Thursday, December 30, 2010

If you rest, you rust.

It's just that simple.  I was feeling great after my workout yesterday and determined that I was going to make it for another today... until I woke up sicker today than I have been in a while.  I've been fighting this bug since before Christmas and thought I was on the mend but apparently I was wrong.  I have barely been able to sit without coughing up a lung nevermind what it would have been like had I gone through another of Shannon's circuit classes lol.

I'm finding though that the more I'm "resting" the sorer I'm feeling so I'm going to try to get into the gym tomorrow morning to avoid "rusting" over the long weekend.  Hopefully Amanda will give me the ass kicking that I deserve and need to be prepared for the weekend.  I'm also hoping that the weather will cooperate this weekend so that we can take the kids out sledding and skating and I'm not just lying on the couch getting even rustier before Monday. 

I'm not making any resolutions for the New Year because I find that they tend to be broken or forgotten, instead, I'm going to focus on staying dedicated to becoming an improved, healthier me.
My list of goals to help me achieve this includes:
  • Limiting my snacking (at least the unhealthy stuff) or opting for healthier choices
  • Limiting my sugar intake
  • Hitting the gym a minimum of 3 times/week
  • Setting attainable and realistic weight loss goals so that I don't get discouraged
  • Seeking and/or asking for help when needed
  • NOT LETTING ANYTHING OR ANYONE GET IN THE WAY OF MY GOALS
Wishing one and all a very Happy New Year and may this be YOUR best year yet!
It's never too late, it's never too bad, and you're never too old or sick to start from scratch once again- Bikram Choudhury

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement

So I went for my second workout at the gym today and it kicked my ass.  It was a great work out but I'm sure going to feel it tomorrow.  Having my butt pushed definitely made me excited though to see how much I improve the more I go.  I know that it will always be hard work but I'm looking forward to being able to complete each exercise without having to take a break.  I did surprisingly better than I had anticipated but I know that there's always room for improvement so my goal for circuit class is to be able to complete all of the exercises without stopping.

It was a lot of fun doing the class with Shannon and even more fun when my little coach (my oldest son) decided to come run Wall to Walls with us at the end of the class and procede to antagonize us and tell us that he's faster than us.

On a side note, I ate breakfast again today which is a great accomplishment and I'm working on getting in the extra small meals each day.  It's definitely harder than I expected to eat as much as I need to in order to burn calories but I'm determined to re-train my metabolism.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao Tsu

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.

For pretty much as far back as I can remember I haven't eaten breakfast.  I have no freaking clue what my aversion is to eating before noon but it goes way back.  It probably has something to do with my mom never eating breakfast or after a certain age her giving up the battle of forcing me to eat it.  Regardless of past excuses/reasons, I have commited myself to improving my health and lifestyle and with that comes eating right. 

Today I forced myself to eat a bowl of cereal, a small step in the right direction but it was tough.  Oh breakfast how I loathe thee.  My boys were sitting at their table in the kitchen watching me pour my cereal (1 cup of cereal with 1/2 cup milk) and my oldest says, "Mommy, what are you doing?  Breakfast is only for kids."  This kinda caught me off guard and made me realize yet again that I need to break the "I hate breakfast" cycle if I want to make a change in my own life and influence my kids in a positive manner.

My next big hurdle will be to have a couple more small meals throughout the day.  I have to kick the "do as I say, not as I do" lifestyle with my kids where I make them eat 3 full meals a day with 2 snacks but only force myself to eat once or twice a day and then snack away leisurely.  It's not going to be as easy as flicking a switch but a full blown commitment and reminding myself that I'm not just doing this for myself but for my kids (especially as they get older) too.
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes
-- Oscar Wilde

Monday, December 27, 2010

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary

It's true that hard work is not only neccessary to see the desired results but also pays off.

I went for my first class tonight at the gym and it was great aside for the embarassing expelling of gas (aka farting) in the middle of crunches.  Guns & Guts was definitely a good work out, and I feel great afterwards although I'm sure that my arms and abs will utter death threats come morning.  After the first class and its' relaxing atmosphere, I can say that I'm even more motivated to keep at it than ever before.

Thanks to Jo for making me feel so welcome and for giving me a great work out.  I can't wait to come back for more!
Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.
Will Rogers

The shortest distance between two points is under construction

I'm a mother of 3, and I love my children, husband and my life in general.  I have spent the better part of my adult life and the past 4 years being pregnant and raising my children which I would not trade for anything.  But with having and raising our children so close together, I have put myself on the back burner to ensure that they have everything that they could ever need and then some. 

I have watched my figure and appearance change for the better (growing babies and watching my belly swell) and the worse (the stretch marks, water retention and weight gain) throughout this time and have decided that I don't like seeing the latter staring back at me in the mirror.  I have enough self-confidence to "rock" whatever extra weight etc.. that I'm carrying because I want my children to have confidence in themselves too but I asked myself the other day, "Am I truly showing them self-confidence or just showing them how to make the best of what you've got and taking the easy way out".  Again I realized that it's the latter of the two that I'm not happy with and have decided that a change is in order and a BIG change.

The first thing that I immediately told my husband and myself that I want to change is my fitness.  I don't have the desire/need to look like a super model or movie star; I just want to improve my overall health so that my children will not have to grow up without a mother.  I know that I need to lose weight but the number of pounds is not as important to me as the active lifestyle that I hope to teach my children.

This is not going to be an easy venture and I think my husband will be the hardest obstacle to overcome.  I love him dearly but he believes that we should just be happy with who we are.  I am happy with me but I'm not a healthy me and that's where my issues arise. 

It hasn't always been easy or even affordable enough for us to make healthy choices.  I can think of many times where we sacrificed a healthy meal for ourselves so that our kids could have one because we simply couldn't afford enough for all of us.  We're not set financially by any means but we're a little better off (at least to where we can afford to eat healthily) so I have taken the steps to ensure that we have balanced meals in our house and enough for everyone (STEP 1).  I got inspired by a blog of someone who I know consider my role-model (whose story is very similar to my own) to get my a$$ off of the couch and get active at home since we can't afford a gym membership.  After following her blog for weeks, reading it and re-reading it, I emailed her just to simply thank her for being such a great inspiration.  She gave me the greatest gift this Christmas, she invited me to come to her gym regardless of whether we could afford it and to just "pay it forward" later on. (STEP 2 is falling into place).  I told my husband just before Christmas about this gift and was crying with how excited at the prospect of change I was, it truly made my Christmas this year.

Today is day one of my journey, I will be heading off to the gym this evening for my first time in years and I cannot wait!  This journey will not be without it's ups and downs and bumps along the way but I'm determined to make the change and work my butt off for results!

Thank you to my Christmas angel for giving me the gift of hope and means to improve my life!

The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time. -Joe Girard