View Full Version : Going to the gym...
I have never been to a gym in the whole of my life and I'm not planning on going either. Does anyone else think that we're a world obsessed with healthy living, healthy eating, healthy everything?!
I'm not overweight, but maybe slightly unfit - but who cares? What does the bible say about healthy living and eating?
This is what the Commission for the Future report said:
"Robbed of a broader meaning to our lives, we appear to have entered an era of mass obsession, usually with ourselves; our appearance, our health, and fitness."
Do you agree or do you think healthy living is important?
Open forum...
I'm not aware of a place in the Bible that mentions healthy living, but for me it seems like a very important thing.
I don't think being obsessed with "healthy living" actually is healthy living, if that makes sense lol!
Healthy living to me is, eating when you're hungry, getting in your fruits and veggies and whole grains, making sure you're active (who says you have to go to the gym? Take regular walks with a loved one around a lake or join a dance class!). Another component that we haven't discussed is emotional health but I believe that is a very important part of healthy living. We want to believe that our emotions and our bodies are disconnected but really it couldn't be farther from the truth. When we exercise and eat right, we are much more emotionally healthy as well.
If you just don't care about your health, eat whatever you want, don't get any exercise, and in general don't take care of yourself, then how can you be as good of a witness for Christ? I used to be very involved in a retreat community where there is a lot of work to do for the team members. But one of the most important things they were always harping on is, if you need a break take one, get enough sleep, get enough nutrition. We simply could not serve the participants of the retreat if we were tired, cranky, and undernourished! I think the concept applies to daily living as well.
I do agree that obsessing over these things leads us down a bad path. But so does ignoring them.
off the top of my head - verses that deal with healthy living:
treat your body as a temple
"Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man."
and it's just a general good idea.
like anything though - being obsessed with it is not a good idea.
I want to live long enough to see my great grandchildren. Heart disease and other health problems caused by eating badly and not exercising takes many lives every day. I don't want to be a statistic so I do what I can to be healthy. Plus I feel better than I ever have now that I take better care of myself. It's not just a weight thing for me. It's a health thing. I'm not obsessed but I think that it does need attention from us.
Just because you aren't overweight doesn't mean that the food you put in your mouth or the time you spend on the couch instead of taking a walk aren't taking a toll on your body and building up problems for the future.
I don't think anyone here is obsessed with it. Being obsessed with anything is unhealthy in itself.
Thanks for that guys.
You probably have an image of me sitting at my computer, smoking a joint, holding a bottle of beer in one hand and a TV remote in the other! LOL
I do think it is important to stay healthy - but I think the world has gone over healthy, if you know what I mean. The other day I was tucking into a ham sandwich and my housemate said that bread is now apparently bad for you.
I like my ham sandwiches > :(
You probably have an image of me sitting at my computer, smoking a joint, holding a bottle of beer in one hand and a TV remote in the other! LOL
:lol: nah!
In fact I think you are noticing an important trend we need to be aware of. But, I've noticed our society has a way of going to the extremes--either ignoring something or obsessing over it!! In terms of being healthy, neither extreme is a good path to be on. We need to be healthy, but not to the point where it hinders our focus on God :)
I do think it is important to stay healthy - but I think the world has gone over healthy, if you know what I mean. The other day I was tucking into a ham sandwich and my housemate said that bread is now apparently bad for you.
Well, on a serious note, most bread has little or no nutritional value. There's two kinds of carbohydrates out there--simple and complex. The simple carbs are what are often referred to as "empty calories" because they don't fill you up and your body doesn't use them for much more than storing fat. Refined sugar and white bread are examples. Complex carbohydrates provide the body with the fuel it needs so they are much better for you. Whole grains and berries are two examples of complex carbohydrates. So in a sense, white bread is bad for you, because it has the nutritional value of a candy bar or a regular soda.
How do you know if bread contains complex or simple carbohyrdates? Look for "whole wheat". If it says anywhere on the package or the first ingredient is "whole wheat" you've got a winner. (be careful, sometimes they trick you by saying "wheat" but it's still not whole wheat!).
UberHouseWife
04-12-03, 01:56 PM
My main reasons for striving for good health are:
1) High blood pressure runs in my family. I'd like to be able to have my next baby at home with a midwife, in order to do that, I have to get my BP down. My doctor has told me that the best way to go about that would be losing 60 lbs and getting in good shape.
2) I deal with food addictions and emotional eating. God is not fond of addiction, and I know He'd rather I went to him with my problems instead of consulting the fridge! ;)
3) I have a son who turns 2 this summer. I'd like to set a good example for him by having self-control and happiness. Right now, my self-esteem is kaput because I hate my size 20 body so much. I know that I need God to help me with that too, not just diet & exercise...
4) I want to be able to buy clothes off the rack again! I buy 95% of my clothing online because Gap, Old Navy, and several others only carry the higher sizes online. And forget about finding cute clothes that actually fit at thrift & bargain stores! :eek:
Thats about it... :)
Thanks kipepeo
But isn't whole wheat bread, brown bread? Yuck! :mad:
haha :) the kind I eat is light brown, yes. Maybe it's an acquired taste? I used to hate the stuff but once I realized how much better it was for me, I started eating that primarily and now I love it! I don't like the taste of white bread much anymore :lol: (except soft French bread with crunchy crust right out of the oven!--yummmm)
Now I'm all about whole wheat--whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, even whole wheat tortillas!
UberHouseWife
04-12-03, 04:41 PM
I hate white bread! :disgust: ewwww...
I eat wheat bread, but its not the whole grain stuff with nuts & oats in it, yuck!
I hope they have white bread in heaven! ;)
kip, you sound like me. I started eating whole wheat bread because I wanted to be healthier and now my husband and kids eat it and love it! ( my 4 year old and 8 year old) None of us eat white bread anymore unless we dont' have a choice (like if we are eating at someone elses house or at a restaurant). I think it's just what you get used to.
Also, whole wheat bread doesn't have to have the nuts and grains in it. Nature's Own whole wheat bread is what I eat.
UberHouseWife
04-14-03, 01:55 PM
I buy the supermarket House brand wheat bread for 79 cents a loaf. Its yummy! :)
I started buying wheat bread for myself and then my whole family switched to it - it's yummy :yum:
I buy Nature's Own as well.
Does anyone here eat white bread? I feel a bit lonely now. :(
I eat whatever my wife buys. Sometimes it's white, sometimes it's wheat. Usually it's what's on sale. I probably would say I like white better. I'm not so hot on sliced bread with all sorts of crunchy things in it. But I think my favorite is a good chewy piece of pizza crust type bread, the kind that makes your jaw tired while eating it.
goodstuff
04-16-03, 10:08 PM
Well i dont go to the gym cos there isnt one near me, but i'd like to. I just so small exercises every day in my room. Not doing much but hey haha. :) God bless!
-Matt
UberHouseWife
04-17-03, 11:49 AM
That's part of my dilemma with not exercising as much as I should, no nearby gyms. Theres a YMCA in my town, but this place is dinky, so I'd probably run into a lot of people I know there. and I'm really self-conscious when I'm working out, so I definitely don't want to see people I know LOL
Originally posted by jtech
Does anyone here eat white bread? I feel a bit lonely now. :(
i do. :) i rarely (if ever) eat wheat bread. just something about it that irks me.
mrs. baird's all the way. then again, do you have mrs. baird's bread over there? it's really popular in the south. :biggrin:
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