Live Life Better - 2014

Smile FM Challenges You To Shape Up in 2014

By Jenn Czelada & Brian Dumont

Sometimes it seems like New Year’s Resolutions get a bad rap, perhaps because more than 25% of people fail in the very first week.  The good news is people who do make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t.  As we start 2014, we’re excited to come alongside and help you reach your goals with the 2014 Smile FM Shape Up Challenge.  To help you “live life better,” we have created resources to help you grow in both physical and spiritual health.  

When it comes to physical health, one thing many misunderstand is that losing weight and becoming physically fit are two different goals.  While they compliment each other quite nicely and often support one another, they each take a substantial amount of effort on their own.  When a person eats healthy and follows a successful weight loss diet, their size changes.  When a person exercises, tones up and builds muscle, their shape changes.  

For exercise, fitness expert Bryan Beaune, owner of Building Your Temple Crossfit in Oxford, MI recommends High Intensity Interval Training like PX90 or Crossfit.  “HIIT training is the only proven way to exercise away stored body fat,” he explains.  It confuses your body to use the fat because it creates such a high demand for energy.”

Coach Bryan suggests, “Group classes are a great place to start.  They will help you push yourself and learn new skills.  It’s more affordable than hiring a personal trainer, although that’s a great option if you can afford one.  Often times people will go to the gym and do 20 minutes on the treadmill and think they’ve worked out.  However they aren’t going to see results from that, they will get defeated and possibly even hurt.  The goal with all fitness efforts should be to push your body to the next level, the more results you see the more you will enjoy what you are doing.”

For diet, Beaune explains one of the most common mistakes people make is trying to eat “healthy” food that is not really healthy.  “People use diet products or shakes thinking they are healthy, but they are really just increasing processed foods and chemical in their body,” he explains.  “They switch to low fat versions of products which really are just loaded with extra sugars.”

”Deprivation is another mistake people often make,” Beaune continues.  “They find a website that tells them if they eat 900 calories a day they’ll lose 30 lbs in a month.  Then they end up sending their body into starvation mode and become severely nutrient deficient.”

Beaune says cutting out processed foods is an excellent start.  “If you can pick it or kill it, then eat it,” he recommends.  If it is a plant, eat it.  If it comes from a (processing) plant, don’t eat it.”   You can eat meat, vegetables, fruit and simple carbs all day long without gaining weight.  If in one meal you eat no more than the size of two fists, you’ll lose weight.  By eating smaller meals more often you will keep your blood sugar consistent and keep your body using its fuel rather than storing fuel.

When it comes to spiritual health, the staples of Christian living include daily exercise through prayer and a healthy diet of reading the Bible. 

Smile FM has fostered daily Bible reading for several years with Brian’s Bible Brain Busters and 2014 is no exception.  Morning Espresso host Brian Dumont started the feature for personal reasons.  “I’ve always struggled with disciplining myself to read the Bible every day,” he explains.  “By incorporating a daily trivia question it forces me to be consistent, not only for myself, but for others as well.  And I know reading or hearing even one verse a day can make a difference.  As the prophet Isaiah states, ‘My word… shall not return to me void, but shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.’ (Isaiah 55:11).”

If you’d like to read through the entire Bible in a year, you can follow the daily reading schedule at www.facebook.com/briansbiblebrainbusters or visit another site like www.oneyearbibleonline.com for suggested passages.

Prayer is another essential component of one’s spiritual journey.  As with any relationship, communication is necessary for continued growth.  Prayer is how we communicate with God.  Whether it’s a prayer of petition or simple thanksgiving, regular prayer results in strengthening our relationship with Him.  In Matthew 6, Jesus provides an easy example of how we should pray.  This month Smile FM DJ’s are continuing that effort with the Shape Up Challenge.  When you register you will receive an email message from one of our on-air announcers each day with a brief devotional and a short prayer you can pray to get 2014 off to the right start.

To find out more about the Smile FM Shape Up Challenge and sign up to receive daily encouragement to help you live life better, both physically and spiritually, visit www.smile.fm/shapeup. Enjoy this article and many others on your tablet or smart phone with Smile FM's I Believe Digital Magazine.  Download it today!