Being healthy for Him

Written by Zhey Chua |Posted on May 4, 2008 | Comments

This morning, Warren finally was able to coax me into trying to do some sit-up exercises.
Well, it was unexpected for me because he was really the one doing it and I just happened to sneak inside the room to get my bottle of lotion. I saw him doing sit-ups on the bed and the next thing I knew, it was already me who was doing the “dreaded” exercise. It was funny how I ran to the other room in my attempts to avoid him from making me do it, I just knew it was coming as soon as his eyes darted in my direction, but oh well…
You know, I “dread” (literally) doing sit ups not because I am lazy or because I hate pain. In fact, I have very high tolerance for pain so that isn’t really an issue. I DREAD doing sit ups because each time I would swing my back to a sitting position, I always FAILED. I always failed because I have a big, hanging gut. For real. Many times people have mistaken me for being pregnant and it was such an embarrassment to correct them and tell them that it’s all just belly, no baby. Na-ah.
When Warren and I started getting serious about our relationship last year, my waist line was an embarrassing thirty three inches (blush, blush). I think at one time before that it even skyrocketed to a thirty five. I was such a glutton that’s why, I ate anything without control and thus, the end result: There isn’t enough room to sit-up, my stomach’s too big to allow it.
So, that is why I hate doing sit-ups. It made me see my own mistakes. Doing it confronts my own lack of self-discipline. It made me look at the mirror and see myself– S-T-U-B-B-O-R-N. Each time I’d try to pull myself up and fail, I’d hear myself calling my own self that and yeah, I could not deny it because it was true and you know truth hurts, right? I didn’t like it because it made me see the truth about myself, my weight condition and my own failure to do something about it. Or, should it be, my unwillingness to do something about it?

Two months ago, Warren and I were walking in Trinoma, we probably have been walking for about an hour already but Warren just kept on going tirelessly. I on the other hand could hear myself wheezing. It hit me right there and then just how much I have neglected my health for the past years. Me, wheezing in a fully air-conditioned mall, isn’t normal. I mean, I would understand it if we were outside under the summer heat!
It was at that moment that I started to ask myself, “at the rate things are going, how much longer do I still have to live?” I figured I’d be lucky if I get to live thirty more years. Thirty more years in service to the Lord, now that’s something, I marveled at that thought, then, what if I started living a healthier lifestyle and I lived forty more years? Forty years in service to the Lord, not much, but I’d love that… Plus the bonus of doing it along side Warren… Hmm, that would be something…
It took me a while to gather enough courage to really be serious about it. I thought, hey, if I want to serve God, I should keep myself in tiptop shape so that nothing will step in the way, no arthritis, no rheumatism, no heart conditions.

Two months ago, I started injecting self-discipline into my diet. Not easy, no, there were days I felt like digging in on pizza or ice cream or even cake and I just dug. But thankfully those times were very few and far in between. After countless years of pigging on rice and meat, I now could barely eat meat. Warren and I probably cook meat only twice a month. Our diet mainly consists of vegetables, fruits, fish and chicken. In the evenings, it was strictly oatmeal and bread diet. And tons of water.
This morning, Warren convinced me to try the dreaded exercise, I jumped into the bed with less enthusiasm and even before I started, I was already feeling embarrassed because I was expecting myself to fail. Well, guess what? I did 10! TEN! Ten full sit-ups, mind you, not just crunches! The first pull I did, my eyes went saucer wide in surprise and by the tenth pull, I was ecstatic beyond belief!

You know why? You know what that means aside from that my belly fat lost a few pounds giving me enough room to sit-up? It means that I am healthier now to serve my God, I am now physically equipped to become His foot soldier… Praise be to God for this wonderful gift!

P.S. I haven’t checked but the last time I did, my waistline measurement was a 30. Three INCHES down! Yipeee…

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For the complete and more detailed story of this post, please click HERE.