I hate when I catch myself sweating the small stuff. I think that I'm more progressed when it comes to that, but it catches me sometimes. Hey, I'm human. I bring this up because I was pissed off at something a few minutes ago at someone I love, and I read a post by a blogger I am following (In the Life of Mary http://lifeofmaryr.blogspot.com/) and it stopped me in my tracks. It brought me back to reality and reminded me that life is too short to get pissed off at the small things.
I've also been thinking lately about how people come into our lives when they are supposed to. Over the past year, I have made some amazing friends and connections with people I never could have imagined. I am so very thankful for these awesome people in my life. The past couple of years have been particularly challenging for me. I've dealt with the loss of my mother, aunt and grandfather, the loss of my job (hopefully temporary), gone through a divorce, problems with my children... there is more, but you get the point. I have made good decisions and bad decisions and have learned from every one of them. Some have hurt and some have been exhilarating. I am evolving as a human being with the help of others and again, I am thankful. I feel so fortunate, blessed if you will, that through the challenges there is light, there is joy, there is progress. I just wanted to share these observations.
On another note, my legs are on fire! If it wasn't for the 100 ass to the ground squats last night in addition to 100 lunges and all the other grueling activities my trainer had us do in class, today was leg day. I met my trainer Jenn at the gym today after an important meeting I had this morning that had me stressed. I just wanted to bang it out and be done. I love that "done" feeling. We hit it good, and my legs are paying the price. I feel accomplished and I just love that feeling.
By the way, the small stuff I was referring to earlier was this. As most of you know food prep can be time consuming to say the least. Now if you have other people to cook for it makes it a bit longer and it's so tempting when you are making yummy food that you can't even taste because you've set your goal and that doesn't fit in. My husband knows what's "my food" but he took some of it, not all of it, but some of it and didn't tell me. So when I went for it tonight I was like "this isn't 3 oz., did I screw up?" So I text my husband and he admits to taking what he knows is my food because he was tired and hungry and proceeds to tell me that I'm too focused on food. I remind him of my goal and this is what it takes to get me there, etc. etc. But since this was all through texts because he is working, he stopped responding and I just have to leave it alone. I'm not going to hold on to it. I will however speak to him at another time so that we are on the same page.
Anybody else understand where I'm coming from? Let me hear ya, I may be overreacting so if I am I need to hear it.
I like to start my blog posts with a quote and kind of center the post around it. Today I chose the quote above for a couple of reasons. First, I think this quote speaks to most of us trying to do something extraordinary while still trying to maintain every other aspect of our lives. Our marriage or relationship, our work, our children, our families, our household and any other obligation that we may have. It can be tough. Second, I understand and have experienced the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. I bring this up tonight because I gave up time with my children to get my workout in tonight, and doing so always raises the question "is it worth it?" And while I can think of no better time spent than time spent enjoying my family, I can think along the lines of this quote and say YES! Yes, it is worth it. I know by taking care of my body, and working toward a goal are very powerful actions to take, not always an easy task, but important for my children to see. I believe it's important to set the example that you, and only you, have responsibility over your body (with a few exceptions of course). At the beginning of this year and for 2 years before that, my triglycerides were sky high. The normal range is anything less than 150 and in February of 2009 they were 383! Oh yes, I meant sky high. I finally realized I needed to get my act together and that I was paying a price for being inactive and overweight. I opened myself up to many health risks including heart disease, diabetes and pancreatitis. I'm 31 years old! I don't want those risks in my life, nobody does. But not many want to do what it takes to lower their risks of certain health ailments. I want to watch my children grow up, and start their own lives, not be in a hospital or on 50 medications because of my own undoing. I deserve better; they deserve better. That is why I will sacrifice some time with them now, to get my workout in. At the end of July 2009, I went back to the doctor and had follow up blood work. Triglycerides came in at 167; 216 mg lower than 5 months before. I'm still a little high (over 150) but nowhere near where I was, and I'm not going back. I will not go back to a life of "comfortable inaction" again. What are you sacrificing for your current lifestyle?
People have asked me over and over again, what are you doing, how are you losing weight? I don't have some unknown secret or a magic pill, I've just decided to put forth the effort. The effort being learning how to eat for health, making time to exercise, and learning why these things are better for me than my previous lifestyle. If you are struggling with your weight or just an unhealthy lifestyle, you have to ask yourself "what am I willing to do differently to get the results I want?" Are you willing to be uncomfortable? There were many, many times, and even sometimes still, where I was uncomfortable doing certain exercises. When I first began this journey back in November 2008, doing jumping jacks were challenging for me. Challenging because I hadn't done any cardiovascular exercise in quite a long time. But also challenging because for someone like me, with a lot of excess body fat, feeling that fat bounce up and down with every jump, was just awful. I was so self conscience of it. I felt as if it would never get better, it would never feel more comfortable. But I knew better. I kept at it, kept putting forth the effort. It didn't happen overnight, but now, jumping jacks don't even phase me. And forcing myself to be uncomfortable, feeling everything bounce, has contributed to a nearly 50 lb. weight loss. So, ask me, was it worth it? Absolutely! The point of this post today is that if you don't put forth the effort consistently, you will not find success. And each and every one of us deserves success.
