GET YOUR BODY MOVING: SHE SLIMMED DOWN ON THE PATH TO SELF-DISCOVERY
In 1996, when Linda Christopher began walking during her lunch hour, she didn’t foresee the profound impact that it would have on her life. Sure, she lost weight—her real purpose from the start. But along the way, she reconnected with nature, reaffirmed her faith in God, and rediscovered herself.
Back then, Linda was grappling with a lifelong weight problem that seemed to grow worse as she got older. She was fed up with dieting and with losing and regaining the same pounds. “I stopped weighing myself when I hit 184 pounds,” says the 41-year-old teacher from Garwood, New Jersey. “But I know that I got even heavier, because I could barely fit into my size-18 clothes.”
Her too-small wardrobe only reinforced Linda’s dissatisfaction with how she looked and felt. It gave her the incentive to make some positive changes in her life.
“I just reached a point where I couldn’t handle it anymore,” she continues. “Instead of dwelling on weight loss, I shifted my focus to a healthier lifestyle.”
With that goal clear in her mind, Linda began to improve her eating habits. She tried hard to rein in her stress-induced binges. And if she felt that she had to eat something, she chose crunchy carrots or an apple instead of cookies or chips.
For exercise, she swam a couple of times of week at a local YMCA. And every day on her lunch break, she took a 20-minute walk through a nearby park. Those walks evolved into mini-spiritual journeys as Linda found herself using the time to commune with nature. “I had always enjoyed being outside, but between work and other activities, I had gotten away from it,” she ^ explains. “Those lunchtime walks helped me rediscover my love of the outdoors. There were so many sights and sounds and smells that I had forgotten.”
Amid all of that natural splendor, Linda experienced a sort of spiritual reawakening. Her faith in God deepened, and she felt more at peace with herself. “Walking was as good for my mind and spirit as for my body,” she says. “I felt so much better, and in ways that I never expected.”
Linda came to treasure her lunchtime walks so much that they gradually stretched from 20 minutes to an hour. Within 6 months, she lost more than 30 pounds. Out went those size 18s, replaced with size 12s.
Linda has maintained her weight at a healthy 154 pounds ever since. She has become such an avid outdoorswoman that she leads hikes for her local YMCA. Every Sunday morning, she spends at least an hour wandering the woods near her home—reconnecting with nature, with God, and with herself.
“I feel much better physically—and as a bonus, I’ve gotten back in touch with my spirituality,” she says. “That has made all the difference in my health and my life.”
WINNING ACTION
Transform your walk into a moving meditation. Walking is a wonderfully simple exercise for losing weight and getting fit. With its rhythmic pace, it can become meditative, especially when you’re alone. Use that time for personal reflection and renewal. It not only makes your workout go faster but it also mentally and spiritually rejuvenates you.
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