Today is our oldest son’s tenth birthday! So of course I have been looking at baby pictures of him all week long thinking of how far we’ve come as a family. I also noticed that I as much as I took pictures, I wasn’t much for being in them. They made me so uncomfortable. I also have been guilty of using the kids to block how big I was if I was forced to take a picture. There is one picture in particular that was taken the Christmas after our last daughter was born. I am holding our five month old and I look about seven months pregnant. I could see people trying to do the math in their heads. I just chalked it up to “just” having a baby. Then a couple days after last Christmas (it’s not always Christmas, honest!) my husband, kids, and I were at a toy store cashing in gift cards. I was holding the baby who was one year (and five months) old and the cashier asked me what I was having this time. Our kids were born boy-girl-boy-girl so “It must be a boy! And besides you’re pretty high up!” The kids looked at me, grinning, like they found something out I hadn’t told them…another Christmas Miracle, perhaps! I think the look of horror on my husband’s face helped the poor girl recognize her error and she apologized at least eight times while she rung us up. I am not sure I have ever been around three more uncomfortable adults in my life. I think we got some free batteries too… It wasn’t her fault, I looked really pregnant. I couldn’t chalk this up to just having a baby.
I could have allowed my feelings get the best of me because as terrible as I felt, it would have been easy. Fortunately, I realized that the time for me to own this had come! I tried working out but my eating habits were pretty poor. I never ate breakfast until noon and I had daily bowls of surgery cereal before I went to bed. I cleaned most of my kids’ plates as well as my own. Sleep was a luxury. Do you know how much work you can get done when kids are asleep?! Ken even bought me an expensive set of DVDs so that I could get workouts in when my day allowed. I had cycles of working out really hard and then not doing anything for weeks. I had the desire to change my health and body but couldn’t get it together. It was about four months of losing and gaining the same six pounds over and over. Thanks to the exercise and nutrition program at Flab to Fab that six pounds is finally gone for good as well as some of its friends. I’m fitting clothes that I haven’t worn in years and the nightly cereal thing is no longer a habit. I am about twenty pounds from my goal for this competition but I am so much closer mentally and emotionally. My kids deserve to have as many pictures of me as I have of them.
So, for the balance of this contest, I will be working out daily between 2.5 -3 hours, except for Sundays. I can see some muscles beginning to tone but I can also see that they are beneath some fat that I need to get rid of. I’m chasing my kids around (and catching them!) and I don’t know if you know but the back of your leg and your behind are two different body parts! I started this competition trying to figure out how long it would be until I wouldn’t be sore the day after a workout but now I welcome the discomfort. It means that I am growing, in the right direction.
“Thanks to the exercise and nutrition program at Flab to Fab that six pounds is finally gone for good as well as some of its friends.”
This made me laugh, what a great way to look at it… and the metal image of little pounds of fat wandering away like cartoon hobos made my morning
Dear Tica, I’ve enjoyed working out with you at the fitness center. I encourage you to keep up the good work. No, there’s nothing easy about it. As one of the oldest members of the fitness center, I can attest to that! However, I know how important good health means to me so I’m going to stay at it, just like you. It takes dedication to stay strong and lack of interest to stay weak. As you know, willpower and focusing are key! God bless you, your attempts and efforts. Fran
Oh, my gosh! You really have all your priorities in line now! I understand how you felt about the pregnancy observation – it happened to me – (years ago – no one would ever think that now because of my age!) and it was devastating. Great job at using it as a reality check and for motivation to make changes. I really feel like you are in the right place mentally to keep up the great work. You’ve come so far in ability and attitude that I’m sure this is a life changing competition for you. Win or lose, isn’t that the best part? Keep it up and you’ll succeed in the long run, too.