Love and romance have been the leading theme in movies, songs, plays and fiction literature since the birth of those mediums. Love (and the guilt of men) sustains the floral industry. February, which would otherwise be the dull sophomore month of a new year owes its rock star status to love via Valentine’s Day. Love or the pursuit of love will even make a guy shower and brush his teeth!

It is safe to say you would agree that love and the absence of love are powerful forces with either delightful or dreadful affects in your life. So, how did love garner such authority and influence?

The origin of things helps to bring context and insight such as that of Valentine’s Day. Not a pretty picture. Essentially, Valentine was tortured and executed for marrying a man and woman in the Christian faith. The power of love moved St. Valentine to do extraordinary things and willingly pay the price with this life. What about the origin of love?

1 John 4:10 says in part “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us…” Please catch the unconditionality of this statement. It is a love that did not and does not require our initiation nor reciprocity. From the very beginning, God loved us, the origin.

With so much conflict and tragedy in the world, it is understandable so many people struggle with the idea of a loving God. Who hasn’t wrestled with the question that begins with “If God is a loving God, then why…”. Again, origin.  To understand the love of God, we need to look to the second part of 1John 4:10 “… and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Because of love, God created us for a love relationship with Him. To believe in true love, we must get to know Him through His Son Jesus. However, you and I and every human on earth has the same problem that prevents us from knowing Him well and is the source which leads to the heart break we see in our world. That problem is sin. There is a price for sin and Jesus paid that price on our behalf. God also gives us a free choice whether we will accept this truth and His love by giving our hearts to Jesus.

When I think of the extreme measures God went through to capture my heart, it first humbles me then begins to give me a love for Him and for others. I have accepted that God loves me unconditionally through my faults and failures and I am all shook up.

I’ve got good and bad news about belly fat. The bad news is, there isn’t just one move that will get rid of your belly fat. Spot reduction is not possible. Any strength training move for your abs (like crunches) will strengthen those ab muscles but does not necessarily remove the fat over those muscles. The good news is, anything you do to burn calories could contribute to weight loss around your waist.

To remove the excess around your middle, you need to take steps to lose weight, not just crunches or sit ups.  This means watching your calorie intake, focusing on non bloating foods and drink, getting in cardio exercise to get your heart rate up and burn calories, strength training and get plenty of sleep.  Let's break it down.

1. Watch Your Calories - Very simply, if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight.  A 500 calorie deficient each day will result in a loss of a pound a week.  Of course that is easier said than done and there are many variables (i.e. hormones, medications) that can affect this simplistic calculation.  But bottom line, you won't lose weight if you are eating and drinking too much and that includes any belly fat. I recommend tracking your nutrition in an app like My Fitness Pal.  

2. Non-Bloating Foods and Drink - Not only is it important to watch how much you are eating and drinking, it is also important to make sure your calories are healthier and not ones that will naturally make you bloated.  Focus on foods with lots of fiber, little saturated fat, lean proteins and only whole grains instead of anything made with white flour.  Watch your salt intake and stop or limit soda.

3. Cardio - Many studies show that aerobic exercise helps to get rid of excess weight.  A recent study from Duke found that jogging the equivalent of 12 miles a week will help you lose belly fat.  You don't have to jog to get this benefit.  Anything you are doing to get your heart rate up will help, try to work to the point that you don't want to talk (but could if you needed to) at least 20 minutes a day.  Walk fast, take a dance class or kickboxing class.  Also, some strength training done in a circuit will elevate your heart rate just as much as steady state cardio. Find the type of aerobic exercise you like, and do that!  

4. Strength Training - Adding in strength training at least two times a week is a good thing for everyone but also helps with reducing excess belly fat.  The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, which means the more calories you burn.  Be sure to work all of your muscles with either body weight or weight resistance.  

5. More Sleep, Less Stress - According to a 2010 Wake Forest University study, routinely getting 5 hours or less of sleep per night increases visceral fat levels.  Aim to get 7-8 hours a night.  Getting less increases levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which is linked to belly fat.  Guess what else increases your cortisol levels?  Yep, that's right, stress.  Be sure to have strategies to reduce your stress like a hobby you enjoy, meditation or talking with a friend.

This is a quick overview of just a few things that may impact your waist line.  Also, keep in mind everyone’s body is different. There are other factors that can contribute to weight loss or gain and specifically how your stomach looks.  Be patient, work on the five things above and watch your middle shrink!

Looking for great exercises to help tone your body?  Check out our exercise library for video instructions on great exercises to add to your routine. 

Ready to start exercising? Great! Physical activity benefits your physical and mental health in so many ways, it should be an important part of your lifestyle. However, there is so much information out there, and our lives or so busy already, it can seem overwhelming to begin. It doesn’t have to be so complicated or take up that much time. Whether you are getting back to working out after some time off, or are beginning an exercise habit for the first time, here are some things to keep in mind as you get started.

Four Workout Tips for Beginners

1. Get Physical – a physical that is. You might need an actual physical from your doctor before you start exercising. Anyone with major health issues or health risks should get clearance from their doctor prior to beginning any exercise routine. No matter your medical condition, you can probably workout in some way. But it’s best to get those details and any restrictions from your doctor.

2. Set A Goal – What is your workout goal? Do you want to run a 5k? Lower your blood pressure? Hold a plank for a minute? Think of goals that are specific and measurable that you can work toward and achieve in a shorter period of time. For example, instead of saying a large overarching goal like “workout more” or “lose 100 pounds”, make a starting more specific goal of exercising twice a week.

3. Start Slow – Starting out too aggressively may result in injury. Doing too much too soon is not good for your body and will not provide instant results. Exercise should be a lifelong habit so it should be sustainable and something you can stick with. Slowly progress the time you exercise and the weight you use.

4. Plan a Balanced Routine – a good exercise routine will contain some cardiovascular activity, strength conditioning and stretching.

- When starting out with cardiovascular activity like walking, running or the elliptical, shoot for 20-30 minutes at a pace where you can carry on a conversation if you had to but couldn’t sing a song. If you can sing, you aren’t going fast enough. For heart health, the American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. According to the CDC, moderate intensity means your heart rate should be between 50% - 70% of your maximum heart rate. An approximate way to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220.

- Strength conditioning should be done at least twice a week. Start with working each major muscle group with a weight that you can lift for 10-12 repetitions with the last reps being very difficult. Don’t work the same muscle group on consecutive days and be sure to warm up with a 5 minute walk or other dynamic activity prior to strength training.

- Stretching should be done after each workout. Static stretches for each major muscle group should be held for 10-30 seconds.

Don’t be intimidated by all the information, all of the gym equipment or all the different ways to exercise! It can be as simple as adding walking 20-30 minutes to your day. Follow the tips above to get started. Want more information and to get a workout created especially for you? Contact a LivRite personal trainer today!

 Last month someone asked me what the most important thing is I have learned in my life! Wow. She did not warn me or even warm me up with “What is your favorite color” or nothing. Just, “Oh, by the way, just wondering… and BAM!

The ONE MOST IMPORTANT THING that I have learned.

I heard a story about someone asking a 100-year-old man what was one of the valuable lessons he has learned in life. He said, “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my teeth.”.

Unfortunately, I knew I would not get by with an answer like that, so how do you summarize into a single response the one most important lesson of a 56-year life?

I spent the first half of my life with little to no interest in what God thought about me or my life. In 1989 I met Christ in a profound way and began my life with Him. When I got that question, my life flashed before my eyes and I instantly knew the answer. I can do nothing of true value apart from my Lord Jesus.

It was sobering but a blessing to get that sudden but loving reminder. I found immediate comfort in knowing that all I need to do to add value into the lives of people around me was to stay connected with my Lord and He will do amazing things.

Have you had those moments in life when you say or think “What’s the point?”? I know I have. To get to the point, God has a plan and He wants us in on it, but we get to choose His plan or our own. As someone who has literally lived half my life with Him and half without, I can say without a doubt, His plan is perfect.

Jesus says in John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Nothing of eternal value. Nothing that changes us or others with eternal significance. Jesus wants to do amazing things in us and through us and all we need say to Him is YES. 

Looking for great upbeat Christian workout music?  Sometimes it can seem overwhelming to find the right music or create the right playlist,  but with apps like Apple music and Spotify it's never been easier to make playlists featuring upbeat christian workout songs. We had a lot of fun putting this playlist together, and finding music that motivates you for running or working out and really helps push you when your workout starts getting harder and you need to stay mentally strong to finish! The tempo and the beats are great, but even more some of the messages in these songs are exactly what you may need to hear to keep your workouts going, they sing about overcoming obstacles and doing hard things and keeping faith. They are really motivational songs that can help you stay the course and keep moving forward.

The following list is our top 8 christian workouts songs with great beats to listen to during your next workout.  If you click on the song title you can listen on YouTube and if you  Click here you can listen to this playlist on Spotify  

8. Start Over (Flame feat. NF)

7. The Gospel (Bizzle)

6. Build Your Kingdom Here (The Rend Collective)

5.  I'm Turnt (Lecrae)

4. Feel Invincible (Skillet)

3.  Ooh  ahh (Grits feat. Toby Mac)

2. God's Not Dead (Newsboys)

1. Coming in hot (Andy Mineo ft. Lecrae)

We really enjoy this playlist, what do you think of about it?  Are some of these songs in your workout mix or do you have any Christian songs you would recommend we add to our playlist? We hope you found it helpful to have a playlist of clean, upbeat faith-filled music. Let us know on Facebook.