Phil Parham (25 page)

A Word from Amy

I don't know when, but somewhere along the way, I formed an opinion about myself. It could have been the time I tried out for basketball in junior high and didn't make the team. Or the time I joined a new gym and the trainer worked me so hard that I was throwing up before the session was over. Whenever it was, I had lived all my life thinking that I was not a winner. I didn't think I could excel at any sport because I was never good enough. Though I had a good attitude, I never excelled physically.

I found I was limiting myself with this attitude. Why can't you have both? Why can't you have the best attitude and be the best on the team? I'm here to tell you that if you believe you can, then you can!

When I started working on my health and working out a lot, I realized that I was competitive. I loved a challenge. I loved to work hard and I loved to win. I didn't let my old mentality stop me from enjoying success at whatever I was doing. I believed I was a winner, and I was going to prove it.

Don't let a self-defeating attitude stop you from becoming good at a sport. Don't allow negative thoughts, such as
I'm playing just to have fun
or
I'm just the nice person on the team,
keep you from being the best. Play with all your heart and see yourself as a winner.

1. Has a certain thought ever kept you from getting fit?

2. Can you be a good sport and a good athlete?

3. What can you tell yourself to make you work harder at a sport?

Listen to your coaches and parents. They have lived longer and have more experience than you do. If you listen to what they tell you to do, you may learn something.

A Word from Amy

On the last day of spring term, my school held an annual event called “Field Day.” The students were always gushing with excitement when this day came. On Field Day, each class competed against the other classes in such games as the sack race, the three-legged race, tug-of-war, and the egg toss. The winners would get blue ribbons, and the rest of the kids would get ribbons of other colors. It was so much fun, but it was also a chance to exercise. At the end of the day, we students were tired but happy after being active and competitive.

What if your family organized your own Field Day right in your backyard? Wouldn't that be a great way to get active and help you be healthier? You can do a three-legged race. You can do an egg toss. You can play tug-of-war. And you can play all these games using common household items.

Today, plan a Field Day for your family. Encourage your friends or neighbors to join in the fun. Everyone will have a great time and have an opportunity to activate their body.

1. What are some other games you can come up with for your Field Day?

2. What items do you have in your house that can be used for these games?

3. How can Field Day activities help make you fit?

Go to the dollar store and buy cheap ribbons or prizes you can use to reward the winners of your Field Day games. It will inspire friendly competition.

A Word from Amy

The first challenge I had on
The Biggest Loser
was to climb a steep hill behind the ranch. The trail was a mile long, up and back. Before then, I hardly ever climbed the stairs in my own home, so you can imagine how overwhelming the task was. It was far more exercise than I was used to.

I remember that day well. It was hot, and we contestants were sweaty and thirsty. As we walked, we found it hard to breathe and our legs really hurt. But we kept walking until we reached the summit. Once we got there, we looked around us, and my breath was taken away. A beautiful valley down below stretched as far as my eye could see.

We immediately forgot about the struggle to get up there because the picturesque setting was incredible. At that moment, I realized I had been limiting my life. I spent most of my days sitting on the sofa and not moving my body, when I could have been visiting places like that mountain and enjoying the beauty that God has created for our enjoyment.

Can you relate? Have you been keeping your sofa warm and missing out on all those places you could be exploring? I'm sure you know Miley Cyrus's song “The Climb.” It talks about how life is like climbing a mountain and the moments in life that you remember are in the challenges you face. If you never get off the sofa, then you really aren't living your life. So get up and get active and take the climb to enjoy a little beauty.

1. What are some things you haven't been able to enjoy because you haven't been active?

2. In what way is mountain climbing good for your body?

3. Why is climbing a mountain a lot like facing life's challenges?

Before you spend a day outdoors doing any vigorous exercise, make sure you eat a healthy meal loaded with complex carbohydrates for energy.

A Word from Amy

When I was in elementary school, I loved gym class. We did such fun things as square dancing, kite flying, and bowling. Of course we also played the standard games of kickball and softball and had fitness tests, but our teacher always made sure we had fun. She understood that we could get physical activity from all kinds of movement, not just the traditional ways.

When I got to middle school, it was a different story. Gym class was about being competitive, and because I was overweight and had low self-esteem, I felt as if I couldn't compete. I wasn't as good as the other kids. I couldn't run as fast or throw a ball as far, so I got easily discouraged. I dreaded class and couldn't wait for it to be over. Gym wasn't fun anymore.