the scale away. The wonderful thing is, I didn’t even care that the numbers weren’t coming down! I simply just put the scale away and enjoyed my praise music while running outdoors and the fun camaraderie of my class. I also took joy in the increased energy I had due to working out.

Once a month we are tested. Yesterday marked the beginning of my second month and I had my second test. I was so pleased that I’d gained a great deal of strength and endurance! My one mile run time decreased from 10:04 to 9:09. I did 42 knee push-ups in a minute while last month the number was 22. I did lose 3.2 pounds. However, I wasn’t nearly as proud of the few pounds as I was over the fact that I am stronger than I was a month ago. I had no idea after my testing that my improvements were actually enough for me to win the greatest point total for my camp….earning me a T-shirt! It says, “Fitness Boot Camp… It ain’t your Mama’s workout.” Cocky… and I hope not like me. But one of my friend said, “That shirt is hilarious… especially on you! You MUST wear it.” I think I will… at least to camp!

This may be the goofiest picture of me posted ever. I am suppose to be pointing at the big muscular arm. Aren't I tough? (Don't answer...)

I look forward to another month of exercising at fitness camp. Might I be able to run a mile in under 9 minutes? Will it be possible for me to do 50 push-ups in a minute? Possibly. Yet, there are more important questions for me to consider. I’m spending an hour a day working out. How much time am I spending daily in God’s word? What is he teaching me? Am I closer to the Lord than I was a month ago? What scriptures have I memorized/hidden in my heart that will help me recognize the lies that Satan would like for me to listen? I hope a month from now I am more spiritually mature. That is my true goal!

Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. (1 Peter 3:4)