Furlough Fitness Part 2 (Finding Support, Gym Bag)

The battle is real.

But the success can be just as real with the right tools, planning, and preparation. So let's get practical.

First, let's always keep our motives and priorities in check. After all, man looks on the outward appearance, but God sees the heart.

Right motives are everything. Right priorities are vital.

Proverbs 21:30 "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:

but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."

It would be such a shame to be motivated by something so shallow, vain, and temporary as beauty. However, to be motivated by my love for the Lord, to better equip myself for His service, to glorify Him? Now that's eternal!

1 Timothy 4:8 "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

How tragic it would be to become so focused on the physical that I neglect the priority of my spiritual life!

Charity and Kristine still going strong in Furlough Fitness

The Right Support

Knowing that the battle against the Furlough Twenty was a huge task, I (Charity) went looking for support and accountability. I am happy to say, my team of support and accountability answered the call!

The first thing I did was I went to my family and let them know my goals and plan. They not only supported me, but some of them jumped right on board with me! My husband and daughter are right there beside me in exercise and eating healthier. Even our younger son is intentionally making better choices. My older son is one of my favorite cheerleaders in this battle!

The next thing I did was I made my goals public. I actually posted it on Facebook for all to see, including supporting churches. What were the results? Not only have I received verbal support, but also supporting churches are getting involved. When we have visited churches, they have opened their gym facilities to our family. One place we stayed, the church stocked the refrigerator and cabinets for us with healthy foods. I almost cried! My absolute favorite was when a pastor's wife in Canada invited me on a three mile hike. Not only did I get exercise, but I enjoyed sweet fellowship with her.

One of the best decisions I made was joining a three-month weight loss competition that a friend was hosting. I am highly competitive-natured. Joining that competition has kept me accountable. (When you have to check in every week to report your numbers, you tend to behave!) The first month of the competition is completed, and I am happy to report that I came in first place with a loss of 13.4 pounds for the month.

13.4 pounds lost and feeling great!


Where would I be without the faithful support and encouragement of my fellow Furlough Fitness friend, Kristine? Kristine's goals are 1) Not to gain the Furlough Twenty, and 2) To lose ten pounds along the way.

Cheering you on, Kristine!

Stepping Up to the Battle

Hi! I'm Kristine and my family and I are missionaries to Indonesia. We have just passed the halfway point of a seven month furlough, and I'm determined NOT to gain the Furlough Twenty! My "before" photo above was taken three weeks ago at the beginning of this blog series, and I had already started to notice the scale creeping up. Since this photo, I have lost five pounds and am already feeling much better. How did I do it?

Here are some steps I took:

The number one change I made was cutting out sugar! It took a couple of weeks to get over cravings for sweets and carbs, but now I just avoid all desserts at church buffets. I try to keep protein bars in my purse in case I feel tempted.

Even though I felt better after cutting out sugar, the scale did not budge. The next step I took was giving up snacking on chips and processed carbs while in the car and at restaurants. That's when I started to lose weight.

What I am finding that works is:

• No sugary foods
• No processed carbs
• No carbonated drinks (especially on travel days)
• No seconds
• Choose salad if it is an option
• Protein at every meal
• Load up on veggies
• Protein bar if I need a treat

Exercise has been part of my routine for years. I enjoy its benefits in the form of stress relief, less back pain, improved mood, and increased energy and endurance. When I fail to exercise, I find myself gaining weight very quickly. At home in Indonesia I typically exercise thirty minutes to an hour a day, five to six days a week. It's not always as easy to be consistent while on the road.

Here is some of what I have done to ensure that I get my workouts in:

• I carry my favorite 30 minute workout DVDs with me. That way I have no excuses if I'm low on time. Anyone can squeeze in thirty minutes. If it's early morning, and my family is sleeping, I mute the sound on my DVD.
• If the hotel room is too crowded with my family of five, I go to the hotel gym and walk on the treadmill.
• If we are staying with a family, I invite the wife to go on an after dinner walk with me.
• I have walked at the mall.
• I have jogged in place while watching the hotel TV with my family.
• I have gone swimming.
• I have made extra trips up and down stairs while loading the van. Every little bit helps!

Engage the Enemy

(I got a little curious and asked Kristine if she would share the contents of her gym bag with us. Want a peek?)

Here's a photo of my exercise bag and it's contents. I bring it in everywhere we stay.

I have two foldable mats ($9.99 at WalMart), a set of 2-pound hand weights, an exercise band, my DVDs, and tennis shoes.

I won't mention what one of my biggest problems is while travelling, but this photo shows the solution.

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Please keep checking in on our progress.

Coming up:

More travel friendly, creative exercise ideas

Healthy fast food choices on the road

Conquering the buffet restaurant

The healthy hotel breakfast

Charity's gym bag

And more!