shoes and God

One of the few downsides to pregnancy is that, for some of us, our feet get bigger. My podiatric result of two pregnancies: my already large feet grew one full size. I'm sportin' the 10s. Wearing my 9.5 running shoes was bad news for my little piggies when I started working out recently. Trying to train for my first 5K was not going to happen with those shoes. I tried running barefoot. I won't do that outdoors, too many unknowns on the ground that could damage my feet. And, it can be gross. So, I tried it on my treadmill. CAUTION: The belt on a treadmill gets hot after a few minutes making it difficult to complete a 30-minute barefoot walk. I tried walking in my flip-flops. (I know. That's a no-no.) I strained my pinky toes because I used them too much to grip my shoes. I decided to stick to barefoot barre workouts and to tough it out on the treadmill in my 9.5s as often as I could until I could buy new shoes.

I cannot stress enough the need for shoes that fit properly. When I tried on the size 10 Asics, which I now own, I was amazed by how great my feet felt. I'm all for being barefoot in the house or on lush green grass, but these shoes feel better than being barefoot. Yes, now I can run on the treadmill or outside whenever I want and know that I won't end up with crooked, cramped toes, among other things. But, I've also noticed improvements in my other workouts. I have much better form and alignment when I do my workout DVDs because I'm not thinking about my aching feet or trying not to grip the ground too hard with my poor little pinky toes. I don't have to worry about my feet because they're taken care of. I've entrusted them to a great shoe. One day, after a great workout/walk, it hit me.

God is like a great running shoe. Go with me on this.

I have better form, posture and alignment when I wear my shoes. I have a better attitude, outlook, and day when I'm doing life with God, rather than casually remembering Him when I put my kids to bed at night. When my feet are encased in a good shoe, they're safe and capable of helping me accomplish much more in a day than my bare feet alone. When my life is surrounded and sustained by God, when I allow Him to truly be Lord of my life, I am safe and capable of accomplishing so much more than I could on my own. It doesn't mean I'll never be hurt. It means I'll survive and learn and grow stronger and be able to help others heal from or avoid similar injuries. Some people would say that wearing shoes is like imprisonment. No freedom. Some would say the same about committing your life to Christ. No freedom. Too rigid and controlled. Closed-minded. In reality, Christianity is the best of both worlds. It's the security of running fully-shod knowing I can tackle any terrain no matter how thorny, muddy, rocky, steep, long, hard, dark. I can handle anything. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. It's also the freedom of running barefoot down a hill of lush, soft grass on a bright, clear spring day. Arms open wide. Laughing and screaming with joy all the way down. Exhilarating.

To those who say Christianity is just another form of captivity, I say you have no idea the freedom and life you're missing.

Herbalife Challenge - final results

After 30 days of two shakes a day three times a week, one shake for breakfast every day, drinking aloe and tea, and taking Cell-U-Loss and Cell Activator, the results are in.

Pounds lost: zero, gained a pound
Inches lost: zero, but didn't gain an inch =)

Overall, I'm glad I did the challenge. Sometimes it's nice to wipe the slate clean and start over, like doing a cleanse or gutting a house or installing updates on your computer. That's what the challenge did for me. It helped me clear out the clutter of fast food, fattening meals, and inactivity and refocus on my nutritional and exercise needs. However, I will not continue using any of these Herbalife products.

That said, I know several people who have had great success with Herbalife. If you are reading this and wondering if Herbalife is for you, then give it a try. For me, based on the results I got from my challenge and my overall sense of well-being, Herbalife just isn't worth it. I have no passion for it, to continue trying it. I don't have room in my budget for it. But, I can honestly say that I love the Herbalife distributors I know, and if you would like more info on the products or the company I'd be happy to get you in touch with them. Some Herbalife products are available on Amazon.com. I recommend buying from a distributor, but you can read some good, unbiased product reviews on Amazon.

Let's face it: one size does not fit all. Herbalife isn't for everyone. Weight Watchers isn't for everyone, even though it's users have also seen great success. For some of us, like me, proper nutrition comes down to planning my family's meals and snacks and NOT keeping empty calories in the house. The same thing applies to exercise: no one certain thing gets everyone excited about a sweat session. For example, I don't enjoy Zumba, but I love Pilates. I can't enjoy the benefits of swimming, but I'm excited to be training for my first 5K.

So what now? Throw in the towel and resign myself to a roly-poly existence based on fried, fatty food? Nope! I've revamped my workout schedule, set new weight loss goals, stocked the fridge and pantry with mostly high nutritional food. I'm looking into a year-round garden (save some money on all that produce we eat). And, I'm dreaming of the Disneyworld marathon in 2013. Who wants to come with me? =)