Let's Get Physical

Remember this song? I'd have to say early 80's maybe later was when Olivia Newton John belted out this memorable (if not disturbing) tune. Interestingly enough, the title ties perfectly with next installment of the "Daniel Fast" Diaries....hey, that's not bad, I'll have to remember that.

Now you would think that going on a fast would lead someone to feell extremely weak and tired. Possibly losing strength at each passing day just longing to eat that next burger from Wendy's only to survive. To you I say, Au Contraire (I did take a semester of French. That word is french right?) . Now don't get me wrong, the Daniel fast is not exactly an enjoyable experience at first. Eliminating meat, dairy, sugars and seasonings from my diet was like 90% of my nutritional intake some days. But I made it through and interesting enough, I actually began to enjoy it.

Over the course of the 21 days, I physically began to feel better. I slept extremely peacefully despite a 7 month old that insisted on waking up every night. However, this was a perfect opportunity to spend some time feeding her and in prayer. Each morning I felt well rested and ready to begin the next day. It was as if I didn't need as much sleep as I first thought. However , now that the fast has ended I seem to be needing more sleep again. This is probably not coincidental.

In addition to the sleep, I noticed no major change in physical performance. My workouts continued to go well and I experienced no major drop off in strength or endurance during the 3 weeks. Speaking of dropping off, I did manage to lose about 15-17 pounds during the 3 week fast. A bit much and not what my intentions of the fast were, however I have begun to wonder about the possibility of a Daniel Diet. Just kidding...or am I?

Anyway, all in all, physically the fast was tremendous. I will admit that I couldn't wait to add meat back into my diet, but besides that have stayed pretty true to the Daniel fast lifestyle. (Except for the occiassional pancake and hot chocolate. I love hot chocolate.)

However, in hindsight, why should we be surprised that this is what happens physically on this fast. In the book of Daniel 1:15-16 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the rich foods and wines. Seriously, I think it just did what it was supposed to.

New Workout

Thought It might be time to post a new workout. Give this one a shot and let me know what you think. It's a great "hybrid" workout combining dumbbells and bodyweight exercises. Move through it as quickly as possible resting only as needed for the following sets.

Monday - 2 sets of 15 reps
Wednesday - 3 sets of 10 reps
Friday - 4 sets of 6 reps



Remember why you are working out....you are preparing your body to better be used for the service and purposes laid before you. With each rep remember you are glorifying God with your body!

fasting4Service

I promised I'd recap my fasting experience. Hopefully by now, you've checked into the Daniel Fast just to get a better idea of what I was eating or not eating. However, although my mind was originally focused on the "P" part of the fast, it quickly became an IES event.

As you know, in a spiritual fast, the idea is to spend time reading and praying for certain things. I decided to take my 21 days and pray for several different topics but the main ones being a financial breakthrough for my training facility, (I own a personal training studio that is going through some ups and downs....on a side note, the studio's site is being converted to a ning.site so I hope you all will join that one as well), a final resolution to my anxiety issues, and finally my family. (Obviously I prayed for other things like friends, fit4service members, our country, but you get the picture)

Without delay, my prayers seemed to come alive. I was barely into the fast when it seemed no matter what I read in the Bible, or show I watched on television, God was shouting out his promises to me. I was being lifted out of the "pit" and onto the mountaintop. I experienced many emotions of spiritual joy/sadness, overwhelming humbleness/worthlessness, unbelievable boldness/power. These mountaintop feelings seemed to continue day in and day out as long as I was seeking Him and his word. Never have I experienced such a daily refreshing as I did during this fast. God truly rewarded my sacrifice by meeting me day in and day out.

Interestingly enough, my current conditions haven't changed much. There hasn't been a multitude of people rushing into the gym....yet (although we have seen some nice growth since the fast) I still must make a concious decision to choose peace over fear. So in our human eyes, was the fast a waste?

Not a chance, in the midst of the turmoil, I can still hear the promises shouted to me on the mountaintop. I can still sense the peace that I experienced during the 21 days. Now don't get me wrong, when the bills come up at the gym and that feeling of anxiety begins to grip me, I have to make that decision to Be His and not mine. I have to return to the verses that jumped off the page to me only days before. I have to get on my knees and seek a refilling of His Presence. But yet at the end of the day, He always comes through. He always gives me that "manna" for today. No more (unfortunately) but no less either (thankfully). If I've learned anything from the spiritual part of this journey, it's that I really have no idea how God is going to work....I just know that He is. And maybe, that's all I need to know