I'm trying to lose some weight and to discover a better attitude about my physical body. As a follower of Christ, I have fallen into the dualistic trap that it is my spirit that matters, not my body. As a result, I've been too happy to give into my body's immediate desires to eat and to rest. Now I find myself pushing the edge of the obesity charts and my body hurts with even the most minimal exercise. So, I've started using the Livestrong.com (and associate iPhone app) tools for tracking calories ingested and exercise. In 10 days, I've lost about 3 very temperamental pounds. If I stopped tracking today, I'm pretty sure I'd gain those puppies back by the weekend.
My problem, that leads to my question is that I'm tracking, but I don't know that what I'm doing is going to fix the problem. So, is P90X the answer to this Christian's fat problem?
I ask about this product because so many Christians are jumping on it. We even have a men's group that encourages guys to do it on the same schedule. A few of those guys have shown more definition, but I'm not sure that many have shown me that P90X is a tool that I should use.
Let me define my goal first of all. My problem is a sin that I need to overcome. Gluttony or sloth or both, one might call it. Whatever it is called, my problem is giving into material desires. The result of my sin is a body that is inefficient, a food bill that is too high, and a self propitiating habit of sitting on the couch watching meaningless TV.
So, what can P90X do for me? On the surface, it doesn't seem this is the tool for me, but I'd love to hear from those who have tried it. In short, my sin is idolizing material needs of my body. It seem to me that this program only builds on that by focusing on how your body will look in 90 day. Does P90X do more for the user than the surface draw of making one look good? An obsession for looking good can also be a form of idolatry.
Second, I hear a lot of the work is too difficult to complete. Is P90X doable for a fat, lazy guy?
Third, I really wonder about the sustainability of this program. Again, I can loose weight using my calorie tracker, but I've done that in the past, but I don't feel that I truly learned to overcome my sin. I just learned to stuff it. Does P90X teach any lasting values of health? Have you been able to maintain those values?
I would sure appreciate help with this.
