Categories
christian mom Fitness Fitness and Health

Reclaim your Energy: 7 Ways to get your energy back

Did you know that majority of our population feels tired all the time? Fatigue can be a common symptom in a lot of disorders and diseases, but more often than not it’s because of some bad lifestyle habits.  There’s good news and bad news. Good news? It can be easily corrected. Bad news? You’re going to have to change.  If you do want your energy back, I have seven suggestions that can help.

  1. Get up! Most of our jobs require us to sit for hours at a time which is making you tired, and most people claim to be too tired to be active and exercise.  So, what’s the solution? Get up ANYWAYS! I promise you it will boost your energy and the more you do it, the more you have.

    You can make small changes in your sedentary lifestyle to begin steps towards more energy.  Aren’t you tired of being tired? Start standing instead of sitting; stairs instead of elevators (come on you’ve heard it before) the reason is it works! Do better for yourself and get up and start moving.

  2. Stop eating too many refined carbs! I know you heard it before no carbs and that is not what I am saying I am saying no REFINED carbs meaning- stuff that comes in a box or bag that can sit on your shelf for months at a time.  You know shelf-stable goods.  Well, those items that can last a long time on your shelf are zapping your energy and robbing you sending spikes in your blood sugar but then leaving you tired and groggy.

    Carbs are a great source of quick energy, but there are better ways to get them.  There have been researching findings that suggest minimizing sugar and processed carbs at meals and for snacks will give you greater energy levels.

  1. Eat what you need! I am so glad I got out of the train of thought to eat less to lose weight.  Calories are what we use to measure how much energy food provides.  It is what your body needs to operate when you eat fewer calories than your body needs to work your body aka metabolism slows down to preserve energy for really need it, and that slowdown process is making you tired.

    Now there is no set number for calorie intake because everyone is different, but you should be getting more than 1200 calories a day to make sure your body isn’t slowing down.  So, eat up (not too much) but what you need to fuel your day and you will have the energy to perk up.

    Eat more protein!I find that along with the high refined carb diet we tend to not get enough protein. There have been a lot of protein products on the market but if you look carefully the fillers that are put in them make them high in carbs too.  Not getting enough protein can cause lack of energy.  Studies have shown that eating protein increases your metabolic rate more than carbohydrates and fats.  Also, several studies show that people with diets that have adequate or higher protein-rich foods have more self-reported more energy than others who diets had less. I would suggest eating quality protein at every meal to help you boost your energy.

  2. Drink more water! It always comes back to this, but proper hydration will give you the energy you need.  When your body is tired is because it is trying to restore itself making sure that you are properly hydrated will prevent your body from going into restoration mode.

  3. Sleep better! For such a tired nation you think we’d sleep better, but most of us are not getting enough of the quality sleep we need to function at our best; including myself.  It also makes sense why you don’t have the energy you need to go about your daily life and are relying on other sources of energy.  I have stressed the importance of rest many times before and how it is crucial to helping you operate best.

    My suggestions for those who do have trouble sleeping? Do something during the day that is physical for at least 30 minutes a day; it can even resemble exercise.  Working out can help you rest easy at night getting those zzz’s that your body needs! Take shorter naps! So, you did not sleep last night. You get home from work, and you are beyond tired.  Naps, are good right? A quick 3-hour nap will be best? Nope! Another reason your sleep is off is from sleeping at the wrong times.  Quick 20-30 minutes are reenergizing any longer than that needs to wait for the evening.  Sleeping for long stretches during the day is throwing your internal clock off try to wait till evening even if you may need to go to bed a little earlier than usual try to keep long sleep durations to night time.

  1. Stop stressing! Stop stressing and give it to God!  High levels of stress can zap your energy and rob you of a joyful life.  Aren’t you tired of being tired? Stress management is an excellent way to give you the energy you need.

    We often deal with stress by shutting down leaving us tired, cranky and worn.  There is proven release of stress and freedom in prayer, worship and devotion through other ways than sitting in a church service.

I am sure most of these tips you have heard before but don’t know how to apply them to your life, or there are so many things you need to apply you don’t know where to begin.  I may have something that can help? I have my new Bibles and Bootcamps starting in a few weeks.

I created this program to be the basic training you need in your faith and fitness journey.  Walking step-by-step, with you give you action items to help you adopt a healthier lifestyle that helps you to increase your energy, help you lose weight all while you are growing and strengthening your faith.  I would love to help you live the life you deserve and hope that you willJoin us!

Categories
christian mom Faith & Self Care Faith Journey new christians Self

Outside of my Comfort Zone

still

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks ad strips the forest bare. An in his temple all cry, Glory! Psalms 29:9

Lacking the ability of direction

I have a horrible sense of direction. Always have not sure if it’s inherited but my mother does too. Get us together and we are the blind leading the blind. I learned when my daughter was in 2nd grade that we all have certain genius’. And spatial genius-being good a directions and space, that is something that I lack.

So, for the last year I have felt lost.  Like, I know I am going in some sort of direction but a little confused.  I have been seeking God’s guidance and his response has been, “be still.”  Well they tell you when you are lost to stay still till someone finds you, right? I am not the stay still type of person. I have been pursuing different directions trying to find the direction of this evolving new me for about 4 years, but still lost.  Again, seeking God’s direction and again, His response “be still.” This time is different, I am tired of thinking I am heading in the right direction only to be getting further and further lost.  I want to stay still, but how does one stay still?

How does one stay still?

Have you ever tried to stay still? I have stayed still in moments, each time progressively longer but never till I found an answer.  Never committing fully or entirely grasping the concept of “staying still.” If someone put a gun to my head I could probably master it but honestly;

Who wants a gun held to their head?

I rather voluntarily submit. I am trying to be still before God forces me too.  He has gently reminded me from time to time for some time now.  I have decided that I really really want to obey.

The definition of be still is-not moving or making a sound; deep silence and calm; stillness; and quieten.  I am someone who is constantly moving. I always having an idea that needs to be brought to fruition. I am loud, not calm (calmer now that I am older but still I wouldn’t characterize me as calm), constantly active and quieten-I had to look that one up and nope not that either. To sit still is literally torture to me which makes me think:

“Why does God want to torture me?”

Yet, I really feel that God wants me to be still, so what does that mean for me? I honestly have no clue what to do when you are still and my husband jokingly says,

“that means do nothing.”

So, I go to google because clearly someone has had to created steps to “doing nothing.”

Yea, no.

Next, I got to the source the ultimate instruction manual the Bible. What does the Bible say about being still?

Figuring out the steps

I am being still to honor and serve God therefore, once I achieve being still then I need to wait on God.   Okay, waiting now that is something that I am very familiar with. I am not am an impatient person. So, not only does God want me to be still, but He also wants me to wait. Who ever said this being a Christian thing is easy- is a LIAR! So, I now take this journey down a path to strengthen my faith I find that God is working on three things in me- my ability to be obedient, my ability to be still and to be patient and wait on Him to come guide me where I need to go.  Let’s tackle one thing at a time: be still.

stillwater

In my google search there was not a Wiki-How on how to be still but there was a quote that resonated with me.  “You can only see your reflection in still water.” Did you get the same “Aha” that I did? Praise God for shining a little light on the subject. Here I am lost trying to find my way trying to find my calling. I told a friend one time I felt like a Spaghetti noodle being flung on the wall trying to see if I stick.  I have so many talents, passions, ideas but every time I go to God to see where to take them I get the “be still.” Then, this quote brought so much clarity. I can’t figure out how to use these talents, pursue my passion until I am still enough to see my reflection. God wasn’t trying to torture me at all He was trying to give me the direction that I have been praying about for years and my hard headed self was trying to figure it out myself. When He really was answering me. How many times do we do that? Ask God to answer our prayers and then ignore Him when He actually does? (You can put your hand down, now.)

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:14

He makes things so easy sometimes I feel like we are the ones who complicate it. So, I need to be still so that I can figure out and hear God better and start going in the direction of whatever purpose He has for me. Yep, easier said than done. So, actively trying to be still which for me is taking a step back from everything but raising my family. Daily devoting into the word, reading books, the Bible and just learning  and growing in Him. For when I am actually still enough to see my reflection I want to be ready. I hopefully don’t have to wait too long.

Be Patient and Wait

This brings me to the next growing pain from God. I haven’t completely achieved being still and obedient. Although, I am honestly giving it all that I have growing that muscle daily but being patient and waiting is a lesson that I have learned before from God. Again, haven’t mastered it but I think He was preparing me for this phase of life so I have some understanding on how it is done. There are a few passages, highlighted, sticker-ed (Yes, I put stickers in my Bible) and heavily noted on waiting. My absolute favorite and another “Aha” is:

We wait in hope for the Lord;

He is our help and our shied.

In him our hearts rejoice,

For we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

Ever as we put our hope in you.

Psalms 34:20-22

essentials to waiting

4 Essentials to Waiting

  1. WAIT. Although, we don’t want to we must wait on the Lord. He is only conspiring for our good and although it may seem like a long time for us it is only a moment for Him. His plan supersedes our plan and He wants more for us than we can even imagine all we have to do is wait for His provision.  For your salvation I wait, O Lord. Genesis 49:18
  2. HELP. If it really gets too hard to wait, too much to bear then we need to rely on Him but to be impatient with God and try to do things our own way means that we don’t trust in Him to provide. We are so used to instant gratification but doesn’t meant that is how things should be. God is our refuge our strength in ever present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1
  3. REJOICE. One of my favorite quotes is: When times are sweet give thanks and celebrate. When times are bitter give thanks and grow. We should always rejoice in the Lord, “For this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24 It can always be worse but it is only a day, a moment, a season and blip in time that the Lord gives us, We should rejoice. So when waiting rejoice for where you are presently. Rejoice for where you will be in the future and rejoice and praise the Lord always for his provision. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
  4. TRUST. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lead to your own understanding Proverbs 3:5 because honestly, you just won’t get it. He has a upper story a meaning and a purpose planned out. What we are looking at here and now is not the full picture. It is a narrow perspective. We have to have trust in Him that He is conspiring for us in all things (which He is). How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, on those who take refuge in you.

I know what I need to be doing and I kind of know how to do it. So, I am just going to take a seat before He makes me take a seat and let God do His thing. I will try to rejoice and not look at it as torture because He could ask me to do far greater and harder things than to just be still. (ie. Moses, Abraham, Gideon, David….just for example)
Has God ever asked you to do something out of your comfort zone?