The Buddy System and 5K Exercise Walks

To Those not enrolled: Come, and we will fit you in. And you don’t have to be a member of this Church or any Church to participate in our (LTL) Losing To Live program.

Good Rules For Losing That Weight: (1) Walk a 5K Exercise Walk. (2) Get a Buddy to support you, in pursuing your goals in the LTL (Losing To Live) program. 

It helps to have at least one Buddy to be there for you through thick and thin. You can call this person Buddy, Teammate, Sister, Brother, Partner, or whatever, it doesn’t matter. But experience teaches us that to accomplish some of the most difficult things in life, it absolutely helps to be able to share at least part of the burden, and joy, with some other person, or persons. We all know the value of people helping people. We do it on our jobs, in our families, and many other places. All of the addiction breaking programs, like AA, usefully employ some type of Buddy system, because they know it works. The Buddy is the person that keeps you more accountable than you would be otherwise. You will often "Show Up" because you don’t want to let your Partner down.

Some of you may already have a great support system that is working for you, someone who goes to classes with you, and walks and hikes with you on the 5K Exercise walks each Sunday. If so, you may be pretty much set, but if you are doing this alone then you need to team up with someone compatible, so when you are tempted to miss a class, drop out, or not do the 5K exercise walks, that person will encourage you to get back on the routine. Nothing beats a bit of accountability when we are faced with life’s most challenging tasks.

Each of us must make it a continuing goal to make sure everyone involved is matched up with at least one other support person. This is not always that easy to arrange, and may require some persistent attention from all of us to get everyone supported. On the 5K exercise walk, slow walkers need to be teamed with other slow walkers, and so on, and matched as to the length of course they are going to walk. Everyone needs to be encouraged to do the 5K Exercise Walk each week, and those who can need to set an example by doing the 5K Walk with others.  The reason the 5K Exercise Walk is so important is that it is a physical and concrete expression of our whole commitment toward achieving our Weight Loss, Fitness and Health goals. It is the only thing physical we do together that symbolizes the Dedication, Inspiration, Exercise and Eating, Team aspects of the LTL D. I. E. T. Plan. As we all know, “Faith without works is void,” thus the Exercise Walk is an important part of our “Works.” 

The Bible supports the Team idea repeatedly:. For example, it says, where two of you are gathered together of one mind, there am I. God always responds better to two than He does to one. Thus, it helps to have our brother by the hand when we ask for God’s help. Note: He sent out the disciples two by two, not one by one.

Find someone in your group that needs your weekly encouragement, and you will find you will be encouraged in turn.

We have planned courses. These planned courses are only guidelines to provide some structure. But, note: The least able of us are the very ones that need the 5K Exercise Walk the most. Thus, if you can only do one block, or a half block, we want you to do that, unless your doctor has told you not to do any walking at all, in which case you always follow your doctors instructions.

The Route of the 5K Walks are the most beautiful and inspiring imaginable. Every week the scenery is different. The shades of green vary as the seasons slowly change. The light from God’s heaven is always different, and God’s weather and climate are different each time we walk. The 5K Walk is a ministry to our souls as well as our body as we take this scenic nature walk. And the awesome fellowship of walking for some part of an hour, at least once a week, helps to focus us as we dedicate our bodies and minds to God. It is OK to mix and match your walking partners, anything to keep you interested, happy, and challenged. Just imagine Jesus walking all over the Holy Land, up and down those hills, talking, witnessing and teaching with His disciples.

When we walk and talk with fellow believers, we are truly being Christ like, and will have our reward.