Note: The material here has been incorporated and enlarged into my comprehensive Training Program and Principles, as well as my thoughts on the Spirituality of Physical Training.
I will only toot my own horn if it helps others, so perhaps this will help someone. Today I have logged my meals for 3 years straight, 1095 days in a row, on MyFitnessPal. It would be 4 years in a row, but my Mission Trip in 2015 broke my 1 year streak. In these 4 years, I have gone from 330 lbs to 275 lbs (I still have 25 lbs to go to get to my goal of 250 lbs). With that loss of 55 lbs, I have gained muscle mass, and my 5 rep max lifts are at 285 for bench, 205 for overhead press, 325 for front squat, and 425 for deadlift. And beyond that, I generally feel healthy and energetic and comfortable in my own skin.
What’s my point in this bragging? My point is that you can do it too. Your goals may be different. They may be running or swimming or CrossFit or whatever. But you can do it, with self discipline that comes from the grace of God. It may not come dramatically or quickly (it sure hasn’t for me), but it will come. I’m a very busy married guy with three active kids and a demanding job. And if I can do it, you can do it.
How have I done it? First and foremost, regular prayer. I seek that Ultimate Source that is beyond me to fill me and help me on a daily basis. I don’t do this perfectly (who does?). But I try. As a priest and a theologian, obviously I can say more about this (and I do on my blog, in the pulpit, or if you ask). But my main point here is that we need to do that spiritual or meditative practice that helps us connect with the Ultimate Reality beyond ourselves, and stay grounded in eternal Love, Wisdom, and Power, however we may conceive it/her/him/them.
Second, I count everything I eat and log it. I eat about 500 calories less than MyFitnessPal says I need to maintain my body weight. I make sure I am heavy on protein (about 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass). And I try hard to avoid junk calories: Stuff that is only sugar or only fat. I approach my calories like a budget and ask myself for each food: Is this worth me spending my calories on this? So, for me all this means about 2500-2700 calories per day and 200-250 grams of protein.
Third, I exercise. I get about 10,000 steps each day, and I hit the weights about 3x per week for 60-75 minutes per workout. I alternate workouts. One workout is aimed at everything at the waist and below: Abs, Lower back, Butt, Thighs, Hamstrings, and Calves. The next workout is aimed at everything above the waist: Chest, Upper Back, Shoulders, Arms. On non-weight training days I try to get extra light cardio by walking, hiking, playing ball with kids, etc. I also stretch every day for 5-10 minutes (often using that as my prayer time too). I focus on every muscle that feeds into my hips and low back. It keeps my lower back from hurting.
Fourth, keep learning. There are a billion great websites out there for diet and training, and a million how-to videos on YouTube. There are personal trainers and gyms if that is your style. But however you do it, just keep learning. Keep growing. Make life long learning a habit.
And fifth, just keep doing this. What you value, you will make a priority. And whatever you spend most of your time and money doing (or not doing) reveals what your real priorities are. So if your priorities include getting healthy, enjoying your body, avoiding Type II diabetes and heart problems, and seeing your grandchildren graduate and get married, then you will make time for the diet and training that best fits you. When you lack time, make time to do something. Anything. When you don’t feel motivated, do it anyway. If you are injured or lack sleep, get some rest. Then get back to working the program, day in, day out. The best exercise and nutrition program for you is the one you will actually do. If you screw up, forgive yourself, call it a “cheat day”, and begin again the next day.
So that’s my five steps in a program that is incomplete, and progresses slowly, yet consistently. If this helps someone out there, great. Let me know, and I will be praying for you.
If you are interested in all the fitness related YouTube videos I have found helpful for various reasons, here is my YouTube Fitness Playlist.
If you are interested in diving deep into the weeds of my training program, what I have learned, and how I have progressed, I have a complete document here. It includes my training philosophy, plan, resources from the internet, and a log of every workout I have done since 2015.
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