Think about what you drank yesterday. Did you have a soda? A sweet tea? Coffee? Some other fancy coffee drink loaded with sugar?
How much water did you drink? Unless you are drinking multiple large water bottles a day, you probably aren’t drinking enough water. WebMD states that for weight loss, you should generally drink between ½ and ounce to an ounce of water for each pound you weigh… EVERYDAY! So, if you weigh 200 lbs, you need to drink 100-200 ounces of water a day!!!! I would need to drink 5 of my 32 ounce Hydroflasks a day!
Wow!! That’s a lot of water! Of course this is a generalization and will change based on your exercise level, metabolic level, etc. So, some of your food does fill part of this requirement (Think fruits and vegetables.) But, to be safe, try to get a MINIMUM of that ½ ounce per pound you weight. Our bodies were divinely created to be mostly water. So, if we are not replenishing that water, our cells are struggling to do basic functions. The more water you drink, the better your cells, metabolism and body will function.
Let’s talk about your Pee. There are lots of things you can learn based on your urine before you flush. If it is transparent or a very diluted yellow color, CONGRATS! You are hydrated! The darker the color, the more dehydrated you are. Aim for a pale yellow or better and you are well on your way.
P.S. Yes, you can drink too much water. I think most of us have heard the horror stories of Radio contests going bad and someone dying of drinking too much water. However, this is very difficult to do. I think drinking 1 ounce of water per pound you weigh (that was the higher end) is already a hard goal, so stick with that and you will be well within the healthy range.
Before my weight loss journey this is where I had failed in the past. I was obsessed with the number of calories, fat, carbohydrates and sugars, never to look at the ingredients. Today, I find more value in the ingredients label when trying to eat healthy and lose weight.
The first reason would be that not all calories, fats and carbohydrates are created equal. There are good fats and bad fats. Good carbs and bad carbs. For instance, there are more grams of fat in an avocado than a donut! There are more calories in 2 tbsp of olive oil than a bag of skittles! But one is obviously much more beneficial to our health and in losing weight.
There have been great advances in food preparation in the last century. These days, well over half of the foods that we can buy in a typical supermarket are pre packaged or prepared.
So next time your at the grocery store and you grab something from the shelf, stop and read the list of ingredients. And if you can’t pronounce an ingredient or don’t know what it is, that’s a pretty good reason to not put it in your body. Your body will thank you!
There are many other articles and research out there as well but I loved the simplicity of this one.
I will eat 2 servings of vegetables every day this week.
I will walk the dog for 10 minutes every morning and 10 minutes every night this week.
On my ski trip this Saturday, I will drink hot water with lemon and skip the Hot Chocolate.
At Jimmy’s baseball game, I will pack oranges instead of cracker jacks.
Let’s break down the first goal to make sure it is a SMART goal. I will eat 2 servings of vegetables every day this week. Specific: 2 servings is a specific amount of vegetables. Measurable: We can measure both the vegetables and the days that were successful (5 out of 7, 3 out of 7, etc.). Attainable: This will be specific to you. If you aren’t eating any vegetables right now, then 2 servings might be a lot, maybe start with 1 serving of fruits or vegetables. If you are currently eating 4 servings a day, then this also isn’t the right goal for you, because it wouldn’t be challenging you to change for the better. Realistic: It isn’t realistic to eat 100% Whole 30, train 10 times a week and maintain your already busy life all in week 2. Not only would this be a recipe for disaster, but you would be tired, frustrated and probably not be able to maintain the pace. That is why the baby steps are an important part of this equation. Timely: This week is the time on this goal. If 1 week isn’t enough time for you, make it a 2-week goal!
I, personally, am still working on my soda goal. I was successful about 5 out of the 7 days last week. So I am still working on limiting to 1 soda a day this week with hopes that next week, I can cut to ½ a soda a day.
What was 1 insight from this week and what is your baby-steppin’ SMART goal this week? Email me at and let me know!
There are so many diets out there and it is hard to tell which are fads and which one could work for you. In this article, I am going to address three of the most popular diets right now: Keto, Paleo and Whole 30.
Keto – or Ketogenic Diet is a high fat low carb diet. The general idea is that your body will go into a state called Ketosis. In Ketosis, your body should burn body fat for energy.
Paleo – This diet is supposed to simulate what our Paleolithic ancestors ate. The general idea of this diet is that we should eat what our ancestors evolved eating – that this is how our bodies evolved to eat. This is also a low carb diet, but it focuses more on protein and veggies.
Whole 30 – This is what Pastor Joe is on. You can eat anything that is a whole food – meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts, etc. You cannot eat anything processed including sugar and breads.
What should I choose? Well, first, you should consult with a doctor before making any changes to your diet. However, what all three of these diets and many others have in common is… eating real food! In our American Diet, we eat a lot of processed food and drinks.
This week I challenge you to take a baby step and remove just a little processed food.
I am cutting back to 1 soda a day. This is my baby step for the week. What is yours? Email me at and I will keep you accountable!
Next week we will talk about baby steps: when you should take baby steps or giant leaps and the psychology behind why baby steps are sustainable in the long run.
Our First Official “Bod for God” Blog!
I welcome you to our first official Bod for God Blog. (I hope you like the new logo) The full title of this new health ministry is “A Healthy Bod for a Holy God.” The purpose of this blog will be to encourage each of us as we seek to get our health in a place that honors the Lord. For this first blog, I would like to tell you a little bit about my story. You will also receive other people’s insights, suggestions, guidance, recipes, and encouragement in general as we try to get our bods healthy for God. Here’s my story….
I was sitting in the doctor’s office when she asked me, “What do preachers do?” It seemed like a strange question at the time. The point she was trying to make is that my life has too much stress, eating out way too much, and bluntly, I am not taking care of my body. Most of you know that I battle a neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis. Most of you know that I have a pacemaker due to cardiomyopathy. Obviously, I’m not the healthiest person at South Reno Baptist Church. The point was made that if I wanted to live a long life, I had to make some drastic changes. (She was actually very pointed in her comments but, I’ll save you the play-by-play…LOL!) Anyway, you get the point.
The second thing that I needed was Accountability. On the first Sunday of this year, I stated my full intention to the church and even weighed myself in both services…pretty bold, I think? I weighed in on the church scales at a whopping 257 pounds. (Thankfully, that was lighter than my home scale of 264 pounds.) Either way, it’s the heaviest I’ve ever weighed. Boy, do I have accountability? On March 3, I will weigh again in front of the entire congregation.
The final ingredient to success is Encouragement. This morning, my wife noticed me looking in the mirror as I was getting ready for church. She said, “Joe, you look great. You are doing so good on your diet. You are doing this…we get to grow old together!” It truly made my day. It’s was just what I needed. The purpose of this blog is to create community for those of us who are trying to live a new and healthy lifestyle. We will need each other. We will learn from each other. We will make it together. Welcome to the official bod for God blog. May our greatest and thinnest days be before us.
PS: Some of you have asked what plan I am doing. Mine is a little complicated because of my health concerns I am doing the whole 30 diet for two months, then a short period of fasting, and then a modified version of the Paleolithic diet. It is sometimes called the caveman diet. More on all this later. Once you develop your plan, share it with me so I’ll know how to pray for you. If you would like the team praying, I will make that happen as well. Again, be assured of my most fervent prayer for each of us.