The Results

Did I say results on Friday?  Of course I meant results on Tuesday!

I weighed myself on Monday, with the final result of 161 lbs., a total of 9 lbs. gained.

             Before     After      Total Change
Weight: 152 lbs.     161 lbs.      +9 lbs.
Chest:    34"            35"            +1"
Waist:    31"            32.5"         +1.5"
Hips:      35"            34"            -1"
Bicep:    12"           12.25"        +.25"
Thigh:    18.5"         19.5"          +1"

I was in the gym yesterday morning and plan to be back tomorrow.  Food has been a more difficult issue, because I don't always know what I'm going to have.

Spiritually, I'm still trying to get up early enough to get my quiet time in.  It's been more difficult the last few days, but I'm hoping to get my schedule regulated soon.

I've found myself more comfortable with Spanish, although maybe not as comfortable as I'd like.  The proof of that will come next week when my wife and I are in Mexico.

And speaking of proof, the physical proof is in the photos.  Check out the difference:

 

Before - 2/23/2012                      After - 3/27/2012

Day 28

As I write this, I'm sitting before what might be termed the last supper.  It's certainly the last omelet I'll be eating for a while.  And that goes double for black beans.  And oatmeal.  But overall I'm glad to have had this experience.  I've picked up some good habits this month that I hope will last a good long time.

I'd like to thank my wife again for putting up with complete changes in my behavior.  She's also been my official measurer, photographer, and--on occasion--shopper.

Today's prayer country is Saudi Arabia, the world's second most oppressive country religiously.  In this nation, non-Muslims cannot be citizens, and even foreigners are not allowed to worship unless they are Muslims.  Two Indian nationals were arrested last year and kept far beyond their 45-day sentences.  They have been released, but one was imprisoned for around six months.

Results tomorrow!

Day 27

I'm tired.  This week has proven to be the hardest, but knowing I'm this close to the end has made it easier.  Tomorrow I'll wake up and only have to pound down one more bowl of beans, one more protein shake, four more eggs...  And I may very well sleep until noon on Friday.

Speaking of Friday, I'm still actually planning on working out.  The gym has the only scale I've used, so I have to pop in anyway to get weighed.  Here's hoping it's a good number, although I'm starting to worry that I may have passed my goal a bit in the midsection.  A little fat store is good, but I don't want to get to fluffy, even in spots.

Today's prayer country is Nepal.  The tiny mountain country is still working on its new constitution, one that believers hope will include freedom for all faiths.  The Maoist doctrine of the leadership could prove detrimental, but overall things are improving from a monarchical past that included quite a bit of persecution.

Day 26

I'm starting to notice a bit more aggression in my behavior lately, probably as a result of the increase in testosterone due to lots of extra protein and exercise.  This just proves that there can be too much of a good thing, and I'll be glad when it regulates after I'm finished.  Just two more days...

I've enjoyed getting to where I am--I really have--but I'm ready to hit the rewind button on a bit of it and get back to some sense of normalcy.  The point is, of course, to change what constitutes normal, but I'm ready to get there just the same.  As far as my diet and exercise go, I'll be dropping to a 2- to 3-day per week exercise regimen, and I'll be cutting down on the protein after Thursday.  I expect to be putting away the peanut butter and tuna still, just without the protein shakes, black beans, and eggs.  My goal is to have some protein at every meal.

Today's prayer country is Mexico.  The state of Chiapas on the southern coast is a bit dangerous to those who don't practice the mixture of Catholicism and pagan native practices that is common there.  In addition, the Zapatista rebellion group that had some influence in the '80s and '90s still has some sway over people in the area.  And of course there is the earthquake that hit Mexico City today, as well.

Day 25

I definitely didn't want to hit the gym this morning...or go to work...or eat those blasted black beans.  Yep, another blah day, but I can keep reminding myself that it's almost over.  The excitement may have waned, but there's a difference in me, in how I look and feel, and in who I am.  So what if I'm not enjoying the process anymore?  In three days I can start hitting the exit strategy and trying to fit these new pieces into the puzzle of my life, hopefully moving a few of the less desirable pieces out of the way.

Today's prayer country really hit me hard.  It's Eritrea, where an estimated 2000 Christians sit in jail cells right now.  Three of them are confirmed to have been in jail since 1994, just a year after the country became recognized.  Almost every Christian in the nation of 6 million has been arrested at least once, and those in jail are often beaten and tortured.  These facts are just...devastating.

Day 24

We had a wonderful morning at church today; the wife and I kept our daughters childcare class for the second service.  We helped take care of seven little ones under the age of 2.  That was...an adventure.  They were all great kids, though, and I'll be glad to do it again if we're ever asked.

My Spanish is flailing a bit, so I'm going to have to be sure to study up over the next few days.  Everything else is going so well that I don't want that to be lagging too far behind.

One part of my exit strategy is going to be to make sure I'm up half an hour earlier than I need to be so I can get my prayer time in the morning.  Doing it at night worked for over a decade, but it's time to realize that it wasn't working anymore.  I'm not usually much of a morning person, but I am noticing that getting up a bit earlier seems to be helping.  I'll just have to make sure I'm getting to bed on time.

Today's prayer country is Uzbekistan.  Political corruption seems to be the main source of persecution there, with believers accused of almost anything to stop their preaching.  One man was imprisoned on drug charges, although he and others in his church claim the drugs were planted on him by authorities.  I can't speak to these charges, but I can definitely say that he's not the only Christian to be imprisoned there under questionable incidents.

Day 23

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all.  Went off-diet this evening to serve corned beef and cabbage to my family.  Plenty of protein in that beef, and I ate plenty of everything.  Other than that, it's been just another normal day.  I paid dearly this morning for staying up too late last night, and I'm planning to avoid that mistake very shortly.

Today's prayer country is Somalia, a nation that has had no shortage of trouble in recent years.  Early this year, a 17-year-old boy was beheaded by an extremist Muslim group, related to al-Qaeda, for his Christian beliefs.  Two years earlier, a 17-year-old girl was shot for the same reason.  This is a country which deeply needs prayer.

Day 22

I had no intention of being up this late today, but sometimes life happens.  And that's really what I'm trying to do here anyway--embrace life.  So, faced with the choice of either slogging through Nashville traffic at the start of rush hour or taking a detour, I waited out the traffic at Centennial Park with my kids.  We got home pretty late, went shopping, got home even later, had dinner, and started planning tomorrow's festivities.  It was a perfectly good afternoon of the type I'd love to have many more of.  And that's the goal.

I'm up another 2 lbs., making a total of 10 gained and bringing my weight up to 162.  I added 2k to my biking and 50m to my swimming this morning, so I've got a big goal set for next Friday.  It'll be after the challenge is complete, and it will be my victory lap for my cardio.  It's 1 mile running, 10k biking, and 500m swimming.  I've never been much of a runner, and this will be the first time I've run a full mile since probably freshman year of high school.

This morning I prayed for believers in Morocco.  Three Christians were arrested there at the beginning of this month, and it is believed that a list of other believers was leaked to the authorities.  One of the men is still in custody, presumably for the crime of proselytizing.  Talking about Christ is legal there, but conversion to another faith is not.

Day 21

Three weeks in, and I am really having to stay on myself to keep this up.  I miss normal food, sleeping in, and reading.  But this is the point where strength of will gets tested and either stands or falls.  When it doesn't hurt, all you're doing is keeping yourself where you've always been.  But when it gets hard, that's when you grow.  I can definitely say I'm looking forward to tomorrow, though.  Fridays have always recharged me--and I'll need all the recharging I can get to make it through to the end.

Maldives is the prayer country for today.  The least evangelized country in the world, it also has some of the strictest religious laws.  Anyone who is not Muslim is denied citizenship, and those who are found with materials from other faiths are deported.  One foreign-born teacher was forced out of the country earlier this year because a co-worked saw some Christian material he had on a flash drive.

Day 20

Today was a weird day. Work threw off my schedule, leaving me without my regular lunch. I had to eat out, but I did try to get something with as much healthy protein as I could. Lunch is also when I usually try to work on my Spanish, so that went out the door as well. Just a weird day.

Today's prayer country is Malaysia. Anyone who is an ethnic Malay is legally a Muslim, and it's illegal for Muslims there to convert to another faith. Matched with other legal difficulties regarding things like proselytizing, and you've got a very difficult country in which to be in the minority.

Day 19

Good workout this morning.  I hit the groove with my ab exercises, and I did 237 lbs. on the leg press, which is about 20 lbs. higher than I've been doing.  I'm still not happy about driving to the gym in the dark, but there's only so much complaining you can do, right?

I want to mention something today about motivation and teamwork.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that "a cord of three strands is not quickly broken."  Too often we assume that each of the three strands needs to be doing the same thing for this to work, so we fail to get started on something if we lack another person with the same needs.  Here's one truth:  no one else has the same needs as you.  Similar, sure, but never exactly the same.  And while three strands of a rope are pulling at the same weight, each one has to carry a slightly different part of the load to work.

My other two strands aren't hitting the gym or doing any kind of special diet.  In fact, one of them doesn't even really know what's going on.  My wife has been supporting me ever since she realized I was serious about doing this challenge.  She's made do with a house that isn't as clean as I usually try to leave it for her, and she's bought food and fussed over me every time I've weighed in and then taken off my shirt for her.  Let's face it, that's a great motivator.

The third strand is my daughter.  I decided a couple months ago that my daughter isn't going to know her skinny daddy.  She still has a year or so before she'll start having those early memories, and I want the daddy she remembers to be the one I want to be.  Quick fact--your children marry people like you.  And on that front, it's definitely not about the weight or how I look.  I want her to remember a daddy who is disciplined and strong.  She is my third strand.

Today's prayer country is Vietnam.  Believers in the south of the country have an easier time than those in the north, especially in areas where anti-Christian gangs exist and are sometimes hired by the government to cause problems for local believers.  One such gang attacked a church earlier this year.

Day 18

When I woke up this morning, my body told me it was 4:30am.  And I was inclined to agree.  I didn't realize how much my mood was aided by the rising sun on my way to the gym each morning, but losing it this morning was hard.

All in all, it was a very busy day.  I was running late to work because I was gathering the materials for lunch.  The change from black beans and tuna to black bean soup and a tuna sandwich has worked wonders.  The same holds true for adding spinach and cheese; my daughter has been begging for my food and ate about half as much as I did tonight.

Today's prayer country is Iraq.  The Kurdish region in the north was previously considered to be relatively safe for Christians, something not true in much of the Middle East.  However, attacks in January have changed that consideration among believers there.

Day 17

I got up rather late today...or rather it was right on time, if we were to remove the time change.  I really despise changing the time in the spring.  Of course, it's kind of nice in the fall when we gain an hour, but either way it throws off schedules.  Right now it's late in the day and something just feels wrong.  I hope farmers are still getting something out of this, because I'm not looking forward to getting to the gym in the dark tomorrow.

It's time to start thinking about my exit strategy.  Twenty-eight days of doing the same thing has an effect on anyone, and I'm not planning on doing everything exactly this way the rest of my life.  However, as planned, there are certain behaviors I'd like to keep; so I need a strategy to keep those while discarding the ones that were simply there to get me on the right track.

Today's prayer country is Egypt, where the old regime may be gone, but the new one may be worse in terms of persecution.  It's true that a dictator who rules a country for thirty years is a bad thing, but many Coptic and evangelical believers fear persecution from the new regime.  The new ruling class has begun to turn to the sharia law code, which could be detrimental for some non-Muslim groups.

Day 16

Today I discovered I was doing lunch wrong.  A tuna salad sandwich and black bean soup are much easier on the palate than a can of tuna mixed with a can of beans.  That adds a splash of mayo, a few pickle slices, two slices of bread, a small hunk of cheese, and some hot sauce to my meals for the day.  Perfectly respectable, and it keeps me from dreading lunch.

Today's prayer country is Belarus, one of the last dictatorships left in Europe.  Still scarred by the Communist decades under the Soviet Union, Belarus has kept many of the religious laws popular under the Marxist regime.  Among these are the illegality of house churches and a ban on religious gatherings of fewer than 20 people.  This helps ensure that only the Orthodox church is given any real freedom.

Day 15

This morning was my two-week weigh-in.  It's hard to believe the challenge is over halfway complete, and the results have been undeniable already.  My current weight is 160 lbs., which is more than I've ever weighed in my life.  I've gotten up early to pray every morning so far, and that's a wonderful change as well.  There's also a marked improvement in my Spanish, and I've hit the point where my mind is starting to translate things on its own, without much in the way of intention.  I remember hitting that point when I learned to type, with the result that typing is as comfortable as speaking English for me now.  That's the plan for the Spanish as well.

Today's triathlon training was ramped up over last week's.  I jogged about 1250m, up 25% from last week; and I biked 5k, up 67% from last week.  I still only did 250m of swimming, because my arms still aren't strong enough to handle more than about 100m without a brief rest.  I walked out of the gym sore and the slightest bit faint, which is an indication that the workout did what I wanted it to.

Today's prayer country is India.  With all the focus the Christian community has placed on Muslim extremists (and often placed unfairly on the shoulders of non-extreme Muslims), the plight of those facing persecution from other religious and ideological extremists has been largely forgotten.  In India, Hindu extremists have been known to attack Christians.  Several people were even arrested last year for converting to Christianity without a permit.

Taken two weeks ago

Not much to look at, I know,
but notice the disappearance
of the protruding ribs and
collarbone.  Slight improvement
in the arms, and the sudden
appearance of pectorals.
I also appear to have gotten
somewhat taller ;-p

Day 14

Woohoo Day 14!  Yesterday was a weird day, especially at work, but the beauty of this plan is that it works even when life gets weird.  I found time to study Spanish and got my five meals in.

Today is that coveted Thursday rest day, and I plan to enjoy it.  I'll also have the halfway photos ready for posting in the morning--we should be able to see some differences between the before and after.  I've seen improvements in my Spanish, and getting up early has assured that my prayer time has happened every day.

Today's prayer country is Laos, one of the few Communist countries remaining in the world.  The government allows four officials religions, but it's been known to arrest and torture Christians who gather.  Many believers in remote areas face persecution from their families, with one family even being rejected from their village for their faith.

Day 13

I'm finding that my morning hasn't become as mechanical as I'd expected.  I'm not popping out of bed every morning at 5:30, making it to the bathroom before I'm fully awake.  And that's ok.  I was like that in high school--to the point that I was once already in the shower before realizing my alarm hadn't gone off and it was 3 in the morning--but I'm fine with being a little sluggish.  Every morning that getting up is a matter of will is a morning that my will gets stronger.

My Spanish has definitely been improving.  I'm still reading my book, and I understand a lot more of it than I would have a month or two ago.  There's still plenty of improvement to do, though; lots of verb forms and vocabulary I'm still not familiar with.

Today's prayer country is Pakistan, where a man stopped bullies from attacking his nephew and was arrested for blasphemy.  The boys were attending a school for studying the Qu'ran, and they knew the nephew was a Christian.  The man was arrested under the lightest of Pakistan's three blasphemy laws, which can carry a three-year sentence.  The firmest carries the death penalty.

Day 12

Sometimes it's a bit hard coming up with something new to say every day, especially with so much of my day devoted to work.  I'll mention that I read a full chapter in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory yesterday.  It's in Spanish, and I understood most of it.  I'm finally working to the point I was with English back when I was six or seven, when I read everything I could get my hands on and learned new words almost every day.  That would be awesome.

Today's prayer country is Israel and the Palestinian territories, which are actually three entities.  A church was recently vandalized in Jerusalem, where Jewish extremists have been known to tag Christian and western entities with "Price Tag" referring to the price to be paid for the Palestinians gaining land in the West Bank and Gaza.  Things aren't too much better in those two areas, either, with believers facing persecution and being caught in the Israeli-Palestinian crossfire.

Day 11

Yesterday my family had lunch with our small group at church, so the diet went out the window.  And that's ok.  There's nothing wrong with taking a meal here or there differently, as long as I'm still meeting my goals.  I'm trying not to be legalistic about this thing, even though that's in my nature.  After all, this isn't a scientific experiment, it's one that has to be run in real life.

I'm certainly happy to be back in the normalcy of the work week, though.  This weekend was a bit different, so hitting the grind running has been a relief.

Today's prayer country was Turkmenistan, where a pastor was released early last month after over a year in prison.  The government shows favoritism to Sunni Islam and Eastern Orthodoxy, leaving unregistered congregations restricted from doing very much.  This is, as in so many other nations, in direct contrast with the country's constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.

Day 10

I've not been getting to bed early enough these past few days.  This is something I'll have to be more aware of in future days.  It's affecting how well I get up in the mornings, which will be of pretty vital importance in the next few days.  Because, no matter what, I have every intention of completing this challenge.

It's amazing that I'm not really missing "normal" food much.  I've sneaked a bit here and there, in addition to the diet food, but I haven't gotten any real cravings for anything.  Lunch is really the only meal that bothers me at all, and that's just because an entire can of beans isn't the most appetizing thing in the world.  But I've actually started craving the eggs, which is just weird.  I'm getting pretty good at making a bowl of oatmeal, too, by the way.

Today's prayer country is Nigeria, where government interference is minimal but sectarian violence is rampant.  Last Sunday, a church in the city of Jos was bombed, killing one woman and a baby along with the two bombers.  One of the security guards was suspected of being complicit, and police were able to remove the other guards from him before they killed him.  It's sad enough that a church requires security guards, but the fact that many believers in this country fight against their Muslim neighbors is saddening.  I realize that there comes a time to stand for oneself, but we were taught by Christ that revenge is not a Christian ideal.  Riots ensued after the bombing last week, killing at least one person.  It is awful that this church was bombed, but it is far worse that such brutal fighting is taking place "in the name of Christ."

Day 9

Yesterday was a cleaning day, so when it came time to go pick up my stepson, I was happy for the break.  The result of the long car trip, unfortunately, was that I ended up staying up later than I had planned.  So this morning is a bit rougher than most.  I was expecting some eventual difficulty with the early mornings, as I've not been a morning person since before starting college.

Today I've got plenty to keep me busy.  The house is a bit of a wreck, so I'll spend this morning getting it cleaned up before work.  And with an active 9-year-old in the house, this afternoon should be anything but boring.

The prayer country for today is Iran, where a group of Christians were arrested early last month.  It is illegal to convert to any faith from Islam in Iran, which has only two remaining registered churches.  It is probable that these people have been forced to renounce their faith, with the penalty for not doing so being likely dire.  One man has been held there since 2009, awaiting a death sentence after he protested the required Qu'ran training for his children (the Iranian constitution allows for religious freedom, despite current practices).  The death sentence was to be carried out in 2010, but he remains in prison--873 days after beginning his sentence.

Day 8

Yeah triathlon training day!  I left the gym this morning completely stoked about my workout.  A mixture of better pacing and this week's strong training regimen made my cardio day much easier.  The swimming still kicked my tail, but not nearly as badly as last week.  I'm planning to add to the running and biking next week.

Related note:  I've gained 5 lbs. this week!

Today's prayer country is Kazakhstan, where it is illegal to proselytize or print literature for any faith.  Practicing faith is legal, but only for registered churches.  This is becoming a standard refrain the more I read about hostile and restricted nations, all of whom need our prayers.

Day 7

Ah, Thursday, my self-imposed day of rest!  I never know how late the small group (freshman boys) will keep me on Wednesday night, so this morning I had my alarm set for 6:15 rather than the usual 5:30.

Yesterday I cheated on my diet, but I get to blame my wife.  She had bought a pizza for earlier in the day, and there was still a slice and some breadsticks left.  Am I supposed to waste food?  No!  I've eaten other things since starting the diet, but this is the first time I used something else to replace something I planned to eat.  No rice, because there's a lot of bread in those breadsticks.

I've started translating a Spanish copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory back to English in an attempt to improve my Spanish while satisfying my longing to read.  That's proving effective, especially since I'm making a list of words I had to look up.  Vocabulary list!

Today's prayer country was Indonesia.  While all registered faiths are technically legal, believers still face some persecution from their neighbors, and some from the government as well.  In order to bring a house of worship into an area, all the neighbors have to sign off on it, so it's very difficult to bring a non-Muslim building anywhere.

Day 6

I should qualify "woke up late" for yesterday.  I still got up at 6:00, saved by the internal alarm.  So I still made it to the gym, got my workout on, and all.  I found a new audio Spanish series that looks like it will work for me, even though the woman doing the English part has a very strong British accent (and uses phrases like "hail-car" and "white coffee").  Also, some of the Spanish speakers are Castilian, so there's a lot of "thinco" and "tardeth."  Makes me cringe, but at least it's a fully audio course.

This gave me a late start this morning, thought I'd share it:

Freedom in love,
     oh my God, what a phrase!
It's like drowning alive
     in a pool of Your grace,
Or an unconsumed heart
     before you ablaze;
Your love, it's a mystery.
'Cause You send down Your Son,
     though You knew He would die,
For with that one death,
     we were all made alive--
It just doesn't make sense
     to my feeble mind,
But Your love is a mystery.

Hopefully there's more to that, but I don't have time this morning to pull out the guitar and see what it will sound like.

Anyway...today's prayer country is China, the country with probably the worst reputation for persecution.  Around 90% of believers there worship in illegal unregistered churches.  While some are known to officials and ignored, every one of these churches is at risk of having its leaders arrested and its membership forcibly disbanded.  One woman who was working with a magazine for a house church movement was finally released last December after being imprisoned since April 2001.  This is a country that desperately needs our prayers for its believers.

Day 5

Got up late this morning, and it pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day.  We were out of bananas (didn't account for the little one eating so many), and I forgot to bring spinach to work.  So there was a banana after work, and spinach added to my eggs--which is pretty awesome.

I had a good lower body workout this morning, really pushing my legs and stomach.  I'm not feeling any soreness, which is either a sign I didn't do enough or that I'll be feeling it in the morning.  My guess is the latter.  I also took the rowing machine for a quick spin--only 500m--as a cardio warmup that saved my legs for strength training later.

Today's prayer country was the Sudan, where non-Muslim proselytizing is illegal and where, earlier this month, a Christian school was bombed.  It wasn't clear from the report I read whether the location of the strike was intentional, but I do know that no one was killed.  The civil struggle that led to the creation of the nation of South Sudan last year has been difficult on the government, so let's pray that the leaders don't take their frustration out on minority faiths.

Day 4

I'm starting to feel a little discouraged that my Spanish isn't getting any better.  I haven't been able to systematize my study, which has resulted in a laxity on that front.  It's not something I'm going to fret over, but I plan to look for some alternate materials that might work better than what I'm using.

My wife and I are already noticing changes in my demeanor.  I feel more confident in myself, and she already said I feel "thicker" (probably just her imagination at this point).  I suppose it's the idea that someone who can do all this can do anything they please--not something I'm accustomed to.  It's a great feeling.

Today's prayer country is Algeria, where believers are restricted from meeting in unauthorized churches or passing out any literature.  Last year, a man were sentenced to five years in prison (three years longer than even the prosecution had requested) because of Christian literature in his home.  And just this month, a group of extremists attacked a church.  The pastor, named Mourad, has faced this kind of persecution before, having the property trashed and even his wife attacked, but he remains strong.

Day 3

It felt so good to sleep in this morning!  Sunday is one of the no-workout days I set up, so I was able to wait until 6:15 to get up...still way earlier than "normal," but later than the past two days.  Tomorrow it's back to the normal grind, though, and the first test of my more usual routine--should be fun!

Yesterday was a more active day at work and home than I'm used to, which is a good thing.  My little girl broke one of the slats on her crib, so I spent all evening building a toddler bed.  Still haven't gotten my Spanish learned like I'd wanted to, but it will come in time.

In case anyone is interested in exactly how much I'm eating, here's a picture of last night's supper.  That's four eggs, half a bag of Cali blend vegetables, and a cup of rice.  That's measured pre-cooking, by the way.  The rice is probably closer to three cups cooked.  Served up with a glass of orange juice, we're talking lots of calories, and plenty of protein.

Today's prayer country is Myanmar, also called Burma.  This nation has historically been one of the most closed to Christian activities, and a law banning independent churches hasn't helped.  The government has ideals of a unity in its people, of language, ethnicity, religion.  This has done much to encourage persecution of believers and has resulted in many refugees around the world.  I happen to know that there are several families of the Karen people here in middle Tennessee.  This is an awful situation, one that deserves our prayers at the very least.

Day 2

Today is a little different in the workout department, as the gym doesn't open until 7am.  I've got a few things to keep me busy at home, including a good, old-fashioned farmer's carry (the trash needs taking out).  I'll probably do some basic exercises here today and be ready to start fresh at the gym on Monday.

Yesterday the wife and I spent six hours in the car--so, no real advances in much.  I guess, though, it's no different from being at work.  That's where I'll be today, eight hours.  Lunch has been reading time, though, so I'll get a little Spanish work in there.

Today's prayer country was Turkey.  Like Mali, Turkey officially guarantees religious freedom.  However, many in rural areas are hostile to believers, and the current president is favorable to the idea of becoming an Islamist state.  I'm not someone who is going to treat Islam like the plague, but I know that having any state-mandated faith is a bad thing.  Also, a law recently went into effect limiting visas to 90 days and requiring 90 days between visits.  This has been detrimental to missionary efforts in the nation.  Please pray that the freedom in the constitution will remain unchanged and that those in rural areas would have their hearts turned.

Day 1

Five hours in, and I'm definitely worn out.  The good news, though, is that there's nothing left today but study and cleaning.  This is the most I've done before 10:00 in a few years, I'm sure.

I had the opportunity this morning to pray for our brothers and sisters in Mali, a sub-Saharan country in west Africa.  While the government there is much less hostile to Christians than some of their northern neighbors, it's still difficult for believers in most of the rural areas.  Those who convert face persecution from their families, as well as from some of the local leaders.  An Imam stated in 2010 on the government's TV station that any Christian who proselytizes should have his arm cut off.  Again, the government itself isn't very hostile, but believers still need our prayers there.

Workout this morning was tough, because I didn't have work today.  I put some of the blame on the YMCA for putting the word "triathlon" into my head--running, biking, and swimming in quick succession isn't something the average weakling should do.  Something about having to wait ten minutes afterwards before I could stand again tells me I pushed too hard, but at least now I have a goal.  I did 1k running, 3k biking, and 250m swimming.  Not a lot, but I didn't pace myself the first 100m of swimming and came much too close to passing out when it was over.  Mistake?  Definitely.  Learned from it?  You bet.

Went shopping, too; Friday will be shopping day.  Still have to slice the pineapple--which will involve cleaning the kitchen first.  And...it looks like the baby is ready to start.  I best go help her before she climbs on the dishwasher door and breaks it off.  Thanks for reading!

It all starts tomorrow!!

Tomorrow is the big day!  I'm already up later than I expected to be, but wanted to get this in tonight rather than waiting until tomorrow.  I've taken photos and measurements so we'll have something to compare with in four weeks.  Wish me luck, everything starts at 5:30am!

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 152 lbs

Chest: 34"

Waist: 31"

Hips: 35"

Bicep: 12"

Thigh: 18.5"

Morning Routine

Projected morning routine for the 28 Day Change:

5:30am - yep, gotta get up, busy morning
breakfast
quiet time
6:15am - head to the gym
7:15am - head home
morning snack
shower, get dressed
8:30am - clock in

Considering my current routine has me getting up around 7:30, I'd say this is going to be difficult.  Planning to hit the sack early as much as possible in the next week-and-a-half.

Gym today for the first time in months

Ow.

Testing

We're right at three weeks from the challenge, and I've been doing some testing on the diet and planning on the exercise.  Was very surprised to find that black beans and tuna make a very delicious--and filling--meal.

On the exercise front, I've gotten advice from my two fitness experts (my football-playing high school senior cousins) who have given me lots to think about.  I'll be hitting the gym pretty soon to test my weight limits with different muscle groups.  Just like with the food, I want to have a plan going in each day so I don't waste any time trying to figure out which machine to hit, where I'm doing my cardio, etc.  Get in, get the exercise on, and get going--that's the goal.

Looked back over my old Spanish textbook from college, and I'll probably be using it in combination with some CD books from the library.  My wife is going to make a great practice partner, because she's interested in learning too.

Each morning I'll be online blogging, so I've looked for something that will aid my quiet time as well.  I'll be reading through the 28 chapters of Acts, and I'm going to be looking through The Voice of the Martyrs' website at www.persecution.com to see what's happening around the world and to pray for those affected by persecution.

Looking over it all, the plan is starting to come together, and I can't wait to get started.  Who will I be in 28 days?  So excited to find out.

Diet Complete!

After spending a day crunching numbers, gathering data, and visiting my local supermarkets, I've got a weight-gain diet that costs less than $5 a day.  Budget was a big deal, because we can get pretty stretched as it is, and I didn't want to make it any harder by adding a bunch of expensive foods.

My targets were 2500 calories and 150g of protein.  According to most of the sources I found, you should aim for 1g of protein for each pound of weight when planning a diet.  This much protein will give the body plenty to make muscle from after working out.  Probably part of the reason I never gained any weight while working out was that I wasn't getting enough calories--or protein.  So, here is my daily diet plan:

Early morning (pre-workout):
2 cups of milk mixed with 2 tbsp. Ovaltine and 1 scoop whey protein
1 slice of bread with 2 tbsp. peanut butter

Breakfast:
1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 banana

Lunch:
1 can black beans
1 can tuna
1 cup raw spinach

Supper:
1/2 bag frozen California blend veggies
3/4 cup rice
4 eggs

Late snack:
1 1/2 cups corn flakes with 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 tbsp. honey
2 rings of fresh pineapple

Totals: 2453 calories, 149g protein
Weekly cost of food: $31.92

Planning a Diet is Hard!!!

Seriously about to lose my mind trying to get a diet plan put together.  Part of it is that reading all these suggestions is making me hungry.  Part of it is doing all the math and comparing ingredients when I don't have them all here!

I realize that any doctor could come up with a viable plan.  Unfortunately, not any doctor can do it on my budget.  Solution?  Bring the doctor a diet plan and see what we get.  My goal is about 2500-3000 calories per day, with a gram of protein for each pound (~150g) per day.  This wouldn't be difficult on a high budget, but I'm also needing to keep the family afloat (no daily fillets of salmon for me!) and make sure I've got some good ingredients to feed a growing baby--who also needs to bulk up.  It can be a daddy-daughter adventure!

I did find the USDA's database of foods here, and a really good resource for fruits, veggies, and seafood here.  They've both been handy, although the database is very difficult to read when you're accustomed to the Nutrition Facts label on food.  Ah well, diet plan will be posted when it's done.

Observation - Spirit

I'll make no secret of the fact that my spiritual life isn't all it should be.  I've gotten too caught up in some of my other duties to put enough focus on my spiritual needs.

Part of the issue is the time I've devoted recently.  Since my childhood, I've done my quiet times at the end of the day, when my mind is still awake.  This became a habit, one that continued through college and into family life, where it's actually less convenient.  I find similar issues in my prayer life, with a bit too much of rote prayer sneaking in.  I'm becoming careless in prayer, which is a horrible thing.

So, my goals for the 28 Day Change spiritually include two things:  I will have a morning quiet time, and I will seek specific people and situations to pray for each day.

Observation - Mind

This one is easy.  I've built my career around working with my head, so filling it up with a lot of extra and diverse data isn't really on the agenda.  I do need to focus more--zoning out less often and zoning in more--but that's hardly quantifiable and doesn't qualify as a goal.  That's just something I'll have to stay vigilant about, and it's probably something that will come with a better routine.

Instead, my primary goal for my mind during the 28 Day Change is to learn Spanish.  I took a year in high school and one in college, and my conversation skills have not been honed much in the meantime.  I get limited practice at work, but somewhere I hit this wall and never did much learning past it.

I hear they speak Spanish in Mexico.  It's just a rumor, of course, but it's better to be safe than sorry.  So my goal is to be comfortable making everyday conversation in Spanish.

Observation - Body

Weighed myself for the first time in a while today.  For my height, 142 is considered underweight by the body-mass index.  Staying this small is dangerous, and it's something I've wanted to change for a long time.  I've also not been working out, mainly due to lack of discipline, partially due to getting out of the habit when we were down to one car.

My ideal weight?  I'd love to be up to 180.  To do that is going to require a lot more caloric intake than I'm currently getting, though.  So, working out and eating more (healthy) calories are going to be part of my regimen.  Also, there's the matter of getting sleep.  I'm currently getting between 6-8 hours of sleep a night, usually closer to 6 than 8.  Muscles need sleep to build, so that's something else on my list.

Also, I'd like to get in the habit of flossing daily, instead of occasionally.

Those are my personal body observations.  As recommended by pretty much everybody, though, there's going to be a doctor visit in the next month before I make any drastic changes to my diet or activity level.  Gotta stay safe!

The Plan

In order to make change, we must plan change.  My plans are fairly simple and consist of three main parts: observation, decision, action.

In the observation phase, I will take a look at myself and my life and consider the way I do things.  Observation can be done in various ways, but I've opted to look specifically at the three traditional Judeo-Christian divisions of a man: mind (Greek nous, also called the soul), body, and spirit.

In the decision phase, I will consider the things that need change and set specific goals.  This phase will include much planning on a pragmatic level, as I'll have an entire daily routine to consider.  This is the phase that can make or break a will, and failure to plan properly will almost always result in failure.

The action phase will be the 28 days itself.  I plan to review the plan after the first week, then continue on for the last three weeks with the final plans made then.  This leaves a bit of wiggle room for the decision phase while tying me in to the final decisions.

I'll answer two questions here.  There's no spiritual reason for 28 days; four weeks just seemed like a good, decent amount of time.  Biblically, 40 days is more traditional, but then I might as well just observe Lent.  And speaking of Lent, the timing has nothing to do with that.  It's just that my wife and I are going on a mission trip about a week after the 28 days ends.  It's as good a time as any.

Resolved

January 1.  This morning in service the speaker asked for a show of hands of people who made New Year's resolutions.  The number was very small, and considering the number of resolutions that end in failure (88% according to this study), it's not hard to see why.  Of course, part of the problem lies in the resolutions themselves.  He gave the top ten list of the most popular ones, and I was surprised that only three (quit smoking, quit drinking, get out of debt) start out quantified.  In fact, at least one wasn't even quantifiable at all.

For the 28 Day Change, my goals reach for the same things that many people are resolving today, so I suppose they will be my New Year's resolutions.  I'll flesh them out into their respective goals and life-change plans later, but here's the list:

1. Gain weight.*
2. Improve my relationship with God.
3. Get more sleep.
4. Learn Spanish.
*I know, poor me.  But according to the standard body-mass index chart, I'm borderline underweight--which can result in some pretty rough health issues, just like being overweight.


Whatever your resolutions, I hope you do them the right way.  Make goals, make plans, make it happen!