Its a temple

This post is going to be a little self indulgent perhaps, or a little confronting perhaps….but maybe helpful as well.

I love food. I love cooking it, preparing it, I love flavour. I love preparing nice tasty spicy food for family and friends. There are a number of dishes I do really well, and some others I am working on and thinking about.

However there is a problem with food. If you indulge in too much of it you get fat. I got very close to being 100 kilos.

About 18 months ago I decided that enough was enough and I wanted to be able to fit into a decent pair of jeans. I decided that 99 kilos was far too much for a man my size and height. I hid weight pretty well as I have fairly broad shoulders. But I was certainly comfortable. The reality is I was concerned about how I looked and was perceived. You may rightly say that vanity was driving my desire to lose weight, and you would be right. However in this case the benefits of losing weight go far beyond just looking better.

We all know that being overweight is unhealthy for your body, your heart, your sustainability, your effectiveness, your general sense of well being. But knowing that doesn’t change you or your habits.

I was due to be travelling to Chicago in November of 2017 and I wanted to try their deep pan pizza, smoked meats, Chicago hot dogs and whatever else they are famous for. Ironic isn’t it that one motivation in losing weight was so I could enjoy terribly unhealthy food. So I went on a modified Keto diet. Now there are people far better than me at the discipline needed for this diet. But essentially I cut out most pasta, rice and bread. Bread was the hardest. I love bread. Pana de Casa, Ciabatta….fresh white crusty bread with ham and hot English mustard is one of lifes great pleasures.

Incredibly it started to work.

I did indulge in Chicago and Christmas came along and it was two steps forward, one step back.

My weight loss started again in semi-ernest in late January of 2018. Those in the office will tell you my lunch consists of an orange and two cans of tuna. I don’t know whether the smell is always great for staff morale but I started to drop the weight. I also play squash most weeks and when the weather allows I walk to work. Which is a 40 minute round trip.

What really helped was an incredible session at GLS. The takeway moment was simply this. You change what you measure. Some say you should weigh yourself once a week. I break the rules and weigh myself every day. But here is the thing. There are minor fluctuations, and minimal daily weight loss. But a daily weighing keeps me accountable and motivated.

I have reached my goal weight and this morning for the first time the scales went under 85 and I measured 84.7. I am really happy to have reached that. I never thought I would. I have dropped from a 42 inch jean size to a 32/33. And again, I’m pretty happy about that.

I want to be able to be in ministry for years to come. I want to be able to continue to jump up on stage. I want to be able to continue to beat the 30 year olds at squash! I don’t want to look like a old man before my time.

This post is not meant to be a huge pat on my head, nor a slap for anyone else. And I am not the example of great fitness. But I would say this. If you know yourself you are overweight, find the motivation you need, and the method that works, to get healthy.

I believe our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I know a lack of discipline has caused me to let the upkeep of that temple slide at times. I am feeling so much better spiritually, emotionally and as I consider the future.

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